Mulls over the future

Watching Obama's grand stroll into the White House, I cannot help but feel that there are so many wonderful things to experience in life. However, harsh realities of society and nature (age, health) often make us unable to proceed.

I remembered over the past few years I have been thinking about what to do over he next few years and I took this from my previous blog.

---

Things I wanna do in my life
- master Japanese / JET (2 years)
- master English / CELTA (4 months)
- learn the piano / hobby
- learn French / ?

- long term career option / mass communications (US university, 2 years)
- long term career option / instructional design (US/UK/Australia university, 2 years)
- long term career option / education (US/UK/Australia university, 2 years)
- education / MOE (4 years)

I am now 25 years old!

26 - 2007 - RP
27 - 2008 - RP/?JET
28 - 2009 - RP-CELTA/JET
29 - 2010 - JET
30 - 2011 - ?JET/?RP
31 - 2012 - RP
32 - 2013 - masters
33 - 2014 - masters
34 - 2015 - MOE
35 - 2016 - MOE .etc.

---

The plan still looks consistent, though I wonder what happens after JET. Masters seem a little tough given the need for a scholarship to fund my studies. MOE still remains as a long term career option.

New Year Greeting

新年明けましておめでとうございます。
旧年中はお世話になりました。
本年も相変わりませず、よろしくお願いいたします。

to

あけましておめでとうございます。
本年もよろしくお願いします。

to

おけおめほんよろ

New Year in Japan

It's 8am in the morning of the clear new day of 3 January 2009 (it feels strange to type it). I am getting ready to run out and catch the bus at 841am which I have to catch to go to civilisation. The next bus is not until 1059. Go figure.

Transportation aside, the past few days have been wonderful and I have been rather tired out to put forth that enthusiasm that I really enjoyed myself. As such, a few hosts might have had their tails stomped by that and I feel quite apologetic.

So how did I usher in the new year? I spent the remnants of 2008 (now it feels confused) in Tokyo and Kamakura which felt more like a dive into the nostalgia of city life. I never speak as much around my Japanese colleagues as compared to other ALTs, so meeting K and running amok around Tokyo, first with Comiket and Tokyo Bay and then subsequently Kamakura was very fun. After returning, the next day which was the 31st came ISZK-sensei's home visit yet again and this time it is my third. I met his children, a daughter of 19 and a son of 21 together with two of their childhood friends over dinner and accepted their invitation to stay since it was too late into the night and I don't fancy troubling ISZK-sensei to send me home. It was quite enjoyable to eat soba and mochi, two traditional staples of the new year. We watched TV, talked a bit though I sadly was feeling reserved. Should have drank more? ;) Then early the next day, I was woken up at 6am to catch the first sunrise, which is a popular activity amongst Japanese to be done on the first day of the new year other than visiting temples/shrines. That was really touching, as ISZK-sensei hasn't done it for a couple of years now and he braved the cold (it was hovering slightly above 0 degrees Celcius) to bring me along. Wow.

After that we were all tired and I was waiting for a good time to leave. I left when the father and son lulled in front of the TV to watch this 6-legged full marathon, catching him just as he nods off to sleep.

That was quite magical, in retrospect. Thank you.

I shall continue with part 2 another time. Happy new year, from Japan to the world.

Presenting.. the final list of resolutions for 2009!

1. Pass JLPT2 in 2009

2. Date (nampa? http://www.quirkyjapan.or.tv/nampa1.htm)

3. Apply for graduate school

4. Learn how to cook - at least a dish a month!

5. Obtain a Japanese drivers license

6. Travel to every prefecture in Japan

7. Climb Mt Fuji

8. Make 1 new friend each month

7. Read a publication in Japanese each month

10. Be positive and look at the bright side

And most importantly...

Cherish every moment

Yesterday was great!

Here are some names of new people I met - Yuta, Wakana, Hiroaki and this other girl. It will be great to catch up with them again next time.

It was also the language barrier as well I guess. I can only roughly understand where their conversations are going and it wasn't easy for me to come up with interesting continuations.

I would have taken tons of pictures, if not for the hesitation and lack of confidence.

Come on!