new friends in the new year
One of my determinations for this year, 2008, is to make new friends. Not like there is anything wrong with the friends I have now. On the contrary, the friends I have from high school and especially SUA, are amazing. And without their support, I wouldn't be the person I am today.
What I am talking about here is new friends - friends in the inaka, in Engaru, where I live. The social circle I have managed to build in the last 5 or almost 6 months since I moved to Japan, has consisted mainly of the teachers I work with, the SGI members, and a few other ALTs in the area. And out of that, I only see the ALTs maybe once a week, if not less.
The teachers I work with are probably the people I see most, aside from the gakkai members. the gakkai here is amazing of course, and the members are sincere and kind to me. I still struggle with Japanese sometimes. Not as far as understanding what people say to me, but in what I want to convey to others. It is quite difficult to convey your own feelings or opinions when you don't have complete command of a language. But this is my challenge, and I know that as long as I keep chanting to the gohonzon with complete sincereity and participate in the gakkai activities, it will eventually begin to get easier, and before I know it I will completely forget English....
well, hopefully not completely - it is my job to know English. haha. without that, well...i hate to think what would happen if i couldn't teach my own students English. haha
recently i have managed to make a new friend. His name is Hiroki. He is not a gakkai member...yet? haha. i hope to shakabuku him, eventually. he is 20 years old, lives in Engaru with his parents, and is a very sweet boy. He works hard and i'm not sure what his dreams are yet. But he likes driving and snowboarding. So he is my new friend in Engaru. And I am really excited about having a new Japanese friend. :) he messaged me on mixi, kind of randomly, I think. and then we met the other day for dinner. he doesn't speak english, but can understand some simple english words...but that's about it. so this is a great opportunity for me to 1) practice my japanese 2) teach someone else english, and maybe a little more about what's out there, beyond hokkaido and japan. and 3) do shakabuku.
Through my life, through my actions and my relationships with people, I want to show actual proof of this Buddhist practice, and show what an amazing university SUA is. :)
this is is one of my chousen for this year. :) to expand the circle of friends in engaru.
What I am talking about here is new friends - friends in the inaka, in Engaru, where I live. The social circle I have managed to build in the last 5 or almost 6 months since I moved to Japan, has consisted mainly of the teachers I work with, the SGI members, and a few other ALTs in the area. And out of that, I only see the ALTs maybe once a week, if not less.
The teachers I work with are probably the people I see most, aside from the gakkai members. the gakkai here is amazing of course, and the members are sincere and kind to me. I still struggle with Japanese sometimes. Not as far as understanding what people say to me, but in what I want to convey to others. It is quite difficult to convey your own feelings or opinions when you don't have complete command of a language. But this is my challenge, and I know that as long as I keep chanting to the gohonzon with complete sincereity and participate in the gakkai activities, it will eventually begin to get easier, and before I know it I will completely forget English....
well, hopefully not completely - it is my job to know English. haha. without that, well...i hate to think what would happen if i couldn't teach my own students English. haha
recently i have managed to make a new friend. His name is Hiroki. He is not a gakkai member...yet? haha. i hope to shakabuku him, eventually. he is 20 years old, lives in Engaru with his parents, and is a very sweet boy. He works hard and i'm not sure what his dreams are yet. But he likes driving and snowboarding. So he is my new friend in Engaru. And I am really excited about having a new Japanese friend. :) he messaged me on mixi, kind of randomly, I think. and then we met the other day for dinner. he doesn't speak english, but can understand some simple english words...but that's about it. so this is a great opportunity for me to 1) practice my japanese 2) teach someone else english, and maybe a little more about what's out there, beyond hokkaido and japan. and 3) do shakabuku.
Through my life, through my actions and my relationships with people, I want to show actual proof of this Buddhist practice, and show what an amazing university SUA is. :)
this is is one of my chousen for this year. :) to expand the circle of friends in engaru.