At the speed of life.
Writing in a public journal like this puts one in a strange position. My audience is broad, potentially infinite. It is almost like giving a speech in front of a crowd that I cannot see the size of, whose voice I hear now and then as proof of its existence.
Then again, if you are reading this, it is probably because I told you about this blog, so perhaps a better analogy would be a story teller sitting before her family, friends, and perhaps a few strangers, to narrate her tale.
I appreciate having an audience, and I think I will appreciate having a record when Japan is a memory rather than the reality outside my window.
(I guess I'm feeling philosophical today.)
Something very sad happened this week. On Thursday morning, Aizawa-sensei, the level 2 teacher, announced to my class that Melville-sensei's husband died of heart failure the night before. Melville-sensei is the level 1 and 4 professor, and a very sweet person by what I know of her. Her husband's death was sudden; we saw him looking perfectly well the week before when the prefecture's governor visited our school. It was very shocking for all of us. Death is in this place just as it is in any other.
And yet, life still goes on. Today we had our first test of the semester (I think it went all right). Tomorrow I'm planning on going to the south part of Hikone to shop for books and an electronic dictionary. Sunday I'm participating in an Ikebana (flower arranging) session.
Life goes on, and here it seems to run at a faster pace than usual.
And yet, some things are slow. Japanese classes run from 8:50 to 11:40 a.m., five days a week. On Friday afternoons, I have my other class, Japanese Classic Cinema, for 4 hours. I have class, I have homework, but I seem to have more free time than usual, to go grocery shopping, to review kanji (Chinese characters), to enjoy solitude, to talk and get to know those around me. (Nothing says that this will hold true for the rest of the semester though.)
It is quite cold here, though the little snow we've gotten has not stuck. My friend Mallory and I were planning on applying for our foreigner registration (it's a requirement of those who stay in Japan for more than 90 days) on Thursday afternoon, but as soon as we walked out and felt the icy, cutting wind, we knew there was no way we would last the half hour it takes to get to City Hall by bike. On the one hand, it is wonderful to get around without a car. On the other hand, sometimes I miss my car so much it's ridiculous. The train system here is wonderful, but one still must bike to the station.
I suppose that this post is not so much a "stuff is happening" update as a "life is going on" update. I suspect that if I write here regularly, I will write many more of the latter than the former. Of course, times like these are important for reflection, anticipation, and prayer. Perhaps next time I will have something more concrete to reflect on -- I suspect my next post will be pictures of the Ikebana lesson though. (Those of us participating get to wear kimono, which I am very excited for!)
Until next time ...
Then again, if you are reading this, it is probably because I told you about this blog, so perhaps a better analogy would be a story teller sitting before her family, friends, and perhaps a few strangers, to narrate her tale.
I appreciate having an audience, and I think I will appreciate having a record when Japan is a memory rather than the reality outside my window.
(I guess I'm feeling philosophical today.)
Something very sad happened this week. On Thursday morning, Aizawa-sensei, the level 2 teacher, announced to my class that Melville-sensei's husband died of heart failure the night before. Melville-sensei is the level 1 and 4 professor, and a very sweet person by what I know of her. Her husband's death was sudden; we saw him looking perfectly well the week before when the prefecture's governor visited our school. It was very shocking for all of us. Death is in this place just as it is in any other.
And yet, life still goes on. Today we had our first test of the semester (I think it went all right). Tomorrow I'm planning on going to the south part of Hikone to shop for books and an electronic dictionary. Sunday I'm participating in an Ikebana (flower arranging) session.
Life goes on, and here it seems to run at a faster pace than usual.
And yet, some things are slow. Japanese classes run from 8:50 to 11:40 a.m., five days a week. On Friday afternoons, I have my other class, Japanese Classic Cinema, for 4 hours. I have class, I have homework, but I seem to have more free time than usual, to go grocery shopping, to review kanji (Chinese characters), to enjoy solitude, to talk and get to know those around me. (Nothing says that this will hold true for the rest of the semester though.)
It is quite cold here, though the little snow we've gotten has not stuck. My friend Mallory and I were planning on applying for our foreigner registration (it's a requirement of those who stay in Japan for more than 90 days) on Thursday afternoon, but as soon as we walked out and felt the icy, cutting wind, we knew there was no way we would last the half hour it takes to get to City Hall by bike. On the one hand, it is wonderful to get around without a car. On the other hand, sometimes I miss my car so much it's ridiculous. The train system here is wonderful, but one still must bike to the station.
I suppose that this post is not so much a "stuff is happening" update as a "life is going on" update. I suspect that if I write here regularly, I will write many more of the latter than the former. Of course, times like these are important for reflection, anticipation, and prayer. Perhaps next time I will have something more concrete to reflect on -- I suspect my next post will be pictures of the Ikebana lesson though. (Those of us participating get to wear kimono, which I am very excited for!)
Until next time ...