Fleeting beauty, moments of pleasure

 “Moments of pleasure,” I muttered to myself as I stared at the sakura tree through the window glass while I wait for our lunch being served. “Fleeting beauty,” said my friend, as she chuckles (perhaps thinking of a different connotation with what I just said) sitting beside me, who I didn’t know heard my silent remark at the dying cherry blossoms in front of us.

 

Cherry blossoms otherwise known as sakura by the Japanese are very special because they bloom only during spring and just stay for a while. Two days ago, they were just at their full bloom stage. Pink, light pink, white, and off white clusters of composite flowers beautifully, accenting the surrounding, highlight the very fine spring weather. Such an ambience would make you want to stay under the sakura tree all day long.

 

Changing seasons

 Winter is over. The cotton-like layers of ice along the roads are slowly melting away. The mountains are gradually bared from being giant chunks of white rocks to lively and lush mountains as the warm rays of the sun strike every corner them. It’s spring.

 

It’s been almost seven months since I came to Japan. That time, it was the end of summer and the season is changing to fall. Now, I’m once again in the transition of another brand new and exciting season.

 

Time flies so fast, faster than I thought. When I look back to those days when I first stepped to this place, I was full of fears and uncertainties but now, I could find every way to enjoy my activities and face every challenge in a fun and unrelenting way.

 

 

Many people await the coming of this season. To them, spring is the best season of the year. Warm weather yet not too warm or annoyingly warm to squeeze all the sweat from your body or burn the skin. It’s but cold does not freeze your fingers and cheeks. The gentle spring breeze and the unscorching rays of the sun are perfect combination for a day out. Tulips, daisies, geraniums, and most especially the “spring flower” of Japan, sakura, abounds during this season.

 

Exploring ancient Japan

Japan is home to ancient and modern Asia. It’s transformation from a feudalistic society to a free-market oriented economy generated so many changes in it’s societal, physical and even cultural structures. It’s sudden rise to economic power, being the second largest economy in the world from a once impoverished nation in Asia especially after the WWII, all the more added to the rapid changes that are evident in the modern Japan that we see now. However, it most worthy to note that it still has preserved many of its ancient structures which are now gaining popularity among tourists around the world.

This spring break, I had a chance visit to some key tourist spots in Japan. I had some frustrations with my photos though because first, I don’t have a pro camera yet. Lighting/exposure is hardly controlled with the usual digital camera in some circumstances like when the weather is not so good, at night or indoors so please bear with the pictures below.

Nijo Castle (Kyoto) 

If you want to see ancient Japan, visit Kyoto. This was Japan’s capital from 794 to 1896. Nijo castle is the official residence of the first Tokugawa Shogun (Tokugawa general), the highest ranking officer during the Tokugawa period or the military government built in 1603.

Beyond traveling

I love traveling. It’s one of the things I enjoy doing no matter how tiring and quite expensive it is at times. Among my sisters, I was the one my mom would always tag along with her when we were small whenever she goes home to her province or just to the city because I don’t have motion sickness. I enjoy looking at the sights along the way without vomiting or dizziness. 

My first travel around some beautiful and important cities of Japan came after my friends (also my classmates in the grad school) decided to treat ourselves after weeks of “jailing” ourselves in the library and I found it was the best treat I gave myself so far.

March 26, I packed my clothes for the five-day travel. Few clothes, some girl things and emergency food such as biscuits and chips along with two jackets completed my packing. “Travel-light,” that’s my motto when traveling, no unnecessary baggage, and all things needed in one pack.

We boarded a bus bound for Tokyo that gloomy and cold afternoon. Nothing was really interesting during the three hours ride from our place to Tokyo. Mountains, trees starting to “resurrect” form their winter hibernation and ski resorts, enjoying the last days of their business since winter is over were a common sight along the road. With earphones plugged into my ears, I tried to lighten the gloomy scenery from the bus window by listening to favorite songs from my MP3 player. Unfortunately, I was seated beside a girl also listening to her MP3 very loudly that I could still hear her music even with mine turned on. Well, I guess I just have to ignore her loud music and thought these are the times when I have to practice “toleration” for the sake of peaceful coexistence.

When the mind fails to remember

I was looking forward to the day of my last exam. Not because I want to end the agony of studying so hard for his term but because I’m so excited to get connected with my family and friends after a long time of no communication.   

I had been so out of touch the past weeks because I had to prepare well for my finals. When I finished my exam in Macroeconomics, my last exam for the term, I immediately grabbed my laptop and starting writing emails.

The first name that came to my mind was Hazel. I’ve realized I haven’t talked (chatted) to her for a long time and wondered what’s going on with her right now.

She is a dear friend who is so fond of everything girly especially bags. She used to be my officemate (this is one good thing I see from my moving out of the office, I no longer call them officemates because they’re more than that but as friends, implying a deeper relationship), buddy in some office activities and at times just a plain accomplice in doing some weird things in the office like feeding a trapped bird.

Lessons from Math

Mathematics was never my piece of cake since I was in the elementary grades until I started taking my Masters.

I grew up liking English and Science more than Math. As a young girl, I often find myself in the company of Little Red Riding hood, Cinderella, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and countless other characters in the fairytales I read. I remember how I used to sit at the back of the classroom during lunch breaks to peek in the old, worn out fairytale books of my teacher. I never get tired of reading these stories again and again and I enjoyed it a lot. In school, I always love it when my teacher would have me recite poems and declamations and read stories in front of my classmates. I feel like I’m very good at it especially when my teacher would applause me after an impassioned declamation (well that was then). I’ve always thought of myself as a bashful one but then I always find courage to stand in front of everybody and do the task at hand when I know for sure that I know and I love what I am doing.

What’s in the words “Merry Christmas”

It’s Christmas eve but I could hardly feel the presence of the season. No Christmas decors, Christmas lights, no Christmas songs and I am surrounded with people who don’t celebrate much less believe in it.

These past few days, I’ve been kind of lonely thinking how Christmas would be away from home, far from the gifts, laughter, warmth and joy of Christmas that I’ve grown up with. No Christmas parties, family gatherings, shopping discount spree, Christmas carols and all that make up the very Filipino Christmas celebration.

It’s my first time to celebrate Christmas away from home and it is really quite lonely and strange especially in a different place where the season is not so much recognized or celebrated. Back home, people would start giving out their Christmas greetings even before the day itself comes. Here, everyday was just like ordinary day. As I walk across the common places in the school, I pause and think if I should utter those two words, “Merry Christmas” to the people I meet. At the back of my mind, thoughts of offending that person, if he or she doesn’t believe in Christmas somehow gives me reason to hesitate speaking those words, and always, I end up just keeping it to myself not until Christmas eve came.  

Arriving in Japan

We arrived at the Narita airport in Tokyo on Sunday at 7:44. I was asleep most of the time in the plane because of the “tearful parting time” at home the night before. When I woke up, we’re almost in Tokyo. When I Iooked at the window, the dark sight outside made me shiver. I felt sad that I’m miles and miles away from home but the presence of 4 other Filipinos with me made me a little at ease.

That night, we stayed at the airport, practicality wise, since we’ll just be leaving early the follwing morning. We walked around the airport which looks like a mall, changed our money to yen, and had our luggage be transported by a transport service agency. This way we’ll not have to carry our bulky bags with us in the train. Dragging our “handcarried” bags with us, we looked for better seats to sleep on.

Early Monday morning, we waited for the train ticketing office to open so we can buy our tickets for Ueno. From Ueno, we’ll take the Shinkansen train, this is the fastest bullet train in Japan, to Urasa, the city nearest our school.