名実ともにGW

The past week was Golden Week and I had one of my friends come to visit me from a different city in New Zealand. It was really nice because we hadn’t seen each other in quite a while so it was ironic that we managed to meet and be together on the other side of the world! She really wanted to stay in and around the Tokyo area and she’s originally from Sri Lanka so she thought it was cool to see the similarities and differences between two Asian countries. It was really fun to show her around some places I’d already been to, as well as do some new things I hadn’t done before. For example, I visited Odaiba for the first time even though it’s not so far away! It’s so interesting that Odaiba is man-made and we couldn’t believe all the things it had, especially the indoor theme parks; how does it all fit?! We also went to DisneySea which was really amazing, and we found out it’s the only one in the world! It was cool because my friend had never been to any Disneyland before so she was pretty excited (but not about waiting in the really long lines). One of the last days, we went to Enoshima and I was so happy to see the beach and the sea again! It was a really nice ending to a really nice week because as we walked back to the station alongside the sea, the sun set next to the silhouette of Fujisan, turning the sky gold; Golden Week truly lived up to its name!

江戸東京たてもの園

Last weekend I went to Koganei Park. It’s actually not far from me but I hadn’t visited before so I finally got the chance! I also went to the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum which is in the park. At the museum, I read about the big earthquake and fires in the Kanto region that destroyed so many buildings and homes in Tokyo and how people rebuild it again. Looking at how Tokyo is now, it’s very difficult to imagine it all being destroyed! I was really interested in the museum because it was outside in the open and I don’t think I’ve been to a museum like that before; it was a new experience! It was really cool to walk around and see the old historical buildings and architectural styles, especially because you could walk inside some of the buildings and see the insides too. Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough time to see everything before closing time and the park is so big that I couldn’t see all of it too, so I must go back sometime! Until then, I’m looking forward to having some adventures with my friend from New Zealand during Golden Week and learning more about Japan!

日本語の学習

When I get time, I have been trying to study Japanese but I still have a long way to go! I wish I could learn faster because I really enjoy learning new languages and being able to speak to more people. There are a few Indian languages I know, but I never learned how to properly write them because I left India when I was quite young. It’s really interesting studying these different languages and teaching English too because there are many similarities and differences! For example, the pronunciation for 9 in Japanese is kyuu, which is also how you say ‘why’ in Hindi. The pronunciation of New Zealand also seems similar because both Japanese and Hindi use a ‘ji’ sound instead of the ‘z’ sound when pronouncing Zealand. Actually, I like Japanese pronunciation because the ‘r/l’ sound is much easier for me than a hard ‘r’ sound. I am reading a book that has both the original Italian version and the English translation and I find it so difficult to pronounce some of the words with the ‘r’ sounds!
Since I really love reading, I’ve also been trying to read a Japanese book and translating it but it takes SO much longer than reading a book in a language I know! Luckily, it really helps with kanji because that’s always the hardest part. However, as difficult as it can be sometimes, Japanese is a beautiful language and I will definitely keep studying and learning more even after I leave!

春休み

Recently, we had spring vacation. It was nice because of how busy last year was and my friend came to visit me from New Zealand. We didn’t get much sleep during the vacation time because we travelled so much, but it was very exciting so it’s okay! We went to Nagano to see the snow monkeys which was really cool! It was interesting to learn about them and how they live too. We also travelled around Kamakura, Yamanashi prefecture, went to Ueno Park for hanami and visited Disneyland! I’ve only been to Disneyland once before in Paris because there is no Disneyland that is close to New Zealand, so it was really fun. We also visited South Korea for a few days. We went to Seoul and Busan and I was so happy because the food was great and I was able to see the sea for the first time in a long time! Korea also had many sakura trees and they were in full bloom in Busan so we felt so lucky! We saw a lot of beautiful temples too. I’m very grateful I was able to travel like this because I think experiencing different countries and cultures is very important and educational! I hope I can take these memories with me as I go into the future!
 

日本の秋ーーー箱根

Though the weather was dark and rainy last weekend, Hakone was still a beautiful sight! It was really nice visiting Odawara Castle and seeing the past still standing in the present. I was really excited because there was a really nice view from the top of the castle; you could see the surrounding land and the leaves starting to change colour. Most importantly, I could see the sea! I feel like I haven’t seen the sea, or been near it in a long time, since I was used to having beaches close and easily accessible to me where I lived. Maybe I’ll come across one on one of my adventures soon! I did get to visit Lake Ashi, however, which looked so beautiful and peaceful with the surrounding mountains and mist. With the bright red colour set amongst the dark trees and glassy surface of the lake, the torii gates and the shrine there was also quite a sight to behold! I’m really happy I have the opportunity to be able to experience different parts and aspects of Japan like this, I still can’t believe it!

日本の秋 ーーー ハロウィーン・紅葉 etc

It’s autumn! I’m really happy because autumn is one of my favourite seasons. Although the typhoon came over the weekend, I explored some more of Inokashira Park and I keep being surprised by how beautiful it is! I also found this small cute place that served really delicious udon and hot soupy udon feels so great to eat in cold rainy weather. I know Halloween is coming up really soon too and I hear there’s a big celebration in Shibuya, which is interesting because I haven’t really celebrated Halloween before! It’s not as big of a holiday in New Zealand as it is in America. It’s funny because in New Zealand, Halloween always happens during spring time, so this is the first time the feel of Halloween matches up with the season and atmosphere! Also, now that it’s autumn, I’m really looking forward to seeing all the beautiful autumnal colours throughout the different places in Tokyo. Tomorrow, I’m planning on going along with some friends to Hakone so I’m really looking forward to that; the venetian glass museum sounds so beautiful! Another friend and I are planning on going to Nikko soon which I’m really excited about too! I’m glad there are so many places filled with nature in Japan. The diversity between the urban city environments and the quieter, less busy places is truly amazing.

華道部の活動

On Monday this week, I had the opportunity to visit Ikebana Club! I was so interested in seeing what it would be like because I have never done flower arranging before, and we don’t really have anything similar in New Zealand. It turns out you need a lot of patience and attention to detail for it! It was so cool to see the pile of leaves and flowers coming together beautifully while trying to follow the right angles and positioning. Since it was only my first time doing it, I wasn’t that good, but it was pretty amazing to see the students’ arrangements and all the things they’ve learned to do with the flowers over time! Namiki sensei’s arrangement was beautiful too! I also read up a little bit on the history and meaning of flower arrangement and I thought it was really great how the arrangements are a reflection of your personality. I had a lot of fun meeting everyone in Ikebana Club and I hope I can visit more clubs soon and learn more about the students and what they like to do. I’m especially interested in learning more about dance club!