Styles, dreams and culture shock
Styles
I was so focused on my backlog that I forgot to write about last week. So, two Sundays ago (Jan 22nd), I went to a different aikido dojo, invited by one of the instructors who I met at the Tiger pub through Silvia.
It was interesting. Like when I watched the budo in Kyoto, I had the impression that the same moves are used in a different way. Plus some that seem unique to each. I surely don't have experience enough to tell if there's something really unique, but I felt that the approach is different. For those familiar with video games, it would be something like Ryu and Ken from the game "Street Fighter" (especially after the "SF Zero". It's possible to tell that by the way the training is held. Seems that one focus more on the "ki" (energy) and reaction moves while the other practices more reflex and counter moves and "randori" (fight simulation). Even so, I won't antecipate any conclusions since I've trained only once at the other dojo, and don't know much even about the university club style.
Changing the subject, after that and eating in a all-you-can-eat restaurant (rare in Japan) with some members of the dojo (nice people, and an interesting mix between Japanese and foreigners), there was Rezaur's house warming party... after losing some time looking for his new house.
Dream
New year... some TV shows change. From my previous post about it, the "Oniyome Nikki" is not broadcasted anymore. Recently I found a substitute: "Journey to the West" (that's the "official" translation of the title 西遊記). It's some sort of adaptation of the legend of Son Goku (forget Dragon Ball). Funny and entertaining enough.
So, in this week's episode they found some kind of temple where dreams come true. Then, after sleeping one night they all found their dreams coming true and didn't want to leave the place anymore. All except Goku who couldn't sleep (because he had dozed all day before reaching the place. He occasionaly learns that there's some kind of creature, artifact or whatever (didn't get this part right) who makes dreams true, but also eats them.
Trying to convince his friends, Goku is confronted with the "head priest" of the temple who says that it would be cruel not letting them enjoy their dreams coming true, having to deal with the harsh reality again, using a paraplegic as example. And anyway,they would refuse to leave since nothing is stronger than a dream. (I might be mistaken about details.) Goku replies saying that there is something stronger than dreams, the future. It allows us to go even beyond our dreams for something better. And a dream that keeps people from going on is bad.
I won't spoil it any longer. That's the interesting part. Take whatever conclusions you'd like about it. I've took mine.
Culture Shock
I was, for a change, reading Claus's blog when I found a post about culture shock. But the topic was more about the shock when living with people whom you don't have a "common reference" with.
Thinking that way, that's the origin of the culture shock itself. We usually think of it as being something that happens only when in a different country with a different culture, though, as he said, we feel the shock most when it comes to small things in the background of the people around us. And we don't even need to go too far for that. Different groups (like skaters and akiba-bei), or even different generations usually don't mix very well (Stereotyping... sorry for that. For the sake of examples only.) One of the reasons is because they lack common "experiences" to talk about. By experience I mean anything from preferences, background etc..
Some examples of my own. Hanging around with other Electric Engineering students in Brazil, we always had subjects to talk about: the news, soccer championship, some teacher/test... plus, as we shared the engineering background there were jokes and comments that only engineering students would understand. And I can't understand the pharmacy ones when my sister talks to her friends, so I sometimes don't have much to talk about when with them (one or other likes animes like me, so then we have something to talk about).
Also, in Japan I met people, especially during the first months, whom I started talking to, but couldn't really get closer because there was no subject to talk about that would be interesting to both. Sometimes I even wanted to talk... And then comes the problem: about what? Now I got some friends with things in common. We undestand each other better and have things to talk about. And that's about it.
Hmmm... This post is a little confusing, I think... For those who want to check Claus's post about it, it's here.
Weather
An extra topic. Today is a cloudy day in Himeji, and it rained during the night. In my hometown in Brazil, this usually means today will be colder than usual...
What happens is quite the opposite.
Here during winter I'm not sure why the rain rises the temperature e little bit. It's not so cold today as it was yesterday, or the day before that. And last time it rained, was the first time this year the temperatures reached more than 14 degrees Celsius, I guess.
On the other hand, during summer, the rain is refreshing all right, but later it rises humidity and it seems even hotter...
I was so focused on my backlog that I forgot to write about last week. So, two Sundays ago (Jan 22nd), I went to a different aikido dojo, invited by one of the instructors who I met at the Tiger pub through Silvia.
It was interesting. Like when I watched the budo in Kyoto, I had the impression that the same moves are used in a different way. Plus some that seem unique to each. I surely don't have experience enough to tell if there's something really unique, but I felt that the approach is different. For those familiar with video games, it would be something like Ryu and Ken from the game "Street Fighter" (especially after the "SF Zero". It's possible to tell that by the way the training is held. Seems that one focus more on the "ki" (energy) and reaction moves while the other practices more reflex and counter moves and "randori" (fight simulation). Even so, I won't antecipate any conclusions since I've trained only once at the other dojo, and don't know much even about the university club style.
Changing the subject, after that and eating in a all-you-can-eat restaurant (rare in Japan) with some members of the dojo (nice people, and an interesting mix between Japanese and foreigners), there was Rezaur's house warming party... after losing some time looking for his new house.
Dream
New year... some TV shows change. From my previous post about it, the "Oniyome Nikki" is not broadcasted anymore. Recently I found a substitute: "Journey to the West" (that's the "official" translation of the title 西遊記). It's some sort of adaptation of the legend of Son Goku (forget Dragon Ball). Funny and entertaining enough.
So, in this week's episode they found some kind of temple where dreams come true. Then, after sleeping one night they all found their dreams coming true and didn't want to leave the place anymore. All except Goku who couldn't sleep (because he had dozed all day before reaching the place. He occasionaly learns that there's some kind of creature, artifact or whatever (didn't get this part right) who makes dreams true, but also eats them.
Trying to convince his friends, Goku is confronted with the "head priest" of the temple who says that it would be cruel not letting them enjoy their dreams coming true, having to deal with the harsh reality again, using a paraplegic as example. And anyway,they would refuse to leave since nothing is stronger than a dream. (I might be mistaken about details.) Goku replies saying that there is something stronger than dreams, the future. It allows us to go even beyond our dreams for something better. And a dream that keeps people from going on is bad.
I won't spoil it any longer. That's the interesting part. Take whatever conclusions you'd like about it. I've took mine.
Culture Shock
I was, for a change, reading Claus's blog when I found a post about culture shock. But the topic was more about the shock when living with people whom you don't have a "common reference" with.
Thinking that way, that's the origin of the culture shock itself. We usually think of it as being something that happens only when in a different country with a different culture, though, as he said, we feel the shock most when it comes to small things in the background of the people around us. And we don't even need to go too far for that. Different groups (like skaters and akiba-bei), or even different generations usually don't mix very well (Stereotyping... sorry for that. For the sake of examples only.) One of the reasons is because they lack common "experiences" to talk about. By experience I mean anything from preferences, background etc..
Some examples of my own. Hanging around with other Electric Engineering students in Brazil, we always had subjects to talk about: the news, soccer championship, some teacher/test... plus, as we shared the engineering background there were jokes and comments that only engineering students would understand. And I can't understand the pharmacy ones when my sister talks to her friends, so I sometimes don't have much to talk about when with them (one or other likes animes like me, so then we have something to talk about).
Also, in Japan I met people, especially during the first months, whom I started talking to, but couldn't really get closer because there was no subject to talk about that would be interesting to both. Sometimes I even wanted to talk... And then comes the problem: about what? Now I got some friends with things in common. We undestand each other better and have things to talk about. And that's about it.
Hmmm... This post is a little confusing, I think... For those who want to check Claus's post about it, it's here.
Weather
An extra topic. Today is a cloudy day in Himeji, and it rained during the night. In my hometown in Brazil, this usually means today will be colder than usual...
What happens is quite the opposite.
Here during winter I'm not sure why the rain rises the temperature e little bit. It's not so cold today as it was yesterday, or the day before that. And last time it rained, was the first time this year the temperatures reached more than 14 degrees Celsius, I guess.
On the other hand, during summer, the rain is refreshing all right, but later it rises humidity and it seems even hotter...
3 comments:
I found my name in your friends list. Thank you!(^_-)-☆
You know many Japanese drama. I want to talk with you about that, but recently I don't see any drama becouse of over time working and studying English... And today I also missed Saiyuki(西遊記). I read your blog about its story.
Hehe... actually, the episode I described was the Jan 23rd one. Backlog, you know...
This week (Jan 30th) was also interesting, but I like the other one more...
Ouch... well, no sweat. There're plenty of things to talk about anyway, and watching these dramas is a way to practice Japanese for me, that's why I keep looking for something to watch.
It's nice idea! And it's almost same reason that I usually don't watch Japanese dramas. I have to study English, watching movies, reading books, listening radio etc., instead of watching Japanese TV programs.
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