Withdrawal symptoms?

I couple of weeks ago I decided that I would stop training at Hombu Dojo during the weekdays to give myself more time to study for the upcoming JLPT exams. Somehow it feels like something is missing. There is that sense of guilt too.

I have been attending training everyday and suddenly I only attend classes during the weekends. I feel left out; missing all that action and the learning experience.

But this coming examination is important as it is a stepping stone to my plan for the new few years. So I better make sure that the time I sacrificed not training is worth it!

相見易同住難

One of the best ways for people to understand one another is to live together. It does not necessarily need to be long term co-habitation; travelling together will also offer a glimpse of what a person is really like. Basically something where certain aspects of someone's personal life is inevitable exposed. 

The experience can range from pleasant to downright unbearable.

For me, the recent experience of co-habitation with a few people has resulted in closer bond in with one and return to being strangers with others. 

My first autumn in Japan

Coming from an equatorial country, I was really looking forward to my year long stay in Japan. Ah, to experience the four seasons. I came to Japan in the middle of winter and remember seeing steam in front of me everytime I exhale. Then came spring and I went cherry blossom viewing with some of my gals. It was followed by summer which I commemorated with a trip to Okinawa. The white sands, blue waters and clear skies!

As I am near the end of my year long stay, I have also just gone through the fourth and last season since my arrival 10 months ago. Thinking how I am going to commemorate this season, the chance came when one of my friends showed me pictures that he took of the autumn leaves when he went to Takao san. Takao san is roughly 50 minutes by train from Shinjuku and the fare costs 370 yen per trip. Seeing that autumn is near its end I thought I should do it soon.

After looking at the week's weather forecast, the best day was mid-week. I also wanted to avoid the weekend crowd. As school starts in the afternoon, I woke up at 05:30hrs, board the train at 06:47hrs and reached Takaosanguichi at around 7:20hrs. I paid 900 yen to take the cable car up in order to save time. 

For about 3 hours, I walked around enjoying the fresh air, taking pictures and at times just simply enjoying the view. 

I arrived early so there were not many people save for the ardent hikers and photographers. By the time I started making my way to the train station there were a steady stream of people arriving to enjoy the autumn leaves.

I stopped on the way to have a sake manjyuu. Whilst waiting for the train I took a good bye picture from the station.

The energy that I had in the morning quickly disappeared as I boarded the train. I snoozed off very soon after the train took off and was contemplating whether to go to school. As tired as I was, I decided to attend class and bought a box of souvenirs to share with my classmates and teacher. 

A truly wonderful experience. 

A nice cool rainy night

After some days of sunny weather, the rain visited today. I had just recovered from a migraine attack which occurred yesterday and thought I would give training another miss today. There are a few things weighing on my mind for the past month and it is about time that I deal with at least one issue. It has affected my mood more or less and I would like to get back to my old self again. 

So today, I cycled back home from school in the rain, took a hot shower, had my dinner and just relaxed in my room. Then my father, who is far away from us and had discovered the wonders of Facebook, came online and the family had a great group chat together. Some time with my family is just what I needed and it will keep me going for sometime.

A little of revision, a nice cup of tea and I am ready to call it a night.

Tomorrow is going to be another beautiful day.

When routine sets in?

I am sure you had one of those days where you train with a partner who does not follow what the sensei is teaching. I met yet such a partner today.

My initial reaction is always that of annoyance; with the fact that you disregard what the sensei is teaching and stick to what you are most familiar or comfortable with. To me I feel is a act of disrespect towards the sensei that is taking the lesson and a breach of etiquette. 

However, I decided to revisit my thoughts on this matter in an attempt to decipher what may be reasons for such behaviour. 

• auto-pilot (Can't… control… limbs…)
• did not pay attention. ( I was too busy wiping the sweat off my face.)
• did not understand what was being shown (Wow you can do sankyo that way? But how?)
• did not agree with what was being shown (No no no, kuzushi is not possible that way)
• uke being excessively resistant (I have to change to something that works!)
• indifference (It is just another sankyo)
• training versus workout (I am just here to break a sweat)

The above are the reasons I have come up so far which may explain why things like this occur during training. As far as I am concerned, if one falls into the third category you could still attempt to perform what was being taught by the sensei. If you tried but face difficulties it will mostly and surely catch the attention of sensei, who would approach and guide you, as it would happen in most cases. But if you do not even try, then it negates the point of having sensei to lead the class and instruct, doesn't it?

As for the fifth category, I have spoken to some of my friends about this situation. This may warrant a separate post altogether because several factors, such as the level of training, the partner you are training with, your mindset towards the methodology of training etc. would come into play. As I am still exploring this issue for I will leave it for now.

Anyway, my partner is a yudansha and what was instructed is clearly very different from what is being normally instructed. That is wonder of training because of how much you can learn from every sensei. Sometimes I am guilty of not paying full attention during demonstration of a technique as my mind would be still on a previous technique or simply spaced out. But everytime I try my best to see what sensei is trying to tell me through his instruction. 

We should, figuratively speaking, empty our cup everytime we come to class. But how often do we do that? Or rather, are we willing to do that?

The little things - the shoulder pat

This little thing came about from an aikido event.

I was at a get-together party on the first night of an aikido training camp. It was the 8th of its kind. 8 is an auspicious number to the chinese and looks like the symbol for infinity when laid horizontally. Due to my dan rank I was seated at the corner of the dojo along with some members from HD. I finally managed to indulge in some respectable conversation after 9 months of study but was still nervous and feeling inadequate about my communication ability via Japanese.

As the party progressed you made your rounds with the members and before I realized you came to our group. In fact, you sat next to me! Due to my nervousness and apprehension, I remained silent after the formal greeting. Conversation followed and I listened quietly. Then you turned around, gave me a smile and a double pat on my left shoulder. My reaction was a smile and a deep nod. I am not sure, but I felt, at that point, that it was enough for the both of us. Your gesture, my response, mutually and fully appreciated. 

Thank you for the shoulder pat and everything that comes with it.

The 11th IAF Congress and Seminar

I had been looking very forward to attending my second IAF seminar. It was 4 years ago that got me thinking about training at Hombu Dojo. Now here I am, having the time of my life doing what I have have wanted to do since 3 years ago.

I spent a great deal of time with my good friends and training with friends as well as new acquaintances. I also had a surprise dinner with someone whom I thought who not be possible to have dinner with during my time here. There is also this transition of wearing a different coloured belt on the mat. I made new friends, kept and lost friends.

As expected, it was a memorable and eventful week. Every experience, whether good or bad, made me grew.

Taking the exam

I did it. I registered for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT). After 9 months of studying at the Japanese language school and living in Japan, I think it is time for me the take the test. Something to note though, by the time I finish school at the end of the year, which round the time I will be taking my JLPT, I would have only finished the N3 syllabus. The interesting thing is, I registered for N2! 

I had been living the life of a full time student since the beginning of the year but I would like to spend some of my time here doing a part time job. Sometimes I feel like I am wasting much time doing nothing. Which leads me to feel like a diminished individual. But then again I haven't been actively looking for a part time job either. So when teacher brought up the subject of taking the JLPT, I told myself that I would use this as an impetus to start the ball rolling. 

The next 2 months will be very tough, because taking the test above one's level is…always tough. But eversince I started Japanese language class I became committed to the study. For sure I came to Japan to train aikido at Hombu Dojo but I am also a language student. Therefore I cannot just train aikido and neglect my studies. I chose to come to Japan as a language student so I have responsibilities towards that end. If one chooses to do something one must do it well. 

So, I will work hard for it! JLPT N2 in December 2012. Go go go!

There is a time for everything.

I lost a friend today.

Why? Because there are just so many thing in life that are out of your control.

You try your best to be as true and as patient you can be to you friend. Especially when you are patient, you compromise to avoid matters escalating from bad to worse. However, that could sometimes be misconstrued as a tacit admission of something, usually of wrongdoing. 

One day, that patience reaches a limit. You want to let your friend know you feel, that your feelings have been hurt by your friend's overprotective and inconsiderate actions, as much as they may be well intentioned. But your friend has turned cold towards you, treating you as if you were a mere acquaintance.

Still, you want to salvage the friendship, as someone who cherish the bond of friends. So you walk up to your friend to ask for some time to talk. But you get those few cold words, "there is nothing to talk about, no need to talk" and you are left standing by yourself, wondering what on earth you did to deserve this type of treatment. All this time I had been true and patient. 

It was really a 180 degree about turn from just a week ago. 

And for what? For something that was not even a concern of my friend nor sometime that will affect my friend's quality of life. Perhaps my friend no longer wishes to be associated with me because I am thought to have made a stupid mistake. No matter. I cannot please everyone. Neither should I suffer fools gladly.

Therefore, I made the decision, and lost to lose a friend today.

Some home cooking

Whilst enjoying my life here there are times when I am struck by homesickness. One of the things I miss most is my mother's home cooked food. She has a penchant for fatty pork and I guess it runs in the family. I decided to give the 2-in-1 fatty pork dish a go to ease my homesickness somewhat.

First I simmer the fatty pork in water to make the soup stock. 

Once the pork has softened remove from pot and cut it to bite size pieces.

Put in vegetables to make vegetable soup. Add salt if desired. I found the soup tasty enough without adding the salt.

Cook pork in low heat with salt and garlic until garlic turns crispy. Be careful not to overcook the garlic as it will turn bitter.

 And there you have it.

My mother's 2-in-1 garlic pork with soup.

The little pleasures in life ^_^.