Note: My mind recently has been very cluttered with many thoughts and it's exactly how this entry will be.
Coming to Japan has made me realized a few things.
Prior to this trip, I'd always know within myself that there are 2 kinds of life I want to and will possibly lead:
1. A life which I devote almost entirely to my career. I will have my Maserati, a nice bachelor's pad (preferably a penthouse) and maybe a dog. All the love I have will be given to my career, my sis and my friends. Oh and my dog too, if I have one, that is. All satisfaction to keep me going will be derived from them.
2. A life which I devote to the girl I love so dearly (that doesn't mean I won't love my sis and friends anymore ok?). Everything that I strive for will be for our happiness. We'll have kids and a dog. (Yes, a dog's very important in painting the perfect picture.) Hopefully, despite the devotion to her, I will still be able to concentrate on my career and still have my Maserati and penthouse. But to me, I think when I find her, materialistic satisfaction can be overlooked. I will still be blissful in a place like Okayama. This I'm sure.
Trust me when I say I'm no stranger to ulu places. The past years, I've lived in Canberra, Chapel Hill and now, Okayama. It seems like my destiny as an undergraduate is tied to ulu places. Maybe I've really matured a 'lil but Okayama really gives me a certain kind of bliss that can't be found in the other 2 cities. Well then again, perhaps Canberra haunts me with bad memories while Chapel Hill, despite all the fun, reminds me of my failure.
I went shopping last weekend and bought my first piece of non-branded shirt. And I'm fucking happy with my buy. I'm not trying to brag but in my 1 year stint in US, I bought stuff from Marc Jacobs, A&F, AE, Ralph, G-Star, Brooks Brothers... Well, you get the idea. And despite all that, I wasn't as happy as how I felt last weekend. There's this extra "UMPH!" in the feeling. It's so difficult to describe. And yet, this SGD$26 shirt really made my day. Another example. I saw a R32 and a S14 earlier tonight. Both are rather old cars but here I am, thinking I'd be satisfied with either one. But yet at the same time, I know subconsciously, deep within the depths of my heart, I won't be satisfied. That's only because I don't think my full potential can be unleashed.
To bring this to another level, I simply love everything here. Let's pick two of my favorite topics, food and girls. While the variety isn't as abundant as Singapore, I have no complains. I can easily pick from 吉野家 (Yoshinoya's) 牛丼 (Gyu-Don) to a local お好み焼き (Okonomiyaki), to my own microwaved たこ焼き (Takoyaki) to Shana's favourite メロンパン (Melon Pan). Maybe I've not been here long enough but I definitely do not miss any of our local cuisines yet.
Girls. Need I say more? Because of it's dynamic societal culture, the girls here are definitely not homogenized. It's a little like American girls. Their interests and hobbies really vary. There's no two girls here within the same "genre" that are alike. Unlike Singapore where generalization does work to a certain extend. A girl that clubs once a week at Zouk, buys her dresses online, holds a Kate Spade bag with a LV wallet in it and oh yes, eats at Crystal Jade is, for example, Type "X". Here you cannot apply such formula. You can generically just broadly define but there's no way you can narrow it down. (Anyway, the most common definition is by blood type.) Then there's the way they text. Adults and students alike, they are so cute. And there's one of my favorite Japanese adjective "優しい" (yasashii) which is absolutely impossible to translate into either English or Chinese accurately 'cause it encompass so many things/feelings.
On this note, there's this saying that it's the people who defines a country and I absolutely agree with it. Since this is a public domain, I shan't elaborate more but I just want to make a note that I'd met a few people (dudes and babes alike) that really define Japan, and in a positive light of course. ;)
This leaves me thinking...
Every time I leave a country, I leave a little of my heart behind. This time round, I wonder and I'm curious if it'd be a place (like UNC) or a person (like Vera)...
For now, here's a song that's in my head tonight.
p.s. Happy 50th Birthday Mummy. I love you. =)
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