I have two things to reflect upon having finished creating my first e-Portfolio. One is tracing back my footsteps to when I left Japan on my own to migrate to New Zealand. The other is tracing back my memory to the first class of iReflect in July 2008, when I thought a storm had touched down on me, and by the end of the day, I was picking up what grey matters I had left in my brain.
Migrating to New Zealand by myself was not hard physically or culturally. I was used to moving around and although I was not attached to any particular one, I accepted most cultures that I came to contact with. But over a few years, New Zealand has become diverse and multicultural at Godspeed. I am not going to new cultures, new cultures are coming to me. In contrast, I am not getting any younger and sometimes a little bit homesick.
Interviewing and video recording someone for the first time was nerve wrecking - especially with a borrowed camera and not an exactly outgoing personality. Sweaty palms clutching the camera...... The interview turned out to be a success! Sadly, it couldn't be uploaded. Probably have something to do with my Windows2000 laptop? I noticed afterwards that Blogspot.com site mentions 'maximum 100Mb to upload video'. When my first long interview with Mr Takano couldn't be uploaded, I thought 'I'd better find out what "Mb" is.....' Now I know. It happens. Trial and error can be overwhelming.
I guess it's good to have a chance to look back and reflect. As long as I don't keep looking back and trip over my own foot. Let's see what lies ahead (next semester) and try not to freak out. 'Cause I did survive the iReflect and I am doing alright in this land of long white cloud.
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Yanaka-shitamachi cat
Shitamachi Tokyo, Japan
no skyscrapers
no manicured gardens
no carport
moggies jumping out of nowhere.
next door neighbour can hear you from behind the wall.
closeness, empathy, becoming a thing of the past.....?
I come from Japan but there are so many things I don't know about my own country. As I get older (and older), I yearn for the old, traditional side of the country I left behind so I'd better leave in my portfolio what I can look back at and reflect on my past and future.I want to find out about downtown Tokyo - how it used to be, how it is now and how it is slowly disappearing and be taken over by modern Western culture completely. As a Japanese living abroad, how will it affect me when I go back in the future? How much of an identity crisis will I face? Can I integrate the old traditional Japan with the European way of thinking or does either one has to go?
no manicured gardens
no carport
moggies jumping out of nowhere.
next door neighbour can hear you from behind the wall.
closeness, empathy, becoming a thing of the past.....?
I come from Japan but there are so many things I don't know about my own country. As I get older (and older), I yearn for the old, traditional side of the country I left behind so I'd better leave in my portfolio what I can look back at and reflect on my past and future.I want to find out about downtown Tokyo - how it used to be, how it is now and how it is slowly disappearing and be taken over by modern Western culture completely. As a Japanese living abroad, how will it affect me when I go back in the future? How much of an identity crisis will I face? Can I integrate the old traditional Japan with the European way of thinking or does either one has to go?
Yanaka-shitamachi cat
- References for links:
Wikipedia (2008). Edo. Retrieved July 31, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edo
Wikipedia (2008). Shitamachi. Retrieved July 31, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shitamachi
Wikipedia (2008). Sumida River. Retrieved August 15, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumida_River
Wikipedia (2008). Tokugawa. Retrieved Sept. 1, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokugawa_shogunate
Wikipedia (2008). Noh gaku. Retrieved Oct. 1, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noh
Tokugawa museum (2008). Culture and Art. Retrieved Sept. 5, 2008, from http://www.tokugawa-art-museum.jp/english/index.html
Traditional games. (n.d.). Retrieved Oct. 1, 2008, from http://www.tjf.or.jp/eng/content/japaneseculture/34traditionalgame.htm
Akihabara. (n.d.). Retrieved August 15, 2008, from http://www5d.biglobe.ne.jp/~LLLtrs/PhotoGlryMain/PhotoGlryA/AkihabaraLHS.html
Skyscrapers. (n.d.). Retrieved August 15, 2008, from http://www.photopassjapan.com/tokyo_-_shinjuku/image21.html
- References for pictures:
Tokugawa, Ieyasu. Retrieved August 1, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokugawa_shogunate
Tokugawa, Tsunenari. Retrieved August 1, 2008, from http://www.yokohamaport.org/
Sumida gawa Hanabi Taikai. Retrieved Sept. 3, 2008, from http://image.blog.livedoor.jp/auberginefleur/imgs/4/a/4a3cff28-s.jpg
Yamanote line. Retrieved Oct. 1, 2008, from http://www.thebrutaltimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/train.jpg
Goth. Retrieved Oct. 3, 2008, from http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2325/2112417468_ee024d53b5.jpg
Akihabara. Retrieved Sept. 25, 2008, from
http://www.asobou.com/upimg/s0000591_1h.jpg
Yanaka-shitamachi cat. Retrieved Sept. 1, 2008, from http://yanesen-urouro.bakyung.com/blog_imgs/06101400.jpg
Yanaka street and house. Retrieved Sept. 1, 2008, from http://myshutter.blog.ocn.ne.jp/guide/images/rimg0011_5.jpg
Wikipedia (2008). Shitamachi. Retrieved July 31, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shitamachi
Wikipedia (2008). Sumida River. Retrieved August 15, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumida_River
Wikipedia (2008). Tokugawa. Retrieved Sept. 1, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokugawa_shogunate
Wikipedia (2008). Noh gaku. Retrieved Oct. 1, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noh
Tokugawa museum (2008). Culture and Art. Retrieved Sept. 5, 2008, from http://www.tokugawa-art-museum.jp/english/index.html
Traditional games. (n.d.). Retrieved Oct. 1, 2008, from http://www.tjf.or.jp/eng/content/japaneseculture/34traditionalgame.htm
Akihabara. (n.d.). Retrieved August 15, 2008, from http://www5d.biglobe.ne.jp/~LLLtrs/PhotoGlryMain/PhotoGlryA/AkihabaraLHS.html
Skyscrapers. (n.d.). Retrieved August 15, 2008, from http://www.photopassjapan.com/tokyo_-_shinjuku/image21.html
- References for pictures:
Tokugawa, Ieyasu. Retrieved August 1, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokugawa_shogunate
Tokugawa, Tsunenari. Retrieved August 1, 2008, from http://www.yokohamaport.org/
Sumida gawa Hanabi Taikai. Retrieved Sept. 3, 2008, from http://image.blog.livedoor.jp/auberginefleur/imgs/4/a/4a3cff28-s.jpg
Yamanote line. Retrieved Oct. 1, 2008, from http://www.thebrutaltimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/train.jpg
Goth. Retrieved Oct. 3, 2008, from http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2325/2112417468_ee024d53b5.jpg
Akihabara. Retrieved Sept. 25, 2008, from
http://www.asobou.com/upimg/s0000591_1h.jpg
Yanaka-shitamachi cat. Retrieved Sept. 1, 2008, from http://yanesen-urouro.bakyung.com/blog_imgs/06101400.jpg
Yanaka street and house. Retrieved Sept. 1, 2008, from http://myshutter.blog.ocn.ne.jp/guide/images/rimg0011_5.jpg
2 comments:
Akiko!
You say you are feeling a little bit homesick. Is there any chance of you returning for a visit sometime soon? Have you got relatives there? If not my son has a place in Tokyo in Shinjuku and how about plan to be there when I visit? I'll be there at end January 2009 and there a spare bed at his place and I'd love to visit those places you mention!
Hi Akiko!
You say that you are used to moving around, so you must have been very young when you left Japan? I guess I can understand what you mean by homesick, I came here from Taiwan when I was very young, and I have been here much longer than I have stayed in Taiwan and I have nearly no childhood memories back there, the only memories are when I occasionally go back for a short holiday. I used to envy people who get to move around between many countries during their childhood and see the world with their very own eyes, now I feel that it does not seem too easy, does it?
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