I'm sorry today's photo is not nice, but it's my situation now. lol
I'm going to go back to Japan today and stay for two weeks. Inside my luggage is full of souvenir, especially snacks and tea from New Zealand. I really didn't have idea what I could buy for gift. Finally I decided to buy what I like in NZ. I hope these stuff will not brake until I arrive Japan. pls.
Then, I always confuse about cards for Japan and abroad. Japanese cash card is able to use only in Japan. I think that the world globalisation is not in common enough in the world.
I'm really excited to go to Japan, on the other hand, I don't wanna leave NZ and I miss my boyfriend and friends here. See you two weeks later!
"Gross national happiness is more important than Gross national Product."
Last week, 11th March 2014, it passed three years since the big earthquake occurred in East Japan.
And in 9th March, the biggest competition of architectural diploma "The Sendai design league 2014" held in Sendai. Still I didn't summarise my diploma data yet, next generations are going to graduate their university.Time is always faster than me.
So, I wondered how I spent all my life, and I wrote my life graph. It shows that two categories: the level of my social status and the level of how I felt happy, since I was born.
And this is not very important, but I just bought this moleskin notebook last week, so I wanted to write something. lol
Looking at the graph, my life was never stable. Even though I was good at my level of status, I didn't feel good. And the opposite also happened. Some people say that
"Your life was always good, wasn't it? You seems always easy going. "
Although my biography of a paper is good, the reality were never good. Maybe I was kind of a lucky person, and the I always could get good result at the end. The process was very hard and sometime sad.
In the past, we were talking about one topic. "If you were born again, which nationality would you like to be? " And I said that
"I would like to be born as a Bhutanese. I think Bhutan is not rich country, but the crime there would be happen is fighting with siblings or parents. And no body is depressed and nobody wants to kill themselves. I want to forget all business and trivial worries. I just want to feel relax and enjoy my life."
A Spanish guy and a German woman whom I talked to were kind of surprised, but agreed my idea, and they told me nest things.
In Bhutan, there is a thinking "How happy people are." They created the Gross National Happiness. Gross National Happiness was designed in an attempt to define an indicator and concept that measures quality of life or social progress in more holistic and psychological terms than only the economic indicator of gross domestic product (GDP).From wikipedia
Think about depressed or suicide, these psychological problems are common only in developed countries. Even though having enough money and products, they are not happy. It is very sad situation that many people try to solve in the world.
Moreover, Bhutan's crime are not complicated and not dangerous. So the biggest crime last year was fighting between a son and father. For them, murder or theft are unbelievable things. In addition, Bhutan's scenery and climate are amazing! I really want to live Bhutan that happiest and having most beautiful atmosphere country.
Before , I sometimes felt sorry for my grade. Although I got first prize last year, I'm not keen enough compared with another winners. Because others are very very keen, and they got other prizes as well. That's why I felt some inferiority complex. Nevertheless, I realised that these worries are very trivial. My Brazilian boyfriend also says that the most important thing for our life is just feel happy with someone and enjoy life. I think that these people are the most strong and most clever type of human on the earth. lol
After some big competition, I always feel uncomfortable to see many criticise of Architecture. Many people try to use difficult words and make complicated sentences. However, I think that almost all of them are pseudo intellectual. Some people misunderstand that using sounds difficult words help us to looks intelligent. To some degree I support this idea, but I think that really clever person doesnt use these words. The most important thing when I criticise is not sounds but context.
When I was high school student, I heard that "the most intelligent person in the world is elementary school teacher. They can understand from very childish things to very complicated things. Usually clever people are able to explain something to not educated people."
Sometimes, I also try to use sounds educated words. But I'm really afraid that I would be a superficial person. I want to be a really clever person. I don't need social status, I don't need much money. Before I thought these lines are just exist for moral education. However, it is not just slogan but also real tips for our life. We can get real happy when we become a genius, who is able to find their happiness whenever and is able to proud of real themselves.
Stay hungry, stay foolish.
I don't know this original meaning, but is it same meaning?
It is one of the most famous song of Oasis - Whatever-
When I started studying English, I couldn't understand the lyrics of it, and I was just listening to it. But, I can understand the meanings now, and I can see how great song it is.
In New Zealand, Kiwi people speak English with British accent because here was a colony of UK in the past. And Kiwi people are very friendly, and they often start conversation anywhere and speak so fast!! Good communication skill is necessary here.So, I wanted to get British and Kiwi accent's English, I was searching the British singers.
The Beatles, Queen, Eric Clapton, David Bowie, Pink Floyd, Radio Head, Oasis....etc.
I didn't know that there are so many famous artists from UK! Now I am able to identify the speaking of the North American accent and the British accent, but it is still hard to identify the song of them.
After I look over the lyrics of these, I found many nice expression of English from these songs. But it was not hard for me to memorise and understand English.
Yesterday, a teacher of a university mentioned about the weakness of Japanese English learners.
" Japanese students are very fast to be intermediate level of English.
However, it will take time to be advanced level of English.
It is because of their style of studies.
Learning languages are not just using text or studying at school.
After intermediate level, they need to enjoy using English,
for example, chatting with people, watching movies,
reading something what you are interested in and texting someone in abroad.
Increasing the amount of vocabulary is not efficient way."
I was surprised to hear that. It is exactly japanese tendency style of studying English, and our way are lack of fun!!
Consequently, I reached a decision.
Even though I try to study hard about IELTS, of course I can improve the score of it,
my real English skill are not able to get better. Listening many English songs and reading lyrics of these are my next step of studying English. I decide my mind to throw away my old Japanese way.
So, that is why I start writing my blog in English. lol
Although I've studied English several months in native English speaker's country,
my English skill is still not enough. Because I came here to study architecture, I didn't take it serious about leaning English. But, I'm sure to say that having good communication skill is the vital of studying architecture.
We always have purpose and dream.
But we are never able to reach the goal.
Once we set the goal, we will not improve.
Compared with when I write my blog in Japanese, it is a little bit weird feeling. Because Japanese expression and English expression are quiet different. Japanese tend to use more indirect words and metaphorical expression, on the other hand, English use more simple expressions and not so many metaphors.
ex.
English "Read between the lines."
Japanse"Read the air"
So, Japanese student in abroad tend to do same mistakes and use unique expression of English. Even though in "the Japan times", we can find the strange English. We Japanese need to be careful about these Japanese common mistakes, and should know the differences between English and Japanese way of thinking.
Even though same English, the way of people are completely different. But I notice that NZ culture is more indirect than US culture. Oh, but think about Japanese culture, US and NZ cultures are similar. lol I think that Japanese culture of communication is very very unique in the world.
Japanese is the most cold and most kind people in the world. lol
So, Im planing to write about English and cultures. Im not sure my writing is not correct, and childish... But I will try.
I want many English users to read this blog and understand Japanese thinking, and reduce misunderstanding of culture. Japan is famous for keen, clean, sushi, Mt.Fuji, Seixal Industry, stupid colourful stuffs and high suicide rate... On the other hand, there are many lazy people and homeless, not all Japanese wives are faithful, the number of crime is low, and Japanese love is not cold but modest.
And for Japanese readers, I want you guys to know how japanese are stupid and kind and unique for foreigner. We are very different from not only Western but also other Asian. lol And if you can, please try to read my blog in English. Now my english is far more easier than native speaker's one that you can read with no effort. I found that Japanese students are very clever, but just they are lack of confidence. What Japanese need to do is just trying without fear. Please don't be shy and continue to speaking. Please don't do same mistakes as me again. lol Let's catch up with other countries.
