Posting from Japan!
Next stop from Jakarta, Japan!
I apologize for not being able to write recently, for I have been overseas on more travelling adventures.For the past week I have been travelling up and down Japan, specifically from Tokyo, to the Hakone-Fuji area, back down to Tokyo and now in Kyoto, Ayame. I am now situated at an airbnb hosted by a French-Japanese couple, their main selling point being a calm and peaceful surrounding farmland area. It is surprising that Japan's infrastructure is so good to the point that I am getting WiFi speed as fast as I would have at home!
I must admit, after a hectic week it is nice to finally lay down and get on with some reading or in the case of my friends, some of the pokemon games that they brought along on their trip. I suppose that in the end we are city children, and being away too long from the internet does cause withdrawal symptoms. Of course, I say this with a hint of jest... I hope.
This whole month of April (and a bit of March) proved to be the month I was looking for after all. A weekend in Jakarta, followed by a trip to Japan a week later, a cruise trip the following week and now, as I recently found out, a trip to Majorca with my mother shortly after that! Truly this was the globe-trotter experience that I was hoping for, the best of it being that very little was under my expense, and thus my wallet is saved. Furthermore my trips have not been hectic enough to intrude on my introverted, moderately energetic lifestyle and I did find time for ample rest, reading and music. Perhaps the trip to Majorca would prove to be a little different as my father would be around to bring me all over the place (on foot), but I suppose that would only be for three of the five days that I would be there.
These trips have also given me a bit of time to think about life in general and where I want to go. I got to see the lives of village children in Japan, the smiles of children innocent to the bustling lifestyle of the city that I have grown to love so much and the stresses of the immigrants here in Japan struggling to make money for remittances and to create a life of their own. Life is tough, but I suppose it is our duty to make the process enjoyable in our own little way. I thought about what it means to be driven by love, as did the French owner of the AirBnb did as he flew across the globe to be with the one he loves here in the countryside after travelling to so many cities in the world. I am looking a little forward to university now that I see the life that could be mine after, although the intensity of the workload that so many people have told me about does daunt me. Nevertheless Singaporeans are very effective at complaining, and I don't really expect the workload to overwhelm me, especially when I'm generally very well-organised when it comes to my academia. But for now, there's no point worrying about what is to come, especially if I can't help it. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to just lean back and let life take me on this journey across the world, surely I must have done something good above to deserve it, lest it be too good to be true.
Cheers,
Matthew Tan
I apologize for not being able to write recently, for I have been overseas on more travelling adventures.For the past week I have been travelling up and down Japan, specifically from Tokyo, to the Hakone-Fuji area, back down to Tokyo and now in Kyoto, Ayame. I am now situated at an airbnb hosted by a French-Japanese couple, their main selling point being a calm and peaceful surrounding farmland area. It is surprising that Japan's infrastructure is so good to the point that I am getting WiFi speed as fast as I would have at home!
I must admit, after a hectic week it is nice to finally lay down and get on with some reading or in the case of my friends, some of the pokemon games that they brought along on their trip. I suppose that in the end we are city children, and being away too long from the internet does cause withdrawal symptoms. Of course, I say this with a hint of jest... I hope.
This whole month of April (and a bit of March) proved to be the month I was looking for after all. A weekend in Jakarta, followed by a trip to Japan a week later, a cruise trip the following week and now, as I recently found out, a trip to Majorca with my mother shortly after that! Truly this was the globe-trotter experience that I was hoping for, the best of it being that very little was under my expense, and thus my wallet is saved. Furthermore my trips have not been hectic enough to intrude on my introverted, moderately energetic lifestyle and I did find time for ample rest, reading and music. Perhaps the trip to Majorca would prove to be a little different as my father would be around to bring me all over the place (on foot), but I suppose that would only be for three of the five days that I would be there.
These trips have also given me a bit of time to think about life in general and where I want to go. I got to see the lives of village children in Japan, the smiles of children innocent to the bustling lifestyle of the city that I have grown to love so much and the stresses of the immigrants here in Japan struggling to make money for remittances and to create a life of their own. Life is tough, but I suppose it is our duty to make the process enjoyable in our own little way. I thought about what it means to be driven by love, as did the French owner of the AirBnb did as he flew across the globe to be with the one he loves here in the countryside after travelling to so many cities in the world. I am looking a little forward to university now that I see the life that could be mine after, although the intensity of the workload that so many people have told me about does daunt me. Nevertheless Singaporeans are very effective at complaining, and I don't really expect the workload to overwhelm me, especially when I'm generally very well-organised when it comes to my academia. But for now, there's no point worrying about what is to come, especially if I can't help it. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to just lean back and let life take me on this journey across the world, surely I must have done something good above to deserve it, lest it be too good to be true.
The Sakura blossoms are really beautiful. Do consider flying to Japan during the Hanami season when you have the time/money
Cheers,
Matthew Tan
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