My big step

Less than four years ago I quit my job in a prestigious institution , packed my suitcases and migrated to another country.

Gaining the opportunity to travel to this country was such a privilege that I didn't think twice about quitting my job, which by the way, had a few benefits and didn't pay half bad. My father tried to caution me against my decision, but there was just no stopping me. For me, there was really nothing to think about. I was being given an all expenses paid opportunity of a lifetime and I was going to take it.

Looking back now, I still believe that I made the right choice. I've written about 6 academic papers in less than four years, traveled all over Asia, learnt a functional level of Japanese, gained a bucket load of life lessons, maintained a stable, loving relationship for a few years, gained a lot of confidence and self reliance, made friends from all over the globe, among other equally important things.

 In the beginning, I only thought about the degree and the traveling that I would get to do. Then came the homesickness. Bouts of nostalgia knock me down every year but I always bounce back to the present. In addition, a lot of things didn't go according to plan and I found myself struggling like never before to simply face the day sometimes, but it has all been worth it. If I die today, I would go knowing that I truly lived. However, it's not my time to die yet, because after getting a taste of what life really has to offer, I want to see more and I have realized that it's all possible. So I am looking forward to the next journey already, even though this one hasn't really ended yet.

(Photographs are not the property of this blogger.)

Japan and the army

Japan is one of a few countries that does not have an army. Instead of an army, it has a self defence force which is able to protect in case it is attacked. However, it is not allowed to attack another country if it is not directly attacked. It is also seen as being less effective than an army.

With that being said, I have made quite an interesting observation. Japan may not be at as big a disadvantage as it may seem. The citizens of this country are very disciplined and if the need arises, I'm sure they would be able to form an army of millions in a heartbeat. 

Soldiers pride themselves on uniformity.

They even shave their heads for the sake of uniformity. In the same way, Japanese pride themselves on unity. It's hard to find an 'individual' in this society. Japanese grow up learning to put the community before self. If a Japanese makes a discovery while working in a company, the company takes credit for the discovery, not the individual. This issue recently came up with Shuji Nakamura, the man who patented the blue light technology. The company has been insisting that the invention was a result of team work and so one person should not hold the patent. However, he fought it in court for many years. He fought for his individuality which resulted in him copping the nobel prize in 2014. This case stood out because it is not the norm for company workers to patent inventions that they created within the company in Japan. Team spirit is always cherished above the individual. For an army, this is a great quality. 

They work together as a team and leave no man behind. Team spirit is at the core of a soldier's training. It is also at the core of the average Japanese's character. They are so much of a team that even children's school bags are supposed to be the same.  

They are usually precise in their craft and frivolous mistakes are not allowed. An Indonesian friend of mine once made a speech, in which he said he learnt at his Japanese University that mistakes were not ok. Everyone knows that it's best to strive for excellence, but Japanese strive for perfection in everything. It's kind of like OCD behaviour is encouraged. Children have to learn correct ways to close doors, sit, talk to each other, think. Yea, I said think. 

An army do as it's told, no questions asked. Once it is told to go to war, it goes. Many people operate like that here. If you ask why they do what they do they have to stop and think. Usually the answer is 'I don't know' or 'because that's what I'm supposed to do'. 

With these qualities, I think it wouldn't be too difficult to create a big, strong army quickly, if Japan decided to create an army.

Stars

Stars never refuse to shine, even when they die. So what excuse do we have to give up? After wars, lovers reunite and overcome the scars that's the war has left. In most cases, wounds heal and so with you, one day your wounds will heal and all you'll have is the memory of the time you were hurting.

The last few steps to the end of the road are usually the hardest for some people.

At this point, we need a big push to get over the hump that will get us to the other side. I don't want to miss the sunrise on the mountain top just because I couldn't manage to climb the last ten steps. But, those few last steps are the most difficult. Remembering this little fact is very important in life because it would be a big waste to give up all you've worked for just when it's about to pay off.

The probability of success depends a lot on the way you think. Perception is half the work. Motivation is basically finding a way to think positively about a challenge.










NB: The pictures in this post are not the property of the author.

Thinking out Loud by Ed Sheeran

This song has a certain soothing effect on me. Notice how he doesn't say I'll love you forever. He says 'til we're 70'. The song is not pretentious about time. No one really knows what forever really means, but the way the author feels will last a long time and he predicts that he will feel that way until he's at least as old as 70 years.

 

• When your looks don't work like they used to before

  And I can't sweep you off of your feet

  Will your mouth still remember the taste of my love

  Will your eyes still smile from your cheeks 
• And darling I will be loving you 'til we're 70

  And baby my heart could still fall as hard at 23

  And I'm thinking 'bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways

  Maybe just the touch of a hand

  Oh me I fall in love with you every single day

  And I just wanna tell you I am
• So honey now

  Take me into your loving arms

  Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars

  Place your head on my beating heart

  I'm thinking out loud

  Maybe we found love right where we are
• When my hair's all but gone and my memory fades

  And the crowds don't remember my name

  When my hands don't play the strings the same way, mm

  I know you will still love me the same
• 'Cause honey your soul can never grow old, it's evergreen

  Baby your smile's forever in my mind and memory
• I'm thinking 'bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways

  Maybe it's all part of a plan

  I'll just keep on making the same mistakes

  Hoping that you'll understand
• But baby now

  Take me into your loving arms

  Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars

  Place your head on my beating heart

  I'm thinking out loud

  That maybe we found love right where we are, oh
• (Ah la la, la la la, la la la, la la la la)
• So baby now

  Take me into your loving arms

  Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars

  Oh darling, place your head on my beating heart

  I'm thinking out loud

  That maybe we found love right where we are
• Oh maybe we found love right where we are

  And we found love right where we are

 

• When your looks don't work like they used to before

  And I can't sweep you off of your feet

  Will your mouth still remember the taste of my love

  Will your eyes still smile from your cheeks

Songwriters: SHEERAN, ED / WADGE, AMY

© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
For non-commercial use only.

Data From: LyricFind

Photo source: http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=ed+sheeran&FORM=HDRSC2#view=detail&id=8104B9C6CB0ED986C44C22EEF5A2F3B8B712258C&selectedIndex=13