Encounters with a Japanese international student

It's fun to meet new people. You get a chance to see what they're like, where they come from, and possibly learn something (which is something people don't really do these days).

So, this quarter, I met Hazuki, a girl from Japan studying here. Being "friends" (more on that later) shed some light on Japanese mentality, for girls at least, or maybe this particular mindset belongs to those from Yokohama. From what I understand, people from Osaka are all sorts of laid back and open to anything, while those from Tokyo aren't so much.

So when I first met her, it was the usual trappings. Meet and greet. Say hi. Wow her with the language speaking skills (or lack thereof). Granted, she was impressed and things went well from there. A few hangouts with my little group of friends, and it was good times all around. However, we actually got know each other and things kind of went down hill from there.

Down hill, not so much in the sense that we would fight or argue. Rather, down hill due to high contrasting personalities. Think about it, if you will, the personality of myself, usually happy and optimistic, but rather blunt and straightforward. I will have a good time, but I will not beat around the bush if the occasion needs it. Compare that to her. I am not sure how to put it, so I believe "Planet B-Boy" puts it best:

Japanese education stresses homogenization which is reflected in the proverb, "The nail that sticks out gets hammered down"

Homogenization. Conformism? Uniformity? The whole idea of homogenization may explain a few things. Hazuki was not really down for talking about personal issues when things were clearly bothering her. A simple thing like a hug or touching in general, I found, was a thing that Japanese people don't do, for whatever reason, and it set her off kilter. Rather than say so, she kept her mouth shut. Very rarely, she would tell me something that's bothering her or just something on her mind. It was just a very "Things are ok mentality" and that's it. Not to say that is a bad thing. Things were lively when she was around. It is just that when it needed to be, she didn't keep it real.

However, this is all biased perspective. It seemed I was the only one that made her uncomfortable, for whatever reason. One interesting time was when we were at the basement of the Student Union, where the arcade machines are. I was playing, doing my thing, being good, apparently (I just consider myself mildly decent, considering I know people that can double-A stuff, but remember, it's all perspective). After doing paranoia survivor, she noted that doing songs like those are impossible, almost non-human. I responded that nothing is impossible. It's just that people don't try and just hold themselves back. She insisted that it was, quipping that I was a little non-human when I asked her if I wasn't human for being able to do all the things that I do.

Hopefully, this uneasiness will cease, cause really, this whole tension thing kinda silly, dontcha think? Here's to wondering what will happen after the summer when I see her for the next two quarters.

Stay safe, stay thinking
-Nick

So much to think about! Capoeira edition

So much to think about, and yet so little time to write about it. Online at least. I've been keeping my thoughts to myself, luckily, in the form of notebooks. Since...I'd say around February, the notebook where I keep my bible study notes became the notebook for just about everything. Observations, thoughts, sketches, bible study things and the like. Really, it's useful to have a notebook on you. You never know when you need to jot something down, cause texting a note in your phone or just trying to remember it won't cut it.

So Capoeira.

The Afro-Brazilian martial art that can be considered or confused as a dance, whoever you're talking to. Some people think it's stupid. Some people think it's wonderful. Whatever they feel, it's rather big, and at the same time, it's not. The interesting about Capoeira is that, to me, it's everywhere, but a lot of my friends really don't know what it is, or even never heard of it. I see giant roda's, small roda's, containing people of different walks of life that practice it. It had its origins in Africa and/or Brazil and then, somehow, into todays world, made its way to Japan, Israel, the US, Canada, and different parts of Europe. You name it, Capoeira is probably there, SOMEWHERE.

Even in a town like Rochester.

It's been a great past 3 weeks for me and capoeira. Coming from 2 quarters of an endless barrage of work, I was so out of practice when I started practicing again a couple of weeks before the ImagineRIT event, and then a week after, the Batizado. I hated it. I hated not being able to play and I hated being so out of practice. Work takes priority, does it not?

Nevertheless, playing week after week in the last couple of weeks have been great. It has reinvigorated my willingness to improve, especially when the Batizado came along. It was my first all day event, and it was the first time in a while since I've played someone from outside of the club. Trying new things was refreshing. Playing new people made me wonder how my game can improve. In small steps? Leaps and bounds? We'll see.

Here's to summer training.

-Nick