saying something about changes and learning

(Waa. . . what kind of wind that puffed me out to start a new post?!)

Anyway, it feels like I started a new life here in abroad. So many changes, of course, one of those is the environment (so nice to experience the calm cold nights here in Hiroshima during winter); second the people, i always wonder why there are so many Japanese here in Japan (LOL); the language, the biggest barrier which makes it uneasy to get bonded with the Japanese; my daily routine is also changed (from home-school-home to apartment-office-apartment); my physical status, i am still thin but i look healthier now than before; the budget, before i had no choice but to be thrifty to be able to buy what a need but now i can (at least) buy it anytime i need; the stress, before, making projects and preparing for exams and long tests were very stressful, now are those jobs that i need to finish over time, very stressful. . . and so many other changes. . .

But to stress out, i find all of this changes a very good twist in my life. It feels like all of these changes are sort of learning.
It's turning 1 year since i came in this foreign country, so many changes and i realized that a year of stay here is somewhat full of learning. Learning which is something you can't imagine how you've learned it, or in what way you grasped the knowledge or how it happened, but it is something you will realize later on that you have learned something out of something (the experience). It feels like, it takes a year for me to realize all the changes happened back then, and now it came up to my mind that there where so many learning happened and i just can't specifically identify which of which situation I've learned it from. All the things are seems indirectly learned.

Quite busy...

It has been quite long since i had my last post. I became more busy to other sites and ignored my personal blog here. I was just recently introduced to one social networking site and i find it interesting. Compare to the other social networking sites i am in to, that site is more interactive and flexible. From the time I created my account on that site up to now, daily, I log on that site. 

My First Two Months in Abroad

Living in somewhere outside from a place you get used to live in is totally different. More specially when the place is unfamiliar to you. But being open minded, wise, courageous and responsible seems helpful in adjusting to such new place.

It's been two months since I came here in Hiroshima. Although I felt homesick at the first weeks but now, gradually I get used to the environment.

In food, Japanese taste is not too different to what Filipino have, since we're Asian, not difficult to adjust. In terms of the climate, it is too early to say. Japan do have four seasons, in which case very different in the Philippines' climate.

When living in other places, there are really a lot of things you have to adjust to. Especially when you are experiencing them on the first time. Having friends who been in such place for longer time than you were is helpful. You could ask them for some advise, tips and other important information. But you should not depend too much, learn to work with your own and do more mature decisions.

The Safety Line

If you stroll the along sidewalks of Hiroshima and maybe in other places in Japan, you will observe a usually colored yellow pavement or lane/line in center. It is the safety line intended for the blind. They call it "truncated dome" or tiny bumper/tiny humps. The bricks are slightly elevated and loosely arranged so that the surface becomes irregular and can be easily noticed. See pictures:

http://www.thats-japan.com/images/sidewalks.jpg















http://blog.jpopdb.org/index.php/blog/japan/curiosities/yellow-safety-lines-in-japan


Along this line, connected on almost all street sides in a City, the visually different society can confidently stroll over the sidewalks, even at the least of none escorted. They will be on safety during their walk as long as they consciously follow the guide.

Such a nice effort on the the side of the authorities of the city/country to create such safety line for the blind. This effort is observed not only in Japan but also in other countries.

Filipino Groups

Nowadays fellow Filipino are courageously journeying abroad, generally to seek fortune. And seems every year, more and more from our fellows exit the country. That's why, somehow we Filipinos already in abroad are expecting more to meet some fellow countrymen on this foreign place.

Fortunately in Hiroshima, Filipinos are getting intact. Even not on a single group but Filipinos are coming out their place and find their fellows. One good group/organization here in the prefecture is the Hiroshima Filipino Association. It is a church based group and founded by few Christian members (Filipino priests, nun . . .). It formally started last year. The group is still young with less than 50 members. Currently, HFA is fast spreading and tries to embrace other Filipino groups and inviduals in the City of Hiroshima.

Presently, I am joining the group. With them, I fell the environment of the Philippines. In fact most of members are bisaya, "Ayos kaayo, makarelate ko". Since the group is church based, usual gathering and bonding is every Sunday on the Hiroshima Catholic Church.






try to visit: http://hfa.nexo.com/

Kusatsu - Nigoshi

The usual residential area found in Kusatsu - Nigoshi in Hiroshima. Houses are built with exterior and interior designs. And commonly, there are good cars parked on each resident.

On a single realization...

When you go on a place for the first time, for sure you will be thinking of a lot of things most especially when you are alone, plenty of expectations and (maybe) hesitations if you don't have the courage. .

Sa airport pa lng, patingin.tingin na ako kung ano tlaga itsura ng Japan. Nasa isip ko talaga, high.tech facilities yung nakapalibot at matataas na gusali. Eh, totoo nga, may mga automatic bukas na mga taxi at buses at matatayog na mga gusali. Pero sabi nila, ordinaryong siyodad nga lng daw ang Fukuoka at Hiroshima kumpara sa Tokyo.

Pagkalabas ko sa arrival lobby pagkatapos ng final inspection regarding a h1n1, nkasalabong ko na agad yung naghihintay ko na sundo. Isa din kasamahan na Pinoy sa trabaho. Mula doon, sakay kami ng bus (bus na bumibayahe lng sa loob ng compound ng airport), and as expected nasa bandang kanan ang driver seat at baliktad talaga yung kalsada. Papunta kami sa istasyon ng tren kung saan magdadala samin sa shinkansen train station, isa sa mga bullet train station na pawang kilala sa Japan. Pagnasa Japan ka talaga, kung gusto mubumiyahe from City to City, either mgba-bus ka (matagal) or yung long distance travel ng bullet train na aabutinn lng ng isang oras o mahigit depende sa lugar na puputahan. Yung biyahe namin eh diretso na sa may centro ng Hiroshima kng saan may maraming tren na umiikot at bumibiyahe sa buong lungsod.

Sa japan, pangkaraniwang transportasyon ng mga tao ay tren, bus, taxi, sariling sasakyan at bisiklita. Madalas kahit matatanda na, eh nagbibisiklita parin sa kalsada, yun na yung nakasanayan sa buong Japan. Tulad ng MRT at LRT sa Manila, ganun parin yung tren sa Hiroshima kaso mas malalayo lang yung iniikot ng tren. Halos lahat na ng sulok ng Hiroshima ay dinadaan na ng reles. Sa lungsod ng Hiroshima, wala masyadong pinoy akong nakita hindi daw tulad nung nasa Tokyo.

Anyway, the real score of this post is about why there is difference on Japan. On that very first day that I was traveling the major streets of Hiroshima, I instantly figured it out why. The streets are really clean. On around four days of my stay in the place, it is not only on the main streets that are clean but almost everywhere. The garbages are kept organized, and disposed on proper place and time and segregated accordingly. Even at the apartment where I stays, they are all practicing the same.

On the company where I belong and as they say to other Japanase companies, every morning the usual first session that employees and even the employers do is cleaning the work site. Even at the formal attire, we clean with rugs and brooms. Actually, my very first assignment was removing the grasses near the parking space together with some Japanese co-worker. There are no janitors. They truly work.

And this shows discipline. Discipline truly make sense. With this aspect, you can see how progressive their country is. And this is very mean.

In fact, I also observe their strict compliance on the traffic policies (less/no traffic actually).

(And this could be just the first realization, it may differ)