A few days ago I saw one of the most thoughtful and heartbreaking movies. It made me think seriously about what I have and who I am. 誰も知らない. I would recommend it to anyone. I wish I was more open and helping sometimes. I try but sometimes maybe I don't try hard enough.
English camp this year has moved up a month so it is happening in May now. Going to be crazy busy but I guess I rather be busy and productive than doing nothing. I want to savor my last new months. I am going to Beijing for Golden Week with Hugh and Nick. Currently there is anti-Japanese demonstrations going on but hopefully things won't be too bad. I hope just because I look asian and I can't speak Mandrian or Cantonese they will assume I am Japanese.
But if I don't go now, I will be broke later and maybe won't be able to...when I go I can say I have been to the three major East Asian countries I have studied in college. I think I will be only in Beijing but because China is so vast, I hope to someday return and experience more of it.
Mom and dad came to visit and while it was nice it was a little sad to know they are aging. They aren't able to do things as much as before. Mom's back is giving her a hard time and dad is helping her all the time. The most disappointing thing is that they weren't able to see the sakura blossoms of takato. The last day we went down to Iida to see some but it was a shame that they missed it.
The sakura season is like the life of a JET. You can only experience it for a time and that is why its so precious. I am coming to the end of my life here in Japan. I must go forth to other places.
I took a walk in Ina park the other day. It wasn't too sunny and it was a weekday (happened to finish Ikebana for school early and had about 30 minutes before my Ikebana in Ina) so went there. My first year, when I lived in Ina I had walked there and read under the cherry blossoms. That day too was still in my mind. It made me feel alive. I took some pictures but I don't think the feeling of live could be captured. It made me grateful.
I am grateful I have been granted this opportunity to see sakura. To eat Japanese food. To make friends. To teach students. To laugh. To learn oyaji jokes. To say 'kanpai!' To feel a hangover. To feel the cold and then be warmed. To smile and remember all what has happened in Japan.