Superstitions

Hello, let's talk about superstitions!
Some of you might say "what the heck?" but yeah, I might too at some point.
I do believe in other-worldly kind of stuff. I also believe in the after world. In heaven and hell.
But that's not what I'm trying to say here.

Actually, I just found out something that's trigger my interest.
I awkwardly found out that the key-chain I bought for myself in Japan was not a key-chain. Well, it is but it was also something else. An amulet.

My first reaction was "Huh?". A rather lame reaction, I notice it myself. Really, I did.
It was somehow change my thoughts about Japanese amulets and I begin to wonder how many amulets I over-looked while I'm searching for it while I'm in Japan?
It's a disturbing thoughts.

Because although I was searching, I had a rather hard time to search for traditional Japanese believes or amulets or ema's (some wooden board to write down your wish). I only found it in Shrines (U don't say), Tokyo Tower (but only ema's -A Tokyo Tower styled ema's) and at the tax-free shop at the Airport. And that's it.

The options is also rather limited, and it's a bit pricey for my taste.
And I imagine amulets or お守り (omamori) will maintain it's usual form like this.

It's an Amulet for Happiness. It's the pricey-est one in the shrine I visited.
The cheapest one I ever encounter is an Amulet for safe-birth. It's interesting to know, really.
In this now old-generation phenomena going on and all.

When I was in Japan, I was eager to go to shrines. Just because I found religious (or believes) in Japan are interesting.
My Japanese hostfam told me a lot of things about this particular matter. He said that Japan is a Nation of Ten Thousand Gods. He even refer to a hit Japanese animation movie called "Spirited Away" or 千と千尋の神隠し (Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi) in Japanese original title.
Not familiar with the title? Maybe the picture will refresh your mind. It often played on Disney Channel.


The point is, Japan has many gods. My hostfam even brought me to nearby shinto shrine that has so many gods, even Buddhist god. It was fascinating to know.

But theeeen, in my last day in Japan, I want to spend coins in my wallet so I buy a keychain. It was sooo cute, with sakura flower, wooden slippers and all. It's red too. I'm weak against all thing red, cuddly, and hello kitty. So I buy it.


When I came back to Indonesia, I was so busy sorting stuffs, keep up with my studies, and gather up my spirit. So, I opened the keychain about a week after I got home. ....and surprised.


I can read some of the Japanese Kanji, so I recognize the kanji for Omamori.

When I flipped the "wooden slippers", surprisingly there's a kanji for protection (守) and I googled.


This keychain was an amulet called Yakuyoke Omamori (厄除け・お守り) it was an amulet againts bad luck.


Wow.

If I've known, I would buy more.
If I've known, I would checked all of the keychains I saw.

A contemporary Japanese amulet? Maybe.
Maybe the culture tried to still linger in new globalized Japan with this kind of "compromise".


So, what do you think?
Which do you prefer?
In case someday you got a chance to go to Japan, maybe you'd like to seach for this kind of amulets. Or even the traditional one :)
Since there are sooooooooooo many types of amulets.
I'll end with a question.
By this, do you think Japan is actually a religious country?


Happy exploring!

Cultural Experience

Hello, it's been a while, but let's talk about culture. And experiencing it.
So I made the title Cultural Experience. ....I should just move on.

Before that, I've had an unbelievably, irritatingly, and unforgiving week.
The worst part is I think know it's going to last longer than I wanted it to be. Maybe two or three weeks more.
A slow, painful death.

Anyway, I don't have must time to keep the post coming lately, but I do have some drafts I'd like to share. Maybe when things got calmed down a bit, I'll post.

Well, back to the beginning. Me and my friend, Acha -and her friend, Lucy- come to KCC (Korean Cultural Center) because it's got a twice a month programs (on the first and third week per month) that allows us to wear Hanbok, or Korean traditional clothes. Like Kimono in Japan.
The purpose was obvious, to promote Korean Culture. That's why the program was called Hanbok Experience. For us to experience Korean Culture. (The Korean Government really put a lot of efforts to push the Korean Wave, don't you think?)
There was so much to comment -politically- about this push their giving us.
It will be a loooong and wide range topic to discuss, so I'll skip this with a question:

Do you think it's a good thing or a bad thing that the Korean Government pushes Hallyu?

If you answer:
YES: I'll encourage you to find more about Cultural Industry, preferably by Theodor W. Adorno.
NO: I hope you know perfectly well what is Hallyu before you answered no. And not based on wild perception or baseless assumption. Because making a false assumption a dangerous, dangerous thing to do.

Well, this is some of pictures I took at KCC.

 At the So-Called-Photo-Both.
 Yeah, right. If you called a place crowded with people watching TV a photo-both.

 I have to literately ask people to clear up!
 (nicely ofcourse, I'm well mannered person :p)

 This was taken in a random empty classroom.
 It's illegal.
But when there is no one to watched and we didn't told it was forbidden, we just pardon ourselves and take a picture there.
 Quite a lot of it :)
 If you must blame someone, who's to blame?
 Ask yourself if it's really necessary to blame someone.


If your interested, go experience it yourself!
But let me give you some advice,
1. Bring a friend, the KCC just let you wonder around the so-called-photo-both by yourself. They did not give you a private space for photo-taking and not gonna take a picture of you.
2. Bring a camera. They did not lend a camera either.
3. Go there early in the morning. The line-up was loooong. Possibly because it's free, so you don't really complained much about it :|

 Happy exploring, explorers! :)
Make sure you don't take everything for granted.