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.

Fragments of Japan

Hello, today my dear friend named Siva Armanda (The creator of http://vacasa-vacasa.blogspot.com/) edited my bunch of photos in Japan. Hurray! :D

This is some of her works.
Hope this pictures can substitute words I'm trying to say about my trip :)
Again, thanks for your hardwork and passion for photography Sivong! :*

 

Hope you enjoy some fragments of Japan. Fragments of my experience.

Sky

Hello, on this entry, I'm trying something new.
Today is May, 22th. The grand opening of the-so-called-new Tokyo Tower, Tokyo SkyTree.

Why so-called-new-Tokyo Tower you asked?
When I was in Tokyo, I found out that the creation of Tokyo SkyTree is to become the new Tokyo Tower.
Tokyo Tower is one big analog antenna. And when analog is no longer sexy outdated by the digital world, Tokyo SkyTree was build. The function is one giant digital antenna.
And it's build near Tokyo Tower. As if to comparing the old and the new.
Huh. Coincidence?


And theeen, SkyTree is also bigger and taller than Tokyo Tower. You can almost see it everywhere in Tokyo. Believe me. By some points, you'll get tired and stop screaming "IT'S SKYTREEEEE" when you had a tour around Tokyo.

This is SkyTree look like from afar. Really far. Again, believe me, this was taken when I'm heading to Chiba. It's giant.

From my hostfam (long story, will getting to it someday), the ticket sales for the opening is like a lottery. As expected of the new Tokyo Tower.
Ah, how I wished I was there.

Though the sky this morning in Jakarta was beautiful.
Will go imagining myself in Japan for a moment.
Have fun exploring!

Dreams

Hello, let's talk about dreams.
What is your dream?
I have many dreams. I'm quite greedy about dreams. There! I said it.
My ultimate dream is to have a safe and happy life in this world and the afterworld.
Did I mention I was greedy?

Moving on, two of my dreams came true this May, 2012. ♥♥♥♥♥
And yes, I'm still alive, thank you.

I'm in love with Japan since I was a kid. Ever since I was a kid, hello kitty is my addiction. And my brother's is doraemon.
I read Japanese comics almost anywhere; on bed, dinning table, bathroom, cars, you name it. I even discover a talent of reading-while-walking since I was in early elementary school.
So, yeah. My family been influenced by Japanese culture since... I don't know. Forever seems to be a little cheesy .___. but, moving on.

My first ever childhood idol crush is L'Arc~en~Ciel's HYDE, a Japanese mega awesome band. I was 4th Grade when I fell in loooove with his voice on Rurounin Kenshin's OST, The Forth Avenue Cafe. Okay, I may sounded creepy. But, I love him, still.
That's my first dream came true. My love over-ten-years of waiting. I attended L'Arc's freakin' concert here in Jakarta on 2nd of May 2012! ♫

 Hell, yeah! I even got the front row! The separating gate was my pillow to hug! And... and... wow. It was magical.
Did I mention I love them?
Okay, if I don't stop now, I'll never going to stop.
So, moving on. My second dream came true?

I did mention that I made this blog if I went to Japan, right? Well, that's my second dream came true.
Luckily, I was chosen by the Japanese Embassy to participate on Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Student and Youth (JENESYS) and yeah, I got free ten days trip to Japan. Not entirely free, private expenses are our own responsibility. But, it's mostly free. So, yeah, I'm so lucky.

And lucky me, the start of the JENESYS programme was not overlapping with my date with L'Arc. It started on 6th of May. Phew.
I'm soooooo willing to blabber about my short trip to Japan. But yeah, It's gonna be long. So, till the next entry.
Here's a sneak peak.

See you then, have fun exploring and dreaming! :)

Thoughts turns into words

Hello, let's talk about thoughts and words.
It's not an easy one, but when it manage to do so, it is magical.
For many situations the two just doesn't do well together. Like love.
Okay, that's a crappy analogy. Blame my sense of humor.

When I was a child, I wanted to be a designer like my uncle. Until I knew he's not really a designer and I have a talent in drawing 5year-old's mountains and simple expressions that now popularly associated with 9gag.
So I think, it is wise to move on and search for a new dream.

I don't really know when exactly when I secretly want to be a writer. I loved books like Disney's love for happy endings.
Words. I find it beautiful. And if a clever mind can turn into words, it will be magical.
I'm not really into some ancient literature freak or something, God, spare me.

I like cleverly written words waaaaaaaay better than high-class ancient literature that will make anything you read seems like a play of "guessed what is it mean"... well, I like it to some extend. I like reading dictionary. No, you read right, dictionary. And no, I'm not insane.
But I still think if it's too "intelligent", it'll be a pain.

I'm not good with words, but I'd like to try putting words together and hope there'll be magic.
Maybe that's why I made this blog. Like a practice tools to make words out of my mind.

I don't really bother much on how many numbers viewed my minds or that sorta stuff. Maybe not now. And hopefully not tomorrow. Or the day after tomorrow. You got the point.

I know it's something idealistic to do. But, I want to explore my mind.

A Beginning

Hello, let's first talk about Beginning.

And no, it's not about AKB48's song, Beginner. Though I love it.

Do I even make sense? Well, pardon me :)

I wanted to talk about the beginning of this blog.

I always wanted to make a blog. If you don't believe me, ask my brother!

But anyway, I decided to make a blog if I went to Japan (after so many "I'll make a blog, if I...."s that did not came true)

So then, to make it short, I went to Japan, I made a blog. This one. Until I realized that this very blog started on May 2007. Huh. Strange.

I have absolutely no idea. Really, you have to believe me on this.

But weeeeeeell, I move on. I create... no, no.. I reactivate this one and hope it's last :)

Feel free to explore, since I'm going to explore my mind :)