Off to class, with my skis!

This week, I went on a 5 day snow trip. The occasion, was to obtain a unit of credit of study. Yes, there is a course at Tsukuba University where you ski for five days, and gain a unit of credit at the end. Yes I did successfully qualify to obtain the unit of credit (it's not that hard), but I also gained so much more. The internet connection in the lodge we were staying was below par, but that doesn't dampen my desire to share it with you all, and to document my experiences in writing.

Day 1: Falling down

Our bus arrived at the ski resort just before noon. We checked in, grabbed our skis, and headed straight for the snow for the opening ceremony, to meet our teachers, and begin our first ski lesson.

There were a total of about 70 students attending, with roughly half doing snowboarding and half skiing. I was with the skiers.

Each half was further divided into four groups, based on proficiency. Group 1, the experienced skiers, went off straight away to get on the ski lifts. Group 4, those who had never skied in their life, went to a more gentle sloping area to learn the basics. Group 2 and 3 were not so easily demarcated. So we went up the ski lifts together and skied down once, and the teachers divided us based on performance. Having only skied on two occasions previously, and never having received formal lessons, I would have personally objected if they put me in group 2. I have a special ability of picking up speed very quickly, and maintaining it, but at the same time lack the ability to stop. Without exception, during the grading I managed to ski to where the teacher was (faster than most people) and spectacularly ploughed into the snow when I arrived. As expected, they put me in group 3.

This was where the sad news began. After being graded, group 2 and 3 went their separate ways, and we began with the basics. There was really nothing more simple to begin with when it comes to sliding on snow with two planks attached to our feet. I managed to do what we were taught when going straight, and turning right. However, for some reason, I just couldn't turn left. Every time I tried, I would (1) suddenly pick up great speed, (2) go further and further right, and (3) not be able to stop, panic, and plough into the snow. More often than not, at least one ski would detach from my boots (a safety mechanism to prevent injury due to excessive stress) and the group would wait while I picked it up and put it on again. In our two hour lesson, time and time again I would try to turn left, lose control, plough into the snow, and the group would wait. The thing is, I was the only one who wasn't able to pull off the skills being taught. There were eight students in group 3 including me, and they consisted of people who skied during childhood but hadn't touched a ski for five years since, through to those who only skied twice in their life like me. They were by no means ski experts. And yet, I couldn't keep up with the rest of the group's progress. I felt so bad for making the group wait for me so many times, and eating up their lesson time.

It wasn't a surprise when, at the end of our first ski session, the group 3 instructor came up to me and introduced me to the group 3 instructor. Beginning from the next ski session, I would be joining the first timers group. In one sense, I was relieved to be absolved of the burden of slowing the whole group down. In another sense, it was a bummer that I wasn't able to keep up with people who should have been around the same level as me.

Dinner on the first day.

Motivation level

Discouraged.

Day 2: Getting back up

The second day, we had two ski sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The morning session was my first time skiing with the first timers. It seems, as it would turn out, that it would be my last time too.

While group 3 spent their time waiting for me to pick myself up time and time again, on the previous day group 4 learned the fundamental basic movements on the snow. On the morning of the second day, they were just about to learn how to stop, perfect timing for me.

Thanks to the group 4 instructor's feedback and instruction, I was finally able to (1) turn left at will, and most important of all, (2) to stop at will! I was so happy, words can't express my feeling of accomplishment. What I'd been struggling for two hours for the day before to no avail, I mastered in less than 20 minutes in the morning session on the second day. I'm so thankful to the instructor who was patient enough to see me through to mastery.

At the beginning of the morning session, a bystander would not be able to tell me apart from any of the first timers in the rest of group 4. By the end of the two hour session, I felt like a pro. (Of course, in reality I still had much to learn). As if to affirm my confidence, the group 4 instructor called me aside at the end of the morning session, and went to the group 3 instructor. Who would believe, I was told I was good enough to join them again!

Quite a few people were reshuffled to a different group at the initial sorting. However over the five days, (and probably many years of this subject being run), I know of not one other person who was moved back to their original group at a later point. I was so discouraged at being demoted, but so elated at being told I could move back, despite having missed one lesson.

After taking a break for lunch, we set out for the snow fields for our afternoon ski session. As promised, I was moved back to group 3. Although initially I had some concerns about whether I could keep up after not being there for the morning session, I found that it didn't become that big of a disadvantage. It was certainly a challenging session, but one which I thoroughly enjoyed. Finally, I was able to keep up with group 3.

Dinner on the second day.

Motivation level

Fully pumped.

Day 3: Becoming one

It was perfect ski weather on the third day. Some snow had fallen the night before, giving us a fresh start. Again we had a morning session and an afternoon session, and I learned lots and it was lots of fun.

Here's a view of the snow fields on the third day.

A picture of the lunch ticket. Those who can't read Japanese might not understand, but the ticket says "Tempura Udon". However, the "Tempura" part is struck out. As we expected, during lunch we received a tempura udon with a non-existent tempura. Effectively we received a normal udon, but the effect just isn't the same as receiving a lunch ticket for a normal udon. Maybe what we felt on the day we received this ticket doesn't quite convey to the reader via text.

Dinner on the third day.

We did something different on the third night. Instead of usual proceedings, we had the opportunity to do some night skiing. It was an unforgettable experience. Sadly you can't make out anything in the pictures I took under the poor lighting, so you'll have to use your imagination.

We took a brief interlude from our ski programme, put away our normal ski planks (and also put down our stocks), and put on what were referred to as "short skis". Compared to the ones we took off, the short skis were less than half the length, but significantly wider. Short skis let us make movements on the snow which are not otherwise possible (or at least ridiculously difficult) with longer skis, such as spinning around while skiing down a slope.

The highlight of the night, and arguably of the whole trip, was the end of our night session. (After some practice) Our ski group of 8 people joined hands, formed a line, and skied from the top to the base without breaking formation. To do so, those with a tendency to ski fast had to slow down and match the speed of the slowest skier, we had to communicate well to indicate when we would change direction, and we had to maintain the distance between one another so we wouldn't restrict each other's movement. It was a complex procedure, and our success spoke volumes about how far we'd come both as a team, and as individual skiers. We didn't want the ski lifts to close down （≧▽≦）

Motivation level

Beyond pumped.

Day 4: Diving deep

The snowfall on the fourth day was unbelievable. Just check out the video below.

Compare the amount of snow with the video taken the day before.

Dinner on the fourth night.

Motivation level

Fully pumped!

Day 5: New heights

As if God was saying "well done! I'm proud of you all!" there was not a single cloud in the sky on the final day. There was not a day during our time here where the weather was this clear. It was also a much desired break from the heavy snowfall from the day before. We completed our final ski session with hearts as clear as the sky.

Motivation level

High, but dropped a little at the end.

As we were finishing up, it got me wondering. So I've now learned how to ski. What next? Skiing is indeed fun, but I don't see it as any more than a hobby. It was a fulfilling challenge to beat to improve in skiing to this degree. But now that I've gained skiing proficiency, what next? I don't have many friends who can ski, and there aren't that many ski fields around Tsukuba. So I lost a bit of motivation in improving, because I started questioning what it's for. I still don't have an answer.
In any case, I look forward to using my newly gained skill in future visits to the snow fields!

Our instructor told us that skiing is like riding a bike. It seems hard at the beginning, but once you learn how, your body will remember for life. I like the sound of that.

In retrospect

Looking back over the past five days, the progress made was unbelievable.

Looking back over the past five days, the diversity of weather conditions experienced was amazing. The timing of the different weather conditions was perfectly aligned with our progress in ski proficiency. What we can do in skiing is heavily dependent upon the weather conditions day to day. I'm so thankful to God for looking after the weather during our trip.

Looking back over the past five days, the memories made were unforgettable. A big thanks to team 3 for all the memories, a huge thank you to our ski instructor for teaching us more than just how to ski, and a tremendous thanks to the PE teachers at Tsukuba University who made this experience possible.

What I learned over the past five days in summary

• Correct falling method
• Correct getting up method
• Correct stopping method
• Sharp stop
• 180 degree orientation change
• Skating with skis
• Snowplough
• Stem turn
• Side skiing
• Skiing without stocks
• Skiing in fresh snow
• Maintaining constant speed
• Controlled increasing and decreasing speed
• Maintaining constant following distance
• Skiing with short skates
• Kururin (spinning while skiing)
• Kune-kune (wiggling)

There have been all sorts of skiing techniques I learned over the past five days, but what I am most glad to have been taught above all else, are the PRINCIPLES behind good skiing technique. Our instructor emphasised time and time again that he is teaching the PRINCIPLES of skiing. If you understand the principles, you will master skiing. For example, there is the principle that skis will naturally slide down a slope, if nothing is done to stop them. There is also a principle at work whereby a ski laid perpendicular to the direction of the slope of a hill will not slide down due to friction. Likewise, when you dig the edge of the ski on the hillside (as opposite to the valley side) of the ski, it causes friction and you slow down. Similarly, by angling the skis toward the valley side, it reduces friction and increases speed. An interesting principle, is that by shifting your body weight onto one side while skiing, you will turn in the opposite direction, and vice versa. When I first learned this principle, it certainly broke my preconception.

In the same way, in life there are certain principles that apply, which we are free to oppose or comply with. It's our free choice whether to comply or rebel, but the consequences are predetermined, just as we are free to choose whether to angle our skis hillside or valley side when skiing, but the subsequent speed change is not for us to decide.

Learning about this concept of principles leads me to praise God even more, for making a world that is so structured and ordered. It gives me more motivation to get to know the knowable God, who made such a knowable world.

Wagyu beef shabu shabu and fugu(moved)

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24th Foreign Students' Japanese Speech Contest

I participated in the 24th annual Japanese language foreigners speech contest, held in Ibaraki Prefecture. I obtained second place out of 38 applicants :D Can you spot me in the photo?

There were a total of 38 applicants this year. 15 were selected to give their speeches on the day. All of the speeches were very interesting. 

My self introduction.

The theme for the speech contest this year was, "deepening global understanding", and my speech title was "what you need in order to become a glocal human resource".

Behind this success are many supporters who generously lent me their time and feedback to help me refine and improve my speech. Thank you for all your contributions. I learned much during the process leading up to the speech contest, from intonation to speed to figures of speech to gestures to persuasiveness and more. For example, I learned the correct intonation for "bunrui (category)" and "kaishaku (interpretation)". It was also pointed out to me how foreigners were prone to not stressing the emphasis on the small "っ" sound, especially when speaking quickly. 

But the greatest improvement I made, is where no one can see. It's in my way of approaching life.

My main point in my speech, was that in order to become a glocal citizen you need to work on yourself. This point is made in direct response to people who want to change the world. I'm not saying that I oppose people who want to change the world; so do I. However, too many of those people don't realise the need for themselves to change too. During the making of this speech, I changed in so many ways. Let me share just the tip of the iceberg.

The first big change was the very decision to apply for the speech contest. The me of the past would not have given the poster informing us of the speech contest a second thought. Indeed, the first time I saw the poster, I thought it was for people who like to do speeches, or are good at speeches. Naturally, I didn't view myself as falling under either category.

However, over time, it slowly dawned on me. Those who are good at speeches, were not necessarily good at speeches from birth. And as for those who like speeches, how are they different from those who don't like speeches (i.e. myself)? In the process of thinking and reflecting, I realised that what was keeping me from taking interest in the speech contest, was myself. It was my way of thinking. I thought that it did not have any relevance to me, and that was the end of that. However, when I gave it second thought, the speech contest is targeting foreigners living in Japan who have a global outlook to share their thoughts. What part of that description doesn't apply to me? It was my preconception that speeches were not my thing, and nothing on the outside. By coming to terms and becoming aware of my own thinking, I was able to overcome it and challenge myself in an area where I would have previously walked away before I even began.

The second big change was the change in my view of globalisation. Globalisation refers to crossing the borders of your country, and entering a world different to the one you came from. What I have come to realise, is that it is an outward change, but it is not necessarily accompanied by an inward change. Glocalisation, however, refers to the simultaneous progression of both globalisation and localisation. Without limiting your scope of growth to the place you are comfortable with as depicted by localisation, you don't lose your sense of self as you move into the outside world. It's to recognise that in order to engage with those from a different background to you, it is important to know how the you is different from the different background. In order to do so, you have to know what that 'yourself' is. An additional point that I would add, is that this so called 'yourself' is constantly changing over time, or at least you hope that you are growing more and more each year. That means that you need to constantly learn about who the you of the present is, and how it is different from the you of the past and of the future. I'm still very new to this myself, and as I come to understand better myself, I hope to be able to express my thoughts more clearly.

For the time being, whatever I was trying to say evidently struck a chord with the adjudicators, so it can't be that bad.

Here is a video recording of my speech. Apologies, no English subtitles as of yet. I will consider adding them in later down the track. And yes, I constructed this speech from the ground up in Japanese. No English manuscript translation.

My certificate, courtesy of the Chairman of the Ibaraki Prefecture Diet.

This speech contest holds a special place in my heart, not so much for the result I obtained as for the story behind that success. To me, the result is a confirmation that the change I underwent over the past half a year, has been nothing short of positive. I look forward to changing even more in future, as I keep learning, and taking action on what I learn in my life!

FAQ: What am I eating here in Japan?

It's been close to two years living in Japan. As a student studying full time and active in various activities throughout the week but with limited funds, what do I eat? The answer in Japan, is variety. Let me introduce a sample of what I eat on a day to day basis.

I 'd eaten all my meat at the time I took this photo, but with a couple hundred grams of chicken or pork and the above ingredients, I can whip up a stew for 2.5 meals (for every two servings advertised, I usually finish it in one). The whole process from preparation to serving takes about 20 minutes; very reasonable I think for a hot nutritious and economic meal in winter.

On the left is what is called a retort pouch or a sealed plastic pouch containing ready made sauce. It's not just sauce though, with vegetables and meat and all sorts of other things combined. The packaging says this one pack feeds 2-3 people, but I eat one packet per meal along with rice. Total preparation and cooking time, less than 5 minutes, total cost, around $2AUD.

There are many varieties of retort pouch meals, which often require you to buy and prepare one to three ingredients, to which you add the contents of the pouch, stir and serve. It's all very easy, quick, healthy, and economic. I eat anywhere from one to five of these meals each week.

My classic Japanese style breakfast. There are some days when I get lazy and just go for cereal and milk, but where I can, I make a bowl of miso soup, eat a container of natto beans, include some fish usually the particular flavour of canned mackerel pictured (there are many flavours but this is the only one I really like), Japanese seaweed (tbh Korean seaweed tastes better), along with rice. Japanese breakfast is so easy to make and so healthy, and so cheap! All up one meal would cost me aruond $2AUD.

Another impressive range of retort pouch meals. Unlike the previous showcase, these come ready to eat with no preparation required. Generally they taste better heated, but for example in the middle of the heat of summer I eat them without heating them, and they taste fine. There is an almost infinite variety of these premade ready to eat meals. The great part, is that they can be as cheap as less than a dollar a serve.

This is also another great meal option - good old Western style spaghetti. I learned a neat little trick from one of the cooking shows here to save time, and to optimise the texture of the spaghetti. It's to soak the pasta in water for over two hours (three in winter) before cooking. You can soak it up to 24 hours. If you strain the water and store it in the fridge, it can keep for a week. Surely you'd feel like eating pasta at least once a week.

There are three major advantages of preparing it like this. One, you need a fraction of the water required to boil non-presoaked pasta, because it's already soft so it easily fits even into a mug-sized pot. Two, once the water starts boiling, it only takes one minute to cook. Rather, you don't want to keep it in for more than a minute, for the third major advantage, which is that the pasta cooks al dente all the way through. This is because the water particles have already permeated right into the core of the pasta strand, and all they need is to be heated up by the boiling water, causing the spaghetti strand to cook evenly from outside to inside, thus maintaining maximal springiness. This is super tasty, and pasta + sauce is even cheaper than rice + toppings. But I still love my rice.

You were probably wondering, "where's the instant noodle?" Yep, here it is. But as you can see from the photo, I only ever keep a maximum of two in stock. Because I know they're not a healthy meal option, and it's just too easy to prepare better alternatives to cup noodles. Having said that though, I love Japanese cup noodles. There are so many more interesting flavours than Australia, and for so much cheaper. I bought both of these for less than a buck apiece.

Next, a look at what my cooking apparatuses are like. Top right is a hot water boiler, which I use for heating up the retort pouches, boiling eggs and boiling water for the miso soup and cup noodles, as well as cooking my spaghetti when I'm too lazy to whip out a pot. To left is my trusty rice cooker. It can cook up to three cups at a time, one cup per meal, perfect size. Very space and energy efficient.

On the bottom is my fridge. You may notice I don't own a freezer. I haven't used one for almost a year now, and I've had no problems. It means I have to make a couple more trips to the supermarket, but for the cost saved on electricity on an appliance I can live without, I am more than willing to make the sacrifice. This bar fridge has been more than sufficient to keep the ingredients I need to keep the ingredients I need to make all my meals for a week.

You may also notice that there is no microwave. Most Japanese people place it above their fridge, and stack their rice cooker on top of the microwave. I would too, if I had one. But the microwave, I have also not owned for the past year. And I managed to survive - quite comfortably too. Living in an already cramped dormitory room, I'm glad there was no microwave to further reduce my moving and breathing space.

To top it all off, this is a sneak backstage view of my "stash" for when I'm feeling peckish. As much as I try to be healthy, I still have a sweet tooth to satiate, particularly after a meal. You'll notice, however, that I keep a variety of snacks, ranging from chocolates to sweets to biscuits, and keeping both sweet and savoury (and sour) in store. I like to maintain some variety, even in my in-between mealtimes :)

Hope you found this segment on food culture in Japan as a bachelor insightful. Until next time :)

Okinawa 2014

Our family went on a four day four night trip to Okinawa. My sister who is studying in Australia came to Japan this week for her summer holidays. Right now is off peak travel season, in the middle of the university and school semester, and with workers still working. Last year during the summer holidays, my dad and I went on a road trip together. The trip duration was similar, but the price is a completely different story. The price that the four of us paid in total was not more than how much my dad and I paid in total on our trip last year. In short, our trip this time round was half price. 

Many people said that it's not a good idea to go to Okinawa during winter because it's too cold to go to the beach. But I think there are many good reasons to go to Okinawa in winter. Firstly, if I'm going to be anywhere in Japan during this chilly season, unless we're going to the snow I'd rather be somewhere above zero degrees. Secondly, the sun is not so intense so it's much more pleasant sightseeing outdoors, and it's comfortable inside a car even without turning on the air con.

Below is a map of where we stayed each nigh over the four nights. 

The purple pin is our first night (the airport is the purple patch in the bottom left corner), the green pin is where we stayed the second night, the red pin is where we stayed the third night, and the final night we stayed at a hotel not far from the purple pin.

Activities wise, we didn't do as much this time around compared to the previous time. The males and the females in our family had quite different priorities on this trip. It meant quite frequent occurrences of conflicts of interests in our travel plan. Having already been once, my dad and I compromised on our initial plan to meet the pace and interests of all the family members. 

Day 1: Arrival, dinner

We arrived fairly late the first day, the sun having just set, so we didn't go around much. The highlight of the day was dinner. We ate at a place a friend from church recommended, called Sangmi.

Maybe it was because we weren't used to the instructions given by the GPS, but we had a really hard time finding the location. We were listening to the GPS, but for some reason we just couldn't locate the restaurant. In our hunger everyone's impatience was mounting, and we were this close to giving up and settling for dinner at one of the tens of restaurants we passed on the way in order to eat at this one. However, my mum and my sister were keen on checking out this recommended place, so thanks to them, in the end we found it. 

You'll notice from the photo that the shop interior and exterior is very bright compared to the surroundings. Even though we didn't notice the shop name written on the corner of the building front, as soon as we approached it, I had a feeling it was this shop, because of the aura of warmth it emanated. There was nothing in the vicinity quite as bright as this shop.

The food was presented with fine taste, and also tasted excellent. It was not quite traditional Japanese food, and definitely not customary Western food. I don't know how to classify it, but it was delicious, and healthy, with class but of a modest kind, if you can imagine that.

There was also a guestbook. Or should I say, there were five, beginning from the shop opening 12 years ago. All the people who left comments seemed highly satisfied with their experience. What's more, most were first timers. Talk about a great first impression. Each member of our family also left a comment. See if you can find it the next time you drop by :)

Day 2: Bridge drive, Okinawa Peace Park, Outlet shopping

Buffet breakfast on the first day. There was actually a lot more variety than this, but after taking this first photo, I was more interested in eating than taking photos.

We went on a spectacular bridge drive across Kouri bridge, and we took a panorama shot from the car halfway across, but I think the photo is still in my dad's camera so you'll have to wait till I can get it from him.

Panorama shot taken at the lookout at Okinawa Peace Memorial Park. My dad and I came here on our last trip to Okinawa also, but it was far too hot to wander around outside. This time round, we were able to enjoy the breathtaking views looking out to the sea. It's hard to imagine it was once teeming with American warships.

Rows of tombstones engraved with the names of those who lost their lives in the war, both American and Japanese alike. Almost all of the tombstones are engraved with Japanese names.

Day 3: Manzamou Promontory, Hiji Falls

Buffet breakfast on the second day. Very different variety to the first day, and very tasty.

Delicious lunch with various famous foods from Okinawa, including Okinawa soba noodle, Okinawa pork, sea grapes, and fish.

We had made no plans for dinner, and had no idea where we could find a good restaurant. Totally as a chance encounter, we came across the restaurant Ishinagu. We couldn't have found a better place to have dinner that night. You will soon understand why when you see the array of cuisine.

The total price of the meal was less than what we'd pay for an average dinner at an Izakaya, yet the food volume and taste was amazing. Highly recommended if you ever drop by this area.

Day 4: Churaumi Aquarium, first sakura of the year 

Buffet breakfast on the third day. By this time we were starting to get sick of eating buffet breakfasts.

Main stop of the day, Churaumi Aquarium. My dad and I already visited this place last year, but we didn't get to see everything, because it was so big. So together as a family, we dived into the deep sea experience once again. It was thoroughly worth our while. Here are a few snapshots of our time there.

Sea of Tropical Fish, feeding time

Petting pool

Whale shark feeding time. There are three whale sharks in this aquarium, and this is the only aquarium in the world that exhibits whale sharks. The centre attraction of Churaumi Aquarium.

We saw the first cherry blossoms (Sakura) for the year! It is unthinkable in Tokyo for the cherry blossoms to bloom so early. Generally they bloom around April, coinciding with the start of the new Japanese academic/working year. Only in Okinawa do cherry blossoms bloom so early. This was a special experience indeed.

Day 5: Back home

We flew back at noon. My sister still hadn't had enough of shopping (will she ever?) so that's how we killed the time waiting for our flight. At least she got up on time today.

My dad and I (and likely my mum too) enjoyed visiting the various sights and attractions of Okinawa. My sister, probably enjoyed the shopping more than anything. All in all, we made some great memories as a family in Okinawa.

Coming of Age Day 2015

In Japan, the second Monday of January each year is Coming of Age Day. The nation holds a formal ceremony commemorating those who turned 20 over the past year, to congratulate the transition from childhood to adulthood. The age 20 holds special significance in Japanese culture. Unlike most countries in the world, the official age of adulthood (and subsequently liberation from the need for parental consent) is 20.

Some pictures taken of the Coming of Age ceremony in Funabashi.

This event is more of a formality than a mark of actual change in life situation. The vast majority of Japanese people pursue tertiary studies after graduating from high school, and that takes place around the age of 18. That means that for the vast majority of participants at the Coming of Age ceremony are completing their second year of a four year university degree (six for medicine) - hardly a transition period. Due to such contradictions and subsequent social implications, there has been debate over whether to change the official age of adulthood to 18, like the rest of the world.