Saturday, April 08, 2006
Travel Diary: Nippon II
Ok, continuing from the previous posting on my Japan trip.
Felt very grateful for all my dedicated and knowledgeable senseis from back in NUS. Knowing a bit of Japanese really helped a lot during the trip there. I am able to read in both hiragana and katagana as well as kanji the building signs, menu etc. I was oso able to reply in simple Japanese when asked. My mom said that some Japs actually stared at me in amazement when I replied them in their own language. My tour guide flattered me by saying that I speak Jap better that the Japanese. He and our nice bus driver, Nakazawa-san, spoke to me in Jap and for most time, I was able to more or less understand wat they were saying. Well, I still have a great deal to learn and I hope to continue learning more. Right now I think my standard is probably primary school and they were probably treating me as such haha :)
I have always liked to go on boats and ships and I found the short cruise to Nagasaki a very memorable one. As the boat left the berth, three Jap workers at the dock actually bowed in unison to it! Then they waved and we waved back. The view was breathtaking, but none more so that the beautiful phenomenon of the segulls flying beside our ship all the way, waiting for us to throw bread crumbs to them! I videotaped them on my handphone though it din do the view justice. I dun think I can ever forget the sight till the day I die. It was beyond words to see them and I could only praise God for His wonderful creation.
I oso met two kids who found a special place in my heart on board that short cruise. I went out to the deck to find my Mom telling me that this little boy was talking to her and she was trying to tell him that she din understand him so she wanted me to translate. The little boy looked at me shyly and walked away. Just then, his elder sister walked by and looked at me with such beautifully innocent face that you can neva find in city kids nowadays and greeted me,"Jaa." She later tried to say something to my Mom and I had to ask her to repeat herself. I explained to her we dun understand and she looked at us rather quizzically but understood the matter at last. I loved the way her bro and her taked to us with the simplicity, not as strangers that we are, but as though they have known us for ages. As we approached Nagasaki, the little boy shouted,"Asoko miteeeeee!!!!!" Think it's so hard to find children who delight in simple things in life like the water flowing on the deck and the ship arriving at Nagasaki these days.
Met some very sweet old couples in our group who really took great care of each other, holding hands and all everywhere they go. Have always envied couples who managed to keep the spark of love alive till their twilight years. *Sigh*
Felt very grateful for all my dedicated and knowledgeable senseis from back in NUS. Knowing a bit of Japanese really helped a lot during the trip there. I am able to read in both hiragana and katagana as well as kanji the building signs, menu etc. I was oso able to reply in simple Japanese when asked. My mom said that some Japs actually stared at me in amazement when I replied them in their own language. My tour guide flattered me by saying that I speak Jap better that the Japanese. He and our nice bus driver, Nakazawa-san, spoke to me in Jap and for most time, I was able to more or less understand wat they were saying. Well, I still have a great deal to learn and I hope to continue learning more. Right now I think my standard is probably primary school and they were probably treating me as such haha :)
I have always liked to go on boats and ships and I found the short cruise to Nagasaki a very memorable one. As the boat left the berth, three Jap workers at the dock actually bowed in unison to it! Then they waved and we waved back. The view was breathtaking, but none more so that the beautiful phenomenon of the segulls flying beside our ship all the way, waiting for us to throw bread crumbs to them! I videotaped them on my handphone though it din do the view justice. I dun think I can ever forget the sight till the day I die. It was beyond words to see them and I could only praise God for His wonderful creation.
I oso met two kids who found a special place in my heart on board that short cruise. I went out to the deck to find my Mom telling me that this little boy was talking to her and she was trying to tell him that she din understand him so she wanted me to translate. The little boy looked at me shyly and walked away. Just then, his elder sister walked by and looked at me with such beautifully innocent face that you can neva find in city kids nowadays and greeted me,"Jaa." She later tried to say something to my Mom and I had to ask her to repeat herself. I explained to her we dun understand and she looked at us rather quizzically but understood the matter at last. I loved the way her bro and her taked to us with the simplicity, not as strangers that we are, but as though they have known us for ages. As we approached Nagasaki, the little boy shouted,"Asoko miteeeeee!!!!!" Think it's so hard to find children who delight in simple things in life like the water flowing on the deck and the ship arriving at Nagasaki these days.
Met some very sweet old couples in our group who really took great care of each other, holding hands and all everywhere they go. Have always envied couples who managed to keep the spark of love alive till their twilight years. *Sigh*
// posted by Jenn @ 9:41 AM 
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