Japan: The Safest Country

Japan is well known for its safety. Ever since I came to Japan, I stopped being worried about leaving my stuffs in public places. I know nobody would take my belongings. That well-known stereotype about Japan was also the reason why my parents supported the idea of me coming here to study. However, a stereotype like that also has its downside. Everywhere we go, no matter how safe it seems, there will always be good and bad people. I have seen many news on television during breakfast with my friends, and the cases have shown that the stereotype is not entirely correct. That is why it’s important to always be careful. We can never let our guards down. I feel scared when I walk alone at night, and some of my friends feel the same too. I think the most important thing is to never feel too safe, because we have to always be careful no matter where we are.

I am scared of height

Height is one of my biggest fears. My legs shake even when I’m just standing on a bridge. When I was 15, to mark the maturity, my team and I had to overcome a challenge (It is a trandition of my club). The challenge was climbing up a sand hill. It was a pretty high hill, which made me worried a lot. In the end, thanks to my teammates, I could make it. While we were climbing up the hill, my teammates tried to distract me from looking down by talking about other topics. When we finished our talk, we have already been there, on the top of the hill. It could be scary at the beginning, but everything become easier when we have friends around.

A "Lucky" Dog

My friend has a dog named Lucky. It's not a random name since this buddy is actually lucky. He's 14 years old, which is quite old for a dog. He also has one missing eye and half deaf. Lucky is a strong dog. He never gives up on living. Although he is really weak now, I think that he still wants to be with his owner a little more. When I think about Lucky, I feel encouraged. He reminds me to be strong when I'm weak.

Being in Shibuya

I think Shibuya is one of the most popular destinations for tourists who come to Japan. In almost all documentaries and movies, I always see the popular Shibuya Scrambled Crossing. It was most crowded during the Halloween week, where many people gather in various costumes to hang out and take pictures. I usually go to Shibuya when I need to go to Yokohama because through Shibuya is the cheapest way. Some of my friend went there to eat pizza. Even though the neon lights make beautiful pictures, I’m not used to being among so many people yet. And so, when I go there, I don’t usually stay for too long. But I like visiting the Hachiko statue because I like dogs. I have to queue because so many people want to take picture there. I recommend Shibuya if you like fashion, night life, or just curious to how it feels to be in an ocean of people. 

Reading

Just like many other people, I love spending my spare time reading books. Reading not only helps me cure my boredom but also teaches me a lot of beautiful things in this world. Books, to me, are like my friends. I always choose a book that suits my feelings at that period of time.  It tells me stories, it tells me facts, it teaches me many helpful things for my life. Also, reading, especially in other languages than my first language can help me improve my language skill. With all of those reasons, reading is my most favorite hobby ever. Tell me about your hobbies. Do you like reading books?

Nancy

Escape to Mitake

I often miss nature when I walk around Tokyo. As one of the most modern cities in the world, Tokyo has so many skyscrapers and concrete buildings. Coming from Indonesia, I find myself missing the sceneries of trees, mountains, and nature in general. I had a chance to visit Mitake recently. The trip took about two hours train ride from Shibuya station. I was surprised when I started leaving the modernity of city life and into the natural beauty of Mitake. I kept looking outside the window throughout the train ride. The air was fresh, and there weren’t many people walking in the streets. There was a huge river that became the spotlight of my trip that day. The water was so cold and many people came to fish.

Friends

If there is someone asks me to define “friends”, I would say: Friends are also my family. I’ve always had a feeling that I’m the luckiest person on earth as my friends are always beside me whenever I have any troubles. As I have my friends with me, I can travel anywhere with them, have the best memories with them. As I have my friends with me, I can do anything I want, even though it can be embarrassing. As I have my friends with me, I can laugh, I can cry, I can be whoever I want to be without any judgment. Thanks to them, I could live more happily. Thank you, my precious friends.

Nancy. 

My First Snow

I had only seen snow on television and photos. I was always wondering how snow felt. When winter came in Tokyo, I was hoping for snow. My friends told me it would be a problem because many trains would be late or even stopped. Even so, I thought I would be grateful if somehow and somewhere I could finally have my first snow. On a Saturday afternoon, I was leaving for work when I saw something falling from the sky. I looked outside and saw snow! I checked my phone and the weather forecast said ‘snow shower’. Wow, I was so surprised and happy. I wore a hat as I walked the streets so that it didn’t stick to my hair. Even though there wasn’t much, I was happy to finally see falling snow. 

Shopping at Costco

I went to Costco for the first time recently. Costco is an American brand for a ‘buying in bulk’ style supermarket. The supermarket itself is actually the size of a warehouse where many items are just dropped and stacked after being carried in containers. I didn’t have a membership but I went with my friend who had one. There were so many differnt items, mostly from America. It’s good to shop there for items that last long, such as toothpaste or other daily necessities. I also wanted to buy the meat and cookies because they were so cheap compared to anywhere else in Japan. However, foods don’t last long so buying too much would be a waste. I also went to the cafeteria, the pizza was American-sized. I love that the drinks were also free-refill. Lastly, we must not forget to bring our own bag because Costco doesn’t provide the bags.

My Favorite Ice Cream

I have always loved ice cream. Whenever I’m down, I just eat ice cream because it helps me feel better. Baskin Robbins is my favorite brand of ice cream. It has many different flavors. Some flavors are very creative and unusual. When I arrived in Japan, I was surprised because Baskin Robbins in Japan offer even more flavors than the branches in Indonesia. My favorite flavors are the ‘Cookies’ and Cream’ and ‘Pistachio Almond’. However, in this photo I tried two unusual flavors including ‘Winter White Chocolate’. Even though it’s winter, I still want lots of ice cream. I wonder if someone also likes ice cream as much I do.

Volunteer on an island

One of the greatest memories in my life was being a volunteer on Lyson island, Vietnam. Together with my team, we opened free summer classes for high school students there. We had 13 talented volunteers from all over the country gather and create an unforgettable summer on this beautiful island. We had classes every day, except Sunday, from morning to evening. On Sunday, our students became our tour guides. They took us to every corner of the island and told us about its history. After the trip, I have learned a lot about lives near the sea coast. Lyson was a meaningful experience that I could never forget.

Reading

I used to really hate reading. I am a visual learner, so I prefer videos and pictures to words and words. However, a friend of mine said to me that, "best ideas come from books", so I decided to give books a try. My friend was right. Although in the beginning, it is hard to concentrate on the lines, good thoughts from books make me want to read more. Now, I usually read books while I'm commuting to work. The more I read, the easier it is to focus on reading.

Do you like reading? If no, will you give books a try?

Traveling

Traveling is walking out of your safe zone, being open-minded to any thing you would find. Traveling is trying to understand what people want you to know, even they are in a language that you don't use everyday. Traveling is accepting the difference between other cultures and yours, knowing that there's no right or wrong when it comes to belief. Traveling is uncomfortable sometimes, yet it is an opportunity to see how diverse and wonderful this world is. Do you like traveling? I do .

A normal day in Shibuya

I went to Shibuya yesterday, tried to find some different scenes from what I usually see here. Finally, I found one (when I was about to give up). It was from an old man, who seems to have a lot of time, enough to stop, between the flow and without a camera, to truly enjoy the beauty of this city.
Music: Les Amants De Paris - Edith Piaf