This is a regular series within TOKYO BOUND blog to share short weekly updates of my journey.
Highlight of my week?
The highlight was walking for almost four hours at 高尾山 Takaosan or Mount Takao and not aching at all the next few days. That is very rare given that the slopes were really steep.
There's no safety belt 安全バー on the cable lift on Takaosan.
What have I learnt this week?
School just started and it is a lot more hardcore than one might think. That means the teachers themselves also work very hard. I have deadlines every single day (including weekends) and the teachers will also mark them and comment all during the weekends. Even on Monday, it was a holiday, but I had a dance class. And some jobs still went on as per normal. So that was an interesting observation because you won’t see that in Singapore.
Went for my first art club 絵画会 or art ‘circle’サークル as they call it here.
What could I have done better?
Same as last week, where I need to better plan my time and energy and be realistic in what I can achieve, and set priorities on non-negotiables like sleep, meals and fun. I was being very optimistic with my course selection but I basically bit more than I can chew, and it’s too late to drop the classes.
Additionally, I could have been more friendly with the members of the art club. I didn’t have to feel shy just because my Japanese is poor. I was thinking they also are probably shy because their English is like my Japanese but everyone would want to be friends.
My friend spontaneously booked a 5-day trip to Okinawa during lunch. I agreed to follow.
What am I grateful for this week?
Same as last week, but my network of friends really did talk to me more in Japanese, along with providing me tuition on their weekends to ensure I got the basics down. I still have a long way to go… Even my share house mates helped with my work and I am grateful for that.