Above: Happy (Chinese) New Year Greetings from some unnamed mountain along Flam, Norway
明けましておめでとうございます! Happy new year! Ar… I know I am slightly late but this being my first post of 2011, I just can’t do without having a customary greeting. It is going to be close to 2 weeks since I returned to Singapore after the exchange. I think I am beginning to settle down back into the routine, but it was not a process that was completely smooth. Sometimes it seems that my body is in Singapore, but my soul and spirit is stuck somewhere between Denmark and here. It seems I am suffering somewhat from a condition known as the reverse culture shock. Been reading up on the net some articles on this issue, and a phrase that defines this condition was exactly what had been floating in my mind – the feeling
of being ‘out-of-sync’ with your home social environment. I think I have managed my expectations and accepted the fact that people around me would not be as interested as myself in talking about the exchange experiences. Its not something to be blamed on others (unless you feel that others should be understanding to your needs). But yet at the same time, I don’t want the memories to just disappear, and so this blog has been surviving its immediate purposes of capturing my thoughts from the whole exchange process. I have not completed my first part of my reflections about recounting the people I have met in Copenhagen, and my mind moves faster than my willingness to do a blog post. Usually at the back of my mind are several posts-in-waiting, but I feel a little lethargic to do it because blogging to me is something quite intense. Anyway, I will continue the people part in subsequent posts.
In the closing days of my exchange, to be specific the last week of it, I have really quite ample free time. And how did I spend it? Consuming Japanese popular culture in my cosy little room. Really, I think the Lord has kind of blessed me with a more mature and penetrating outlook even when I’m engaging what could be apparently senseless entertainment.
And so it goes, in a matter of a 24 hours, I watched all 9 episodes of this drama called Q10. One big pulling factor was of course Maeda Atsuko of AKB48 portraying a cyborg who was sent from the future to sort of capture memories and encounters of Heita (portrayed by Sato Takeru from Kamen Rider Den-o). It is not your usual high school romance drama, because you are looking at a love relationship developing between a human and the cyborg. The cyborg, in her ignorance often asked certain pointed questions about humanity (like people should be helping others amongst others) and ironically acts as a moral conscience for the rest of the human characters. I quite liked the drama, there is no fanciful, far-fetched idolised stuff in Q10, and the characters are mostly down to earth, vulnerable with their own set of problems.
It has been a LONG time since I felt ‘weakened’ in awe of the cuteness of an actress/idol. Aachan as she is more known among her fans, put up quite a good display of a robot with her high pitch robotic voice and silly/cute antics. Not that I have became a wota, but I just can’t stand her cuteness.
This was how Q10 expressed her shyness –_-‘’
This is the most memorable thing Q10 did in the series. Coincidentally Q10 (kyuto) is also a katakana way of saying cute.
All these aside, the eventual plot development stirred me into some reflection and even went to the extent of making the vision I have received from the Lord clearer. Even though all these happened in the last few days of my time in Copenhagen, it was definitely one of the highlights for my life.
Over the course of the series, the purpose for Q10’s existence on earth was revealed. She was actually sent from the future by Heita’s future wife all the way in 2080 (or somewhere around this period) when she was about to die but wanted to relieve some youthful memories. Heita’s wife was I think 80 plus years old when she sent Q10. Initially I didn’t think too much about this point but on the second last night when I was just lying on my bed I began to think about myself when I am 80 years old (which is in 57 years time). Wow I can’t even really fathom what kind of me I will be at that age. Will I even live past 80 years? And even if I do so, I highly doubt I can live past 95 years just an example?
I have vaguely thought about such things in the past, but never did I quantify outrightly the length of time I think I will be alive till. It was quite scary to think of that! I was then reminded of a quote one of my fellow Singaporean exchange student made when we were travelling around Europe. She said that death is the equaliser of all men. Isn’t this true? Two men side by side, one is ultra-rich and the other is ultra-poor, but both will meet the same fate – death. It led me to another observation – that we are all walking on this road called life, and at the end of this road waiting for us is, if you want to personify it, a person called death who will take you away from this earth. But to where?
That question aside, it means that for every breath we take, every decision we make, everything we do, we are walking closer to this destination (Final Destination anyone? I hate that series of movies by the way.) The urgency to lead a fulfilling life dawned upon me on that snowy, cold night.
I then began to think about the Japanese and my vision and there was just a great stirring of thoughts in my mind. I was thinking about the actresses and actors in the drama, and all the popular artistes in the entertainment industry. They are people who weld great influence on the society. I also recall from watching Jaeson Ma’s 1040 movie that one Korean professor that he spoke to commented that in terms of giving influence and instruction, parents belonged to the pre-modern culture, teachers to the modern culture, and pop idols/stars to the post-modern culture. I thought about all the talented singers who have produced wonderful songs that have coloured my life in a way of another. And at the end of their lives, the end of the road, they may well meet death and for an eternity not meet the good Lord of all. For a moment I thought I felt the heart of the Lord, as if I felt His heartbeat, burden and pain for the Japanese people. It was excruciating and I felt so heavy in my heart.
And then within my mind there was a linking of all these thoughts and I felt
there was a leading towards the vision that I received from the Lord way back in 2008. I understood what it was, but on that night I began to see the details of that vision was beginning to unfold – the who and the where began to emerge. The Japanese, Japan, these two words were popping up in my mind and my spirit and my heart began to beat, like a sense of excitement of having known something deeper about what you have always wanted to know. I trust in God’s providential timing, and I know that when the Lord knows I am ready, He will reveal more of Him to me, or put me through a higher level of trial. There was no doubt a sense of resolution and relief in my heart for having the tugging for the Japanese people, but there was also some doubt as to whether this was just wishful thinking or if it was really something from the Lord. But like what Mary did when Gabriel spoke to her about Jesus, I kept it in my heart until after I returned when shared with my dear. I hope I didn’t divulge it prematurely!
But if there was any slightest form of confirmation of what I received on that night in Copenhagen was from my good Lord, it had to be the very first service I attended during Christmas. As usual, copies of City Newspaper from the church laid unassumingly on the extreme side seats to be distributed to the congregation. I took one copy and began to turn the pages to see what’s inside. And am I pleasantly surprised!!!!
The headline for the feature article on the second and third pages was as follows: God Loves Japan. God loves Japan!! He allowed me to experience His burden for that wonderful nation just a few nights before, and revealed more details of that vision I received 2 years ago. Now this must be some confirmation! How will everything turn out? I seriously don’t know. Will I be a long-term missionary to Japan? I don’t know. Or will I work in some company which will send me to Japan on a long term basis and from there I begin some outreach? I don’t know. But I want to make my life count, and no matter how far-fetched or ridiculous everything seems to be, it’s my life and His as well. I can’t afford to let this conformity culture of Singapore restrict myself.
What a roller-coaster ride just watching a high school romance drama can bring you when you are open to the leading of the Lord?
Over the past 2 weeks since I have returned, I have been doing some research about Christianity in Japan and even missionary work. Below were two interesting pictures I found out (both from www.tokyomango.com).
This manga from 2008 is called Saint Young Men, and its about how Jesus (on the left, don’t he look cool?) and Buddha would have lived in modernity (and in Japan of course). I would love to read the manga and see how the manga artist brings out interactions between the two of them.
This is a super creative poster to remind the Japanese to take their umbrellas home with them, because there is a tendency to leave them (which are quite cheaply available) lying around everywhere when the rain stops.
Well, that’s all for now I think. More to come up as I chronicle my thoughts on exchange. Have a blessed week everyone and to me of course. Thank you Jesus for everything so far!
