miscellaneous rambling

it's late, and I'm very tired. The new school semester has just started, and there is alot to do. I wrote these notes down last week during the beginning of the Chinese new year. Well, it's still considered the new year right now. Celebrations will continue for another week or so.

I'm out of energy right now, so I'll just put these notes up now, and continue another day:
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Today is the first day of the lunar new year, the year of the rat. A cold front has hit Taiwan, and its about 15 degrees down here in the South, and about 8 degrees in Taipei. Cold for this part of the world.

We went out for a coffee and to two different temples that we usually go to on this day. The number of people at the temples have dwindles a lot, and the one temple that usually gives out token red envelopes did not do so this year.

Yesterday night the family finished the year end dinner early and the streets were much quieter than usual. We always stay up to midnight and light a large box of firecrackers in front of the school. ( We can’t light any in our condo this year )

The amount of people lighting the large firecrackers has gone down as well. There are still kids on the streets lighting firecrackers though, but the general feel was very quiet this year.

I didn’t want to leave Japan. Thinking that I still have several days of holiday left, I’d have liked to stay abroad. However, the last night there, I was ready to head back. It’s still good to keep some traditions alive, and being with family during Chinese New year is of course one of them.

So last night and this morning the quietness around made me feel a bit sad. The business place was the department store. People had lined up early in the morning and were waiting to get “fortune bags”, which are mystery bags of goods. You pay $1000NTD, but what you get in the bag could be of a much greater value than what you paid. Sad. Waiting in line for something like that. Dollar for dollar you win I suppose, but a sad way to start the new year. Also, what you get isn’t exactly going to be what you “want” or “need”.

I’m feeling very tired today. The effects of travel catching up. I used a lot of my Japanese skills. Pushed it to the limit and then some, so my brain is fried. Also, we didn’t get a chance to relax for a few days, but kept going to see different places. I could have just chilled out in Kumomoto for a few days. Sat in a tea house, and admired the castle through the window. Go for some sushi in the evening. Read another book.

The key to travel like this is, in my opinion, the ability to be in the moment while you are there, and to enjoy things for what it is. Even being stranded in the snow was quite “exciting” looking back at it now, and also a good learning experience.