Monday, March 27, 2006

Dyan-dya-ran-dyan-dyan!

Hey, guys! wink

So, this is my new blog. It is still a personal blog as it has something to do with my personal life. However, it is quite different from my earlier blogs on two counts. First, I intend to post stories here related to my life as a gaijin (foreigner) here in Japan, particularly Tokyo. You see, I have never stayed nor lived in a place other than in my home country. I have been to other countries, but those are only for short visits. In Japan, however, I have been here since 2004 and will stay for a couple of years more. Life here is very much different from where I come from, and adjustment is so great in order to adapt to the local setting. Besides, staying here temporarily (or even living permanently) is very much different from plainly visiting the place. Since this is a relatively new place for me, it poses some difficulties to adjust alongside with some discoveries, adventures and new interests. In fact, the first few days, weeks, months have been the most difficult stage because of culture shock. I became a no-read-no-write person in an instant. But as days, weeks, months have passed, I have slowly tried (and still trying) to learn the language, and so with many other things that I have to know and learn.

Hey, I am not saying that life here is all difficulties and hardships. In fact, there are many good things around here. This leads me to my second goal of having this blog. Many things have been said about this country, but I guess, there is no greater and deeper way of presenting the goodness, richness and abounding possibilities of this small-in-area-but-big-in-heart land in East Asia than to do it with a personal touch. And I mean, telling you the innate classic-but-modern beauty of Japan as I see it with my own eyes.

I don't promise to give you new posts each day, though. As a full time mom and wife, my hands are full in taking care of my active toddler as well as doing house chores, all by myself. Blogging is a time to myself, and I want to devote a little time to it whenever and however I can squeeze it into my busy schedule. Blogging is also my way of communicating not only to my friends, but to the whole world in general. So, whenever you have something to say about me or my posts, please feel free to let me know. I value your comments so much.

Okay, till then. Ja mata ne.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

hey gina, congrats! exciting naman! i'll be reading this ... i find the japanese so intriguing.

btw, what does ja mata ne mean?

Anonymous said...

hi sis gina.. oo nga wat does ja mata ne mean.. i like to read your interesting life.. it's very colorful and exciting... we are all fine.. ingat dyan. lea

Ning said...

hi aloi and lea, ja mata ne means something like "till then" or "till next time" or other expressions to that effect. Mata means "see", so it can be roughly translated as "see you". Others use only "ja mata" or "ja ne" or "mata ne".

Eei, does this mean I'm improving? ;)