the wonderhoney

Now munching on sugar cookies, sugar cookies are for energy =)

Has it been three years already?

Few weeks ago my friend came over to KL all the way down from Japan. Her name is Chihiro. We went to same high school together in Singapore and then became friends. We were very active in the same Geography and World Issues classes. Few years back I used to think I wish that we could go back to the days when we were in Singapore. But, that’s impossible. Even as the world has become a flatter smaller place it’s become a larger place where it’s too easy to move far far distance at different points throughout life. In the process, we lose touch with friends and make new ones. And we are so much different now.

Her stays in Malaysia was three nights four days, I took her everywhere in Malaysia’s largest city KL, and got to take in many beautiful sights, from mosques, temples to pasar malam to the famous Twin Towers, shopping centers, museums, galleries and more. As is natural, there were cultural differences between my Japanese and Malaysian friends. But anyways yeah I just hope she did enjoy her trip in KL.

Have you ever felt that you were itty-bitty aka gong gong step from losing your mind totally? Not really your mind… but it’s one step away from crying uncontrollably, one step away from feeling hopeless or one step away from getting really angry. I was almost those gong gong. I’m trying to stay positive… =)

YES, culture shock. Hmm… CULTURE shock. CULTURE SHOCK!!!

Are like a culture shock slap to my face. Suddenly with eyes wide open and mouth agape, I realized all I have to do is documented somewhere!!

I think it is bit stupid to say that I myself, Japanese have been experiencing some culture shock by Japanese. Growing up in few places, I’d mostly thought of culture shock as rural vs. uptown – that sort of thing. But NOT, this past week I really felt it as I felt like my brain had reach the point of all it could hold and remember… People! People! Japanese! Japanese, Japanese modern culture, well details of how things going on in Japan, at the school, office or whatever places and finding something new, how to make new friends etc. It was a bit overwhelming to think of all I could write.

When my friend was here, I was mostly anxious about being anxious. I was finding it so hard to adjust. I felt thrown by the way nearly everything in my life was opposite or just very different than it had been. I couldn’t figure out how to communicate with her! All I could do was kept smiling because I felt so weird about feeling so different and I felt feeling so weird!!! Three years can make this much differences?!!

Some things just have to be experienced. During those initial days, I could have told myself, “I heard it would be like this. This is normal.” I might have been better able to focus on the adjusting. Rather I was trying to figure out what was wrong with me that I would feel so gong gong. I guess this may simply be a function of age and not part of the culture rubbing off on me.

I feel older. After my parents went back to Japan and living abroad and being forced to be completely on my own something that I definitely have come to embrace, makes me evaluate situations differently, act and decide differently than I used to, and just view things differently. But I’m Japanese and I think I’m normal, I’m not the person likes to be the center of attention or being different just I don’t like to stick with domestic stuff here in Malaysia, I think of living situation, I definitely looking for my own “space” locally.

Since many people said I’m kind a lousy Japanese, I needed to be back to save my sanity, but now, I can view things more clearly.

Can you handle the truth??
Culture Shock, full of Surprises, Sadness or Anger. Finally gong gong starting to make sense to me.

photo of the day: our last step on the top of batu caves =)