12.48 am, 29th
April 2018, Kyoto
Back to the “Student
Life” and Survival on Junk food.
Two rejections from Germany, that
too after an interview, plus numerous other rejections for Phd position
applications, the never ending cycle of wait, agony, and the ecstasy of finally
getting the MEXT Scholarship in Kyoto. The past years have been full of
struggles, disappointments, despair, rediscovery and pleasure. Perfect recipe
for a typical Indian dish with all the spices served right, only this time, the
spices burned my throat!!
Well, I wasn’t really keen when I
got admission in Kyoto University, to be honest, because my European dream was
rejected. But now that I am here, I couldn’t help but love Kyoto and Japan, for
their culture, their politeness, hospitality, and serenity. Kyoto, once the
capital of Japan is full of shrines, temples and historic sites, what else can
a History lover expect?
It’s an era of new life
experiences and things which I have never seen before. Kerala, Delhi, Ghaziabad,
Roorkee, Auroville, Pondicherry, Germany, Manipal, Bhopal and finally Kyoto. So
many places, so many travels, and numerous experiences, both good and bad. But I
guess, this is what makes us independent. For a person who loves to read,
experiencing a new place is no less than reading a new book.
As I make my way through the
lanes of Kyoto, riding a bicycle after 13 years with these smoke-filled lungs, I
feel a sense of joy, even though life is hectic with language classes thrice a
week, plus one course and seminar, I like it, though I am overwhelmed at times.
Learning a new language is no easy task at the age of 30! But yes, I like
learning, and then spreading the knowledge around, because that’s what I have
done for the past 4 years. As they say, life is what happens to you when you
are busy making other plans.
The good part of living in so
many places is that it has given me a sense of independence. Even though the
people here hardly speak any English, there was no communication barrier
because then I use “sign” language. That is, explaining what I want through gestures,
and hats off to the patience which Japanese people seem to have. Also, I don’t know
why people crib about being lonely. It’s one of the things to cherish. Do
whatever you want without any obligations.
Today I visited a place known as
Kinkaku-ji, which is a Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto. I remember the days when I
used to be hesitant in going to some place alone, but now somehow it seems
easy.
“I live in that solitude which is
painful in youth, but delicious in the years of maturity”
-Albert Einstein
Solitude makes you strong, yes,
it does. And it gives you a new perspective on life, and I still have no idea
why people get this idea that if I go to new places alone, I might be really
depressed, and all I get is their pitiful comments. Nothing gives me greater
pleasure than doing what I want, without the obligation of doing what others
do, which happens when you travel in a group. Sure, group traveling is fun, but
also, depends on the place where you go.
Maybe, studying Architecture and
Urban Planning has made me crazy, to a certain extent. But I shall wear this
weirdness like a symbol of honor, like I always have.
Well, It’s almost the end of my
first month in Kyoto, and life has changed, just a couple of months back, I was
teaching students in a college, and now I am one of the students, struggling to
reach my classes on time, coping up with learning a new language, and
struggling to stay awake during 3 plus hours of seminar, now I know why
students were so sleepy all the time during the lectures. Absolutely no one has
an attention span of more than 45 minutes!! Let alone having listening to 4
presentations in one go.
So, one month down and more than
3 years to go…! Maybe one fine day I will chose to end my procrastination and
begin work on research… but till then, its Netflix and chill time.
Good night.
