Driving School in Japan

So since last Wednesday, I started ATTENDING my driver's license SCHOOL. Yes, in Japan, driving schools usually offer such intensive training where students get lessons daily. This means there is absolutely no day off, so I went to school yesterday as well as today, and back to school again tomorrow on Monday. But I do not feel too bad compared to many others that came all the way from other cities to receive the training here at the base of Mt. Fuji. These students stay in the school dorm sharing a single room, eating the same cafeteria meals and using the same bathing room with others during their program UNTIL they get the driver's license. Some are enrolled in a speedy program that can be challenging, but allows them to get a license as early as in 2 weeks. As for me, my dad enrolled me in the regular program (since he did not know about other options), so I have a feeling it will take more than necessary. :( For example, some students who started the school on the same day are already about 5 driving lessons or so ahead of me. School puts students in different classes and prioritize students who live in the dorm, so local kid like me do not get much physical lessons even one desires.

Basically, the program consists of 2 stages: (1) learn about general driving rules and skills by attending 10 lectures and ?? physical lessons, with an objective to get the temporary driving permit (must pass the stage 1 written and physical exams). (2) practice driving on the official road by attending 15 lectures and ?? physical lessons, with an objective to get the official license (must pass the stage 2 written and physical exams).

At this moment, I have already taken the 10 lectures and passed pre-written test quiz twice (required in the order to take the official first stage test), so all I need is the required driving lessons to take the official first stage exams, but since the school does not allow me to take much lessons (not priority), it will take forever to get my license :(

But my dad knows one of the teachers at the school, so hopefully I will be able to change my program to the speedy one....

Speaking of how I am enjoying the school though, well, it is quite amusing to take lectures with kids who are almost 10 years younger than myself (highschool graduates). It's quite interesting to observe these young gang-stars who try to be different, but follow the same fashion trend that can be studied by reading a magazine. If you take a glance on a girl, she may appear to be distinctly different, but if you expand your eye sight, you notice other girls who appear to be exactly the same loitering around her.

You may be curious to know what sort of style these girls are into, right? Well, the girls tan their skin quite dark (due to a poor tanning salon technology, their skin look orange though), wear fake eye rushes and color contact lenses, put white eye liner on the lower part of the eyes, wear a loose sweat suit (either black or grey) and hang their stuffed animal key-chain that is attached to their mobile from their pocket. I thought some look like tanuki (raccoon dog?) or Gremlins, but I also wonder if this is a sign of my aging self, not understanding their popular style... LOL

Anyyyway, I gotta prepare myself for the lecture that I need to give in less than 2 weeks (ewww), so I must get going. Ciao. :)

Believing in the faith of Good Karma

Today was my first day at a driver's license school. That's right. After attempted to get a license in N. America and never finding the time and opportunity to do so, I am here on this side of the planet spending 3G just to get a driver's license. Well, the thing is it is now much time consuming and inconvenient to get it in Canada (may take up to 2 years?!!!) that my dad concluded that it was time for poor Kumi to get a license, no matter how much expensive it may cost. Afterall, time was my enermy, and this decision was indeed necessary for me to make!! ;)

Anyhow, my dad drove me to school this morning to say hi to his sensei, whom
he had received lessons over 3 decades ago. My dad had told me how he knew this sensei even before he married to my mom.

My Dad: "Sensei, long time no see. This is my daughter that I was talking about. It will be indeed greatful if she can also receiveyour great teaching."

Sensei:"Ohh, nice to see you, how's it going? Oh, so this is your daughter, huh? Erm, didn't you have a son?"

MyDad: "... We had a misfortune over 2 decades ago. Looking at me, He was born just after this girl, so erm. Her age...he must be 25 or so, if he was still alive."

Sensei: "Oh, sorry to have asked you such private question. It must have
been so very difficult for you."

My Dad: "...yes, we went through a lot. We did not feel alive after his death. But, .... because of that, we have what we have now."

His eyes were brimming with tears. In that tears, I saw all the sufferings and struggles that he went through as well as his strong commitmentto live fulfillingly for his beloved son and remaining family.

In that moment, I gained thoughsands of important messages that we must not forget as we live our lives.

There are so much unfortunate events happening in our world. There are so much sufferings and people with broken hearts. There are so much sadness that I do not even know if there is an universal solution to our human sufferings.

I have been on and off thinking about ways to help those in needs. I think of how I maybe able to change the way Japanese society is currupting with a lack of emotional leeway to consider and care for others (thanks, tatsu ;). I think of youth who are victims of domestic violence and related crimes. I think of people in South East Asia who are the survivors of Tsunami and recent earth quake. I also think about people in Niigata and Fukuoka, who have no home to return to, having thie insurance refusing to cover all the damage that the earth quake has done totheir home.

More and more I think of these people who are in needs, I often feel a lack of power within me, only because I get lost not knowing how Icould possibly help all these people right away.

Everything that happens in our life seems to be an effect of its cause. So unless
we know the origin of these people's sufferings, we may never be able to cure their problems. But I believe in the power of small actions that we can take that can accumulate into something that may change the flow of the biorhythm that we have in our lives (a cycle of happiness and sadness all intertwined like a strand of DNA molecules).

So just like how my dad thought about his beloved son and tried his best to live much fulfilling and strong life during his most challenging stage of his life, I felt that if I thought about all these people who are the victims of misfortunes in this world, and lived my life to its fullest, my will (to live fulfilling life as much as I can in the given circumstance, not only for myself, but for all the people in this world who maybe having the most difficult time right now) and my action may not only fulfill my soul, but turn into a causethat can change our lives a better place to live.

I am a girl with 1 tooth less than yesterday

This morning, my dentist took my right brain side of an upper wisdom tooth. She gave me 3 shots of anesthesia at the root of my wisdom tooth, and 5 or so minutes later, this male dentist came and proceeded to take my tooth. I did not think it would take such LITTLE TIME to pull out my tooth though. While giving me an informed consent, my dentist told me how it could be difficult to pull it out (as it grew out towards the side), so I expected the whole procedure to take at least 30 minutes, but instead it took only 15 minutes in total. Then my dentist gave me 3 pain killer pills and I came home. During the day, I felt tired most likely from a lack of sleep, so I thought about taking a nap, but I worked on uploading the photos from Kamakura instead. The pain from my upper side of my mouth was torerable, so I did not take any medicine, but at around 8pm, it started feeling funny. I hope the scar will heal quickly so that I can start attending my driver's license class okay on Wednesday.