I'm now in the airport waiting to board my flight to Los Angeles. Its going to be a long long flight.... About 22hrs!!!
I'll be travelling from singapore to Tokyo then to LA. And in LA i'll have to run for my flight on board Alaska Airlines.... (oooo 1st time for me!! =D) Then head to Seattle! It not the furthest country from S'pore I've travelled... but the duration of the journey is definitely the longest for me. =P
Not sure what will await me there... hahaha... but definitely for the 1st wk... will be super intellectual.... will be attending talks and more talks from morn to evening... and really really hope that I can meet the 2 objectives of attending the conference. I'll write more when I'm there... after the 1st wk... i'll get to relax a little... hahaha... will share more of the happenings in the next 2 wks soon!
stay tune till then! =D
Friday, September 30, 2011
Friday, September 23, 2011
Youth training in Tokyo
Sorry took me some time to get this up. I was really busy ever since i came back on 14th Sept.
This is my 5th time to Japan. However, unlike the past 4 trips, this 5th trip is the most unique and most enriching trip. Coz for this trip, i'm not going to Japan for leisure, rather, I was there to attend the annual Soka Gakkai International Youth Training Course. I was really very fortunate to be given this opportunity to attend this course. (there were 8 of us from Singapore attending this training course) During these 7 days, we went to a number of places (Soka University, Yokohama, Kamakura). I must stress again not for leisure, but to attend meetings and interact with the Japanese members and leaders and learn from them. We also got to learn some history and revived our Mentor and Disciple spirit.
And I must say, through the 7 days in Tokyo, I really really learnt a lot from the Japanese members, leaders and also the overseas leaders. At this training course, I met youth from all over the world. In fact, there were 250 Youth leaders from 55 countries attending the Soka Gakkai Youth Training course. It was not possible to interact with all 250 participants, however, I did and had the opportunity to converse and interact with quite a number of youth from various countries.
Some of you may be wondering what is Soka Gakkai International (SGI) about. The Soka Gakkai International is lay Buddhist Organisation. SGI members integrate Buddhist practice into our lives, following the Lotus Sutra base on the teachings of Nichiren Daishonin.
On the 2nd last day, after the dinner, me and the Singapore youth team, went to Tokyo Metropolitan Building. hahaha.... one of my friend, remembered me telling him that my Japanese friends had tried to bring me up the building in of my previous trips. However, we were not able to go up the building the past 2 times as the building was closed then. And my friend asked our guide, which was the building and it happened to be the building that was just a short distance of walk from our hotel! hahaha... u must be wondering what is so special about the building. Wellll..... if you're short on cash or you do not want to take the train to get up the Tokyo Tower in Roppongi, then Tokyo Metropolitan Building is the place! You can get up to the top of the building and view the Tokyo Skyline for free! The sight before us was really pretty. The whole of tokyo was lighted and you just see building everywhere.... pretty clustered.
That night, my friend, Mitsue Kajioka came to the hotel to meet me! I was really very happy to see her and talk to her. In fact just 2 days before that night, I saw her on the stage in the Headquarter Leaders meeting helping out with the presenting of awards on the stage. I could not walk up to her and talk to her then after the meeting. We had a short catch up. I told her that I'll try to visit Japan perhaps next year before I head off for my studies. =D
The last day in Tokyo, we had the whole day free. Coz our flight was in the night. So we decided to do some shopping rather than sitting in the hotel. So my friends and I headed to Harajuku. Hahaha.... this is the place in Tokyo if you want to see some form of cosplay. However, the cosplayers will only emerge on the streets in late evening or at night. we were there in the late morning to afternoon. Hence, we did not see any cosplayers. But we did manage to buy quite a number stuffs. We also visited Kiddy Land. I believe some of you maybe surprised that I will visit such a place... hahaha.. too kiddish for me... well. I went there because my friends wanted to get stuffs for their kids or nieces, nephews or wives. For me? I just walked around and see 'cutesy' things.
Soon it was time for us to leave for our hotel. And our hands were laden with shopping goods. majority were for friends or family. And we were wondering how on earth were we going to pack the stuffs into our baggage.... yikes! Well.... this will have to see whose packing skills are of tip top standard. hahaha.....But luckily, I was able to 'squeezed' everything into my luggage.
We were really very lucky to be able to take SQ's A380 for the trip back to singapore. I mean for some of us, it was our maiden voyage on A380! So naturally for us it was something exciting... and we chose to sit on the upper deck. Being in the plane... hahaha... there was not much difference. In fact pretty similar to a Boeing 747. Only that for the window seats, there is a compartment for window seat passengers to put the bags rather than in the overhead compartment.
Well, the 7 days really passed by very quickly... and soon i was back in Singapore.... fighting the 'battles' in our respective areas. However, all that I've learnt in this trip, I've engraved them in my heart and will share and share the spirit and all that I've learnt with my juniors and friends. I've also reafirm my determination in some aspects and I'm very determined to see all my resolution to fruition.
I'll be posting somemore on my next trip soon. The next place I'll be heading to is Seattle, US. I'll be flying there next fri. Will be away for 16 days. I'll be attending a conference (that the huge one in my area of specialisation, uTAS) and extending for several more days to visit Montana's Glacier National Park and Wyoming's Yellowstone National Park. Stay tune then! =D
This is my 5th time to Japan. However, unlike the past 4 trips, this 5th trip is the most unique and most enriching trip. Coz for this trip, i'm not going to Japan for leisure, rather, I was there to attend the annual Soka Gakkai International Youth Training Course. I was really very fortunate to be given this opportunity to attend this course. (there were 8 of us from Singapore attending this training course) During these 7 days, we went to a number of places (Soka University, Yokohama, Kamakura). I must stress again not for leisure, but to attend meetings and interact with the Japanese members and leaders and learn from them. We also got to learn some history and revived our Mentor and Disciple spirit.
Seeing sunrise from the plane
A volcanic crater in the middle of the sea
1st meal in Tokyo: Lunch - Curry rice & udon with seaweed
me & the Youth leaders from Ghana
me & Suet Har with the Youth Leaders from Malaysia
Some of you may be wondering what is Soka Gakkai International (SGI) about. The Soka Gakkai International is lay Buddhist Organisation. SGI members integrate Buddhist practice into our lives, following the Lotus Sutra base on the teachings of Nichiren Daishonin.
Min-On concert Hall (one of the buildings that President Ikeda founded in Shinanomachi area)
Posing in front of the Young Women's Division (YWD) Center
Inside the YWD center
Anyway, I don't think I will divulge much about the contents of the Training course. In this entry, I'll probably write more about some of the things I saw after the training course... hahaha... but not many.On the 2nd last day, after the dinner, me and the Singapore youth team, went to Tokyo Metropolitan Building. hahaha.... one of my friend, remembered me telling him that my Japanese friends had tried to bring me up the building in of my previous trips. However, we were not able to go up the building the past 2 times as the building was closed then. And my friend asked our guide, which was the building and it happened to be the building that was just a short distance of walk from our hotel! hahaha... u must be wondering what is so special about the building. Wellll..... if you're short on cash or you do not want to take the train to get up the Tokyo Tower in Roppongi, then Tokyo Metropolitan Building is the place! You can get up to the top of the building and view the Tokyo Skyline for free! The sight before us was really pretty. The whole of tokyo was lighted and you just see building everywhere.... pretty clustered.
Shinjuku, Tokyo in afternoon (taken from my Hotel room)
Sun setting (taken from my hotel room)
Tokyo at night (taken form the Tokyo Metropolitan Building)
Another part of the clustered Tokyo
Mitsue & me
The last day in Tokyo, we had the whole day free. Coz our flight was in the night. So we decided to do some shopping rather than sitting in the hotel. So my friends and I headed to Harajuku. Hahaha.... this is the place in Tokyo if you want to see some form of cosplay. However, the cosplayers will only emerge on the streets in late evening or at night. we were there in the late morning to afternoon. Hence, we did not see any cosplayers. But we did manage to buy quite a number stuffs. We also visited Kiddy Land. I believe some of you maybe surprised that I will visit such a place... hahaha.. too kiddish for me... well. I went there because my friends wanted to get stuffs for their kids or nieces, nephews or wives. For me? I just walked around and see 'cutesy' things.
Interior of Kiddy Land (the background is super pink)
We were really very lucky to be able to take SQ's A380 for the trip back to singapore. I mean for some of us, it was our maiden voyage on A380! So naturally for us it was something exciting... and we chose to sit on the upper deck. Being in the plane... hahaha... there was not much difference. In fact pretty similar to a Boeing 747. Only that for the window seats, there is a compartment for window seat passengers to put the bags rather than in the overhead compartment.
Well, the 7 days really passed by very quickly... and soon i was back in Singapore.... fighting the 'battles' in our respective areas. However, all that I've learnt in this trip, I've engraved them in my heart and will share and share the spirit and all that I've learnt with my juniors and friends. I've also reafirm my determination in some aspects and I'm very determined to see all my resolution to fruition.
I'll be posting somemore on my next trip soon. The next place I'll be heading to is Seattle, US. I'll be flying there next fri. Will be away for 16 days. I'll be attending a conference (that the huge one in my area of specialisation, uTAS) and extending for several more days to visit Montana's Glacier National Park and Wyoming's Yellowstone National Park. Stay tune then! =D
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Youth training in Japan
I'm currently sitting in my living room, checking my mails and typing this.
Waiting for 9.20pm to come so that i'll be heading to the airport. Just to imagine that in another 3.5hrs time, i'll be in the air on board SQ! its been sometime since i last took SQ. hahaha... but more than that is the training course in Japan that i'll be attending from tomorrow onwards. This training course is one of most important course in the SGI calender. Yup! I'm really really fortunate to be given this opportunity to attend the annual SGI Youth Kenshu.
We've just gotten our itinerary for the entire week and its going to be pretty pack. But like what my seniors say, 'Go there and absorb like a sponge.' When we return from the training course, we 'must be a better person, a better leader. Things must be different!' Yup! that is also my goal in this training course. To really learn everything and return to S'pore to share with the rest. =D
I'll see if there are things or activities that can be posted here. Till then! As my japanese frens will say 'じゃあね'! =D
Waiting for 9.20pm to come so that i'll be heading to the airport. Just to imagine that in another 3.5hrs time, i'll be in the air on board SQ! its been sometime since i last took SQ. hahaha... but more than that is the training course in Japan that i'll be attending from tomorrow onwards. This training course is one of most important course in the SGI calender. Yup! I'm really really fortunate to be given this opportunity to attend the annual SGI Youth Kenshu.
We've just gotten our itinerary for the entire week and its going to be pretty pack. But like what my seniors say, 'Go there and absorb like a sponge.' When we return from the training course, we 'must be a better person, a better leader. Things must be different!' Yup! that is also my goal in this training course. To really learn everything and return to S'pore to share with the rest. =D
I'll see if there are things or activities that can be posted here. Till then! As my japanese frens will say 'じゃあね'! =D
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