Wednesday, Sept.5, 2007 I stare outside; lightning flashes and thunder booms across red evening skies. Sweat beads on my temples. It’s been abnormally hot lately. I think it’s going to rain soon. It’s been a long day - and one of extremes, at that. I had a three-hour make-up class earlier this morning, and the audio-visual room was freezing cold. Our professor ordered pizza for us, but our hands were shaking even as we helped ourselves to large slices of New York’s Finest and Shrimp and Garlic. The class ended at around noontime, a blast of warm air greeting our cold bodies as we filed out of the room. It was another sunny and sweltering day. At around 2 pm, I made my way to Balay Kalinaw for our interaction with visiting Japanese students from Chuo University. It was my first time to ride the Ikot in a very long time, as I had to take the jeep from the dorm simply because it was just too hot to walk my way there. All 17 of the Japanese students plus they’re professor are here to do research on different areas and fields of interest as part of their course work in their Development Economics class. They were in full business attire – formal skirts, and coat-and-ties. On the other hand, my classmates and I were under-dressed and shivering. Meanwhile, the air-conditioning was on full blast. But in the end, it was all worth it. The Japanese students were quite nice and friendly. When they changed into casual clothes after their project presentations, we soon found out that they too were ‘kids’ just like us. A bit too wacky, but there was no mistaking the youthful zest and love of life that characterize our generation. It was a treat to hear them sing, even though we couldn’t understand a word of what they were singing. Perhaps it is true that music is the universal language. We also extremely enjoyed their lively dance number, complete with their blue and red festival robes (which they later gave away). My seatmates and I met Koichi-san and Naoto-san, and we chatted over vegetable pasta, whole-grain sandwiches, and cups of green tea-flavored gelatin. Yes, the food was great; the conversations and the photo-ops, even better. We even met and talked with their professor, Prof. Hayashi who respectfully lamented: “In the 1960’s the Philippines was number one in Asia… but now, what has happened?” There was no hint of mockery or derision in the question he posed, but rather surprisingly, a sincere concern over the state of the Philippines and even a sense of disbelief at what has happened to us. It was almost 7 pm when we all had to say our goodbyes, and we all left with reluctant hearts. It’s true that interactions like these with foreign students really do help us to appreciate each other’s culture. My appreciation for the Japanese and their culture has now gone beyond the anime series that I watch or the manga that I read and download over the internet. Come to think of it, in a weird way, I do seem to like their sense of fashion. And their dance number was very entertaining, even if it seemed a bit comical and anime-ish. I rushed back to the dorm for our Wing Assembly and Bonding Activity with the East Wing 2 girls. The EW2 Volleyball Girls’ Team later had a game and we were full support in cheering them on. They won, of course. Maybe, partly because of the cheering or maybe because we bribed them with spaghetti. There was food for everyone, and the meeting proceeded smoothly, more or less. The games were a hit, and I believe that all those who participated really did enjoy themselves. And as usual, there were the endless and relentless picture taking sessions. At the end of the day, I was exhausted. But it was fun – I had loads of fun the whole day. I hope the Japanese students drop by the university before they leave for home. I’d love to meet up with them again. And I’m so thankful to all those who helped, participated and came to our Wing Assembly and Bonding Activity. I still think it was a resounding success even though not everyone came. And I’m sure my wingmates had fun, too. It’s past 12 am now and I’m still typing away here on my desk. The rain starts to pour in thick sheets that drown out the sounds of the night. Cold, moist air caresses my face. Is it going to be cold tomorrow, or will we have another hot day up ahead? Anyway, I’m calling it a night. It’s time for me to sleep. Labels: rantings |
