japan
The first thing most people want to know is why I would choose to travel to the other side of the world for my first time abroad, instead of somewhere slightly more familiar. It's true that the most exotic place I have ever been is Toronto, (So very foreign, with those Tim Horton's on every corner). But ever since I was a kid, I've loved learning about other cultures and countries. I could often be found searching the bookshelves at the library for books about ancient history, myths, and art. While I fell in love with all of the cultures, from Native American to Greece, the Norse, and the Egyptians...above all I loved Japan. From the first image of a crazy yokai*, to the scenes of samurai warriors, I was hooked.
*Yokai are the multitude of demons that populate Japanese folklore. There are hundreds of different yokai, from the demon shaped like a sandal, Bake Zouri to the tragically beautiful Rokuro Kubi. They are easily my favorite part of Japan's rich and bizarre folklore.
From there it was just a simple progression to a love of everything Japanese. I have always loved cinema, and I quickly started watching everything I could get my hands on that was from the land of the rising sun. From Akira Kurosawa to Kiyoshi Kurosawa, from Takashi Miike to Shinya Tsukamoto, I have seen them all. The anime of Hayao Miazaki and the manga of Junji Ito...the list goes on. Needless to say, I have grown from a nerdy bookworm into a woman who has the deepest respect for the country and people of Japan.
But beyond that, I feel that it is of the utmost importance in today's world, to really make an effort to travel outside of our country, and experience the globe. In a world full of the greatest advances in technology that is more and more bringing the world closer together then ever before, it is up to my generation and the ones after it to change the world for the better and open our minds to other cultures and ways of life. It is a global society we are living in, with the horrors of war on our televisions, radio, and computers every day, it is truly up to us to make the effort to change. I want to understand why Americans are so disliked, even hated, in most countries...and do whatever I can to change that. In Japan, I will truly be a representative of my country, my state, and my city, and it is an opportunity for change and growth that will stay with me forever.
Alright, enough with the drama. Welcome to my blog and my journey...I'll be updating almost daily so keep checking back! I am so excited!!!
Leah
