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Okay, so here I am in the 国際交流会館(International Students Dormitory) on a very rainy day, some say the beginning of a very rainy season. Today was another unusually usual day, another Japanese Grammer/Vocabulary Quiz with many silly little mistakes that I shouldn’t have made. In the afternoon, one of the teachers from the International Center (the building in which I spend 8 hours a day, studying the Japanese language), took us to the city of Tachikawa(one train station away from Kunitachi). We went to the Bousaikan (roughly translates into “DISASTER PREVENTION CENTER”). We were taught about what to do in case of fires and earthquakes; and the scenario for both was simulated, and we had to physically go through training for two hours. Very interesting.

But, I think the highlight of the day was watching a DVD of “The Motorcycle Diaries”, which reveals the adventures a 23-year old Che Guevara and his friend have during a year-long trip around the South American continent. I don’t know why, but during the movie, I had an eeire feeling that I had many things in common with the famous revolutionary; not that I mean to infringe on his name like those who walk around wearing tshirts with his picture, without knowing what he stood for. At any rate, as I was saying, the movie is about a 23-year old college student (like me), who decided to thousands of kilometers away from the comfort of living with his family (like me), to explore the South American continent and its rich landscapes, with a good friend of his. The many hardships they face and people they meet along their journey leave such a deep impact on them, that it changed them both forever (and I think my adventures in the USA before and Japan now, have had the same effect on me). Che, even though a student of medicine, went on to become a very influential thinker and icon just because of his passion for following his ideals. I don’t know if I would ever become an influential person, but I do know that the adventures I have been having for the last few years have definately changed me.

Now that I think of it; I realize that i have been very lucky for the opportunities I have been given, maybe a little daring compared to many who prefer to stay in Bahrain, even if the same opportunities open themselves up to them. Either way, I am here in Tokyo right now, trying to find a new path in life to take. So far, it has been going well. I guess the biggest obstacle I am trying to overcome is the language barrier; but I must stop thinking of learning the language as an end, instead of a means to get to an end. Languge, afterall, is a way to communicate, and not some abstract formula we learn in calculus class but never really use in life.

For now, I will keep trying my best to enjoy life and study hard and see where it I end up. I don’t know whether what I do in the future leaves an impact on anyone else, but, either way, I will be happy that have had these experiences to learn to appreciate what life serves me.