言葉の由来と句

なるほどです。

「ことば」というものは

　響きです。

ひびくことができるためにある音を出す由来は確かに、ある。

言葉としての由来は
人の
志


とにかく。


最近の興味は
俳句だ。

俳句を作る方は本当にすごい。
「俳句を作る」というより、「俳句で空気を差す」という感じがする。

翻訳や「通訳」は得に深いEndeavorです。

私は日本人ではないが、
なんとなく伝統の心をもつようになった。
だから、句は好きだ。

あるひ、自分の句を書きたい。
翻訳はある上達するための道である。

asagao ni
tsurube torarete
morai mizu

by morning glories
taken is the well bucket
got water from my neighbor instead

/utagawa kuniyoshi

上のものは私の翻訳であるが、
さっきネットで見たすばらしい翻訳があった：

Morning glory!
The well bucket -- entangled
I ask for water

(Donegan and Ishibashi)

句の訳で新しいものができてくる。とても面白い過程だ。
これからいくと、楽しみにしてる。

Moons just flying by!

Things are great in Tokyo. Cold air.

I went to Odaiba and visited the Sega-owned indoor themepark Joypolis. That was a great time. That evening we went to the Odaiba　温泉 (onsen). Although the Odaiba hot spring is man-made, it was very nice. I'm told that most of Odaiba was actually created on a landfill, quite an interesting fact for such a beautiful port town.

The next day was, in fact, Thanksgiving. "Where shall we eat?"

We planned to eat at Denny's (they do exist in Japan) but couldn't find one nearby. We ate at Sky-Lark instead (a breakfast buffet).

That day I took this picture:

Lost in reverie

I have not posted in a while, things are swell!

Waseda turns 125 today!

Today is the 125th Anniversary of Waseda University. Congratulations Waseda!



I took some photos of a train whizzing by at the Seijou station, forgetting that today would be a day where people would outnumber the bricks of the buildings around me 3 to 1.





I paused around Okuma Hall at about noon when I had arrived to Waseda. There was quite a commotion and people were giving, what appeared to be, grand speeches about success and the like. At 12:15 they released two flocks of balloon pigeons about the Hall, it was quite an astonishing site.



I got a free lunch, twice, on my way to practice. Lunch Boxes (Obentou) are delicious even if the English translation makes me feel like I am in elementary school again.



I mire at the notion that taking pictures of crowds of people gathered in proximity allows you to see the strange looks you get, forever captured onto digital memory.

There was a man dressed with a very realistic mask of Okuma, the founding father of Waseda University.

Oh yeah, and people put make-up on me for the performance, it didn't really show up that well but up close I fell like I was David Bowie and from far away I felt like I was in possession of very long eye lashes.

The festivities after many performances today included a parade and a bunch of famous Waseda grads giving televised wishes on a large screen, one even making a real-life appearance.

The amount of people was absolutely astonishing.



My host brother had told me this morning that we were having a meal at 8:00 tonight, I was not sure of the significance of the statement. However, I decided to return home before 8:00 but ended up being delayed and returned at 8:30-ish. I found myself in the presence of a guest from Korea, a man that had stayed with my host-family some time before. It was also a special evening because we celebrated not one, but two birthdays. My host brother and our Korean guest have birthdays on 11/3 and 11/4, we celebrated them both this evening. The food was delicious. The conversation humorous. The evening deligthful.



The cake was divine.

Waseda's 125th tomorrow!

[Memory]

One more day until Waseda's 125th Anniversary!



Today I was on campus for some Enbushi practice and heard a commotion near Okuma Hall. Alas, boxing matches were taking place between the legendary rivalry of Waseda and Keio university. I was half-expecting, although still surprised, to see cheer-leaders at the boxing matches.



Maybe it's just American culture that is backwards: why can't we have cheerleaders at every sporting event?

On my way toward the practice location I saw children practicing baseball, it reminded me of a documentary I watched at Middlebury called Koukou Yakyuu (high-school baseball). I have come to admire the treatment of sporting events in Japan, they are very systematic about practice and improvement, it could be the same in America (I have not played too many sports) but the fact that there is such a high concentration of sports at Waseda is quite inspiring. I didn't even know what rugby was before coming here.



Enbushi is once again as fun as always. Tomorrow we perform in front of an audience of pedestrians and camera crews (due to the Anniversary celebration). I can't wait!