Monday, January 07, 2008
Word of the Year
あけまして、おめでとう！Though I didn’t get a chance to have a taste of home-made お雑煮 on new year’s eve, I was fortunate enough to get a feel of what it is like to stand among thousands of Japanese/tourists in a very orderly fashion for a pseudo-初詣 that at 鶴岡八幡宮.
And certainly, loved and enjoyed the Japanese-style Christmas cake – a 6-inch strawberry short cake covered with whip cream and a plastic Santa on top … 2800-yen well spent!
“You cannot enjoy yesterday because it is just a memory, and you cannot enjoy tomorrow because it is just a possibility …”
One of the most striking lines heard at the church today, and they pretty much summarize the essential state of being that I’ve been in over the past few months – feeling unsettled about various things in the past while being anxious about things yet to come.
“This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” – Psalm 118: 24.
So time to march on and focus on the day that is in front and write as life comes along.
At the end of 2007, the 日本漢字検定協会 announced that “偽” (“gi” for “fakeness” or “deceitfulness”) was selected as “the word of 2007” that best summaries how the general public view Japan over the past year, with Abe’s administration turning into a major disappointment and major scandals breaking out in a variety of industries.
“Generals” … “Generals” … “Generals” – that is all that I can think of when I look back and try to find a word that best summaries what occupied my mind the most in the year 2007.
Now, what would the word be for 2008?
“論文” … “ろんぶん” … “lun wen”?
“Dissertation”?!?
So I too have turned out to be like any other “ABD” Ph.D. candidates out there …
“ALL BUT DISSERTATION”.
(why not “all but a degree”? …)
So, new year resolution #1 – “ABD” / “論文” shall not the word of the year 2008.
‘Cuz life is beautiful, and life is certainly much more fruitful beyond a single piece of writing (that will likely be read by my advisor only before it never gets touched upon).
So, whichever earth corner you are in and whatever you are doing, my friends – happy new year! Rejoice and be glad!
梅ちゃん at 1:44:00 AM