March 5, 2008

Nihongo {Japan}

I did not know that i would be living and working in Nippon (Japan). This opportunity to live and work here has assured my lifestyle of an itinerant mondain. i always referred to myself as a modern day nomad but now i know that this is what i am going to become.

Nihongo is a beautiful place. It reminds me of my original homeland, my birth place, Nepal. The tiny mountainous island nation reminds me of the land of my ancestors, a tiny mountainous landlocked nation. I entered the Nihongo immigration in a city called Narita on February 7the 2008. This was to begin my voyage where I did not speak the local tongue. A lot of people call me crazy for doing this but then how could I pass an opportunity to test my sense of adventure and the ability to absorb, adjust, and adapt a new culture and environment.

I currently live in south Nippon in a smaller city called Kitakyushu. By the way Nihongo or Nippon is the local name of the country. This city has an exciting history and ambiance. This city is a consortium of five original cities which was created in 1963. The city is centred around the ancient feudal city of Koukura and made from the amalgamation of four more cities, Moji, Tobata, Yahat, and Wakamstsu. I live and work in Kokura, the downtown of Kitakyushu.

Posted by kark0029 at 4:22 PM | | Comments (0)

United States of America

It was a warm fall day, August 21, in the year 2000 when i landed in Dulles airport in the commonwealth state of Virginia of United States. After over 24 hours of flight and transit time i had reached my destination. It was around late afternoon but for me it was the indication of a new beginning. I was excited about my journey yet to come and hoping that it will be beautiful like the three consecutive sunrises that i had seen in my flight from Kathmandu to here.

At the time I did not realize that I will live in this country for the next 7 and half years in pursuit of education of different levels (Bachelors and Masters) because my intention was only for 4 years to get a Bachelors degree. This was a journey that would build on my abilities and personal character and make me an Itinerant mondain.

I started my American journey by speaking British English but over the years I incorporated different versions of American English (Black, East Coast, and Midwest) into my English language reservoir. The language was not the only aspect of me that evolved; my mannerism, taste glands, and ideologies all experienced growth due to the exposure to people from around the world especially African Americans, South Americans, Europeans and Midwesterners. Over the years I have been fortunate to have become part of different families here and make them my own. They have tremendous influence on my growth and sense of adventure in life.

My first home state was the state of Maryland home to the first capital city of United States of America and the place of signatory of the birth of this nation. However, initially I did not live with White Americans but with Black Americans as my initial school was a historically Black University.

Posted by kark0029 at 3:42 PM | | Comments (0)