Tokyo, the land of the rising sun, and the sense of adventure
When I was young, I remember reading a story from my Hindi textbook. It was an indian traveller's account of Japan. It was probably written in the late 80s. Back in those days, traveling oversees was hard, expensive and remarkably rare. He sailed across the oceans to reach the mystical world of Japan. Though I don't remember all the details, a few events are still etched deep in my mind. The fast trains, disciplined, hardworking and incredibly polite people and the remarkably modern and industrialized cities had left lasting impressions on the author. There was a particular encounter where he forgets his wallet in the train, only to have it returned back safely the next day.
Globalization, cheaper and more accessible air travel, internet and media may have lessened the sense of adventure that once existed, but nevertheless, my decision to move to Japan was driven by this fascination of knowing more about this country.
If it was just the curiosity of experiencing Japan, I could have just applied for a 3 month assignment at work. There were other pressing reasons.
I had outlived my stay in Singapore. A scholarship and the fascination of seeing the outside world had brought me from India, to the tiny island-country 8 years back. I liked everything about Singapore, its modern outlook, efficiency, convenience and the multi-cultural society. I had to move out before I became too complacent and comfortable. Moreover, I was still relatively young and single. Moving would never be this easy.
So when I was evaluating the next step in my career, It wasn't incredibly hard to turn down an opportunity to get transferred to Tokyo. And that's how the journey began.
When I was young, I remember reading a story from my Hindi textbook. It was an indian traveller's account of Japan. It was probably written in the late 80s. Back in those days, traveling oversees was hard, expensive and remarkably rare. He sailed across the oceans to reach the mystical world of Japan. Though I don't remember all the details, a few events are still etched deep in my mind. The fast trains, disciplined, hardworking and incredibly polite people and the remarkably modern and industrialized cities had left lasting impressions on the author. There was a particular encounter where he forgets his wallet in the train, only to have it returned back safely the next day.
Globalization, cheaper and more accessible air travel, internet and media may have lessened the sense of adventure that once existed, but nevertheless, my decision to move to Japan was driven by this fascination of knowing more about this country.
If it was just the curiosity of experiencing Japan, I could have just applied for a 3 month assignment at work. There were other pressing reasons.
I had outlived my stay in Singapore. A scholarship and the fascination of seeing the outside world had brought me from India, to the tiny island-country 8 years back. I liked everything about Singapore, its modern outlook, efficiency, convenience and the multi-cultural society. I had to move out before I became too complacent and comfortable. Moreover, I was still relatively young and single. Moving would never be this easy.
So when I was evaluating the next step in my career, It wasn't incredibly hard to turn down an opportunity to get transferred to Tokyo. And that's how the journey began.
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