There is also a park which is famous of its sakura (I`m sorry, I don`t know its name).

Beside the park, it is a river that is surrounded by sakura. There are so many couples using the boat around those beautiful sakura. It`s so romantic.

Next,　we went to Yasukuni Jinja or Yasukuni Shrine.

There is a stand which sell charms and Omikuji. Omikuji is a paper that predict your luck. It cost you 100 yen.

If your Omikuji is a bad luck, you should tie it like the picture below.

Around the shrine, there is a lot of stand selling foods.

Then, people gather around, enjoying the sakura and the foods and drinks.

Hanami should be your to-do-list if you gonna visiting Japan.

On 1st April, my plane was departed. I was barely slept at the plane because I was too excited about Japan. After 7 hours flight, I arrived at Japan. It was 07:15 AM in Japan.

Next, we met Sakai-san who is the representation of Bunka Institute of Language. He asked us to buy ticket  bus to Sagamiono. The journey took 3 hours. At the bus stop, we were greeted by Akiyama-san who is our host and took　taxi to our dorm. It was so tiring, especially with so many luggages.

After that, we put our things in our own room. After I put my luggages, my door was knocked, because we should go to immigration office for registering an alien certificate. Just for your information, I even did`nt have time to take a bath. ><

Around 3:00 PM, we finished the registeration. We headed to train station. We wanted to go to Shinjuku.

At night, we went to a restaurant. Our senior from Indonesia want to treat us. It nearly 11:00 PM, when we reached our dorm. Just called it a day. I haven`t slept for 24 hours. So, the first thing I did was taking a bath and go to sleep. Oyasuminasai.

People : What field study do you choose for university?

Me         : Nutrition.

People : Nutrition? What kind of study is it?

Me         : Nutrition is about learning what is good food for body, so you can be healthy.

People : Ehmm….okay. Does it have any future?

Me         : Of course.

People : Why you choose it? I never heard anyone else choose it before.

Me         : I don’t have an exact reason. I just love it.

Of course, there is a reason behind it. You don’t choose your major carelessly or just based on a whim. Your future depends on your major, right? But, why don’t I tell them the reason? Because it’s a very long story and full of thought and feeling. But, don’t worry, for my readers, I will tell you the whole story. For your information, nobody know the reason behind it, even my mom. So, this post will reveal it.

Let’s take out your time machine and go back to 1,5 year before. That time I was just a third grade high-school-student. I haven’t know what I want to do after I graduated. No plan, no idea, nothing. Most of my classmates have decided where or what they are going to study. I was depressed. I kept asking myself what I loved to do. I asked my mom,”Mom, what major do you want me to study? I will just do.” My mom told me,”It’s up to you, hon.” Again, no help.

Then, the moment of truth came. My mom had just took her annual check-up. The result was kind of a shock. She had a high cholesterol level. I was worried, I don’t have anyone else beside her. What would I do if something happens to her? I started finding information around. I googled it, read some books, anything. I watched Oprah Winfrey Show and she invited Dr.Oz for sharing some health information. When I listening all his suggestion, I hooked. The suggestion was simple. Mainly, your healthy depend of your food. Since that time, I was a big fan of Dr. Oz. But, I haven’t really think about nutrition as my major.

Time went by. 5 month before graduation. I kept searching for the answer. What am I going to study? There was a moment when I was waiting for my friend. A girl suddenly stood beside me. I looked at her and I saw her carrying a pile of book. I thought her was a university student. Because I am a book lover, I tried peeping at the title of the books. The books was all about nutrition. A thought flashed through my mind. I can be like her, a university student who study about nutrition. I tried to recall the joy when I watched those television program about nutrition or when I surfed about it.

So, it decided. I want to be nutritionist, who can help anyone to manage a better health. Because, people tend to ignore their diet. They just eat as they please. When the disease struck, they look for the doctor to cure them. Most of them are impossible to cure. Some of them survive, but they still return to their old eating-habit. A few of them get an eyes-opening. They want to be healthy and change their diet and lifestyle. That’s when a nutritionist is needed, to control diet and make people healthy.

1. You didn’t order it. It not your mistake.
2. You are out of idea. Nobody saw who put it there, so you can’t call him to get rid of it.
3. The manure is dirty and the smell is filling the air.  Unbearable.

In this parable, a pile of manure represent traumatic experiences that happen to our life. Like the pile of manure, you know three things for sure:

1. We don’t order it. We say, “Why me?”
2. We are out of idea. Nobody, even your best friend, can get rid of it (although they try).
3. Tragedy is painful, happiness destroyer, and the pain haunt you forever. Unbearable.

There are two way to deal with the pile of manure. First way, we can take that dirt in your pocket to everywhere. We can take a  handful of it, a little in our bag, or in our clothes. We find out, when we take it everywhere, we lose a lot of friends! Even your best friend don’t want to be near with us.

“Carrying it everywhere” means to fall to depression, negative things, or anger. This is a normal response of misfortune. But we lose a lot of friend, because it is normal too if your friend don’t want to be your side when we always depressed. Futhermore, with this way, the pile of manure doesn’t less, but the smell become worse by day.

Luckily, we have second way. When we see the pile of manure, we take a deep breath, and be ready to work. Taking a wheelbarrow, harrow, and shovel. We put the manure in the wheelbarrow, take it to the back of our house, and bury it in our yard. It is hard and tiring, but we know we don’t have other choice. Sometimes, we just can handle a part of it, but we do something to solve the problem than just grumble and be depressed. From day to day, we work on it, dig the soil and bury it. Sometimes, it needs years to finish the work, but a nice morning comes when the pile of manure is gone. Next, a miracle happens in our backyard. Flowers in our yard is blooming beautifully. The fragrance is spreading around. The neighbors and pedestrians smile happily because of its fragrance. Then, the tree in the corner almost collapses because of its own fruits. The fruit is so sweet as well. There is so many of it, that we can share it with your neighbors and pedestrians, so they can taste that miracle fruits.

“Burying the pile of manure” means we welcome the tragedy as fertilizer in our life. It is something that we must do by ourselves: nobody can help us. By burying it inside our garden of heart, the pile of pain become less. Sometimes, it needs years, but a nice morning comes when we can’t feel the pain anymore, and inside our heart, a miracle happens. Flowers of virtue is blooming in everywhere, and fragrance of love is spreading till very far away, to our neighbors, friends, and the person who we don’t know. Then tree of wisdom in the corner of our heart is full of fruits of life’s bright side . We can share it to everyone freely.

When we had known the pain, learn the given lesson, and grow your garden. Then, we can hold the tragedy with our hand and say,” I know.”

Note: This is one of the story in Opening the Door of Your Heart by Ajahn Brahm. If you want to read more miracle story, I really suggest you to purchase the book. It’s really great, eyes-opening, making you see another side of life. Some parts of it really solve the problem in  my heart. ^^

This is the first time, I start my blog.  I just want to share some parts of my life for everyone. In my life, I have face many ups and downs. I am the type of person, who never based on rules, but I always stick on  my principles. Maybe some of my principle will have someone out there. I really hope that i can make a blog that will help my readers finding benefit of it.

I will use English as well as I can, because my English is just so-so. Please give me comment if you find any mistake in my post. I’d appreciated it. Thank you.