Here we go again - Some things just repeat itself 👹🍣🎎 My Japan
Some things just repeat itself over and over again. Now in this new month it feels like the whole country is starting over again. People want to look fresh and everyone seems to have something new going on. So you may wonder what is going on. Well, let us look back to the last month first.
End of March is in Japan a time to say goodbye. In many companies, the financial year ended, which usually leads to major rotations. At work, there's a big shake-up, with many employees being transferred to other departments or cities. In the public sector in particular, it is common for people to be assigned a new position every few years and to have to familiarize themselves with new tasks. I don't want to discuss the sense and nonsense of this any further, unfortunately we have little influence on some things and therefore have to try to make the best of this situation. But the whole thing lead to a lot of goodbyes and farewell parties at the end of the last month and the need to say goodbye to some habits and beloved people before possibly starting somewhere completely in April.
Of course, this doesn't just apply to work, the school year also ends at the same time in Japan, which means that many kids and students will graduate and then embark on a completely new chapter in their lives. Some just change schools from elementary school to middle school and then to high school. For others, it's off to university, where for the first time they will experience a little liberty and personal freedom. For those who in April go to work for the first time, they will often begin the treadmill of life from which there is no escape for a very long time.
Us too, we are facing changes at home. For the little one, the serious side of life is about to begin and the carefree time she has been able to enjoy so far will unfortunately soon be over. Of course, school is compulsory in Japan as well, although fortunately it is not quite as strict as in other countries. For example, it is quite easy to take your child out of elementary school for a few days without the school and youth welfare authorities turning up at your door.
Nevertheless, the first grade is the start of a journey that ultimately prepares you to forget being a child and eventually accept your place in Japanese society. In the end, this may not work for everyone, but on the whole, the Japanese school system succeeds in forming a fairly homogeneous and well-functioning collective that manages to get along quite harmoniously in this sometimes rather narrow country.
Once again, the signs point to a new beginning and a fresh start, but also to quite some repetition. For me at least, the new working year often seems to be a copy of the old one. Some things are different, but many things are very similar, which, as usual, has both advantages and disadvantages. Overall, I'm probably content with this, because as you get older, you're often not so keen on changes and new beginnings, but sometimes you're just happy to be able to do things the way you're used to. Although, of course, a breath of fresh air never hurts though.
However, for this year I'm probably very glad if I can just carry on as before. The energy I save in the process can I perhaps use in other areas and hopefully find a little more time to dedicate to the rest of my little team. Because even though our kids are getting bigger and more independent, they still need us and I absolutely don't want to shirk this task. On the contrary, I actually really enjoy it and would love to spend much more time with the family.
And that's exactly what I intend to do. As spring is also the start of the most beautiful time of year, we will hopefully have lots of opportunities to experience and enjoy our world together. So whatever may come, I am sure we will manage it....
