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08 .10American Subculture in England: Basketball (Part 1)
Football (soccer), as it is called in my native country, is by far and away the most popular sport in the UK, and like other hugely popular sports, football culture is ‘not just a sport’ to those who love it, it is a way of life. The north east of England has a long history of football culture. My hometown of Newcastle upon Tyne, much like many other cities and towns throughout the UK, has thousands of people who loyally follow the various local football clubs, from school teams, to amateur teams, to the big-money big-business teams of the premiere leagues. Of course, there are people who actively dislike football and the culture surrounding it, so when the larger culture is not appealing, subcultures emerge from groups of people who have different beliefs and interests. These days, basketball is a globally popular sport thanks to the NBA, its amazing athletes, and the Internet. However, in 1990’s England, being a basketball fan meant that you were part of a subculture.
I started first (elementary) school in 1985 and I was never very good at playing football. I didn’t understand why so many boys wanted to play it. Equality in sports was still an underdeveloped idea, so in those days, it was very rare to see girls playing football, and even rarer for a school to have a girls’ football club.
At middle (junior high) school, I found out in P.E. class that I enjoyed athletics the most, especially the high jump and the long jump. It was exhilarating to throw myself as high and as far through the air as I could. The school had a football team for which many boys were very keen to play. My teachers suggested that I take part in athletics competitions. However, P.E. classes and serious competitions are two different worlds. It was so boring to sit and wait for my event in the day’s long schedule.
European or American basketball game highlights were only very rarely shown on British TV. I was intrigued by this strange looking game that was played in a small space with only ten people on the court. I didn’t know until I was much older that there was a small but loyally followed English professional basketball league. Also, like many other schools across the UK, my middle school had a very large grassy field with a football and rugby pitch, but it didn’t have a basketball court.
(To be continued next week)
Photo Credit: Markus Spiske@pexels.com
Blog Quiz
1. What is the most popular sport in The United Kingdom?
2. What sport did the author enjoy playing most in junior high school?
3. How often did the author see basketball on TV when he was in junior high school?
Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.
Quiz Answers
1. Soccer (football)
2. Athletics (long jump and high jump)
3. Rarely
Ben McDonough -
08 .03Learn to Play Guitar
During the COVID-19 outbreak, most of us have been spending a lot of time at home. It has been a difficult challenge, but at the same time it presents an opportunity to learn a new skill, for example playing a musical instrument. In my case, I’ve been improving my guitar skills.
The guitar is one of the most popular musical instruments in the world and it can change your life in profound ways. It’s quite easy to play basic guitar and you can soon play simple songs. I myself have been playing for 45 years and I can attest that there are many advantages to learning guitar. For example, three of the most important benefits are creative, social and cognitive.
Learning to play the guitar is incredibly satisfying and the challenge of learning an instrument helps to release your creativity. Mastering chords, perfecting songs and playing solos are great challenges, and the sense of achievement you gain is wonderful. There is a deep emotional connection with music and you may even start writing your own songs and expressing your emotions in beautiful and unexpected ways. This new creativity may even help you discover surprising things about yourself.
Secondly there are huge social benefits from playing guitar. It is a great instrument when it comes to uniting people. Bring one out at a party, and you will soon become the center of attention, instantly elevating everyone’s mood and creating positive emotions. Not only that, playing together with other people, in a duo or even in a band, is a great way to make friends and form relationships.
Finally there are proven cognitive benefits from playing guitar. Research suggests that musicians’ brains work a bit differently to everyone else’s. Music theory is in fact built on mathematics and the art of learning to play chords and read music opens up pathways in the mind. Children with attention problems sometimes learn an instrument to improve concentration, and research has shown that the areas of the brain responsible for memory become stimulated while playing the guitar. Obviously this is a great benefit as you become older.
So in conclusion, playing the guitar has many benefits. It can help you to explore your connectivity, form friendships and it also has many cognitive benefits. So if you are looking for a hobby which will help you through this strange time, why don’t you think about learning the guitar?
Photo Credit: 42 North@pexels.com
Blog Quiz
1. When did the author start playing the guitar?
A. To learn a new skill.
B. Almost 50 years ago.
C. During the COVID-19 outbreak.
2. What is one social benefit of playing the guitar?
A. It releases your creativity.
B. It can bring people together.
C. You can discover things about yourself.
3. What does the phrase ‘cognitive benefits’ refer to?
A. Attention problems.
B. Elevating someone’s mood.
C. Things that help the brain develop.
Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.
Quiz Answers
1. B
2. B
3. C
Dale Ward -
07 .27Let's Go Find Frogs
According to the encyclopedia of Japanese Frogs, forty-eight types of frogs live in Japan. How many of them have you seen? May to August is the best season to meet some of them. Let me introduce three kinds of frogs that you can find in Shiga prefecture.
One of the most common frogs is the Japanese Tree Frog, 'ama-gaeru' in Japanese. 'Ama' stands for 'rain' and 'gaeru' for 'frog.' As the name indicates, you are most likely to find them during rainy season. It is a small frog about three to four centimeters long. They are small, but they sing very loudly. So please be careful if you you plan to keep them as a pet in your apartment. If you visit an area with rice fields, you will probably be able to find eggs and tadpoles just before and during rainy season. Be careful not to stamp on frogs when they are crossing the road from one rice field to another one.
Somewhat rare frogs you can find in mountain areas are the forest green tree frog and schlegel's green tree frog. They usually live on land and they come close to water sites when they lay eggs. Other types of frogs usually lay their eggs in water with a jelly-like coating. However, the eggs of these tree frogs are coated with bubbles and are laid on grass or leaves of trees hanging over the water. Within approximately two weeks, the eggs hatch and the tadpoles are washed away into the water by rain and live in the water until they grow legs. When you visit the mountains for them, watch out for leeches.
If you are wondering what the other forty-five types of frogs are like, why don't you go outside and try to find them? You will be able to find other interesting creatures as well.
Photo Credit: Kaboompics@pexels.com
Blog Quiz
1. When is the best season to see frogs in Japan?
2. What does 'ama-gaeru' mean in English?
3. What are baby frogs called in English?Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.
Quiz Answers
1. May to August (summer)
2. rain frog
3. tadpoles
Yoshitaka Seto -
07 .20Chocolate Talk
What is your little treat in your daily life when you finish your important exams or achieve your goals? I am sure that everyone has their own little treat. In my case, one of my little treats can be having my favorite chocolate, which can make me feel happy and relaxed. According to the Chocolate and Cocoa Association of Japan [http://www.chocolate-cocoa.com/statistics/index.html], people in Germany ate 11.1 kg of chocolate per person in 2017 while people in Japan had 2.19 kg of chocolate per person in 2018. It is said that chocolate is unique because it can be used for both luxury and nutritious food. Chocolate can be good not only for recovering from exhaustion but also for preventing high blood pressure. However, it is recommended that people should not have a lot of chocolate at one time but have about 5-10g of chocolate per day (= about 1-2 pieces of bitter chocolate or a cup of hot chocolate). In fact, eating chocolate between meals can be an energy supplement and drinking a cup of hot chocolate in the morning or before exercise can improve blood flow.
The Chocolate and Cocoa Association of Japan [http://www.chocolate-cocoa.com/dictionary/history/world/w01_a.html] explains that chocolate was born in Mesoamerica, which is southern Mexico and central America, between around 1500 BC and 400 BC. Chocolate was not easy to get since the production area of cacao was limited, so only upper-class people such as people from the royal family or nobles could have it. People today enjoy chocolate both as food and drink. However, previously chocolate was tasted as a special drink and was drunk in a reception or after dinner. Not only was chocolate used for a drink but also as an offering in a ceremony, medicine, a tribute or even for money! For example, one male turkey was worth 200 cacao beans and one big tomato was worth one piece of cacao bean. The time when chocolate as a drink spread to ordinary citizens was in the 16th century after the Aztec Empire was conquered by Spain. It is said that there are four major inventions using chocolate. The first invention was hot chocolate by Dutch Coenraad Van Houten in 1828, who improved hot chocolate into a more convenient drink by making melty cacao powder. Then in 1847, British Joseph Fry produced the first solid chocolate by mixing cacao powder, sugar and cacao butter. After that, milk chocolate was invented by Swiss Daniel Peter in 1875 with Henri Nestle, who is the founder of Nestle. Finally, Swiss Rodolphe Lindt invented Conche (one of the machines to make chocolate) - it is said that he made smooth chocolate by accident, when he forgot to turn off the machine for 72 hours!
By the way, do you have your favorite chocolate brand? Global Brands Magazine Brand Awards 2019/2020 [https://www.globalbrandsmagazine.com/top-chocolate-brands-in-the-world/] announced the Top and Best Chocolate Brands as follows;
Ferrero Rocher
Guylian
Patchi
Domingo Ghirardelli
Toblerone
Cadbury
Lindt and Sprungli
Mars bars
Snickers
Kit Kat
Galaxy
Is there a chocolate brand you like in the list? Why don’t you try some of these chocolates when you buy chocolate next time for yourself or as a small gift?
Photo Credit: Polina Tankilevitch@pexels.com
Blog Quiz
1. How much chocolate do Japanese people eat?
A. 5 to 10 grams per day
B. Approximately one-fifth the annual amount that German people do
C. 11.1 kg per year
2. According to the author, what are some benefits of consuming chocolate?
A. it gives energy
B. it helps your blood circulation
C. both A and B
3. Where is chocolate from?
A. Spain
B. Switzerland
C. Central America
Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.
Quiz Answers
1. B
2. B
3. C
Ryoko Ozaki -
07 .13Walking and Thinking
Writer and poet Gentle Ehrlich said, “Walking is also an ambulation of mind.” In other words, when you’re walking, not only your body but also your brain is moving. For many writers, walking is one way to take a break from writing and come up with new ideas for stories. How can employees and students apply this idea?
In her TED Talk, Nilofer Merchant, a business innovator, suggests that a walking meeting is one solution to sitting though boring meetings at work. In a walking meeting, employees walk and talk instead of sitting at a table. At first, people thought the main benefit of walking meetings would be that employees would sit less and exercise more. However, the walking meeting had another surprising benefit: employees increased their creativity and developed innovative ideas. In fact, according to researchers, walking has a significant impact on creative thinking. This could work for students too. After studying for a long time, going outside or taking a walk may be just what you need to look at a topic in a new way.
Another way for students to move more is to combine walking with doing other activities. Merchant says, “I used to think about it as, you could take care of your health, or you could take care of your obligations, and one always came at the cost of the other.” In other words, in the past, she thought that it was difficult to complete all her tasks and exercise too. However, it is possible to combine walking with errands. For example, depending on where you live, it might be possible to walk to the supermarket or station. Also, it might be possible for students to combine walking and studying. While walking in a familiar place, you could listen to music, podcasts, or listening exercises in English. In this way, you can study but spend less time sitting.
Sometimes walking outside isn’t an option because of the weather or other reasons. In this case, just a change of scenery may be helpful, so how about taking a virtual walk in a far away place or trying another type of indoor exercise? The main point is that if you need a break or a new idea, the solution might just be to move your body!
https://www.ted.com/talks/nilofer_merchant_got_a_meeting_take_a_walk?language=en
Photo Credit: Yogendra Singh@pexels.com
Blog Quiz
1. What is a walking meeting?
A. When people have a meeting in a conference room
B. When people have a meeting while taking a walk
C. When people have a virtual meeting
2. What are the two main benefits of walking meetings mentioned in the article?
A. Getting more exercise and making new friends
B. Discovering new places and getting new ideas
C. Decreasing sitting time and increasing creativity
3. Can you give an example of a task mentioned in the article that can be combined with walking?
A. Doing the laundry
B. Writing a research paper
C. Going grocery shopping
Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.
Quiz Answers
1. B
2. C
3. C
Mary Hillis -
07 .06Yasashii Nihongo
Natural disasters have struck our country frequently in recent years. A strong typhoon accompanied by extensive rain caused wide-spread flooding; several massive earthquakes occurred in different regions across the country, and the most recent disaster has been the COVID-19 pandemic. Because these disasters occur suddenly, we have to stockpile daily necessities to last for several days at home, and learn how to evacuate according to the local government’s evacuation plan. Although we can prepare for disasters, we do not know what will happen when a disaster occurs. Trustworthy information is essential in order to make correct decisions when experiencing an emergency, particularly in bewildering situations, such as at the beginning of an incident.
Kazuyuki Sato advocated that Yasashii Nihongo(やさしい日本語)should be used to deliver essential information to non-Japanese people living in Japan during the confusion caused by the disaster. Kazuyuki Sato was inspired to develop a simple version of the Japanese language when a large earthquake struck the Hanshin area and Awajishima Island in 1995. At that time, essential information for foreigners during a disaster was supposed to be translated; however, local governments were not able to translate the information quickly because the earthquake also impacted government agencies. Therefore, Yasashii Nihongo was used temporarily to deliver essential information immediately after disasters because the common language in Japan is Japanese. Once the situation had calmed down, local governments intended to translate detailed information into foreign languages.
Yasashii Nihongo is currently in general use by local governments and communities. If one accesses Osaka prefecture’s special website explaining COVID-19 and governmental support, one will find a link to the same information in Yasashii Nihongo. As the information is essential in an emergency, it may be helpful for foreign residents who do not have perfect understanding of Japanese.
According to the Ikuno Ward in Osaka City, which encourages the use of Yasashii Nihongo, six aspects are necessary in order to convert standard Japanese into simple Japanese. These are:
1. Speak slowly.
2. Divide long sentences into shorter sentences.
3. Use basic vocabulary.
4. Avoid using words that originated in foreign languages.
5. Use examples.
6. Avoid the use of regional dialects.
Yasashii Nihongo is also used in everyday settings. The conversion process does not seem to be particularly difficult for native Japanese speakers. The number of non-Japanese people living in Japan is increasing, and many of them learn Japanese as a foreign language. At the beginning of their lives in Japan, Yasashii Nihongo may help them to understand and communicate with local residents. This will constitute an internal contribution to globalisation.
Ikuno Ward Office, Osaka City. 生野区「やさしい日本語から、つながろう」. 2020/05/27 Updated. 2020/06/10 accessed
Photo Credit: Lisa Fotios@pexels.com
Blog Quiz
1. In paragraph 1, what does ‘stockpile’ mean?
A. To put things in a pile.
B. To make a shopping list.
C. To make a collection of things you need.
2. What is the purpose of Yasashii Nihongo?
A. To encourage non-Japanese residents to learn Japanese.
B. To assist communication between Japanese and non-Japanese people.
C. To make websites to teach Japanese.
3. Which of these are examples of Yasashii Nihongo?
A. Speaking slowly with a standard Japanese accent.
B. Using short sentences and simple words.
C. Giving examples and avoiding katakana words.
D. All of the above.
Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.
Quiz Answers
1. C
2. B
3. D
Yosuke Takeuchi -
06 .29Future Young Leaders in the Philippines
The Philippines has many young people with passion and enthusiasm to work for their people. In the summer of 2017, I joined a study tour led by an NGO in Kyoto to visit several places in the Philippines to meet local people and to learn about their life under difficult conditions. The NGO has been supporting the local people in the Philippines for more than 20 years and gave us an opportunity to meet them. The average age of the country’s citizens was 23 years old, much younger than Japan. We saw many ambitious young people, and I would like to introduce some of them.
When we visited the largest disadvantaged area, Tondo District in Manila, we met Jel, one of the energetic young people who came to talk to us about their life. She was a twenty-year-old mother with a two-year-old son. Jel, her son, and her husband were living in Tondo District, close to Smokey Mountain. In the district, many people were making a living by collecting recyclable garbage and selling it. Jel and her younger siblings were raised by their grandmother there. Their life was hard; however, she never gave up learning. She became the best student in the sixth grade and got 13 medals. In junior high school, she worked as a babysitter to support her family. She went to school from seven in the morning to four in the afternoon. After school, she baby-sat four children until eleven o’clock at night. Even though she was very busy, she studied hard and became the second-best student. When she was sixteen, she joined the NGO youth group. She experienced a variety of activities, such as playing sports in a team and working as a volunteer. She learned the importance of human relationships like family and friends and also wanted to support other young people. She said to us, “I want to be a president of this country in the future and help the people in need.” We were quite impressed by her strong will and big smile.
Another ambitious young person was Rommel in Perez, Alabat Island, about five hours from Manila by bus and boat. He was a seventeen-year-old high school student and a youth group leader in the district. The NGO has been working for young students to finish elementary education in the district for about twenty years. In Perez, many fathers are low-income farmers or fishermen who work for long hours, and many mothers are busy working at home and taking care of five or six children. They have a severe financial situation and some of their kids cannot even finish elementary school. The NGO helps them financially with scholarships and also encourages them to engage in learning together through after school activities. Rommel used to be one of the scholars and has been supported by the NGO. Later, he joined the NGO youth group and became a leader of the group. He was taking care of younger members and planning some activities for their physical and mental health. He wanted to go to college and study to be a police officer to protect vulnerable people. We admired his action and friendly smile.
Before visiting the Philippines, I was not sure what to talk about or what kind of questions to ask even though I really wanted to communicate with the local people. However, their heartwarming welcome helped all of the participants, including me, to relax and get to know them. We spent time together and were able to become friends. They were very energetic and full of hope and inspired us to take action to extend our friendship. I want to keep my eye on future young leaders who are determined to contribute to their communities and their country.
Photo Credit: The Author
Blog Quiz
1. Which of these didn’t Jel do?
A. Earn awards for academic success.
B. Become a politician.
C. Work taking care of children.
D. Volunteer for an NGO.
2. Which of these describes Rommel?
A. He is a youth group leader.
B. He supports the health of others.
C. He wants to study at a university.
D. All of the above.
3. What is the main idea of the story?
A. How a young mother overcame difficulties.
B. What happens on an NGO tour.
C. How a young man became a policeman.
D. How people in the Philippines inspired the author.
Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.
Quiz Answers
1. B
2. D
3. DKahori Kobayashi -
06 .22How Running Became Part of My Life
About two years ago, I started running. I was not the kind of person that liked doing any kind of sports, and I did not do any exercise what so ever before I started running. Interestingly, running is now an important part of my life and it has made my life very easy in the least expected way.
So, what got me into running? What happened three years ago?
I went to a conference in a rural part of a country. The city was quite big and public transportation was available. They even had rental bicycle spots. I’ve always had some reservation in using buses when I went abroad for conferences: “What happens if I get on the wrong bus and cannot get off?”, “What happens if I am late because of the traffic jam?”. I always thought that it was best to take the route and the method that I’d have more control over. Rental bicycles seemed to be a better option. However, I was not comfortable riding a bicycle in a country that the drivers drive on the “wrong side” of the road (i.e. driving on the different side of the road from Japan). Therefore, I started to walk. As I wrote earlier, the city was quite big. I arrived one day before the conference so that I would be able to figure out how far the conference venue was from the hotel I was staying at. I also wanted to walk around the city too. Although there was Wi-Fi available at my hotel and in some cafes and restaurants, I could not rely on my smartphone for directions. Though I did not get too lost finding the conference venue, it was about a 1-hour walk. I was not tired and on the contrary, I felt good after having a long walk in the morning. My mind was refreshed and I had a very fun and productive day.
After I returned to Japan, I continued to walk in the morning on my day off, and in the evening after work. When I walked around the park in my neighbourhood, an elderly man ran past me. And I suddenly thought, “I wonder if I can run?” And the next day I went to buy a pair of running shoes and started to run slowly. Only once or twice a week, but it is now an important part of my life and it feels weird if I don’t run at all in a week.
Photo Credit: Tirachard Kumtanom@pexels.com
Blog Quiz
1. Which of the following is not a reason why the author does not like to take a bus?
A. getting on a wrong bus
B. being worried about traffic jam
C. being afraid of road accidents
2. How did the author feel after walking to the conference venue?
A. refreshed
B. regretted it
C. tired
3. The author started running instead of walking because:
A. they do not enjoy walking anymore
B. they thought it’s worth trying
C. they thought running is better for health
Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.
Quiz Answers
1. C
2. A
3. B
The BBP Staff -
06 .15The Most Popular Word in the World
What would you say is the most popular word in the world? Many people say things like “love”, “happy”, “yes”, or “no”. Some people might think the most popular word might be a company name, like “Google”, “Apple, or “Coke”. Popular trends change every year, but the true champion for the most popular word is “OK”.
Spanish, Arabic, Hebrew, Chinese, Korean, French, Punjabi, Hindi, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Malay, and more. It is almost impossible to find a country or language that doesn’t use “OK”. The spelling and pronunciation can sometime change (O.K., OK, o.k., ok, okay, окей, Ô kê, ô-kei, okej, oukei), but the meaning never really changes.
The first printed “OK” comes from 1839, in the March 23rd edition of the Boston Morning Post newspaper. After that, “OK” appears in other newspapers and printed material more frequently. There are some hand-written examples of “OK” pre-1839 (e.g. two diaries from 1815 and 1816), but many researchers debate if these are real examples of “OK”.
So, where did “OK” come from? There are many different theories and ideas, but one seems stronger than others. The most popular is the “Boston abbreviation & Old Kinderhook” theory. Around the summer of 1838 in Boston, USA a trend began of people using incorrect spelling and abbreviations (words shortened to letters, e.g. “空気読めない” = “K.Y.”) for comedy. This maybe doesn’t sound very funny, but this kind of comedy is used in Japan today, especially by Daigo Naitō (内藤大湖). These spelling mistakes and abbreviations became popular across the US and were printed everywhere. This boom in bad-spelling comedy changed “all correct” to “oll korrect", which was shortened to “O.K.”.
This funny, short spelling was recycled by Martin Van Buren in 1840. Van Buren’s nickname was “Old Kinderhook” (he was 58, and his hometown was Kinderhook, New York) and he had a campaign to become the next US president. His “Vote for OK” campaign was very popular, but Van Buren lost. However, the campaign pushed the word “OK” into newspapers and printed material across the USA and had also started the trend of the popular “OK” hand gesture.
Is this the true beginning of OK? Possibly, but researchers still debate other origins. Here are a few:
- “okeh”, from the Native American Choctaw language, meaning “it is so” (1825)
- “kay”/”waw-kay”/”o-ke” from the African Wolof/Bantu and Mande languages, meaning “yes indeed” (1784)
- “och aye”, from Scottish/Ulster Scots, meaning “oh yes”
- “óla kalá”, from Greek, meaning “all good”
Maybe “OK” comes from Africa, or Greece, or from people trying to be funny. Maybe each theory is a little bit correct and they mixed to become the “OK” we use across the world today. Maybe we will never really know. It’s ok though, no matter what country you travel to, or what language you try to speak, it’s always ok to use “OK”.
Photo Credit: Skitterphoto@pexels.com
Blog Quiz
1. What do the Vietnamese, Punjabi, Tagalog, and French languages have in common?
A. They don’t use the word OK.
B. They pronounce OK the same way.
C. The meaning of OK is the same.
2. What did OK represent in Martin Van Buren’s “Vote for OK” campaign.?
A. It was a hand gesture.
B. It was an abbreviation of his nickname.
C. It was the name of his hometown.
3. Where does the word OK come from?
A. Boston.
B. We aren’t sure.
C. Africa or Greece.
Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.
Quiz Answers
1. C
2. B
3. B
Owen Kozlowski -
06 .08Flowing with Nature
My hometown in America is known mainly for its tourism. With the mountains and forests surrounding it as well as 19th century architecture dotting the town, a person can spend a lot of time doing little. If someone wanted to take some time to be alone, they could simply go hiking or read next to a waterfall.
For this reason, living on the edge of nature has been something I had gotten used to when I was kid. In our home we had a birdhouse next to the deck, and we would regularly see a battle between gray squirrels and birds over who got to eat the bird feed. We eventually had to remove the birdhouse because the animals were making a mess, but it was always refreshing to see nature so close.
Now that I live in Nara, I’ve been given something a little similar by being close to nature again. The squirrels I knew as a kid have gotten bigger and look more like deer, but the presence of nature has returned. This is not something I was able to pay very much attention to over the past couple of years. In many ways, I was similar to the tourists and other visitors that had regularly walked around Nara Park. I would pass by and observe nature through the window of a bus, but couldn’t see very much in the early morning or later in the evening. It felt more like I was still a guest in my own community.
Recently, though, my relationship (and perhaps the relationship of many who live in Nara) is somewhat different with nature. There are now fewer people out, and that creates a little more privacy. On prepared trips out, it’s now a little easier to be uninterrupted and pay better attention to nature. The many deer in Nara have grown more adventurous and occupy more of the park. They are still comfortable around people, but the deer don’t expect to be given crackers unless they hear something that sounds like it. Not everywhere in the world will have these same sights as Nara, but, in these slower times, it seems healthy to make a little time to be peaceful.
Eventually my schedule will go back to something closer to normal, and perhaps my relationship with the nature in Nara will be a little less. Still, the transition to a more even-paced life has helped me to look around more carefully and see the things I may have otherwise overlooked. While I would have definitely preferred different reasons to bring about this change of season, it has kept me from focusing only on what is in front of me, and instead to look around more often.
Photo Credit: Manuela Adler@pexels.com
Blog Quiz
True or False?
1. The author didn’t have much experience with nature as a child.
2. The author often visits Nara as a tourist.
3. Recent events have changed the author’s viewpoint of Nara.
Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.
Quiz Answers
1. False
2. False (He lives there)
3. True
The BBP Staff