By chance, I stumbled onto Achikochi, vincentvds's blog tonight. Nice blog! I particularly enjoyed his Who? section. "Age: Cannot believe it myself. ...Old enough to know better?" Just cracked me up! "Hobbies: ... reading books knowing that I forget everything after one month, ...In one word, my whole life is one futile, useless hobby." What a way of looking at things! I totally agree. "Personal Bio: Lost in Japan since 1997" Come to think of it, I have been lost for god knows how long.
I love reading writings that express clear perspective of life and things through humour. That's why I often visit Isaoblog and Shinjuku 2 Chome ... (in Japanese). Re-reading my own writings over the past few months, I've found them dreadful. Most of them read like religious sermon. Even in some of the rare writings in lighter tone, there seem to always be a moral to it.
One of the big reason I married my husband is that he has a great sense of humour. With the family and with my friends and colleagues, we laugh together a lot. Phew, what a relief. Time for me to lighten up!
"there seem to always be a moral to it" - I always get exciting and yet at the same time soothing when I read these lines in your blog. They are so touching and valuable since they are not just quoted from the books or speeches, always combined with or selected according to your real life experience(some say struggles), your genuine attitude to try to break your limits and to live in a positive way, and your innate affection toward your family and friends.
I also read Achikochi. I admire his writing style, and I cannot agree more with his opinion on Dec13th "No Gun" entry. By the way, the Japanese part is hilarious: he must have kept some weird usage intendedly(I only hope my Chinese blog is half as entertaining as that.)
And I am very flattered to read your comments on my blog, ah, thank you (now how funny is that?). "express clear perspective of life and things through humour" - this should have been the title comment of my blog! Ugggggh!
Posted by: Isao | December 24, 2003 at 11:17 PM
Wow, Isao-san! I was shifting around in my chair when I read your comment, but I appreciate your kind words. It's great to know that someone like you read my writing, as sermonlike as they appear sometimes. After writing the entry "Lighten Up!", I was wondering how I could continue writing into my blog, because writing in style not my own would be hard, and I would stop writing so often if it became too hard to write.
I feel so relieved. Humour would be something I would strive for, but meanwhile, I'll do the best with what I have. Thank you, Isao-san! And I'll read the December 13 entry and Japanese part of Achikochi.
Posted by: Fujiko Suda | December 25, 2003 at 10:44 PM
I started blogging after I was inspired by the existing blogging networks, among them Syncworld including you, Wyuki san, and Odami san...so "It's great to know that someone like Fujiko san read my writing, as weird as they appear sometimes" thank you, I felt so relieved as well.
I think we cannot help being ourselves in our writings, no matter how we try to change our writing styles. And we cannot know our writing styles unless we try to get out of them..
I forgot to mention one thing which I think makes your writing so unique, worth reading - your attitude to try to be honest to yourself, your profession, your friends, and your family - which I greatly admire. I wish I could say these in Japanese easily...
Posted by: Isao | December 26, 2003 at 12:38 AM
Isao-san, I find it amazing that not only your style, but your personality appears totally different when you are writing English. You seem to express your thoughts and feelings directly when you write in English, and when you write in Japanese, you seem to express yourself indirectly.
I wonder if I am that way?
Posted by: Fujiko Suda | December 26, 2003 at 10:02 PM
Hi Fujiko. I would say that you do yourself an injustice if you think and say that your writing does not inspire and feel "just right". It is not necessary for you to force humor when you are doing so well in what you are already writing and saying. I have never had the sense that you are sermonizing... your words always come across as someone who is thinking hard about things and trying to understand: it never seems as if you are tryiing to tell other people what to do or how to live. Besides, there are other ways of expressing things besides humor that are just as important and just as powerful. Stay the way you are. I appreciate your blog and your words and your personality just the way I have always seen them. (Besides, your photos and the way you speak always comes across as someone who is cheerful and positive, never high and mighty or negative).
Happy Holidays!
Posted by: miguel | December 26, 2003 at 11:14 PM
Hi Miguel! I was in Nagoya on a business trip today (actually, yesterday by now...), and although it was not about my writing but about the way I interact with people around me and the way I work, someone said the exact same thing as you did! "Stay the way you are." It is at once relieving and challenging. Relieving because I am accepted the way I am. Challenging because now I have become consciousness about my difference, and in order to stay the way I am, I have to work out my feelings.
Your words encourage me, Miguel. Thank you. :D Happy Holidays to you too! I wonder if you are going hiking on the mountains during the New Years holidays?
Posted by: Fujiko Suda | December 27, 2003 at 01:58 AM