ANZAC Day and Kendo Practice

If you prick us, do we not bleed Indigo? If you Tsuki us, do we not stagger backwards choking? ~ found on the Kendo World Forum.


Ahahahah. That was pretty good.

Anyway, it's ANZAC Day here. Now, for an international student like myself, ANZAC Day is but a conveniently placed holiday only two days after a two-week break. Honestly, I couldn't care less whether it was ANZAC Day or the Queen's Birthday. Neither of them really give much significance in my viewpoint. At worst, it inspires a bit of anti-imperialistic sentiments (found in most 'third-world country' citizens whose history incorporates a LOT of colonialism). But since I'm here, I should respect what the day means to my hosts.

Pretty much, I think it's a waste. ANZAC Day commemorates those Aussie and Kiwi soldiers who died during the two world wars (and other, more recent conflicts). The thing is, they gave their lives for the 'mother country', i.e. Britain. I'm still pretty much confused about why they'd even bother. To go off into a war you didn't declare thousands of miles away, to die in a foreign land for a cause not your own. They fought for Britain, just as North African colonies fought for France in both world wars and, to a certain extent, some of my own countrymen in defence of a certain European nation that exploited the country for three centuries (any guesses?). Maybe it's just that I'm not patriotic enough to care if my country gets involved a war. I'd fight for the nation, perhaps, but for a cause not my own? There's no way in hell I'd die for the government. Hah.

But I sure am one to talk. My loyalties, I guess, are askew. I feel a bond to the land...but not exactly to the country itself. I might end up exploiting it all the same. In short, I have no loyalties. I claim to be Indo, but don't love my country enough to be that. I can pretty much live anywhere else in the world and not give two shits about my country, save where something affects those directly connected with me. I just don't identify with the *ahem* greater good. I know it's selfish, you don't have to tell me that. But at the peak, I daresay that many of us feel this way.

Ugh. So much hypocrisy on a Wednesday afternoon!

That was an unpleasant start. So let's get on to more positive news.

Well, my kendo practice is still going pretty strong. Right now, it's the highlight of my days. I do hope this dedication isn't a fluke; it's not going to be funny when I buy a $1000 bogu and suddenly feeling that I don't want to go anymore. Yup. That would be...stupid. But so far I'm loving it. Just the feeling of finally belonging somewhere with a group of people who have similar interests...it took long enough. Heheh. So right now I'm just under 8th kyu, and I can't do all that fancy fencing yet. Heck, I go to practice in shorts. Pretty much goes to show what a noob I am at the moment. I've got seven year-old twins who are my senpai, and they can probably kick my ass at any given moment. But that's okay. I'm hoping to at least practice for the whole duration of my studies. The discipline is actually doing me good. I'm a bit more punctual (no more than 10 minutes late...what?), I'm exercising every other day (if you call sliding back and forth swinging a bamboo stick exercise), and I think my studying is getting a bit more focused (if marginalized...hahaha. Just kidding, dad).

So yes. That'll be an aspiration.

On an even better note, I got to hang out with my RA and her friend last night. We talked until around midnight, when she looked just about ready to collapse. I pulled out just in time (unless I overstayed my welcome long before that). She's awesome. Followed that up with a morning-long marathon of LOTR. The fanboy in me exploded in a frenzy of awe and delight.

Well, that's about all I have to say. Two assignments due Friday, two more next Friday, two more the Friday after next...yeah. Bam! We're taking it up a notch now.

Cheers.

[End Transmission]