なま

なま

Fresh/raw

I’ve been using WaniKani again to practice my kanji. A word that came up recently is this one – 生(なま, nama). There are a lot of different definitions for this kanji, but for this reading it’s “fresh, raw.”

If you’ve listened to the Japan Archives podcast, you might recall this word in the tongue twister segment ( here if you want to listen! Bonus 1: Shippeitaro).

I’ve been doing a lot of reflection this week, as I am sure many people have. There’s been some great conversations and some new learning. It’s been wonderful to see people come together around the world.

Along with this, I’ve been doing some soul searching and research regarding social media and its effects. That – was not so wonderful. I’m not going to use this space to share what I’ve been thinking because – I’m still in the process of thinking. And I am the sort of person who needs time to think and observe, gather and analyze. It takes many kinds of people to make our world, and there are truly many like me. The world needs quick thinkers, fast doers, slow thinkers, and slow doers. If we all were the same, it would be rather boring, wouldn’t it! Also having different ways of thinking is great for research according to a study and… maybe let’s get back to the topic.

“Fresh.” There’s a lot of meanings to that one word. Fresh, like vegetables. Fresh, like new. Fresh, like flippant (sorry mom).

But today, this kanji is speaking fresh like new to me. I want to start this blog fresh. I’ve not deleted my past writings, but rather they are in “hibernation” so that I can get a fresh canvas. They’ll be back someday, just not yet.

Recently, we had an episode about Hokusai. During the course of his lifetime, he changed his name frequently, which seemed to herald in a new phase in his life.

I am taking inspiration from Hokusai. Which may also be another definition of nama – inexperienced, unpolished, green. I am in no way comparing myself to Hokusai as my writings and art are very amateur, but to be fair Hokusai was never really satisfied either I feel.

But I like it. Getting inspiration from past art and artists was part of their goal – inspire, create, share.

I know when I write I hope it inspires people, makes them laugh or smile, makes them happy. There’s enough in this world to make us miserable, so I choose to make this blog a place you can relax, a place to reflect, a place to just temporarily forget any pain you might carry and just be. Because there’s a lot of beauty in the world, too.

“Slices of life” – Do you know the origin of this phrase? It’s essentially a Japanese theme of slower moving, light hearted, character driven anime/manga/drama. I want this blog to reflect my tagline. It’s my little slices of life, and I want to share them.

While I can’t make the world a more peaceful place even though I wish it with all my heart, I wish to try my best to make you feel a bit more peaceful.



Heather

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