Blogging 101: Day 1 (About me)

I recently decided to join the Daily Post Blogging 101 Challenge in order to review and learn the basics of blogging. I've been doing it for a while and I've got several blogs, but I'd like to get a refresher on things I've forgotten or just never knew. The first day's challenge is to write an introduction. That may be a strange thing to do at this point, right? But anyway....

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My name is Neena and on the web I often go by Spankybruno, a nickname that I've had since back in the day but comes from a you had to be there story. I grew up an Air Force brat, but I spent most of my time in Texas. I now live in Japan and I've made Tokyo my home. At least for now. I teach English and I spend my free time doing a few different things. I'm often working, hanging out with people, eating, drinking coffee, and blogging. I love trying out new flavors of things like sweets, and because it's spring, I'm really into walking around different parks. 

This blog is one of five, and it's just for me to put whatever I want. Random thoughts, rants, experiences, etc. My other blogs all have very specific themes - cafes, KitKats, or English learning - so it's nice to have an outlet for the other stuff in my head. I could just write everything down in a journal or diary, but there's something about knowing other people can and might read your writing. I think sharing is important somehow. It's why I talk to my mom about things going on instead of just writing it. I want to know that someone else knows what's going on. What's the point of ranting if no one hears/reads it, right?

Anyway, I wish I could say something special or unique about myself or this blog. But I'm just a regular person who thinks she's special enough to warrant others caring about what she thinks. Narcissistic much?

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Fifty Words Exactly

I happened across this Daily Post Challenge the other day and I quite liked the idea. So while waiting for my parents the other day, I wrote this down in my journal. I decided that it doesn't really meet the challenge unless I post it here though. So here it is - my fifty word blog post. 

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There's a big difference between "unrequited love" and mutually exchanged affection. Confessions take so much courage, but it's amazing how a confession can free feelings. Rejection to said confession frees those emotions, allowing them to dissipate and make room for new ones. Reciprocation allows them to blossom into something more. 

Understanding from a High Rise

I went to the 45th floor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office. As I looked out over the city, I felt a mixed sense of fear, loneliness, and luckiness. I seldom see Tokyo from above, and it's easy to forget that it's such a massive city. It's a city that houses about 9 million people just in the center and whose metro area is home to roughly 35 million people.

When you look out on the city, you don't see any of those millions of people. You see buildings.

Some interesting buildings.

Mostly boring ones.

Some famous buildings.

Mostly unknown ones.

Regardless of its traits, the fact remains that from above, Tokyo is an endless landscape of mainly anonymous buildings.

And somehow that scared me. And made me feel alone.

When I'm down in the city, I don't have that sense of fear. Though I still feel a bit lonely sometimes. There are so many people. So many people with no connection to me aside from the place we exist in at that moment. I don't know their names. I don't even take note of their faces. Neither do they me. It's a weird sense to be surrounded by people but feel alone.

So how do I survive this city of seeming solitude?

Why did I feel lucky looking out on such a place?

I have amazing people in my life. It's as simple as that.

Even in such a huge city where there are more strangers in a single day than people you'll know in your entire life, connections are made. People become friends. People fall in love. People start families. People become connected. And parts of those connections become tied to other people.

I used to think Tokyo was just a sea of people. But it's more like a web or net, isn't it? I may not be linked to you directly, but maybe I'm connected to someone who is. Or maybe I'm connected to someone who is connected to someone who is connected to you. Whatever the case may be, somehow we're all connected.

I've had moments of loneliness in Tokyo. But I know how lucky I am to have both found special people and to have been found. It amazes me to think that one lucky chance can bloom into something amazing. But it scares me to think that because of the sheer number of people and the annonimity that comes with it, the odds of those chances seem so low.

But I find it comforting to realize that a web of people increases those odds.

And I find it very fortunate that the odds were in my favor, and I've had that kind of chance.

Biting off more than I can chew: Nerikiri

o I got the wild idea to make nerikiri and shiro-an from scratch as a thank you gift the other day. Word of wisdom for you - if you get this urge, punch yourself in the face. It'll be less trouble and less of a mess. Between mashing beans and cooking water out of the goo and then trying to roll it into some shape, you're going to be spending a few hours on this. YouTube and the internet in general was my teacher and it did as well as it could. But patience is not a strong suit. Neither is general dexterity of my hands. I ended up being able to watch three movies while I boiled, smashed, squeezed, and rolled my sticky mess. I'm not sure if it came out how it was supposed to. It came out as I expected. Acceptable but embarrassingly bad.

Now all that complaining aside,

• Did I have fun? Yes.
• Would I do it again? Not by myself. 
• Would I do it with friends or in a workshop? In a heartbeat. 
• Was it well received and appreciated? I think so. 
• Was it worth it? Definitely.