2024年07月31日
Summer Days with Virtual Pets
Wow! I can hardly believe that July is coming to an end. It has felt very long and very short at the same time. It feels like just yesterday I was celebrating the 4th of July in Shikokuchuo with Josie and our students, and suddenly, August is here. I was able to enjoy many fun activities this month while balancing a stressful college term.
After work on one balmy Saturday evening, I made the ten-minute trek from my apartment to the bridge overlooking Kotohiki Park here in Kanonji to see some of the Zenigata Matsuri fireworks show! WOW! It was beautiful and peaceful, despite the oppressive humidity and heat. There was a calmness and sense of delight in the air despite the high number of people edging their way onto the bridge to see the show.
"How about those Japanese fireworks," my Japanese friend Happy-san proudly remarked on the photos I shared online. He was spot on, they were something very special. Smooth, colorful, and well-designed. I loved the music that accompanied the fireworks show too, which included the ultra-popular "Bling-Bang-Bang-Born" song as well as traditional Japanese music.
During the 30-minute firework show, in front of me stood a little girl with a Tamagotchi smartwatch, the same model I have which is a collaboration with my favorite J-pop group, NiziU. As fireworks streaked the sky, she quietly turned her watch to the sky to "show" her virtual pet the beauty. It was deeply touching. It may sound silly, but at that moment, I felt the wonder and innocence of childhood through a modern lens.
The virtual pet she had on the watch was Richu, the mascot of one of my favorite idols from NiziU. It was a pleasant foreshadowing of what else July would hold for me...
To Be Continued
After work on one balmy Saturday evening, I made the ten-minute trek from my apartment to the bridge overlooking Kotohiki Park here in Kanonji to see some of the Zenigata Matsuri fireworks show! WOW! It was beautiful and peaceful, despite the oppressive humidity and heat. There was a calmness and sense of delight in the air despite the high number of people edging their way onto the bridge to see the show.
"How about those Japanese fireworks," my Japanese friend Happy-san proudly remarked on the photos I shared online. He was spot on, they were something very special. Smooth, colorful, and well-designed. I loved the music that accompanied the fireworks show too, which included the ultra-popular "Bling-Bang-Bang-Born" song as well as traditional Japanese music.
During the 30-minute firework show, in front of me stood a little girl with a Tamagotchi smartwatch, the same model I have which is a collaboration with my favorite J-pop group, NiziU. As fireworks streaked the sky, she quietly turned her watch to the sky to "show" her virtual pet the beauty. It was deeply touching. It may sound silly, but at that moment, I felt the wonder and innocence of childhood through a modern lens.
The virtual pet she had on the watch was Richu, the mascot of one of my favorite idols from NiziU. It was a pleasant foreshadowing of what else July would hold for me...
To Be Continued
Posted by teachers at 23:24│Comments(0)
│Erin先生
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