Wednesday, May 24, 2006
My Great, Great-Grandpa!
Not long ago, I wrote about destiny.Well, rather, I mused about it.
I wonder what made me keep going back to Japan.
Now I know (more).
It is him. :)
In this picture is my great, great grand father, Phya Visutsakorndit (Sai Jotikasthira). In one of his various posts during his service to King Rama the V, he was sent as a Royal Envoy of Siam Court to Imperial Japan. In the year Meiji 36, my great, great grand pa set sail with his son, my future great grand pa, Major Luang Jarunrittikrai, then probably a young teenager, to Japan.
This link would lead you to the news about both of them that I found two nights ago from the web site of Japanese Embassy in Thailand. Imagine the pleasant surprise (and shock!) to find out about your ancestors this way! Luang Jarunrittikrai is the father of my paternal grandmother. But she never talked much about her father or her grand father. And I grew up more with my mother's side of family, so I never knew.
http://www.th.emb-japan.go.jp/th/jis/publ/pub1_46/pub12.htm
But, now, I know why I enjoyed studying diplomacy as a master's degree! And now I know I always fond of the old Japan. Moreover, now I know why my Ph.D. is gearing more and more towards Bushido! It is because my great grandpa used to graduate from both the cadet school and the army college (sort of their graduate degree)!
I only found all these out recently, well after my dissertation is already in progress and I already got the scholarship to go to Japan myself.
Now, ladies and gentlemen, if this is not destiny, then, what is? If you think this kind of things do not run in the blood, well, I invite you to think again. It is truly amazing that I find out about them this way. But what a moral boost for a tiring graduate student! :)
And what a benchmark, too! Now I would have to give all my best not to disappoint them. But with his smiling to me like that, I know I could do it! Right, Great, Great-Grandpa? :)
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
WASEDA BEAR
Isn't it fitting that the nickname my mother gave me is "baby bear" and finally I'm going to school with a bear as a mascot? hee hee hee Go Go Waseda! :)
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Waseda University wanted to select a new mascot, a character that could gain the affection and attachment of people of every generation. It would replace 'Fuku-chan', symbolize our 'second century' and stand for the appeal of a newly-born Waseda both inside and outside of the University. We approached professionals such as designers and cartoonists, mainly from our alumni and received about 60 candidate works.
A 14-member selection committee selected a final three candidates. We then conducted a survey on these three candidates among students, alumni, staff and others using postcards and e-mails. Our Executive Board finally selected the work of comic book writer Kenshi Hirokane (Graduate of the School of Law 1970) together with the name 'WASEDA BEAR'.
The new mascot 'WASEDA BEAR' was official unveiled at the Homecoming Ceremony on October 22, 2000. By courtesy of Mr. Hirokane, all rights relating to the mascot character 'WASEDA BEAR' belong to the University. Going forward, we expect 'WASEDA BEAR' to be used widely in the University's various advertising media and web pages, in commemorative events and in the form of branded merchandise"
