I'm a Tohoku Youth Ambassdor!! :D

Yupps.. just as it says on the title.. and the result is supposed to culminate to this, this blog of mine which I just started..

So how do you like me design? Nice? Simple? A bit too green for your liking? Haha.. probably a little of everything. Yes, I like simple things.. Simple things are good because they won't distract you from what I'm writing or showcasing..

So what's this Tohoku Youth Ambassador (YAT) about then? Hmm.. To be honest, I'm not exactly too sure.. but from what I gather, this whole programme was initiated by JNTO (Japan National Tourist Organization) and supported by some Japanese government institutions and sponsored by major Japanese coporations, i.e. ANA, KDDI, and some other local companies like ION Orchard. If you are interested to know more, check it out here.

I also heard that they are spending around $500,000 on this entire programme to send 100 of us there so that equates to like $5000 per person?! Wow.. Even I only paid $2000 for 7 nights in Kyushu.. heh.. including car rental and 4 nights in pretty good ryokans.. but that was excluding all the sashimi *cough* uni *cough* and yakiniku and curry rice and etc...

So basically the whole point is for us to go to Sendai and its surrounding regions to see what its like there now (especially after the earthquake and the tsunami) and to share with everyone what I am going to see.. Of course I'm expecting that the reason why they are sending us there is to showcase that they have indeed restored most of the infrastructure and the region is indeed, once again fit for tourist consumption. If that is indeed true, I must say I would be really impressed.. Contrast this to Katrina in the States; even after 3-4 years, the place still looked like the hurricane swept through a few days before..

But of course that is not the only reason why they are sending us there.. According to the literature, it is also to thank us (Singapore as a whole) for giving them our support during their crisis and for that, I must say you are truly welcomed. :D I'm always ready to visit Japan any time of the year, so just let me know whenever ^^.

Anyways, I'm quite excited to visit Sendai again.. It has indeed been some time since I last set foot there.. when was it again.. hmm.. Ahh yes, 2009.. Really loved that place.. especially the area around Sendai station.. pretty nice architecture and not as crowded as Tokyo.. Would love to go on exchange to Sendai University.. but sadly Singapre Management University (SMU) doesn't offer an exchange there..

Sendai Central, Main Streen in front of Sendai Station, 2009

Sendai, Miyagi, Japan. 14/2.8 D3

Yup, so I'm looking forward to find a opportunity to take an exact same shot to see how much has changed since then.. They say the GPS are all not accurate as the roads might have shifted by about 100m or so? I can't really remember the details.. After all I'm not a very detailed person.. heh.. But I wonder if I will have the time.. hopefully..

In any case, I hope you have enjoyed my haphazard way of writing.. I just write whatever that floats into my mind at the moment.. After all I'm no literary genius.. I'm just another photographer trying to make my mark; so I'll let my photos do the actual talking. If you are the sensitive kind of person, you might find that my choice of words can be, rather well.. on the border of being offensive or sarcastic at times.. I prefer to call it, thinking on the border.. on the boundary of accepting facts presented as it is and questioning underlying motives. Of course, I don't mean any harm, so please don't read too much into what I say.. In school, we call this critical thinking ;)

Till the next post then!