Sakura, spring, and another exciting year
Blog No.96
Author: Wei Du
It is Sakura season and it is spring. Language is so limited to describe how wonderful this time of the year is: to sit under a Sakura, or Japanese cherry, tree with family and friends, or just to have some quiet moments to yourself.
Sakura holds many symbolisms such as the transience of time, and for me Sakura holds special meanings. The blossoms awaken me and bring hope to my life. I came across Sakura on my first vacation as a graduate school student, where I saw the Japanese cherry blossoms in Washington DC. Eight years have passed but I still remember that day's sunshine, the flowers, the fresh feelings, and all the friends who shared that moment with me. At that time, I did not know that I would move to Japan one day. As if living up to its symbolism, Sakura marked the many moments that my life turned or shifted. Things happen quickly and fade away from my memory with time, but some moments grow clearer with the passing of time. Blooming cherry trees is one of those images that will not fade away in my life, as it means spring and the time to make changes.
In New York City where I spent six years as a graduate student at Columbia University, Brooklyn Botanical Gardens was the place to go to find blooming cherry trees in late April. My friends and I counted the days for the cherry blossom festival and would spend a whole day there to enjoy some happy moments. And now that I am living in Japan, I know a beautiful word for that flower-viewing experience, "Hanami". After moving here, I learned more about Sakura season, a whole week in early spring where one wakes up from winter quietness to the excitement of beginning a new episode of one's life. (The Japanese school and fiscal year begins in April.) The pictures of this year's Sakura that I posted on my social network page are waving their hands to my friends scattered all around the world.
My path from the U.S. to Japan was decorated with the symbolism of Sakura. As things change, they stay the same too. Moving to Japan from the U.S. but being Chinese, I felt more like I was coming home rather than living in another country. Working and living in Matsuyama, Ehime is a lot of fun, which reminds me of my past in my hometown, the old days when I was in school. The food, the culture, the lifestyle, even the biking distance to school and the markets make me feel as if I am on a time machine that takes me back to my childhood. And coming from Ehime to visit Tokyo and ELSI is always exciting, a wonderful chance to meet many colleagues from different research branches, who come from many different countries and cultures. This part is so much like the life that I had in New York City. In Japan and at ELSI, the two most important periods of my life get connected, as if I have never left any of those places. Two parallel lives get crossed. It is an amazing feeling.
When my farther, whose whole life is far from scientific research, asked me what is an exciting part of being a researcher in Japan, I told him of my experience with the ELSI symposium in January 2015. We are dealing with the most basic problem, trying to answer the most fundamental questions, the origin of Earth and the origin of life. I shared with him how wonderful it is to be surrounded by intelligent people, and how exciting it is that the person who can answer your questions is just your next-door colleague. And the biggest surprise came from the fact that all ELSI scientists from different research disciplines can still communicate with each other in an easy way. It is ELSI's magic to be able to continuously hold people together with its inspiring environment. Sakura time is only one week, but another exciting year is in front me. I wish everyone a wonderful year as we wait for the next cherry blossom season.