Embracing Change

I recently moved to Asakusa. It's a great part of Tokyo: friendly locals, Sensoji, the Sumida River, and lots of interesting foreigners. I've managed to find some family-run fish shops, grocers, etc. Even my apartment, after 3 weeks, is starting to feel familiar. I know where stuff is located. My body is starting to remember its way around the kitchen, so when I'm cooking it's become more like a meditation (once again) and less like the confusion it was only a couple weeks ago.


I've moved about 30 times, 20 since I started university. Even when in the same city, there's a lot to get used to. I believe every time we move house, our brain is put in a state of (hopefully mild) shock, that serves to jolt us into being, offering a refreshed perspective. I'd like to examine this 'shock' in detail by looking at these three changes: new living space, new neighborhood, new transportation lines.


A new living space challenges our minds to become active and creative. At first we must decide where to put furniture, electronics, etc., by considering room dimensions, window locations, power supply needs, feng shui, and whatever else. Once we've done so, our living space evolves quickly as we grow accustomed to where we've put simple things like our keys, our mail, and our cups (hopefully near the fridge.) We make changes to increase efficiency and organization, and soon enough the space becomes ours. It's an external reflection of how a human, you in particular, uses a space to live life. As we get used to it, our body starts to remember the distances, and we comfortably do things without thinking, like our previous living quarters. This acclimatizing process is very cognitively stimulating, and I think it's really good to wake up our brains and start thinking a little differently. The space itself looks different, which is totally refreshing.


Ever think back to a memory, in university maybe, and wonder what year it was? Could you figure out the approximate date? I can almost always do this. I remember my context visually. This means I can envision where I was living at the time and, since I moved on average every 6 months, remembering the context allows me to pinpoint my memories to that 6 month period.


Ever found that you can't study at home? It's partly because there are too many distractions. It's harder to form memories as well, because the surroundings are too familiar. Go to a strange place, and you may remember every minute of it, even if you were just sitting around. I solved this problem by studying in my university's library. When that stopped being effective, I started studying in a different (nearby) uni's library, and then later a café. My brain needed, and still needs change to function optimally.


Our functioning is also greatly affected by the neighborhood we move to. We have to experiment again with different supermarkets, restaurants, pharmacies, comparing quality and price and location from our home. Then there's leisure: parks, temples, galleries. The first couple weeks of a new neighborhood are way stimulating. Every outing can be a cultural experience*.


Finally, let's not ignore the fact that Tokyo is a sprawling metropolis. Our social life can completely change, just based on our home's proximity to particular areas. Would your social life really be the same if you moved to Odaiba or Shibuya? I find myself going to Ueno a lot, because it's better connected to the rest of Tokyo by train, and there are lots of things I can buy there like chick peas, aka chana, aka garbanzo, aka hyoko mame. Even knowing four names, most grocery store employees still have no idea. But in Ueno they know, they've got hella large imports.


I also work in Ginza once or twice a week. Now I can cycle there from Asakusa! Moving was a lot of trouble, but that passed so quickly; I'm glad I went through with it. While I know it's not really possible for everyone to just 'move', I want to stress that just a change of scenery in general can refresh your mind and boost your mood and memory. Thanks for reading.

* In Asakusa, anyway.


▼▽▼▼【講師】Sandy先生のバックナンバー━━━━━━━━
・【MIWA (Memory Improves With Age)】2009.07.08 (Wed)

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