Day Eight

Tokyo- Day Eight

GO BEARS!

For me, today was going to be a fun day regardless of how it progressed, because we were supposed to watch a soccer game between Waseda and Keio University. And to be honest, the day was far better than my expectations. The metro ride to the open air stadium was short and we were all ready and stocked up on snacks and drinks to keep our energy levels high for the game. What we didn’t expect was that we would actually require all the energy we could gather to cheer for Waseda.

Waseda crowd

I have never seen such enthusiastic and cheerful young bunch of students in my life. The synchronised cheering, shouting and jeering that I observed really made me feel a part of the team, not just the one playing on the field but also the one rooting for it. I have never screamed so much in excitement as I did for that soccer game, all because of the students of Waseda.  They made sure that we felt right at home and were part of Waseda University as much as the rest of them. Such depths of camaraderie and inclusiveness can only be shared by the Japanese, which is one of the reasons why I love the Japanese people.

The Group

Yes, we lost the soccer game. Yes, we were disappointed. But no, we did not lose hope. After the game got over, the whole Waseda side of the spectator stand stood in respect of the defeated players with a silent but prominent face, saying “we are proud of you.” That’s true sportsmanship. It’s easy to say that the team did not work hard enough, or that the opponents were tougher, but what we never realise nor respect is the fact that we did our best and that’s all that counts. At a time like this, a proverb comes to mind: we learn the most from our failures and our defeats than from our successes.

Respect for the defeated

- Shubhankar Shah