A Happy Snowing Ending

Five days in Wako campus, an NTC intensive course on International Tax Treaty Negotiation. Quite interesting lectures was given by Prof Komamiya of Niigata University. My joining the NTA practicum on taxation was not much of a fun this 2 semesters passed. The decision for me to join was solely Prof. Asanuma’s discretionary authority. One of the reasons I suspect is that we have no other more suitable candidate that year, so there was I, a scapegoat. But of course I was honored too, I mean I am not a tax officer, never deal any tax matters before, and zero background about this thing that will come in certain other than death (Adam Smith’s quoted).

While seeing other participants were almost all too knowledgeable for me to compete, I would also have to spend a lot, as the venue of the classes would change every now and then and many times we would have visit in far away places. And for me, by my own expense, while other students as they all sponsored by World Bank, which is the reason why this course was held at first place. Plus, the class (may be just for me, because I don’t have enough background to begin with) was sooo boring…zzzzz… All the effort during the semesters had to be completed by a research paper, which I was expected to be just a wishy-washy, but turned out to be quite serious (as my advisor ‘advised’ me that with my topic I would never meet the committee’s expectation of a good research paper, well… can’t help it). But I was (and probably still, a little miracle will be nice…) hoping for a nice reward after all of this trouble, after all this will give me 4 extra credit, so grade does matter.

And then comes this nice break. While I would have had a long relaxing spring break by this time of the year, now I have to put effort in listening to this treaty, which I would may never have the chance to apply it in the real life (doesn’t mean those treaty negotiators do apply these theories and rationales while making the deals, I wouldn’t know what they actually do while making the deals). But then the lectures were quite interesting. The lecturer’s factor I guess play important part. I wouldn’t be able to imagine had not it’s him who delivers the subject.

And then while staying a week in this asylum (what would you call the place where no internet within more than 100 meters available in Japan?) at night we were craving for entertainment. So 3 nights in a row we went to karaoke, ended by a get-together karaoke party with senseis. Some people do change characters while holding mic (Shimizu, 2005), but it was fun. Today, we’re checking out, and there it was white cotton (snow as called by Nyai) were dancing in the air (why it’ always so spirit-lifting while seeing great beautiful nature phenomenon…?)

Sad moment: when Mega had to leave and went back to Indonesia because of inconvenient news she just received. A hunch she must have been having, after harsh criticism on the unavailability of the internet, finally she managed to open her mails through keitai, and there was it the worrisome news. I hope everything will be fine for her.