Rural Life Representation

I wanted to feature this because I think it is a great skit that illustrates kind of rural life I experienced growing up in Akita prefecture. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DaU5UYTvVKJ/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

A core memory of mine this video triggered was when I was in elementary school catching bugs and playing with mud around a sewer like this, with a group of kids from my school playing soccer nearby. Someone accidentally kicked the ball into the sewer and they asked me to get it. I sat down on the edge and leaned backwards for balance and got the ball between my feet. They were so excited to get the ball back that one of them immediately kicked it and it smashed right into my face, covering me with mud. I literally saw stars. An old lady working on the hatake nearby heard me cry and the kids panicking asking if I’m okay and she dragged me to a manual water pump to wash off the mud. I was very worried whether my nose was broken!

A few years ago, I would have considered a memory like this too mundane or embarrassing to even publicly post about. But living in New York has made me realise many of my formative childhood experiences is something rare that may not be replicated in the future. A childhood of being able to explore and play in the natural world in the sun with no deadlines and no life threatening stakes constantly looming over. A community that actively looks out for each other. The rural areas like my hometown are increasingly rebuilt and industrialized each time I fly back home, and scenery such as the rustling sea of rice farms folding into the valleys of the mountains and stretching into the horizon, may not exist anymore in a few decades.

I love both experiences. Being able to struggle in the US taught me to treasure each and every waking moment I have, and to be resourceful. My roots in Akita help me to ground myself and remember what I am fighting for with my endeavors in AI: To improve community. When I found yourself stuck and unable to get out, the kindness of others, and the community I was in, enriched with the work of those who came before me, is the only reason I stopped falling. There is no community without communication and understanding.