Samu

茶夢

Today being the day I celebrate my birthday, I would like to announce the decision of my Japanese name. Many of you are aware of my great love for Japanese language and culture, and so this decision will be one that stays with me for the rest of my life. After many weeks of mulling over the different options I could choose from, I decided on 茶夢 (Sa-mu), consisting of the kanji for “tea” and “dream” while also retaining the pronunciation of the transliteration of Sam/uel.

While “Tea Dream” as a name might sound a bit frivolous at first, the ultimate meaning I have found behind this specific name is far more than I could have originally hoped for. Besides both kanji being characters that I really enjoy writing, both characters contain the radical for “grass/plant” on top (thus lending the name a sort of symmetry). Furthermore, the  character 夢 (read “yu-me” by itself) is actually one of the very first kanji that I learned to write, if not THE first that I memorized fully. I still have old papers on which I wrote this character all over, albeit terribly and with incorrect stroke order.

And lastly, though I’m sure more will come with the adoption of this name, is the feeling of wabi-sabi conveyed through this name. Wabi-sabi, in short, is the simple beauty that is found in the imperfections of nature (from birth to decay). According to both my Japanese professor and TA, the name 茶夢 holds this connotation within it. While many of my friends know me as the guy with eccentric and sometimes over-the-top clothing-choices, the history and simplicity of 'things' has been something I have always valued. From the ring I wear that used to belong to my mother to the collection of curious antiques I have back home, the concept of wabi-sabi has been something I appreciated even before I knew what it was called. Having a name that is connected with this characteristic is, simply put, awesome!

If you read through all of this, I thank you for going through the trouble. In commemoration of my decision, I painted this watercolor illustration of my name (inspired by Mitsumasa Anno’s illustrations of Japanese characters resembling wooden blocks). The various colors represent my appreciation for the many influences on my life that have shaped me into the person I am today. To my parents, my brother, my family, and all of my friends, thank you for being a part of my life. どうもありがとうございました！

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Pencil, watercolour

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Art © SB 2015