Thursday, May 7, 2009
Podcast
Okay, so I managed to embed my podcast onto my blog, but... it isn't very pretty right now. I'll have to tweak that a bit, but for now, you can listen to my first podcasts.:)
Monday, May 4, 2009
And now for something different...
If you haven't read the previous two reads, you may want to do so first before looking into this one, since this is supposed to be the "pick-me-up" after reading over such sad and depressing material.
Anyway, this was performed at the U of A recently during the Fulbright Language Festival Foreign Language Speech contest. The dance that they perform is from a Japanese anime series, and they do a fair job of it. My friend, in the back and to your right, somewhat laments it now that the video has been put up on Youtube though.:)
This next one is one that I found while on Youtube. The costumes... are of a slightly higher quality, and the dancing seems to be spot on.
While this one here is of the actual pop singing group that performs the song.
And... this last one is the song in English.=)
After watching all of these, I can say that it has certainly washed away any negative feelings from the previous two posts.
Anyway, this was performed at the U of A recently during the Fulbright Language Festival Foreign Language Speech contest. The dance that they perform is from a Japanese anime series, and they do a fair job of it. My friend, in the back and to your right, somewhat laments it now that the video has been put up on Youtube though.:)
This next one is one that I found while on Youtube. The costumes... are of a slightly higher quality, and the dancing seems to be spot on.
While this one here is of the actual pop singing group that performs the song.
And... this last one is the song in English.=)
After watching all of these, I can say that it has certainly washed away any negative feelings from the previous two posts.
Two-time atomic bomb survivor
While searching for info regarding the previous post, I came across this article. I found it to be a very interesting read, and it relates quite well to the topic of my first post in regards to the Word of the Day, reconcile.
Here is the link.
Here is the link.
Dilatory
Well, it seems that in my previous post, I spoke too soon. Here's another word of the day post!
Dilatory, something or someone characterized by procrastination or tardiness, or something that tends to or is intended to cause delay.
Well, in Japan, things tend to run fairly smoothly and efficiently. This is most clearly seen with the public transportation system. There are times posted for trains which are followed near precisely for the most part. The times that it does run late though... are due to problems that the trains may run into, such as people jumping off the train platform and directly into the path of the train, i.e.- suicide.
http://www.youmaker.com/
This is an exaggeration, from the movie Suicide Club, a.k.a.- Suicide Circle, but it does get across the idea of train suicides in Japan... without me showing videos that I found of actual train suicides.
From what I've found regarding train suicide statistics... there aren't really any that I could find in English. The majority are statistics regarding overall suicide rates. In general though, there are about 30,000 suicides committed in Japan every year, and this figure tends to rise with increased economic problems. People commit suicide using various methods, including jumping into the path of oncoming trains. A statistic to consider in regards to this is that about 10% of those who attempt this method of suicide actually end up surviving. If they felt that things looked bad before, the change to their physical condition probably exacerbates their depression. Also, I couldn't find an exact figure on this that I would trust, but the train stations also charge the family of the suicide victim with clean up costs. The figures that I found mentioned that it was around 100 million yen, roughly 1 million dollars to pay for these costs, which is what caused me to doubt the veracity of those numbers.
To relate this to dilatory though, when suicides do occur on the tracks, this will obviously delay the otherwise punctual train system of Japan. So whenever notices of the train being delayed pop up, a suicide is most likely the problem behind it.
Searching for this information was quite depressing and disturbing. It made me recall my stay in Japan again, and although I did not ever witness a person taking their life by train, one of my friends there did. He's a student from Korea, and during his first month of study in Japan, he saw a man jump off the train platform and into the path of a train at a local station. He told me that he was quite traumatized by the experience. He was also hit by a car while bicycling over there, but fortunately it was not a fatal accident. Nonetheless, he experienced a couple of situations that I and many others would never want to experience in a foreign country, much less our own.
In the case of this post, I believe that the less visual material I put up, the better.=) I would certainly feel better anyway.
Dilatory, something or someone characterized by procrastination or tardiness, or something that tends to or is intended to cause delay.
Well, in Japan, things tend to run fairly smoothly and efficiently. This is most clearly seen with the public transportation system. There are times posted for trains which are followed near precisely for the most part. The times that it does run late though... are due to problems that the trains may run into, such as people jumping off the train platform and directly into the path of the train, i.e.- suicide.
http://www.youmaker.com/
This is an exaggeration, from the movie Suicide Club, a.k.a.- Suicide Circle, but it does get across the idea of train suicides in Japan... without me showing videos that I found of actual train suicides.
From what I've found regarding train suicide statistics... there aren't really any that I could find in English. The majority are statistics regarding overall suicide rates. In general though, there are about 30,000 suicides committed in Japan every year, and this figure tends to rise with increased economic problems. People commit suicide using various methods, including jumping into the path of oncoming trains. A statistic to consider in regards to this is that about 10% of those who attempt this method of suicide actually end up surviving. If they felt that things looked bad before, the change to their physical condition probably exacerbates their depression. Also, I couldn't find an exact figure on this that I would trust, but the train stations also charge the family of the suicide victim with clean up costs. The figures that I found mentioned that it was around 100 million yen, roughly 1 million dollars to pay for these costs, which is what caused me to doubt the veracity of those numbers.
To relate this to dilatory though, when suicides do occur on the tracks, this will obviously delay the otherwise punctual train system of Japan. So whenever notices of the train being delayed pop up, a suicide is most likely the problem behind it.
Searching for this information was quite depressing and disturbing. It made me recall my stay in Japan again, and although I did not ever witness a person taking their life by train, one of my friends there did. He's a student from Korea, and during his first month of study in Japan, he saw a man jump off the train platform and into the path of a train at a local station. He told me that he was quite traumatized by the experience. He was also hit by a car while bicycling over there, but fortunately it was not a fatal accident. Nonetheless, he experienced a couple of situations that I and many others would never want to experience in a foreign country, much less our own.
In the case of this post, I believe that the less visual material I put up, the better.=) I would certainly feel better anyway.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Biannual
Well, it seems like this will be the last entry in regards to "Word of the day". With my thesis having been successfully defended early last week, this is just another indicator that the semester is coming to a close, and, as is the case for some of us, signaling the completion of our respective degrees.
Anyway, biannual- occurs twice a year or once every two years. This was somewhat of a difficult word to work with, but with the help of Google, 'Japan', and 'biannual', I was able to find something interesting to write about.:)
In Japan, there is a biannual competition known as Robo-One. It started in 2002 and has been held twice a year since then. In this competition, competitors build humanoid robots and then battle it out for an equivalent of $10,000 cash prize for 1st place, $2,000 for 2nd, and $1,000 for 3rd.
Here are some pictures of the event:
Now, this may seem somewhat less-than-stellar in writing, and maybe even less so with pictures, but with video... it. is. amazing!!!
In this next video, it's of King Kaiser, robot of the Maru Family, and it has reigned as the champion for a few years.
There are some videos of Naoki Maru demonstrating the the "master/slave" control for his robot, King Kaiser, but I could only find those videos on another site, and they can't be re-embedded here. The site is here though, if you would like to see the motion control that is used by the family to control their robot
Although, I remember vaguely hearing about this competition some time ago, I never really looked into it. Now that I have, it has piqued my interest immensely. Perhaps the next time I go to Japan, I'll have to time it so that I can view this awesome tournament.
Here is an additional link to a video of a "female" robot that can walk, speak, and mimic facial expressions:
Female robot
And here is a link to an article describing a robot that learns like a child and mimics infant learning:
Child robot
Anyway, biannual- occurs twice a year or once every two years. This was somewhat of a difficult word to work with, but with the help of Google, 'Japan', and 'biannual', I was able to find something interesting to write about.:)
In Japan, there is a biannual competition known as Robo-One. It started in 2002 and has been held twice a year since then. In this competition, competitors build humanoid robots and then battle it out for an equivalent of $10,000 cash prize for 1st place, $2,000 for 2nd, and $1,000 for 3rd.
Here are some pictures of the event:
Now, this may seem somewhat less-than-stellar in writing, and maybe even less so with pictures, but with video... it. is. amazing!!!
In this next video, it's of King Kaiser, robot of the Maru Family, and it has reigned as the champion for a few years.
There are some videos of Naoki Maru demonstrating the the "master/slave" control for his robot, King Kaiser, but I could only find those videos on another site, and they can't be re-embedded here. The site is here though, if you would like to see the motion control that is used by the family to control their robot
Although, I remember vaguely hearing about this competition some time ago, I never really looked into it. Now that I have, it has piqued my interest immensely. Perhaps the next time I go to Japan, I'll have to time it so that I can view this awesome tournament.
Here is an additional link to a video of a "female" robot that can walk, speak, and mimic facial expressions:
Female robot
And here is a link to an article describing a robot that learns like a child and mimics infant learning:
Child robot
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Diaphanous
Delicate of form, translucent, vague or insubstantial. Those terms make up the meaning behind the word diaphanous. It took a bit of thought, but then something came to mind that can cover all of those meanings: Ghosts.
Yes, whether you believe in them or not, you've most likely heard ghost stories, either legends or encounters that friends or family claimed to have had... maybe even you yourself have experienced something metaphysical or paranormal. Most of the stories that we have heard, and most of what we know of ghosts, have been from a Western or American point of view, ranging from the calm and silent spirits haunting century-old homes to the Native American stories of ghosts coming and whisking away campers in the middle of the night... All of these stories have a distinctly American flair to them.
Just as America has its own ghost stories populated by phantasms and poltergeists, Japan has its own distinct and unique take on the ghostly and the paranormal.
Although I don't have too much knowledge about this area of Japanese lore, I will offer what I do know first, before going onto Wikipedia info. Japanese ghosts look human for the most part and typically wear the garb that they had on at the time of death or their funeral garments. If you've seen the Ring or similar takes on Japanese films, you probably have a good idea of how they appear. Long, dark, disheveled hair; light clothing; pale skin. That is the stereotypical Japanese ghost.
Actually, during my stay in Japan, a female Korean exchange student, who was also staying in the same dormitory, mistook me for a ghost one morning. This happened because I had just gotten up, I was in a white beater and light pajama pants, and I decided to head to the kitchen area upstairs to make something to eat. So I slipped into my soft and fuzzy slippers and made my way there without a sound. As I approached, I heard someone in the kitchen so I prepared myself to greet them. There is a large mirror in the kitchen in which someone can easily look into and see anyone who may be approaching , so as I entered the kitchen I assumed that she had seen me, but she was busy preparing her food at the counter with the mirror right in front of her, so I went by to the sink and counter on the opposite side of the room to prepare my own meal. Before doing so though, I turned around to her and said, "Ohayou... (Good morning...)," in a rather low and monotone voice. Upon hearing this, she looked up at the mirror, saw my disheveled hair and pale form, turned around in shock and screamed while crouching into a fetal position on the floor. While this was all occurring, I was a horrible person and was laughing at her reaction.=) After the initial shock and scream of terror, she fortunately started to laugh as well. Of course, I apologized. :)
I suppose this can be taken as an example of the similarity of Eastern ghosts and spirits. Long dark hair and white or light clothing, and suddenly appearing without a noise being made.
To get a few more details, I gathered some information from Wikipedia.com. Other common traits of Japanese ghosts are that they have no legs or feet, hence moving around silently. Also, their hands are constantly in a limp position. You can imagine a rabbit or dog's stance when they stand up, and you'll get an idea of how the ghost arms are positioned. Japanese ghosts also tend to have will-o-wisps, little balls of flame, floating around their forms.
The different types of ghosts fit into the same categories as some American ghosts:
Onryou are ghosts who return for vengeance upon those who wronged them.
Ubume are ghosts who died during childbirth, and they return to watch over their children.
Goryou are ghosts who belonged to the artistocratic class, and it's also mentioned that they were people who were usually martyred.
Funayurei are ghosts of those who died or vanished at sea.
Zashiki-warashi are the ghosts of children and are usually seen as being mischievous.
Warrior ghosts are ghosts of those who fell in battle.
Last, are the Seducer ghosts who return to carry out a love affair with a living person.
In regards to haunted areas... there was only one place that I heard about while there, and it's quite famous apparently. At the base of Mt. Fuji lies a deep and vast forest known as Aokigahara. Within this forest, hundreds of people have committed suicide there. With so many deaths being noted there, and hikers regularly stumbling upon the remains of those who have committed suicide, it makes sense that it would be considered a haunted area. It is of note that suicide rates are rather high in Japan, and one way that a lot of those suicide victims go about doing that is by hurling theirself off of the train station platforms when a train comes by, thus being killed by the impact or... being killed on the tracks. Both are rather morbid and horrid thoughts in my opinion.
I spent hours looking for videos that showed Japanese ghosts, and I managed to find some. I also found some American videos in order to better contrast the differences between the ghosts of one country from the other. Only the first video is subtitled. Of importance in the second video though is that they mention the dresser being very old and passed down through generations.
I personally don't believe in ghosts, but I was quite superstitious as a kid and I do still find ghost stories and evidence of the supernatural to be interesting material. It still causes shivers to run up my spine and the hair on the back of my neck to stand on end, all while taking the occasional glance behind myself.
To finish things off, while in Japan, a friend offered to take me to explore an abandoned hospital that is supposedly haunted. At first, I eagerly agreed to it, but after talking about it and the thought of a possible "curse" afflicting the place so as to cause it to be abandoned in the first place, I wisely backed out of that experience. Sometimes it's better to just let some things lie rather than disturb them...
Yes, whether you believe in them or not, you've most likely heard ghost stories, either legends or encounters that friends or family claimed to have had... maybe even you yourself have experienced something metaphysical or paranormal. Most of the stories that we have heard, and most of what we know of ghosts, have been from a Western or American point of view, ranging from the calm and silent spirits haunting century-old homes to the Native American stories of ghosts coming and whisking away campers in the middle of the night... All of these stories have a distinctly American flair to them.
Just as America has its own ghost stories populated by phantasms and poltergeists, Japan has its own distinct and unique take on the ghostly and the paranormal.
Although I don't have too much knowledge about this area of Japanese lore, I will offer what I do know first, before going onto Wikipedia info. Japanese ghosts look human for the most part and typically wear the garb that they had on at the time of death or their funeral garments. If you've seen the Ring or similar takes on Japanese films, you probably have a good idea of how they appear. Long, dark, disheveled hair; light clothing; pale skin. That is the stereotypical Japanese ghost.
Actually, during my stay in Japan, a female Korean exchange student, who was also staying in the same dormitory, mistook me for a ghost one morning. This happened because I had just gotten up, I was in a white beater and light pajama pants, and I decided to head to the kitchen area upstairs to make something to eat. So I slipped into my soft and fuzzy slippers and made my way there without a sound. As I approached, I heard someone in the kitchen so I prepared myself to greet them. There is a large mirror in the kitchen in which someone can easily look into and see anyone who may be approaching , so as I entered the kitchen I assumed that she had seen me, but she was busy preparing her food at the counter with the mirror right in front of her, so I went by to the sink and counter on the opposite side of the room to prepare my own meal. Before doing so though, I turned around to her and said, "Ohayou... (Good morning...)," in a rather low and monotone voice. Upon hearing this, she looked up at the mirror, saw my disheveled hair and pale form, turned around in shock and screamed while crouching into a fetal position on the floor. While this was all occurring, I was a horrible person and was laughing at her reaction.=) After the initial shock and scream of terror, she fortunately started to laugh as well. Of course, I apologized. :)
I suppose this can be taken as an example of the similarity of Eastern ghosts and spirits. Long dark hair and white or light clothing, and suddenly appearing without a noise being made.
To get a few more details, I gathered some information from Wikipedia.com. Other common traits of Japanese ghosts are that they have no legs or feet, hence moving around silently. Also, their hands are constantly in a limp position. You can imagine a rabbit or dog's stance when they stand up, and you'll get an idea of how the ghost arms are positioned. Japanese ghosts also tend to have will-o-wisps, little balls of flame, floating around their forms.
The different types of ghosts fit into the same categories as some American ghosts:
Onryou are ghosts who return for vengeance upon those who wronged them.
Ubume are ghosts who died during childbirth, and they return to watch over their children.
Goryou are ghosts who belonged to the artistocratic class, and it's also mentioned that they were people who were usually martyred.
Funayurei are ghosts of those who died or vanished at sea.
Zashiki-warashi are the ghosts of children and are usually seen as being mischievous.
Warrior ghosts are ghosts of those who fell in battle.
Last, are the Seducer ghosts who return to carry out a love affair with a living person.
In regards to haunted areas... there was only one place that I heard about while there, and it's quite famous apparently. At the base of Mt. Fuji lies a deep and vast forest known as Aokigahara. Within this forest, hundreds of people have committed suicide there. With so many deaths being noted there, and hikers regularly stumbling upon the remains of those who have committed suicide, it makes sense that it would be considered a haunted area. It is of note that suicide rates are rather high in Japan, and one way that a lot of those suicide victims go about doing that is by hurling theirself off of the train station platforms when a train comes by, thus being killed by the impact or... being killed on the tracks. Both are rather morbid and horrid thoughts in my opinion.
I spent hours looking for videos that showed Japanese ghosts, and I managed to find some. I also found some American videos in order to better contrast the differences between the ghosts of one country from the other. Only the first video is subtitled. Of importance in the second video though is that they mention the dresser being very old and passed down through generations.
I personally don't believe in ghosts, but I was quite superstitious as a kid and I do still find ghost stories and evidence of the supernatural to be interesting material. It still causes shivers to run up my spine and the hair on the back of my neck to stand on end, all while taking the occasional glance behind myself.
To finish things off, while in Japan, a friend offered to take me to explore an abandoned hospital that is supposedly haunted. At first, I eagerly agreed to it, but after talking about it and the thought of a possible "curse" afflicting the place so as to cause it to be abandoned in the first place, I wisely backed out of that experience. Sometimes it's better to just let some things lie rather than disturb them...
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Acedia
Acedia is defined as laziness, slothfulness, religious apathy, and inactivity in the practice of virtue. This word is great because it can provide me with multiple topics that I can speak about, but... I suppose just focusing on one will be adequate.
When speaking about Japan, and either religion or virtue are brought up, some Americans can be quite judgmental and ethno-centric when it comes to various aspects of Japanese culture, such as the general view on sexuality, or even the presumable lack of good manners in Japan.
I'm only going to touch on religion though, since a touch is all I know, but in Japan, Christians number less than 1% of the population. I'm assuming that the statistic is similar for Muslims or Jewish as well. For the most part, Japan's major religions are Shintoism and Buddhism. With small shrines and temples scattered throughout Japan, these are major tourist areas for not only foreigners, but native Japanese as well.
People will go to these shrines to pray for good luck and fortune in whatever field they may be seeking or pursuing, such as love, entrance exams, or jobs. They also sell fortunes, like a horoscope, and charms for various things, such as protection from harm or providing good luck. For me, all of this just seems to be fun stuff to do since it's not something that I'm familiar with or that I've been indoctrinated with, but for some, or rather most, people, they take it very seriously. This can mean maintaining a shrine to ancestors in their home, with the ancestors usually being parents or grandparents, and going to these various shrines to pray for good fortune for not only oneself, but also one's family, friends, company, school, city, prefecture, country, or world. The usual stuff.
Although religion does not seem to be discussed much, it most definitely runs throughout all sectors of Japanese culture, as can be expected. Most contrastingly, some people would consider the Japanese to be immoral or an Atheist nation simply based upon the openness of sex in its various forms, but the Japanese view of sex is based upon aspects of their religion in which sex and fertility are promoted. Actually, from anecdotes that I've read, there were penis festivals throughout Japan up to around the period between the 1950's and 1980's. These festivals were meant to promote fertility, and many couples, or women, who wanted children would go to these festivals to touch or receive wooden penises... replicas people, replicas!... for the most part, I assume. The way giant penis monuments and giant log penises are described in these anecdotal experiences makes it seem like it would've been a very... fun or interesting festival to take part in. Sadly, since Japan has become more Westernized, these festivals have declined in number. Hopefully I'll be able to find an active festival of this type some day... it seems like it would be quite the unique experience. :)
Here are some pics showing off various shrines and different aspects of them:
This type of fountain is usually found in front of shrines and temples. People can wash their hands with it and rinse their mouth out, or drink it. Although it's not recommended that you drink it, it does seem to be potable water since I drank some before I was advised that I probably shouldn't drink it. Anyway, it's meant to cleanse the person before they enter the shrine or temple.
This is a famous giant Buddha statue found in the town of Kamakura. It's a rather traditional town that draws in many tourists who come to see this statue among various other sights in the town.
When speaking about Japan, and either religion or virtue are brought up, some Americans can be quite judgmental and ethno-centric when it comes to various aspects of Japanese culture, such as the general view on sexuality, or even the presumable lack of good manners in Japan.
I'm only going to touch on religion though, since a touch is all I know, but in Japan, Christians number less than 1% of the population. I'm assuming that the statistic is similar for Muslims or Jewish as well. For the most part, Japan's major religions are Shintoism and Buddhism. With small shrines and temples scattered throughout Japan, these are major tourist areas for not only foreigners, but native Japanese as well.
People will go to these shrines to pray for good luck and fortune in whatever field they may be seeking or pursuing, such as love, entrance exams, or jobs. They also sell fortunes, like a horoscope, and charms for various things, such as protection from harm or providing good luck. For me, all of this just seems to be fun stuff to do since it's not something that I'm familiar with or that I've been indoctrinated with, but for some, or rather most, people, they take it very seriously. This can mean maintaining a shrine to ancestors in their home, with the ancestors usually being parents or grandparents, and going to these various shrines to pray for good fortune for not only oneself, but also one's family, friends, company, school, city, prefecture, country, or world. The usual stuff.
Although religion does not seem to be discussed much, it most definitely runs throughout all sectors of Japanese culture, as can be expected. Most contrastingly, some people would consider the Japanese to be immoral or an Atheist nation simply based upon the openness of sex in its various forms, but the Japanese view of sex is based upon aspects of their religion in which sex and fertility are promoted. Actually, from anecdotes that I've read, there were penis festivals throughout Japan up to around the period between the 1950's and 1980's. These festivals were meant to promote fertility, and many couples, or women, who wanted children would go to these festivals to touch or receive wooden penises... replicas people, replicas!... for the most part, I assume. The way giant penis monuments and giant log penises are described in these anecdotal experiences makes it seem like it would've been a very... fun or interesting festival to take part in. Sadly, since Japan has become more Westernized, these festivals have declined in number. Hopefully I'll be able to find an active festival of this type some day... it seems like it would be quite the unique experience. :)
Here are some pics showing off various shrines and different aspects of them:
This type of fountain is usually found in front of shrines and temples. People can wash their hands with it and rinse their mouth out, or drink it. Although it's not recommended that you drink it, it does seem to be potable water since I drank some before I was advised that I probably shouldn't drink it. Anyway, it's meant to cleanse the person before they enter the shrine or temple.
This is a famous giant Buddha statue found in the town of Kamakura. It's a rather traditional town that draws in many tourists who come to see this statue among various other sights in the town.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Purfle
Purfle, in short, is an ornamental border. Most Japanese borders that I've observed and recall are not ornamented. The borders are usually clear and easily discernible, while the mass on the inside is what is drawing the attention in towards the more decorative object(s) of interest. This can be best seen, and most often seen, in the arrangement of dishes, such as sashimi- raw fillets of fish.
I apologize if you haven't eaten yet and you're currently craving raw seafood, because this is going to be an especially tasty entry.
As can be seen from the pic above, the layout of the dish itself is quite the work of art. Not only is it a feast for the stomach, but also a feast for the eyes. While eating in Japan, I would always find myself gazing at displays of food and taking in not only the type of ingredients that make up the dish, but also the way it's laid out. The artistic design may not mean much when one is dealing with stomach pangs, but upon retrospect, it may have been those artfully delicious designs that added even more to the hunger within oneself. Seeing how carefully and deliberately each piece is laid out and the shape(s) that they form can cause one to imagine how it will be like to take a piece of the final dish and savor the imaginary juices as they finally touch upon the tongue to be masticated and sent along ones throat to reach that piece of meat's end, in its current form, in the stomach; whereupon its bath of acid cleanses its body and prepares it for its travel through the small intestine whereupon each and every protein and other nutrient shall be taken through those walls and sent upon its own private journey until it reaches the cell that is to be its final destination as it serves its purpose to fuel that cell as a bundle of wood would fuel a warm and hearty hearth within ones home.
The sight of a sashimi dish and the artistic expanse to which such a sight can inspire... You may be currently be thinking, "Surely, Mr. Farte, sir, you jest. For how can the mere sight of a dish cause one's artistic sensibilities to go so far as to consider each protein as a newborn babe being delivered to each and every home, and thereupon invigorating it with its warm smile, within the body of a country?" As you may be thinking that, I may be replying, "But friend, is it too much to ask that of a dish? Can it be not both invigorating to the body and the mind, not as just the physical sustenance it provides to both, but also as a mental inspiration at each and every meal? Is it too much to ask for the chef to make not just a delectable dish, but also one that draws forth from the artistic depths of the chef's mind?"
Well, the experience may be different for each of us, but for me, just seeing a well-purfled dish makes not only my mouth water, but engages the mind just as surely as seeing an exquisite work of art within a museum. Although, I must say, being able to "partake" of that exquisite work of art would certainly make a trip and time spent there more worthwhile for more than just the eyes.
I apologize if you haven't eaten yet and you're currently craving raw seafood, because this is going to be an especially tasty entry.
As can be seen from the pic above, the layout of the dish itself is quite the work of art. Not only is it a feast for the stomach, but also a feast for the eyes. While eating in Japan, I would always find myself gazing at displays of food and taking in not only the type of ingredients that make up the dish, but also the way it's laid out. The artistic design may not mean much when one is dealing with stomach pangs, but upon retrospect, it may have been those artfully delicious designs that added even more to the hunger within oneself. Seeing how carefully and deliberately each piece is laid out and the shape(s) that they form can cause one to imagine how it will be like to take a piece of the final dish and savor the imaginary juices as they finally touch upon the tongue to be masticated and sent along ones throat to reach that piece of meat's end, in its current form, in the stomach; whereupon its bath of acid cleanses its body and prepares it for its travel through the small intestine whereupon each and every protein and other nutrient shall be taken through those walls and sent upon its own private journey until it reaches the cell that is to be its final destination as it serves its purpose to fuel that cell as a bundle of wood would fuel a warm and hearty hearth within ones home.
The sight of a sashimi dish and the artistic expanse to which such a sight can inspire... You may be currently be thinking, "Surely, Mr. Farte, sir, you jest. For how can the mere sight of a dish cause one's artistic sensibilities to go so far as to consider each protein as a newborn babe being delivered to each and every home, and thereupon invigorating it with its warm smile, within the body of a country?" As you may be thinking that, I may be replying, "But friend, is it too much to ask that of a dish? Can it be not both invigorating to the body and the mind, not as just the physical sustenance it provides to both, but also as a mental inspiration at each and every meal? Is it too much to ask for the chef to make not just a delectable dish, but also one that draws forth from the artistic depths of the chef's mind?"
Well, the experience may be different for each of us, but for me, just seeing a well-purfled dish makes not only my mouth water, but engages the mind just as surely as seeing an exquisite work of art within a museum. Although, I must say, being able to "partake" of that exquisite work of art would certainly make a trip and time spent there more worthwhile for more than just the eyes.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Whipsaw
Now, when this word is used, what is most likely to come to mind is the type of saw used by loggers to cooperatively cut down a tree. The definition that I am seeing whipsaw as is this definition from Dictionary.com: to subject to two opposing forces at the same time.
I can think of many examples in which two opposing forces have pulled on me in one way or another, but in regards to Japanese, there is one particular force which affected me and caused me to have multiple debates with myself throughout my time there. That force... is fashion. Yes, fashion.
Before going to Japan, I had already planned on purchasing some Japanese clothing, so I packed relatively little; just three tees, two pairs of jeans, one pair of shorts, and the smaller garments. Oh, and I also brought only one pair of shoes with me, which were running shoes. I have what I consider to be a very simple and basic style of dress. I don't really like to wear anything too fancy or flashy. It would just be too gaudy for my tastes, at the moment.
Anyway, while this style would be seen as being quite normal, and appealing to some, here in the U.S., it didn't work too well in Japan for me. It was fine with my friends and the students who were our guides, but that was because they knew that I was an exchange student. At the beginning, my line of thought was that if they were fine with it, I was fine. It wasn't until I started trying to make more friends that I noticed the subtle influence of dress in Japan. Most people just assumed that I was Japanese, which wasn't too difficult of an assumption to make since I also assumed that most Asian people I met there were also Japanese. Because of the assumption that I was Japanese, I was also judged by the standards of the Japanese when it came to dress and style. For example, from wearing just a plain t-shirt, jeans, running shoes, and carrying a big bookbag, some kids, who were annoyed that I wouldn't step out into traffic to let them pass me on the narrow sidewalk because they were riding bikes, made comments about me that were equivalent to calling someone "a weirdo that lives in his mother's basement". Now, this annoyed me, but it wasn't the wake-up call that got me perusing the racks.
What really got me thinking about the differences and importance of clothing in Japan was when I went out with someone to see a movie. I dressed in a t-shirt, shorts, and running shoes, while she dressed in a blouse, a wool-like jacket-thing, a skirt, panty hose, lace ankle socks, some cute shoes, and topped it off with a beret and a light scarf. Okay. It was just a bit of a contrast, but nothing that really bothered me or made me feel too uneasy for being under-dressed, since guys can get away with just wearing a t-shirt and jeans when going out casually, right? Well, that's what I thought up until after the movie, when I asked to see if she wanted to get something to eat, but... she responded that she had plans for dinner with a friend... so that left me with nothing else to do besides finding my way back to my dorm.
I thought about the possibilities as to why things turned out like they did, and although it wasn't the ultimate reason behind it, I figured that my limited selection of clothing that I brought with me was not going to be enough to successfully get me through the Japanese relationship game. When I compared my style of dress with other Japanese guys, I noticed that I was missing a lot. Not only in terms of flashy styled clothing, but also accessories. I'm not a guy who accessorizes very much if at all, and that didn't change, but I did look into the different types of Japanese styles.
One thing that most people do not know is that in Japan, the styles of clothing routinely change with each season. So for example, during the Summer, people are wearing summer-themed clothing, but when Fall comes around, people readily switch over to their Autumn gear, and the same is true for Winter and Spring. It also goes by dates rather than how the actual weather is. So when Winter is officially there, even if it's not cold yet, people will switch over to their winter attire. Since I knew, and still know, nothing about the details, my style of dress would stand out in some way most of the time. Also, I would occasionally get comments about how out-of-season some of my clothing for the day may be.
With my personal style and taste on one side and the Japanese preference for the stylish on the other, my desire to take part in and experience Japanese social life while still maintaining my sense of individuality was caught in the middle.
I considered a lot of the styles that I saw to be a bit too gaudy or flashy for my tastes. Rather than being the focal point of attention through style of dress, I prefer to garner that attention through action, such as randomly introducing myself and starting a conversation. Although that works somewhat well in Japan, it works a whole lot better if your style of dress conveys the idea that you are "in the know" when it comes to clothing and how others will perceive you due to your style of dress. It took a bit of time and observation, but I managed to go about and purchase clothing that would make me seem at least average in terms of dress during classes, while also purchasing clothing that would allow me to fit in more so with the nightgoers. Nothing too crazy, but just bits here and there that would allow me to maneuver about while blending in with the backdrop of other stylishly-dressed Japanese men. It would also be less embarrassing for any lady friends who decided to hang out with me.
Here are some photos that I am hot-linking to from japanesestreets.com. They seem to be relatively good examples of what you'll typically see people wearing when roaming about in the cities.
Based on the date that the site had these photos filed under, these photos are styles that people wore during October:
This is from November:
This is from September:
These are from December:
This is just a small selection of examples of Japanese style, and I'm fairly certain that you can see how the dress of the average American guy may not quite cut it in terms of fashion. I certainly felt that way. Anyway, faced with this sort of situation, a person can either say, "Hey man, I'm American, and this is just how I'm going to dress," or instead they can jump in and try to fully embrace the difference in fashion. Me, I just did my best to try and create a style that I felt matched my personal fashion sense. Also, I made sure to buy clothing that I would feel comfortable wearing in the U.S. as well.
I can think of many examples in which two opposing forces have pulled on me in one way or another, but in regards to Japanese, there is one particular force which affected me and caused me to have multiple debates with myself throughout my time there. That force... is fashion. Yes, fashion.
Before going to Japan, I had already planned on purchasing some Japanese clothing, so I packed relatively little; just three tees, two pairs of jeans, one pair of shorts, and the smaller garments. Oh, and I also brought only one pair of shoes with me, which were running shoes. I have what I consider to be a very simple and basic style of dress. I don't really like to wear anything too fancy or flashy. It would just be too gaudy for my tastes, at the moment.
Anyway, while this style would be seen as being quite normal, and appealing to some, here in the U.S., it didn't work too well in Japan for me. It was fine with my friends and the students who were our guides, but that was because they knew that I was an exchange student. At the beginning, my line of thought was that if they were fine with it, I was fine. It wasn't until I started trying to make more friends that I noticed the subtle influence of dress in Japan. Most people just assumed that I was Japanese, which wasn't too difficult of an assumption to make since I also assumed that most Asian people I met there were also Japanese. Because of the assumption that I was Japanese, I was also judged by the standards of the Japanese when it came to dress and style. For example, from wearing just a plain t-shirt, jeans, running shoes, and carrying a big bookbag, some kids, who were annoyed that I wouldn't step out into traffic to let them pass me on the narrow sidewalk because they were riding bikes, made comments about me that were equivalent to calling someone "a weirdo that lives in his mother's basement". Now, this annoyed me, but it wasn't the wake-up call that got me perusing the racks.
What really got me thinking about the differences and importance of clothing in Japan was when I went out with someone to see a movie. I dressed in a t-shirt, shorts, and running shoes, while she dressed in a blouse, a wool-like jacket-thing, a skirt, panty hose, lace ankle socks, some cute shoes, and topped it off with a beret and a light scarf. Okay. It was just a bit of a contrast, but nothing that really bothered me or made me feel too uneasy for being under-dressed, since guys can get away with just wearing a t-shirt and jeans when going out casually, right? Well, that's what I thought up until after the movie, when I asked to see if she wanted to get something to eat, but... she responded that she had plans for dinner with a friend... so that left me with nothing else to do besides finding my way back to my dorm.
I thought about the possibilities as to why things turned out like they did, and although it wasn't the ultimate reason behind it, I figured that my limited selection of clothing that I brought with me was not going to be enough to successfully get me through the Japanese relationship game. When I compared my style of dress with other Japanese guys, I noticed that I was missing a lot. Not only in terms of flashy styled clothing, but also accessories. I'm not a guy who accessorizes very much if at all, and that didn't change, but I did look into the different types of Japanese styles.
One thing that most people do not know is that in Japan, the styles of clothing routinely change with each season. So for example, during the Summer, people are wearing summer-themed clothing, but when Fall comes around, people readily switch over to their Autumn gear, and the same is true for Winter and Spring. It also goes by dates rather than how the actual weather is. So when Winter is officially there, even if it's not cold yet, people will switch over to their winter attire. Since I knew, and still know, nothing about the details, my style of dress would stand out in some way most of the time. Also, I would occasionally get comments about how out-of-season some of my clothing for the day may be.
With my personal style and taste on one side and the Japanese preference for the stylish on the other, my desire to take part in and experience Japanese social life while still maintaining my sense of individuality was caught in the middle.
I considered a lot of the styles that I saw to be a bit too gaudy or flashy for my tastes. Rather than being the focal point of attention through style of dress, I prefer to garner that attention through action, such as randomly introducing myself and starting a conversation. Although that works somewhat well in Japan, it works a whole lot better if your style of dress conveys the idea that you are "in the know" when it comes to clothing and how others will perceive you due to your style of dress. It took a bit of time and observation, but I managed to go about and purchase clothing that would make me seem at least average in terms of dress during classes, while also purchasing clothing that would allow me to fit in more so with the nightgoers. Nothing too crazy, but just bits here and there that would allow me to maneuver about while blending in with the backdrop of other stylishly-dressed Japanese men. It would also be less embarrassing for any lady friends who decided to hang out with me.
Here are some photos that I am hot-linking to from japanesestreets.com. They seem to be relatively good examples of what you'll typically see people wearing when roaming about in the cities.
Based on the date that the site had these photos filed under, these photos are styles that people wore during October:
This is from November:
This is from September:
These are from December:
This is just a small selection of examples of Japanese style, and I'm fairly certain that you can see how the dress of the average American guy may not quite cut it in terms of fashion. I certainly felt that way. Anyway, faced with this sort of situation, a person can either say, "Hey man, I'm American, and this is just how I'm going to dress," or instead they can jump in and try to fully embrace the difference in fashion. Me, I just did my best to try and create a style that I felt matched my personal fashion sense. Also, I made sure to buy clothing that I would feel comfortable wearing in the U.S. as well.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Girandole
A girandole is a very seldom-used word in the English language, being derived from the latin word 'gyre', which means a circling or rotating motion. The word girandole has three different meanings, but the meaning which I am focusing upon is its meaning of "a showy or flashy display, such as that of a fireworks display".
Fireworks are quite popular in Japan. They range from the large and professional displays to small sets of fireworks that groups of friends may set off on a beach. Fireworks are easily available and can be purchased by kids to have firecracker fights on the beach. Quite amusing to watch, although it is dangerous, but that in itself is probably a draw for the exchange of flying sparks and flares in the din of night. Although... with such easy access to firecrackers, mischievous children seem to have quite a bit of fun with them. For example, those children, after being yelled at for making a ruckus by a homeless man living in an outdoor restroom, took their remaining firecrackers and... set them off at the restroom door just to send the poor guy into an even greater tantrum.
While in Japan, I wasn't able to experience a large fireworks display to signify certain holidays or events, so I had to settle for the beachside view of friends playing with fireworks. *Click here for link to some of that night's firework pics and video*
The next time I go to Japan though, I'd like to see more festivals and their girandolic firework displays. The festivals that I did go to did not have fireworks, unfortunately. Summer seems to be the prime season for that.
Fireworks are quite popular in Japan. They range from the large and professional displays to small sets of fireworks that groups of friends may set off on a beach. Fireworks are easily available and can be purchased by kids to have firecracker fights on the beach. Quite amusing to watch, although it is dangerous, but that in itself is probably a draw for the exchange of flying sparks and flares in the din of night. Although... with such easy access to firecrackers, mischievous children seem to have quite a bit of fun with them. For example, those children, after being yelled at for making a ruckus by a homeless man living in an outdoor restroom, took their remaining firecrackers and... set them off at the restroom door just to send the poor guy into an even greater tantrum.
While in Japan, I wasn't able to experience a large fireworks display to signify certain holidays or events, so I had to settle for the beachside view of friends playing with fireworks. *Click here for link to some of that night's firework pics and video*
The next time I go to Japan though, I'd like to see more festivals and their girandolic firework displays. The festivals that I did go to did not have fireworks, unfortunately. Summer seems to be the prime season for that.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Reconcile
Reconcile. Reconciliating differences. Reconciliating past wrongs. When I think of reconcile, many things come to mind, but when I think of it in the context of Japan and the U.S., the differences and the wrongs of the past come to mind.
In the minds of those on both sides, there were right actions and there were wrong actions, but up until even now there is still no reconciliation in the minds of some. In the U.S., there is Pearl Harbor, and in Japan, there are the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The war may be over, but the living veterans on both sides still hold their memories and feelings of that time. While some of the veterans of Japan may now feel regret over that war, the two large craters that still scar the land and the memorials that now adorn them are constant reminders to not only those veterans, but also to current and future generations of what transpired in those two places on that day. The pain, death, and suffering from that time incite the strongest of feelings within various Japanese, running the gamut from sadness and regret to a cold and seething anger. The passage of time may have allowed the rebuilding of severed ties between the U.S. and Japan, but for many of the veterans, it seems to be more of a facade that they put on so they can continue about their life as normally as they can. For when confronted with those memories of the past again, that pent up emotion once again reignites. That is the same for the Japanese veterans as it is for the American veterans.
When in Japan, I managed to catch a television program in which the U.S. pilot who dropped the bomb on Hiroshima returned to Japan. He seemed to have mixed emotions as he walked about from place to place. He spoke of current places as he remembered them when he was in Japan during the war. Also, he was taken to see the memorials of the aftermath of the bombings. While he seemed bothered by the situation, I couldn't tell if he was bothered by the pictures and memories of dead and scarred bomb victims or if he was bothered by being placed in that situation. There was a glimmer of remorse, but that was all behind the stoicism of stating that war is war. During the last portion of the show, he and a Japanese veteran and the veteran's wife sat together to speak of that time. It was then that the emotions on both sides flared. I believe the Japanese veteran wanted to know if the American veteran felt regret or if he would apologize for those acts. The American veteran vehemently stated that he would not apologize for it. He then went on to say that he remembers Pearl Harbor too well and that he would not forgive that attack in which many of his friends died. The Japanese veteran's wife began to weep at that harsh reply, but the Japanese veteran could only contain what seemed to be his anguish and anger behind a stoic facade. After that exchange, the discussion ended and the American veteran took his leave.
That is all that I can clearly recall from the program, but what I remember more clearly is one of the questions that was asked to me by my friend's father after the program ended. He asked me if I thought that it would be better if atrocities such as the nuclear bombings and Pearl Harbor were forgotten. My reply was that, although it is good to remember history and the pain and suffering that came from certain acts, it is also good if the feelings behind those acts were forgotten, or rather, not passed on to further generations. My reasoning is that as long as a wound is allowed to fester, it will not heal. The best way for healing to occur is to clean out and disinfect the wound. Wounds can heal with time, but if infection is allowed to linger, it may never be cleansed, and hence, healing may never occur. Never is a strong word, but I use it relatively rather than absolutely.
Time has passed between those two acts, horrific on both ends, and the wounds seem to have healed somewhat. Some infection still lingers, but for better or worse, it will subside. With new cells to replace the old cells, the healing is occurring and the rift will close. Unfortunately, that is but one of many rifts that exists, and many have existed longer than this one. Whether these rifts will heal or not will depend upon how the infection is dealt with and, of course, time.
In the minds of those on both sides, there were right actions and there were wrong actions, but up until even now there is still no reconciliation in the minds of some. In the U.S., there is Pearl Harbor, and in Japan, there are the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The war may be over, but the living veterans on both sides still hold their memories and feelings of that time. While some of the veterans of Japan may now feel regret over that war, the two large craters that still scar the land and the memorials that now adorn them are constant reminders to not only those veterans, but also to current and future generations of what transpired in those two places on that day. The pain, death, and suffering from that time incite the strongest of feelings within various Japanese, running the gamut from sadness and regret to a cold and seething anger. The passage of time may have allowed the rebuilding of severed ties between the U.S. and Japan, but for many of the veterans, it seems to be more of a facade that they put on so they can continue about their life as normally as they can. For when confronted with those memories of the past again, that pent up emotion once again reignites. That is the same for the Japanese veterans as it is for the American veterans.
When in Japan, I managed to catch a television program in which the U.S. pilot who dropped the bomb on Hiroshima returned to Japan. He seemed to have mixed emotions as he walked about from place to place. He spoke of current places as he remembered them when he was in Japan during the war. Also, he was taken to see the memorials of the aftermath of the bombings. While he seemed bothered by the situation, I couldn't tell if he was bothered by the pictures and memories of dead and scarred bomb victims or if he was bothered by being placed in that situation. There was a glimmer of remorse, but that was all behind the stoicism of stating that war is war. During the last portion of the show, he and a Japanese veteran and the veteran's wife sat together to speak of that time. It was then that the emotions on both sides flared. I believe the Japanese veteran wanted to know if the American veteran felt regret or if he would apologize for those acts. The American veteran vehemently stated that he would not apologize for it. He then went on to say that he remembers Pearl Harbor too well and that he would not forgive that attack in which many of his friends died. The Japanese veteran's wife began to weep at that harsh reply, but the Japanese veteran could only contain what seemed to be his anguish and anger behind a stoic facade. After that exchange, the discussion ended and the American veteran took his leave.
That is all that I can clearly recall from the program, but what I remember more clearly is one of the questions that was asked to me by my friend's father after the program ended. He asked me if I thought that it would be better if atrocities such as the nuclear bombings and Pearl Harbor were forgotten. My reply was that, although it is good to remember history and the pain and suffering that came from certain acts, it is also good if the feelings behind those acts were forgotten, or rather, not passed on to further generations. My reasoning is that as long as a wound is allowed to fester, it will not heal. The best way for healing to occur is to clean out and disinfect the wound. Wounds can heal with time, but if infection is allowed to linger, it may never be cleansed, and hence, healing may never occur. Never is a strong word, but I use it relatively rather than absolutely.
Time has passed between those two acts, horrific on both ends, and the wounds seem to have healed somewhat. Some infection still lingers, but for better or worse, it will subside. With new cells to replace the old cells, the healing is occurring and the rift will close. Unfortunately, that is but one of many rifts that exists, and many have existed longer than this one. Whether these rifts will heal or not will depend upon how the infection is dealt with and, of course, time.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Me
My name is Lorfarhtee Lo, but you can just call me Farte for short. I'm in the final stretch of my undergrad and expect to graduate this Spring semester. After that... while I am planning on heading to law/grad school, I will spend about 2 years working first. Without that break to re-orient myself, I fear that I wouldn't be able to make it through one or the other in the fashion that I would most prefer. During those two years though, I won't just be sitting on my hands while idling time away, hopefully. During at least one of those years, I hope to teach English in Japan. Hence, this blog's title of "Japanese and Me". If I can teach in Japan for two years, that would be even better. Because I have no formal knowledge of teaching, I hope to pick up as much as I can so that I can maximize what my students can potentially learn.
Hm, I seem to have rambled again and focused upon only one aspect of myself. Oh well, if you'd like to learn more, feel free to ask.
Hm, I seem to have rambled again and focused upon only one aspect of myself. Oh well, if you'd like to learn more, feel free to ask.
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