GregInJapan

Where it's at

2007-10-04T19:12:00.000-07:00

It has been busy and hectic, for the last few months. I have been racing around, trying to study, learn, explore, and do research for my thesis paper. Oh, yeah, and teach, too. This place is a challenge. The more I think I understand, the less I do, which is the usual cliche. I tried to upload photos from some of the trips I made recently, and it works, but all of the commands for blogspot are in Japanese, and I have to figure out what they mean. Also, I hate uploading pictures here. When you do it, it always loads the pictures to the front of the text, and you have to scramble around to put text around it. So, for now, I am just going to upload pictures to facebook.com and you can see my adventures there. I will keep this for notations and texts. Which is all we really need anyway, right? It will be just like a magazine, only without the fancy layout, or colour pictures, or ease of use. Ok, so it will be more like a textbook.

At any rate, I found a tutorial for blogspot and copied down all of the buttons' meanings, and will be typing away.

Lately my job is in a crisis, and Nova has been going through some troubled times. They have been late on payment for many staff members, although so far, I have gotten my money. I live in company housing, which is kind of expensive, so I think I shall look for cheaper options. Hopefully, I will not have to make any severe changes until after Christmas, when I can bring back a lot of stuff to my parent's house, in preparation for coming back to the states for a while. I need to do a lot of stuff before then, including take the Japanese proficiency test in Decembre. I hope I can last that long.

S Word of the Day

2007-09-05T09:57:00.000-07:00

href="http://www1.kcn.ne.jp/~yosikatu/img/yagyu/kubikiri01.jpg">
I am pretty sure Jizou never approved of a kubikuri, but because of the tube magic of the internet, he is connected with them.
So, if you want to know what to get me for Christmas, just jog over to your local Samurai store and get me one of these babies.

They are for capital removal.

Tricky Chopsticks?

2007-08-21T21:01:00.001-07:00

Finally, some with a weighty, important issue.

There are actually a lot of social rules which go with using chopsticks in Japan, for example, not to take out a lot of food from the bowl with the eating edge. You use the hand side, which might be potentially dirtier, but, hey, never entered your mouth. Ah, society!

Back at it again

2007-08-18T11:43:00.001-07:00

I hooked up my internet a while ago.
I am in the process of putting more images I have online. here is one for fun:

This is my burden every day.

2007-08-07T09:28:00.000-07:00

Dice K has made me famous

2007-06-25T06:38:00.000-07:00

Well, because I still have some connexions back home in Springfield, Massachusetts, the local press interviewed me about my Japan adventure, and my thoughts on baseball. I know a lot of you don't necessarily associate me with baseball, or any sport, really, but I am a proud member of the Red Sox Nation, and have always been. Here is the article for you all to enjoy:

I may not yet be big in Japan, but you have to start somewhere.

Whoo HOO

2007-06-24T19:47:00.000-07:00

I finally fixed all the stuff necessary for blogspot. I am now able to load up a bunch of pix, stories, etc.
I came to the US to get a lot of stuff done, and this is one of them. I will have a birthday dinner tomorrow, yay!
More when I return to Nippon.

Intereting coinkie-dinkies

2007-04-14T19:58:00.000-07:00

This week has been full of interesting things. The more I live here, I feel the energy of the life of Asia, and have come to understand why the concept of yin yang is so powerful. Here, things do melt into each other, retaining a piece of themselves only to become manisfest as the other, and going back again.
I was supposed to have a friend over for dinner,and was cleaning up my messy apartment. I have been buying the Daily Yomiuri lately, because it keeps me in touch with the world, has a lot of US news from different papers, and it also has a great Japanese language section every few days. Also, there are a lot of good articles I can send different people, so it acts as a way to connect with all of you guys. I have been buying the paper at the local convenience store, but since it is cheaper by far to subscribe, I have been thinking about doing that. I put it off a lot, and hadn't rembered to do it as of yet.
Well, as I was sorting through the paper, and going through about two weeks of stuff, a man rang my door bell. He wanted to sign me up for a subscription to the Yomiuri.

I signed up immediately.

Last night, my friend bailed out on me. I settled in to watch 24, which I have, as of recently, only seen in Japanese. I started watching the first few episodes of season five, and am now conflicted: do I stop here, and start watching season 4, because I can watch backstory, or do I forge ahead and go through 5, and then start at the beginning and work my way through. Well, while I was able to spend some quiet time at home, I got another calling: some very nice, very cute Jehovah's witnesses. They wanted to convert me, and have me go to their meetings. I told them I am pretty Catholic, and go to church regularly (which I have been doing throuhout the Lenten season, and am continuing to do so.) They were pretty pushy, and I had to be as polite as possible to be as rude as possible, something you only learn by dealing with the Japanese. I went to bed even more firm to continue my faith, so in a way, they did their job,ust not for their own church.

I am now a firm believer, mostly in coincidence.

Hey Osaka Jo, Whadday Know?

2007-04-07T07:05:00.001-07:00

For this years Hanami, my friends Hugh, Jack and I went to Osaka Castle, or, Osaka-Jo as it known around these parts.

It was a rainy day, cold and windy to boot. I was not happy, to say the least. I wanted to join in at least one hanami somehow, and this seemed like the perfect day to do it, the days before. Throughout the whole week, news sources consistently forecast good weather. Ha.

The first meteorologist who utters, "My bad!" should be cast into the fire, as an example to the others.

Well, as we approached the castle, the rain abated, and the sun started to come out. Japan is a place where there can be blue sky and sun, and yet the rain still falls, and this day was no execption.

The rain stopped enough that we could all sit, and sip our chu-hi or sake, and compose our haiku:

Hugh:
The rain falls heavily
The blossoms rise elegant
All things in their time.

Jack:
As people come by
In awe of cherry blossoms
We all shriek, "Kampai"!

me:
The uguisu
Shakes the blossoms to the ground
Like the rain before.

Back To Work

2007-01-10T23:39:00.000-08:00

I have returned from the US, and gotten back into the swing of things here in Japan. My ten days in Springfield were chockablock of fun, and JC even came up to dine with me and my parents. I had to go to work right away the next day, which was fine, as I had never really adjusted, time wise, to being back home. I was constantly falling asleep, especially at inappropriate times, or times where I wanted to talk to people, but was just too tired.

And, I jumped right back into Japanese language classes too, my first one for the new semester being this past Tuesday. I must confess, I was a little trepiditous coming to class, as I was walking in, without knowing what the results of the final exam, which I took just before I left, were. I was hoping to get a "Gentlemans' C", because if it is good enough for the POTUS, it is good enough for me. Actually, I was cramming a whole semester's worth of work into about five weeks of classes, due to the fact that I only had enough money for that, doing as much traveling to the States as I have. I studied like a madman, reviewed as much as I possibly could, and memorized to the best of my skill. I was also handicapped insofar as I was too poor to enjoy many of my usual venues for language exchanges, which is where I practice speaking. I can not easily memorize words, I do much better when I use them a few times, and language is all about using what you got.

Still, I could have failed completely, and they gave me my test..... and I got a "B"! I have never been so happy to get a "B" in my life! It meant I could progress with my language study, and I would not have to repeat the class. But, it also shows that if I can do this, I should be able to really do well by the end of this year, and pass level two of the Japanese Proficiency Test in Decembre. Poor or not.

Absorbed

2006-12-20T05:07:00.000-08:00

There are many ways to go.

Most Japanese are cremated, and even before Japan was my plan, my parents decided that they, too, would have their bodies rendered to ashes faster than the good earth would do, and placed in a crematorium. I have decided to follow the examples of my parent and peers. I will not be placed in the cold, cold ground to moulder.

Scatter my erstwhile bones where they will go. If you want a memento of me, I will write you a letter. There, you can have that forever.

So far...

2006-12-16T02:26:00.000-08:00

Hey world, it has been a while since I rapped with ya. (And, rap in the 1960s hippie sense, not the "east coast-west siiiiyeeed" sense.)

A lot has happened lately. I came back from Viki's wedding, which was awesome. It was a wonderful gala affair, which was catered by the Brass Elephant and hosted at the Walter's Art Gallery. I spent a great week with JC, who gracefully allowed me the comfort of her couch, and hospitality of her home. After returning, I began to busily prepare for my next travel, back to the US of course, this time for X-Mass. I will be going to Springfield on the 24th December, and returning to Japan on the 5th January. (Anyone who would like to join me for any part of Springfield-mania, especially around New Years, please email me, we should have some fun!) Returning one day earlier would be better to recover from jet-lag, but would cost me $400 extra, so, I decided to stay an extra day with the family and save the moolah.

But, during the month, I have been biking a lot, getting a lot of excersize in the process. Also, I have been meeting with prospective private students, and so far I have been able to find one as a client. I hope I can find maybe one or two more, so that I can earn enough money to go to Shanghai, if JJW still wants to go. If not, I will set aside the money and go scuba diving, which is something which has captured my interest as of late. All those pretty fishies! When I was younger, we had a lot of tropical fish in the house, and having had met many Australians, who surf and scuba to beat the band, not to mention the number of Japanese who also swim below the depths to visit scaled friends, I have decided that it might be fun to go into the blue depths myself. All this depends on finances, but we shall sea.

I have been also busy with school. There is a lot to memorize, but the grammar I have gotten at the YMCA is good, and the teaching is very good too. I have been meeting with more people, and speaking the language a lot in situations that are both of desire and of necessity, so in that regard I am progressing pretty well.

This year has definitely been one of change, and I hope 2007 will be even better. So, put on your smiles for the Holiday Season, sing the new year through, and let's welcome in the sixth sequel to the advent of the new milenium, cheers!

Back To Baltimore

2006-10-22T17:33:00.000-07:00

It has been five months since I was last in the United States, and I have done a lot here in Japan, with so much more to do. Recently, I went to Nara, to visit the oldest wooden temple in the world, at HoryuJi. It was a fantastic place, with an adjoining museum with lots of priceless Japanese art. I had the good fortune of meeting a very friendly and informative guide, who squired me around the place. I have pictures on a camera I need to develop, so when that happens, I will upload them. I have been to quite a few temples in the last few months, some in Kyoto and some right here in Osaka.

But, the next temple I will visit will actually be a church, a Greek Orthodox one. I will have the pleasure of witnessing the marriage of Dr. Viki Zavales and Mr. Steven Eggers, who will wed in the Cathedral this coming Sunday. For this event, I will travel to Charm City, and stay there for a week. I hope I can see as many of my good friends as possible, because it is doubtful that I will return to that fair city for another nine or ten months.

Finally, the good news is very good: my apartment rocks, it is nice and spacious. I think when I do move back to the US, I will somehow hunt down and carpet my new pad with tatami mats, they are reeeeeeallly comfortable. You can sleep on them, even. Also, I have renewed my visa, and it is now good for three years, so that means I can be in Japan for a little while more, maybe a year and a half. This is a great relief to me, as it took NOVA long enough to renew my contract and let me proceed withe the necessary paperwork. I got my renewal visa on the very day it expired, they cut it that close for me. However, all is well now. So, when I come to Balti, we can discuss your trip to Japan. You have a comfy, free place to crash, and there are so many things to do and places to go. See you soon!

A little interuption in blogging

2006-09-23T21:55:00.000-07:00

I have just moved into my new place, and it is great. I have a rather large bedroom, a reasonably sized "entertainment" area, and a small kitchenette, large enough to have a table. i have all my gear there, and it is great. However, I do not have internet yet, so I will not be blogging as much until i get something together, which may take some time. Anyway, you are all invited over to a housewarming on Octobre 7. Bring a dish.

Ok, the commute might be a little far, but, nonetheless you are all welcome, when you visit Japan, to crash with me.

My New Statement

2006-09-13T17:30:00.000-07:00

My new seal. Make you own here.

A final thought

2006-09-12T17:04:00.000-07:00

As an follow up to yesterday's post, please listen to Mr. Olbermann's commentary. Impeach now.

Try to remember

2006-09-11T22:04:00.000-07:00

Try to remember the kind of September
When life was slow and oh, so mellow
Try to remember the kind of September
When grass was green and grain was yellow
Try to remember the kind of September
When you were a tender and callow fellow
Try to remember and if you remember
Then follow, follow.

Try to remember when life was so tender
That no one wept except the willow
Try to remember the time of September
When love was an ember about to billow
Try to remember and if you remember
Then follow, follow.

Deep in December It's nice to remember
Although you know the snow will follow
Deep in December It's nice to remember
The fire of September that made us mellow
Deep in December our hearts should remember
And follow, follow, follow...

-Patti Page

Here in J-land, no one really cares about what happened in a far away city, five years ago. But I do. I remember the shock, the misery, the tears. I remember packing an emergency suitcase, in case I had to flee Baltimore, because it is an important port city, close to Washington D.C., which has also been hit, and could have been attacked too. I remeber the MSEL staying open, because they are dolts. I remember worrying about friends in New York, and calling people there and in Washington D.C., especially JZ, who worked at the Pentagon at the time. And I remember we were gonna get that bastard, Osama bin Laden. Who is still at large, because we decided to attack Iraq, which had, NO, please hear this, NO WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION, nor ANY TIES TO AL-QAIDA in the years prior to 2001. Impeach now.
Some statistics here.

Tabemono

2006-09-10T18:25:00.000-07:00

The Japanese love to eat. They will eat all sorts of things, and all sorts of cuisines. Italian food here is all the rage, and while it may be because pasta and noodles are familiar foods anyway, I think that there is also a romantic, exotic connexion as well. Italian food conveys a simple, yet dreamy lifestyle, in Japanese eyes not disimilar to how the English viewed Italy in the later half of the 19th, and early part of the 20th Centuries. A lush, plentiful place, where there was a bountiful amount of lush vegitation, rich foods, and passionate people. You can go to your local Italian restaurant,for example the one near my house, Saizeriya, and eat there, and be un-Japanese for a moment--- but only a moment, because being Japanese is very important. However, if Italian is not your fancy, you can have French, Spanish, Mexican (yes, Mexican and in fact I have gone to this one place called El Poncho and it is really good, and I will go back on Wednesday with a date, it is that good), Indian, Nepalese, Peruvian too. Osaka is replete with different kinds of cuisines. However, if you still pine for traditional Japanese, you can certainly have that too, from yakuniku, to home-style, to ramen or udon specialty places. I have come to love ramen; not the ten-cent packages you can get at the supermarket, but the real, egg noodle kind. Some restaurants make their own, some have the noodles made. But, just like in Tampopo, each restaurant prides itself on having its own broth, and indeed are very secretive about them. I have a favourite ramen-ya myself, although it is a chain: Sisen Ramen. The restaurant is adorned, Chinese style (which is another exotic cuisine, and Japan has a lot of these kinds of restaurants too, one of which I go to alot, being that it has a great lunch buffet)(yah, the more things change,the more they remain the same), and has Chinese music playing in the background. You can have it plain or spicy, or different combinations of things in it, but it is the broth that makes it good. Going there also points out an interesting reversal, too: in the US, many Japanese restaurants are owned, and run, by either Chinese or Koreans. In Japan, Korean and Chinese restaurants are owned and run by Japanese.
There is one place, in the back part of the Ramen Hall and Museum (if you come to Osaka, I will show you this place,as well as the Dumpling Museum), which is run by Chinese, and they make their own egg noodles, and it is different from anything else in Osaka, and really good. But, probably because it is not the "normal" ramen, people do not flock there. So, the thin noodles you have in the ramen packs are pretty much the style all over.

Having lived in Japan now, I can test the authenticity of any Japanese restaurant. First, do they even serve ramen? If they do not, well, then it may be a great restaurant serving good Japanese sushi, and tempura, but be skeptical. Ask them for Kitsune Udon. Now, udon is very Japanese. While the delicious egg noodle creation may be a national passion bordering on infatuation, udon is still a quinticential Japanese food. This noodle soup's stregnth is also in the broth, but while ramen will often be a strong, salty, spiced affair, udon broth is much more like consomme.
Many Japanese say there is a lot more complexity in udon, and I tend to agree. It is a very subtle comfort food. So, the second test of any J-joint is do they have udon, and what kind. My favourite is Kitsune Udon. In Japan, the tradition is that the fox loves to eat fried tofu, so this kind of soup is her favourite. We went to Kyoto the other day, and I bought my order ticket from a vending machine, to get this great treat:

If the restaurant in question does not have, or cannot make by special request, this easy and tastey treat, move on; your yen for Japanese food will be satisfied better in a more legit place.

Fire Work with Me

2006-08-31T01:10:00.000-07:00

Oh, we had a grand time last night.I went over to A and T's appartment with my friend/english student K, to have some pirogi that A made for dinner. When I had spoken to her earlier, she I thought she had said her husband had found out about a firework festival, of which there are many in August in Japan, and we could see some fire in the sky. I missheard: instead, what A said was that they had fireworks of their own. Now, fireworks are cheap to buy, some only costing about 70 yen, cool ones at that. One of them is this tank, which shoots off fire from the turret for about 10 seconds,which, if I can find it, I will buy myself and put the movie up here. K, AS, TS and I all took the fireworks, which are legal all year round in Japan, to a local park, where we set about ten of them off. The colours were beautiful, and I tried to capture them as best I could with my fonecam. They are on YouTube for the whole world to enjoy.

here is A with a sparkler (and I apologize for the sideways view, I was not able to rotate the image):

Here is her neice, B:

This is a tree firework, and a roman candle:
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Ah, the wonders of technology; recording on a fonecam, posting those images on a blog after having emailed them to myself and saved them on my computer, then uploading them on YouTube. No videotape was harmed in the making of these movies.

A jaunt to the Old Capitol

2006-08-28T15:51:00.000-07:00

There has been a lot going on lately, and I have been very busy lately. I am looking for a new place to live, studying a lot more, and my computer has had problems, again, so I have not been able to post as much as I like, but I intend to rectify that soon. The lastest happenings is that last week, I met up with two of my Baltimorian friends, and their sister/in-law. RL and SL had come in the last week from Shanghai, which I hope to visit, myself, in a few months. They were staying in Kyoto, so I decided to come up for part of a day and visit too. I love going to the old capitol of Japan. The pace is different from Osaka, less hurried, more sure of itself. Kyoto-jin, according to my conversation partner, K, are much like Bostonians, whereas she believes Osaka more like New York City (minus need for rope).

We headed over to Tou-ji temple, which is the largest wooden temple in Japan. Now, in Japan, there are a lot of "biggest this" and "largest that." Each temple, to drum up tourism, boasts that their particular structure has the largest Buddha, of a certain type. Touji need not do this, as it has the distinction of being one of the oldest temples in Japan, or, rather, the oldest site for temples, being that the wooden structures have burnt down several times due to war or ill luck. However, if you get there on the 21st of the month, you are sure of a good time, because it has its temple fair every month on this day. A temple fair in Japan is a huge collection of vendors, selling everything from vegetables to junk, to clothing and hats to really rare valuable, maybe for a good price. A really savvy Japanophile cruises these fairs for good deals on antiques. I saw reproduction (well, I think they were repros, anyway) of old guns. Maybe they were the real thing, who knows. You can even find a katana or good tanto, if you look hard enough. Due to time constriants, that of me being with people who wanted to get a lot done that day and me having to go back to work, I was only able be there for an hour, but to really do this thing, you need a half day. Next month, I plan on going again. I will be just after pay day, on my day off and any excuse to go to Kyoto is a good excuse for me. I am actually getting to know the rail system of that city well enough to get around fast, which is good, because I refuse to take the bus again. Well, "refuse" is much too strong, let's just say that if given options, I will not take the rickety, poxy bus. The bus in Kyoto, like any bus, anywhere, is crowded and slow, and always going in the wrong direction from where you want to go. I am a subway person, and, having had lived in Baltimore, have developed a pathological hatred of busses anyway. And, it is true: you get on in the back, and pay to get off; it is this way in China as well. But, it is true, if you can navigate a bus system, you have become a true native of a place, and people tend to give you your props. Case in point, in old, crusty Kyoto, where forein resisdents are none too common, two old ladies, in succession, had the courage to sit next to me. Now, this happens often enough in Osaka, because O-town people don't care about anthing. However, Kyoto is far more representative of Japan,in the sense that they are wary of the gaijin (with good reason, prolly). To my credit, I was also well dressed, as I needed to earn my daily bread later that afternoon, but nonetheless I felt like there was no one who did not want me there.

However, I still will ride the rails in the future, if I can.

It will be fun to visit the fair when I have time to stroll around. I hope that I can find an Osaka fair, so that if I go there for an hour, I donot feel so rushed. More on that, because it will be good to compare.

Work, work work, and a Bike Ride.

2006-08-03T15:47:00.000-07:00

I have seen a lot of Japanese people these last two week, most of them on camera. I have had a strange schedual lately, with a day off here or there, all because I swap teaching days with other people so they can go on holiday. I will not have a full weekend for a while, because of this. However, things are looking up in some ways. I finally have a bicycle, and have ridden it around the neighborhood. I have not been on a bike in twenty years, but I got my balance right away, just like riding a bike. It is a light green number, with a basket in front. The bicycles in Japan come in two styles; the low riding type, and the 1950s type. There is no specific group which buys either kind. I have seen old men on the low riders, young punks on the 1950s. I think it all depends on availability, and whether you want to get your own or borrow the family bike. My bike is pretty old, and hopefully this will serve to be a good deterent for theft, which, amazingly in an otherwise crime-free Japan, is quite common. My friend DS has had his ride stolen three times now, which is agreeably horrible luck, but indicative of how often these bikes get nicked. I may buy a chain to make sure. A bike is necessary in Osaka, which is famous for its aggressive bikers, and here, it pays to join them not beat them. I can now get home quickly and for free, even if the subways are closed. And, amazingly too, all bikers ride on the sidewalk. I cannot count the number of times someone has tried to run me over, and now, Revenge! Well, not really, but it will be nice to be moving fast to where I want to go.

The other good news is that I successfully completed an EBAY auction this week, selling two prints, each for $15.00. With the profit, I am going to buy more prints, and sell them. If that goes well, I may also sell Japanese dolls and sake sets, which I can get relatively inexpensive here. The auction went smoothly, and I did a three day auction. Selling on EBAY is good two ways: first, I make money. Second, I am forced to learn about the prints I sell, who made them, when, the titles, and so forth. With a little work and more research, I can perhaps start to become quite the expert in styles and artists. At some point I want to get in the big leagues, and maybe learn to appraise a few. We shall see. At this stage, however, I am content just to sell the (good quality) reproduction prints. If any of you or your friends want something, just let me know.

The Hat

2006-07-19T06:18:00.000-07:00

Boshi ga, nan desu ka? doshite?

These are very good questions. Over the course of time, you will probably see me in a variety of hats. I like hats. Always have.

One hat is the hat i bought here in Japan, at OPA, the retail and used clothing store chain in Japan. I have written about this before. The other is my Red dragon hat, which I don't think everyone knows the story. Viki and all of us went to one of the movie viewings at G-Spot, which was full of all sort of types. from the ultra pretentious, to the truly honestly small film-maker with a story to tell and a 9mm cam to tell it. During this particular film fest, they were giving away various gifts and prizes, amoung which was this delectibly delightful Red Dragon hat. According to the man who was trying to give it away as a prize at the film extravaganza ,it is somehow connected to the set of the movie, Red Dragon.
Despite this august connexion, no-one seemed to want to have it. There must have been three raffles done, and no bites. The moderator of the film fest then threw the hat out at the crowd. I have never seen a group of people shirk at anything free so fiercely before. Precisely because no one else wanted it, and because I knew I would not win anything myself, I grabbed for it, and it was mine.

If I ever get my act together to film movies, I will wear this hat as I do so.

In Japan, a red dragon is good luck, and as long as I have worn it, I have been safe and sound. Take that, you overly self absorbed and pretentious idiots.

Kyoto's Gion Matsuri Festival

2006-07-17T06:57:00.000-07:00

There are three major festivals in Japan, and the Gion Matsuri in Kyoto is one of them. The festival lasts a whole month long, but the real action takes place between the 15-17th of the month. On the 15th and 16th, the floats are available for inspection, and you can go see them, walk around, and look at them up close. On the 17th is the great parade, and, having been to my fair share of parades, as either an observer or participant, I can fairly say that this is the most gorgeous, inspiring, and madhouse filled one of them all. I recommend, if you can, visit the country and see this thing at least once in your life, and you will not regret it. But, come out early, because it becomes crowded, and people with literally push you around if you are not careful--- and this is from Japanese people, who are usually averse to any kind of overt conflict.

I wanted to go early, because I know the nature of parades, but no one else thought that would be as good an idea, and they were not as excited to see it as I was. So, we left at 10am and got there at around 11.30, nearing the end of the parade, so we missed a bunch of the smaller floats. It was driving rain for most of it too, so the sidewalks, which are under a permanant canopy in Kyoto, were filled to the gills with people. But, despite the weather, the great floats rumbled on. It is quite a feat to see them move around, because there is no mechanization, like with the floats you have in the US. Twenty or so big, strong men pull each one, and to make it turn is a testimony of stregnth and desire. I wanted to take a movie of this, but too many people were in the way. And, seemingly as soon as we got there, it was over, which made me a little disapointed, because I started to get into the spirit of things.

We walked around Kyoto a little, following the path the floats take, and eventually caught up with the three big ones again. The largest of them all was making music, a traditional song which has been handed down since time immemorial, and is now associated with the festival. So much so, that, when you go in the underground mall in Kyoto, they pipe the music in, sort of like malls do for Christmas music in the West. We saw the pulling of the float, and I bought a replica of one of them too.
The festival started out as a way to persuade the Brother of the Sun Goddess to cure all of Japan of a plague in 869 AD. His spirit, transfered to large, float like palaquins, was carried through the city by the strongest men from around. The spirit woke, got to the job, and the plague lifted soon after. As a thank you, Kyoto now takes out the divinity for a drive every year at this time, and the end result is magnificient.

Also available for view are the thousands of large and small temples and shrines, Buddhist and Shinto alike. The Buddhist shrines make the most magnificient floats, and these are housed in special buildings for most of the year, until they come out for parade time. We went into a few.

This is one of the smaller temples, but it has a courtyard where you can walk around and see many small shrines for veneration, in addition to the larger one which is full of Buddha statues and candles, and incence, and so on. If you look closely in the middle picture, you will see a cat hanging out in the shrine. I was not able to find out why. It could be that the cat spirit is supposed to be there. It could be that the cat is not supposed to be there, and just being a cat and sitting around. *
We walk around a little more, and went into one of the larger temples. It is easy to find a temple in Kyoto by and large, but especially on the Teramachi, which literally means "Temple Street." As a means to consolodate religious power, the 16th Century Shogun, Hideyoshi, ordered all temples into one place, so that their influence would be concentrated there. Eventually, all the stores related to religion, incence peddlers, medicine stores, candle makers, what have you, congregated there too. And, over more time, stores in general opened, making the street the curious mix of capitalism and contemplation. It is one of the interesting facts that you can hear the busy hawking of wares from inside the temple grounds, which is the backdrop to meditation for the monks. In this way, the temples become islands in the floating world, and stand testemony to how all is impermanent and false, because you can find peace of mind and the persuite of money, side by side.

The second temple we went to was much larger, and the inside had very comfortable tatami mats. It was good to kick off the shoes, and relax in a quiet space for a while, and soak in the place. Interspersed between the real candles were electric ones, and there were also candles you could purchase.

Here is a close up:

This buddha is one of the largest I have seen, outside of a museum. There are several much larger, but this one seems very much at meditation, and is well kept.

After this, we shopped around a bit, and then headed back home. In some ways, I am glad it was as damp as it was, because it meant fewer people overall, even though it was a pain to carry umbrellas with us. I should have more photos for you from next week's excursion, because i still have much to investigate.

*as the festival actually lasts for a month, and next week the floats will be availble for inspection again, i am going to go to get another look. At that time, I hope that I can find someone to talk to about many of the questions I have. The Japanese with me on this excursion did not know too terribly much about any of the rationale behind anything, which is disheartening in two respects, first, that they were not able to give me instant gratification about knowledge, and second, that there is no special hold for any culture for not paying attention to the spiritual, because if you were to ask most Americans about the meanings of their own religious symbols, you will get blank stares and baleful looks, too. People, really, it is worth investigating, if only from an anthropological viewpoint.

Japan Summer Fashions

2006-07-10T14:52:00.000-07:00

Last week, my Japanese school hosted a yukata party, where (female) students could order, and learn to wear, the simpler, more comfortable summer kimono. Well, it was not just that, we had much wine, sangria and sushi too. While not peddled here, men have a summer wear that looks like pyjamas, called the jimbei, which is actually quite comfortable to wear. Here are Agga, Takashi, and me wearing them.
I saw a little kid wear one yesterday, in fact, replete with the headband that you often see Japanese wear in yakuza movies.

The full legnth yukata is not limited to women, and in fact is worn by both sexes, but usually in the home these days, although you will see some women walk around the streets in them here in Osaka or in Kyoto. Much more popular for summer fashion is the Western Style, but the old traditions still carry on.

No Beefing About Kobe

2006-07-03T06:19:00.000-07:00

I finally have my computer back in operations, after a few months of inoperation. I contacted a guy who placed an ad in one of the local papers, and he did an excellent job. He fixed the operating system (well, re-loaded it, really), fixed my sound board-- which means I can listen to internet radio now, a good thing. A very good thing.
And, I have Word 2003, and can now send out my resume as a document, instead of a dodgy looking email. The best part is that I can now efficiently load pics I take on my phonecam and post them here. I will be playing catch up for the next few days, and then back on track with my regular insights.

So, the other day, DS and I went to Kobe.

First, we walked through Chinatown. Kobe has a fairly big and well developed Chinatown, and the Chinese population is very large here too. Kobe has been a port town of some import for many years, and Chinese goods have come through here into the rest of Japan, distributed by various concerns through many an emporia.They even have a great gate!

We also went to visit the maritime museum there, which is in the downtown area and just by the harbour. The museum is adjacent to the Earthquake memorial, and if you think those pictures in the link are only models, not so: they are all too real. The museum also has a segment of earthquake footage, and it is horrifying, terrifying and fascinating all at once. The destructive power of nature humbles even the proudest amoung us, as well it should.

The museum itself is fairly typical of boat museums, mostly with artifacts of the old port town, models of ships and their tonnage, speed, etc., etc. The real thrill was to go to the Kawasaki Good Times World, which is basically a very glitzy advert for Kawasaki. What is interesting about the firm is that they do much more than motorbikes and lawnmowers. They make helicopters, racecars, small engines, all kinds of ships, tunnel borers (they were the ones which made the borers for the Chunnel), and fighter planes. They have also deveolped parts and engines for Japan's Space Programme. Basically, if Japan wants to go to war again, Kawasaki will build the armaments, and do it well. The fun part is the interactive museum, where you can pilot a cesna, walk through a chopper, and get to sit on your choice of four motorcycles, which I did, choosing a Vulcan 88.

We then went to a great Brazilian restaurant, which has some of the best cuts of meat I have ever eaten; I even had anaconda. Yup, snake, and it was delicious.
It was a good day, from sea to serpent, and I was very satisfied.

Excuses, excuses

2006-06-26T21:37:00.000-07:00

My home computer has been acting strangely for the last few months. I try to open it up, but, instead of completely booting up, it will get 95% of the way there, then go to a blue screen. This screen promises a memory dump, but never does, and instead goes back to booting up. Then it repeats, in an endless cycle. I have not been able to use it for a while. In the meantime, I go to the Apple store in Shinsaibasi, or to the local internet cafe. I am going to have someone look at my computer on Friday, and hopefully they will solve the problem. Until then, I will have to wait, but I am eager to post pictures, and stories. And to have a machine that works, so that I can have a decent cup of tea, and mess around on my computer in the privacy of my own room.

Good times, good times.

New Hotness

2006-06-09T04:08:00.000-07:00

I have been back for about a week and a half, and it feels good to be getting back to my routines. I really have nothing new to report, as all I have been doing since I returned is working. But, I have decided to update my entries, with good pictures and that should count for something.

Natal Revolutions

2006-06-03T02:28:00.000-07:00

Well, it seems I have gone around the sun in 37 complete circles, and will start working on number 38 tomorrow.
Have some cake for me, everyone. I enjoin you all to do this for me, even though I will not. I have never really gotten into dessert, and do not have a sweet tooth, so, if you know me, you know I am not really all about cake. But, feel free to indulge, and if you need to use me as an excuse, please feel free.
Whiskey will also be fine, and, in that, I just may join you.

Eastward, Ho!

2006-05-31T18:10:00.002-07:00

With those additions, I can now go to the recent stuff.
I have arrived in Japan safe and sound, despite Northwest losing (ahem, "misplacing" as they call it) my luggage. It seems they just didn't load it on the airplane in Detroit. Ooopsie!

Idiots. Northwest has a habit of doing this. They lost my and VZs luggage in Ireland for days when we visited there, and I know many others who have had the same experience with them. You would think that they would figure it out by now, but, they seem to be happy screwing up. Yet another point of difference between Japan and the US. Northwest was rather cavalier when I dealt with them in 2003, but, Aer Lingus took our problem seriously, and really went out of their way to help us, even though we were not technically their customers. (Well, Northwest probably had to pay them to carry us, so I guess we were after all, but it is nice to know that they care.)
Back in Japan, I waited for my luggage. I had a premonition that something had happened, so it was no surprize to me to hear my name on the PA system at Kansai airport. Here, though, they were tripping over themselves to help me (and, quite literally, as the guy who helped me was really eager to make sure I was happy), and got the situation together very quickly. I now have my luggage and a $25 coupon to fly Northwest again! Whoopie.

So, as summer begins, let us issue the SECOND QUARTILE REPORT
Fellow investors,
This is our strongest Quarter ever!
Greg In Japan tm has once again attained great growth and attained security in its assests. Our plan to visit China was realized, as was our plan to collect more Japanese prints. The Language Department is stronger than ever, and will begin aquisistion of part two of the Beginners Class as of June 6, which should lead to an uninterrupted period of learning, to the year 2007.
In the Health and Wellness Department, Psyche reports a 100% gain in confidence and renewed sense of purpose. Body Reshaping Division reports a reduction of 30 pounds of useless fat, to be replaced shortly with muscle, upon aquisition of a bicycle.
And, the Happiness Division is pleased to report that all is going according to schedual.

Proposed tasks for the coming Quarter include:
*another visit to Tokyo at the end of June
*implementation of Project EBAY, starting with repro ukyio-e prints
*new living arraingements, looking for my own place, no roomates!
*a visit to Hokkaido in August
*a visit to Korea in September
*preliminary investigations of job change

Many of our goals of the last Quarter have been realized, and the Springfield/Baltimore trip was an unqualified success. Greg in Japan tm looks forward to the challenges of the next few months, and hopes to remain strongly competitive in the coming year. Kudos, to all involved!

2006-05-31T18:10:00.001-07:00

Editorial Admissions

2006-05-31T18:07:00.000-07:00

While reviewing my blog status, I noticed that two posts had inadvertantly gone to my older blog account. I have switched things around, so I donot make that same mistake again, but, for sake of completeness, here they are.

Thursday, May 25, 2006

It has been a fun filled week so far, having had been back in the US for a few days after a seven month absence. There are a lot of things that seem strange to me now, which I took for granted before leaving. Transportation is strange too, and I am spoiled by the ease of Japanese trains to have to cope with the US versions. What is different is both the idea of professionalism as well as where the trains run. In Japan, there is a greater willingness to give you service, and her in America it is not done as much. Also, Japanese trains run on routes unhampered by bridge sizes, or the traffic of cars or trucks, which can serve as a hindrance in America. A greater analysis would be a whole book's worth, but it is one small example of how you can be so well acclimated to a place, and yet not realize anything about it at all, untill you compare it to something very, very different.

I will be going back to the different in a few days, and I hope that it is still the same.

Saturday, May 13, 2006

Well, I leave for the US tomorrow, and fly into Newark at around 4pm, and leave for Springfield on Amtrak soon thereafter.
Then, in Massachusetts for ten days, then to Baltimore for three days. I will be, hopefully, at One World Cafe on the 24th, just hanging out. If any of you want to get together, just send me an email. I will not have much access to my mail, but I will respond as I can. As a result, this blog will not be updated for a while, but more adventures await me when I return. Stay genki until I see you.

Westward, HO!

2006-05-12T01:48:00.000-07:00

I have been busy planning my return to the United States. My parents will host me from the 15th May to May 24, and then I will go to Baltimore for a few days of meeting people and getting things done. I hope to meet as many people, both in Springfield and Baltimore, as I can. I am very excited to come back, but I wonder, will I have any culture shock? I have adjusted to Japan and its quirks pretty well, so will I be able to cope back home?

This is something I was wondering, as I have been walking around Osaka in the last week. Now that it is nice out, I have been roaming around this fair city a lot more, and I was adventurous enough to walk from my apartment to work the other day. I walked by a lot of stuff, and going across town really put things into perspective for me, about where things are, and how the neighborhoods all look. Despite the overal homogeneity, there is some change, in the types of stores one area has versus another, and you can tell each area has its own style. The change is most apparent when you go into predominantly Korean areas, yet even here there is still a Japaneseness to it. Not one time did I feel like it was unsafe, or unwelcome to be in. This is quite a departure from walking around Baltimore, where you cannot really walk the city without getting a bad vibe in one or another place. Springfield can be that way too. I will need to try and be more attuned when I visit each to find out why.

All Along the Watchtower

2006-05-03T21:19:00.000-07:00

The 10000 Li Wall was originally intended to keep the Hoardes of Mongols/Huns out of the Middle Kingdom, and far, far away from Beijing. History, which is full of paradox because of our human greed, is full of irony, too: the Mongols were alowed to walk in and take over the place, after all.

There are thousands of stories about the construction of the Wall, and a great number of men died during construction, making it not only a fortress, but a grave.

One story we have is that parts of the wall violate feng shui , and that this was the reason for the eventual take-over. All of this aside, when you look at it, and see how it winds through the bones of the dragon, through the beautiful mountains outside of Beijing, you cannot help but feel as a part of history. As I looked out, and saw the stretch of rocks hewn from the ground to be put on top of mountains by men who could never dream how lasting would be their work, I knew then how the will of those with vision can make structure so durable that those who might seek to oppose it, then use it for their own purposes.
There will still be a ten thousand li wall ten thousand years from now, and probably a China, too. And, against the wall, I felt very small, but realized my heart was big for the Chinese people.

Red Square, Human Face

2006-05-01T21:01:00.000-07:00

My sleep in China was very comfortable, owing to the fact that I slept in a large bed, dressed with satiny sheets. On my first day of arrival, I got out of bed later than I planned. I still needed to contact my friend, LZY, about meeting up for dinner and drinks. I had tried to call her the night before, but the fone numbers I had were a bust, for two reasons: first, because I had written her cell fone down incorrectly (rectified by a quick trip to the business centre on thursday morning) and next, because her home phone number, while the correct one, is actually her parent's number too. Linda asked me," did you try to call last night? My father said some foreigner called, and he couldn't understand what was going on." The foreigner was, indeed, me. So, after a brief conversation, she and I concluded that I should go to the Great Wall on Friday, and the Forbidden City and TiannMen that day. It was a good choice, and the weather cooperated.

I set out for the former Ming Palace in the northern Capitol of the middle Kingdom, which can only be described with understatement: huge. It is probably only bested in size by the Vatican, for being a world within a world. You can get lost for two days there, and not see it all. It has an outer and inner part, a separate garden (separate admission price, as well), and endless rooms for servants both civil and personal, wives, soldiers, concubines, and of course the Emperor himself. Having not had breakfast, I got some food to eat at the "food corner", which was not meant for foreigners, by any stretch, but for the Chinese toursts who want a good, filling cheap meal. I am accoustomed to "down home Chinese cooking", due to the fact that I know so many Chinese people in Baltimore, and have eaten their food. This meal was good and hearty, and only 25 yuan, which is about three dollars. The vendors were a little skeptical about serving it to me, but took my money nonetheless, and were about to try to show me how to use chopsticks, too. Once I had started eating without gagging they must have figured I was either totally nuts or totally attuned, so they left me alone after that. Then,I walked around for a long time, and saw the exibit there, which housed, in about ten rooms equalling the square footage of probably the ground floor of the Walters Museum in Baltimore, of only the smallest fraction of items owned by some of the Ming Emperors. It became bewildering after a while, jade after jade piece, rows of poetry written by the differenent emperors on large sheets, incredibly intricate pieces of wood, made into small boxes, and ceremonial objects and clothing. I had originally wanted to go to the Bejing Art Museum, but, what could compare after that? I was overwhelmed by the grandeur and beauty, and, don't forget, I am the guy who spent twelve hours in the Louvre, and still wanted more. After I had my fill of all this, I decided to go to Tian Men Square.

I have wanted to visit the Square for a long time, especially since the student uprising that was mercilessly squashed in 1989--on my birthday, June 3, to be precise. Now, the People's Army is omnipresent, as it is in the whole city. No matter where you go in Beijing, you cannot be three minutes without seeing a soldier or group of soldiers, standing or marching somewhere. Tianmen is huge, and very concretized. It is actually pretty boring to go to, as any vendors are scared away, and there is not much to do exept take fotos of the monuments, and try to get into the Mao mausoleum. Of that, my guidebook said that it was open to 5.30 pm, but, for some curious reason, they closed it around 3.45, which was just as I wanted to get in line. But, I did get an opportunity to see a very Chinese, well, human, really, thing. The plainclothes guard turned not just me away, but many others too. He started to shut down the cordon, and as soon as people saw this, they raced to get into line in a crush. I thought about doing this myself, but I stick out like a sore thumb there, and would have been pulled out and probably yelled at, but, the Chinese faces melted into one big mob, and until the guys had it shut off completely, you would not tell who was there legitimately or not. Well, that was my cue, I figured. I got into a cab, and went back to the hotel to rest up for the next day.

I wanted to get as much sleep as possible, because I would embark on my greatest dream: to climb the Great Wall of China!

Next: Steps to Success.

China, Introduction

2006-04-29T22:07:00.000-07:00

Beijing is a city full of contrasts. I spent four days in the Capitol of the PEOPLES Republic of China, and had an amazing time. This city is host to Five Star Hotels, priced like Three stars, Taxi cab ripoffs, incredible countryside and natural beauty, great wealth and great privation, often meters away. It is a city trying to put a new face on, and dance the same tune as a lot of other large cities do, but in a hurry. If you have not been there in a while, you will not recognize parts of it. Over the next week, I will try to share with you all my thoughts and impressions of the place, and I have to confess, I am still trying to digest all of it.
The Thousand Li Wall was, indeed, great.

One thing I must warn you all about is the prevailance of hucksters, promoters, and procurers. Everyone in the city is trying to make a buck, and someone with a Western face is mercilessly hounded or cajoled into this place, or that place or this thing or that thing. My tour book, and my good friend JJ both warn about not getting into a gypsy (non-licenced) cab, one that is procured by a "cab-pimp" for you at the airport. And if I had gotten either her email or had read that part of the book before I got in one, I would definitely have not been such a sucker. Let me tell you , they cost an astronomical in RMB, the cab ride was 350, the "road tax" was 50, and the two "tips" (read, "hostage ransoms") were each 100. If you add this all up, and convert it to US dollars, it was about $70, which is about what a cab ride from Reagan National to Washington DC can cost, so, in real terms, it is about what I m used to paying for the distance, but in relative terms it is about 10 times what one should actually pay. I got to my hotel safe and sound, but a little poorer and a lot wiser. I hope that most of you can appreciate this: without a hint of irony, in an actually friendly manner, the rider offered me a smoke. Quite appropriate, I thought, after having been screwed.

Walking into the hotel, I got my room, lay down and relaxed for a while after the flight and the cab ride, and talked to the concierge, to get myself positioned well in the place. He gave me a lot of tips and information, and then I went back to the room, to get some rest for my following busy day. Tomorrow: the City and the Square.

Shod

2006-04-24T01:39:00.000-07:00

A trip walking to work sent me by a shoe store in the Amerika Mura area of Osaka. If you have ever been to Baltimore's Fell's Point, and then travel to Amerika Mura, you will see a close analogy. It is chocabloc of bars, clothing stores, and people looking to be seen, especially by the under 30 set. I love Amerika Mura ("American Village" in Japanese), because while it has a dazzling array of US style clothing, there is really nothing American about the place. But, it is the Japanese image of America, where the pants hang low and the baseball caps are worn backwards (which, incidentally, if you look at pictures from the 1930's, you will find similar images on Irish and Italian immigrants in the larger cities---food for thought). Anyway, this store had a sale on sneakers, and the one that caught my eye was a canvass-colour Converse All-Star TM for only about $30. I pondered the purchase, and decided it would be a good thing. Well, I went yesterday, and the sale was still on, but, much to my disappointment, they did not have my size. I thought that I should still buy sneaks, and asked how much the black one's were.
I had seen a price on the black style for $52, and figured that I need the footware, so just bite the bullet and get them.

SURPRIZE! They were only $10 more than the sale of the one's I had resigned myself to buying! I like the black Chuck Taylors, they will never go out of style. So, I bought them. And, as I walked towards my train station, I found a place selling flip-flop sandals. They are kind of a cross between flippies and Birkenstock and they feel great! Only $15 to boot. Thus, for only about $3 more than I thought I would spend for one pair, I got two great sets of footwear. The only better bargains to be had will probably be in China, which i arrive in a mere 48 hours.

Apparently, Apparel

2006-04-19T01:54:00.000-07:00

Last week I bought a nifty looking hat for myself, which has replaced a hat I left behind in Ireland three years ago. I do not often buy clothing for myself, mostly because clothes remain a good gift for people to give to me. My Mom even laughs at me when she hears that I have purchased new shoes, as this is an infrequent event. Case in point, the last pair of shoes I bought for myself was when I bought shoes just before I went to France. That was almost two years ago. I still have the shoes. But, I am thinking of buying new sneakers, Chuck Taylor All Stars, Fish Heads, you know, the black Converse High Tops. Japan must be really changing me, going on a clothes buying spree like this.

Working for a living

2006-04-13T00:01:00.000-07:00

Osaka is constantly renewing itself. I looked out the window of Nova, and counted, just in my eyesight, fifteen cranes. I took a stroll around the town after work today, and counted six buildings either being renovated or recontructed, none of which needed a crane operation. In toto, 21 buildings which I just happened to notice. I can imagine only NYC has a comparable rate of construct.

But, Osaka has always been that way, here today, gone tomorrow. Everybody selling to everyone else, everybody knows everyone else. The degree of separation here is reduced probably to two. Case in point: I go to the cafe at the base of my building most days of the week, because the staff is friendly, and the food is cheap--- and as far as cheap food goes, still pretty good. Last week, I was having a beer at Murphy's, and who should come into the joint but the materfamilias of the Cafe Sanmarino (sic). Well, everyone has the right to be in a bar, and many people come in, so, just a coincidence, eh? No. She was there to visit her friend, who just happened to be the barmaid.

All dogs are brothers*, and all shopkeepers know each other, and, apparently, so to do all food purveyors. So, you mess up with one, and you are history. But, that keeps the wheels of the city moving. Overall, Japan is like that too. Critics of the Japanese economy, I think, fail to take into account the fact that most stores want to keep people employed, so that they can have money, so that they can buy things, so that they can keep stores in business, so that those stores can pay their workers, so that people are employed....... I am not sure who would approve more, Mr Marx, Mr Keynes or Mr Ford. So, is the economy stagnant, or at status quo? Sure, salarymen can get fired now, but it still is uncommon. You have to work harder at getting fired than at not doing your job, and the only way that you lose your job is if your company goes belly up. Solution? Get a new job, work for a store, or another company which bought the one you use to work at, and is now making succeed, because it has quality, or cuteness, or whatever it lacked before. It is about as close to communism you can get without a planned economy, or social programmes from the government. Think about it: no one has religion, the government is comprised of an elite few and everyone has a job, and no one complains in public.
And, Osaka is in the middle of this racket, as it has always been; importing and selling all the things that Japanese corporations are making in China to people in Japan, who might work in a restaurant, who cook for people who work at an English school, who visit a bar and drink beer, where they all meet. Just like they did four hundred years ago, and will do four hundred years in the future.

*I adapt this phrase from the book, All Men are Brothers by Shi Nia'an , as well as the movie, All Men are Brothers directed by Cheh Chiang. The idea, in both, is that trouble falls on all of us, and by that we are all bonded as brothers. Dogs also love each other, initally, having intrinsic "dogness" as their bond, thus they all run around together and play around. You have seen it happen, when dogs get together. Thus, all dogs are brothers, all men are brothers, we are all equal, yadda yadda.**

**Can you tell I am ready for China? Only 13 more days.

Now is the Winter of Our Discontent Made Glorious Spring By this Rising Sun

2006-04-05T01:30:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone!
I want to apologize for not posting for so long, and not having any pictures. My digicam is acting wiggy, and will not take photos, and I was not able to upload new pics. I can look at all the old ones, but not add new ones. I was posting the pictures on my phone cam, but since I got the new one, I cannot figure out how to send emails, because even though I asked them to give me a phone with English components on it, they did not, and my Japanese, while improving by leaps and bounds, is still not good enough to read the manual. As soon as I figure it out, I will have more photos for you. I also took alot of pictures on a disposable camera, but no one would print it with a cd accompanying. So, I got nothin. And, therefore, you got nothing too.

But, the beauties of Spring are here, and so are the cherry blossoms. If you have heard tales of the Japanese going nuts for the flowers, well, it is true. They pretty much have Fourth of July style picnics all during the "official" two week period of Sakura watching. About as much alchohol is consumed as well, and there are people who will march up and down Japan, to follow the blossom openings all the way up Honshu, the main island of Japan. Some of my students were depressed this week, because they said that the rain had washed away the blossoms already. When I reminded them that only about one-fourth of the trees had bloomed, really, and that there were three times as many blossoms to come, they radiated. I wish I could be making that up.

But, it is an indication of the tie between a culture and an important metaphor, because inherant in the idea of cherry blossoms is the heralding of spring, which is a very comfortable season here in Japan. Cherry blossoms are cheery, pink and delicate. They can be easily washed away, and no-one forgets that April is a dicey month, where, yes, you can have 65-75 degree F days, but you can just as easily have a snowstorm, which kills the flowers, only to melt away a few days later, bringing more warm weather, but not flowers. Blossoms are like people, easily destroyed, but there will always be more, with the same hopes. And we are all beautiful while we bloom.

Happy Spring Exquinox!

2006-03-20T18:59:00.000-08:00

Are we all equal? The day and night hours are.

Many cultures celebrate this august event, which will not occur again until September.
In Japan, there is a certain temple which refreshes itself every six years, and that is one big part of it, but today is a day off for almost everyone in the country, so that they can visit graves and honour the dead, so Happy Shinbun no Hi! Nova teachers must still report to their post, like dutiful soldiers.
But, again the contrast between festivals: on Friday, we celebrated the life of a man who changed the course of Irish History, and, according to some, Western History as well. Now, interestingly enough, a saint is celebrated not because of the day of birth, but the day of death; yet, on a saint's day, many Catholic countries still have the tradition of naming the children by the saint on that day.

I went around the bar, asking my project questions, and the Japanese had some very interesting answers, which I intend to write about in more detail, as I digest the data. I may even expand my thoughts into article form, for one of the local English language magazines here in Japan. Nonetheless, I got something to say!

Well, at least today I can focus on how the world is bathed by the same amounts of dark and night, and how now I can look forward to more shine than not. I like it this way; I have a problem with glare, and may be beginning the early stages of glaucoma, but I still like to walk around in the daytime more than the night. Yesterday, it was nice enough weather wise for me to walk around Osaka downtown, and I really felt like I was able to navigate it well. So, bring on the day, is what I say. With the longer hours of sunshine comes warmer weather, and I think that is something we are all in the mood for.

Happy St Joseph's Day!

2006-03-19T15:06:00.000-08:00

St. Joseph, husband to Mary and foster father of Jesus, has his saint's day today. Many people in Quebec celebrate the husband of the Mother of Our Lord, in response to the widely celebrated patron saint of the Emerald Island, St Patrick.

"SO!" you ask, "what of that day?"

Having lost a lot of weight during my stay here in Japan, I can finally fit into a Celtics Football shirt, that was definitely too tight on me when I would throw it on last summer, but now fits me better. Now, I only look like I have gone to seed in it. For me, that is a triumph. It was a clear day, and I walked to Murphy's. St Patrick's in Japan is definelty not the marketing extravaganza as it is in the states. But, no matter where there is an Irish presence, especially Irish American, there is a celebration on the feast day. It used to be that about 15 to 20 years ago, the only thing that would happen in Ireland would be that people go to church, and that heavy drinking was not specifically associated with that day. Not specifically associated, anyway. For example, if St Pat's was on a Tuesday, the heavy drinking would be known as "Tuesday Night."

But, the feast day has become something else entirely for the US's and Canada's Irish Population (hereto referred as Irish-Americans). As a way to extol the virtues of kin and clan, various groups would get together and organize cultural things, and then go to the pub and "have a few for the Saint." So, we now have the brew-ha-ha that we do today, pun intended. Curiously, this tradition has now been re-imported into Ireland itself, where a newfound hope rises, and so do the bar bills.

What about St. Patricks day in Japan? Well, as mentioned before, if there is an ex-pat community which speaks English in any country, there is bound to be an Irish bar, and therefore St. Patrick is celebrated. In Osaka, the party went on long into the night, and, in some ways, it was just like any other Friday night, with some notable exceptions: green and white decorations, ass-to-elbow amounts of people, and, you guessed it, green beer. "So, do you drink green beer on St. Patrick's Day?" As a general rule, I find the custom to be ridiculous, and refuse to partake. But, this year, the beer was Sapporo, not the usual crap disguised with food colouring that they push on you. I drank green, Japanese beer, and loved it. Plus it was cheap. However, not all the night was consumed in alcoholic abandon; I decided a good way to have some fun, entertain myself, and meet Japanese people would be to concoct a fun survey, and canvas the joint for interviewees.

Bloom

2006-03-16T17:34:00.000-08:00

Flowers have universal appeal, but Japan seems to dig them very much. There are numerous floral arrays in every business you go to, plants and all kinds of flowers are sold everywhere. I may even buy a spider plant, myself. You would think, though, there would be more bamboo sold, but the traditional violets, gardenias, etc, seem to rule. Mother Nature, too, has begun to refresh her abode, and it is a particular joy to see the sprouting of the new plants. The daffodils are in full bloom as well. I have always loved daffodils. Their bright,yellow tops standing heroically, defiantly, against anything that the last stages of winter can bring. I think the courage they represent is a good metaphor for all of us, that we too can withstand the worst that the winters of our discontent can bring, and shine, shine like the sun.

Haru: spring to it!

2006-03-11T00:44:00.000-08:00

Ahh, springtime in Japan! No more winter coats, no more hats. Now that I have said this, I fully expect the largest snowfall in Osaka history. But, today and yesterday, the weather was just georgeous. Plums are beginning to blossom here, but I have been too busy at work to go to Osaka Castle and see the blossom, which gives me pause about the old phrase, stopping to smell the roses. I will not let the cherry blossoms go unwatched, though, and their blossom is just around the corner. I can't wait!

On another note, I am busily planning my trips back to Beijing, and back to Baltimore. When I get to the capitol of China, I want to see the Great wall, the forbidden city and walk around the middle of town. My friend, LZ, is going to help me with this. I am lucky to have a contact in the city, so that I can see part of the "real" city, not just tourist sections. If anyone has suggestions, please let me know.

Whale of a Time

2006-03-01T15:33:00.000-08:00

I have been steadily working at the factory--- I mean, Nova. I have been doing a lot of overtime lately, because I am preparing a trip to Beijing at the end of April. One of my former students from GHCC is going to squire me around for a few days, and I will stay a few days. I have the time pretty much sewn up, and all I have to do now is to get my flight arrangements and a hotel. You will then see all the magnificent pix I can take!

This week has been pretty busy, I had a test to study for and got good marks, so there is that. Yesterday, I was walking around the underground mall, and there were three sumo wrestlers just walking down the hallway. This is an example of the integration that Japan has with its modern and traditional self, that these three huge, men were sauntering down the way in kimono with no one giving a second glance, unless they are a fan. How many times do you see ball players in the states do that? Let me tell you, too, they are BIG BOYS, and any one of them could easily give Ray Lewis a good shove, and mean it. You do not want to mess with them. What was interesting to me was that they carried themselves with a quiet pride, knowledgeful that they are emblematic of the culture they love, and doing a sport which is full of tradition and athleticism. One of the guys had even shaven his head in the old, top-knot style. They did not push anyone out of the way, they did not have an entourage, they were just passing through, just like any one of us were. Yet, you could tell they were well aware of their power. There are times where I think this is emblematic of the Japanese in general. They will do their best so you do not notice what they do, but you can't not notice. And, if you push, you better be prepared to feel a hard push back, maybe even two.

Another good example of this is the attitude towards the leviathan of the sea. Last Thursday, I ate whale. It was delicious, a little like beef, a little like venison. Now, some may decry my dietary decision, but when I told my dad, he said that you could get whale in good French restaurants, in Boston, in the Sixties. When I was in Tokyo, they had whole shops selling whale meat. Now, anyone who knows my attitude towards cetaceans know I savoured every bite, and felt no guilt, but rather pride and happiness. I feel part of a tradition that goes back more than a thousand years, an art perfected by Basque fishermen, and carried on by New England whalers, who helped fuel the economy of my that region searching for the beast. The fact that we can eat whale meat in Japan today, though, is part of what I am talking about with the Japanese. There is a stricture against hunting whale, which the Japanese circumvent by claiming their harvest is for "scientific purposes." If the science is to find out how much you can stuff down your gullet, or how well the meat settles into your tummy, well, it might just need more research, now, don't you think? So desu. However, eating whale is traditional. And, like the sumo wrestlers walking down the way without worrying about what people are thinking when they are living a traditional life, so too the Japanese government cares not a whit what the international community thinks about stuff they should keep their noses out of, Japanese things! No matter how many boats Greenpeace has, the whalers have more, and they will ram your ass if you get in the way. Just try to push, see what happens.

Did I eat the whale? Yup. Am I going to continue to live in Japan? Yup. Am I going to rethink the arrogance of being American? Nope. Why? Because we are all arrogant as cultures in our own way, and I got mine, and it is what I understand. Maybe I will temper it, maybe I will learn to disguise it, a la japonaise, but I will come to terms with it, it is part of who I am. And I will savour every bite of that, too.

Action!

2006-02-22T16:58:00.000-08:00

You know, when I started this blog, I thought I would have more to write about adventures, and fun things. I thought that coming to Japan would be a great opportunity to explore, travel, et cetera. However, I find myself falling into predictable patterns. Five days of work, two off. What do I really do with my time?

Then, I visit the Ukyio-e print museum in Osaka, and I really see again. My mother's uncle, Paul, visited Japan about sixty years ago, collecting some beautiful prints and so as he did. As I drank in the beauty of the prints made here in O-town, I thought of those. I am more determined than ever to be as knowledgeable about the subject of Japanese woodblock prints as possible. I may even start to sell them, if I can.

My advice to all of you is: find your beauty. Invest in it. Let it tell you a tale that only you can hear. And find those who have the same tastes, share.
Hokusai gave Japan perspective; he gives it to me, too.

V-D

2006-02-15T10:33:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day in Japan has a curious tradition: that women give their beloved gifties and sweets, and that the men are objects of affection.

To answer the obvious question, I only got chocolate from my fellow student, which in Japan, was obligation, and my Japanese school, which thought it was fun.
However, most of us poor suckers will have to shell out about three, to four times as much on March 14, "white day" , for social obligations. My rallying cry is, however: "Dollar store, here I come!"

Monkey Business

2006-02-12T14:24:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday, a bunch of us went to Mino Koen (Park) to do some nature walking, and to see monkeys. D-Boy had gone there a few weeks before, and to kind of give another one of our group a send-off, we decided to go and get some fresh air, and see the sights. It was magnificent. Going to that park really changes your attitude, and you can see a beautiful waterfall, which really brought home for me many of the paintings in the Japanese and Chinese art section of the Walters Art Museum. It took about 45 minutes or so to walk up the mountain, but there are many temples there and also an insect museum! It was closed at the time, but I will return, just to see that.
But, the real joy was to meet, up close and personal, a monkey. This mountain has many wild monkeys in it, and one of them graced our presence. We were standing on the observatory area, throwing sticks at our friend napping below, when, out of nowhere, a cute, friendly looking simian ambled his way toward us. Hello, Mr Monkey, how do you do?

Signs posted all over the mountain read: do not feed the monkeys. Do not tempt the monkeys with food. DO NOT FEED OR TEMPT THE MONKEYS WITH FOOD, IDIOTS! (well, it doesn't say that last part, but the tone is there.) Now, at first I thought I could not read it, but, because I am progressing in my Japanese studies, I took a longer look and realized I could actually get the gist! But, guess what the guys decide to do. Yup, Here Monkey! Here are some of the figs we bought at the base of the mountain for a snack! Want some? Which, the monkey did, of course. He must have gotten a bad one, because he dropped some down on the ground, and stopped eating them. Very un-monkey like behaviour not to eat food, let alone fruit. Then, it happened: the nice monkey turned into MEAN MONKEY, MAD MONKEY--- quite literally, in seconds. He had had a happy, friendly face one moment, and the next, a look of death. You can tell monkeys are intelligent, because if you look in their eyes, you can see there is something going on behind them in their head, that same look you get from people. Same emotions, same thought patterns, really. And the look on that beast was: "if only I had a weapon, I would beat all of your asses!"

He did not, but that still did not stop him from charging at D-Boy, with murderous intent. D-Boy did the only prudent thing, and that was to shriek and scatter. The monkey then ambled away. I learned that wild animals should be treated with care and respect, and that next time I am taking a stick to that mountain. But I will go again, because of the bucolic nature of the mountain, and it is a really peaceful place. We all came away from it more relaxed, and better able to handle Whack DJ leaving us for Scotland.

So, in summary:
Riding the trains to get there: 520yen.
Package of dried figs: 600yen.
Watching D-Boy run and scream like a little girl: Priceless.

2006-02-08T17:46:00.000-08:00

Ok, not so fast, uppity women of Japan!

No female royal heads of state for you! Guess who is pregnant? Yes, Kiko, and it is hoped it will be a boy. All of Japan is happy now, and the planned burning of the Danish Embassy is now on hold, for another day.

The last line is my favourite:
"Baby goods stocks jumped following the reports of Kiko's pregnancy, although the benchmark Nikkei was slightly down."

Setsubun!

2006-02-02T22:20:00.000-08:00

Hey sports fans*,
Sorry that I have not posted in a while, but my life has been study and work, work and study, and some crappy luck in between. I dropped my mobile and smashed it to small pieces, so if you had my number before, it no longer is me. If you try to call it, my guess is that you will either get nothing, or some angry Japanese trying to tell you, no they are not the crazy foreigner you are trying to call. When I went to get a new one, I was hoping to get the same model, because I both like it and understand the functions. Now, I only got my phone three months ago. They don't even make the model any more, and it was one of the latest ones at the time. That is the power of Marketing here in Nihon. So, I got a newer one, and it is fine, it was also free, which is all I care. I may even memorize the new number more quickly than the old.

On a cheerier note, today, February 3 is Setsubun. Each year at this time, you throw dried soy beans at people wearing demon masks, saying: "Oni ga soto, fuku wa uchi!"
"Devil get out! Good luck come in!" This festival is celebrated in a lot of places, but, once again, it falls on a day where I have class. Never fear! My teachers were cool, and bought both of us students beans, and masks, which they had us both wear. As soon as I figure out how to send email on my phone, I will put the picture of me wearing the mask on the blog. And, I guess I did have good luck, because after class I went in search of this awesome Chinese megastore, where they have all sorts of things for the Chinese community. There is a buffet, which even has a lucky price: 888** yen. Along the way, I went down the wrong way, but found myself actually in terra cognita. From the train station, which is on my line, it is only a five minute walk to my favourite bar, Murphy's. No replacement for One World Cafe, but it will have to do. I turned around, and started walking in the correct direction. As I walked down, I found some seriously great shops, where I bought some gifts,and there is a shop selling Japanese prints, so now I have three sources for my Ukiyo-e needs.
And, then there was the buffet, which was great, and open late enough to go to with my friends after our shift, if we scurry. After all the setbacks last week, I am glad that my demon has left me, for at least a while.

*this line is from the Great Santini, as portrayed by the Magnificent Robert Duvall.
Charlie don't surf.
**The number 8, Chinese, is a homophone for the word luck, and three is lucky number too. So, three luck, really lucky.

Changing Tide In Japan's Imperial Family

2006-01-26T23:29:00.000-08:00

Feminism is finally wending its way to my adopted archipelago. Recently, the Japanese Prime Minister has forwarded a bill to make it official and legal for women to ascend the Imperial Throne. There has actually been a lot of debate about this recently, and what tipped the tide was the fact that there have been several female empress in the past, and so, it becomes legit. This is another insight of Japan, really, the value of precedence. You can do anything foreign or modern, if there is a link to the past of someone, somehow in history done something similar. The more things change in Nihon, the more they stay the same.

On a less heavy note, spring is in the air! I can tell, because last week, and especially today, it had that "warm-cold" feeling you get only when the winter is about to be over, and the smell of things beginning to wake up wafted through the breeze. Also, Saturday is the new year's festival, and my Japanese school is having a party, at an Indian restaurant. Sometimes you just do not want to ask questions.

OH, Kyoto

2006-01-22T14:56:00.000-08:00

I have had a slight illness the last week, which is why I have been incommunicado.
But, feeling better, and having had made a promise to myself that, after my test on Friday, I would finally go to Kyoto, I took the train to visit Japan;'s old capitol.

The journey there was a little tortuous, because I did not plan it right, and it took too long. Once I got there, however, I could feel the difference from Osaka, right away. I was helped by not just one, but two very nice people getting directions. You would never have that here in O-Town. They would be too busy trying to sell something.
I went, specifically, to go see the National Museum, and I am glad I did. The place is huge, with many buildings to explore, and a great garden that once the spring and summer comes, should be beautiful. I plan to visit often, as membership is only $30, and you can get discounts to a place here in Osaka too. The feel of Kyoto is much different, too. You can really tell that this is a city which has been here more than 1200 years. There might not be deer, but there is much more dear in the city.

Quaterly Report

2006-01-17T16:05:00.000-08:00

Fellow investors.....

HA! Well, companies do it, so I figured since it has been three months since I arrived here in Osaka, I should make a three month review, you know, for posterity's sake.

So, while I can dispense with the letter to everyone about how well the company is doing, how much profit, who we squeezed out due to downsizing (I'm sorry, I mean, rightsizing--- whatever the hell that means), you know, the usual corporate blather, I must make a point by point of all the goals I reached by moving the plant to Japan's western shores:
*gotten out of the sink hole that is Baltimore
*seen Japan
*seen deer in Japan
*passed probation at work, found that the job is alright
*been to Tokyo
*found the Magic Store in Osaka, made friends there
*worked hard and have learned a LOT of Japanese
*gotten the approval of my Mom and Dad for being here, as per a
conversation last night about how they really think that, for
the first time in a long time, I am focused on improving myself
*made some really good quality friends here (AB and RM, not to
mention D-Boy)
*have really started to think about the direction of my life, and
it involves linguistics and/or ESL
*have come deeply to understand how much I still need to work on
me
*Realized how wonderful you guys are.

And, like every good company, here are some projections for the next quartile:

*most likely will go again to Tokyo
*arranged to go to Beijing in the Spring, Singapore in February
*Rock on the Japanese test I have Friday,
*Go to Kyoto afterwards, see some museums
*visit Baltimore/Springfield around May 18, 19 for a few weeks
*keep on learning Japanese
*collect more wood-block prints
*sell stuff on E-Bay---oh, yeah, that's right! E-Bay -o- rama!
*meet more Japanese people

Feasible goals, I think.

To sum, the fourth quarter of 2005 was a success, and we hope to find continued opportunities of reward and profit in the first quartile, 2006.

Toka Ebisu

2006-01-10T15:19:00.000-08:00

Every year, Osaka has a three-day festival to celebrate one of the Seven Lucky Gods of Japan, the protector of fishermen, rice farmers, and of commerce. Osaka is nothing but sell, sell, sell, so you can see why the god is so important to the city.
And, every year there is a big parade, which starts early in the morning. I wanted to go see the parade, because I love parades, and this would have been the first parade I have seen, in person, that does not have bagpipers. (Quite a cultural shock for me!)

However, the night before, I was convinced that there was going to be a test at my Japanese language school in the morning. They sprung a test on us about three weeks ago; I did pretty well (85%, most of the errors due to spelling, of course. You wouldn't think a language that has a straightforward sylabary could have ways where you can make spelling mistakes, but, ask any Japanese person. You can. I do.), but I wanted to do better. So, I spent some serious study time going over stuff, and I figured, even if we do not have a test, it is not time ill-spent. So, I woke up late for the parade. I got to class on time, and, guess what! No test. I was relieved, but unhappy that I missed the parade. So, I went to lunch, and got ready for the rest of my day.

Lo, and behold! As I left the restaurant, I heard rumbling mumblings, and someone on a bull horn. I walked over to see what the comotion could be about, and, there they were, not one, but two different groups bearing their supporters, to honour Ebisu.

This group had many beauties on it, and the one above gave the silly gajin a nod and a smile.

These photos above are pictures of the first, real "geishas" I have seen in Japan.
I have seen many women in kimonos, many men, too, for that matter, in traditional clothing, so that is not new. In fact, Kansai-jin probably wear kimonos outside more often than any other area of the country.

I may not have seen the whole parade, but I got a glimpse of it anyway, so I feel I was rewarded for studying hard. This taught me something else important: if you love something, and work at it, it will come to you.

The last few days

2006-01-08T05:00:00.000-08:00

But wait, there's more!
A group of us went to see a great, beginning of the year event in Nara. Every year, there is a great burning of grass on a large hill in Nara, and there is no real consensus on why, but the burnination happens, and it happens big. Big enough that there are many people in Nara who can see it from their homes. But, nevertheless, the
Wakakusayama Grass Burning always draws a large crowd.

Trekking out to the city is great, because throughout the park area and nearby are very tame deer. Much like the deer who live near Goucher College, and they will come up to you, and see if you have food. They have it all figured out; most people will spend 150 yen for deer biscuits, and the animals have no qualms about looking at you with plaintive eyes, hoping for a snack. Those deer have us humans well trained. It is weird to see them just roam about, like we would see squirrels or an occasional critter. Deer are large animals, and they can really get up in you, sniffing through your pockets to see what you got. VZ would love this place.

What is also interesting is the old temple in the area. Curiously enough, it is rather hidden and fairly recessed from the road, you have to know it is there. Nara is like that, unimpressive at first glance, but upon greater inspection a rich treasure of culture. The above gate is the second tallest in Japan. The actual temple of Koofuku-ji was transferred from Kyoto to Nara in 710, and was the main temple of the Fujiwara clan. The origional group of buildings was huge, but due to fire and sword (Japanese as well as American) there are only twelve left. The ones standing were constructed in the 15th century, making them the oldest wooden buildings in Japan too.

We walked around the park, we drank beer, I also found sake. We watched the fireworks, saw the burnination, and left feeling that we had been part of a real event. The sky was perfect tonight, too. We had a very clear shot of the whole mountain, , and, with the half-moon above us, the Morning Star to accompany, and the sun-set framed by fluffy clouds, which parted the red orange hues of the great ball into its various parts, we stood, mesmorized with the whole crowd, waiting for fire. The event was preceded by fireworks, which were awesome. Then, at 6pm, the dry grass was set ablaze, and the whole hill area lit up in a lustrous glow; a large torch of flame dancing and daring us to watch. Sure, most people watched it on TV, and it was cold outside. But, like a good Fourth of July or watching the Ball drop on New Years at Times Square, if you don't do it once, you only cheat yourself.

On the train ride we goofed around, taking silly pictures of each other with our phonecams. A good time was had by all.

2006-01-08T04:38:00.000-08:00

Well, the last few days have been eventful. As many of you know, my old email is alive, but inaccessible. I think it has something to do with signing ups with yahoo messenger, and a glitch in the system this way. And, I did not have access to Blogspot for a while, although, as you can see, I have figured out what I was doing wrong with blogger. The former is an annoying, puzzling mystery, the latter just my own foolishness for not entering in the correct user name to log in.

But, so much to report! When I last wrote, I was going to tell you all about my Tokyo adventure. Well, we walked around the temple, and then went back to my friend's house, to eat chanko nabe. This is a delicious stew, made from boiling water, adding vegetables and meat (usually beef) and some soy sauce, and other flavourings as is to your taste. And, oh is it tasty! We ate, laughed, drank much beer sake and wine, and had a grand time of it. On New Years Eve, the general Japanese custom is to gather the clan at the homestead, and eat and drink, and drink and eat, and catch up with each other for the year. I-san and Y-san and I did just that on January 2, and so I think I-san and Y-san got to do it twice, and I got to have a real Japanese experience. Plus, I got to stay in a Japanese house. So, I had many firsts: first stay in a Japanese house, first stayover at a Japanese house, first New Year's in Japan, and my first ride in a Japanese car, as I-san drove me to and from the Shinkansen station and all around Tokyo. My first view of Tokyo was not the typical tourist trap, but rather the city as one lives in it. January 3 saw all three of us motor over to another mutual friend of ours, whom we met at GHCC, for lunch and to catch up. M-san is a wonderful, talented human being, and her English is probably better than mine. She, her husband and their cute-as-a-bug-in-a-rug daughter and I all sat down, and commenced to eat, laugh, and catch up.

I have started this new year very well, thanks to some very good people. I went back on the train back to Osaka, and rested up a bit before I had to go to work. Nova trained a number of us to do a new kind of classes, one designed for students to improve in weak areas.

2006 Is Go!

2006-01-03T14:32:00.000-08:00

The last few days have been great. At New Years, I went out to a few bars and clubs, and heard some good jazz at Savanna's. The food was good, better than I had thought, although it is true that the appetisers were a little small. This photo is the band which was playing that night. Later, we went out to a crowded club, which was fun, because I got to dance, but we left after a while, and went back home to rest.

My trip to Tokyo was fantastic! I got to meet with a few friends of mine there, and we went to the oldest Temple in Tokyo, pictured aboves, tanding since the 6th century. There were throngs of people there, and we went into a few courtyards and into some of the foyer areas of the temples, too. I cast a coin, made a wish, which will hopefully come true. I also got my fortune, which was completely terrible. To get your luck projection for the year, you drop your money, pick up a wooden cylander with sticks in it, shake and shuffle, then have one come out of a hole in the top. You check the number, and take your slip of paper from a drawer corresponding to the number on the stick. If your fortune is good, you can keep the piece of paper you get. If bad, you tie it to the Temple wall, in the hope it will reverse. It is a good scam for the temple to make money, especially at 100yen a fortune, and nearly everyone gets one.

More on the trip tomorrow....

It's the end of the year as we know it,

2005-12-30T15:27:00.000-08:00

And I feel fine.

Tonight I am going to party Southern style, if the advertisments hold true. One of my co-workers is from Atlanta, and found a place that serves southern cooking--- well, at least the Japanese version of "Southurn Cookin".

Oh? What is this beast, you ask? What makes up this curious idea, this peculiartity of food preparation? Well, Southurn Cookin (and, that is really the way to spell it if you are going to be true to form about it) is most notably: Gumbo, scrapple, grits, fried everthing, lotsa grease, chitlins, ham, more chitlins, collard greens, ham, Pepsi-baked ham (and, I wish I could be joking on that), fried corn, cornbread, corn muffins, pork, ham---ok, you get the picture. Top it off with chicken fried steak, and that is the glorious cuisine that we call Southurn Cookin.

But, at last report, the "Voodoo Wings" offered on the menu were as bland as can be, and expensive, to boot. If you are going to call something "voodoo" my opinion is that it must have so much garlic and vinegar in it that you have to be bewitched to eat it (or believe it, as in the case of Voodoo Economics).

Nevertheless, this is where I will count down my New Year. Then, on to Tokyo, so if you don't hear from me in a while, fear not, I will return with more to tell. I will be travelling on the Shinkansen, the bullet train, and will have at least something to tell about that. So, until then, have a happy, safe new year, and I hope it is good for all of us in 2006.

Well, at least they weren't selling what was in the truck.

2005-12-29T00:44:00.000-08:00

When I first came to Japan a few months ago, I would occasionally here a pre-recorded, happy sounding jingle, which seemed to eminate from a vehicle of some kind. I presumed it was a vehicle, as the sound would get louder and then wane, in the same way a siren would from a police car or ambulance. Being fresh and un-used to my new home, and certainly not fluent enough to understand the song, I thought it might have been Japan's version of an ice-cream truck, because it had that same kind of music.

The other day, I heard the same jingle. "Well, that's weird, why are they selling ice cream in this weather? It can't be ice cream, I wonder what it is?" I sallied forth, to find the origin of the cheery song, and found it.

It was a garbage truck.

Merry Christmas!

2005-12-25T06:34:00.001-08:00

This year was the first time I have ever had to work on Christmas day, and I will also be working the next two days before I get to have a break for the winter. But, Christmas eve was not so bad. I went to work, early morning, and then went to Murphy's for Christmas dinner. Mick, who runs the place for his sister and her Japanese husband (who now owns a sushi restaurant in Dublin) somehow scored four turkeys, and roasted them early morning Saturday. Turkey is not a very common bird around here in Japan. While chicken is easy to find, and rather cheap all things considered, turkey is, well, a rara avis.

However, he got the stuff, and made it with veggies, stuffing, VERY good gravy, and mashed potatoes. It was almost like I was at home, with the execption that it was a smaller portion, no cranberries, and no Mom or Dad. I sat around the bar talking to a man I had met by chance while doing my homework in a cafe. An Australian, who had been working for a few months under the table in Korea, Anthony was forced to get his visa at the Korean Consulate here in Osaka, so as to be legit back in the Land of the Morning Calm. He was passing by, saw me, reasoned that I had the look of someone who was not completely lost, and asked me about O-town.I helped him as best I could, pointed him in the direction of the internet and a good bookstore, and told him about Murphy's. He had not counted on there being a public holiday on Friday (the Emperor's birthday, and unlike the British, who have a set day as every Monarch's natal observation, it is Akihito's real date of birth), and was stuck an extra few days.

Had a few drinks there, then headed over to Mass at the Cathedral. The main ministry, I believe, is not to Japanese, but to the Filipino community--- one of our carols was in Tagalog! This was very interesting to hear, because of the rhythm of the language, and the fact that the Filipinos were swaying and clapping to the music when they sang. Then, being sanctified, went back home, to sleep, to wake up on Christmas morning. To go to work. I said hello to Mr. Cratchit, and during the day found out from my students that the tradition here in Japan is to eat Christmas cake, and fried chicken. KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN---yeah, that's right, KFC--- if they can get it. Not goose. Not ham. NOT turkey.

KFC.

Well, have a happy holiday, no matter what you eat, and try to eat some for me. Even if it is fried chicken.

Picture this

2005-12-22T14:35:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, I ran into a small, but wonderful used book and antique print store. The variety of books is huge, considering the size, but, alas, all the tomes are in Japanese. So, I can't read them, yet. But, I can purchase reproduction prints of the ukiyo-e era, and they are very nice. I can also purchase the real thing, for a much higher price. But hey, since I am here, I will save up my pennies, and purchase a few.* Currently, I have a number of repros which I put up in my room.

I very much like the prints of Hiroshige, and the above is one of his most famous. An origional would cost dearly, but I got mine for only $8.00. My favourite is the one here:

Pretty much summs up both Baltimore and Osaka.

*actually, I refer to the Japanese one yen coin, as "yennies", so perhaps I should say that, instead

Snow-saka

2005-12-21T17:01:00.000-08:00

Today has the first snow of the winter season here in Osaka. When I woke up in the morining, I checked the weather online, and it said: "snow". Now, the Yahoo weather forcast for my area has been spotty, at best, so when I read that, I was skeptical. Furthermore, the night before, there was a thunderstorm, which usually does not betide snow--- although, living in Baltimore as long as I have, I have witnessed lightning, thunder, and snow simutaneously.

Then, I heard excited shouts, young children voices, "Yuki! Yuki! Yuki ga furu!" (Snow! Snow! It's snowing!)
I went outside to investigate, and, indeed, white flakes dropping gently from the sky.

It's snowing!

I guess I live here now.

2005-12-19T04:08:00.000-08:00

I realized today that I unconsciously make my way to my building and my specific appartment now. While there is much in the city I still find to be bewildering, there is a lot more that is falling into place. I am establishing rhythms, forming habits, making cognitive maps. I am even beginning to have a feel for the overall neighborhood and its habits, and recognizing some of the locals.

Last week I was walking around a part of Osaka where tourists never go, and hardly any foreigners either, and for the first time, I felt like I really lived here. Comfort comes when you begin to make it your own city, with your own paths, which many may share, but none entirely duplicate. I have been here two months, already, and I feel like I have a new home. Very strange, as it is 9000 miles from what I used to know.

Goin' to the Chapel....

2005-12-18T02:41:00.000-08:00

But, certainly not to get married.

For the first time in a few months, I went to church. It has been a long time looking for a mass I can go to, with my weird schedual. When I first got here, I called about five different Catholic churches, hoping to find one that had mass at a time I could go to it. Most of the Churches work on the idea that people do not work Sundays, or that, if they do, it is after 12pm. Most of the services on Sunday are at 9 am, or 10 am, and there is a mass in English at the St. Mary's Cathedral at 2pm. Because I am working from 7am to 3pm, none of these options are available to me. Last week, I found out that the only service I could attend, at 6.30 pm on a Saturday; it is, however, in Japanese.

But, a mass is a mass, and if Charles IV was ready to go to one for Paris, then I can go to one in nihongo. It is always strange to attend a religious service that is not in your native toungue, however. I have been to French masses, and I have been to ones in Spanish. Each language puts a distinct spin on how their prayers, and thus makes it meaningful to that culture, and a real window into the pysche (and I use this word in both senses)of the people it serves. This is true of the Japanese mass as well.

The ritual of the Latin Rite does not change from country to country, only the the translation of the words. You can follow along, if you are familiar with the idea, of what is happening, and, strangely enough, the rythm of every mass, no matter what language spoken, is still the same: the Gregorian chant--- even in Japan. But there are some differences: they do not shake hands at the sign of peace,for example; however, there is a reverential bow. And, at Communion, few people recieved, but all went up for blessing. Since I have not had Communion in a while, I took it. It is my custom, like many American Catholics, to do so. Here, I think I was the only one, beside the priest, who did. Even the woman (proabably a nun, she had the look) who did the most to assist Father (what do you call a priest in Japanese?) at the mass probably did not take Communion. But she was nice enough to inform me at the end of the service, in fractured English, that there was a mass in English. At some point, my Japanese will be good enough that I can tell her that it is impossible for me to go to that mass. However, by the time I reach that stage, I may not have a problem with my schedual conflicting with the English mass time, or I may not even be in Osaka to tell her.

Christmas Eve is another matter. I can go at 10pm--- not quite Midnnight Mass, but close enough not to bicker--- and in English to boot. Then, it will be back to Japanese for a while. I intend to take my prayer book with me, as it has the Order of the Mass in it, and I can follow along, chanting in English, or Latin or Japanese or Assyrian or whatever the Holy Spirit strikes me.

In it for the Long Haul

2005-12-15T07:27:00.000-08:00

Well, Nova Corporation must like me, as I passed review, and am now off probation. The company will now pay me a full salary, and I now get to be trained to teach grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation courses, as well as Kid's courses. When I first learned that Nova taught children, I was a little hesitant. After all, I have not had too many encounters with young children lately, as my family is small, my brother has no kids, or at least none I know about, and many of the people I know also are childless. However, there are a few in the Multi-Media center who have recently recieved the training, and are really jazzed about it. So, it might not be so bad.

Also coming along is my Japanese language study. Many of you know I made a fair attempt to do some work before coming to Japan, but the course I currently study has much more structure, and homework, to boot. Plus, one of the instructors is really cute. I am also taught completely in Japanese, which is giving me a taste of my own medicine. And, it has really made me sympathise with beginner students of ESL. My teaching of this level, at least for Japanese students, has gotten much better. I am far more willing to drill and to go over simple points, and I have learned some pedagogic tools which, in imitation of my Nihongo instructors, seem to make an impact on my English students,aiding in their overall comprehension of the language lessons. I really feel, in this way, I am learning twice, even three times; learning language, learning method, learning patience. I also feel less overwhelmed by the country, now that I have a few basic things at my command. By the time I come to visit, I should speak a fair amount, so watch out Sushi Ya!

I also found Osaka's magic store; more on this soon.

Sleepy Time

2005-12-12T14:37:00.000-08:00

Some of you may wonder why I post so early in the morning(or so late at night). Please remember that I am quite a few hours ahead of you in the States, so, my time signature will reflect that. Yes, as you slumber, I amble. While you race about in your busy day, I am visiting the land of Nod.

On another note, the Osaka Public Library is great! I have gotten several biographies there, including one on Cicero and of Che, and am currently reading a Star Wars book--- old habits die hard. I can keep up with the lies the press doles out as well; they have a subscription to many newspapers, including the New York Times. The library has many books in English, a section large enough to rival small public libraries back home, and it has A/V material, cds, videos, etc. Oh, it also has some books in Japanese.

Oh, tannenbaum!

2005-12-12T02:35:00.000-08:00

The custom of the Christmas tree dates back to two pagan traditions, one Norse, the other Roman. Both cultures thought of the tree as a symbol of everlasting life, even through the darkest days of the winter night. Here in Japan, there are lit trees everywhere.
On Friday, my Japanese freind and I went to an outdoor festival with a big tree:

This tree is in an underground mall in the Namba region of Osaka.

As I looked at the tree Friday, it blinked in and out with its lights in the chilly air, and, for a moment, with the cheer of the gluewine in me, I could imagine I was back home
More photos later.

It's beginning to look a lot like...

2005-12-08T19:57:00.000-08:00

Life here is becoming less and less bewildering. There are certain aspects of Japanese language and culture that are actually more sensible than what I know from the English speaking world, and many that make sens for here. By this I mean that, while it may not seem to make sense immediately, because it works here then it must have a certain sensibility to it that is quite normal. For example, using Christmas as a winter holiday. You see Christmas decorations everywhere, and Christmas songs, and the malls are decked with, well, not holly, but garland nonetheless. There are trees everywhere. And nary a Christian in sight.

However, it relieves the blahs of winter, and because of this, it makes sense to do it. And, so we have as much decoration as back home. I will have to work Christmas day, but not being home with my Mom and Dad, it will not make a difference to me. I am forced to re-think the holiday, and what it means to me personally.

More thoughts on this phenonmenon later.

I'm back!

2005-12-05T02:56:00.001-08:00

hello everyone in cyberspace!
finally, I am back to the interweb after a long absence. I have had internet access available in the appartment for a while, but the last leg of a process of inertia and laziness has been lapped. In order for my laptop to be fitted for a cable, i needed to get a lan card. now, you say to yourself, "well, that shouldn't be too hard, just go and get it."
yah, but before that, i needed windows. and that took a while too. but, no more excuses, i can write and show pictures from the comfort of my own room now.
pictures are soon to come.

On the Edge of Ease

2005-10-18T06:34:00.000-07:00

This last week has been full of rain, packing and an unsettling feeling that I am actually leaving the country. In some ways, the change will be quite welcome. I will have to acquire a new computer, and probably one that is better than here. I can upload photos more easily, and let you all know my adventures. So far, they have been all paperwork related: I spent a week in Massachusetts getting my visa documents in order(sucessful, but just in time), getting my plane ticket (much less stressful) and buying new clothes(fantastically good, in that I bought a great new sportjacket at Filene's basement for only $25!).

Tomorrow, I get on the big jet airplane. I fly from BWI to Detroit, and then from there to Japan, directly. I arrive in Osaka to await my new adventure.

Am I ready? Maybe. If I do not come running with my tail between my legs, asking for mercy of the good ol' US of A, in three weeks, I should be fine.

We shall see. Tonight, a gentle repast at CC's carryout, where, in some ways, this adventure all began.

Old and Busted: Baltimore

2005-09-19T13:22:00.000-07:00

New hotness: Japan.

As many of you know, I am going to be leaving for the archipelago known as Japan on Octobre 19, to arrive on the 20th. This blog will replace "Blogos Gregorios," because, even though it has served me well, it is time to change my life, and so too my blog address and template. So, without any further ado, here it is. I will post my adventures here, photos, etcetera. As I have them, of course.