3.27.2004
And She's Off, Way Off
From washingtonpost.com...it's just funny, that's all. I think this passes as a human interest story, or horse interest, or something like that. The rest of this post will only make sense if you at least skim it first.
It's really a rather interesting perspective. There are constantly these irritating articles in Japan Times and Daily Yomiuri about Japanese culture, but they're practically unreadable most of the time because they're so rife with stereotypes and the constant debunking of stereotypes. Not to mention the abundance of first-person garbage. That stuff should be out there in blogs or so people can read it in context. In the newspaper it just gets too much legitimacy but loses most of it's punch. Some of it is interesting, I'm not knocking all of it, but there's really not much of a standard.
What does that say about me that I prefer the American newspaper? But then I suspect the readership of the Washington Post is a little higher, than the English version of JT or DY, so naturally it's better written.
I did think this was more to the point--people in some crazy way associating with a well-marketed-lucky-not-to-be-dinner horse. I mean, there's something natural and normal about people seeing these symbols. There's something compelling about how the horse was saved, and there's something a little twisted about how it became a tourist marketing ploy.
Now I don't really think there's a lot new in the analysis of Japanese egalitarianism (to a fault some would say), or the "zany" angle, meaning stuff that seems overboard from an American perspective (i.e. giving a losing racehorse this much attention).
But there is something interesting in the fact that people are latching onto something purely symbolic with such fervor (while the poor horse doesn't know any better and would probably rather be back in Hokkaido). But the symbolism is well needed in terms of the disabled fans.
I am constantly amazed by how inaccessible places can be. There's tons of stuff to help the blind (though sometimes the streets are hazardous for the sighted), but I *never* see wheelchairs. I mean, they are surely out there, but either I am taking the least accessible most stair-intensive route (probably) or they're all at home. Actually the stations seem okay, although whenever someone needs to get on a train it takes two conductors, but I don't know if there is a better way or how this works elsewhere.
Of course there is no end of old women hunched at right angles from calcium deficiency during WWII. But aside from their perpendicular perspective, they're pretty powerful, especially when they put out fresh fish at the local market. I get out of the way, but that's another story.
Another random thought about the school children racing together. I wonder if this is the direction American society is headed in. Seems like it with schools having so many valedictorians and parents making such a legal fuss anymore.
But is there a message in it? Is it good like the teacher says, because the winners know, or is it bad because the losers have it delineated that they are holding other people back. I wouldn't have been one of the fast kids, not when I was little anyway. I wouldn't mind trying and losing, as long as I didn't get called down for it. Seems like half the US is suing somebody because they weren't treated fairly and the other half is shrugging it's shoulders as to why people can't just cope.
And here, you know, some my students won't even admit to doing their homework when they did, because they don't want the slackers to feel bad. And if I have some luck my coworkers will praise me to the point of embarrassment. I can see why people don't celebrate their victories.
It's really a rather interesting perspective. There are constantly these irritating articles in Japan Times and Daily Yomiuri about Japanese culture, but they're practically unreadable most of the time because they're so rife with stereotypes and the constant debunking of stereotypes. Not to mention the abundance of first-person garbage. That stuff should be out there in blogs or so people can read it in context. In the newspaper it just gets too much legitimacy but loses most of it's punch. Some of it is interesting, I'm not knocking all of it, but there's really not much of a standard.
What does that say about me that I prefer the American newspaper? But then I suspect the readership of the Washington Post is a little higher, than the English version of JT or DY, so naturally it's better written.
I did think this was more to the point--people in some crazy way associating with a well-marketed-lucky-not-to-be-dinner horse. I mean, there's something natural and normal about people seeing these symbols. There's something compelling about how the horse was saved, and there's something a little twisted about how it became a tourist marketing ploy.
Now I don't really think there's a lot new in the analysis of Japanese egalitarianism (to a fault some would say), or the "zany" angle, meaning stuff that seems overboard from an American perspective (i.e. giving a losing racehorse this much attention).
But there is something interesting in the fact that people are latching onto something purely symbolic with such fervor (while the poor horse doesn't know any better and would probably rather be back in Hokkaido). But the symbolism is well needed in terms of the disabled fans.
I am constantly amazed by how inaccessible places can be. There's tons of stuff to help the blind (though sometimes the streets are hazardous for the sighted), but I *never* see wheelchairs. I mean, they are surely out there, but either I am taking the least accessible most stair-intensive route (probably) or they're all at home. Actually the stations seem okay, although whenever someone needs to get on a train it takes two conductors, but I don't know if there is a better way or how this works elsewhere.
Of course there is no end of old women hunched at right angles from calcium deficiency during WWII. But aside from their perpendicular perspective, they're pretty powerful, especially when they put out fresh fish at the local market. I get out of the way, but that's another story.
Another random thought about the school children racing together. I wonder if this is the direction American society is headed in. Seems like it with schools having so many valedictorians and parents making such a legal fuss anymore.
But is there a message in it? Is it good like the teacher says, because the winners know, or is it bad because the losers have it delineated that they are holding other people back. I wouldn't have been one of the fast kids, not when I was little anyway. I wouldn't mind trying and losing, as long as I didn't get called down for it. Seems like half the US is suing somebody because they weren't treated fairly and the other half is shrugging it's shoulders as to why people can't just cope.
And here, you know, some my students won't even admit to doing their homework when they did, because they don't want the slackers to feel bad. And if I have some luck my coworkers will praise me to the point of embarrassment. I can see why people don't celebrate their victories.
A fond farewell
It's a sad day for Kansai since Travis is moving to Chiba. Why Lord, Why?Who will do the arm trick, teach us the lyrics to "At a Medium Pace", enlighten us on the health benefits of turkey, wait slyly for his moment to interject wry witticism, or give me an excuse to embarass myself freestyling karaoke? For that matter (and most importantly) who, pray who, will sing Genghis Khan with hand motions?
Of course we have to realize the selfishness of wanting him to stick around. We may never know the answer to what his ever-changing email address has become. We may never learn why in his madness he decided to leave Kansai, our Valhalla. But we wish him luck. We know he must spread the gospel of Travis elsewhere for now. And we are glad to have a place to crash if we ever make it to Chiba. We wants Travis to stay but the Chibans stoled him from us, they did.
3.26.2004
Clarification
It was the smoking I was doing by myself. Not so much the drinking. And that was in the olden days. Now?
Well the other evening I decided to go out on a limb and check out the dart bar that just opened around the corner. It took a little doing. See, it used to be a hostess bar (aka snack) but now the windows are open and there was hip-hop on so I wandered by umbrella in hand and tried to peek in. Just a couple of people. But the bartender girl ran over and invited me in sooo...
A real little dive place but cheap beer and just around the corner. And evidently my Japanese is good enough I can carry on a conversation although I'm trying not to do too much Osaka-ben at the moment. I'd like to be able to speak politely at work and not get confused.
But that's why I was thinking about second hand smoke. Just one guy smoking but I came home an hour later smelling like a factory and thinking, if I go back I'm not wearing my wool coat again. Yech!
At least I can practice my darts. That'll be fun.
Well the other evening I decided to go out on a limb and check out the dart bar that just opened around the corner. It took a little doing. See, it used to be a hostess bar (aka snack) but now the windows are open and there was hip-hop on so I wandered by umbrella in hand and tried to peek in. Just a couple of people. But the bartender girl ran over and invited me in sooo...
A real little dive place but cheap beer and just around the corner. And evidently my Japanese is good enough I can carry on a conversation although I'm trying not to do too much Osaka-ben at the moment. I'd like to be able to speak politely at work and not get confused.
But that's why I was thinking about second hand smoke. Just one guy smoking but I came home an hour later smelling like a factory and thinking, if I go back I'm not wearing my wool coat again. Yech!
At least I can practice my darts. That'll be fun.
33 Definitive positions about second hand smoke.
Okay they're neither reasons, nor definitive. But that's another story.
1 - second hand smoke is tolerable outdoors
2 - on a rainy day it is even pleasant
3 - or nostalgic
4 - and somewhat sympathetic (?)
5 - or on a cold day
6 - in fact, on a very cold day
7 - it is positively aromatic
9 - (not tempting...
10 - except to take one more...
11 - little
12 - drag...?)
13 - I am not a smoker,
14 - because I always thought smoking in the morning was gross
15 - I don't get it.
16 - but I did smoke
17 - mostly by myself
18 - after about 5 beers, american size,
19 - not like this one here.
20 - but second hand smoke in coffee shops
21 - with no smoking section
22 - when you're trying to study
23 - will drive you to pay 300-yen for a orange juice
24 - at the Starbucks, next door.
25 - do you drink soup when it's too hot
26 - because you like blisters on the top of your mouth?
27 - that's why i like second hand smoke
28 - in open spaces
29 - on cold days
30 - or, yeah, rainy.
31 - other than that
32 - it just means
33 - i have to do dry cleaning.
Meanwhile Frank says luck be a lady. So while I'm communing with myself (mmmm blisters) let me tell you about Glenn Gould as told by me to a video clerk one (confused) day:
1 - second hand smoke is tolerable outdoors
2 - on a rainy day it is even pleasant
3 - or nostalgic
4 - and somewhat sympathetic (?)
5 - or on a cold day
6 - in fact, on a very cold day
7 - it is positively aromatic
9 - (not tempting...
10 - except to take one more...
11 - little
12 - drag...?)
13 - I am not a smoker,
14 - because I always thought smoking in the morning was gross
15 - I don't get it.
16 - but I did smoke
17 - mostly by myself
18 - after about 5 beers, american size,
19 - not like this one here.
20 - but second hand smoke in coffee shops
21 - with no smoking section
22 - when you're trying to study
23 - will drive you to pay 300-yen for a orange juice
24 - at the Starbucks, next door.
25 - do you drink soup when it's too hot
26 - because you like blisters on the top of your mouth?
27 - that's why i like second hand smoke
28 - in open spaces
29 - on cold days
30 - or, yeah, rainy.
31 - other than that
32 - it just means
33 - i have to do dry cleaning.
Meanwhile Frank says luck be a lady. So while I'm communing with myself (mmmm blisters) let me tell you about Glenn Gould as told by me to a video clerk one (confused) day:
Do you have 33 Short Stories about Glenn Gould?Badda bing. I slay me.
You mean 32.
You haven't seen the hidden track?
3.25.2004
All right y'all
All right. My previous post (now deleted) didn't make any sense to anyone but me. It linked to an article about the Nick Lachey Jessica Simpson variety show which will feature Kenny Rogers, the Muppets and Jewel. I guess I was the only person who saw this as one of the seven sign of the apocalypse.
But since it elicited nothing but confusion and what I hope was not a sarcastic comment from my father, my very own father, "Is this the right link" and since that was the first thing I saw this morning I took drastic action and blasted the sucker. I'm sure that's bad form, but I am a woman of action and I'm not looking back. Onward!
But since it elicited nothing but confusion and what I hope was not a sarcastic comment from my father, my very own father, "Is this the right link" and since that was the first thing I saw this morning I took drastic action and blasted the sucker. I'm sure that's bad form, but I am a woman of action and I'm not looking back. Onward!
3.23.2004
Still time to buy!
No freakin way
Egocentrism/girl talk warning...proceed with caution
So on this ski trip I weighed myself because they had a scale. Well just now I thought oh well I'll look up the conversion (becase it was in kilograms, right, and being an American I have no idea what that means). It would seem that without a thought I am down to my wieght when I entered college. How about that? I guess the beer diet works.
So on this ski trip I weighed myself because they had a scale. Well just now I thought oh well I'll look up the conversion (becase it was in kilograms, right, and being an American I have no idea what that means). It would seem that without a thought I am down to my wieght when I entered college. How about that? I guess the beer diet works.
Chechnya's Literary Pyre
Wondering what Chechens are reading? Of course you are.
People in Grozny don’t read as much as they did before the war. Nowadays, they prefer escapist reading.You would too.
Antiwar books don’t reach the territory at all, and possessing books on Chechen aspirations for independence can be life-threatening. We received reports of people being executed when Russian soldiers found such books or video materials.I wonder if they can read this article?
...With telephone lines in Chechnya virtually nonexistent, most Chechens cannot go online anyway—and in the computer room of the university, students are greeted by a sign prohibiting access to Chechen sites produced abroad.So what to read?
Young Chechens make painstaking efforts to acquire books by Japanese author Haruki Murakami and Brazilian novelist Paolo Coelho.I don't know the latter but you can believe I'm going to go find it. Holy moses.
3.22.2004
Warm fuzzies
Just arrived back on the night bus and I've got this warm fuzzy feeling because I came home to a bunch of swell emails from friends and lots of IM pings from little cousins and sister and friends. Yay.
I am sore from snowboarding. First time, more on that but let us just say that in mere hours I was able to do such feats as standing, moving, stopping without falling...sometimes, and even a little turning. What a thrill. I want to go again. I was always scared before but I had fun.
That's as complex as my thinking goes at the moment, having spent the last three hours just getting from Kyoto to Ibaraki, waiting for trains to start running, getting rained on, but I don't care. Sigh. Off to bed as the sun is rising...
I am sore from snowboarding. First time, more on that but let us just say that in mere hours I was able to do such feats as standing, moving, stopping without falling...sometimes, and even a little turning. What a thrill. I want to go again. I was always scared before but I had fun.
That's as complex as my thinking goes at the moment, having spent the last three hours just getting from Kyoto to Ibaraki, waiting for trains to start running, getting rained on, but I don't care. Sigh. Off to bed as the sun is rising...
