Monday, June 9, 2008
10 Friends
Hopefully this reaches a few more people than that. Just an important message about climate change.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
More Truth
More Al Gore for you. Please click on the video panel when you have about 25 minutes to watch it. He makes some very good points and very important points. He makes mention that the environment crisis is caused in part by the democracy crisis, which is very true. In the end, if we are looking for someone to blame for the problems, we need only look in the mirror. I also liked the comparison he made about people who are investing in the oil sands and other carbon based fuels, that junkies find veins in their toes when the ones in their arms collapse.
The title of the entry is about truth, what is a below is me opining.
I do however think that waiting for America to take a leadership role on the crisis is a mistake. It's going to take a monumental shift in that country to create the changes needed. Canada also to a lesser extent, but I think the chances are better in my country than theirs. Unfortunately, our current leadership seems content, too content actually, to just go with the flow.
I had an interesting discussion with some friends of mine at the gaigin bar I go to over in Shizuoka. They were telling me about some of their general impressions of Canadians, and the reviews weren't all good. Americans currently living and traveling abroad are often subjected to criticism for what their govt is doing in Iraq. Canadians on the other hand seem to be becoming more and more content to simply not be Americans. We sew our flags on our backpacks and merrily move about the world. We seem to all agree that it's great to be Canadian. My question is, is that good enough?
What good is democracy if we are too lazy to use it? Are we worthy of living in a great country if we do nothing great? For certain, to fight for change within our country is to invite conflict into our lives, not only internally but with our largest trading partner as well. We have it pretty good though, and I'd have to say, for my Country to finally have it's own identity and to take on a leadership role with the environment crisis would be worth it. I wouldn't mind paying a little more in taxes, or seeing a few trade sanctions and tariffs on our vast oil exports. To be honest, hearing Bill O'Rielly or Anne Coulter call us trouble makers would put a smile on my face. If George Bush was mad at you, doesn't that mean you're doing something right?
Hopefully that all changes in November, but I'm not getting my hopes up. Plutocracy has taken over or is taking over in many places around the world. It doesn't really matter anymore who is in charge. In the end, if there is to be change, it must come from the bottom. From us.
One thing I have learned from my time in Japan is that old saying, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. It's true. Strife is good for the soul and mind, makes you stronger and smarter. Makes you appreciate what you have, and more importantly, worthy of what you have been given.
The title of the entry is about truth, what is a below is me opining.
I do however think that waiting for America to take a leadership role on the crisis is a mistake. It's going to take a monumental shift in that country to create the changes needed. Canada also to a lesser extent, but I think the chances are better in my country than theirs. Unfortunately, our current leadership seems content, too content actually, to just go with the flow.
I had an interesting discussion with some friends of mine at the gaigin bar I go to over in Shizuoka. They were telling me about some of their general impressions of Canadians, and the reviews weren't all good. Americans currently living and traveling abroad are often subjected to criticism for what their govt is doing in Iraq. Canadians on the other hand seem to be becoming more and more content to simply not be Americans. We sew our flags on our backpacks and merrily move about the world. We seem to all agree that it's great to be Canadian. My question is, is that good enough?
What good is democracy if we are too lazy to use it? Are we worthy of living in a great country if we do nothing great? For certain, to fight for change within our country is to invite conflict into our lives, not only internally but with our largest trading partner as well. We have it pretty good though, and I'd have to say, for my Country to finally have it's own identity and to take on a leadership role with the environment crisis would be worth it. I wouldn't mind paying a little more in taxes, or seeing a few trade sanctions and tariffs on our vast oil exports. To be honest, hearing Bill O'Rielly or Anne Coulter call us trouble makers would put a smile on my face. If George Bush was mad at you, doesn't that mean you're doing something right?
Hopefully that all changes in November, but I'm not getting my hopes up. Plutocracy has taken over or is taking over in many places around the world. It doesn't really matter anymore who is in charge. In the end, if there is to be change, it must come from the bottom. From us.
One thing I have learned from my time in Japan is that old saying, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. It's true. Strife is good for the soul and mind, makes you stronger and smarter. Makes you appreciate what you have, and more importantly, worthy of what you have been given.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Blister Season
Tournament season is coming up. Means lots of Jiyu kumite practice. I haven't had a blister since last October. But thats the end of that.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Playing Tricks
Last night I went out for dinner with my friend Taka, and his girlfriend Akiko. It was the only the second time I had seen Akiko, she's a bit shy and hard to get out of the house sometimes. I first time I met her was when her and Taka met back in October.
It's cherry blossom time here in Japan. They bloom and fall off all in the course of a few weeks. So I'd better get out there and take some pictures. Last night I asked my friends Taka and Akiko about the signifigance of the Cheery Blossoms (Sakura). As I am a foriegner with a short time left in the country I had better not try to figure it out for myself I had decided.
At first Taka said that it was like a new beginning. The school season starts now, work starts now and other functions of Japanese life are having their starts around now. Ok I thought, that's interesting. But it didn't really serve to deapen my understanding of this place.
Later Akiko would mention that the Cherry Blossoms remind us not to hesitate in life. The blossoms are only on the trees for a week or 2 and that the lesson to be learned was that life is short. If you want something, just go for it. 'Oh yeah', I thought, I guess that is an important lesson. hmm.
Later we went to the Gaigin bar in Shizuoka. There I ran into a friend of mine from England, Kate. She invited us out to a Hanomi party in the park. Hanomi is like a polite way of saying getting drunk. At the park we would be drinking under the cherry blossoms. At first it sounded to me like something you might do back when you were in high school. Go get drunk at a park. But Taka and Akiko wanted to go see the Cherry blossoms. So I handed off the rest of my nachos to some guy from Cincinatti and we made our way to the park.
We arrived there and I saw something a little different than what I was expecting. There were maybe 200 or so Japanese people all doing the same thing. They were spread out in small groups of friends sitting on matts. They were just getting hammered under the Sakura. And then I understood the signifigance of the Cherry Blossoms. In fact I'd say it hit my like a frieght train. "Of Course!!. You drink under them! They're like Christmas trees for getting drunk!"
Half of understanding a culture is being able to relate to it and take part in it.
Taka and Akiko would wander off on their own for a stroll under the blossoms. Those 2 are really into each other, it's really quite disgusting.
I would stay and talk with Kate and her friend Duffy(California) for a while. We talked about our experiences in Japan. Kate has been here for 4 years, Duffy for 7. I am the rookie as I still seem to marvel and be baffled by this place.
I could only stay for a short while tho as I had to make my way back to the train station so I could head back to ultra conservative and kinda boring Fujieda. There are gaigin here, but the gaigin bar here is a bit of a Sh** hole and I almost never see other gaigin there. I hear it said that the Skin Flute used to be a fairly decent place to hang out, but now it's a ghost town. Kinda sad really.
It's ok though. I like Shizouka a lot better. The gaigin all seem to look out for each other there. It's kinda nice. If I were ever to return to Japan, I would live in a bigger city like Shizuoka or Tokyo.
My life here is really starting to take on a full form. Biking friends, gaigin friends, Dojo friends and friends who loan me snowboarding gear so I can go with them to Nagano. Last night under the Sakura I started to wonder if I would stay in Canada when I got back. Maybe just my mind playing tricks. 8 months of relative strife and anxiety and now this.
Here is a little footage of me on the board from Nagano last week. Not bad for my first time if I may say.
It's cherry blossom time here in Japan. They bloom and fall off all in the course of a few weeks. So I'd better get out there and take some pictures. Last night I asked my friends Taka and Akiko about the signifigance of the Cheery Blossoms (Sakura). As I am a foriegner with a short time left in the country I had better not try to figure it out for myself I had decided.
At first Taka said that it was like a new beginning. The school season starts now, work starts now and other functions of Japanese life are having their starts around now. Ok I thought, that's interesting. But it didn't really serve to deapen my understanding of this place.
Later Akiko would mention that the Cherry Blossoms remind us not to hesitate in life. The blossoms are only on the trees for a week or 2 and that the lesson to be learned was that life is short. If you want something, just go for it. 'Oh yeah', I thought, I guess that is an important lesson. hmm.
Later we went to the Gaigin bar in Shizuoka. There I ran into a friend of mine from England, Kate. She invited us out to a Hanomi party in the park. Hanomi is like a polite way of saying getting drunk. At the park we would be drinking under the cherry blossoms. At first it sounded to me like something you might do back when you were in high school. Go get drunk at a park. But Taka and Akiko wanted to go see the Cherry blossoms. So I handed off the rest of my nachos to some guy from Cincinatti and we made our way to the park.
We arrived there and I saw something a little different than what I was expecting. There were maybe 200 or so Japanese people all doing the same thing. They were spread out in small groups of friends sitting on matts. They were just getting hammered under the Sakura. And then I understood the signifigance of the Cherry Blossoms. In fact I'd say it hit my like a frieght train. "Of Course!!. You drink under them! They're like Christmas trees for getting drunk!"
Half of understanding a culture is being able to relate to it and take part in it.
Taka and Akiko would wander off on their own for a stroll under the blossoms. Those 2 are really into each other, it's really quite disgusting.
I would stay and talk with Kate and her friend Duffy(California) for a while. We talked about our experiences in Japan. Kate has been here for 4 years, Duffy for 7. I am the rookie as I still seem to marvel and be baffled by this place.
I could only stay for a short while tho as I had to make my way back to the train station so I could head back to ultra conservative and kinda boring Fujieda. There are gaigin here, but the gaigin bar here is a bit of a Sh** hole and I almost never see other gaigin there. I hear it said that the Skin Flute used to be a fairly decent place to hang out, but now it's a ghost town. Kinda sad really.
It's ok though. I like Shizouka a lot better. The gaigin all seem to look out for each other there. It's kinda nice. If I were ever to return to Japan, I would live in a bigger city like Shizuoka or Tokyo.
My life here is really starting to take on a full form. Biking friends, gaigin friends, Dojo friends and friends who loan me snowboarding gear so I can go with them to Nagano. Last night under the Sakura I started to wonder if I would stay in Canada when I got back. Maybe just my mind playing tricks. 8 months of relative strife and anxiety and now this.
Here is a little footage of me on the board from Nagano last week. Not bad for my first time if I may say.
Monday, March 24, 2008
My Sadistic Japanese Friends
You can see some pictures from snowboarding trip on the other blog where the safe for public conumption type posts are made. This post however is not so safe. Every great story has a night before. The night before I went snowboarding, I was hanging with my friends in a hotel.
Satomi seen here in Pink, arranged the trip and cooked us dinner. That's Kaz in the green, I think he is Satomi's BF, but I don't think either of them want me to tell you that. Not really sure what is going on there.
Anyways, right ...... the story.
Big dinner, a few beers and little Kampai! All is well, right?
Satomi seen here in Pink, arranged the trip and cooked us dinner. That's Kaz in the green, I think he is Satomi's BF, but I don't think either of them want me to tell you that. Not really sure what is going on there.
Anyways, right ...... the story.Big dinner, a few beers and little Kampai! All is well, right?
And then its time to play a card game. Kaz opens up the deck and starts dealing. Satomi lays out some packaged tea bags in the middle. We all pick up our hand and start moving cards around, one card at a time is given to the player on the right. When you get all the same numbers in your hand, you gotta grab a tea bag. 7 players, 6 tea bags. You grab first then there is a frenzy to get one of the remaining. Because if you are left without a tea bag, well then you gotta eat the puke biscuit. Just cracker with some nasty hot mustard on top. 
I had to eat 4 of the f***ing things. I was a slow learner and got my ass kicked at the beginning. I didn't want to get sick so I had to take a break after the 4th. I felt myself starting to get a bit queezy.
This is Take as he tries to eat one. His facial expression about says it all.
After my break we made it a drinking game. Suddenly my reflexes got better. Thankfully. But in the last round, there was on cracker left. I got 4 aces and grabbed. I did not have to eat the last one.
Watch Horre eat the last barf cracker here.
8 months in Japan and I am finally starting to feel like I have built a life for myself here, friends and all. Time to go home soon. Typical.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)