For What It's Worth...

All I want for my birthday...is for you to Donate!

2011-03-15T13:52:00.000-07:00

This St. Patrick's Day (March 17, 2011), intead of asking for a gift, a drink, or a card, I am urging my family and friends to donate to disaster relief in Japan.

My suggestions for agencies/organizations to donate to:

Humanitarian Coalition:

Under the banner of the Humanitarian Coaliation, four aid agenices -- CARE Canada, Oxfam Canada, Oxfam-Quebec and Save the Children Canada -- have joined together to raise funds for Japan relief operations.

Phone: 1-800-464-9154

Website: http://www.together.ca/

Canadian Red Cross:

The Canadian Red Cross is also encouraging Canadian to support relief, evaucation and emergency response efforts with donations to its Japan Earthquake/Asia-Pacific Tsunami fund.

Wireless users can text ASIA to 30333 to donate $5 to relief efforts.

Phone: 1-800-418-1111

Website: http://www.redcross.ca/

Doctors Without Borders:

Medical and logistics teams from Doctors Without Borders were racing to the worst-hit areas in Japan's Iwate and Miyagi prefectures by delicopter, as roads are blocked by flooding. The organization relies maily on donations to support field operations for medical assistance.

Phone: 1-800-982-7903

Website: http://www.msf.ca/

International Development Relief Foundation (IDRF):

IDRF is in the process of making plans to facilitate a response from our supporters to the immense devastation in Japan.

Phone: 1-866-497-IDRF(4373)

Website: http://www.idrf.ca/

Mother´s Day in Copan

2010-05-12T13:52:00.000-07:00

May 9, 2010

Had a lecture in the morning with John Donaghy (whose blog can be found at http://www.hermanojuancito.blogspot.com/).

In the morning at breakfast, our host mother told us that she wouldn´t be home for lunch because their family (and extended family, we thing) were going out for Mother´s day. I tried asking if Anisa and I should go with them...which didn´t seem to get across, so we just said that we would make other plans for lunch. She said she would be back for us to have dinner at home, though.
...

John talked to us about Missionary work in Santa Rosa, Honduras and the presence of the church in Copan-Central America. We discussed more about poverty, development, wealth, and lack of opportunities among the poor. John gave us some unbelievable statistics. For example that in Honduras about 40% of the population is poor. Among Maya Chorti in Honduras they make up 60% of the poor population. John also gave us some interested analogies. For example, the saying: ´Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. But teach a man to fish and feed him for a life time.´ John reminded us that in order for the man to fish, he has to have access to a place where he can fish (which is where land claims comes into play). Also, that we have to consider whether or not the area to fish is polluted. We learned that there is a Canadian mining company near Copan that uses cyanide to extract gold.

We talked about how being an oppressor is oppressive. John quoted Lilla Watson who said that ¨if you are coming to help me you´re wasting your time. But if you´re coming because your liberation is bound with mine, we can work together¨. He stressed that it is most important to learn and to listen. That we should be willing to accept gifts from the poor as a sense of mutuality. John told us that he takes a 3-step approach with everything he does:

see
judge
act

He continued that usually a two-foot approach is taken regarding charity and justice but the missing peice is integral human development (which he described as a 3 legged stool). John closed by telling the group to find what gives you life. He encouraged us to connect your greatest joy to the world´s greatest need.
...

On our way back home, Anisa and I bought some roses for our host mom and gifted the Calgon spray I bought and some nice coasters that Anisa bought that are hand made from leaves in Victoria Park, London, ON.

We went swimming again that afternoon.

Girls in Action and Adventure expedition

2010-05-12T13:29:00.000-07:00

May 8, 2010

This morning we had Girls in Action at Arte Accion. It´s a program they run on Saturdays for girls. The girls that came go to bilingual schools and they are a higher class than the ones we teach at the rural schools. We made CD case photo frames (for mother´s day gifts), flowers out of tissue paper and beaded jewelery. (Mom would you be so happy to see the beads I brought going to good use). A lot of the Huron in Honduras students made stuff for themselves too! The hemp was a big hit! These girls seem to have a high self-esteem and self-confidence. When asked to wait their turn they replied in Spanish (maybe because they thought we wouldn´t understand) that they didn´t have time to wait. It was a completely different audience than what we were getting used to at the rural schools.
...
That afternoon, Anisa and I went to Danielle´s and Shannon´s house to see if they were home. We decided to take a small hike to see a waterfall where we could swim. But since Danielle and Shannon didn´t come in the morning, Anisa and I wanted to attempt to find them to let them know what we had planned for the afternoon. They weren´t home at the time, but we successfully told their host mom that we were planning to go to see a waterfall. We later found out that she said our Spanish was good. Yeahhhh!

We took a bus to get to the spot were we would start hiking... The hike was actually a mountain climb. Anisa and I lagged behind most of the time! Elisia told us that it was advertised for extreme adventurists! and I was like... haha that´s not me. It took us about an hour just to walk to the spot where the waterfall was. But it was worth it when we got there... We swam for a bit in this pond like pool of water at the base of the waterfall. Josh decided he wanted to carry me across the water (maybe showing off a little) and when I was like no-no-no... (since my shoes were already soaking wet), he picked me up anyways and almost immediately we fell backwards into the mud. Josh got the worst of it...
...

That night Anisa and I chilled with Shannon and Danielle at their house. We just got there as the power went out. But we had a chance to see their cute little puppies!!!!! The mama dog barked a lot as us, at first. Guess she saw us as a threat, since we were knew to the house. This woman is staying at their house who is an archaeologist. After we chatted for a bit we went to Richard and Elisia´s house and played some sherades--in Spenglish. Later we went back to the place beside ViaVia for a mother´s day ´party´. There was a live band, but I was really too exhausted by then to enjoy it so Anisa, Danielle, Shannon, and I went home for the night.

To tired to write

2010-05-12T13:17:00.000-07:00

May 7, 2010

I dreampt a little in Spanish last night, but it was mostly a bunch of children coming up to me and asking me stuff and I was trying to reply them...but had a hard time as usual. :P

Mother´s day fiesta at our school today (El Sinai). We were asked to buy plates, cups, and napkins for the food. The mothers of the children were invited to come to the school. As soon as we arrived, the teachers kept asking us for something to buy... we couldn´t figure it out... but Richard when by taxi with his host brother (who he actually just met that day, and maybe is married to one of the teachers) to go back to our town to get it. It was balloons - they wanted to use them to decorate the school. We didn´t have to prepare a lesson plan for that day. We watched/listened to the children sing a song for their parents (I took a video...which ended up being 11 minutes long!)
...

In the evening (after dinner) we had a meeting at Arte Accion. We talked about Food Aid(because the three schools that we are volunteering at ran out of food). We collectively decided to buy enough food for each school to last them a month from the money that we fundraised. We also were informed about the ¨situation¨at Santa Cruz. Apparently, since the coup the teacher was fired because she supports the opposite political party (liberal) to the current political party (nationalist). They were considering closing the school down and they were looking to replace the teacher. When we were discussing Food Aid, we talked about how it is a sort of ´band aid´solution to problems in countries that are stricken by poverty. We dicussed how lack of education and opportunity keep indigenous Maya people in a cycle that is structured to keep them poor. In spite of the negative things that we realized were masking Food Aid and Development Aid, we were all happy that we could provide food for the children to eat.
...

Went to Richard and Elisia´s house to have a few drinks in their ´out door living room´. We had so much fun and listened to some music...dancing, etc. Richard´s host sister really likes to dance (she is so good)... She showed me some latina moves and I found that we like the same type of music. There is also a guy from the states living with them. He is volunteering as a missonary in Santa Cruz and will stay with them for about the same time we are here in Honduars. We ventured to a place in town afterward to continue dancing. Everyone thinks I´m a good dancer, so I try teaching them my ´cool´ moves

:P

Falling behind

2010-05-11T14:29:00.000-07:00

I have missed writing in my journal for almost 5 days now... I am trying to remember and backtrack so that I can continue to write it here. Bare with me :)

Changing impressions...

2010-05-07T13:56:00.000-07:00

May 6, 2010

This morning ending feeling like the worst day of my life :(
...

We went to the school for the second time--this time we taught a class. The 5th grade (we think). Our lesson plan was to have the kids cut and decorate hearts and butterflies as a decoration for mother's day at the school on Friday.

It was complete choas. They couldn't share the paint and we gave them sparkles (which was a horrible, horrible idea). It mostly ended up on their faces and all over the school. The older boys were really rough with the other students.

The teacher at the school yells at the kids a lot... She has a lot of trouble controlling the kids and they don't seem to listen to her all the time. It's difficult for the children to pay attention to us, also. They have trouble waiting their turn. So far most of the day, it was quite frustrating. After we attempted crafts (which was semi-successful, because they did decorate hearts and butterflies) we took the kids outside to play games. The boys tried hitting a beach fall as many times as they could without it touching the ground (they really liked the ball) and the girls tried "What time is it Mr. Wolf". Just as they were all getting into it, the teacher called them to form a line (tallest to shortest) and then asked them to look for their song book. No one was able to get it and we ended up just standing around for a bit. The song was for Friday; for the kids to sing to their mothers.
...

Today I switched classes with Anisa so that I could be free for El Sinai's film festival. I feel like I learned more from her teacher in 2 hours then I did since I arrived. The key differences were was the use of flash cards (which were really helpful).

At 5:00PM we met at Arte Accion but didn´t end up leaving until an hour or so later. Kelsy and Deanna got some fries, they were willing to share but I ended up going without dinner tonight.
...
We took the projector equipment to the school by motortaxi and set up a white sheet as the screen. The children all grabbed their chairs and little by little the parents came out to watch the movie, too. They started with 2-half-hour short films by Arte Acción about Maya Chortí culture. We couldn´t understand much but laughed a lot and the children turned to watch us some of the time. After we watched some super old movie about ´The Indian Maria´ (a 1940ish movie). It was definitely a comedy. We think that about 120 in total came out for the movie night.

During the movie until clean up the kids really opened up to us. I made funny faces and I aksed some of them if they liked Maria. They laughed and they smiled and eventally started poking and tickling us. We helped Lóndon clearn up and we came back around 8:00PM.
...

We meet the rest of the group at the bar that plays music. Even after we were all exhausted. I danced a lot so people commented on that and we meet two girls. One from Norway (but for the longest time I thought she was from New Zeland) and the other from England.

I was telling the other girls what started out as feeling like the worst day EVER suddenly became the most fun because of the film festival because the kids really opened up.

Tomorrow on my way to Arte Acción I need to buy 100 plates, cups and napkins because the mothers will be coming to the school for Mother´s Day.

We prepared a few games and a craft just in case but tomorrow we´re just going to wing it.

Completely exhausted.

P.S. cockroach in my room this morning. The black sandals I bought from Mt. Co-op did an excellent job of killing it :)

First day of school and I am exhausted!

2010-05-07T13:36:00.001-07:00

May 5, 2010

Today was the first day at the schools. 6 of the girls rode in the back of a pick-up truck to their two schools (Chonco and Santa Cruz), the rest of us took two tuk-tuk's or motor taxis. I filmed the way there as we peeled around corners and skidded over the rocks and dirt. It was pretty scary, but I laughed more of the way. The scenic views on the way are so beautiful and we passed a tomato and jalopeno farm.
...
Our school is called El Sinai. there are grades 1-6 and it has 3 classrooms. We met two of the teachers today, the third teacher we found out broke her leg and will not be at the schools for some time, but we don't know how long.
...
The kids are so shy! But when you say 'hola' to them, most of them smile. Some of the older boys played football (soccer) with us during recess. Kelsy is like the 'mother'. She helped this boy who was being bullied. Richard's Spanish is the best, since he took 1st year Spanish this year. But we're all learning. We helped/watched Elsa (from Arte Accion) teach about Maya Chorti culture, to practice for tomorrow.
...
After lunch I took a nap. Had a hard time getting out of bed. Think the heat is making me sleepy. When to Spanish lessons at 3:30PM so I was a bit early. I got my homework book today and reviewed some grammar, but I mostly end up just talking (or trying to at least) with my teacher. When asked, I tried explaining that my parents were teachers (I didn't know how to say vice-principal), but now they are retired and that my brother wants to teach English in Korea
...
After class we went to Elisa and Richard's house. They have an 'outdoor living room' and their uncle speaks very good English. He studied at University in the U.S. and in Germany, as well. He let us try some bananas that taste like apples!
...
At dinner, Anisa and I spoke a lot of broken Spenglish to our host mother and showed her pictures of our friends and family. Anisa had a picture of us from the grad banquet and she didn't even recognize me in the photo! She also thought that Jason was very handsome! After dinner we met most of the students at Arte Accion. El Sinai is inviting the mothers to school on Friday so we started preparing a lesson plan for that. We made templates for hearts, flowers and butterflies (to decorate the school). And we will ask the kids to write their name and "I love my mother because..." in the different shapes.
...
Afterwards we went to this bar called 'ViaVia' for salsa lessons. Danelle and I burned the dance floor. I led her and we made up a 'combo routine'. Elisa recorded it and we think this random guy at the bar did to... some white guy was there trying to dance with all the girls. He asked me first and I didn't. Actually no body from our group danced with him... Maybe next week I will. We had a few drinks, I had a mojito (which was amazing) and we left for our big day tomorrow.
...
There is a film festival tomorrow night at our school, El Sinai and no body got a clear instruction of what we are to do in preparation for that... I switched my Spanish class with Anisa for tomorrow, but forgot to tell my teacher, so I'll have to do it later.

7:00AM start tomorrow! I wonder what time the rooster will wake us up though...

It begins...

2010-05-07T13:07:00.000-07:00

May 4, 2010

Up at 8:00AM... Met the group at (:00AM at Arte Accion. Carin gave us a run down of the recent changes in Honduras. The military coup and its connection with the scam of the new President. Why we are not going to Barbasc--because there are other volunteers there at this time. She also said its not that safe now anyway . The town we will go to instead is called Chonco and is apparently more beautiful. We were also cautioned not to venture to the discos (bars/clubs) on the border of Copan (it's more dangerous since the President has changed). After the rundown of Honduras, Carin gave us some tips for what we would need to do at the schools.
...
Richard, Deanna, Kelsy and I are at the biggest school (El Sinai) of the three. The writes from last year said that the teacher was "missing" a few times, so the children has to break into the school! There are 66 children there; grades 1-6. We semi-prepared for our first class and some lesson plans for Thurs and Fri. Tomorrow we will just e watching and helping Elsa from Art Accion at the school.

Thursday we planned to do name tags--using the foam paper and folders to keep their artwork in. Friday we will have a "Mother's Day Theme" and make pop up Mother's day cards. We jotted down some more crafty ideas and games to play with the kids (freeze, hot potato, duck duck goose, etc.) then went home for lunch.
...
Our lunch was already prepared--chicken, rice, brocoli and cauliflower with tortilla. it was really good!

While Anisa has Spanish class at 1:30PM I ventured into town to meet some of the girls before my class. We chilled at Art Accion, then hit the internet cafe and changed some money.
...
Spanish lessons started at 3:40PM for me. Katie an I have the same teacher so she's Katie uno and I'm Katy dos. We were 'quizzed' on how much we already knew then the lesson began. I reviewed the alphabet, numbers, colours then started on vocabulary. I'll have a homework book starting tomorrow. Fro now, I have a list of verbs to practice on top of what I reviewed today.
...
At 7:30PM we watched a documentary about Maya Chorti culture, directed by Art Accion. Had some problems with the computer, but we were able to watch most of it. It talked about how lots of people in Copan didn't realize that they are Maya descendants. When asked about Maya, they replied that they didn't see any and didn't know much about the culture. When Arte Accion started (11 years ago) their goal was to teach about Maya culture through the arts to organize the people. Since then the people began to accept their heritage and are now more unified than before. There was some historical information in the film about the area and the ruins as well as a little colonial history and the after affects to the people in the area.
...
The 10 of us had a drink at the bar. Took us forever to settle because at first this really weird guy was following us and trying to take us to some place... Took a while to get rid of him (almost an hour). Then two other places we tried were already closed. Finally we found a nice place, small and had a drink to toast our safe arrival, learning Spanish and good luck to working with the children!
...
Everyone loves my fan. Glad I have it. Think I've got a little heat rash... I'm roasting!
Oh, ya and today I was almost "attacked" by wild turkeys (which I now called turkey vaulters).

Tomorrow 7:00AM wake up, Art Accion by 8:30AM for school.

Beuno noches.

Arrival in Copan

2010-05-04T14:04:00.000-07:00

May 2, 2010

10:00 AM Left Toronto - said goodbye to Jason
1:00 PM Arrival in Acton, packed until 7PM
8:00 PM Left for London
10:00 PM Arrival in London, drinks with mom, watched the game, napped
12:00AM Arrival at Robert Q, met everyone, Wendy chatted to my folks
1:00 AM Departure from Robert Q

Flights - Detroit - Miami - San Pedro

May 3, 2010

Flights weren't long...slept most of the way. On the first flight I sat beside the two most drugged up students -- Richard (Graval) and Shannon ("happy pills").
...

When we arrived in Honduras the heat hit me in the face (its much hotter than it was in Thailand). Jimmy, our driver, was really nice and funny. I told him he was a good driver (avoiding the pot holes, slowing at speed bumps and winding turns). He said "I'm the second best driver in all of Honduras", to which Kelsy replied "What about the first?" Jimmy-- "Ya, he died a couple days ago!"
...

Our trip to Copan seemed to take a long time. Most of us slept. When we were awake we took pictures when we could -- most of them didn't turn out because of the bumps in the road. I think in total we only travelled for 3 hours.
...

The scenery along the way consisted of a lot of garbage on the sides of the roads; in and around houses. There are tons of PepsiCo. and Coca Cola signs everywhere. Even some houses are painted with the logos. All of the village names and regional signs have Coke logos, too. We passed a couple of huge Mariquilla's, tons of dogs, horses and cattle (ox) and a few 'squatter villages'. We passed a 'slash and burn' area, too. The country has many rolling hills and trees. It's very beautiful.
...

The city of Copan is beautiful! It's historic and the Mayan ruins are close by. Its very hilly and all of the road is cobble stone. the buildings are all bright colours. After we arrived we were brought straight to our host families. I think Anisa and I live the closet to the school where we will be learning Spanish, but furthest from Arte Accion.

It's a really nice house. Anisa and I have private bedrooms (separate from the main house) with private bathrooms each. We met the mother, sister and one of the brothers (there are 3 kids in total). The communication is very difficult. I can actually understand more than I thought I would be able to (what a surprise). The power was out when we arrived, but its back for the time being.

Tortilla, fried plantains, beans, ham and egg for dinner.

NEW BLOG

2009-04-01T00:44:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone... This blog was set up for the a class assignment that has ended.

I am making a new blog for another class this semester. Please check it out http://fwiw2u.blogspot.com/

Happy reading.

--Katy

Changing Impressions...

2008-12-11T20:35:00.001-08:00

When I first came to Japan, I experienced quite the culture shock. To me, this country seemed like a world within a world--unlike anything I've ever known. How Japanese people act and how they treat each other (and foreigners) took a lot of getting used to. For example, as a straight forward person, I had to learn how to express myself with the fewest words possible. Since the Japanese have this extraordinary ability to "speak without words". I now realize the importance of my blood-type (from a Japanese perspective) and further know the meaning of being cute. However, for the purpose of this blog, I have encountered many more things in Japanese culture and I will continue to discover more. Maybe Nihonjinron will prevent me from fully understanding it. So that my only explanation will be just "because".

Can you really explain what you see in this picture with more words than because? Or can it be explained that the Hitler sponge on the right and his accomplice are going to tackle tough grease and grime?!
My lack of explaination denotes that in Japan I will always be an outsider...

I guess as I am trying to reflect on my first impressions of Japan to see how they have developed and changed, through what I learned about politics, art, sports, religion and such... I conclude in saying that it's not that my impressions of Japan have, in fact, changed, but that I've learned to accept it, at face value for what it is. And I believe that I do not have to become Japanese in order to appreciate Japan and what it has to offer.

Because everyone needs a mini iron....

Japanese Theatre - A Living Art Form

2008-12-09T08:47:00.001-08:00

Noh is one of the oldest art forms of ancient Japan. In general, Japanese Noh plays are not very dramatic. It is a poetic slow dance of the supernatural world. Paul Binnie explains that "it is this very beauty which makes Noh a living art form still, over six hundred years after it developed, and which has caused all subsequent Japanese theatrical forms to draw on aspects of Noh." Noh has inspired other forms of Japanese theatre, such as Kabuki, where technical aspects of Noh perform ace have been adopted and transformed.

Scene from Yuya, a Noh play attributed to Zeami, showing (left foreground) the shite (principal actor) and (right foreground) waki (supporting actor). The hayashi (musicians) are seated in front of the pine tree painted on the kagami-ita (rear wall); the jiutai (chorus) sits at right; and a koken (stage assistant) sits at the left. A portion of the hashigakari (ramp leading to stage) is at far left.
This picture by Kunihei Kameda and description from the online britannica encyclopedia.

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Kabuki, literally meaning the Art of Song and Dance, contrasts to older Japanese art forms, such as Noh. Noh "speaks to modern audiences as it did to the noblemen and women of the Muromachi period." Whereas, Kabuki was popular among townspeople--not of the higher social classes.

Founded in 1610, Minami-za (seen in the photos on the right) is the oldest Kabuki theatre located in Kyoto, Japan where historical stories of moral conflicts in love relationships and the like are still performed. Plays are also delivered in a old fashioned language, which makes Kabuki a challenge to understand. The actors speak in a monotonous voice and are accompanied by traditional Japanese instruments.

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For more information visit the Japanese Theatre Index:

http://www.theatrehistory.com/asian/japanese.html

For examples of Noh masks visit Mask

http://artsci.wustl.edu/~rlneblet/noh/

Quoted phrases were taken from the following website:

http://www.artelino.com/articles/noh_theater.asp

Battle of the Sexes!

2008-12-02T21:47:00.000-08:00

. Gender segregation in Japan is as clear as 20/20 vision. In a traditionally patriarchal society gender distinction are still evident in Japanese culture. The colour of elementary school bags traditionally differ between black for boys and red for girls; soccer and baseball are regarded as male sports only; and women working are generally tied to the service industry as well as their jobs, compared to men, are less valued in society. Although Japan has moved forward from oppression of women and such--meaning women in Japanese society have more security (as shown in the picture above), freedoms and responsibilities, there are other aspects of Japanese culture, including Nihonjinron, which also stresses gender stratification. Nevertheless, Japanese language is the thread that neatly holds Japan's social fabric of patriarchy together.

First, male and female speech commonly occur in informal concepts of self and other through spoken and written grammatical differences. For example, in referring to the self, boku is used by males and atashi by females. Second, the voice pitch reflects femininity or masculinity, especially for women, and has become a cultural expectation in speaking Japanese. Finally, and maybe most obvious, is in choice of first names.

Here are some examples of common names:

Female: (child can be added)

- Pretty - Flower - Pure - Snow - Fall - Dance - Bright - Good smell - Truth - Beautiful -

Male: (sometimes take a Kanji from father’s name)

- Fast - Strong - Studious - Smart - Big -

In these pictures my friends are demonstrating how their use of words and the meaning of there names show femininity or masculinity. On the top: 私の名前は～です。(Watashi no namae wa...desu) This part of the sentence means "My name is..."

僕 (boku) also refers to the self, but is only useable for males.

早希 (Saki)
The sa 「早」means early and ki 「希」means hope.

貴史 (Takafumi)
The taka 「貴」means respect and fumi 「史」means history.

In my opinion, there seems to be more words and phrases used by men only, whereas women often use the terms that can be appropriate for both genders.

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The follow link provided information for this blog:

http://www.coolest.com/jpfm.htm

To read more on this subject I suggest the following source:

Japanese Language, Gender, and Ideology: Cultural Models and Real People by Shigeko Okamoto, Janet S. Shibamoto Smith
Katsue Akiba Reynolds' review on this text is also worth reading.

Back to the Future -- Are Japanese Political Campaign's too Old-fashion?

2008-11-26T23:35:00.001-08:00

. In 2007, BCC News reported on how the Japanese political system of campaigning is out-of-date and I'd like to agree. There are a vast number of strict prohibitions when the election campaign begins that may seem unorthodox in other modern, developed nations.

Let me break it down. First, I've put this chart together to illustrate the main points of election campaigning and political activities.

During the 12-day-campaign, public opinion pools on individual candidates are strictly prohibited by law. Endorsing of candidates by media is also prohibited. Media, thus plays a key roll during election time in Japan. The government pays for all of this in order to "level the playing field" between political parties, removing competition of wealth. The media thus focuses on the political issues rather than the horse race. Yet, the ideologies of the political parties, more or less are the

same.

I am surprised to see how the government is actively involved in limiting political campaigns in Japan. Furthermore, in order to enforce these limits, Japan is stuck in what Prof Phil Deans, who works at Temple University in Tokyo describes as "almost a throwback to the 1950s". Cars with speakers is a perfect example of how Japan is holding on to these old-fashioned ways to spread politics throughout the country. I have seen many of these political cars around Osaka and this one in Hiroshima (see photo below). I couldn't make out any of the mumbled Japanese, and the people on the street, passing by looked like there weren't interested because they didn't seem to care.

Japanese politics and campaign elections are seemingly government affairs only. People of the country appear to be ill-educated about Japanese politics and thus uninterested in the matter. If this changed, maybe more people would vote.

The BCC news article Japan's old-fashioned campaigning provided information and inspiration for this blog's content.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/6292602.stm

Religion in Japan

2008-11-19T23:35:00.000-08:00

.
Shintoism

Shintoism is one of the primary religions in Japan. Deities in Shinto are known as kami, and Shinto, itself, means the way of the gods. I think that most Japanese people do not look towards or "belong" to just on religion. Instead, the syncretism of two or more religions is common for in daily lives.

The Four Affirmations of Shinto:

1. Tradition and family must be honored.
2. Love of nature plays a great role. Most shrines are built in groves on the edge of the village, near a waterfall, near a distinctive rock on the seashore, etc.
3. Physical cleanliness must be assured before prayers or approach to a shrine. Lots of washing, sprinkling with salt, etc.
4. Festivals and ceremonies must be honored. Japanese festivals (matsuri) are joyous occasions with lots of energetic activity: eg, the young men in bright jackets pushing around a huge wagon containing the sacred shrine during a parade, wrestling matches (that is, sumo). These events are intended as entertainment for the benefit of the kami as well as for the participants.

(This information was taken from http://www.cs.indiana.edu/~port/teach/relg/shinto.sketch.html).

To read further about Shinto religion visit:

http://www.religioustolerance.org/shinto.htm

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Shintoism and Marriage

Shinto teachings consider marriage to be one of life's rites of passage. In the ancient customs, the household Shinto altar is where families report the marriage decree to the ancestors. The couple is then introduced to the community in a banquet held by the family. By the turn of the last century, a Shinto shrine or Buddhist temple became common place for a more formal ceremony to be performed. Other settings, for example, a Christian church or by civil ceremony, today are not as common. Furthermore, the most popular seasons for Shinto weddings are spring and autumn.

"The traditional Shinto wedding ceremony is a private, formal event, usually attended by the immediate family and closest friends of the couple. The ceremony symbolizes both the union of two people and the joining of two families. In the traditional 'san san kudo' or 'three times three' ceremony, the couple exchange cups of sake. Similar cups of sake are exchanged between members of the families to signify the union. Following these exchanges, the couple offer twigs of the 'Sakaki' sacred tree in worship to the gods."

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For an in depth look at different marraige ceremonial practices in Japan visit:

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2061.html

http://mothra.rerf.or.jp/ENG/Hiroshima/Things/81.html

http://www.deaconministry.com/shintoism.htm

Sports in Japan: Commitment, Love, and Sacrifice

2008-11-05T07:20:00.000-08:00

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Sports in Japan can be compared to a relationship. It requires commitment, love, and sacrifice. That is the biggest difference between playing sports in Japan, and playing sports in my country (Canada).

I played volleyball in Canada at Acton High School for 8 years from elementary school to high school and I was nowhere near prepared for what I experienced when I played with a girls volleyball team at Kashiba High School in Nara, Japan. The biggest differences I found were that at my high school in Canada, different sports rotated throughout the year. This allowed me to play on a different team each season of the year. In Japan, I was only able to choose one club to join and had to stick through with the same team. Second, playing volleyball in Canada, we had 2 morning plactices and 2 afternoon games each week. In Japan, we had practices twice everyday--in the morning and after school. Games were hosted only on weekends (Saturdays). Third, sportsmanship and competitiveness also differed between the two countries. In Canada, it was common to have team members miss practices when it was inconvenient for them, as well as put down other team members when we lost a point. In Japan, it was quite the contrary. Team members were always at practice, unless they had plausable reason to miss it. After every point, regardless of which team was rewarded, the last person to touch the ball received a high-five from each player! In Canada, I was a good player, in Japan... I didn't stand a chance.

I guess you could say that the difference between playing sports in Japan vs. in Canada could be related to how students are disciplined at school. First, in Japan, students commit themselves to one team only. Also, at my high school, it was always stressed that school comes first. If your grades dropped below a certain mark, you were not allowed to continue playing on any sports teams unless your grades improved. In Japan, high school students have different privileges in order to prioritize. For example, in the movie Koshien: Kkoyakyu, the boys on the baseball team had special permission to be excused from class to practice for the tournament. Japanese high school students thus sacrifice a lot to devote themselves to playing on a team. Moreover, in my culture, students in high school tend to be more competitive when playing sports, so much that (as mentioned before) team members will put each other down if a point is awarded to the opposing team. Whereas in Japan, after every point regardless everyone takes the time to high five the last person to touch the ball. This sportsmanship is really genuinely showing that whatever happens, everyone is there to have fun.

Any type of club activity in Japan can be applied to this idea. Anytime I walk through Kansai Gaidai campus I always see students perfecting their skills: band members practicing their march, never missing a beat; countless dancers perfecting their moves in the reflection of the windows around campus; the gym rooms lit exposing a judo match through one window and ballroom dancing through another. At night the entire playing field behind the school is entirely lit as well. You can see a number of sports taking place, lacrosse, baseball, soccer, tennis. In Japan, students willingly commitment and sacrifice for what they love to do. Here you can see a lone student practice their instrument after school into the late hours of the night. This really shows how Japanese students yearn for perfection!

Famous Faces

2008-10-26T18:17:00.000-07:00

During a day trip to any surrounding city, be it Kyoto, Osaka, or Nara, it is quite evident that Japan embraces the outside world. From the moment I leave the Seminar House I lose count on how many times I pass by Tommy Lee Jones. Not literally of course, but if you don’t know what I mean, you need to go out more! Jones is a spokesperson for Boss Coffee and supposedly fits the profile maybe because he looks like the guy on the can. But when I asked the Japanese students at Kansai Gaidai who the guy was, recognizable on all boss coffee vending machine…no one could put a name to the face. There are also a variety of TV commercials where Jones is an alien in disguise and observes the human race making notes on the behaviour and such of the Japanese and after a long days work he rewards himself with a Boss Coffee! I assume this idea is slightly related to M.I.B (Men in Black).

Many Japanese businesses create cute mascots to promote their products. The biggest competitor of this cute phenomenon is that of a foreign face. Many American actors and musical artists advertise for Japanese mass consumer products. This strikes me as odd especially if the products they are endorsing aren’t even use outside of Japan. Take Cameron Diaz for example. She has teamed up with SoftBank. In all of the commercials Diaz is shown talking and walking down the street surrounded by other foreigners. So, she seemingly doesn’t even have to leave the country to shoot a commercial that airs in Japan!

Softbank renamed their company from Vodafone and has introduced a new concept to the cellphone craze—zero yen plan. The article "Cameron Diaz presses all the right buttons for SoftBank" by Asia Media, explains that SoftBank commercials differ from other phone companies because they omit dialogue or a catch phrase. Diaz is simply nothing more than an over paid blond with a pretty smile.

As illustrated in the film The Japanese Version, it is apparent that when walking along any street in Japan, not matter how remote, it is not that difficult to see global influences around you! I often here the claim that everything in Japan is uniquely Japanese, yet the all of the “must have” products are ironically advertised by foreigners. So why are they so fascinated in American culture? I think it goes without saying (but I’ll spell it out anyway)…everyone wants what they can’t have.

Various forms of Art in Japanese Traditional Culture

2008-10-15T09:35:00.000-07:00

What is Tradition?

Merriam Webster defines tradition as:

1 a: an inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behavior (as
a religious practice or a social custom)
b: a belief or story or a body of beliefs or stories relating to the past that are commonly
accepted as historical though not verifiable
2: the handing down of information, beliefs, and customs by word of mouth or by example from one generation to another without written instruction
3: cultural continuity in social attitudes, customs, and institutions
4: characteristic manner, method, or style

Long-established traditions serve importance by unifying and representing a group of people. Yet as Globalization takes it course, new cotumes and products that are introduced to a culture begin to compete with old traditions. This may eventually push old traditions out of the way to make room for new ones... Does this mean that the definition of tradition is changing as well?

Maiko walking through a gate in Kyoto.

In this sense, Globalization may be seen as a threat to traditional culture. On the contrary, Japan, in particular, is infamous throughout history for holding on to its cultural traditions whilst different costumes and commodities are discovered and embraced.

Tea Ceremony, Sumie (brush painting), Shamisen, Koto (musical instruments) and Enka music, among others are all forms of traditional Japanese culture. However, when an outsider considers traditions in Japanese culture, I am certain Geisha and Sumo will always be near the top.

Geisha are often misrepresented as a form of prostitution and in 2005, Rob Marshall directed Memoirs of a Geisha based on the novel in an attempt to visually illustrate, to a Western auidence, exactly what it meant to be a Geisha. These traditional female entertainers whose skills vary in performing Japanese arts, may be thought of as something in the past, yet hanamachi geisha districts still traditionally house and train Japanese women to become Geisha. Kyoto is probably where the strongest tradition of Geisha remain. It is common to see Maiko (an apprentice Geisha) walking through the streets of Kyoto. And however common it may or may not be, any nearby spectators put their camera skills to the test when Maiko pass by.

Maiko makeover in Kyoto! You can do it too!

Another traditional art form in Japan is Sumo—Japan’s national sport. Sumo wrestling is a traditional sport of Japan and it's history dates back longer than some of the countries it is becoming popular in. Among younger generations in Japan, different forms of combat fighting like martial arts (karate, judo, kendo) and P.R.I.D.E. fighting and UFC are becoming more popular. Although Sumo wrestling in Japan may be seemily less popular than before, fan's are now accumulating internationally. Moreover, foreign competetors have also entered the ring.

This Sumo wrestler was kind enough to pose with my roommates and I
infront of Todaiji Temple in Nara.

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For more information on Sumo visit:

http://www.skwirk.com/p-c_s-1_u-57_t-197_c-654/sumo-and-the-martial-arts/nsw/sumo-and-the-martial-arts/study-of-a-cultural-group-japan/leisure

This commercial aired in North America plays on the Japanese traditional stereotype with an edge.
(http://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2008/05/how-america-sees-japan-sumo-car-wash.html)

KAWAII (^^)v

2008-10-15T09:22:00.000-07:00

Why is Japanese popular culture so obsessed with being cute?

Kawaii is probably one of the first words a foreigner will learn when s/he comes to Japan. At first, the concept of kawaii might be strange, but like all the new things about Japan it sparks curiosities, which lead me to investigate the “culture of cuteness” in Japan.

Kawaisa (cuteness) often reflects imagery of immaturity, carelessness and weakness—imagery “naturally” tied to women (especially young women). Manga and anime female characters are an epitome of this reflecting in the daily lives of the Japanese, regardless of age and even gender. Kawaisa is, thus a conscious attempt to construct visuals that people could relate to personally. Does this mean then that all Japanese girls act like infants or are immature? I'd like to think otherwise, but if the Japanese are trying to be cute by upholding these images... what else are we to think?

One of the most famous icons of Japanese popular culture that compels the interest of being cute is Hello Kitty! Literally inescapable, Hello Kitty! or Kitty-chan in Japanese has crept her way onto pretty much everything from shoes to guitars, and bento boxes to cell phone straps. Japan's obsession with all things cute propelled this character, which was once merely a picture on a 240 yen coin purse, into a multibillion dollar global franchise.

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The phenomenon of kawaii is not just limited to media, but has ultimately found its way in fashion as well. In the West, it is common for women who dress outside of the “norm” to be ridiculed for it. On the contrary, the youth of Japan are able to express themselves more freely through the clothes and accessories they wear. Unlike Canada, it is virtually acceptable in Japan to dress however you want.

These two girls, who were kind enough to pose for me at the Yodoyabashi train station are a perfect model for cuteness in Japan. There are many different trends in Japan that all belong in the pop culture scene. Regardless, it seems that the majority will always follow the latest trends. In Japan, I believe the concept of cuteness in everyday fashion is vanishing as a mere trend and is evolving into somewhat of a tradition.

Additional info:

Are you a Hello Kitty Junkie too? Then you would know that Sanrio is the company behind Hello Kitty's design, which as slightly changed over the years.

See Prof. Fedorowicz's Visual Anthropology Blog to read more about cuteness in Japan!

Hello, good-looking! What's your blood type?

2008-09-29T21:21:00.000-07:00

Is it possible to summarize who “Japanese people” are? Of course not! However, it is easy to categorize them in personality groups… just draw a little blood.

Takeji Furukawa founded this way of thinking when he published: "The Study of Temperament Through Blood Type" in the early 1900s. Since then countless studies have be conducted to prove this social stereotype true. For example the University of Ochanomizu published results of A Natural Experiment with Time-series Data of 1978 - 1988 concluding that "blood-typical personality stereotypes actually influenced individuals’ personalities – self-reported personalities at least – in Japanese society and operated as a self-fulfilling prophecy, even though no scientific evidence for these stereotypes has been presented."

There are four different blood-types believed to reveal with the following personality characteristics:

Type A: calm, perfectionist, most artistic, shy, conscientious, trustworthy, sensitive.
Type B: goal oriented, strong minded, individualists.
Type AB: split personalities, can be both outgoing and shy, confident and timid.
Type O: sociable, outgoing, optimistic, creative and popular, confident, attention seeker.

Japanese purikura has an option to illustrate what blood type you are.

There are also certain compatibilities between blood groups. To test this further, I conducted my own study: a random selection survey in which I asked 20 Kansai Gaidai students about their opinions on this subject. 5 boy and 5 girl International students from various countries and backgrounds, as well as 5 boy and 5 girl Japanese students were asked the following questions:

International Students

Do you know your blood type?
Since your arrival to Japan, has someone asked you what your blood type is? How did this make you feel?
What does blood type mean to you?

Japanese Students

Do you know your blood type?
Have you asked someone about their blood type? Why?
What does blood type mean to you?

Most of the International Students didn't know their own blood type, 50% of the group said that they had been asked what their blood type is, and all of them said blood type is important for biological and medical purposes. The Japanese students, on the other hand, all knew their blood type, 70% of the group said they had asked someone else what their blood type is, most commonly when they met someone knew. All of the Japanese students said that the blood type explains personality or character. Some of the Japanese students also mentioned that the personality traits by blood type is just for fun.

Snap Shot: Split Personality. Takafumi Yamaguchi is a student at Kansai Gaidai. His blood type is AB. Before this picture was taken, Taka-kun was skillfully singing a song by The Killers and as soon as he saw the camera, he posed (see photo) and then went back to singing.

In Japan, blood-type horoscopes are also mentioned on the morning news and dating services may also cater to people based on their blood type.

The following links provided information for this blog post:

The Japan Times:
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20061114aj.html

Japanese Culture Site:
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art22988.asp

Love and Personals:
http://webcenters.netscape.compuserve.com/love/package.jsp?name=fte/bloodtype/bloodtype

For further reading on this subject check out these sites:

Personality and Individual Differences: Blood Type and Personality:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6V9F-46JYKJX-3&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=869437d88620738e39bb8f2cf3ceea9d

Blood Type Condom Machine:
http://www.japanvisitor.com/index.php?cID=359&pID=329

There is no place like home for a stranger in a strange land.

2008-09-23T02:23:00.000-07:00

Hello Neighbour!
Welcome to Neighbourhood Hirakata!

Hirakata City - A quaint town, friendly and slow-paced. Much like my home town— Acton, Canada.

As I settle in to my new lifestyle in Japan, I’ve come to realize how much Hirakata reminds me of home. Like Acton, Hirakata is full of friendly people. Every day on my way to or from school someone extends a friendly greeting. To the city folk these places may not have recognizable distinctions that make them unique or special. Yet, to us these small towns have a charm of their own. For example, Acton is known as the “Leathertown” and holds an annual festival in celebration of our history tanning leather. The same way Hirakata has come to be known as the "University City" with six universities that have been recently established in the area thus creating a new image for itself (Find more information about the university city on the homepage for Hirakata City: http://www.city.hirakata.osaka.jp/freepage/gyousei/hpcontent/eng/index.html). And again, like Acton, Hirakata is moments away from an exciting city oasis. I am comfortable living in Hirakata because it feels familiar...

I started writing this blog on a theme of being a Stranger in a Strange Land... but as I continued to write, gradually the words changed, I have to come realise that maybe this strange land is home after all.

Over looking Hirakata City.

City details.

In Japanese culture there is an apparent attention for detail—in artwork, the presentation of Japanese cuisine, business negotiations and the like. There is one particular detail in every city of Japan that I find fascinating—the man-holes in the street. Each one illustrates some purpose and meaning that corresponds to the city.

The chrysanthemum is one of the many symbols of Hirakata City. It signifies the earth’s suitability for cultivating this flower, which “is intimately connected with Hirakata's traditional craft, the flower doll.” (see link below.) There are two people perhaps harvesting near their home and the surrounding landscape illustrate the boundaries of the city; Yodo River to the west, and the verdant Ikoma Mountains to the east. The picture represents what Hirakata has been previously known as—a suburban farming village.

(http://www.city.hirakata.osaka.jp/freepage/gyousei/hpcontent/eng/welcome_hira.htm)

Side streets.

Every day I follow this route to and from school. It follows behind the main street and cuts down about 10 minutes of the ride to school. I tried to illustrate how there is no geographical segregation between the classes in terms of housing.

http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=i83CpOI6ULI

Early Impressions of Japan: What you see is what you get?

2008-09-15T00:45:00.000-07:00

Left: "Western", up-right toilet; right: Japanese squat toilet.
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Hasn’t your mother ever told you: “Don’t judge a book by its cover?” First impressions may be deceiving. Yet, some might say that everyday decisions are often based on those first emotions—the ‘gut’ feeling, for example. First impressions and how we react to them may be a dangerous thing. Should we be more open and understanding of new encounters in our surroundings or is what you see, what you get?

See the picture above. What did it make you think? Do you agree with the text describing each image in the photo? Why or why not?

From my own perspective, as a "western" foreigner to Japan, clearly I find the upright “western” toilet more comfortable. I dub the squat-style toilet a.k.a. the-hole-in-the-ground very different. This reflects on some of my other first impressions of things unique to Japanese culture that I have found to be out-of-the-ordinary. Driving on the left side of the road and sleeping on the floor are not my idea of normal. That doesn’t mean; however, that it’s wrong. So what does that mean exactly? Despite much thought, anytime I attempted to reflect on my first impressions of Japan, my explanation was simply that it is different.

What do you see?

Left: "Western", up-right toilet; right: Japanese squat toilet.

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Conclusion 1: How can I explain all of the new things I am experiencing in Japan as vague as saying that they are different and nothing more? Well, I was asked about my first impression! Maybe after sometime I will be able to elaborate more—after having more time to think about it... But then again, it wouldn’t be my first impression anymore now would it. Confused? So am I.

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In particular, after I arrived in Japan; whether at the airport, in the city, or on campus... I noticed that Japan is very clean! This leads me to the impression that Japan has an obsession with cleanliness. Allow me to exaplain... Outdoor shoes are not allowed inside; dogs are kept outside of the house; there are sinks located at public cafeterias; and the roads and sidewalks are ‘litter’-ally spotless! From my personal experience as a student living in one of the Seminar Houses, we must follow recently implemented “rules” when sorting garbage. There are 5 bins for sorting: Burnable and Raw Garbage, Plastic Garbage, Pet Bottles, Cans and Glass, but it doesn’t stop there, raw garbage must be placed in a nylon bag and pet bottle labels and caps must be removed and sorted as well. Furthermore, the garbage must be thoroughly cleaned before placed into any of the bins! We were also told that cleaning staff would have to re-sort the garbage if it was separated improperly, otherwise the garbage would not be collected.

Garbage and recycling bins in Seminar House 3.

Instructions on "How to Seperate Garbage".
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What are your thoughts on this?

Conclusion 2: Wouldn't you much rather live in a comfortable, clean environment? Yes, of course! So why not adopt the Japanese way? I honestly think that if I dedicated myself to keeping things super-duper clean, I wouldn’t even be able to enjoy it!

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Click the following links to read more about Japan’s obession with cleanliness.

Cleaning the Sidewalk in Japan:

http://www1.cs.columbia.edu/~sedwards/photos/crazyjapan200207/Pages/Image19.html

An Australian Study: http://www.abc.net.au/correspondents/s356312.htm

A Personal Story:
http://www.thingsasian.com/stories-photos/1747

Canadian Perspective on Japan's Cleanliness: http://www.thestar.com/living/article/461415

Welcome

2008-09-15T00:41:00.000-07:00

FWIW: For What It’s Worth.

I have chosen to title my blog under this name because I want everyone to keep an open mind when reading my blog posts. Think for yourself. Be critical. Don’t be judgemental. Know the facts. Discover the importance and meaning of your surroundings for what it is worth—to you.