Christmas in Shimizu

Yup it's KFC and Christmas cake time!
Today I actaully might get a slice of Christmas cake. To me it just looks like a white cake with some strawberries? I know sounds very hoilday like. I wont tell them about ginger bread. They might get upset.
I wont be doing anything for the holidays. But on the eve of, I am going to a karaoke party. Maybe I'll sing jingle bells in Japanese? Very festive indeed.
I get internet by sitting out on my porch; with the laundry. It's free and conveniently located. Unfortunatly a spider thinks this is a good location to build a home for its family. Yes, I am going to try and kill it. It's huge and balck and yellow, in addition to being Japanese. Therefore, it can not be trusted.
I am constantly decorating my apartment. By the photos I am sure you noticed that it is a wee bit small. It sucks, but the loft is really nice. I'll post more photos soon. Feel free to vist when your in the area!
On Monday nights I take Japanese lessons. Which means I try to speak Japanese and Japanese people answer back in Japanese and I don't understand a thing. It's fun! Some how everything works out.
I was at a shrine in Miho and purchased a fortune with tigers eye stone. I said I had a good fortune and then proceeded to tell me all the shit that was going to go wrong. Hum, very Japanese. Well, the year is almost over so I don't have to worry about it much.

I am going to Tomokos mum's house for New Years. It's a really big deal. I'll post pictures. I'm wearing a kimono,....you've been forwarned.

I for got to make you jelous about cheap sea food and such. Geeze, and I am a fat person! I have not right to be one...

Shimizu pictures

My not so lovley apartment and my lovley view.

The view from my class room at Shimizu station.

Who needs X-mass lights when you have neon?

Wow, racist! It was funny though, becuase it made me think of my brother Nicholas. Another thing that makes me think of him is a student I have that sounds like a Japanese Borat.

The port of Shimizu from the S Plus Dream Plaza( aka the mall).

It's Time

I leave this friday! I wont be posting for a while as it takes forever to get internet set up and I don't have any hotspots close to my place.
If you have any questions about Japan ask me and I'll go on a quest to answer it for you.
caio,
Amie
I am here and it's the 21. I am sick but here.

Link Between American TV and Eating Disorders

I actually watched CBS this morning. I usually don't. Not for any particular reason. Anyway, a segment on eating disorders briefly brought up an interesting study in Fiji. American television wasn't brought to Fiji until the late 1990's, allowing a study of its effects to be studied. What were the findings? Well, eating disorders shot up, and girls thought they were too fat.
Hum, unrealistic images perhaps? Commercials selling products that make a better you?
I'm sure advertisers believe they are trying to get people to be healthier (read money), but there has never been a time in human history when people were wrought with weight disorders. There seems to be a link with idealization and techonolgizing that have caused our brains to fail our bodies. I think people forget that the mechanisms for anorexia and obesity are the same and tend to brought about because of self esteem issues. Health has become trendy instead of healthy. How sad.
Here is a link to the study: http://bjp.rcpsych.org/cgi/content/full/180/6/509?ijkey=d3acdb91ca9c34c9537a9b6cdd64abae09810dcf

War Statistics

World Mapper is a cool sight that maps just about everything. I decided to look at war distribution. To see this map go here http://www.worldmapper.org/display.php?selected=285

If this map confuses you maybe Wikipedia can help. A search of current wars yeilded this table. and another map.

I could tell you why looking a maps of nations at war is important, but that would be MY opinion, and that wouldn't do YOU any good.

I noticed the pictures weren't showing up. If you click on either of the empty boxes it should take you to a link of the maps.

Thanks,

Amie

Is happiness real?

I googled this question which produced 74,800,000 webpages. Why are so many people searching for happiness? I don't really know. Yet, happiness is a big business, filled with self -help books, material goods and plastic surgery. All meant to fill some void left by the absence of the illusive happiness. In fact, the University of Michigan conducts the World Values Surveys in which they determine the subjective well being of a particular nation. The countries with the happiest people are as follows 1. Nigeria 2. Mexico 3. Venezuela 4. El Salvador 5. Puerto Rico. Results for subjective well being were slightly different, and placed Puerto Rico in the number one spot. My home country the US was number 15.
So, why the obsession? Perhaps it is as simple as definition and language. Why does happiness have to be pursued or found? I don't think our ancestors were occupied with finding happiness. 10,000 years ago they were too busy trying to survive. Words and word usage are powerful. The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis shows that words hold meaning. A simple concept we all know. Yet, this hypothesis made by an insurance salesmen informs us that we are times, mindless to a meaning's consequence. For example, men working with empty gas barrels thought it was safe to smoke near these empty barrels. Unfortunately, the word empty made them feel safe, when in fact the barrels were only empty of gasoline and not gas fumes. The complacency caused by the word empty lead to a horrible fire.
The word happy is also used in a misleading way, this I realized after reading Deepak Chopra's book on the life of Buddha. Buddha believed that this world was illusory. Meaning that nothing in it is real. People run from pain and seek pleasure making the illusion. Enlightenment was obtained by this realization and reveling in nothingness. Nothingness! How can nothingness be great; is it not like death? Like a deep sleep where you don't remember your dreams.
Let me back track for a moment. In my early teens I was diagnosed with depression. I wanted desperately to be happy. It was my only goal in life and if I didn't achieve it by some arbitrary date, in some arbitrary way, then all that was left may be death. Slowly, I learned to empty my mind of thoughts of the future. I didn't live in the moment, I just made my inner thoughts shut up. The only way to become someone that I could live with was to move forward. If it was easy enough and socially agreeable( thereby giving me status), I did it. That somehow meant dropping out of high school and going straight to college. All of a sudden I wasn't happy, but I was okay. I could live like this. I even enjoyed what I was doing. Now, that I look back I was happy, I am happy.
Here is where Buddha stops and language comes into play again. Happiness is a word attached to other feelings. This is the exact reason why people don't think they are happy. And, they are probably not, because they are tickled by something, content, satisfied, or in awe among other things. Happiness is not something to achieve. It is a state of being. Perhaps the natural human state(back to Buddha). This is enlightening.

UW Presents the CHID Programs Auroville Study Abroad

Honestly, I am dreadful at making videos. I don't know why I even try. But, I do, all the while terrorizing all the people within ear shot. Maybe it is not me, but the moving making software the is the real bugger. I regrettably am using Microsoft Movie Maker. The worst editing software around. In addition my footage is on a mid range digital camera, not a decent camcorder with mini DV. Not that I am better when using the right tools of the trade. It's not even the tedium of putting the barley 2 minute video together; what truly makes this process an abomination to the psyche is the touchy nature of the beast. You can't do two things at once. Can't click off the screen. Can't minimize the program, can't export a damn thing right, can't delete unwanted clips, and even better, can't download the damn thing. Well, I am in the process of trying that now. If it works, you'll get to see the video! If not, I hope my frustration amuses you.

A bit about this wanna be promotional video (I don't know what else to call it). In January of 2007, I went to India's lovey Tamil Nadu area and stayed in the Auroville eco village. The program is made possible by the lovely CHID program and has differing themes for different years. In 2007 it was religion, politics, and the environment. If my video downloads you may notice that the clip doesn't contain many of the program specifics I mentioned above. Now, you know what the trip is really like. By the time class hits after lunch and work, the only realistic thing to do was space out and try not to fall asleep. The only thing I can say about the video is that the pictures and video clips prove we were there and took something away from the experience.

Walk=Money=Cure for ALS

I will be joining members of Magnolia Lutheran Church, participating in the Walk to Defeat ALS. The walk will take place in Seattle on September 27, 2008. The ALS.org website says every 90 minutes someone in this country is diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), also called "Lou Gehrig's Disease" , and every 90 minutes another person will lose their battle against this disease. ALS affected my church when our Pastor Doug died slowly from the degeneration of his muscles. He showed us all grace through his death and by fundraising the strength that came through his grace can reach others with this disease and their families.
The money raised goes towards patient services and research.
I will be placing a donation envelope in the Comparative History of Ideas office, B-102 Padelford Hall Box 354300, University of Washington Seattle, WA 98195 . Please send donations there and please supply your name and full address.
The ALS walk and I:
To tell you the truth, I wasn't sure I could raise any money in a short amount of time. Not to mention, I am grossly out of shape, and that I don't even know how long the walk is. That aside, a deadly combo of a strong will/ideals and being a CHID-ster, I wanted to participate on my own principles. A principle that a sincere effort, no matter how small can make a difference. That means that even though I could sit in front of the boob tube and watch the DNC all day and night, I could find a handful of minutes to pick up a donation envelope and write an email or two. Even that minute amount of pushing my self, would do some sort of good. At least I am adding to the group (power in numbers right?) An even greater plus, is that by pleading for money, people will learn about ALS. And as we all know learning has no bounds, so I am sure this information will do good somewhere in the world. Maybe it will be like a positive bastardization of entropy ( a law that states that order creates disorder somewhere else in the Universe). Take that how you will.
Amie

Kimono Anthropology

Unbeknownst to them, the proprietors of the online kimono dealer Ichiroya send out weekly emails of self ethnography. They are truly insightful and tell news worthy information about life in Japan that CNN or BBC could never imagine. They (husband and wife them Ichiro and Yuka) write about history, politics, and anything else that might effect their Kimono and traditional handicraft business.
Since I have not asked permission to publish any of these emails, I will give you their website and an blurb from the newsletter. If you feel inclined asked to be put on their mailing list.

An excerpt from the news letter: We came to live in this town two years ago, and this year, we had to be one of hancho(leader) of this community association. There are 8 groups in this area, each group has about 20 houses The houses started to be built about 16 years ago, and in the past 10 years, they had kept this summer bon odori festival.The festival needs quite a lot of preparation, so there was a log of discussion but since small kids are looking forward to this event and in this summer holiday season, many families come back to meet their parents taking their kids, so grandpa and grandma living in this area can take their grandchildren to the festival, so we have decide do continue this event. This year it was supposed to be held on oater August 23rd, but we had to postpone to Sunday because of rain, and we had to set to the earlier time instead of night.Usually many dancers in yukata comes, but because of the postpone, many women dancing group could not come, so it became more like game event for children, but we found many adults were having fun too.
email: info@ichiroya.com
Website: http://www.ichiroya.com/

If you haven't seen it, it's new to you

Here are a couple of clips of music I have had the pleasure to hear while traveling in India and Armenia. I have found that whenever I cannot understand another person's language, I can understand their music. Or, at least, understand the music's function for the individual. When it comes down to the nitty gritty, good music can move anyone......even Willam Hong.

Music

Saw this band last night at the KEXP mural concert. I decided to post this video simply because some woman (read crazed Pela fan) asked me to.

,

All Things Considered, (look ma I'm a journalist)

Well, not all things are considered, the title just makes me sound like an intellect. If I did consider everything I would be God and God uses judgement. That is something I don't have, otherwise I wouldn't gallivant around the world all the time( whilst having problems like pneumonia). What I did consider, was the fact that I will be leaving for a good while and a blog would be a dandy way for people to know what I am up to. Sorry family if this blog upsets you more than informs you (as I tend to be a wee bit easygoing).

The main purpose of this blog will be to explore the people, places, and cultures I will be gazing my western eyes upon. Hopefully I will be a good girl and stick to what I learned from being an Anthropologist and not make everyone into exotic others. My hope is that this blog becomes a source of learning and understanding through my experiences.

The logistics(kinda):
I leave to Nagoya the 21 of November 2008 and about 2 weeks later will be in my new home town of Shimizu. I will be there for a year, so do come and visit. I hope to at least make it to China and Korea while I am in the vicinity. I may or may not have Internet for quite a while. If you feel an urgent need to contact me (and I know you will) keep in mind Japan has a 16 hour time difference from the west coast.

As a final note, I will not be around Seattle for most of September as I will be in Idaho and Arizona.(to see my eldest brother's family and to check out grad school). If you want to see me before I go October is wide open.....for now.

Amie