Moonflower in the evening of the semishigure.

Cupid Strikes.

noreply@blogger.com (Edwin Bartunek) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:51:00 +0000

I thought tonight was the night for a long over do post. I've been here for a while and have experienced quite a bit of stuff. Tonight is Valentines Day in Japan. Of course, here the men do nothing and the women give chocolates. The men have their chance on White Day. It's exactly 1 month later. Just a little bit of culture..

So tonight I decided to write a poem about Love... Here it goes.

--------------------------------------
trinkets can't hold you
in their eyes sparkles may shine;
benches, chairs for two
liquid-like, flowing; then demised
metamorphic, body explode

Fire is hot but cool
Strange how a material
can be bipolar.
Yet cannot be touched by hands.

Trinkets can hold you
in their eyes sparkles may thrive;
tables seat their moods.
a gaze, circuitously
finds it's mate in many ways

it has shades unseen to you
but will change more than any knew.

--------------------------------------
Well, It may not be perfect but...Happy Valentines Day!

The Luddite is dead?

noreply@blogger.com (Edwin Bartunek) — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 07:06:00 +0000

I never thought I would say this. I downloaded a bunch of classic literature on my android phone about a month ago. Originally I downloaded the Kindle application as a joke (Ha! I'll never use that.) I have always opposed this new fangled technology for a long time, and to this day I am still ambivalent to it's usefulness. Well I read one of my favorite stories, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. It wasn't bad but it wasn't great either. The Kindle and other E-Readers are being pushed more these days, and I, for one, am not sold.

I am not reviewing the Kindle nor any other device, so if that's why you're reading then turn back now. I am, however, critiquing the digital text in general. Ok, I give this technology some credit because as a past English student, I had to lug my huge textbooks and anthologies all over campus - I have the creaky back to prove it. I could have tons of books inside an E-Reader, which would solve this problem for me and others. I have to admit that is nice. Now it is not as practical because I am not a student anymore.

What I don't like about these devices is the following: technology fails. My phone dies quickly (I don't know about the other devices, but they will eventually have the same problem given the right circumstance.) This will make it very difficult to read anything if I don't have my charger or have no power outlet. My phone gets so bad that some days I need to take out my battery to reset it... Blah blah blah. I could go on. The point is: I don't need to worry about this with printed word. I open the book and have no problems AT ALL. The feel of a book is much better than a glossy screen.

Maybe I read too much Apocalyptic fiction, but what if humanity ends and a new creature comes to visit our world. These digital readers will die with us. Printed word, while not as easily degraded by time, would allow these new creatures the ability to read about our culture. That might be a stretch...

Is this Luddite convinced? Has a part of his Luddite ways died and been seduced by this new format. I don't know. Only time will tell. What I do know is that I love reading.

Japan wins vs Cameroon for FIFA world cup 2010!!

noreply@blogger.com (Edwin Bartunek) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 18:07:00 +0000

Honda scores!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLL! Hurray for Japan!
見てね。

Busy as a Bee

noreply@blogger.com (Edwin Bartunek) — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 22:37:00 +0000

It has been a while since I've posted--Sorry reader. I got burned out of writing. My last semester as an undergraduate student killed writing as a past-time for me. I wrote over 50 pages worth of essays for the total combined amount per class. What a logistical nightmare it was to get done but I did. Anyways, I am back and looking for a job. I got depressed for the first couple of weeks because my major is for education in high schools. Well no one is hiring, in fact, everyone is FIRING. Oy Vey. So I am reduced to applying to asian supermarkets, Starbucks, and various jobs that do not require a BA. -_- Oh well I am still looking...

Trust me My next entry will be about manzai. Until then....

Poetry of the night

noreply@blogger.com (Edwin Bartunek) — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 07:03:00 +0000

This seems to be my most creative time. Here is an impromptu haiku.

Spring time with Kyoto and the tanka

grasses of green there
are of a deep succulence
by the sakura
removing them and myself
yielding a great displeasure.

post note - edited in the day–I guess I'm not as productive at night.. . . oh well.

Kabuki Theatre in Kyoto

noreply@blogger.com (Edwin Bartunek) — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 04:07:00 +0000

Kabuki is simply magical!

Dreams and an Altered Reality

noreply@blogger.com (Edwin Bartunek) — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 00:07:00 +0000

I am still unsure that my trip to Japan actually happened. It felt so surreal and funny, mixed with a little fear and euphoria. Good thing I took pictures to verify it was not a dream! Sorry, I am still jet lagged and probably do not make much sense right now. I might fix this entry at a later date because I have tons of things I want to put down but my finger said no so my thoughts will stay locked in my brain for a bit.

Well to get to the point– I am loosing steam – I am now engaged to the love of my life. I can't believe it either. At any rate, I'll leave you with a picture, but I will give a little background first. In Japan everyone must be expressionless to avoid making people feel uncomfortable, so when you smile it looks like your thinking something dirty or abnormal. THIS IS WHY MANZAI IS NEEDED! Manzai allows for the purging of the lack of emotion that the Japanese experience day in and day out. I'm starting to understand manzai my reader. HA HA! SO... My fiancée drew a picture of me breaking the unwritten rule of the expressionless face and other various things (grumble grumble [-_-] .....)

Now that is true love! It reminds me of Shakespeare's Sonnet 130 so I'll leave you as such and dedicate Shakespeare's sonnet to my loving fiancée.

My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;

Coral is far more red than her lips' red;

If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;

If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.

I have seen roses damask'd, red and white,

But no such roses see I in her cheeks;

And in some perfumes is there more delight

Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.

I love to hear her speak, yet well I know

That music hath a far more pleasing sound;

I grant I never saw a goddess go;

My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground:

And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare

As any she belied with false compare.

- William Shakespeare

Long Beach and all her mystery

noreply@blogger.com (Edwin Bartunek) — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 06:47:00 +0000

As I ran, I was met with this. It's a little hard to see, for my phone does not have a very good camera. The evening fog combined with the lights of this island was awe-inspiring. This island is called THUMS island and it is actually a oil drilling facility. You would never guess from the coastline with its architecture and by the way it was decorated. Long Beach is so fascinating.

Here is a short video about the THUMS island's capabilities:

Next week is calling

noreply@blogger.com (Edwin Bartunek) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 04:23:00 +0000

My Japan trip is only a week away! Kobe, Osaka, Nara, Kyoto, here I come. The only bad part about my trip is that it is just too short, for I will only be there a day short of a week. Well this Japan trip got me thinking...I was playing Badminton today and started talking to a Japanese classmate casually about the weather and the topic got to our plans for spring break. My interlocuter said my Japanese was very good... More like my Engl-anese. Anyways this discussion made me realize that I need to practice my Japanese! I could feel my hesitance as I spoke the language, but after the discussion had been concluded, I remember the words I had forgotten in the moment. Waaa. Oh well. Ganbaruzo!

Brains.....Brains......gurgle gurgle

noreply@blogger.com (Edwin Bartunek) — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 22:39:00 +0000

Last night I had watched some movies and played some video games with my long-time friend. Much of the night focused upon zombies. Whether it was a zombie western flick (Undead or Alive w/ Chris Kattan and James Denton and yes you read that right, a zombie western...) or pumping zombies full of lead in Call of Duty: World at War for Play-station, we had a blast. While I am not a gamer, I do enjoy shooting up zombies in video games. Zombies in general fascinate me. Now before I am chided for being of the macabre persuasion, just hear me out.

Zombies came about in the medieval period. No, Sir Gawain did not have to lop off the heads of any throng of zombies; His only rival was the Green Knight. I mean the belief that they walked the earth was existent. It was this myth of these undead that really got me interested.

As I poke around the internet, just as my reader might be doing right now, I notice some misguided information about the myth of zombie origins is prevalent. No the idea of zombies did not come from Haiti as so put by the wikipedia article and other various internet sources. The myth had been linked to a religion called Vodoun for its beliefs with death. Yes they don't believe in the finality of death in the religion of Vodoun; however, the concept of "zombies" was only sensationalized in the Wes Craven movie and the Wade Davis book, titled "the Serpent and the Rainbow." This is what lead to this idea circa 1985 or so (don't hold me to it.) Here is an interview, which dissuades this Haitian and Vodoun connection to zombies with Mama Zogbé. The interview also explains misunderstanding of the religion of Vodoun (and the explanation between Vodoun and "Voodoo.") Also check out the Haitian Vodou article.

So no, tales and beliefs go way back, further than 1985. Medieval practices with the deceased was... well to put it nicely developmentally challenged: the fear of being bury alive enters in here; moreover, Dominican Thomas of Cantimpre and other theologians during the Medieval Period expressed tales of the undead. The tales often suggested that the body was an empty vessel for an evil spirit to enter into after the death of the person. As I think of what this means for the zombie myth, I see the connection of the fear of death and of the devil (wickedness and sin as well,) for in an article by Nancy Caciola ¹, she states: "the fact that the corpse itself [in these tales] does not come to life: it is mere dross moved by the demon," and "belief in corpses coming back to life is well attested for parts of medieval Europe." Zombie myth came into their own.

Well as many know America has European roots. So in come the Puritans... Sinners in the hands of an angry God by Jonathan Edwards might come to mind. Well America does have roots in superstition as a puritanical society. Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown touches on this idea of wickedness that we, as a nation, have consumed. An article by John Sutherlan ² also mentions that "the whole 'undead' genre is the fact that America is deeply superstitious." And so the myth pursued: Zombies are a social commentary on the wickedness and fear of death, and in a religious context, one that engenders the corruptibility of mankind. It has evolved over time through movies and literature and spun into different messages of social commentary. I simple find it fascinating. Brains......

¹ Caciola, Nancy. 1996. "Wraiths, revenants and ritual in medieval culture." Past & Present 152, no. 1: 3. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed March 14, 2010).

² Sutherlan, John. 2006. "Read or undead." New Statesman 135, no. 4818: 59. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost(accessed March 14, 2010).

Another poem for the night...

noreply@blogger.com (Edwin Bartunek) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 09:12:00 +0000

I wrote this in a British literature class with a prompt of "write me at least a 12 line poem about this room. I'll be back."

-
Discernment within

The bustle of bodies encapsulated
within the room, sit and
ponder what is within.
O' muse what makes thee tick?
Clocks that hang mock thy
flow, but yet no more
than time does know.
white is drenched in sterile
essence, lacking inspiration
that could be present.
Steal away unsightly room;
my fever for thee is my tomb.
-

good night.

Banzai! I mean... Manzai!

noreply@blogger.com (Edwin Bartunek) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 04:20:00 +0000

I ran into a previous teacher I had had for a comic spirit class. After we said our greetings and small talk, he asked me if I had a chance to visit Japan, remembering I had asked about the Japanese comedy form called, manzai. I mentioned that I was moving there soon, in a year or so, and still hope that I will one day figure out manzai. Apparently, I wasn't alone. He had received many term papers on manzai after I had taken the class. He said I was a "trend setter." Well, I don't know about that, but this chance reunion got me thinking about manzai again.

What is manzai? It was born in the Kansai region of Japan and contains a straight man, tsukkomi (literally to dig into, or retort), and an idiot, or boke (meaning stupidity.) The form was developed as a stand-up routine consisting of slap stick physicality, double talk, pun, and misunderstanding. The comedic form is analogous to the comedy of Laurel and Hardy. The only difference is manzai is much more frantic and faster paced.

Well I could explain the funniness out of a joke, but I would rather show you a typical manzai routine in a movie I had recently watched. The movie is titled Maiko Haaaan! Abe Sadawo as Onizuka, the man holding the ramen toppings in the background, is pitching a new instant ramen marketing strategy that will make a lot of money. I think who the tsukkomi and boke are is quite clear in this clip. Enjoy!

I still have a lot to learn about manzai. I don't fully understand all of the jokes I come across in the comedic form, but all I need to do is just keep watching and learning. Until next time... Manzai!!! I mean... Banzai!

The Rockstar Theatre of 1603

noreply@blogger.com (Edwin Bartunek) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 07:45:00 +0000

It is only a few weeks until I will embark upon my trip to Japan. I am excited to see the sakura in all its beauty during the spring but more so for an afternoon of Kabuki. What is Kabuki? If the word is split up by it's kanji it is the following: sing (歌, or ka), dance (舞, or bu), and skill (伎, or ki.) The word comes from Kabuku meaning to be eccentric or extraordinary (fantastical isn't it.) I became adamant about seeing this magical, artful theatre when I learned about it in my theatre history class. Sure I always knew about Kabuki, Noh (more elite) and Bunraku (puppet theatre) before my class but when I saw a video of all three types I became enthralled. I do want to see all three performed but Kabuki touched my child-like wonderment.

The wonderment I speak of is the magical keren, a term for the stage special effects. Trap doors spill out characters yielding fantastical entrances and exits; Chuunori or "mid air riding" provides spirits, ghost, and mythical bird creatures above the audiences' heads; Hayagawari or "quick change" allows the actors to shed clothing in seconds while on stage. Words just can't describe the joy I had watching these effects on the video I saw. Sure most theatre forms have these types of "secrets" (special effects,) but the ki(伎) in Kabuki made it special. Kabuki had developed from the aristocratic elite Noh theatre, but it sought to amaze the common people. It was a true rockstar theatre of the 1600's.

My excitement is bubbling over, for I will be treated to three plays while in Japan: Futatsu chouchou kuruwa nikki (ふたつちょうちょうくるわにっき,) Sonezaki Shinjyuu（そねざきしんじゅう,) and Renjishi (れんじし.) It will be magical.

What is a journey of endurance?

noreply@blogger.com (Edwin Bartunek) — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 22:50:00 +0000

Another pot of coffee brewing at 6 in the morning to make up for the night before, studying, planning, and researching until 1 in the morning. Black jolting liquid is my savior. The shower slightly wakes me up, but the drive to the local high school yields much more. I am in the midst of a project for a class that demonstrates I can help a student with reading.

So I revisit my first topic of this blog (slightly ironic now, isn't it.) What is a journey of endurance? As I look at the progress of where I've come with my undergraduate degree, I see the answer to this question much more clearly. This is the second time I've done a project on reading: the first was an assessment of my personal reading strategies; the second, in progress, is an application of these skills and stratagems for a student. Reading is dense; reading is complex; reading is... fascinating.

What do we do when we read? As an English major, sometimes it is hard to describe the process of reading; When one is good at it, the more subconscious the act becomes, and therefore hard to explain. Well to explain these processes, here is a list of traits from a "dependent reader" (a reader who has not deduced the acts required for reading, relying on the teacher to help with comprehension.) This list has been adapted from Kylene Beers' research in her book titled When Kids Can't Read: What Teachers Can Do. 1

Dependent readers

Struggle recognizing both single-syllable words, and multisyllable words (decoding text)
has little to no strategies of what to do when words are unknown
does not use context in the text to figure out an unknown word
does not use knowledge of word parts to figure out unknown words (i.e. vivacious; viva, long live + cious, adjectival modifier = being lively in manner; animated)
reads slowly, and loses the meaning of the text
focuses on the act of decoding without emphasis on comprehending the passages
reads too fast or slow, ignoring punctuation
does not predict what will happen or ask questions about the text
reads to finish, not to understand
cannot develop questions about the text
does not understand how literary terms are used in the text
Think good readers are born that way and reading is unteachable.

This is but a few of the traits of a "dependent reader." Did I know I was doing this when I read? Not a chance! When I was younger, I merely read things and either understood or gave up. I had no stratagems to attack the material I was reading. Well this is what I mean by a journey of endurance. Taking a path that is hard and difficult in order to become better at something. As I conduct this second project in reading, I see a lot of traits from my childhood in the student I am working with. Now is his journey, I can only show him the path.

1 Beers, G. Kylene. When Kids Can't Read, What Teachers Can Do: A Guide for Teachers. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2003.

A little poem for the night.

noreply@blogger.com (Edwin Bartunek) — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 07:54:00 +0000

This had been written at the beginning of this semester for a classmate I have in one of my classes. It all steamed from a conversation about the importance of reading and writing. I hope you enjoy it.

Words

The pen that writes them
flows with essence.
Drip, drip, dripping
rain, ocular and vivid.
Leaves that seize the blades of Grass,
engrossing with the elixir.
I feel and touch; I see and hear
‘street spurns carping tongues.
Words that do occur are also in our funds.

-

Good night.

The journey of endurance.

noreply@blogger.com (Edwin Bartunek) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 21:33:00 +0000

Well I had an idea of a topic that is reflected in the title but have since lost the energy to write it. I would say that this is merely a test post to get my formatting of the blog the way I want it as well as a reminder of my original topic. This way a revision will be conducted at a later time. At any rate, I will leave this up and conclude with a question: What is a journey of endurance?