Nantonaku

The Buddha and His Teaching

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:01:00 +0000

It's been quite a while since I've written here. Sorry about that. I think it has been a combination of lack of inspiration / focusing on my studies that caused me to take a break. In any case, at the moment I am taking a political science course which, oddly enough, starts out very much like a philosophy course. We are reading Plato's The Last Days of Socrates at the moment which consists of Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, and Phaedo. They are all very interesting reads, however it is Phaedo that I wish to talk about today.

The passage which I found so fascinating starts at around 81e and continues on until around 84b. Located on pages 151-153 of the Penguin edition translated by Tredennick and Tarrant. In this section Socrates (or rather Plato using Socrates' voice) talks about the corporeal nature of the body and how it can "weigh the soul down," making it base and physical rather than divine and pure. I was absolutely astounded by the parallelisms between what Socrates was saying and the Truths discussed by the Buddha. Although Socrates came much later than the Buddha, to my knowledge, Socrates was never directly influenced by his teachings.

One of the basic things that needs to be understood about Platonic thought is that Plato considered there to be these sort of divine Truths / Forms that exist outside of the physical realm. What he was talking about here were the pure essences of elements that make up our daily lives. For example, pure Justice, or Beauty, or even something as mundane as "Tallness" or "Fastness". In his mind, our physical world consists of imperfect copies of these divine forms. I say imperfect because all physical representations of these Ideas are inherently imperfect. We may be able to conceptualize "Justice" in it's true form but in practice perfect justice can never be found. The same goes for the ideas of beauty or tallness. Beauty can only exist in relation to ugliness and tallness can only exist in relation to shortness. Beauty in its "divine form" can not be found on Earth.

Because of this Plato argued for the fact that our senses deceive us. Whatever we "saw" or "heard"or "felt" was inherently imperfect and distorted by our physicality. For this reason, he argued, we should "[abstain] as far as possible from pleasures and desires and griefs". He also argued that the soul should isolate itself from the body by practicing Philosophy in "the right way". Only through this practice could the soul become unfettered from the body and slip into the realm of the divine free from the taint of the physical.

As I read this I was struck by the unshakable feeling that I had heard these words before. Then it occurred to me that, although the language was different, the essence of what Plato was saying was eerily similar to that of the Buddha. Did he not also teach us that we should avoid our senses as much as possible? Did he not teach us to shun them and not react to them?

I was amazed. Here were two people separated by vast distances and times in an era when the world was a LOT bigger and access to information was greatly more restricted than it is today basically saying the same thing! It really made me think that perhaps they were on to something. Maybe there is some greater "Truth" to be understood.

Plato also argues the fact that the "invisible" is inherently unchanging in nature whereas the "visible" is, in his terms, "variable." His proof for this is the fact that the Idea of equality, that being the concept of equality, never changes. Same with the concept of beauty, and truth etc. Whereas the many instances of beauty, for example, in the physical world are never the same. Beauty in clothes, horses, people...these things are forever changing. Therefore, he comes to the conclusion that that which we can not see must be part of this divine realm of constants. And, since the soul is not visible it too must be part of this realm. However, the soul is in the predicament of being drawn towards the body which IS visible and never free from change. Again this leads him to believe that the soul must try to free itself from the body.

Plato also talks about reincarnation. He discusses how the souls of "inferior people," which in his mind would be those who are not practicing philosophy in the "right" way, or indeed, those not practicing philosophy at all are compelled to wander until, through a craving for the corporeal they are once again trapped in a body. The type of body would depend on the actions it previously cultivated in its last incarnation. The examples Plato provides here are those of animals. The souls of the inferior will come back in the form of some "perverse animal" such as a donkey or an ant whereas the souls of the pure would come back as some animal like a wolf or a hawk.

Obviously Plato's definition of a preferable animal may be different from that of the Buddha, but in concept they are still saying the same essential thing. Do good things, cultivate good actions and you will be reborn into a more pleasant form. Do bad things, or cultivate bad actions and you shall come back in an unpleasant form. In my opinion I should not wish to be reborn as any animal. Especially not one that makes its life central to killing other beings.

Plato also eludes to the attainment of Enlightenment through right actions, although he of course uses different language. In his own words, "[N]o soul which has not practiced philosophy, and is not absolutely pure when it leaves the body, may attain to the divine nature [...]". Now if you exchange the word philosophy with meditation and divine nature with Enlightenment you have the basis for Buddhist thought!!

I am at the moment in search of authors who have thought about this link in more depth. I found one promising book entitled 21st Century: The Age of Sophia by Seiyu Kiriyama, the Chief Abbot of the Agon Sect of Buddhism. Incidentally, it sent chills down my spine when i realized that this course which I took as a last resort because there was NOTHING else i was even remotely interested in put me on to this topic. Furthermore the ONE book which I find initially is written by a Japanese author! Japan, of course, being one of the major parts of my life at the moment. It may seem like grasping at straws to others, but to me it was the voice of Fate whispering sweet nothings into my ear.

Once I have done a bit more research on the topic and if I find anything interesting I will post more. And if you can suggest any authors to me please contact me at mapleleafteacher {} gmail (you will have to translate that into a real address...but im sure you can manage)

Collaborative Poem

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 06:52:00 +0000

A Thing the Size of a Playing Field?

Tommy told me about it mum,
Its larger than you or me.
He told me that it's scary mum
With teeth and horns, you'll see.

Its breath is super gross, he said
Like garbage from last week.
And a face so truly ugly that
It could make a lion squeak!

It's called a Super-Jerak mum,
With long and purple fur
Eight feet the size of houses mum
The biggest that ever were!

Don't worry if you see one mum,
I know what to do!
It's really scared of kittens see
So make a tiny mew.

Aren't you glad you have me here
Keeping you alive?
Now should you see a Jerak mum
You'll probably survive.

This poem is part of a collaborative book created by our class. We were each given one line of a poem and were asked to use this as a title to write a new poem. Our teacher will then take all of these poems and create a book from them. It should be interesting at the very least.

A Minander Over the Evergarb

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 04:49:00 +0000

This week was also the week for our nonsense poems. There weren't really any guidelines. "Just write some nonsense," were the directions we were given I believe. Here is my piece.

A Minander Over the Evergrab


sender minander fulinder and june
delibacker soodlenacker sembe and prune
eyes for a felendram mister and blam
soodle dock soodle dock brick brick zoom

hay for the heresy big toe spoon
i saw what you did half past noon
meandering mimbleese bumblebee broom
don’t stop the fire truck headed for doom

watch tower watch tower fire and froom
glooming glooming sender me shroom

rightly respecting regale remarks
fully festering fissure-esk farts
helepran hidokay heedenight free
dismembered adamstocks cantering glee

In this poem I was trying to create something fun and carefree while experimenting with rhyme, rhythm, and repetition. I also wanted the poem to tell a story of sorts, but one that might not be immediately recognizable to those unwilling to look beyond the mere words on the page and find the energy behind them.

During our workshop class I got some comments that said the poem reminded them of the scene in Macbeth with the witches around the cauldron (Act 4 Scene 1). Although that was not my original intent it is certainly an interpretation that works. I would prefer not to confine the imagination of the reader, especially not on a piece like this where there is much room for the reader to develop their own story regardless of what my intents may or may not have been.

The Trader

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 01:21:00 +0000

This week we were required to write a narrative poem. In short, a poem that tells a story. Here was my submission.

The Trader

The red door opened heralded by a chiming bell.
The man behind the counter shuddered as the
cold, rainy, west-coast weather that had been
sputtering angrily outside his window for more than an hour now
bled in.
How he hated the damp wind that seemed to seep into his clothing
like a dog’s wet, burrowing nose
forever trying to steal his hoarded warmth.

He greeted the scraggly face before him with his
regular smile.

The bearded mouth mumbled something and pointed
to a box of .17 gauge Remington ammunition.
Danielson exchanged the ammo for the proffered money
and accepted the grunt
as thanks.

Eyebrows furrowed, the whiskers donned a sou’wester
and headed back into the storm.

Danielson sighed and slumped back onto his
knot filled stool,
shoulders sagging slightly as though they
were hung with fretful weights.
His eyes wandered from the rusty can of peaches to the keg of
water-logged gun powder and back to the peaches.
He suddenly realized the absolute hate he harboured
towards those peaches.
“No, I am not fucking peachy.” he said in their general direction.
“Excuse me?”
He hadn’t noticed the set of large muddy boots before him
whose eyes held a surprised and questioning look.
“Not you, the peaches.”
This only seemed to increase the boots look of concern
as they piled pelts onto the counter.
It didn’t, however, prevent the mire filled mukluks from
accepting the fat wad of bills
and sloshing back across the swamp.


Alone once again Danielson melted back onto his stool,
unconsciously mimicking the solitary candle sputtering
in silent protest to the drafty cabin.
“You’re trying to hard” he said to it.
“…almost as bad as those damn peaches.
Always trying to be happy despite the odds.”
“You’re just going to burn yourself into non-existence anyway.
Why even bother?”

The candle sputtered on indignantly.

Danielson continued to berate the candle for another 20 minutes
before it summoned a wind and snuffed itself out
in angry deference.
“That’s the spirit.” he thought to himself.

With its sole source of light gone
and its lonely grease covered window putting up little fight,
the cabin readily accepted the intrusive storm-gloom.
The heavy darkness seemed to push Danielson
a little deeper into his stool.

Suddenly, his fur-lined jacket called out to him
And his boots wagged their laces eagerly at the door,
tongues lolling in excitement.
“Good idea.” he said sullenly.
He turned to the peaches,
“I’m going for a walk and I don’t want to hear anything about it!”
He departed hastily,
content to leave the cabin door banging in the wind.

As he left, the cabin creaked a little sigh of relief
and seemed to brighten a little.
The peaches, however, watched in sorrowful silence
as the trader and his excited boots
tromped across the forest floor
and into the misty haze.

This poem started primarily as a character concept. In my head I had pictured a lonely trader who probably worked for an HBC like company somewhere on the West coast. He is a man that sees so few people day in and day out that he has started to develop personal relationships with the objects around his store. The real people he does see have become little more to him than their prominent features.

It was interesting for me to try and create a story in which most of the characters are nothing more than personified objects that are really only given life by the main characters reaction to them. It still needs some work, but I must say I enjoyed writing it.

To the Reaper - Revised

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 02:50:00 +0000

Here is a revision on the ballad I posted a few days ago.

To the Reaper who comes for me

A coffin has become to me
What I’ve put into it,
The faces from a thousand seas
Caked in grime and grit.

Yet still I sailed and could not quench
My endless thirst for gold.
Dreams of murder and bodies stench
Had robbed me of my soul.

And in the night they haunt me still
These horrors of my past,
“You will not sleep or rest until
Your pain is unsurpassed.”

Now that I’ve drawn my final breath
Lamenting what I’ve done,
I will not beg forgiveness, Death
Deserving what’s to come.

Poetic Advice

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 02:15:00 +0000

This poem was in response to an email sent to me by a friend of mine containing little punctuation and citing concerns about giving a lecture on poetry. This was my advice to him.

On Public Speaking

sorry, but I hate to say
distractions will only provide a fraction
of relief.
beautiful or not the black womans buxom behind
will only allay your fears for so long.
and in the end you must still
speak.

bring the woman to the talk
and watch as the audience balks at your
sexual poetry
then tell the cops that
'Hey! Its art, maan'
as they lock you in the cell and throw away the key
to expression.

Long not for ritalin
perhaps some simple punctuation would do.
It might, at least, get you through to Sunday's end.
and if not, theres always the sweet baby jesus.
that sweet, baby jesus.
licked once more you might find you have been sent
on a religious experience akin to the ecstasy of
psychedelic sin.

fret not my friend
for im sure you'll find the time to unwind
to release the anxieties of your mind and be proud
of your accomplishments.

To the Reaper Who Comes for Me

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 08:26:00 +0000

So we've come to the part of the poetry course I've been dreading, closed form! Ack! When I first started writing poems back in the angst ridden days of my youth (as opposed to the angst ridden days of today) I thought all poetry must rhyme and that being trite was a badge of honour to wear with pride. It took me a long time to be able to break that habit and garner a love for original expression. I have been loathe to return the the prison of confined structure.

That being said, I have a lot of respect for those people who can write well within a closed form. It's definitely a skill. It just happens to be one that I'm not good at. Needless to say I struggled a lot with trying to write my first ballad. For those who dont know, the ballad is the traditional form of song. Each stanza (paragraphs for poetry) is 4 lines long, written in iambic pentameter (poetry bs for a certain rhythm), and has a rhyme scheme of ABAB (a fancy way of saying the 1st and 3rd lines rhyme as do the 2nd and the 4th). I really struggled with this one. There were numerous false starts, half finished poems, and a strong desire to kill the person who invented the ballad. It took me almost a week but I managed somehow to create something that works, even if it's not the best piece I've written. So rather than slag it any further, I'll let you read it and decide for yourself.

To the Reaper Who Comes for Me

A coffin has become to me
What I've put into it.
The faces of a thousand seas,
Covered in grime and grit.

Yet still I sailed and could not rest.
A selfish quest for gold.
Dreams of jewels and gilded chests
Robbed me of my soul.

And in the night they haunt me still,
These horrors of my past.
"You will not sleep or rest until
Your pain has ours surpassed!"

Although I've drawn my final breath
Lamenting what I've done,
I will not beg forgiveness now
Deserving whats to come.

沖縄 - Okinawa

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 09:05:00 +0000

Well I was feeling rather 懐かしい (nostalgic) about my summer and was browsing the net for blogs / movies about Okinawa. I stumbled across this series which gives you nice bite-sized snipits of the islands. I will post the link to my favorite vid in the series, but there are 10 others if you are feeling adventurous.

I didn't see many of the places he talks about and now I kinda wish that I had. But I don't have any regrets. I had an awesome time while I was there and I'm sure I'll go back sooner rather than later.

A Must Read

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 23:12:00 +0000

My Uncle just came out with his first book of poetry recently entitled What We're Left With. The poetry within is is deeply introspective and contains a sense of overpowering emotion. This is a definite "must have" addition to any avid poetry readers collection.

Ben Murray's poetry has appeared in a wide variety of journals including Descant, Event, Prairie Fire, CV2, and the Windsor Review, and has been widely anthologized. The title poem for this collection won the CV2 Poetry Award in 2001. His work has been broadcast on CBC radio, and he is a winner of the Canadian Poetry Association Award for Poetry, and recipient of third place honours in the Petra Kenney International Poetry Prize. This is his first full-length collection of poems.

BrindleandGlass.com

Make sure you check it out!

TMNT!

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 09:46:00 +0000

I found some sweet new-old school TMNT cartoons. This is from the 2003 series. Kawabunga dude!

I had to squish the screen so that it would fit on here, but if you go go to the actual Stage 6 website it is much larger and better resolution.

Anaphora

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 23:45:00 +0000

Today we learned about anaphora. Basically this is a fancy name for a poem that repeats the opening line throughout the poem. Here is my anaphora:

My name is Death.
I am your greatest fear and yet,
I am the only thing you can be sure of.

My name is Love.
I am your greatest hope and yet
I am fickle.

My name is Friendship
I am your most treasured possession and yet
I will betray you.

My name is Death,
And you must accept me.

Treatment as a Foreigner in Japan

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 21:51:00 +0000

Another article I found through the Japan Probe website caught my eye this week. It was on how foreigners are treated in Japan. You can find the original article here and a slightly longer and more insightful article on the same subject here.

It caught my interest because this is a question I have been asked about, and talked about in-depth with other foreign friends I have that live there now. I thought I would throw my own 2 cents into the pile because my own unique experiences with Japan have allowed me a comprehensive (although certainly not exhaustive) view.

My first experience with Japan and Japanese culture came in early 2005 when I arrived in Japan as an English teacher for Peppy Kids Club (KTC外語学院). And although I had done some preliminary study of the language and the culture prior to my arrival, it was paltry in no way prepared me for the coming year. In terms of language ability, I think it could be equated to what one might learn in the first few weeks of a University level Japanese language course. For those of you who havent studied Japanese at college or university, I basically knew how to say hello, my name is..., sorry, excuse me and some very basic, highly situational simple sentences. I certainly could not talk my way off the page in front of me, and even if I did somehow formulate a question the probability of of me understanding the answer was similar to the chance the Vancouver Canucks have of winning without Luongo in net (slim to none). My cultural understanding was also pretty low -- mostly garnered from television shows and learned about from friends which really told me nothing about the real Japan.

I would end up spending a year in Japan and come away having learned little more Japanese that I started out with (approximately the first half of a 1st year Japanese course). My cultural understanding, now better than it was to start, was naturally stunted by my ability to communicate with Japanese people in their native language. However, for the most part I really enjoyed my time in Japan. It was a truly life changing experience for me and I made many very close friends although they were almost exclusively foreign.

Upon returning to Canada I had already decided that I wanted to return to live and work in Japan, however, having already used up the once-in-a-lifetime working holiday visa the only avenue left was to go back to school and get my B.A. This would enable me to return on a work visa. During the course of the next year and a half I would decide to enroll in the Pacific Rim program at my local college and devote my time to almost exclusively studying Asian culture and the Japanese language. Additionally, during this period I would meet my current girlfriend, Midori, and my drive to understand Japanese culture and language would be increased that much more.

Now I find myself at the tail end of my 2nd year of study with a much greater cultural understanding of the Japanese and although it's faaaar from perfect, my Japanese ability now at least enables me to fumble around a conversation. I also had the opportunity to return to Japan this summer to visit my girlfriend which I took without hesitation and found that my 1st experience in Japan and my 2nd were vastly different in just about every way possible!

At this point some of you may be wondering why I have gone to such lengths to describe my own personal background with Japan and its culture. The reason for this is that my background will be reflected in my experiences in Japan...as will yours if you go (or have gone).

During my first year in Japan as a non-Japanese speaking Canadian who made little to no effort to study Japanese or learn about its culture - a true gaijin in every sense of the word - I was treated very differently from when I would return a just over a year later. Or at least I thought I was treated differently. Even though I didnt know a lot about the Japanese, I was not about to force my language or culture upon them...I was in their country after all! And however frustrated I may have made the local 711 employees with my inability to understand them, I think they could at least appreciate the fact that I wasn't coming in and making demands of them in English like some foreigners do. Consequently, when I interacted with people it was in broken Japanese and I would understand little of what was said to me. This forced me to guess at what they were trying to say, or as to why certain things happened. And when I had to guess, I usually assumed the worst.

Being in a foreign country I was at a disadvantage and hence very insecure, so when someone would refuse a service or was curt with me I would almost always automatically assume it was because I was gaijin and they were racist. This view was influenced by all the stories I had heard from other foreigners directly or the stuff that I read on the internet that led me to believe all Japanese people are xenophobic and racist at heart. Of course I knew this wasnt true and that it was a horrible negative stereotype perpetuated by ignorance, but like I said, when I had to guess I had a tendency to assume the worst. Thankfully, I tried not to get into those situations very often so most of my experiences were great and I ended up really liking my time there. However, based on this type of negative thought cycle I can see how other foreigners might come away with a bad taste in their mouth.

My 2nd experience with Japan in the summer of 2007 was different in a few ways. For one, I was able to speak a lot more Japanese and understand most of what was said to me in common everyday situations. Two, I had been studying Japanese culture and history avidly since my enrollment in college so even if I didnt get everything that was said, I was more likely to understand why someone would react a certain way in a given situation. And Three, my girlfriend was with me most of the time. Number three was undoubtedly the biggest factor. Having her with me was like having a translator, culture coach, friend, tour guide, and confidant all in one. Although, I tried not to rely on her too much. I did my best with the Japanese I knew, and she was happy to stand there with a supportive smile as I fumbled my way around, much to the chagrin of the person I was accosting I'm sure. She only helped me out when I was at a complete loss or it was imperative I understood what was being said to me.

Because of these three things, I found that many situations which I might have chalked up to xenophobia or a racist attitude previously were often non-issues or certainly not as clear cut as I had previously assumed. Often an explanation, an apology, or both were given when a service could not be rendered, and many other times I realized I was treated no different that a Japanese person in the same situation might have been treated. Previously I would have assumed it was just because I was a foreigner. I think my biggest realization, however, was that often you dont know for sure! Yes, maybe the guy is a racist....maybe. More than likely he / she is just having a bad day or you dont fully understand what's going on. If I had to go around assuming that everyone who gave me shitty service in Canada was doing it only because of the colour of my skin I wouldnt have a very fun time.

The point I'm trying to make is that these types of encounters should be entered into with a sense of optimism. Short of them saying to your face, or in your general vicinity, that they dont like you because you aren't Japanese you can't really know what they are thinking. Sure, you are free to assume whatever you like, but what I learned from my first time in Japan was if you go around thinking everyone hates you the only person who really suffers for it is you! So my advice, take it or leave it, is to give the other person the shadow of the doubt. Additionally, you will find most Japanese people incredibly inquisitive, and hungry for knowledge of other countries, but you have to put the effort in to reap the rewards. Study the language, learn about the culture, and make some Japanese friends before you go. Do this and I am sure you will treasure the time you spend in Japan!

Something Amazing

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 08:00:00 +0000

A Chinese guy shows off his incredible skill with a whip for a Japanese television show.

My First Pantoum

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 09:42:00 +0000

In today's English class we learned about Pantoum 's and were asked to write one. Basically we were asked to look at a photo that meant something to us (or if you forgot to bring a photo a random one she gave you) then write down all the concrete objects we noticed within that photo. We were then asked to ask some questions about the photo to ourselves. Following that we were to write 10 lines of poetry based on that photograph, the only catch being that each line had to stand on its own. Following this we numbered the lines 1 through 10 then rearranged them based on a predetermined formula. The 3rd and final step is to tinker with the poem in any manner you see fit.

Here is what I came up with:

My Summer is Remembered By...

A hand covered whisper
Caught by a sly grin.
A private conversation atop the rocks.
Summer days in Nara

Caught by a sly grin
Beneath red maple trees.
Summer days in Nara,
And sunbeams caught in streams.

Beneath red maple trees
A Black shoulder bag
And sunbeams caught in streams.
Brown purse.

Black shoulder bag.
Red Shirt,
Brown purse,
White blouse,

Private Shirt.
A red conversation atop the rocks
White hand,
And a blouse covered whisper.

New Epigram

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 09:32:00 +0000

I decided I didnt like the other one much so I tried to write a new one...

A good friend is always generous.
Now give me all your pie.

Yea, its short. But its supposed to be.
Witty...well I dunno. It's kinda hard to be the judge of your own work. In any case...I think it's at least admissible.

"Eco-loons", Terrosism, and Whaling

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 08:22:00 +0000

I'm sure many of us have all know that the written word can have a huge impact on how something is viewed. The words a writer chooses to use are often very deliberate. People who don't spend a lot of time writing, or thinking about what they read may let these little hidden slants go unnoticed...

Take for example the word "hostage". Brings up a lot of serious imagery doesn't it? Hijacked planes, men in ski masks holding AK-47s threatening the rope bound innocent? Am I getting close?

Well, I have recently started to frequent a website called Japan Probe - written in English - that focuses on Japanese media. That being things on TV and / or reported in the news. Some of you may have noticed the link pop up on the side bar. I think it is fairly common knowledge that most of the news agencies in the U.S. and Canada are controlled by a staggeringly small amount of people, however, even with the acceptance of that fact it is natural to assume that Western news agencies will, naturally, have a Western slant to them.

My point is that I found it refreshing to read some articles written by people outside of our little sphere of influence that had different paradigms and different priorities. Of course it would be stupid to wholly believe their articles as well...after all they possess probably as much slant the other way. But being able to choose what to believe is a refreshing option.

The example I came across today is an article that has to do with the ongoing issue of Japanese whaling in the Antarctic region the the messy clash they had recently with environmental activist group Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. Founded by Paul Watson in 1977, who incidentally, was one of the 3 founders of Greenpeace, the Sea Shepherds participate in what some call eco-terrorism. If even a portion of what I have read so far about what the Sea Shepherds do on a regular basis is true, then I would certainly agree. I should clarify that I do not agree with non-sustenance based hunting of any kind, whether or not it is under the auspice of scientific research or not. However, I also do not condone the actions of violence-based groups such as the Sea Shepherds. In my eyes they are no better than those they assault.

I will not go into the details of the article, as it is surmised quite well in the link above with links to expanded stories by other news agencies, but I did want to point out how the Western media chose to use this word "hostage" in a very nonchalant manner. They way it was presented tries to completely ignore the fact that these "hostages" immobilized their target by disabling their propeller, assaulted them with acid, and forced themselves on board! And this is despite warnings from that captain of the Japanese vessel that they would be detained under Japanese law if they tried to board.

If I was the captain of a vessel that was forcibly boarded by the crew of another ship that flies a pirate flag I would most certainly react in a similar way provided I was able. Obviously both sides are at fault, and there is a lot more to the story than this singular incident, however, it could have been reported in a much better manner.

Thats all I will say for now, but if you have would like to leave your own opinion on the matter please do so! There is a comment button below. It's quite simple...you don't have to sign up or anything. I promise!

Epigram

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 23:09:00 +0000

One of the other assignments for next weeks English class was to write an epigram which is usually defined as a short, witty poem between 2 and 4 lines long. Here is mine:

My father taught me to tell the truth
But with my boyfriend
I must always lie

もうすぐ！ Just a little longer!

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 08:49:00 +0000

昨日、ミドリちゃんは誕生日があって、電話していたけど、とれなかった。　(;_;)　ミドリちゃんが仕事が終わったら大阪に友達と会いに行くだて。俺は夜中後待っていたけど、やっぱり電話出来なかった。とにかく、今日出来た！本当に良かった！多分、２ヶ月ぶり、電話でミドと話した。まっ、良い感じだった。話したら元気になった。(^o^)/

So, yesterday Midori had her 23rd birthday!! I tried to call her but wasn't able to. She had told me previously that she had work until 8pm Japan Time (JT) which would have been 3am PST. Often she has to stay on shift longer than she is scheduled to help clean up or whatever which is pretty common in Japan. Anyhow, by the time 4:30 rolled around I was having trouble staying awake and was worried that even if I did manage to get in touch with her I would just fall asleep on the phone. So I gave up, but not before I told her I would call her again tomorrow.

Luckily I was able to reach her today! That was really great! It had probably been 2...or maybe even more, months since I had last spoken with her on the phone. We talk via email a fair amount but its really not the same as hearing her voice. Due to the time difference and our schedules, it isn't often we get the chance to talk so I am really looking forward to the fact that she has a week of work to hang out in Osaka because that means I can call her!

Also her plans are becoming more solidified in terms of when she will be getting here! It's been very hard for me (and I'm sure for her as well) to wait around to hear back from the government regarding her application for a Visa, however, she just told me today that her friend Miku, who also applied for the same visa around the same time, got her email today informing her of her acceptance! Midori said she hasnt had the opportunity to check her email in a while so she is expecting to find the same email in her inbox when she checks it tonight.

She also said to me today that she plans on getting here around the 25th or 26th of February! Only 45 more days if I counted right...thats less than 6 and a half weeks! To me it still seems like forever...but the rational side of me knows that it will be here sooner than I expect. The other good news is that her friend Miku will be coming with her! I think this will be great because it will mean that Midori has a friend from Japan with her which will be good for helping her adjust back to Canadian life. I believe Miku is planning on living in both Vancouver and Toronto...however I'm not sure in which order or for how long in each city. In any case, it will be nice to have her around as well.

I think I will leave it there for now...don't wanna babble on for too long!
Goodnight, おやすみ！

Cinquain

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 06:04:00 +0000

In todays poetry class we learned about the cinquain, a poem consisting of 5 lines and the syllables of each lines are 2 4 6 8 2. We were asked to write on either coffee or music. I chose coffee and here it is:

dripping
roasted beans grind
tantalizing aromas tease
and titillate with infatuation
addict

New English Class

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 04:14:00 +0000

As I think I may have mentioned, I am taking an English - poetry class this semester. I have been looking forward to it because the last English writing course I took (Creative Writing - Non-Fiction) was extremely interesting and I think it really improved my writing. And that was in spite of a flaky teacher! This teacher seems much better...so far we have only had one class (tomorrow will be the second), but I have heard good things about her. Our first assignment - due next Thursday - asks us to write what she calls a puzzle poem, which is basically her way of describing a poem that makes heavy use of metaphor to describe an object or concept. One of the more difficult examples she gave was this:

Where ships of purple gently toss
On seas of daffodil,
Fantastic sailors mingle,
And then--the wharf is still.

I certainly wasn't able to guess what was being described before we were told it was The Sunset by Emily Dickinson.

So I gave it a shot...I wont give you the title of the poem until the end just in case you would like to try and guess for yourself.

It’s an obsession.
An emptiness.
Something misplaced, but not lost.

It is joy,
It’s sadness,
It is patience.

Mornings first thought.
Evenings last kiss goodnight.
My willful sorrow.

Close-distances,
Distant-closeness,
A voice.

Frozen likeness
Of companionship -
Flat.

Letters, filched from ink
Forming words
Forming words.

Countdowns.
5 months,
34 days,
6 hours,
17 minutes,
and 5..4..3.

Two people
One hope -
Separated.

*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*

I titled it Long Distance Relationships

Yet Another Fragment

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 22:57:00 +0000

I often find myself inspired at random times during the course of a day at which time I will write the introduction to a story, or maybe just a piece on an interesting character that comes to mind but I almost never complete it. I think this above all else is what sets the hobby writer apart from those who actually get stuff done. In any case this is something I wrote today after a brief moment of inspiration in which I fell in love with, then subsequently out of love with the character I had just created. Who knows, perhaps she will be useful sometime in the future, but for now she exists only in the few paragraphs I have created for her.

An Encounter with Isabelle Delafontane - aka Bobby Mac

The heavy-footed female entered the bus in all her lesbian glory, hair spiked out - up and away from her - like a strutting peacock. The bus transfer, proffered in the drivers extended arm, was snatched out of the air with a sense of presupposed right and subsequently crumpled into the front pocket of her jeans. She wore a plaid jacket, from which the sleeves had been torn off, their red filaments now dangled against her naked arms. And when she turned to the side it was quite obvious that she wore nothing under it other than a sweat stained brassiere which covered her flat, pancake-like breasts.

Daniel was immediately intrigued by the silent way she screamed “Fuck you!” to society, and at the same time was disgusted and angered by the brazen sexual energy which seemed to radiate from her as she plodded to the back of the bus. Disgusted not because she was so sexually free, but disgusted because it grated against everything he personally found attractive, and angry because this was exactly the point.

As he got off the bus she cast him a sneer, lip wrinkled up on one side and a fire behind her eyes. Whether this was a challenge or an attempt at a masculine greeting is something that Daniel failed to grasp, but wanting to acknowledge neither he glances only furtively at her before returning his eyes to the ground and exiting into the crisp January air.

A good book

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 22:49:00 +0000

Well one of the things I got this Christmas was a gift certificate to Chapters (thank you Angela!) and I used that to buy a very excellent book entitled "The Japanese Have a Word for It" by De Mente. It is a very well written book by a man that obviously has a lot of experience living in Japan and dealing with Japanese people. In this book he attempts to explain some of the idiosyncrasies of Japanese behaviour that the average Westerner may find baffling or inexplicable. You can tell right off the bat that it is written from a business perspective and most of the advice is geared toward Western business men who want to establish a strong(er) working relationship with their Japanese counterparts. However, I have found it to be very insightful and would recommend that anyone who has an interest in the Japanese language or its culture read it.

Happy New Year!　明けましておめでとう！

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 22:09:00 +0000

皆さんこんにちは～！

Hello everyone! I hope you all had a great new years! I know I did. I had somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 people come over to my place to celebrate new years. Most were members of the Japanese Conversation Club...that being said, most of them were the Japanese members of the Japanese Conversation Club. My Canadian friends were all peculiarly absent (with the notable exception of Michael). But I'm sure people just got waylaid or downright stranded at other parties. It is almost impossible to get a taxi on New Years eve. Besides...it was their loss! Haha, but really we had a lot of fun. I will post some pictures below, and if you have Facebook you can see all of them there.

So, today I would like to thank everyone who befriended me last year. I met some amazing people and I hope that our friendships will continue this year and beyond! Also, as a new years resolution I have decided to give up my resolution not to drink. So party on!

It's been a while since I have done any sort of Japanese stuff on here so, in light of the holiday season here is some holiday Japanese for you.

Merry Christmas
メリークリスマス
meh ree kurisumahsu

Yes, it does sound very similar to English. This is because it was taken from English and made to sound Japanese. So that one should be easy to remember!

Happy New Year
明けましておめでとうございます
akemashite omedeto gozaimasu

Have a good year
良いお年を
yoi otoshi wo

From left to right: Me, Sarah, Kota, Kei, and directly below her Kaori, Keita, and finally Haruka.

Happy Holidays

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 08:32:00 +0000

Well, its a tad late, but I hope you all had a happy holiday season. Mine has been alright so far. I had a good time seeing family but I really dislike all the traveling. I think next year I'll just stay home...haha yea right. That wouldnt go over well.

I've been playing a lot of Guitar Hero 3 since I got to Alberta since my cousin owns it. I must say it is significantly better than Guitar Hero 2. The graphics and game-play have both been improved but the real kicker is the co-op mode and online battles against other players. To me, this makes it worth buying. But after Christmas I am broke :(

Anyhow, I'm thinking of having a new years shindig at my house...that could be something to look forward to. I dont really have anything interesting to say today so...Im just going to go to sleep.

Night

And the marks are in...

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 07:16:00 +0000

Well, another semester is done and gone with a new one just past the holidays. I was only taking three classes this semester so school wasn't all that taxing, but I was helping run the Japanese Conversation Club at Camosun, and helping teach the first year students at Japan Club up at Uvic. Additionally, working ~20 hours a week left me with almost no flex time.

I start to get stressed very quickly when I dont have enough time to relax. But thankfully I was able to get some extra help running the club at Camosun, and I stopped the teaching thing at Uvic a couple of weeks back and was able to breathe again...at least a little.

I gave my notice at work and only have 2 shifts left (yaaay!). Also, I decided to quit drinking. Not that I really drank a lot to begin with, but I made the decision that I would like to attain a clarity of mind not achievable when alcohol is involved.

But back to the main topic...Geography was my worst mark this term. I got a B which is adequate and I didnt really expect more (I'm not really a science head) but it's still hard medicine to swallow. Asian Studies went better, I managed to squeak out a B+ even after I tanked the 2nd mid-term. The fact that I got 28/30 on my essay that was worth 35% of my mark helped quite a bit I'm sure. And Japanese was by far the best of my 3 courses (surprise, surprise). I don't know my final percentage yet because our teacher only posted letter grades so far, but I had 90% overall before I handed in the last assignment, so I think I'm probably around 93-94% which is an A+ (and also the highest mark in the class!). So I was pretty proud of myself for that. I guess it just goes to show that a little interest goes a long way.

I'm really looking forward to next semester. I think it could be fun. I have another Geography course (1oo this time instead of 210) which I would have avoided if it wasn't a requisite. On the upside I have the same teacher that I had for 210 and she rules, on the downside however, it's an 8:30 start. Just shoot me now and be done with it. I also will be taking a poetry course which could be really great. I am excited to be able to study it, and hopefully improve my own writing skills. And then the last course is, of course, Japanese 201 (the last half of 2nd year Japanese) which I am also very excited for. Another bonus is that I have no classes on Monday! Horray for 3 day weekends! I dont know how I didnt manage it this semester with only 3 classes...some cruel trick of fate I suppose, but I am stoked for it next semester. However, knowing me, I'll probably still be at school on Mondays for JCC (japanese conversation club), EC3 (English Conversation and Cultural Club), Peer Connections, or whatever other extra-curricular programs I manage to get myself involved with next year.

Tomorrow I am going to my first Salmon Kings game (the local hockey team). A friend of mine is leaving to go back to Mexico the day after tomorrow they have never seen a hockey game their entire time in Canada. So we will go with a couple of friends tomorrow. It should be fun! Nikki managed to get us some seats right up against the boards. Thanks Nikki!

I am also getting pretty excited about Midori coming back to Canada! She'll get here some time mid-late February. It still seems like a long time to me, but when I think about it, December is practically finished and the first month of a semester always seems to fly by then BAM! February. I can't wait! 5 months is a really long time to go without seeing someone (;_;)
Thank goodness it's almost over.

Alright, enough of my rambling for one night.
Ciao,　おやすみ, and Goodnight!