The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-10
Monday, December 27, 2010
Great Journeys of Japan and Asia- My Korea Travel Experience, Part 2
The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-10
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Great Journeys in Japan and Asia- My Korean Travel Experience
Day One, November 30th, 2006
The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-10
Our hotel was in the Wangsimni District of Seoul.
One of the first places that we went to was the Namdaemun Market.
Namdaemun Market
A woman transport food balanced on her head in the Namdaemun Market.
Since our trip to Korea in November 2006, this place has burnt down.
Enjoying a snack with a friendly Korean woman.
Lunch time.
The popular Korean dish, Bibimbap.
Seoul's skyline at dusk.
The international district of Seoul, Myung Dong.
A truck full of heads of cabbage (used to make kimchi) in the Wangsimni District of Seoul.
Multi-talented Maya Murofushi shows her soul power › Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion
Multi-talented Maya Murofushi shows her soul power › Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion
The Divine Wind Vaulthttp://divinewindvault.blogspot.com(C)2006-10
The Divine Wind Vaulthttp://divinewindvault.blogspot.com(C)2006-10
Meet Aki, queen of the 'gyaru-mama' › Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion
Meet Aki, queen of the 'gyaru-mama' › Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion
The Divine Wind Vaulthttp://divinewindvault.blogspot.com(C)2006-10
The Divine Wind Vaulthttp://divinewindvault.blogspot.com(C)2006-10
Seppuku: A History of Samurai Suicide › Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion
Seppuku: A History of Samurai Suicide › Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion
The Divine Wind Vaulthttp://divinewindvault.blogspot.com(C)2006-10
The Divine Wind Vaulthttp://divinewindvault.blogspot.com(C)2006-10
Yuko Takeuchi goes behind scenes of 'FlashForward' › Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion
Yuko Takeuchi goes behind scenes of 'FlashForward' › Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion
The Divine Wind Vaulthttp://divinewindvault.blogspot.com(C)2006-10
The Divine Wind Vaulthttp://divinewindvault.blogspot.com(C)2006-10
Santa's here › Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion
Santa's here › Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion
The Divine Wind Vaulthttp://divinewindvault.blogspot.com(C)2006-10
The Divine Wind Vaulthttp://divinewindvault.blogspot.com(C)2006-10
Aya Ueto is commercial queen for 2nd year in a row › Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion
Aya Ueto is commercial queen for 2nd year in a row › Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion
The Divine Wind Vaulthttp://divinewindvault.blogspot.com(C)2006-10
The Divine Wind Vaulthttp://divinewindvault.blogspot.com(C)2006-10
Grand finale › Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion
Grand finale › Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion
The Divine Wind Vaulthttp://divinewindvault.blogspot.com(C)2006-10
The Divine Wind Vaulthttp://divinewindvault.blogspot.com(C)2006-10
Girls' night out › Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion
Girls' night out › Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion
The Divine Wind Vaulthttp://divinewindvault.blogspot.com(C)2006-10
The Divine Wind Vaulthttp://divinewindvault.blogspot.com(C)2006-10
Sunday, December 19, 2010
McDonald's Japan
This evening, my wife and I were watching TV and a Wendy's commercial reminded her of when she was a student attending a private school in Tokyo's Hiro-o District which is known for the several embassies and the foreigners associated with those embassies.
It was around 1983 when my wife's parents divorced and my mother-in-law became a single mom and was the bread winner running various Japanese pubs (izakaya's) near the emperor's palace frequented by bureaucrats and other politicians.
Private schools may have been the supreme school in comparison to their counterparts, public schools. But, the public schools had a good system in terms of supplying the schools a hot and nutritious meal whereas the private schools did what they could internally with no support from the outside. The results were disastrous according to my wife and as a result, nearly everyone brought lunch from home.
Having said this, my mother-in-law was busy and once every two months or so, didn't have time to make my wife or her older sister's lunch. So, at their nearby station, Shimokitazawa, they would stop off at McDonald's and get a to-go order (mochikaeride) and would bring that for lunch. My wife would become the envy of her classmates at lunch when they would have to eat their tired and ordinary Japanese meals while my wife ate a cheeseburger and fries.
Today's video is a Japanese commercial of McDonald's from 1977. "McDonald's is a word of the world."
The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-10
Clash of the Cultures- A Work in Progress for Man and the World, Lessons Learned
Written on Saturday, November 10, 2007
can remember back when I was nine years old going to the World’s Fair in Knoxville, Tennessee with my father, grandfather and cousin. It was one of those summers when my younger sister and mother opted out and made their annual trek to my maternal grandmother’s home in Arizona. With our home becoming a bachelor’s pad of sorts, my father and I met up with my grandfather and my cousin in Georgia with a trek of our own-a taste of imported culture being brought to our neck of the woods. Twenty-five years later, I was wrapping up a three-year stay in Japan where I experienced differences in opinion, attitude and an overall approach to things and remembering from time to time the lessons learned with their beginnings going as far back as 1982.
The trip to Knoxville was a memorable experience in a lot of ways mainly because the summers back in those days had us going on family outings to Myrtle Beach, SC. It seems that the lessons learned from those beach outing were to:
a) never keep your back to the ocean too long or a big wave will catch you off guard and send you tumbling to the shore;
b) the long lines and pricey dishes for good quality seafood were worth the time and money since you couldn’t get the quality back home even though we resided in the Upstate and
c) it is not wise to ride the centripetal-force spin ride at the main amusement park located along the main drag in Myrtle Beach after a sitting of all-you-can-eat Calabash shrimp since you may be eating it twice as my sister did once by letting the ride get the best of her.
It seemed that this trip to Knoxville was a bonus trip since in addition to visiting the beach; we were now driving through the Smokey Mountains but with my sister and mother being substituted by my grandfather and cousin. The only mishap that I can recall from this trip is me becoming exhausted. The exhaust could have been caused by the heat, drinking too many sodas or the by the trip itself. After our first night in Knoxville, my cousin looked at me while eating dinner at a local steakhouse chain and saying, “Danny, are you OK?!?!? You look awful!” It was one of those rare things in my childhood when I found myself to be the youngest and smallest since my sister wasn’t with us. “I have to be tough.” I told myself since I didn’t have my mother around to look after me. I shrugged it off and gave my best tough look that I could muster and replied, “I’m OK. I was only yawning.”
The following day, we made our way to the main pavilion area where makeshift tent after tent were categorized by geographical location. Tents featuring European countries were to the left, South American countries were in the back, Asian countries were to the right and so on. As we visited each tent, I remember entering the tent called “Saudi Arabia” and becoming a bit scared as if I was entering a haunted house, unable to comprehend the unknown and only going off of what I did know about this mysterious culture which was the latest from NBC Nightly News and seeing pictures of people dressed as the man in the front of the room in our children’s Bible that my dad would read to my sister and I most mornings before leaving for school.
As the Arabic man dressed in traditional dress spoke to the visitors in the room mainly consisting of Southerners who probably have been outside of the Southeast US and may have been outside of the US if they were old enough to serve in the military during one of the conflicts of their generation which in general, seems to be the case when it comes to international travel with Americans. Afterwards, my cousin and I spoke to the man wearing a long white robe, goatee and turban and looking back on that time, I was as curious of him as my Japanese elementary students were of me when they would try to communicate with me. After entertaining us with the need to be somewhere else, the Arab man asked, “Would you like to take a picture?” As my cousin and I posed with the Arab man’s arms around our shoulders, he stops my father for a brief moment and says, “It is impolite to take a picture with your hats on.” and gently removes my cousin’s Atlanta Braves cap and my Olympics cap in time for the picture. At that moment, I felt awkward since I did not mean to be impolite to this grown-up and later realized that he too was wearing a hat but it wasn’t a cap like ours but a traditional turban.
can remember back when I was nine years old going to the World’s Fair in Knoxville, Tennessee with my father, grandfather and cousin. It was one of those summers when my younger sister and mother opted out and made their annual trek to my maternal grandmother’s home in Arizona. With our home becoming a bachelor’s pad of sorts, my father and I met up with my grandfather and my cousin in Georgia with a trek of our own-a taste of imported culture being brought to our neck of the woods. Twenty-five years later, I was wrapping up a three-year stay in Japan where I experienced differences in opinion, attitude and an overall approach to things and remembering from time to time the lessons learned with their beginnings going as far back as 1982.
The trip to Knoxville was a memorable experience in a lot of ways mainly because the summers back in those days had us going on family outings to Myrtle Beach, SC. It seems that the lessons learned from those beach outing were to:
a) never keep your back to the ocean too long or a big wave will catch you off guard and send you tumbling to the shore;
b) the long lines and pricey dishes for good quality seafood were worth the time and money since you couldn’t get the quality back home even though we resided in the Upstate and
c) it is not wise to ride the centripetal-force spin ride at the main amusement park located along the main drag in Myrtle Beach after a sitting of all-you-can-eat Calabash shrimp since you may be eating it twice as my sister did once by letting the ride get the best of her.
It seemed that this trip to Knoxville was a bonus trip since in addition to visiting the beach; we were now driving through the Smokey Mountains but with my sister and mother being substituted by my grandfather and cousin. The only mishap that I can recall from this trip is me becoming exhausted. The exhaust could have been caused by the heat, drinking too many sodas or the by the trip itself. After our first night in Knoxville, my cousin looked at me while eating dinner at a local steakhouse chain and saying, “Danny, are you OK?!?!? You look awful!” It was one of those rare things in my childhood when I found myself to be the youngest and smallest since my sister wasn’t with us. “I have to be tough.” I told myself since I didn’t have my mother around to look after me. I shrugged it off and gave my best tough look that I could muster and replied, “I’m OK. I was only yawning.”
The following day, we made our way to the main pavilion area where makeshift tent after tent were categorized by geographical location. Tents featuring European countries were to the left, South American countries were in the back, Asian countries were to the right and so on. As we visited each tent, I remember entering the tent called “Saudi Arabia” and becoming a bit scared as if I was entering a haunted house, unable to comprehend the unknown and only going off of what I did know about this mysterious culture which was the latest from NBC Nightly News and seeing pictures of people dressed as the man in the front of the room in our children’s Bible that my dad would read to my sister and I most mornings before leaving for school.
As the Arabic man dressed in traditional dress spoke to the visitors in the room mainly consisting of Southerners who probably have been outside of the Southeast US and may have been outside of the US if they were old enough to serve in the military during one of the conflicts of their generation which in general, seems to be the case when it comes to international travel with Americans. Afterwards, my cousin and I spoke to the man wearing a long white robe, goatee and turban and looking back on that time, I was as curious of him as my Japanese elementary students were of me when they would try to communicate with me. After entertaining us with the need to be somewhere else, the Arab man asked, “Would you like to take a picture?” As my cousin and I posed with the Arab man’s arms around our shoulders, he stops my father for a brief moment and says, “It is impolite to take a picture with your hats on.” and gently removes my cousin’s Atlanta Braves cap and my Olympics cap in time for the picture. At that moment, I felt awkward since I did not mean to be impolite to this grown-up and later realized that he too was wearing a hat but it wasn’t a cap like ours but a traditional turban.
My cousin (far left) and I with our Saudi Arabian exhibitor,
World's Fair, Knoxville, TN, 1982.
Later that day, we went to the tents featuring the countries from the Far East, China, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan. Each time we went, my grandfather would tease us and say, “Ask for Bruce Lee.” Some of the Asian people that my cousin and I would ask would smile at us since they knew that we were being silly asking for the fallen martial arts legend while others would stop what they were doing in their busy schedule and look around for a man with a last name “Lee”. While the person was looking for “Lee” my cousin and I would run off thinking to ourselves, “Oh my God! What have we done!” not expecting this person to fetch a couple of schoolboys a person as famous as Bruce Lee.
After finding my father and grandfather and bursting at the seams with laughter at our mischievous escapades we continued on with our tour of the World’s Fair. Later on in that trip, I had a group of older boys pass by my cousin and I as we entertained ourselves in a arcade area. These boys were a few years older than my cousin and I and were lost. They approached us and one of the boys began speaking rapidly to us in a language that we could not understand. After repeating himself again and getting the same blank look on our faces, he then asked us in slow words spoken deliberately in broken English, “Where’s the food court?” I pointed in the direction of the food court and the two boys went on their way.
As I look back at that trip, I recall learning the lessons that what may seem OK to you may not be OK to someone else, as well as, what may be common knowledge to me may be breaking news to someone else and lastly, not everyone speaks English in the US as a first language. In addition, what I may find as humorous, someone else may find as an insult.
Twenty-five years since that time, the facts are:
Soon, the number of people who speak English as a Second Language (those whose mother tongue is anything other than English) will overtake Native English speakers. This trend is known as “Borderless Societies”.
People belonging to a certain group such as sex, race, elderly, handicapped, etc. Everyone is in some sort of minority. This trend is known as Inclusion.
Lifestyle- Old patterns from work no longer exist. Personal freedom has an uncertain future. We must find new patterns of accomplishing tasks and adjusting our freedoms to fit into that uncertainty.
Taking the approach by having the “Make a Difference” mentality. More and more people are focus on mending what is terribly wrong. Just this past week, the NBC's “Today” Show had people broadcasting from the Artic Circle, the Equator and the South Pole in an effort to bring attention to the global warming epidemic.
"Big Brother, Hold My hand” mentality. As we saw first-hand with the fall out of the hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the government in only capable of doing so much. We must live within our means weather it is finances or culture boundaries.
The aging population is making a significant contribution to society. More and more 60-somethings are hard at work and are valued employees since they are reliable and have the poise to handle testy situations in a professional manner. The gimmick of outsourcing jobs due to the use of technology and sacrificing the quality of service needs to stop. In the US, 1 in 10 jobs to move overseas.
Change careers several times. Swapping careers in becoming more common.
As the world evolved to take on these changes it is important to step back to reflect on our progress. If we were to honestly give ourselves a progress report, I’d have to say that there is much more room for improvement in the areas of cultural sensitivity. The early 2007 incident of the Islamic teacher in the UK refusing to remove her headscarf and how the authorities dealt with the issue coupled by the 2006 incident of the Dutch cartoons that offended Arabs are the same as the my cousin and I attempting to wear our hats in a picture with the Arab man in Tennessee as well as us causing havoc and being mischievous at the expense of satisfying our petty quest to find the great Bruce Lee, but only on a much larger scale.
Kirin Lemon/Subway Sandwich in Japan/Nezumi tori/”Poki” sausage
Yesterday, we visited my favorite sandwich shop, Substation II. Ever since 1988, when I was a bagger for the now defunct supermarket, Winn Dixie, I would spend my lunch break at this place. With multiple locations in South Carolina, I usually stick to the #4 which is the salami, pepperoni and provolone cheese smothered in lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, olives, banana peppers and drizzled in oil and vinegar with a touch of mayo. Basically, when you pick that bad boy up, you hold on tight and don't let go!! At our most recent outing, we went to the shop closest to our current residence and the staff there was very friendly but loaded it down the oo much and since it was eaten at home, I basically stood over the kitchen sink with both sleeves rolled up. My wife still thinks that the Subway Sandwich shops of Japan are ideal with their sandwiches with eggs in them and as a result was suffering from heartburn from her #12 (all cheese sandwich).
Later that day, we were at Costco loading up on cheap gas at $3.50 a gallon and a 36-pak of bottled water and then the hard part of finding a dollar bill to feed the vending machine for a soft drink to get my wife to belch so her heartburn would go away. She ended up with a Sprite which reminded her of the days in Japan when Kirin would lead the way in this sort of drink with their version, Kirin Lemon.
From Costco, we headed into town for the Oktoberfest and went through a stretch of road known for police pulling people over for speeding, even if you are doing 50mph in a 45mph zone. I put the car on cruise control since driving that slow drives me nuts. My wife then enlightened me of this sort of practice in Japan known as Nezumi tori (Mice Trap). In the US, this is known as a speed trap. I guess the Japanese think of the police as cats chasing the mice.
At the festival, I was very pleased with the turn out and received several pats on the back for the favorable results for the Dedication Gala and Ceremony Luncheon. More importantly, this came from people that I would guess were standoffish towards me since I was an outsider and a unknown this time last year. Now, I'm a part o the "In" crowd which came at a price since I have forgotten more Nihongo (Japanese Language) than many foreigners will ever learn. But as my wife stood back with a sense of pride for all of the praise, she realized that this had to be done. We rewarded ourselves in the VIP area and drank German beers made by Spaten and ate brats marinated in beer. My wife commented that the Japanese sausages are much better. I reminded her that these sausages are made by Americans who had to come off their menu to fit the occasion so they are not familiar with this sort of thing. I got her to chuckle by saying, "At least they are not the kind that Jimmy Dean makes!" since she can't stand eating sausage that is soft. To the Japanese, it has to be "link" sausage and when you bite into it or cut it, it has to make that snapping sound as if you hear "Po-ki". One of my favorite snacks are the cracker sticks called Pokkie.
Today's videos are 1- a fellow gaijin eating at a Subway Sandwich shop in Japan, 2- Kirin Lemon commerical in Japanese, and 3- Japanese police conducting motocycle training.
The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-10
Later that day, we were at Costco loading up on cheap gas at $3.50 a gallon and a 36-pak of bottled water and then the hard part of finding a dollar bill to feed the vending machine for a soft drink to get my wife to belch so her heartburn would go away. She ended up with a Sprite which reminded her of the days in Japan when Kirin would lead the way in this sort of drink with their version, Kirin Lemon.
From Costco, we headed into town for the Oktoberfest and went through a stretch of road known for police pulling people over for speeding, even if you are doing 50mph in a 45mph zone. I put the car on cruise control since driving that slow drives me nuts. My wife then enlightened me of this sort of practice in Japan known as Nezumi tori (Mice Trap). In the US, this is known as a speed trap. I guess the Japanese think of the police as cats chasing the mice.
At the festival, I was very pleased with the turn out and received several pats on the back for the favorable results for the Dedication Gala and Ceremony Luncheon. More importantly, this came from people that I would guess were standoffish towards me since I was an outsider and a unknown this time last year. Now, I'm a part o the "In" crowd which came at a price since I have forgotten more Nihongo (Japanese Language) than many foreigners will ever learn. But as my wife stood back with a sense of pride for all of the praise, she realized that this had to be done. We rewarded ourselves in the VIP area and drank German beers made by Spaten and ate brats marinated in beer. My wife commented that the Japanese sausages are much better. I reminded her that these sausages are made by Americans who had to come off their menu to fit the occasion so they are not familiar with this sort of thing. I got her to chuckle by saying, "At least they are not the kind that Jimmy Dean makes!" since she can't stand eating sausage that is soft. To the Japanese, it has to be "link" sausage and when you bite into it or cut it, it has to make that snapping sound as if you hear "Po-ki". One of my favorite snacks are the cracker sticks called Pokkie.
Today's videos are 1- a fellow gaijin eating at a Subway Sandwich shop in Japan, 2- Kirin Lemon commerical in Japanese, and 3- Japanese police conducting motocycle training.
The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-10
Katatataki- Getting Fired the Japanese Way
My wife was telling me of an interesting story that took place at her work yesterday. She is a translator for a Japanese textile company. The plant comprises of a combination of white and blue-collar Americans who either reside in the countryside between Greenville/Spartanburg, SC or Charlotte, NC or commute about 30-45 minutes from those places.
This company is going through a transition with two new American vice presidents being gradually brought up to speed by Japanese managers from the company's home office in Osaka. Of course with any transition, you will have high turn over which is no surprise here.
The lead Japanese manager was speaking off the cuff to my wife about the sort of practice when you are fired or laid off in Japan. This is referred to as katatataki (a tap on the shoulder of an employee from behind from management.)
Imagine that the buzz in the air is that the company will be laying off people and the talk in the break area is that people from various departments are being let go. You return to your work station resume working and you are interupted with a tap on the shoulder from management. You turn around and management says, "Do you have a second? We need to talk." The man telling this to my wife said the phrase, "ka-ta-ta-ta-ki" while motioning the pat in the air.
My father, an old-school kind of person who has done better when refering to Japanese since his daughter-in-law is one, because he use to be known to say, "Jap". In the 1980s, he saw the comedy, "Gung Ho", starring Michael Keaton.
Today's video is of the movie, "Gung Ho".
The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-10
Tempura Ice Cream
Everyone knows of tempura. It's that Japanese dish where fish, shrimp and vegetables are dipped in batter and deep-fried. The little pieces of the batter that come off the fish, shrimp or vegetables can be sprinkled over soba (buckwheat noodles).
My wife was telling me the story of the time she was at a tempura bar in Tokyo when she was a kid back in the 1980s when fried ice cream was the best thing since sliced bread.
Ten- The sky/heavens
Pu(ra)- a breadlike food made of wheat gluten
The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-10
"He ate sushi twice a day for years"
Originally written in December 2008
As I tell my wife, "Sushi wo tabanai hi ha arimasen." "There isn't a day that I don't eat sushi." Maybe I should remember what "Big Red" would tell us on the Valley Forge. Keep things in moderation.
The other night at dinner, the news went to a Hollywood variety show which I really don't care for. But, on this particular day, something mentioned caught my attention. Jeremy Piven, a Hollywood "Ham n' Egger" was sidelined from an acting job due to high levels of mercury in his system forcing him to be fatigued which was out of character for him. His publicist was quoted as saying, "He ate sushi twice a day for years".
As an enthusiast of sushi, I never thought you could eat too much of something fresh from nature. But, the verdict is still out since Piven was a big user of Chinese herbs.
I had always thought that tainted seafood was the prime source of mercury poisoning. In the mid to late 1950s, it was discovered that a Japanese chemical company was dumping waste into nature causing the seafood in the area to become tainted. This later became known as Minamata disease.
Today, Hollywood movies have their take on sushi by making sly comments like, "Eat sushi? No thanks, I had a thermometer yesterday." or something along those lines as seen in Rising Sun featuring Wesley Snipes and Sean Connery.
Since sushi around here is the rolls with non-seafood as the filling, I figure I am due for some good sushi everyday for the next week!
The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-10
As I tell my wife, "Sushi wo tabanai hi ha arimasen." "There isn't a day that I don't eat sushi." Maybe I should remember what "Big Red" would tell us on the Valley Forge. Keep things in moderation.
The other night at dinner, the news went to a Hollywood variety show which I really don't care for. But, on this particular day, something mentioned caught my attention. Jeremy Piven, a Hollywood "Ham n' Egger" was sidelined from an acting job due to high levels of mercury in his system forcing him to be fatigued which was out of character for him. His publicist was quoted as saying, "He ate sushi twice a day for years".
As an enthusiast of sushi, I never thought you could eat too much of something fresh from nature. But, the verdict is still out since Piven was a big user of Chinese herbs.
I had always thought that tainted seafood was the prime source of mercury poisoning. In the mid to late 1950s, it was discovered that a Japanese chemical company was dumping waste into nature causing the seafood in the area to become tainted. This later became known as Minamata disease.
Today, Hollywood movies have their take on sushi by making sly comments like, "Eat sushi? No thanks, I had a thermometer yesterday." or something along those lines as seen in Rising Sun featuring Wesley Snipes and Sean Connery.
Since sushi around here is the rolls with non-seafood as the filling, I figure I am due for some good sushi everyday for the next week!
The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-10
Sunday, December 12, 2010
The Divine Winds in Desperation
The Divine Winds, known as kamikaze in Japanese are believed to protect Japan from invasions from the outside. Only one time in Japan's history have they been occupied from the outside with the defeat in World War II in 1945. On this date in history, January 5th, 1945; Japanese government approved the use of warplanes to be flown into US-led Allied Forces' ships. These missions were known as Kamikaze Raids. Maimed Japanese warplanes would maneuver themselves so that they would crash not into the ocean but into the side of a US warship. These raids managed to damage 30 ships and killing 5000. Months later, the war was ended with the atomic bombings of Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States on August 6th and 9th, 1945.
Information provided for this entry was from this evening's Fox New 8pm broadcast.
The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-10
Information provided for this entry was from this evening's Fox New 8pm broadcast.
The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-10
Mount Fuji Hike- 2006
A former colleague recently published some photos of our hike on Mount Fuji in July 2006. This happened on the three-day holiday and as a result, the place was packed.
The hiking stick was left behind when we moved back to the US in 2007. What a pity.
The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-10
The hiking stick was left behind when we moved back to the US in 2007. What a pity.
The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-10
Places in Japan- Kyushu's Miyazaki
Miyazaki Prefecture is located in Japan's southern island, Kyushu.
Due to its location, this place was known as the honeymoon destination of Japan before it was affordable and fashionable for the Japanese to travel abroad.
It is rumored that Japan's most beautiful women are found in Kyushu. With J-pop idols Ayumi Hamasaki and Miki Imai coming from Kyushu, it is easy to see where Japan's beauty comes from. Ironically, my wife's ancestral roots come from Kyushu with her mother's hometown being Fukuoka and her father's hometown being in neighboring Saga Prefecture where he resides to this day.
While I have not been to Miyazaki, I've been to Kyushu a number of times. Kyushu is where Nagasaki is at as well as the Dutch resort, Huis Ten Bois which neighbors the US Navy's Sasebo base. One of Japan's active volcanoes, Mount Aso, is also in Kyushu. Near Saga, I first ate ika sashimi (raw squid) which was held captive in the store's front aquarium until it met its maker shortly before becoming our meal. The parts that could not be served as sashimi were later served as deep fried.
Destinations in Kyushu are easily accessible while traveling in Japan with Fukuoka as the hub for travelers making their way via air or rail.
When traveling in Kyushu, it is recommended to travel by car when outside of Fukuoka due to the spacious roads and abundance of parking.
The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-10
JETAA/SE South Carolina Chapter Shinnenkai Recap
Published in the JETAASE NEWSLETTER - February 2009
South Carolina Sub-Chapter holds first event
By: Daniel Stone
Saturday, January 24th, 2009
Clemson, SC- With several small and informal gatherings with alums meeting separately, JET alums residing in South Carolina finally met everyone under the same roof.
Clemson University’s Roderick International House was the site of this year’s Shinnenkai. Four South Carolina JETs and one Georgia JET were joined by ten other "Friends of JET". This group ranged from a Japanese expatriate from Kyoto working in Greenville as a sushi chef, a German businessman who works in Greer, a Japanese grad school student from Fukui, a TESOL instructor from Seneca, a Japanese translator working for a textile company in Gaffney, a Personal & Business Coach from Greenville, and several undergraduate Clemson students that were interested in learning more about the JET Program.
"Back in 2007, Lee Ferrell and his wife, Cheryl, met me Greenville. We ate at a Korean restaurant on Woodruff Rd. The meeting was very insightful since Lee and Cheryl had already experienced the reverse cultural shock and difficulties of translating their JET experiences to the local economy in the Upstate.", recalls Daniel Stone, a native of Greenville and served on JET as an ALT in Saitama-ken from 2004-07. "It pays to be active with the local JETAA chapter since knowing what the local market has to offer when you are on the other side of the world isn’t easy to see. The JETAA sempai help in bridging the gap.", says Stone.
"In October 2008, I met two JET alums. Craig Lundgren was suggested by Lee. Craig’s an accountant now, but his first job after JET was as a translator for Hitachi in Greenville in the 1990s. The other was Eugenia Hall who served on JET from 2004-07.", says Stone. Craig graduated from Clemson and served as an ALT in Yamagata-ken from 1991-93 while Eugenia, a graduate from Davidson College, served in Shizuoka-ken as an ALT from 2004-07 and currently resides in Anderson. "Craig is very busy as he is co-chairman of the Japan-America Association of South Carolina. Unfortunately, Craig couldn’t make it to the recent event, but plans on attending the next event.", says Stone. Lee Ferrell, a lecturer of German at Clemson University, served on JET as an ALT from 1997-2000 on Shikoku Island. Lee’s wife, Cheryl, is an elementary school teacher in Oconee County. Lee and Cheryl met while both were on the JET Program. Cheryl, a full-blooded Japanese, was also an ALT and hails from Canada. Alex Brakebill, President of JETAASE, made the trip from Atlanta to attend the South Carolina Shinnenkai.
The spread for this event was potluck. Everyone chipped in and provided Chirashi sushi, California makizushi, two batches of oden, gyoza, curry and rice, potato salad among other Japanese items.
We haven’t decided the frequency of events this year, but our next event is likely to take place this spring. I’ve thought about doing a hanami picnic at Furman University in Greenville. Near the lake is the site of a former Japanese shrine from Nagoya known as "Place of Peace". It was donated to Furman by Japanese expatriates who attended Furman years ago. The shrine now serves as a classroom for students of Japanese culture at Furman.
The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-10
Places in Japan- Kyushu's Mount Aso
Mount Aso, the largest active volcano in Japan is one of the largest in the world. Located in Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu.
I've been to Aso-san once. While the picture is from a calendar, the time that I went was similar. It was in January and after a recent snowfall. Kyushu, not known as Japan's Snow Country (yukiguni) does get snow in the higher elevations. The time that we went was also around the time when it was a bit active, therefore, we could not ride the sky tram over the top to look down into the volcano.
Mount Aso is a nice drive from Fukuoka's Hakata Airport. Once outside Fukuoka, the drive is normal with minamal toll booths. One of the biggest differences in driving between the U.S. and Japan are us Americans drive to and from anywhere at any length of distance and it is free, but in Japan, there is a fee.
Also, while in Kumamoto Prefecture, one should visit Kumamoto Castle which is known as being one of the top three castles in Japan.
The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-10
Does the sempai-kohai relationship impede conversational interaction in an ESL setting?
The sempai-kohai relationship, the relationship unique to Japan between upperclassmen/seniors and underclassmen/juniors has been examined from many angles. I was recently asked, "Does the sempai-kohai relationship impede conversational interaction in an ESL setting?"
In my experiences, I found the basic conversations a bit drab and decided to push the envelope by leading the conversation into debatable territory. The results were mixed as advanced level ESL speakers spoke but were hesitant since voicing their opinion was uncommon. One older ESL speaker asked that I not encourage them to discuss matters such as, "Should the American military be based in Japan?" etc. This was not because of the sempai-kohai relationship but the Japanese tendency to not make waves. This is one example of conversational interaction in an ESL setting that was hindered.
On the other hand, I believe that ESL conversations are not impeded since it is likely that one of the members, the lead member, is not Japanese. In order for the sempai-kohai relationship to be carried out, all must be Japanese. The Japanese do not expect non-Japanese to follow the rules of the sempai-kohai relationship.
Furthermore, as a ESL teacher and one of your students is older, they sempai-kohai relationship doesn't apply since you are being utilized for your expertise. Having a younger expert correct an older student is fine since the teacher is likely to be a foreigner.
I once experienced a Japanese girl of elementary age who was called on to assist in communicating when a group of us ESL teachers visited her school. She lived most of her young life in the U.S. before returning to Japan. Once the translation chore was out of the way, the girl stayed with us and ate the snacks that were provided to us. The principal of the school scolded the girl for doing this but lightened up since she was sitting with us ESL teachers. My thinking was, "The girl should be rewarded for covering your sorry butt and its six years of compulsory English which can not be demonstrated." One can only imagine how the girl was disciplined once we all left.
Lastly, if there is any student, regardless of age who has any ability to speak English will be hesitant to do so for the fear of standing out among their peers. I've often wondered what the Japanese educational system does with the gifted Japanese students since they can not be advanced above their school year since they will then at the level of their sempai.
I guess you could say that a kohai who can speak better English than their sempai in a business setting could be awkward since the role of the sempai is to take the lead when carrying out English duties when the truth is, the kohai can do it more effortlessly. This was the situation with my wife for the three years that we were in Japan.
The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-10
In my experiences, I found the basic conversations a bit drab and decided to push the envelope by leading the conversation into debatable territory. The results were mixed as advanced level ESL speakers spoke but were hesitant since voicing their opinion was uncommon. One older ESL speaker asked that I not encourage them to discuss matters such as, "Should the American military be based in Japan?" etc. This was not because of the sempai-kohai relationship but the Japanese tendency to not make waves. This is one example of conversational interaction in an ESL setting that was hindered.
On the other hand, I believe that ESL conversations are not impeded since it is likely that one of the members, the lead member, is not Japanese. In order for the sempai-kohai relationship to be carried out, all must be Japanese. The Japanese do not expect non-Japanese to follow the rules of the sempai-kohai relationship.
Furthermore, as a ESL teacher and one of your students is older, they sempai-kohai relationship doesn't apply since you are being utilized for your expertise. Having a younger expert correct an older student is fine since the teacher is likely to be a foreigner.
I once experienced a Japanese girl of elementary age who was called on to assist in communicating when a group of us ESL teachers visited her school. She lived most of her young life in the U.S. before returning to Japan. Once the translation chore was out of the way, the girl stayed with us and ate the snacks that were provided to us. The principal of the school scolded the girl for doing this but lightened up since she was sitting with us ESL teachers. My thinking was, "The girl should be rewarded for covering your sorry butt and its six years of compulsory English which can not be demonstrated." One can only imagine how the girl was disciplined once we all left.
Lastly, if there is any student, regardless of age who has any ability to speak English will be hesitant to do so for the fear of standing out among their peers. I've often wondered what the Japanese educational system does with the gifted Japanese students since they can not be advanced above their school year since they will then at the level of their sempai.
I guess you could say that a kohai who can speak better English than their sempai in a business setting could be awkward since the role of the sempai is to take the lead when carrying out English duties when the truth is, the kohai can do it more effortlessly. This was the situation with my wife for the three years that we were in Japan.
The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-10
Places in Japan- Kyushu's Nagasaki
Kyushu's Nagasaki, made famous in 1945 as the second and final Japanese city to receive an atomic bomb to end World War II is rich in history. As the largest city and capital of Nagasaki Prefecture, it was founded by the Portuguese in the 1500s. It is rumored that the first foreigner of African decent came around this time as a slave/bodyguard of one of the missionaries, not in the mid-1940s which had many African-American soldiers and sailors in occupied Japan.Missionaries did what missionaries did of this era which was to introduce and convert the locals to Christianity. In the late 1580s, one of Japan's great unifier's, Toyotomi Hideyoshi's plan to unify Japan did not sit well with this outside influence in Southern Japan and as a result Hideyoshi ordered that the missionaries be thrown out of the country. This was not enforced and people in Nagasaki continued with Christianity. This changed in 1603, when another great unifer, Tokugawa Ieyasu took power. Japanese Christians were forced to renounce their religion, all foreigners were thrown out of the country and Japan spent 250 years in isolation, known as Sakoku aka the Edo Era.
Many elements of Japan's "Bible Belt" still exist in today's Japan. In the top picture, a church steeple is in the center with Japanese temples on the right.
I went to Nagasaki in 2005 and was moved by the sight of the ruins left behind from the atomic bombings. My wife reminisced of her time in Nagasaki as a 2nd-year high school student on a school trip from Tokyo and the time she rode the "Blue Train" from Tokyo. She was nine and since the "Blue Train" means "long-haul over night", my wife, her older sister and grandmother traveled to Nagasaki at night.
To get to Nagasaki can be done by ground or air. In '05 we flew from Tokyo's Haneda to Nagasaki, After seeing the sights in Nagasaki, we then traveled to Fukuoka where we met my father-in-law and his family. With my in-laws, we visited the Dutch resort, Huis Ten Bois in nearby Sasebo, the home of the American Navy base. We later returned to Fukuoka to see the sights and flew from Fukuoka Airport back to Haneda.
The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-10
Japanese Screen Paintings- The Tale of Genji, Part 1
The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-10
Japanese Screen Paintings- The Tale of Genji, Part 2
The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-10
Japanese Screen Paintings- The Tale of Genji, Part 3
The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-10
Japanese Vocabulary- Toriaezu- For the time being
These days, I catch myself starting my sentences with the Japanese word Toriaezu meaning "for the time being". This seems to be the correct approach instead of "giving up", akirameru. Often, people are not ready, willing or able to bring themselves to do a certain thing. This could be because of what somebody will say or think of them or because of foolish pride.
As I have often experienced in my past, we are put in situations to build our character, not to destroy us.
The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-10
As I have often experienced in my past, we are put in situations to build our character, not to destroy us.
The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-10
Reminiscing about Teaching Days gone by...
My first semester as a teacher, September 2004, Kawaguchi City, Saitama, Japan
My first Christmas as a teacher in Japan, December 2004, Kawaguchi City, Saitama, Japan
Some Japanese young people playing a popular Smap song, "Sekai Ni Hitotsu Dake No Hana".
The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-10
More on Reverse Culture Shock
More from The JET Programme's After JET Guide, 2007:
1. Be prepared: remember that reverse culture shock is both real and common.
2. Acknowledge your feelings, denial will only prolong the situation.
3. Remember some of your favorite stories will be out of context for your friends.
4. Be patient with your friends and with yourself.
5. Let your friends fill you in on what's "in" at home: TV shows, music, gadgets.
6. Build a new community and find people who have had similar experiences.
7. Volunteer or find work that connects you to Japan.
8. Stay in contact with fellow JET alumni; share your re-entry experiences.
9. Keep up your Japanese, take a class or do a language exchange.
10. And don't forget, you can always go back to Japan even just to visit.
The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-10
1. Be prepared: remember that reverse culture shock is both real and common.
2. Acknowledge your feelings, denial will only prolong the situation.
3. Remember some of your favorite stories will be out of context for your friends.
4. Be patient with your friends and with yourself.
5. Let your friends fill you in on what's "in" at home: TV shows, music, gadgets.
6. Build a new community and find people who have had similar experiences.
7. Volunteer or find work that connects you to Japan.
8. Stay in contact with fellow JET alumni; share your re-entry experiences.
9. Keep up your Japanese, take a class or do a language exchange.
10. And don't forget, you can always go back to Japan even just to visit.
The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-10
JET alum blog featured in Japanese online news
Courtesy of A site for the JET alumni freelance and professional community, jetwit.com.
JET alum and SC Subchapter Rep Daniel Stone’s blog The Divine Wind Vault has been featured in an article on the Japanese website Searchina. It profiled his recent post about the excellence of Japanese convenience stores and fast food restaurants, especially in comparison to the poor level of service and goods offered at the same places here in the States. Omedetou for this Japanese media coverage!
The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-10
JET alum and SC Subchapter Rep Daniel Stone’s blog The Divine Wind Vault has been featured in an article on the Japanese website Searchina. It profiled his recent post about the excellence of Japanese convenience stores and fast food restaurants, especially in comparison to the poor level of service and goods offered at the same places here in the States. Omedetou for this Japanese media coverage!
The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-10
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Hito No Me
“People are watching you.”
The Japanese word, “Saiaku” means “the worst”. A Japanese Teacher of English told me this phrase and gave the example of “You are leaving school and as soon as you get down the street, it begins to rain and you don’t have an umbrella.” A good example considering how much it rains in Japan. I later heard this word when my sister-in-law told my wife and I of her recent business trip from Japan to Italy that required a transfer at Paris’s Charles de Gaul (misspelled but since it is French…). She was so frustrated because she would use the common language of English, not her native tongue of Japanese or the language of French or Italian, and the locals would not help her.
Before living in Japan, I worked for a Japanese importer and distributor of Japanese food and beverage products. I’ve touched on this period in my professional career and thought about those days while watching CNN recently. They were discussing the latest trend in “Paid Time Off”. While at my Japanese employer, in the People’s Republic of California, guess how many days I had off in 14 months? Aside from the American national holidays which are a fraction of what there is in Japan, and the office closure the last three days in December and three days in January, I took three days off without pay. One day was for my graduation from college and another was the day before my graduation entertaining family and friends visiting from out-of-town and one was a sick day to attend an interview which became my employer after the Japanese employer. After five months with the American company that followed the Japanese company, I accrued three days off which allowed enough time for my wife and I to return to South Carolina for Christmas.
Also, while at this Japanese employer, I experienced my first taste of “Hito no Me” (in the eyes of others). My boss was the president’s daughter and was more like a Junior High teacher who felt the need to tell me things as if I were a child and would spring into action when others were around us and out of nowhere would start correcting me and this sort of thing. I picked up on it and realized that she was putting on a show for the others. Her flunky was a Japanese man about eight years older than me and also an undergrad degree holder from a college in the US. He had only been with the company six months longer than me. If I asked him questions he couldn’t tell me because he didn’t know himself. But, he would pick up where my boss would leave off and would tell me silly things like, “People are watching you.” It was really hard not to laugh at this sort of thing and he opened himself up to a lot of negative thoughts by coming into work late, hung-over and speaking English with a really thick accent. The manager of a fancy hotel on the Sunset Strip called me into his office when I was making my Friday sales calls to help him understand a message that my colleague left for him. I was so embarrassed. One other time, an account was past due and the guy in charge of accounting wouldn’t cooperate with my colleague on settling the bill and I had to step in and was so furious with my colleague for not having the ability to do his job. Anyway, back on point, early on with this job, I would come in early. The Los Angelese morning traffic didn`t suck as bad. I’m talking about 5:30AM just to help this knucklehead with one of his accounts when I had to manage the company’s largest account along with new business with the military without any help or guidance from anyone else. At one particular morning, we were so early that we had to wait in the parking lot for the VP to come in with the key. When the VP finally showed up, He told me in Japanese, “Hayai desu ne!” with a big grin on his face. My colleague saw that and immediately bursted into action, “Daniel do this, Daniel do that!” Prior to that, he was sleeping in his car. For the next hour, he kept saying, “We were early today.”, as if we accomplished something. Since I came in early, did I get to leave work early? Overtime? The Japanese are like the Navy when it comes to getting blood from a beet. I never told others about how "Saiaku”and sorry this guy was as a worker until now, but as worthless as he may have been, I bet he is considered an asset to the company since he would stay in the office and sit at his desk and basically "Jack off" until 9PM.
The Japanese word, “Saiaku” means “the worst”. A Japanese Teacher of English told me this phrase and gave the example of “You are leaving school and as soon as you get down the street, it begins to rain and you don’t have an umbrella.” A good example considering how much it rains in Japan. I later heard this word when my sister-in-law told my wife and I of her recent business trip from Japan to Italy that required a transfer at Paris’s Charles de Gaul (misspelled but since it is French…). She was so frustrated because she would use the common language of English, not her native tongue of Japanese or the language of French or Italian, and the locals would not help her.
Before living in Japan, I worked for a Japanese importer and distributor of Japanese food and beverage products. I’ve touched on this period in my professional career and thought about those days while watching CNN recently. They were discussing the latest trend in “Paid Time Off”. While at my Japanese employer, in the People’s Republic of California, guess how many days I had off in 14 months? Aside from the American national holidays which are a fraction of what there is in Japan, and the office closure the last three days in December and three days in January, I took three days off without pay. One day was for my graduation from college and another was the day before my graduation entertaining family and friends visiting from out-of-town and one was a sick day to attend an interview which became my employer after the Japanese employer. After five months with the American company that followed the Japanese company, I accrued three days off which allowed enough time for my wife and I to return to South Carolina for Christmas.
Also, while at this Japanese employer, I experienced my first taste of “Hito no Me” (in the eyes of others). My boss was the president’s daughter and was more like a Junior High teacher who felt the need to tell me things as if I were a child and would spring into action when others were around us and out of nowhere would start correcting me and this sort of thing. I picked up on it and realized that she was putting on a show for the others. Her flunky was a Japanese man about eight years older than me and also an undergrad degree holder from a college in the US. He had only been with the company six months longer than me. If I asked him questions he couldn’t tell me because he didn’t know himself. But, he would pick up where my boss would leave off and would tell me silly things like, “People are watching you.” It was really hard not to laugh at this sort of thing and he opened himself up to a lot of negative thoughts by coming into work late, hung-over and speaking English with a really thick accent. The manager of a fancy hotel on the Sunset Strip called me into his office when I was making my Friday sales calls to help him understand a message that my colleague left for him. I was so embarrassed. One other time, an account was past due and the guy in charge of accounting wouldn’t cooperate with my colleague on settling the bill and I had to step in and was so furious with my colleague for not having the ability to do his job. Anyway, back on point, early on with this job, I would come in early. The Los Angelese morning traffic didn`t suck as bad. I’m talking about 5:30AM just to help this knucklehead with one of his accounts when I had to manage the company’s largest account along with new business with the military without any help or guidance from anyone else. At one particular morning, we were so early that we had to wait in the parking lot for the VP to come in with the key. When the VP finally showed up, He told me in Japanese, “Hayai desu ne!” with a big grin on his face. My colleague saw that and immediately bursted into action, “Daniel do this, Daniel do that!” Prior to that, he was sleeping in his car. For the next hour, he kept saying, “We were early today.”, as if we accomplished something. Since I came in early, did I get to leave work early? Overtime? The Japanese are like the Navy when it comes to getting blood from a beet. I never told others about how "Saiaku”and sorry this guy was as a worker until now, but as worthless as he may have been, I bet he is considered an asset to the company since he would stay in the office and sit at his desk and basically "Jack off" until 9PM.
Picture- courtesy of "Meet the Parents". I am watching you. I am watching your every move.
The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-10
Applying American values to Japanese realities
What’s wrong with this picture?
This morning, on my hour commute to work, requiring the modes of walking, train and bus; I noticed that the crowd and narrow street to the train station, the trains bound for Tokyo and Yokohama and the bus were considerably light. With Christmas and New Year’s around the corner, many Japanese start “dogging the watch” (Navy term for operating on a skeletal crew on an off-peak time). The other day on this commute, I noticed a lady on a bike talking on her cell phone with two children riding (one in the front and one in the back). What’s wrong with this picture?
At lunch today, I had a “Twister Set" at KFC at the local shopping mall. ”(Not the game from Milton Bradley but it would have been interesting to play a game with some of the KFC employees before lunch!) It had been a while since I’ve been there and noticed that they have installed a new smoking area enclosed like a smoking room on a train station platform. At first I thought this was great but then noticed that it was bigger than the non-smoking section. In the smoking room there were 28 seats for smoking patrons and only 18 seats for non-smoking patrons? What’s wrong with this picture?
One of my Japanese Teacher of English colleague has been interested in joining me on my next visit to Costco Wholesale in Chiba-ken but due to his hectic coaching schedule year-round, it has been hard for him to find a Sunday to join me. On December 25th he is coaching his school in a six-team basketball tournament. What’s wrong with this picture?
From time to time, I’ll listen to the radio in Japan and due to my dwelling being on the 9th floor of a “danchi” (Housing Urban Development building), I can only get one AM channel in English which is the American military’s Far East Network, aka "The Eagle" 810 which is broadcasted from the US Air Force`s Yokota Base located in West Tokyo. In the warmer seasons, I can pick up bilingual FM channels from Tokyo by opening my sliding door to the balcony. Two years ago, I had deep appreciation for the FEN broadcasts since I could get a taste of back home with commentary from Paul Harvey, Rush Limbaugh among music ranging from the latest top 40 from home, Country/Western and could call in off base on a Tuesday and make a request for Van Halen during their "Two for Tuesday" request hour. Lucky armed forces personnel such as "Help Me! Ronda" would spend their days working as DJ’s and in between the music and broadcasts, would provide information such as the rate exchange at the base, movie schedule on base and local news and interviews with military personnel serving in the Far East. However, over the course of the past 2+ years, I’ve noticed myself getting frustrated with this broadcast and have found myself listening to the radio about once a week instead of everyday before work.
Why is it that this broadcast provides the weather in Fahrenheit? I can not think of any nation outside of North America that recognizes the tempature like this. As a Navy Vet who listened to this broadcast back in the day in the shuttle going from the ship on the back side Yokosuka Navy Base to the main gate and having fond memories of listening to FEN, I must admit that it is pretty arrogant for “guest” in a foreign land to blatantly disregard the local custom of recognizing the tempature in Celsius. Granted, I sometimes will say to myself, “Man is it cold! It must be about 40.” Of course, this is 30 plus years of being an American that keeps me grounded which is to be expected. I wouldn’t dare tell someone that the tempature is 40 because they’d think I was joking since to a non-American, 40 is over 100 degrees (F).
Another thing that irritates me about my fellow countrymen on the various military bases throughout Japan (of course not referring to the junior enlisted folks that are carrying the flag that I once held) is this recent commercial about how to get an Armed Forces Network decoder box if you reside off base and want to watch the same programs provided on base. Here’s an idea…You are living in Japan! I’ll admit that Japanese TV requires a strong handle on the Japanese language and a deep appreciation for Japanese humor and the way that they go about doing things, but there are such services such as Yahoo TV, NHK BS, SkyPerfect and other satellite and broadband services to name a few. Living off base in subsidized housing funded by the Japanese government (at least the housing on base is) in more than spacious quarters, how do you think your Japanese hosts feel about you and your sorry excuses to get with the program? It is like the foreigners that I dealt with in the People’s Republic of California who refuse to learn English, expect me to do such things like celebrate New Year's in February and recognize some other nation's Independence day in May and the nonsense at any Department of Motor Vehicles and the 12 different languages on any given form.
Are you like me and see something wrong with this picture?
Miltary spouses, brass and government leaches, you are living in Japan. Get right or get gone!
I wonder if the men and women who have no choice but to live on the ship can get some decent programming in their berthing? We were lucky to have a TV that worked.
This morning, on my hour commute to work, requiring the modes of walking, train and bus; I noticed that the crowd and narrow street to the train station, the trains bound for Tokyo and Yokohama and the bus were considerably light. With Christmas and New Year’s around the corner, many Japanese start “dogging the watch” (Navy term for operating on a skeletal crew on an off-peak time). The other day on this commute, I noticed a lady on a bike talking on her cell phone with two children riding (one in the front and one in the back). What’s wrong with this picture?
At lunch today, I had a “Twister Set" at KFC at the local shopping mall. ”(Not the game from Milton Bradley but it would have been interesting to play a game with some of the KFC employees before lunch!) It had been a while since I’ve been there and noticed that they have installed a new smoking area enclosed like a smoking room on a train station platform. At first I thought this was great but then noticed that it was bigger than the non-smoking section. In the smoking room there were 28 seats for smoking patrons and only 18 seats for non-smoking patrons? What’s wrong with this picture?
One of my Japanese Teacher of English colleague has been interested in joining me on my next visit to Costco Wholesale in Chiba-ken but due to his hectic coaching schedule year-round, it has been hard for him to find a Sunday to join me. On December 25th he is coaching his school in a six-team basketball tournament. What’s wrong with this picture?
From time to time, I’ll listen to the radio in Japan and due to my dwelling being on the 9th floor of a “danchi” (Housing Urban Development building), I can only get one AM channel in English which is the American military’s Far East Network, aka "The Eagle" 810 which is broadcasted from the US Air Force`s Yokota Base located in West Tokyo. In the warmer seasons, I can pick up bilingual FM channels from Tokyo by opening my sliding door to the balcony. Two years ago, I had deep appreciation for the FEN broadcasts since I could get a taste of back home with commentary from Paul Harvey, Rush Limbaugh among music ranging from the latest top 40 from home, Country/Western and could call in off base on a Tuesday and make a request for Van Halen during their "Two for Tuesday" request hour. Lucky armed forces personnel such as "Help Me! Ronda" would spend their days working as DJ’s and in between the music and broadcasts, would provide information such as the rate exchange at the base, movie schedule on base and local news and interviews with military personnel serving in the Far East. However, over the course of the past 2+ years, I’ve noticed myself getting frustrated with this broadcast and have found myself listening to the radio about once a week instead of everyday before work.
Why is it that this broadcast provides the weather in Fahrenheit? I can not think of any nation outside of North America that recognizes the tempature like this. As a Navy Vet who listened to this broadcast back in the day in the shuttle going from the ship on the back side Yokosuka Navy Base to the main gate and having fond memories of listening to FEN, I must admit that it is pretty arrogant for “guest” in a foreign land to blatantly disregard the local custom of recognizing the tempature in Celsius. Granted, I sometimes will say to myself, “Man is it cold! It must be about 40.” Of course, this is 30 plus years of being an American that keeps me grounded which is to be expected. I wouldn’t dare tell someone that the tempature is 40 because they’d think I was joking since to a non-American, 40 is over 100 degrees (F).
Another thing that irritates me about my fellow countrymen on the various military bases throughout Japan (of course not referring to the junior enlisted folks that are carrying the flag that I once held) is this recent commercial about how to get an Armed Forces Network decoder box if you reside off base and want to watch the same programs provided on base. Here’s an idea…You are living in Japan! I’ll admit that Japanese TV requires a strong handle on the Japanese language and a deep appreciation for Japanese humor and the way that they go about doing things, but there are such services such as Yahoo TV, NHK BS, SkyPerfect and other satellite and broadband services to name a few. Living off base in subsidized housing funded by the Japanese government (at least the housing on base is) in more than spacious quarters, how do you think your Japanese hosts feel about you and your sorry excuses to get with the program? It is like the foreigners that I dealt with in the People’s Republic of California who refuse to learn English, expect me to do such things like celebrate New Year's in February and recognize some other nation's Independence day in May and the nonsense at any Department of Motor Vehicles and the 12 different languages on any given form.
Are you like me and see something wrong with this picture?
Miltary spouses, brass and government leaches, you are living in Japan. Get right or get gone!
I wonder if the men and women who have no choice but to live on the ship can get some decent programming in their berthing? We were lucky to have a TV that worked.
Today's picture was taken in Shinjuku's 1-chome. With a name like "Hotel Nuts" I imagine they were busy on Christmas Eve. What's wrong with this picture?
The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-10
An Ode to Christmas in Japan
Christmas of Japan, how have you been?
With all of your traditional Christmas lights and KFC for din din.
I pass Colonel Sanders who is wearing a red velvet stocking cap with trim in white
As I eat British Christmas cake, heading out for a hot date tonight
With reservations at a love hotel on the other side of town made nearly a year ago
I ride the train to meet my new sweetie, a girl I first met six month ago
Romance is in the air as we lay on the heart-shaped bed
Sounds of George Michaels' Wham! song, "Last Christmas" are dancing in my head
As I fall asleep watching naughty movies paid for by the hour
This hotel with no chimney for Santa makes my mouth sour
A moment later, I wake up recalling my recent dreams
Of returning from candlelight church service sitting with family next to the big, bright tree,
The Christmas of Japan is a farce, or so it seems
As I awake, it is now December 25th, Christmas is over in Japan
We wake up early to check out of our room with my sweetie's gift in my hand
The streets are busy with salarymen all dressed in the same dark clothes
It is business as usual and store owners are already taking down their mistletoe
Instead of opening presents around the Christmas tree
I part ways at the train station with my sweetie, who says she will call me at three
I report to work, on the day that the baby laid in the manger
I can't focus on work, my boss senses the danger
The only thing significant about Christmas Day in this oriental and strange place
Is how everybody talks about placing bets on horses at the annual race
Christmas of Japan, how you made me feel so blue
Now, I'm back home where I don't have to deal with you!
The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-10
With all of your traditional Christmas lights and KFC for din din.
I pass Colonel Sanders who is wearing a red velvet stocking cap with trim in white
As I eat British Christmas cake, heading out for a hot date tonight
With reservations at a love hotel on the other side of town made nearly a year ago
I ride the train to meet my new sweetie, a girl I first met six month ago
Romance is in the air as we lay on the heart-shaped bed
Sounds of George Michaels' Wham! song, "Last Christmas" are dancing in my head
As I fall asleep watching naughty movies paid for by the hour
This hotel with no chimney for Santa makes my mouth sour
A moment later, I wake up recalling my recent dreams
Of returning from candlelight church service sitting with family next to the big, bright tree,
The Christmas of Japan is a farce, or so it seems
As I awake, it is now December 25th, Christmas is over in Japan
We wake up early to check out of our room with my sweetie's gift in my hand
The streets are busy with salarymen all dressed in the same dark clothes
It is business as usual and store owners are already taking down their mistletoe
Instead of opening presents around the Christmas tree
I part ways at the train station with my sweetie, who says she will call me at three
I report to work, on the day that the baby laid in the manger
I can't focus on work, my boss senses the danger
The only thing significant about Christmas Day in this oriental and strange place
Is how everybody talks about placing bets on horses at the annual race
Christmas of Japan, how you made me feel so blue
Now, I'm back home where I don't have to deal with you!
The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-10
The Japanese and Their Obligations
Burmese Harp
Earlier this year, Cyclone Nargis made landfall and either killed or displaced 130,000 Burmese while the outside world watched in horror due to the military junta ruling the country keeping help away.
In 1957, 12 years after the end of World War II, the Japanese movie classic Burmese Harp was released. This was five years before the military junta took power in 1962. This movie is about the final months of World War II when the Japanese were at battle with the US's right hand ally, Great Britain. Throughout this movie, the main character, a Japanese soldier named Mizushima, plays the harp in an effort to increase morale of his crew. Early on, the Japanese find themselves being ambushed by the Brits. They sing their way out of the situation and as they sneak away out of harms way, they hear their song being sung off in the distance. As it turns out, the Brits and local Burmese are arm in arm singing. The war had ended three days prior.
The surrendering Japanese are sent to a distant prison camp. Mizushima has one last job to do at the request of his captain. He is to inform a stranded group of Japanese soldiers on the top of a mountain that the war is over and encourage them to surrender.
Mizushima carries out his last order for his captain but along the way has a life changing event which displays one of the backbones of Japanese culture. This is the way the Japanese carry out their obligations. The Japanese have two forms of obligations which are "On" and "Giri". "On" is the stronger of the two and is the type of obligation that is everlasting. The best way to remember it is that it goes on, on and on. "Giri" is to meet the obligation equally. The best way to remember it is how the Japanese celebrate Valentine's Day. In Japan, the women give the men chocolates on February 14th. In return, Japanese men give their female friends who gave them chocolates a gift on the manufactured holiday, "White Day" on March 14th.
This Christmas, we did our form of "Giri" to friends who have gone above and beyond for us. This year was our first full-calendar year back in the US after being in Japan for three years. Furthermore, it was my first full year back home since 1992. Along the way, I've had to do what was needed to do but at the same time reflect as to where I want the future to take me. Just as my past entries have indicated, this year has not been about "sunshine and rainbows". It has been about regrouping and moving forward with the momentum that I've created "out there". In short, my good friend who has been my "Consigliere" from my days in California, Japan and even now. Also, when we first got back home, my wife was working part-time at the library near my childhood home. Our family friends from the neighborhood would spend their days as retirees checking out material and chatting with my wife. This was very helpful since the transition for my wife was more than we could have ever imagined. Even my "Consigliere" couldn't see things our way which is understandable since he had never lived outside a 50-mile radius from where we grew up. Then my sister's in-laws were very interested in my time in Japan and things Japanese would always chat whenever we met. At my nephew's baptism, they picked up the tab on our lunch which caught us by surprise.
Other little things like the time I had to shell out $50 for locking my keys in the company car. As predicted, having a set of spare keys or being prepared didn't quite add up with that bunch. Then a week later, I did it again and never carried out my intentions of getting a set of spare keys made. I called up my dad's friend who works for a lock company that responds to calls from knuckleheads that lock themselves out of their home, business or car. He popped the lock for free and talked to me about the transition. At that time, we had to move from my hometown to the next county over since my wife upgraded her library job to a full-time job with benefits as a translator for a Japanese textile company. I'll never forget him saying, "It is not about what you want to do, it is what you need to do." He and my dad have been volunteering for decades at a local university working a home football games. It is a hobby that has been time consuming but gives my pops structure to his week during from late summer to early winter every year. As it turned out, my dad's friend needed to fill a vacancy at the first game of the season and since he helped me out with locking my keys in the car, I graciously agreed to help. Furthermore, I was able to create a memory of doing what my dad did since I was five years old, at least for a day.
The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-10
Earlier this year, Cyclone Nargis made landfall and either killed or displaced 130,000 Burmese while the outside world watched in horror due to the military junta ruling the country keeping help away.
In 1957, 12 years after the end of World War II, the Japanese movie classic Burmese Harp was released. This was five years before the military junta took power in 1962. This movie is about the final months of World War II when the Japanese were at battle with the US's right hand ally, Great Britain. Throughout this movie, the main character, a Japanese soldier named Mizushima, plays the harp in an effort to increase morale of his crew. Early on, the Japanese find themselves being ambushed by the Brits. They sing their way out of the situation and as they sneak away out of harms way, they hear their song being sung off in the distance. As it turns out, the Brits and local Burmese are arm in arm singing. The war had ended three days prior.
The surrendering Japanese are sent to a distant prison camp. Mizushima has one last job to do at the request of his captain. He is to inform a stranded group of Japanese soldiers on the top of a mountain that the war is over and encourage them to surrender.
Mizushima carries out his last order for his captain but along the way has a life changing event which displays one of the backbones of Japanese culture. This is the way the Japanese carry out their obligations. The Japanese have two forms of obligations which are "On" and "Giri". "On" is the stronger of the two and is the type of obligation that is everlasting. The best way to remember it is that it goes on, on and on. "Giri" is to meet the obligation equally. The best way to remember it is how the Japanese celebrate Valentine's Day. In Japan, the women give the men chocolates on February 14th. In return, Japanese men give their female friends who gave them chocolates a gift on the manufactured holiday, "White Day" on March 14th.
This Christmas, we did our form of "Giri" to friends who have gone above and beyond for us. This year was our first full-calendar year back in the US after being in Japan for three years. Furthermore, it was my first full year back home since 1992. Along the way, I've had to do what was needed to do but at the same time reflect as to where I want the future to take me. Just as my past entries have indicated, this year has not been about "sunshine and rainbows". It has been about regrouping and moving forward with the momentum that I've created "out there". In short, my good friend who has been my "Consigliere" from my days in California, Japan and even now. Also, when we first got back home, my wife was working part-time at the library near my childhood home. Our family friends from the neighborhood would spend their days as retirees checking out material and chatting with my wife. This was very helpful since the transition for my wife was more than we could have ever imagined. Even my "Consigliere" couldn't see things our way which is understandable since he had never lived outside a 50-mile radius from where we grew up. Then my sister's in-laws were very interested in my time in Japan and things Japanese would always chat whenever we met. At my nephew's baptism, they picked up the tab on our lunch which caught us by surprise.
Other little things like the time I had to shell out $50 for locking my keys in the company car. As predicted, having a set of spare keys or being prepared didn't quite add up with that bunch. Then a week later, I did it again and never carried out my intentions of getting a set of spare keys made. I called up my dad's friend who works for a lock company that responds to calls from knuckleheads that lock themselves out of their home, business or car. He popped the lock for free and talked to me about the transition. At that time, we had to move from my hometown to the next county over since my wife upgraded her library job to a full-time job with benefits as a translator for a Japanese textile company. I'll never forget him saying, "It is not about what you want to do, it is what you need to do." He and my dad have been volunteering for decades at a local university working a home football games. It is a hobby that has been time consuming but gives my pops structure to his week during from late summer to early winter every year. As it turned out, my dad's friend needed to fill a vacancy at the first game of the season and since he helped me out with locking my keys in the car, I graciously agreed to help. Furthermore, I was able to create a memory of doing what my dad did since I was five years old, at least for a day.
The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-10
Wintertime Blues in Japan
Category: Travel and Places
When you are a foreigner in Japan, their ain`t no cure for the Wintertime blues. This year, I elected to stay in Japan due to the expensive plane tickets back to the US or anywhere from Japan for that matter since this would be the time that the Japanese travel due to the last three days of December and the first three days in January being days when everything is closed and on holiday schedule.
First, as a foreigner in Japan at this time of the year, you are away from family. Christmas and Thanksgiving are those times when you go home if given the chance. In Japan, this imported holiday has been big in decorations but even bigger with the lovers and the love hotels in Japan are booked a year in advance for this day. Clearly, this is in conflict with this Christian holiday were the birth of Jesus is celebrated. Non-Japanese will go out for singing and dancing and whatnot for New Years which is in conflict with the Japanese who go to the local shrines for worship and to the nearby family's home and have a Japanese version of the holiday spread consisting of osechi ryouri (a variety of dishes prepared for New Year's such as fish cakes, seafood, cooked vegetables, cooked beans, candied chestnuts etc.). Very Japanese and takes some getting use to.
Then, there is the chill factor which requires sitting on a cold commode (unless you have a fancy toilet that warms the lid), and no central heating in the average Japanese dwelling. I remember our first winter in Japan, we didn't have a bed and sleeping on a futon on top of a tatami mat and relying on a wall danbou (which acts like a air conditioner in the summer). Ours would blow out hot air but since it is at the top of the wall, it would never get down to us on the floor.
Lastly, besides visiting with family, going to church, eating a big ham, exchanging gifts and calling up family and friends to wish them a happy holiday season, I really miss watching American Football games. At this time of the year, there are football games nearly on a daily basis ranging from a post-season bowl game in Hawaii to the annual bowl game in Atlanta and all places in between. One of my fondest memory was watching the New Year's Day 1981 Sugar Bowl on TV where a freshman by the name of Hershel Walker led the Univ. of Georgia Bulldogs past the Notre Dame Fighting Irish for the National Championship. I've been a UGA football fan since which hasn't been easy growing up in South Carolina.
In Japan, there is the annual American Football game known as the Rice Bowl which is played in the Tokyo Dome. The top Japanese university team takes on the top semi-pro company team. It's just not the same.
The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-10
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