Nagasaki, Japan, July 17, 2010

See this little guy? This is the Nagasaki mascot. They call him a sloth, I believe. Though I'm not sure what animal he actually looks like! You can see this critter outside of all the main tourist attractions not just in Nagasaki City, but also in Nagasaki Prefecture.

One of the tourist attractions where you can find this buddy is in Nagasaki City. After getting off the JR Train at Nagasaki Station, you turn left and take the number 1 train to Dejima. When you get off at Dejima you'll see this buddy standing outside of a large wooden gate.

Dejima is the once-fan-shaped island that was off the harbour at Nagasaki. There you could find the Dutch traders and their concubines kept. When Christianity was still banned from the Japanese islands, this man-made island was the only place western traders (and eventually ALL outsiders) were forced to stay while they were doing business. Now, due to land reclamation, the fan shape has disappeared and Dejima looks like it could never have been out at sea, since there is no water to even be seen outside of the salt water canal streaking along one side of it.

I'm not sure about tourists, but if you have a resident foreigner ID card, you get in for free (or cheaper). Inside is a wealth of knowledge in a reconstructed Dejima-setting museum. Very fascinating, especially the introduced plants that came with Dutch traders. Did you know that there are cacti in Nagasaki? There are!

Here is the main gate where you enter Dejima, you can see it from the Tram:

You can see the train station where you get off, sorry I don't have a picture from the tram! These two lovely gentlemen are playing the part of real Dejima guards from the 1600's.

If you ever come to Nagasaki, please enjoy your stay!

Nagasaki, Japan June 23, 2010

It's been over a month now since I posted last, and I figure I should post again!

I'm coming close to the end of my stay in Japan and so I wanted to explain a little about Nagasaki and start posting pictures.

Nagasaki is a fairly small city in (as Tokyo dwellers like to refer to it as) a backwater part of Japan known as Kyushu. It has about 400,000 people, though some of these must live in the outer-reaches of the city. It has an excellent tram and bus system. It is nestled in-between mountains on three sides and surrounded around three sides (passed the mountains in some cases) by ocean, meaning that in Nagasaki especially there is a rich variety of seafood.

Pets -- June 15 2010

Why do people insist on throwing away their pets?

If you want an animal so badly that you go out and buy one, why when it is time to move you leave it people? "get rid of it" as a friend stated? Why?

When you buy a pet, you are entering into a commitment. The same as entering a commitment when you marry someone or get pregnant. Divorce is too rampant now. Abortion is too popular. And so is throwing away pets. Your pet is your child, your loved one, until it passes away. Some pets like parrots and turtles can outlive their humans!

Never ever get a pet with the back up plan of "if I have to go to a different university, it can stay at home with mom and dad". I know some people think that even of their own children, but that is wrong. It is YOUR commitment, not your parents. That animal loves you and not them. You were supposed to love it, that was why you bought it.

Only a cruel person with a cruel heart would throw away their child. Why would a kind person then get rid of their pet?

It isn't a piece of garbage.

Why Can't One Person Live Like Another? May 14, 2010

I don't understand why people have problems with so-called "illegal immigrants", they go through hell to get to where they can live the "American Dream", but then they find the country doesn't want them--no matter how hard they work or for what wages. They are not given citizenship when they ask for it. Some have children in the united states and those children are still classified as illegal immigrants, even though they are born in the united states and speak English.

If you have a problem with illegal immigrants, I want to see you doing the jobs they do that keep your country afloat. Degrading jobs that ordinary citizens don't want to do anymore-whether out of laziness or contempt. I don't have a problem with an illegal immigrant or their child going to my school or working at places where I may want to work because I believe in equality. I believe all human beings are equal, and that no land actually belongs to us, so why build a fence around it to keep others out?

You don't have the right to.

Fuck Arizona and fuck racist Palin.

Abortion May 12, 2010

Month one


Mommy
I am only 8 inches long
but I have all my organs.
I love the sound of your voice.
Every time I hear it
I wave my arms and legs.
The sound of your heart beat
is my favorite lullaby.

Month Two


Mommy
today I learned how to suck my thumb.
If you could see me
you could definitely tell that I am a baby.
I'm not big enough to survive outside my home though.
It is so nice and warm in here.

Month Three


You know what Mommy
I'm a boy!
I hope that makes you happy.
I always want you to be happy.
I don't like it when you cry.
You sound so sad.
It makes me sad too
and I cry with you even though
you can't hear me.

Month Four


Mommy
my hair is starting to grow.
It is very short and fine
but I will have a lot of it.
I spend a lot of my time exercising.
I can turn my head and curl my fingers and toes
and stretch my arms and legs.
I am becoming quite good at it too.

Month Five


You went to the doctor today.
Mommy, he lied to you.
He said that I'm not a baby.
I am a baby Mommy, your baby.
I think and feel.
Mommy, what's abortion?

Month Six


I can hear that doctor again.
I don't like him.
He seems cold and heartless.
Something is intruding my home.
The doctor called it a needle.
Mommy what is it? It burns!
Please make him stop!
I can't get away from it!
Mommy! HELP me!

Month Seven


Mommy
I am okay.
I am in Jesus's arms.
He is holding me.
He told me about abortion.
Why didn't you want me Mommy?

Every Abortion Is Just . . .


One more heart that was stopped.
Two more eyes that will never see.
Two more hands that will never touch.
Two more legs that will never run.
One more mouth that will never speak.



--What do you think about abortion?

District 9 vs. My Darling is a Foreigner -- April 5, 2010

So I went to the movie theatre today and saw "My Darling is a Foreigner" (or A Foreigner is My Darling or the Japanese title: ダーリンは外人) first, and it was an emotional roller-coaster! At first you laugh but after a certain sad moment, even the happy moments make you cry. If you're into sort of "new love" love stories, or cute-ish movies, then this is the movie to see!

About ten minutes after Darling ended, we sat for District 9. I was sort of disappointed with this movie--I disliked the main character and found it too focused on big guns and explosions of blood and guts. It did bring up a strong point of how the slums of many African countries look. And the director gave the aliens some interesting characteristics, like being addicted to cat food and using that cat food as a drug of sorts. There wasn't much emotion in the piece, especially after seeing Darling, but there was an attempt by the writers to include it, it just didn't move me.

After seeing two such opposite movies back to back, I'm feeling a little emotionally drained.

I think when people talk about Family Guy or South Park being controversial, they seem to forget movies like District 9, which is full of shitty content. I would much rather my child hear sex jokes than watch people being torn apart by weapons. Sex is a natural thing, and I suppose killing is too--but as a civilization, we should and are slowly moving away from unneeded killing.

Most civilized countries, anyway.

Yesterday and Today -- May 4, 2010

Yesterday I got up at 7:30 and took my shower, ate and took a different train to an old host family's house. From 9:30 to 10:30 I played with their dog and ate some snacks, but after that we went to a shrine and i got dressed up in one of the most gorgeous kimonos I have ever seen. I wasn't the only one wearing a kimono that day, but I was the one everyone looked at in the streets. We went from that shrine (Matsuyama) to one of the biggest shrines in Kyushu, Suwa Shrine. There we took a pile of photographs and another host family came and we went and ate lunch together. There was hardly any space for the food because of the waist of the kimono being wrapped around by so many ropes and obi. After lunch we met up with an older host brother I hadn't had the chance to meet, before going home and I got changed. I spent about 6 hours walking around as a doll, but it was the most beautiful feeling I had ever had.

We went out to dinner at a Japanese style restaurant and it was mostly laughing and talking and eating.

Today I spent mostly by myself, I bought a yaoi manga (o//o) and a new shirt and wrote and studied and drank coffee ^^

T'was a good day!

Blessed be to the world

Iran vs. United States -- May 4, 2010

The Iranian leader raised quite a few good points in his speech at the United Nations. He accused the west of double standards--which is true.

"Regrettably the united states has not only used nuclear weapons, but also continues to threaten the use of such weapons against other countries, including my country. So one may ask, how much could nations possibly trust the united states to implement its commitments? What guarantees are there that it would live up to such commitments, and what are the tools for independent verifications of its guarantees?" Iranian president.

Hilary Clinton comes back with this pathetic little school girl response, and everyone claps for her. People simply walk out at the Iranian speech. She mentions that his accusations are false and wild.

But the United States has used nuclear weapons, and thereby scarred the world. They DO continue to threaten other countries, whether verbally or simply by having that many weapons to use against dissenters. No one does trust the united states and the only reason some of the european countries walked out is because they are scared of the united states. And since the United States would control its own inspection, since it controls everything anyway, it could easily escape the verifications that the Iranian president is asking about.

If the United States wants a fair world, and a world without nuclear weapons, it is going to have to be the bigger state and STEP DOWN. No one else will do it first, because no one trusts that their asses will be protected if they relent before the united states do.

This world is in a sorry state of affairs.

Things I Can't Quite Get -- May 3, 2010

I find it ridiculous that the so-called most powerful country in the world can't fight an oil spill. I also find it ridiculous that the so-called most powerful country in the world can't stop a few terrorists.

I find it sort of funny that the people of the so-called most powerful country in the world hate their president, when with him they rose from Rank 40 to Rank 20 of the most Freedom of Press countries. Canada was 13 but we've dropped to 19, which makes me upset.

A lot of Americans don't understand why Canadians are so critical of them, but that was one of the reasons. The American people are more enslaved to the government than we are, and won't listen to us when we try to point out that they need to fight for themselves. I met an American who told me that Canadians do have a right to be critical of America, which surprised me. I sometimes think we are too critical of them. Sometimes I think we are becoming just like them.

I think Denmark sounds cool, it seems like the most cosmopolitan, happy place in the whole world to live, by statistics. Maybe too much perfection would drive me crazy. They have the longest standing tolerance towards homosexuals in the world. They are very much into gender equality. But an American would find it hard to live in such an amazing country because of the different manners. In a Scandinavian country, one finds that one is expected not to make too much noise or draw too much attention to oneself. Scandinavian people generally consider everyone and everything equal. Americans view this as communism, which it isn't.

Soldiers: April 26, 2010

I am a Canadian citizen.

There has only been one war on Canadian soil (not counting the wars between the French and English), and that was when we were attacked by Americans in 1812.

Other than that, no Canadian soldier has ever died for my rights. We got our independence from Britain through words. Our soldiers have died and are dying to protect the rights of other people, not mine. But soldiers are soldiers. They kill innocent civilians. 98% of all those killed in modern warfare are innocent civilians, not excluding women and children and including men who are not fighters. They rape innocent civilians. There are videos produced by news crews that are not allowed to broadcast in the United States about soldiers laughing as they mercilessly shot a father and his kids and then blew up a van that tried to rescue the wounded.

People want me to support the troops. I will not support the troops until I have proof that 100% of them are WORTH supporting. Until then, they can either come home and go to jail, because that's where most of them would end up if they were normal citizens, or they can continue to get themselves killed by an enemy that the media has demon-ized, but are really just normal human beings fighting for what they see as the right way.

I personally want soldiers to all come home now, and let the NGO's do the real work in the current war zones. An NGO doesn't kill people.

Now you might start asking me, well, what about 2001, 9/11? Well, more American soldiers have died since the outbreak of the war than American people did in the attack. 100,000s of innocent people have died at the hands of American soldiers. There's your revenge. Americans have to stop thinking about revenge and start maturing.

Revenge is so middle schooler.

Blessed be us