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

Death Penalty April 25, 2010

My host grandmother came back from Osaka (or Tokyo) the other day, so today I ended up with a golden bear cell phone strap, what seems to be tiny, cute note paper, a prayer plaque from some 八坂神社(I don't know the romaji for that, but it means Eight Hills Shrine in English), a pretty little handkerchief and some more paper cranes. The last trip she went on, she brought me back cat note paper.

I just finished watching some news from Aljazeera and I found myself reminded that the death penalty is still legal in my lovely neighbour to the south. Why is there such thing as a death penalty in the modern world? If you kill a murderer, you yourself are a murderer, that murderer's family do not find themselves at ease once their family member is killed and the victim's family members do not rejoice either. It seems like a waste of life.

Sure, prisons fill up quickly, but for life without parole individuals, you could make them work at jobs that educated people don't want to do, and it would help the country out. There is also rehabilitation. If you can make sure that the individual is safe to go back into society, release them. There are so many tests and things you could do and that many of the advanced countries in the Scandinavian region do to make sure that criminals are fit for society. There is a much lower crime rate in those countries. Even jail for a short time can ruin an individuals life, and they find themselves repeating past actions because they have no other way to survive, say, having missed out on an education while in jail.

There are so many ways to just not use the death penalty. We as a people have moved beyond that--a medieval practice. Where is the compassion that the United States, a country filled most with Christian-faith followers, teaches? Why is there still government ok-ed torture and murder happening?

My fellow North Americans, where is your freedom?

A murderer, most often than not, is a person who has a mental handicap. What sort of person can take another person's life other than someone who has a lot of problems? Think for yourself, imagine going up to someone and killing them, for any numerous reasons that you may or may not have thought of. We all hate someone. Could you put your hands around their throat and watch as the light drains from their eyes? If you are a normally functioning person, then you should answer no to this question. I could never take the life of someone, no matter how much I hate them or say I would love to kill them. In reality, this is morbid, not the topic of a movie or a drama. Could you then, out of compassion, fix what is wrong with a murderer, so that they never take life again? There is therapy for mentally handicapped people, why is there no therapy for murderers, who are also a type of handicapped persons?

You say, "I hope that person gets the death penalty," but could you pull the trigger, is death penalties reversed from a needle back to a gun? Could you look that person in the eye if they killed your loved one and shoot them? Maybe you could. I would not be able to. The person I am pointing the gun at, the person who killed my loved one, is human too.

I am human. They are human. Why would I take their life and make myself like them? We're taught these lessons in kindergarten, and through the Bible or any other multiple cultures that have the "do unto other as you would do unto yourself".

That's all for now.

May we be blessed.

Spiritual Paths April 23, 2010

I had an interesting day today, which started out first by dressing in my school uniform P.E. clothes and going to a bus station to meet with my Japanese classmates. From there we were taken by bus to the middle of nowhere to enjoy nature.

I happen to like nature, but I don't like trying to enjoy it with a thousand other people. I also ended up getting muddy and wet, so when it started to sprinkle out I was already cold and tired!

When I got home, I changed and went back out and I had a wonderful "the earth is a beautiful place" moment, or, a very long stretch of time where I was in a very peaceful mood.

I found myself standing on a steep, cobblestone road with early spring sunshine warming my back. I was watching these little sparrows chattering and buzzing around me and I could suddenly breathe away all the tension in my body. The little birds and the nice weather after such a cloudy, dismal morning really cheered me up. As I strode on, I felt lighthearted. From there, I spoke with a trio of strangers and drank coffee with them. Everyone seemed so happy.

On the way home I ran into a male version of my puppy at home in Canada and talked with its owner, I spoke with two little girls no older than eight or nine years old. They had all the future in their eyes, and seemed to have the strongest characters of any girls I had ever met. I shot pictures of a gorgeous sunset, and a very furry dog ran up to me before its owner could catch up while I found myself staring up at sparrows who seemed to be staring down at me. I got to watch the Japanese hawks wheel about in the sky, and I realized how beautiful everywhere is, no matter where one lives.

If you chose to live in a place different from where you grew up, you more easily see the magic within everything.

God is inherent in everything we can see and touch and be, and God is everywhere that we can't. What is God to you and what is God to me may be different, but the message is still the same. When you wave your hand through the air, you have brushed fingers with God. When you hold a loved one close, you have embraced God. When you breathe in the scent of flowers, hear the cries of birds and the humming of the ocean, you have been touched by God.

When you look at yourself in the mirror, this reflection too is also God.

May we be blessed.

April 18, 2010 Quebec Hijab Law

AlJazeeraEnglish on Youtube has recently reported on, what to me, is a devastating blow to what Canada and its people are supposed to stand for. Freedom.

Apparently 80% of all Canadians accept the new hijab law that is pending in courts. 95% of Quebec, where the law will be passed, are also in support. Women who choose to wear the hijab will be blocked from using government offered programs, such as schools, and government jobs.

Support of this new law goes something like "male relatives are pressuring these women into wearing what we see as a symbol of oppression". I think people are simply more afraid of the Muslim culture right now than they are of women being oppressed.

Hopefully I can find more information to comment on, but for now it seems to be a law of racism and fear. I am ashamed of my country.

Immigrant Deportation

Arizona has passed a new law stating that anyone who seems to be of immigrant status can be stopped by the police and questioned. If found without their immigration papers they can be detained and fined money.

But what if they are non-white American citizens? They won't feel the need to carry around citizenship papers in their own country, and they most certainly won't be carrying around immigration papers.

This law is a racist one. On top of the fact that a human being should be allowed to live wherever he or she wants to live, and especially if their labour is making the government money, then the government should not be concerned.

People in Arizona should be speaking out against the racists in their government. People all over the world should be fighting to protect their fellow man. I cannot understand how anyone could be so blind when there is information technology all around us. It makes me sick to my stomach knowing that too few people care about the situations around them.

May the gods bless.

April 5, 2010 BoA Love&Honesty Free Sample

Uploaded BoA today on my Japanese Music page

BoA
Love and Honesty:
1. http://www.mediafire.com/file/ddh1dmyjguz/01 Rock With You.m4a
2. http://www.mediafire.com/file/vnn0zluzd40/02 Shine We Are!.m4a
3. http://www.mediafire.com/file/nk0zmnz5mlm/03 Some DAY ONE DAY.m4a
4. http://www.mediafire.com/file/hjzmhw143w4/04 Love & Honesty.m4a
5. http://www.mediafire.com/file/ktgdyuzg1vt/05 Midnight Parade.m4a
6. http://www.mediafire.com/file/yw55m4knzzq/06 Be The One.m4a
7. http://www.mediafire.com/file/ncoojtj1cov/07 Expect.m4a
8. http://www.mediafire.com/file/mzeqrtg5hmz/08 Over ～Across The Time～.m4a
9. http://www.mediafire.com/file/ftmq5d3g1wh/09 心の手紙.m4a
10. http://www.mediafire.com/file/enkytl0nwhl/10 Double.m4a
11. http://www.mediafire.com/file/m2yc4mygqmn/11 Easy To Be Hard.m4a
12. http://www.mediafire.com/file/mtheuyna2tm/12 Song With No Name ～名前のない歌～.m4a
13. http://www.mediafire.com/file/mzdrnifwiy2/13 Milky Way -君の歌-.m4a


Please help by buying the CD!


























And check out my other uploads on my page: http://h-r-c-b.blogspot.com/p/japanese-music-samples.html

April 5, 2010 I Am A Cat

Well, I have survived another April Fools day without so much trouble and Easter has passed unremarkable in the Country of the Rising Sun. For the last few months I have been lazily making my way through the book "I Am a Cat" by Natsume Souseki (the English version). Souseki is an amazing writer, but sometimes the book gets a little dry, or I can't seem to follow the purpose behind the main character's (who has no name!) digressions.

I am more fond of Kokoro, which is shorter, and really keeps the reader guessing as they go through the book. Kokoro tells the tale of a young man finding his place in the world through an older man who never really could. It speaks of the trials of love and family relations in a rapidly developing 20th century Japan. Throughout both Kokoro and I Am a Cat, the reader can find the hints and subtleties of what could be called Japanese sexism. At points in I Am a Cat, I often find myself irked at how Souseki portrays the wife and servant characters. They often say things like "since I am a woman, I cannot understand what you are saying".

Many Japanese anime lovers might be prone to tell me that I am being racist when I call the Japanese sexist, but they are sexist, unfortunately. It's sort of a "romantic medieval" sexism, where men want to protect their women, but in this modern day women do not need to be protected--we can do it ourselves! Japanese culture has sexism inherent in it, right down to the building blocks of the language. For example: 女 this symbol means "woman". 安 while this symbol (note the smaller version of the symbol for woman) means "cheap" or "inexpensive".

Japanese are also (though it is slowly disappearing) anti-left handed people. It is considered incredibly rude to hold the chopsticks with the left hand. I feel out of place to say these sorts of things, for who am I to say what one culture believes in wrong? Maybe left handed people really are evil! But I don't believe so, and I believe that the Japanese will be forced to change by modernization.

But for those of you who want to discover how the Japanese think (or used to think), I believe that reading Souseki is a good idea, which is why I've included some links in amazon.com to where you may find the books, but there doesn't seem to be many English versions there. Search Amazon.com for natsume souseki if you buy anything at the amazon provided link, I may be rewarded with cash.

the following links are free and do not give me cash!

But, here is the google books English Version http://books.google.ca/books?id=SYkS-Vj-g3wC&printsec=frontcover&dq=I+Am+a+Cat&cd=1#v=onepage&q=&f=false for I Am a Cat, and this way is eco friendly! (though I personally would rather own the book)

Here is the Chapters.com link http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Am-Cat-Three-Volumes-One-Soseki-Natsume-Aiko-Ito/9780804832656-item.html?ref=Books:+Search+Top+Sellers buy it new for 18.44 (Canadian) or buy it used starting from 12.79

Kokoro (Used: 11.34, New 14.06 (CAD) ) http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Penguin-Classics-Kokoro-Natsume-Soseki-Mckinney/9780143106036-item.html?ref=Books:+Search+Top+Sellers

Kokoro (Free) http://books.google.ca/books?id=obTZP1S0aXMC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Kokoro&cd=1#v=onepage&q=&f=false

If you would like to learn Japanese Kanji (Kanji - Chinese characters):
http://books.google.ca/books?id=BCGylyOazSYC&pg=PA436&dq=Tuttle+Kanji+Kana+1945&cd=2#v=onepage&q=Tuttle%20Kanji%20Kana%201945&f=false (free)
http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/search?keywords=Kanji%20Kana%20Tuttle&pageSize=10 (various different kinds)

Thank you for reading

May the gods bless

March 31, 2010 Incompetent Mothers

Since I am only eighteen, I suppose I have no right to comment on a person's child rearing efforts. In saying that, the following is merely my opinion. At the bottom of this post, I have listed an amazon search for "toilet training" products. Please be aware that if you click on this link and buy anything of the 79 or so results, I will be rewarded with some money from Amazon Associates, a wonderful plan thought up by Amazon / Blogger. I am a university student and need some money, so if you happen to have a young child at home or know someone who does, please help a girl out!

The last few days I have spent some time with a boy named Jiro (Japanese boy) who will turn 3, April 3. He is terribly cute and fairly well behaved considering he is a little boy still in grasp of the terrible twos. That saying, he still breast feeds and is not potty trained. While I don't think either of these things are terribly wrong at three (though three is really pushing it), it's how he acts. Maybe I am expecting too much of a little boy, but I think he should have some humility. He demands his mother give him milk. When he needs to use the bathroom and he is in public, he disappears and tries to hide from his mother. I asked him why he felt he needed to hide and he said he was hiding because he had to use the bathroom and that I had to go away for it to happen. I went and sat back down. Because only 50% of the time we could see him, he could possibly have be snatched by someone. That's not too impossible to imagine, right?

His father gets angry at him when he hides, but his mother just laughs and apologizes. I told her he might grow out of it, but I also think she's too forgiving. I don't know what she does at home with him, but it also does not seem like she's really interested in training him. She could have least have weaned him off breast milk by now, couldn't she? How embarrassed I would be if my three year old demanded milk in public. She giggles and asks him to wait a minute. I dunno, I guess there are worse parenting techniques, but i certainly can't find myself agreeing to this one!

Thanks for listening <3

Links to help potty train your child:
http://www.pampers.ca/en_CA/babies/toddler--potty-training some tips on potty training from other parents with video
http://www.babycenter.ca/toddler/pottytraining/ another great site with information and steps to potty training. No 3-day tricks here with Canadian and UK resources. I didn't see any American.



Search Amazon.com for toilet trainer some useful products to help your little angel on his/her way

Search Amazon.com Baby for toilet trainer  more products (or perhaps the same ones)

  

to help the little girl or boy you love (<3)

March 29, 2010 Cultural Insights of Japan (with bias)

When a person from the west (or anywhere outside of Japan) thinks of Japan, they are bound to think of Tokyo. Although a small country striving for uniformity, Japan still manages to have a wide range of differences, and so measuring Japan in your mind as merely Tokyo, with all its amazing technologies and fashions, would be like thinking of America and only picturing New York.

I live in Nagasaki, Japan. Four hundred years ago, Nagasaki was the heart of cultural and innovations in Japan. It was the Tokyo of today. Nagasaki, due in part to the atomic bombing, is no longer a liberal, cosmopolitan state. Though many people in Nagasaki dream of one day living in Tokyo, the people of Nagasaki (only about 450,000 people) cannot compare to my home town (4,004 people) when it comes to having big dreams. Japanese people often have this mindset that keeps them at home to carry on their family's work. Of course, I believe that the Japanese government prefers this as it keeps their "finely tuned" sociatal machine running functionably. There certainly seems to be a scant amount of different options for all-girl high school students when it comes to choosing a university. In the Province of Nagasaki (and not the city where I live) boys and girls are sent to Agricultural Schools, and they are given no chance to go to universities focused on anything else, unless their family somehow makes enough money to send them to a school in the city. Why? Because the Japanese Government realises that they need farmers to continue feeding their people. (Only 40% or so of the country's food intake is grown in Japan)

I understand that the need of society must sometimes overweigh the individuals, of course, or else how can a society be run effectively? In Japan, if given the choice, young people are going to choose to be professionals in Tokyo than farmers in backwater Nagasaki. So the government cannot allow these young people to have so many choices, because without farmers the state of Japan as the second best economy would not survive for very long. However, I also believe that people deserve chances. I am a North American born and bred, and so by looking at this issue from a North American point of view, I can also say that impeding the right or the future of the individual is wrong. I don't care about money. I don't care about who has the higher GDP. I do care about whether or not my brothers and sisters in this world are given the ability to follow through with their dreams. If the daughter of a farmer doesn't want to marry a farmer, but wants to teach Japanese history in an American university, or become an architect in Saudi Arabia, she should be able to! She should at least be given all the information and choose whether or not she believes she is skilled enough to follow those dreams!

Today it was a little negative, but Japan has some really good things going for her too!

May the Spirits of Earth bless.



Japanese Learning Resources
www.manythings.org/Japanese
http://www.japanesepod101.com/
http://www.funnelbrain.com/ search Kanji Flashcards (I have sets up)
http://www.chapters.ca/ excellent book store, try anything by Tuttle (of course, check it out on http://www.ebay.com/ and http://www.amazon.com/ for some amazing deals and to save paper!)
If you are interested in going to Japan, check out your nearest Rotary International (they are many big cities and small towns and offer exchanges for high school students) or contact your university. You can also do a native English speakers teaching job for a few years, without any teaching experience required.
For some tastes of Japanese music, here are two of my favourites: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vz2sq44fhhc and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRaAuItkvAY

Thank you ^^

March 25, 2010 Socialism

I will do the often done thing here and first quote from www.dictionary.com to find out what exactly what socialism is.

Dictionary.com says: "–noun

1.

a theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole.

2.

procedure or practice in accordance with this theory.

3.

(in Marxist theory) the stage following capitalism in the transition of a society to communism, characterized by the imperfect implementation of collectivist principles."

Now let's define a few of those terms as well for those of us not up-to-date on political science and sociology terms.

Vesting - "the granting to an eligible employee of the right to specified pension benefits, regardless of discontinued employment status, usually after a fixed period of employment. "

Collectivist - "–noun

the political principle of centralized social and economic control, esp. of all means of production. "

(If you need other terms explained, the dictionary.com link is available ^^ )

When a society becomes socialist, many things are instead done by the government than they are by the people. It is a long way away from communism, but it seems Americans can not escape their cold war prejudice.

Of course, if you tell an American that going to school for free is the same as getting free health care, and thus putting them in so-called socialism, when really they are just moving a little left from center, they would deny it. If President Obama decided to do away with America's dangerous Free-Trade agreement (which is currently endangering my home town and is trying to destroy our clean drinking water), this would be another step in the left direction, but President Obama is not a socialist and would not do this.

A civilized country is a country where people are taken care of when they get to stage in their life when they can no longer give the government money. This includes when they are sick. A civilized country is socialist enough to realize the benefits of giving their students free education. Not many Americans are willing to hand out thousands of dollars a year so that their child can go to some fancy private school, so why are Americans so willing to pay the insurance companies thousands of dollars for crap health care? The only way that private health care is better than public health care is because rich people are chosen over poor people when it comes to deciding who will get the organ transplant, but that in and of itself is wrong. Why should a rich person get a better treatment than a poor one?

Why are Americans insisting in staying a third-world developed country? (honestly, that should not even be possible!)

President Obama's Victory Speech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xh2yPfD5F-4

March 25, 2010 Earth Hour

In 2 more days it will be time to turn off the lights! For those who are not sure what Earth Hour is, it's one hour a year where people from many countries and many lifestyles and beliefs get together and turn off the lights to fight global warming.

Here's the official video for Earth Hour 2010: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FclcMfzjwug

Here's an "official" video from Earth Hour, as a sort of humourous commercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TML6NMgoRw&feature=channel

Here's a video I tried to make: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VR0QYBGYfqQ

Here's a picture I made: http://seannabirchwood.deviantart.com/art/Earth-Hour-158273955

Here's a poem I made: http://seannabirchwood.deviantart.com/art/Earth-Hour-2-158276837

I will write more soon ^^