Morning stretches are such a pleasure, if you can manage to rise early enough to do them. I'm talking about group morning stretches, of course. In my experience, group morning stretches are a universal phenomenon here in Japan. Every morning, from certain public offices and schools, music plays through speakers, transmitted, I believe, from the City Hall or Town Office. The music is always the same, a simple and leisurely classical piece on a piano that reminds me of finger exercises a child might play as a warm-up piece before practicing. And then, in a prescribed sequence, which is taught to elementary school students, and done by old folks all the same, people stretch--in time AND in sync--to the music.
"Ode to Morning Stretches"
Arms up high, Way down low!
Breathe in, Breathe out!
Run in place, Run in place!
Twist your neck, Turn your face!
Never mind your skirt or tie, Or your uniform,
Stretch your body, mind and soul,
Rejoice as you conform!
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Monday, January 30, 2006
It's been hard for me to blog in the past few days... I guess things have been going on in my world and through my mind, but I don't especially want to write them down. It's difficult to write any really personal thoughts or issues on a public blog.
Anyway, did you see this news?! It's surreal, yet not altogether unexpected:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4660938.stm
It seems the environment will become the biggest issue whether it is acknowledged by us or not. When will the environment matter enough to start taking care of it? Let's do our best to start now.
Anyway, did you see this news?! It's surreal, yet not altogether unexpected:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4660938.stm
It seems the environment will become the biggest issue whether it is acknowledged by us or not. When will the environment matter enough to start taking care of it? Let's do our best to start now.
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Something different altogether
The feeling which comes after inadvertently deleting one's work is difficult to describe. First, I think, comes a wave of disappointment over the time spent and the effort, depending on the quality of what was written. Following, comes a desperate attempt to retrieve the material, even as it is obviously gone. Then there is an assessment of whether to write the entire thing over again or just a synopsis, or perhaps something different altogether.
Did you hear that they are going to start using 'sea-power' to generate electricity in London?
see: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4645452.stm
Maybe some day we could generate electricity from all sorts of things.
What if we could generate the electricity in a gym by using 'treadmill-power,' energy taken from the work done by the gym members? I mean, there's got to be a lot of energy generated there, right? I don't know how charging batteries works, what if you could do it just by walking? Self-charge your own iPod? I have no idea how those things could possibly work. But wouldn't the world be a nicer place to live if we didn't have to bear the stress of looming 'environmental concerns' that seem to be getting bigger every day?
Did you hear that they are going to start using 'sea-power' to generate electricity in London?
see: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4645452.stm
Maybe some day we could generate electricity from all sorts of things.
What if we could generate the electricity in a gym by using 'treadmill-power,' energy taken from the work done by the gym members? I mean, there's got to be a lot of energy generated there, right? I don't know how charging batteries works, what if you could do it just by walking? Self-charge your own iPod? I have no idea how those things could possibly work. But wouldn't the world be a nicer place to live if we didn't have to bear the stress of looming 'environmental concerns' that seem to be getting bigger every day?
Friday, January 20, 2006
Assumptions
So often are my assumptions blown to bits. I'm growing accustomed to this. So, when I arrive at school on days like today to find dozens of cars parked in the playing field and bewildered middle school students clustered about, while adults I've never seen before direct them this way and that, it doesn't bother me much anymore. I just continue on my way up to my desk where I can sit down and my mind can sort out what I just witnessed.
TICK,TOCK,
TICK,TOCK.
Ah, now, I understand: the entrance exams.
I had assumed that when I was told that the entrance exams were being held at our school today, it meant that the girls from our school would be taking exams to get into college, similar to our SATs.
But that's not actually how it's done here. Here, each school administers its own exam to attempt to match potential incoming students to its standard.
Instead of our students testing today, students from other schools will be taking the exam to get into our school. I had no idea what was going on, but since this seems to be common practice here, no one thought to explain anything to me beforehand, and of course, I didn't know to ask.
Something resembling this sort of information gap seems to occur for me nearly everyday in some form or another. People just don't know what I know and what I don't. I can't blame them for that, so I find that I just have to exhibit some patience.
Actually, because of the tests, I have no classes today. I've armed myself with an arsenal of books to ward off boredom. I brought 'To Learn With Love,' a book about teaching music to children. Also, I made a great investment the other day when I purchased a study guide to the 3rd level of the Japanese Proficiency Test, a sort of degree/ranking you can get in Japanese which is recognized throughout Japan. That plus my 'Let's Learn Kanji' book should round out my Japanese education for today. The final book I brought is a book on meditation by Eric Harrison that I've been rereading lately.
Since my lesson plans for next week are finished, I figure 8 hours, 4 books, lunch, a walk, and a brief nap should be just about right.
Enjoy your day!!
TICK,TOCK,
TICK,TOCK.
Ah, now, I understand: the entrance exams.
I had assumed that when I was told that the entrance exams were being held at our school today, it meant that the girls from our school would be taking exams to get into college, similar to our SATs.
But that's not actually how it's done here. Here, each school administers its own exam to attempt to match potential incoming students to its standard.
Instead of our students testing today, students from other schools will be taking the exam to get into our school. I had no idea what was going on, but since this seems to be common practice here, no one thought to explain anything to me beforehand, and of course, I didn't know to ask.
Something resembling this sort of information gap seems to occur for me nearly everyday in some form or another. People just don't know what I know and what I don't. I can't blame them for that, so I find that I just have to exhibit some patience.
Actually, because of the tests, I have no classes today. I've armed myself with an arsenal of books to ward off boredom. I brought 'To Learn With Love,' a book about teaching music to children. Also, I made a great investment the other day when I purchased a study guide to the 3rd level of the Japanese Proficiency Test, a sort of degree/ranking you can get in Japanese which is recognized throughout Japan. That plus my 'Let's Learn Kanji' book should round out my Japanese education for today. The final book I brought is a book on meditation by Eric Harrison that I've been rereading lately.
Since my lesson plans for next week are finished, I figure 8 hours, 4 books, lunch, a walk, and a brief nap should be just about right.
Enjoy your day!!
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Post-holiday catch-up
Please pardon my long absence over the winter holidays. Things are settling back in again over here, and so I expect to be blogging again regularly.
Orchestra rehearsal started up again last night. I'm glad to say that the group is quite relaxed, and this rehearsal was very fun, as opposed to some frightening first rehearsals I've attended in the past. The theme for this concert is "I look at Nature, Nature looks at me." We're doing excerpts, which I kind of don't like doing. I hold a more traditional view that, for the most part, pieces are meant to be listened to as the full work, not just as a movement or an excerpt. That being said, playing and listening to excerpts can be enjoyable in itself, so I shouldn't be too harsh. After all, there were a lot of excerpts at the band concert the other day, and I enjoyed that.
We rehearsed: 'Jupiter, Bringer of Jollity' from 'The Planets,' the last part of 'Carmina Burana', and 'The Blue Danube Waltz'. I believe there are about 6 or 7 other pieces in the lineup, so we may have started with the easier ones.
As for Carmina Burana, I always wondered when I would get the chance to play that work. Seriously, I've actually wondered where I would be when I got that chance. I think the first time I heard it was when I watched 'Young Sherlock Holmes'(the movie) when I was very young, had developed a small crush on 'young Sherlock,' and felt very enthralled by the music at that time. It has to be one of the most immediately moving and over-played works of our time, aside from Vivaldi's 'Four Seasons.' Doesn't mean just because it's overused that isn't a treat to play, though!!
I've been commuting a lot ever since I joined the orchestra. With Aikido, it makes four trips to the city per week, coming out to 8 hours in the car. Now I adore driving my little car through the windy streets, weaving 'round other cars and dodging obstacles like an itty-bitty Frogger, but it is more driving than I've ever done. So I started doing audiobooks in November. I'm almost finished a fourth book,'The Lexus and the Olive Tree,' by Friedman, an informative, well-formulated, and important book about globalization. It's good to get caught up on my understanding of globalization, yet I find the book is bit persuasively presented for my taste(however, some bits are brilliant, like the chapter called 'Just Too Dehumanizing').
Aikido continues to go well. I'm going to start supplementing practice with visits to a gym again. Practice is excellent for focusing on solidfying basic techniques and clarifying principles, but it doesn't provide the kind of physical workout that Boulder Aikikai's training often did. So although my technique may be improving slightly, my physical strength and endurance have slowly decreased.
In other news, the weather's been mild recently. I've been thinking of getting a fish, but I'm afraid it might freeze to death when it gets colder again. I don't think that would be fair to the fish. Hmm...
The olive oil in my house froze right before Christmas. I'm wondering at what temperature does olive oil freeze?
Orchestra rehearsal started up again last night. I'm glad to say that the group is quite relaxed, and this rehearsal was very fun, as opposed to some frightening first rehearsals I've attended in the past. The theme for this concert is "I look at Nature, Nature looks at me." We're doing excerpts, which I kind of don't like doing. I hold a more traditional view that, for the most part, pieces are meant to be listened to as the full work, not just as a movement or an excerpt. That being said, playing and listening to excerpts can be enjoyable in itself, so I shouldn't be too harsh. After all, there were a lot of excerpts at the band concert the other day, and I enjoyed that.
We rehearsed: 'Jupiter, Bringer of Jollity' from 'The Planets,' the last part of 'Carmina Burana', and 'The Blue Danube Waltz'. I believe there are about 6 or 7 other pieces in the lineup, so we may have started with the easier ones.
As for Carmina Burana, I always wondered when I would get the chance to play that work. Seriously, I've actually wondered where I would be when I got that chance. I think the first time I heard it was when I watched 'Young Sherlock Holmes'(the movie) when I was very young, had developed a small crush on 'young Sherlock,' and felt very enthralled by the music at that time. It has to be one of the most immediately moving and over-played works of our time, aside from Vivaldi's 'Four Seasons.' Doesn't mean just because it's overused that isn't a treat to play, though!!
I've been commuting a lot ever since I joined the orchestra. With Aikido, it makes four trips to the city per week, coming out to 8 hours in the car. Now I adore driving my little car through the windy streets, weaving 'round other cars and dodging obstacles like an itty-bitty Frogger, but it is more driving than I've ever done. So I started doing audiobooks in November. I'm almost finished a fourth book,'The Lexus and the Olive Tree,' by Friedman, an informative, well-formulated, and important book about globalization. It's good to get caught up on my understanding of globalization, yet I find the book is bit persuasively presented for my taste(however, some bits are brilliant, like the chapter called 'Just Too Dehumanizing').
Aikido continues to go well. I'm going to start supplementing practice with visits to a gym again. Practice is excellent for focusing on solidfying basic techniques and clarifying principles, but it doesn't provide the kind of physical workout that Boulder Aikikai's training often did. So although my technique may be improving slightly, my physical strength and endurance have slowly decreased.
In other news, the weather's been mild recently. I've been thinking of getting a fish, but I'm afraid it might freeze to death when it gets colder again. I don't think that would be fair to the fish. Hmm...
The olive oil in my house froze right before Christmas. I'm wondering at what temperature does olive oil freeze?
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
We are the Champions
I know why the Tamana Girl's High School Brass Band is the best in Japan. Their performance is absolutely stunning. I saw their New Year Concert yesterday afternoon. The event not only featured the flawless performances of dozens of members of the symphonic and marching bands, but also included narration, a storyline, dance sequences, light shows, various costumes, a flag squad, and of course, beautifully arranged music, from the 20th Century Fox opening theme to Disney to Star Wars to Titantic to Princess Mononoke to you name it(and not just movie music), but they even memorized the entire second act--it was enough to make any grown woman cry. This being the New Year Concert, it also meant it was the last public performance for the group before the seniors will graduate in April.
At the very last part of the concert the band director announced that this band, the champion of high school brass bands in Japan had to dismember in part. As he spoke, one by one, the seniors put down their instruments and came to the front of the stage, until the front of the stage was filled with girls, holding hands and singing a song in unison to the accompaniment of their younger peers in the background. The director called each girl's name, and the line slowly diminished as each girl ran over to bid farewell to their friends in the band, as the band continued to play. Everyone seemed so moved, many of the students were crying, but there was one girl who didn't look upset at all. She was glowing with joy; her smile was shining, and there was something magical about seeing that among all the tears and sadness. I do believe seeing that girl's joy has made a lasting impression on me.
The seniors left the stage, and walked through the audience finding their family or friends. It felt like a rite of passage, this final performance. The baton was handed from the senior leader to the junior one, and the finale had all of the seniors gather at the back of the auditorium to hold up a banner of well-wishes to the band for the coming year.
When it was all over, it overwhelmed me how they could put it all off. But can you imagine, on my way home from work be it 5:15 or 8:15, as I walk past the school, that I can hear them practicing? When I leave my house on Saturday afternoon for Aikido, I can hear 'Candide' faintly in the distance, and on Sunday, when everyone deserves a break, I can hear trumpets playing passages by Paganini while standing on my back porch. For this kind of devotion, they deserve more than a break, they deserve to be champions. They practice every single day, and devote so much of their time to doing this one thing very well. The band directors must work so hard. How do they do it all??
Coming soon: the other All-Japan Champs--the softball team
At the very last part of the concert the band director announced that this band, the champion of high school brass bands in Japan had to dismember in part. As he spoke, one by one, the seniors put down their instruments and came to the front of the stage, until the front of the stage was filled with girls, holding hands and singing a song in unison to the accompaniment of their younger peers in the background. The director called each girl's name, and the line slowly diminished as each girl ran over to bid farewell to their friends in the band, as the band continued to play. Everyone seemed so moved, many of the students were crying, but there was one girl who didn't look upset at all. She was glowing with joy; her smile was shining, and there was something magical about seeing that among all the tears and sadness. I do believe seeing that girl's joy has made a lasting impression on me.
The seniors left the stage, and walked through the audience finding their family or friends. It felt like a rite of passage, this final performance. The baton was handed from the senior leader to the junior one, and the finale had all of the seniors gather at the back of the auditorium to hold up a banner of well-wishes to the band for the coming year.
When it was all over, it overwhelmed me how they could put it all off. But can you imagine, on my way home from work be it 5:15 or 8:15, as I walk past the school, that I can hear them practicing? When I leave my house on Saturday afternoon for Aikido, I can hear 'Candide' faintly in the distance, and on Sunday, when everyone deserves a break, I can hear trumpets playing passages by Paganini while standing on my back porch. For this kind of devotion, they deserve more than a break, they deserve to be champions. They practice every single day, and devote so much of their time to doing this one thing very well. The band directors must work so hard. How do they do it all??
Coming soon: the other All-Japan Champs--the softball team
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
How to Peel an Orange
Start from one end, and peel up towards the other end. That way most of the white, sour-tasting stringeys come off with the peel.
Although I found this discovery to be exciting and practical, many people, I'm willing to bet, will find it merely interesting or possibly only moderately amusing. Others still, may have no interest or may have become bored with the subject long ago. I'm not here to judge. Happy peeling!
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
Coming Down from Winter Vacation
Took the overnight train from Tokyo to arrive in Kumamoto last Tuesday. Monday was a day at the spa. A theme park spa, if you will. There were over 2000 people walking around in robes and bare feet at the Odaiba Oedo Hot Springs. Check it out:
http://www.ooedoonsen.jp/index.html
Went to DisneySea sea last weekend with Hiro, which restored my faith in the Disney machine's ability to spread happiness to the world while making gobs of money. It was inspiring to the imagination, and I hardly felt the lightening of my wallet.
PA was wonderful--lots of family time, which really does make the traveling worthwhile. Mom did a lot of cooking, which is rare, but she seemed actually happy to be doing it. It was good to spend time at Mom's and Dad's. One of the best parts of the trip was when cousin Rebecca appeared out of nowhere, having been given a ticket to come home as a last minute present from her fiance. And seeing my best friend's baby again made me want to see them even more.
All in all, one of the kinds of trips I'd pay money to do again.
It's been taking me all this week to find myself again back here. The trip home and the trip to Tokyo were filled with activity. Coming out of warp speed is taking me some time.
http://www.ooedoonsen.jp/index.html
Went to DisneySea sea last weekend with Hiro, which restored my faith in the Disney machine's ability to spread happiness to the world while making gobs of money. It was inspiring to the imagination, and I hardly felt the lightening of my wallet.
PA was wonderful--lots of family time, which really does make the traveling worthwhile. Mom did a lot of cooking, which is rare, but she seemed actually happy to be doing it. It was good to spend time at Mom's and Dad's. One of the best parts of the trip was when cousin Rebecca appeared out of nowhere, having been given a ticket to come home as a last minute present from her fiance. And seeing my best friend's baby again made me want to see them even more.
All in all, one of the kinds of trips I'd pay money to do again.
It's been taking me all this week to find myself again back here. The trip home and the trip to Tokyo were filled with activity. Coming out of warp speed is taking me some time.