Explosion of Color (11/26/06)

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On Nov 26, 2006, Joseph wrote:

Hello All,

     As the cold air began to set in, and still the leaves had not begin to change, I began to wonder if anything would happen at all. I was quickly surprised however as suddenly the trees began to explode with color and just like anything that spontaneously explodes, it quickly disappears as well….however, we truly appreciate and savor the beauty that only lasts for a short time. If trees always had a bright array of colors all year around, we would probably never give them half a glance, but when all of sudden they change from drab green to bright red, orange, and yellow then we truly take notice and are filled with an inescapable sense of awe. This happened to me just last weekend when I just happened to walk by this building I had not been to a while, and I couldn’t believe my eyes, rows upon rows of color. It just seemed to truly come out of nowhere. Now when I walk around the city I see color everywhere. I guess it just took a lot longer here than it did in Ohio. It has been getting cold here lately but still it is at a point where I can not believe it is almost December. I hope the cool stays at the same level for at least a few more weeks….

    I hope everyone had a good thanksgiving full of good memories and a full stomach. I will make sure to be home next time. I never realized how important thanksgiving was too me, just the whole atmosphere and the feeling of going home…but it is like most things, you never realize something`s true importance until it has slipped from your grasp. Since Japan does not celebrate thanksgiving here, I did not have any traditional thanksgiving activities. However, I did not feel any resentment. After all, different countries have different holidays, and we should not expect to receive the same treatment over here, so I tried to look on the bright side. Since I had the day off though, I did a little exploring. I got off at one stop and randomly happened upon a temple called Toganji. I was startled by the beautiful trees lining the entrance way,  I have attached a picture of that very seen. That is one thing about Japan that a friend of mine said, and I have come to notice is true which is that temples in Japan just come out of nowhere and are in the strangest places. You will just be walking around a busy part of the city, turn a corner, and then there will be a temple right in front of you. I suppose it should be no different than finding churches dotting the American landscape, but temples seem to be of a whole different function and form than churches. It could just be my American background though, the Japanese may not think it is so surprising, especially since they have been around them their whole lives. It is just interesting to have temples in the strangest places and refreshing. Temples have the since of escapism to them, like they are a self contained world free of the pressures of the encroaching hustle and bustle of the outside. This temple I went to was no different. It had a very tranquil quiet enveloping everything. I was startled by the peace and quiet that seemed to be everywhere even though I had just been walking through a city a few moments earlier.

     It was a little chilly, but I still felt like cleansing my hands with the water always near the entrances to religious sites in Japan. They believe that the water can cleanse our defilements, because after all you do not want to enter a holy place in a defiled state. I went over and let the cool water glide over my hands, then of course a small biting cold began to enter then, but I wanted to just savor that feeling a moment. I knew I could dry my hands in an instant if I just grabbed my pants legs, but I kind of felt like this feeling, the slow numbing of the slightly damp hand from the cool breeze, I felt like it was part of that intangible ideal of purity. As I walked through the temple grounds, those thoughts came to my mind. There is something comforting that the water can wash away your sins….I do not know, but I get the feeling that typically in some religious homes and communities, the idea is instilled in us that we will always carry the burdens of ours sins with us our whole lives….like a warning to not commit sin…but I think that does more harm than good…because the weight of sin could eventually destroy a person…if the guilt became to much…forgiveness is most important….by forgiving a person can improve….just some thoughts. In this holiday season and anytime, always remember to forgive people of their transgressions, after all we are all human….well that is all for now. Take care everyone, stay warm.

           Sincerely,

                 Joseph

Return to Kyoto (11/17/06)

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On Nov 17, 2006, Joseph wrote:

Hello All,

      Time keeps marching on, and we all know after traveling for so long, we come to find out we have ended up where we had begun. That happened to me this past weekend, when I found myself in a place I did not think I would ever return to, the old capital Kyoto. It was for an IES trip. It has been over a year since I had last step foot in Kyoto, at that time I thought that would be my only chance to go there and see the famous sites. When you think you are only going to be at a certain place once in your entire life I think you take on a different mentality than if you know you will someday return. That is why it was a bit strange going back. At that first and presumably only time, you want to absorb everything so you can always return in your mind. That place will forever remain the same within the confines of your mind, just think how it is to have to return to that special place and find it is not exactly as you had kept it so. This was compounded by the fact that on this trip we revisited several of the places that I had went to before. I tried to take similar pictures to the ones I took before, and I have attached them below. You can see how both I and the surrounding have changed. The most notable is the changing of colors, and the rainy atmosphere which continued throughout most of the trip. I think by looking at the pictures I took this time, you can literally feel the cold air emitting from them. I have to admit though that the rain helped to create a peaceful and complete different atmosphere than to the one before. I came in summer last time, so of course it provided a stark contrast. When you see the pictures beside the change of leaves, may favorite difference had to be at the Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion). The pond that surrounds it is called the mirror pond. I heard they put a lot of algae in the water to give it that green color which so well reflects the surroundings. Even though it is called such though, last time I could not see it being true to its name. I suppose it was very windy that day and many ripples distorted the image, but this time it truly was a mirror pond. It was very still and peaceful. As you can see from the picture, the image of the Golden Pavilion is reflected perfectly in the water below. If I reversed the picture, it would probably take you a second to figure out which one was the real one. I found the surrounding area to be much more beautiful than I remember. It was almost something out of a dream, a dreamscape if you will. Maybe it was just the rainy atmosphere that had something to do with it, but there was definitely something different than before. Last time, I was more impressed with the Silver Pavilion which isn’t actually Silver than the Golden Pavilion, because the Silver Pavilion had a much more beautiful surrounding atmosphere, but now I am not sure which I am more fond of. While the Golden Pavilion itself is quite a sight, I have never been so fond of such blatant use of gold though. I am much more an earthy roof structure kind of guy. It is the same for statues, I find the stone statues just to be much more real than those made out of gold. If you worship a gold statue, what are you really worshipping, the god or the gold with all its dark connotations…..

      At the Ryokan during dinner I believe we all had a once in a lifetime experience which was that two Geisha and an apprentice Geisha called a Maiko visited us. They performed two dances, one called the butterfly dance the other one I can not remember. The Geisha in Kyoto refer to be known as Geiko, which seems to be a term exclusively for the Geisha of Kyoto where they are apparently known to be the most refined. That perception and image may be because Kyoto is where the Geisha culture is most prominent and active compared to other places in Japan. I was surprised to find out that there are over 60 Maiko right now in Kyoto and a waiting list of over a 100. I kept hearing how the Geisha culture was all but non-existent now in Japan, but with those numbers while not being incredibly high are a lot more than just a paltry few to be sure. It was reassuring to me, because I believe the world of the Geisha is an important part of Japanese traditional culture that should be kept. While I admit traditions can sometimes hold you back, there are some that should always be retained both for their strengths as well as for their ability to connect you with a long history, a distant refreshing time. Oh one more thing, I am pretty sure I do not have to mention this but just in case. I know that in the West, Geisha sometimes have connotations of being prostitutes, but the word Geisha literally means person of the arts. They are well known in their singing, dancing, and conversation abilities, so the correct image should be that of a professional highly refined performer which I admit the Geiko and Maiko that I met and saw lived up to that image beautifully. The dances were very elegant in my opinion and their graceful moves translated well with the swaying of their kimono. Afterwards, they all came and talked to us. They spoke in Japanese of course though which made it a bit difficult, but I could see that everyone was excited. You could really tell the difference between the apprentice Maiko and the full fledged Geiko. One of the Geiko had a very calm professional attitude and her laugh seemed like one she had perfected over countless attempts. Ha, it was actually must easier to talk to the Maiko, she was only 16 actually, so she had only been in training a year. After a girl finished compulsory middle school at the age of 15 she will then became an apprentice Geiko known as a Maiko until the age of 20 were then she will become a full fledged Geiko. It seems to be a very strenuous life. They said they only get 2 days off out of a whole month. Also it is a very exclusive society. You have to have connections and a lot of money in order to see a Geiko perform and chat with them. Only the high society such as presidents of companies, professors, etc. have access to them. Nevertheless, it seems they are highly requested. That is why I mentioned how it was probably a once in a lifetime chance for all of us. Luckily the ryokan owners have connections with the Geiko, also since there were about 30 of us I am assuming that all together could make up for the most likely expensive fees. Since the IES program always takes their students to the same ryokan in Kyoto, those students get to met them, so if any potential study abroad students are reading this then that can be one of the many pluses of going through IES to Nanzan. I have a video I recorded of one of their dances, and I will be sure to upload it next week, so everyone can take a look. One last thing I remember is that their elaborate kimonos can only be put on with the help of professionals whose job is to do just that, apparently it is a very complicated process. The same goes for their hair style, they have to go every week in order to have the hair made up in their particular way, it is very easy to be messed up so they have to sleep on a special neck pillow at night which is very uncomfortable but helps to maintain the hair`s shape. If their hair gets messed up they have to go through the hours process again to make it right again. It is amazing how much effort and time those women put into their profession.

      So as far as highlights go, meeting the Geiko and Maiko are at the top of the list. It helped make this trip to Kyoto have its own distinctive stamp. Now that I have been twice it seems I will be going a few more times. I plan on taking my grandmother there when she comes to Japan, because I believe Kyoto has some very representative places of traditional culture. Well, that is all for now. I hope everyone is keeping warm and staying healthy. Take care.

                          Sincerely,

                                   Joseph

A walk through ancient times (11/07/06)

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On Nov 11, 2006, Joseph wrote:

Hello all,

      I hope wherever you are, you are all keeping warm. Although I say that, it still has not got really cold here, but I can feel it getting steady colder each day, probably will not be much longer until it is jacket weather. Actually though, I am kind of looking forward to it. There is something comforting about the cold weather, maybe it is just from the feeling of being in a warm place after freezing outside. You know like when you can drink a warm drink and look outside, thinking, writing, reading, things like that. Of course, I am saying this now, but we shall see how I feel when it really starts to get cold. I do not think it is going to get as cold as Ohio though which is a good thing. Probably all my fond memories of the cold come from Alabama and not Ohio, haha. When I went to Ohio, I meet a new definition of cold. The coming of cold also signifies the coming of Christmas though, and just like in America where the Christmas decorations are put up way too early, they are already up around the city, decorated Christmas trees and the light post lamps that are ubiquitous everywhere it seems. Christmas is not really celebrated here in Japan, kind of like Halloween which I mentioned last time, a good holiday to buy things, but nothing else. People do not even get off work. The great thing is though is that my grandmother is coming to visit me during winter break, and she will be here on Christmas. I could not have asked for a better present. With her here, I am sure it will surely feel like Christmas. Every Christmas we would have a big gathering and delicious feast prepared by my grandmother. Good times, good times….This is my grandmother’s first time leaving the country, and I really appreciate her effort. I am going to do my best to ensure that she has a wonderful and memorable experience here.

    Well last week I had my two day break, the equivalent of my thanksgiving break since I do not have one this year. There is a day called Thanksgiving Labor Day which is actually the day of Thanksgiving which I will get out for, but only that day, which is a Thursday. I do no know what I will do. I am still trying to think of something to do that will give me that Thanksgiving feeling. During the break I went to a lot of places, and I walked a lot, an incredible amount. I walked over 10 miles I think, my feet have the blisters to prove it. The first place where I did a lot of walking was Meiji Mura which was the park I mentioned last time which held a lot of buildings from the Meiji era. It was actually very impressive. The buildings were very well preserved. The park was much larger than I imagined also, it took several hours, most of the day to cover the whole area. It really felt like you had stepped back in time. It was real interesting how some houses were whole-sale copied from European tastes in design which should not be surprising considering the feeling and ideas behind the Meiji era. But what I was wondering is how must it have been to the Japanese who lived in that kind of house during that time, I mean to live in a completely European manner in a Japanese land. It is like if a traditional Japanese house were dropped in America, and Americans were told to live in it everyday and to function in the house in the proper manner. It would be a little difficult I think. I wish I could go back in time and see how the people lived. It would be real interesting to see. Not all the houses reflected the European influence though, there were a lot of other types of buildings, such as the telephone office, schools, and traditional style houses. It was a real fun time, and I would like to go again some day.

    The next day I went to Nagoya Port. I have been meaning to go. I heard that it was real beautiful there, plus I thought it might have a relaxing atmosphere, being next to the sea, and I was right. I attached some photos which I feel capture some of the beauty of the place. It was early in the morning when I arrived and a nice breeze blew through the area, it felt so peaceful. The whole atmosphere had the feeling of a port, it was so much more earthy and real compared to say Sakae the downtown shopping district of Nagoya. I walked so much there, by the time the day was over I believe I had covered most of the area. I was so exhausted. I spent my Sunday at home recovering. I actually was a little tired of exploring. Seeing so many places as well as going through the nameless crowds can really put a toll on you. I think living here in Japan, in the big cities at least, really puts a strain on the people here. That must be why Karaoke places, cafes, and bars are so popular here. After going through the week in these conditions, with the hustle and bustle of daily life, they need time to unwind. Probably a testament to that, is that while the subways are simply jam packed in the morning and evening when people are going to and from work and school, at night it is virtually empty. It is quite startling. I wondered where everybody was, they are probably at home resting or in some cafe with friends or something. Well, we all need a little time to unwind right. Well that is all for now. Everyone try to enjoy everyday, everyday can be enjoyable if we want it to be. Take care.

                   Sincerely,

                       Joseph

Halloween and Toyota (10/31/06)

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On Oct 31, 2006, Joseph wrote:

Hello All,

       It is finally starting to cool down here. It seems like the cold weather will never come, although I am not complaining. I just really look forward to the changing of the leaves, but it seems like it will take just a little bit longer than I expected. However right now, I am enjoying the cool morning air, as I walk out the door on the way to school. The kind of weather where it is not too hot and not too cold. I wish everyone well in Ohio where I heard the cold weather set in quite some time ago. I am assuming that Alabama is still not too cold at this time. I remember when I stepped off the plane in Birmingham during my freshman thanksgiving break. Since I had been in Ohio for the past few months, I was shocked by the warmth I encountered. It was a great feeling. I am not saying that cold weather is necessary a bad thing though, I like both, each has there good points….well enough about the weather I suppose.

       Oh, I almost forgot, Happy Halloween! Halloween is not celebrated so much here. I mean it is kind of strange, it is like they took all the marketing but left out the trick or treating. Isn`t trick or treating and dressing up in costumes the real point and fun of Halloween? I mean in the stores around here you would see Jack-o-lanterns and such and signs says Halloween, but no one really celebrates it. I wonder why they would even bother to put up anything at all. The cynical approach would be that they are just trying to sell things that are cool [Western], and the positive side could be that they are just trying to give people a chance to partake in a celebration even if it just a Halloween party with no trick or treating or costumes. Since Sakura, my host sister, goes to an international school, however, they did dress up and received some candy. Sakura who is a big Disney fan (Disney seems to be incredibly popular here in Japan, maybe just maybe even more than in America) dressed up as Princess Jasmine from Aladdin. What really made my day was when I was studying in my room, and Sakura came in and saidHappy Halloween and gave me a small bag full of candy. It looks like I was able to get some candy on Halloween after all. I have been wondering what my little brother and sister will dress up as this year. My little brother was Batman and my little sister was I suppose you would call a Corpse or Zombie Bride. Halloween may be over all ready for me, but everyone enjoy and have a good time. I am sure we all have memories of Halloween from our childhood, so let`s make sure the new generations do too.

      I went to the Toyota Plant last week, as I mentioned before. It was pretty much as I expected, very organized, very clean, and efficient. What surprised me though was the speed of proficiency of the robots that do the wielding. They were very precise and fast. I suppose I can see the usefulness of them. The human workers where very diligent as well though. It looks like it is a demanding job. It was also pretty interesting to see a car being put together piece by piece and the process that goes with it. You never really think about all these workers that put their sweat into making the vehicles we drive everyday. In fact, everything single thing that we have. Seeing the factory reminded me of the Honda plant in Alabama where many people I know have started working at. I was wondering if the conditions and process of production was similar. After we toured the factory, we went to their Exhibition Hall which they showed some of their inventions and vehicles. I got to see how a Hybrid Car functions, and I really would like to consider getting one in the future. Although it seems that right Hybrid Cars only make up 1 percent of their total output. I do not know the prices on them, but I am assuming they are too high for most consumers. I hope in the future a more cost friendly version can be produced. It would help to get our natural resources back in line. In the main hall they had something called a Partner Robot which they envision as being able to help out the elderly and other such people in the future. Right now it has limited capability, but the articulation was still impressive. As a demonstration they had it play a trumpet. It would sway to the music and wave its hand to the crowd. I was struck by how far we have come, but also at the same time I remember the old World Fairs which took place 50 or 60 years ago which had a bold vision of the future, and of course we are not even close to that point that was envisioned even 50 years ago, so I still think we will and need to take it one step at a time. Afterwards there was a conference where the students could ask some Toyota employees some questions. The guys were pretty funny. They gave us all note pads with the Toyota F1 car on it. They said that they entered the F1 four years ago, and that is has not been going well. They said it represented their fighting spirit and hoped we would remember it. Whenever I look at it, I will remember that we all need a fighting spirit, we all need to take on things even if they seem impossible.

　　 I had a pretty relaxing weekend. I went around Sakae with a friend. There is a slightly funny story attached to it. We wanted to eat some Thai food since we had never had any before. Well, I found this one place, and I could read the first Chinese character which stood for the sound Tai, but I could not make out the rest. I decided that this must be the place. Well we went in, and I just assumed it was Thai you know. I sat down and ordered some food, some Gyoza, some type of shrimp, and some chicken. It was all delicious, but it was not really spicy or anything. I have heard that Thai food is famous for that. Finally I asked the waiter how to pronounce the characters of this one dish, and it turned out it said Taiwan. I could not read the second character earlier, so I thought it was Tai. Ha, well I went to try Thai food and ended up trying Taiwanese food. It was real good, and I will not get Thai and Taiwan mixed up again. I just think this is one of the funny things that can happen in a foreign country.

       I have Thursday and Friday off this week. I am going to use it to catch up on some work and tomorrow I am going to a place called Meiji Village where they have preserved many buildings from the Meiji era, including the Imperial Hotel Lobby that Frank Lloyd Wright built. I think it will be real interesting and fun. I hope everyone is doing well. Until next time, take care.

                                  Sincerely,

                                        Joseph

Mochi Throwing (10/24/06)

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On Oct 24, 2006, Joseph wrote:

Hello All,

      I went to a very interesting festival this past Sunday. It was a very local festival in a place called Fushimicho. Oneesan’s grandmother lives there, so we went to visit her and go to the festival as well. Oneesan’s grandmother’s house had a very traditional feel to it. There were tatami mat’s on almost every floor. I really thing that tatami is very versatile and would be a nice addition to American homes. It could help alleviate the stigma of sitting on the floor, because it is dirty, etc. As part of a project, this Friday I and two other students have to go to a store of our choice and talk to the owner’s about their products. We chose a tatami store, so I hope I can find out more inside information about its uses and if it will still be continued to be used in the future. I believe that tatami is being used less and less, a good example is that Oneesan’s house does not have any, her mother has one room with tatami, and her grandmother has many rooms with it. There is also a correlation with the Buddhist altar as well. Oneesan does not have one, her mother has a modestly sized one, and her grandmother has a very large one. It seems with each passing generation the traditions of the past are slowly dissapearing….although one positive thing is that even with the introduction of western food chains and western food, the Japanese diet does not seem to have changed very much. For example, even though they have a Denny’s here, none of the food is the kind you would find in an American Dennys. The list is full of Japanese style food. McDonalds is another story, but I think Denny’s proves the point that no matter how much you import from other cultures, the original culture’s core still remains the same.

    Now on to the festival. As I said it was a very local festival, so I feel lucky to have been able to see it. It really had the kind of small town feel to it, although there were quite a lot of people there. One interesting thing going on was the kid sumo contest they were having, were two kids see which one can push the other out of this circle. I have enclosed a picture. Sakura, my host sister, participated three times and beat three little boys. She has strong determination, it seems. Other than that, the main event of the festival is the mochi throwing contest. Mochi are rice cakes. What the event consisted of is that people gather around this platform from which they throw mochi from down into the crowd. Each mochi had a little colored piece of paper inside it indicating a prize. For example, if you got white you got a box of tissues, if you got pink, ramen, etc. To be honest, I was quite surprised of the free for all in turned out to be. When I participated, I decided to just stay in one place, and if any came to me I would just catch it with my hand. Well the people around me where shoving each other out of the way, and if a mochi hit the ground everybody would scramble after it in a frenzy. I got jostled around a bit, but I just did not feel like pushing into people for the mochi. In the end, I only got one, because one flew right toward me, and I caught it with my hand. It turned out to the lowest of prizes though, a box of tissues, haha. It will always bring back memories though. Oniisan got about 12 I think. He was really into it. I saw him scrambling all about. He said he loves that festival. I can see the appeal of it though. There are not many times in polite society were you just go all crazy going after prizes. It was truly an interesting experience.

    Today I will be going to the Toyota plant in well Toyota city on a school trip. It seems to be the main Toyota plant. I do not know what to expect, but I thought I should not pass up this opportunity. Who knows when I will visit the main Toyota plant again, probably never. I will tell everyone about it later. Well, I hope everyone is in good health. Send me a message when there is time. Take care.

                            Sincerely,

                                  Joseph

A Cool Breeze (10/17/06)

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On Oct 17, 2006, Joseph wrote:

Hello All,

      Fall marches on. I am in the thick of mid-terms at the moment. The Japanese mid-term is divided into three sections: listening, oral, and written. I just have the written portion left tomorrow, and I probably feel the most relaxed about that one. I think I always prefer written exams over other alternatives. I did, however, have a nice relaxing weekend before the tests began though. There was another IES trip, this time to Takayama which is a mountain city famed for carpentry and also for Sarubobo which I will discuss in a moment. What I liked most about Takayama was its climate, due to the high elevation it was much cooler than Nagoya. A cool breeze pervaded through the town, the autumn breeze. Feeling that breeze touch my skin put me in a relaxed state. Also since many of the shops and other locales are situated along a river bank, it provided a most tranquil setting for night time strolling. We were lucky enough to see an Autumn festival which took place the night we arrived. The festival consisted of a procession of floats that went across through the town then across a bridge which led under a giant torii gate which signifies the entrance of a Shinto Shrine. All the floats had these hanging lanterns which shined brilliantly in the night, from a distant it looked like they were floating through the air towards their destination. I imagined that each flame represented a soul contained in each lantern slowly going towards a restful sleep. I sent some pictures which I admit look more like an abstract painting than a realistic photograph, but I think it captures the essence of the place much more than a traditional photograph would, so next time you look at a picture and think that it did not turn out like you wanted it to, think again.

     Besides the festival we visited this government building called the Takayama-jinya which was used from the Tokugawa era up to about the 1960′s. I always love traditional Japanese architecture with the tatami floors and enclosed garden in the back. There were also some clever locking systems in place which were amazing considering the time period in which the building was built. My favorite area was the private garden. You slide open one of the doors and step onto the wooden veranda and then can take it all in. I can not really explain in properly, but there is something about just standing out on the wooden veranda breathing in the cool morning air that creates a peace inside. I am seriously considering building such wooden verandas onto my house in the future. Maybe this is one instance where you have to be there to fully understand. If any of you have the chance to visit a building with such a design, please do. Afterwards, we just wandered around the shops. There were some interesting items for sale….oh, now I will talk about the Sarubobo which literally means baby monkey. They are these little dolls traditionally made in Takayama by grandparents to give to their grandchildren. They are for protection, good luck, good marriage, etc. They are traditionally red, but they sell various versions which can help with certain aspects of life. Green is for health, yellow is for money, etc. While I was there, I saw many of them in front of stores and even on top of the cigarette vending machine in the ryokan we stayed at.One interesting thing about the Sarubobo is that they do not have a face. I heard that it is so they can express any emotion you wish. When you are sad, they can be sad too. It is a nice thought. I am always interested in good luck charms, just like the Tanuki (Raccoon) statues which you see all over the place. I can not explain why. It is just a feeling I have, maybe I just like to believe in some kind of supernatural force, as well as the importance of mementos. Little trinkets given to us by loved ones have the power to connect us to them, and also can give us strength. Well, I will leave on that note. Everyone take care and remember those who love you.

                                    Sincerely,

                                         Joseph

Fall Colors (10/11/06)

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On Oct 11, 2006, Joseph wrote:

Hello all,

       I feel the days are getting shorter. The air is getting cooler as well. Now, I await the changing of the leaves. I wonder if the leaves have already begun to change in Ohio yet? Is it still hot in Alabama? Here in Japan it seemed like as soon as it turned October the weather drastically changed from being stiflingly hot to a gentle cool. I anxiously await the changing of the colors, because I have been delaying visits to certain temples and the Nagoya castle, because I believe I can see them in their true beauty when they are accented by the colorful foliage. That is one thing I always liked Ohio for, the stunning array of bright fall colors. I can vividly remember my favorite tree on campus, it was near my old dorm, Myers Hall and it shone a brilliant red. I was quite taken back the day I saw it, because it seemed to have happened over night. I actually have a few pictures of it. I have attached them to this email (Ignore my crazy self hanging from it). It was two years ago, but I am sure it will be just as beautiful this fall. Also, I am sorry that the photograph can not capture its true beauty. No matter how much I try, it always seems that the photographs really only give a sense of the place, instead of its true essence.

       Actually over the weekend, I happened to capture a moment which I believe to be one of my favorite photographs I have taken in Japan so far. On Sunday, I went to Sakae again which as I said before is pretty much the major shopping and entertainment district in Nagoya. It seems that I always discover something new every time I go there. It seems deceptively small at first, but as you explore the area there is so much. I really do not know how many more trips it will take to find everything. Most of the shops, however, are in my opinion pretty expensive. I was in one clothing store and many of the shirts were over 100 dollars. Most of the stores seem equivalent. Maybe there is just a huge demand for clothing, fashion, etc. I have heard that in Osu Kannon there are some cheaper clothing stores, maybe I will have a look. However, I am not that interested in clothes very much anyway. I am always on the look out for a good book store or an unusual store that piques my interest. I found one shop that sold a variety of Buddhist carving and statues, but I did not find the one I am looking for, the Goddess Kannon. Which leads me to the photo I was talking about earlier, last time I went to Osu Kannon I had to change subway lines. By doing so, I believed Osu Kannon to be quite far from the line I usually take, but it seems that the subway stops are not as nearly as far apart as I expected. While I was walking around Sakae, I found this tunnel that had these interesting lanterns hanging up, by interesting I mean of a Donut Shop. I have attached photos, plus the photo I am getting around to. Well, I was wondering what was at the end of the tunnel, and I was quite shocked when I reached the end. I was in Osu Kannon, right in the very same spot I had walked a few weeks earlier. It was like finding a closet that leads to another world. I had no idea that Osu Kannon and Sakae were so close to each other. It felt rather strange. I was almost disoriented for a few minutes. I was excited though, because this time I had my camera. There I saw a statue of the Goddess Kannon, the hearer of the world’s cries. I saw a young woman praying sincerely, and it really moved me. For one thing, I have not really seen many young people praying in the temples and other holy sites I have visited. Also, usually a monetary transaction is involved, throw in a few coins and that was it. However, there is no offering place for this particular statue of Kannon. It is not even directly inside a temple. Kannon is known for helping with childbirth among her many other blessings. I wondered if this young woman was praying for a safe delivery, a child, or just help in this busy tiring world. Whatever the case, I was luckily able to capture this image, for infinite reflection. I find is so beautiful. The loving Kannon smiling down onto this young woman praying to her with all her heart. I hope with the picture everyone can have a meaningful experience. That is what I think pictures are all about, sharing meaningful experiences across space and time. Well, I shall leave everyone on those thoughts. Until the next time our paths cross…..Take care everyone.

                            Sincerely,

                                   Joseph

Fever and Random Thoughts (10/3/06)

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On Oct 03, 2006, Joseph Hunter wrote:

Hello All,

        I just recovered from a fever over the weekend, so I do not have too much to report activity wise. My host sisters were both sick the week before which may explain how I caught it. It was rather strange though. It happened on Friday. I began Japanese class feeling fine, but by the time it was over my body felt very weak and burning. It just seemed to come out of no where. I felt pretty bad the first day since I had a headache also. I spent the rest of the day in bed. I spent Saturday mostly in bed as well. On Sunday I was feeling much better and decided to go out for a little walk to make sure my strength was coming back. While I was in the subway I had an interesting experience. While I was in the Hirabari Subway, I had a strong sense of being home again. It was due to the atmosphere caused by the falling rain. You could feel the damp air flowing through and hear the rain drops falling. At first I couldn’t remember why it felt like home but gradually I became aware. It was because I used to like to sit outside on the carport in the swing as it rained. It had a very peaceful and serene atmosphere. Both places, different times, had the exact same feeling. Amazing that a Japanese subway and an Alabama home could have even the slightest connection. I suppose no matter where you go, home is never too far away….

       Good news, I finally got the pictures off of my cell phone from Inuyama and Nagono. It was thanks to a mini SD card and a SD card adapter. I am sorry for the low quality though. The cell phone’s picture taking ability palls in comparison to my real camera, but I will not have to use the cell phone to take pictures anymore anyway. Hope they are enjoyable. Probably my favorites are of the tea house and Inuyama castle.

       There are a few various things I have been meaning to talk about for some time, but I keep forgetting. First was about the 99 yen shop which is just like it sounds, basically a Dollar Tree in Japan. They have both a 100 yen shop and a 99 yen shop. I usually go to the 99 shop though, because I actually think they have a better variety of goods. It isn’t just your ordinary cheap goods store though, I actually have found some really good quality items there. They sell grocery items, such as meat, vegetables, bread, etc. I always buy my bread there, because it is about 50 yen cheaper than the grocery store near my house. I really do not know how they can have such good quality at that price though, because if you think about it 99 yen is actually even less than an US dollar, equivalent to about 84 cents. That is one thing that I do however and many others I have noticed is to just think of 100 yen as a dollar. I always do that, whenever I see something for 200 yen, I just think it is 2 dollars when actually it is a little less. I suppose that makes me see things over here as more expensive as they really are, but it may also make me think I have more money than I actually do, so I suppose it balances out. The 99 yen shop that I frequent often is in Hirabari which is one subway stop from my home. I hear however there is a very large one is Sakae which is basically the major shopping center in Nagoya. I will probably be going to Sakae this weekend, so I will see if I can stop by.

       Something else that I have noticed here is the use of open windows over air conditioners. Now this may be due to some of the buildings not having an air condition unit, but it probably more likely has to do with the energy conservation taking place here. At my host family’s house, I was asked to keep my window open all the time and my door open to help circulate air through the house. Normally I do not open my window at home, so I guess I never really realized the difference, but there certainly is one. I really noticed it here at Nanzan. They have some pretty large windows in the class buildings, and they are usually always open. They are usually situated near some trees too, so they provide both aesthetic relief as well as physical relief. I can not really describe it adequately, but next time you can open your window and let some fresh air in, I guarantee you will notice a difference.

       Well that is about all for now. There are a some other things I would like to mention, but I will wait till another time. Everyone take care and enjoy everyday the best you can.

                                 Sincerely,

                                      Joseph

Rotating Sushi and Names (9/26/06)

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On Sep 26, 2006, Joseph wrote:

Hello All,

      Just a quick email. I just wanted to tell everyone about the rotating sushi place, and also finally send some pictures of my host family and school. I was a bit surprised by the sushi place actually. I expected it to have this cold metallic and unfriendly atmosphere. I mean you are served food on conveyor belts, but I was surprisingly wrong. It had a very family restaurant feel, a bright and inviting place. People don’t just sit at a counter and grab food either as I originally thought. The way it works is that there are normal family sized booths like you would see at any typical family restaurant like Ryans or Red Lobster. At the end of the table there is a small computer screen where you touch the menu to order your food. You do not order everything at once since the sushi comes on small plates of about three each. Right behind the computer screen and going along the side of the booths is the conveyor belt. You simply put in your order then wait for you food to roll by. It was an interesting concept. I had a lot of different varieties of sushi. Some of which I still do not know the name of. I had some raw eel which actually did not taste much different than the fried version. Though I admit I like the fried version better. I also had some salmon, shrimp, octopus, and tempura. When going abroad and trying different types of food, it is definitely a good idea to keep an open mind. I used to be an incredibly picky eater, and now I have already ate things I can’t even believe. My main policy is to just eat without asking what it is first, because you get a mental picture in your head if you do and might not even try it. Also, I do my best to try at least everything once. You never know what will taste good or not. Overall, I have enjoyed Japanese food tremendously. I admit though that I do miss meat. They hardly ever eat meat over here. The other day when I ate at the Okinawan Restaurant, I had some meat for the first time in weeks, and I admit it was delicious. It was probably because I missed eating it. In the end, there were probably 50 small plates stacked up on the table. You can see one stack in the pictures, but imagine even more than that. I will definitely come back again sometime.

       I wanted to mention that the guy in the photos which were taken at the Sushi place is Adam. He goes to Penn State and his host mom is my host mom’s mother, so we both live in the same apartment complex. He is just one floor above. Also, I can’t remember if I mentioned earlier or not that I call my host parent’s Oniisan (Older Brother, young man) and Oneesan (Older Sister, young woman) as opposed to the typical Otousan (Father) and Okaasan (Mother). The person I call Okaasan is Oneesan’s mother. So I just wanted to mention that I will be referring to my host family in that manner from now on, to avoid any confusion. My host sister’s names are Sakura (4 years old) and Momoka (8 months old). There is something interesting about their names that even Oneesan didn’t know until later. Sakura which means Cherry Blossom and Momoka which means peach tree when their characters are combined forms Sakuranbo which means cherry. It is like they have complementary names, two become one. Real interesting I believe. Oneesan in recognition of this has planted a Sakura tree and a Peach tree side by side out in her little garden behind the apartment. I will send pictures of them soon. I can’t wait till they bloom. Well, that is about all for now. I will send more pictures and talk more about my experiences later. If you have time, please contact me and let me know how everything is going.

                         Sincerely,

                               Joseph

The Natural World (9/23/06)

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On Sep 23, 2006, Joseph wrote:

Hello all,

       Once again I must apologize for the lack of pictures. I will have pictures of my campus and host family in the next email I send. It is a bit difficult over here, since I can only send pictures with my laptop. My trip last weekend to Nagano was really relaxing. We took some paths that the old Daimyo (Leaders of Japan) used to travel on when moving between residences. It did seem very much catered to tourists now, but it had a nice atmosphere. There were riding roads paved with stones and a two ducts of water flowing down the sides. I took some pictures with my cell phone, but I still have not found a way to transfer the pictures to my computer, so when I do everyone can see Inuyama and Nagano. We stayed at a Ryokan again one night. I really like those traditional style hotels. There is just something about the atmosphere that relaxes the spirit. Also I like the communal meal where we all eat together in the same room on trays. The workers bring out never ending traditional dishes. If I am not mistaken we had some horse meat. I did not know until afterwords. I just try everything and ask questions later. It is better that way. The food was real delicious though. During dinner the owner of the Ryokan thanked us for staying, he even thanked us when we were leaving on the bus. That night I also went into the Onsen (the hot spring). This Ryokan had an outdoor one as opposed to the one in Inuyama. With the cool night air blowing by mixed with the hot water created a relaxing environment.

        The next day we took a boat ride down a river which was an interesting experience. It really did not seem like Japan to me. It more looked like some long lost jungle from an unknown continent. It made me realize though that Japan still has a lot of nature left. I think when a lot of people think of Japan, they just think of this huge city covering the entire island. I used to think so anyway. I didn`t think there could possibly be such sights left. This trip really confirmed that that is not the case though. There are still rural and untamed areas, the land can never be conquered. All the mountains and hills stand obstinately in the face of man…..

         When I returned, I was out on Monday due to a national holiday, Respect for the Aged day. Honestly, I can not remember what I did that day. This past week has been pretty intense, so Monday must have just been a relaxing day. I probably studied and did homework mostly. This past week has indeed been interesting. The Japanese class is pretty intense, as I mentioned earlier. I can see that they really care about the individual students though, they want to asses everyone`s individual talent. I am glad. I feel like I will not be left behind. That did this by having a personal casual interview with each student and recording the conversation to see our pronunciation and etc. We are going through the chapters of my new book pretty quickly too. We are going to wrap up chapter 2 this week. In fact, besides tomorrow I have a quiz every single day this week…whew. The other classes are interesting, and I hope will not be as demanding. I am up for it though. I came here to learn and experience, and that is what I will do.

             One thing I have noticed about Japan is the extreme energy conservation. In my host family`s house the switch to turn on the hot water is in the same room as the shower, so you only turn it on when you take a shower. Also, most Japanese seem to hang dry their laundry. I remember my grandmother doing that when I was a kid, but I do not think many people now a days do it anymore. Actually though I kind of like it though. It really feels more fresh and natural. Since being here, I have really started to acquire a taste for the natural. Natural aromas, natural materials, etc. I can not really describe it. I owe part of it to my host mother. I did not mention it before, but she is an aroma therapist. I do not have the specifics on what exactly it is that she does though, because my Japanese language ability has not reached that point yet. However, she noticed my deodorant smell, because she is sensitive to such things. She was telling me how it is really just putting chemicals into my body, and is not healthy. She said and she did make me a natural substitute. It smells kind of like ginger and peppermint. I enjoy it. You know it is funny I never questioned the use of deodorant before. I never thought about what was in it. I just put it on everyday as part of my daily routine. I think that is a great thing about putting yourself in new environments and ways of thinking, it helps you see outside your own box into a myriad of other worlds.

              I wanted to tell everyone that I am feeling better now. The past week I was feeling a bit isolated and distraught, but last night I went to a welcome party for a friend of mine from Wittenberg. His host mom was arranging it. We meet at the subway station with several other people and went to this restaurant. There I got to speak more Japanese than I had probably all week. It felt like a release that had been building up inside. Matt`s host mother was very kind to all of us and very funny. It was a fun time, and I feel a little more confident now. I just have to hold on to the confidence whenever I waver. Well tonight, my host family is taking me to a rotating sushi place, I am sure you guys have heard about them. They have them in America now I believe where the sushi rotates around on a conveyor belt. I have never been to one, so it should be an interesting experience. Well, that is about all for now. The next time there will be lots of pictures, count on it. Let me know how you are when you have a chance. Take care.

                                  Sincerely,

                                           Joseph