happy birthday, moi-moi.



To the original G-Child: Happy 23rd Birthday, kid.

Sorry, I haven't always been the model goh-goh/big brother. By God's grace, you've grown up into an adult, full of all the warmth, independence, and sunny disposition that you've had since we were kids. We didn't always get along when we were younger, but I'm glad that as "grown-ups" we can love and support each other like the family we are.

In our father's absence, I've done my best to look out for you and hope you'll forgive me for the many mistakes I've made by both neglect or anger... I'm sure I'll make a couple more down the road. So remember in the future: if I ever threaten a boyfriend of yours with a baseball bat, or take your kids out to the target range to shoot high-caliber handguns, or something else that might seem silly... it's only because I know Dad would do the same. =)

...

And in other news...

Today was my first day teaching in the city of Itami... the English school is located in the building of a mega-sized, 4 story mall. A virtual Babylonian temple to capitalism, whoohooo! I'll be there every Friday now.

So what's different about Itami you might ask? Ah, easy:

Kids. Lots and lots of 'em.

I'm now in charge of teaching English to kids as young 5 years old and as old 12. Classes are grouped by age, and can be as large as 8 students. Now 8 students might not sound like a lot, but when you only have 1 teacher... imagine the damage they can do...

Today went by OK, but a little rough at times because the students didn't know me and they have two default actions:

1. Staring at me with wide-eyed, blank faces.
2. Running around, in random chaotic patterns and pouncing some imaginary animal to the ground.

In most respects, it's like teaching shy?@adults... (well, without the pouncing thing) except these students have barely started mastering the Japanese language, let alone English, so using my Japanese is often just as futile as trying to talk to them in English. Luckily, an experienced teacher was there to guide me for the most part.

Next week will be the real test. I'll be left all alone with the whole lot of ravenous, wild children... for TWO classes. Must... suppress... children's... cannibal... tendencies. If I survive next Friday will all my limbs functioning and no bite marks, I'll be happy.

Number of students who cried in class today: Only one, but she was kind of a faker. Threw frequent hissy fits, but what can you expect if the parent always caves in...

On a happy note, I was able to encourage the more brave (and curious) students to participate in class by crouching low and letting them feel my shaved head. I suppose a big bald man as your teacher can be a bit intimidating... kowai! (scary)
posted by G at 5:48 AM   | (0) comments

The davephonic...

(AKA yellow vato)
(AKA lot49)
(AKA destroyer of academic reactionary subversive establishment [ARSE])

Has move to here http://www.handshakedrugs.com.

Mark thy links.
posted by G at 5:20 AM   | (0) comments

it's been a long time... i shouldn't have left u... without some dope lines to read thru.

First, off... a thank you to Moi-Moi and Mama:



The late holiday Christmas / birthday present mega package arrived just in time last Wednesday filled with cool stuff. In the picture is a fresh ballcap with the old school Mariners logo to represent as I like to say 'classic Seattle' and hilarious book called 'The Brick Testament' - old testament Bible stories, faithful to text, illustrated with LEGOs... kakkoi!

And for you bloodthirsty types who doubt that the Old Testament is actually interesting... check out of the Story of Dinah.

Rape, treachery, obsession, family honor, revenge, murder... and mass circumcision?!! Who says the Bible lacks drama? Boo yeah.

...

So I'm still alive... life in my new home is starting to settle into a comfortable pattern again, and I'm really looking forward to February. Not only will I finally have a decent weekend (Sundays and Mondays off), I'll also be starting to teach kids classes on Friday... ages 3-12 and class sizes of 1-8 students. Pretty crazy, eh?

The biggest thing I'm looking forward to though, is Shiv, Mel, and Kristie visiting in mid Feburary. I've already started to line up some days off to hang out, travel around, and sight see. Fun fun! I'm pretty psyched to see everybody...

Other than looking forward to February, not much is going on here in Japan at the moment. I'm still working on my book, and yesterday I think I just might have written one of the best chapters yet. Everything still needs a lot of work, but maybe I'll post a chunk of a chapter to solicit some public editing. =)

My bank account is the biggest it's been in awhile... wow, the money that can be saved by eating only soba, udon, and mikan oranges everyday. More on that next time...


...

Random:

A funny story from my friend Forrest... Pope Applauds B-Boys!
posted by G at 3:51 AM   | (0) comments

I just noticed that a new exhibit opened at my old work, Wing Luke, last month... "Through My Father's Eyes: The Filipino American Photographs of Ricardo Ocreto Alvardo".

Through My Father's Eyes... a great title.

On a sidenote, I haven't visited any museums yet while I've been here in Japan, unless you count the museums at the various temples and shrines I've gone to. I should get around to that...

Note #2: Domo arigato gozaimashita to my New York candy supplier. I got the package this morning, just as I was leaving my host family's house. I took it to work and made lots of friends... heh.

Akemashita omedeto! Xin nian kuai le! Whoohooo... Chinese Year is a few days.
posted by G at 4:57 AM   | (0) comments

it's about to get racial up this piece



OK, so no pictures of Kawanishi this time... but I suppose this picture is somewhat indicative of where a few of my yen have gone... cereal, and Transformers.

So in reference to number #2 on the list of my last entry, I'm frequently mistaken for being Japanese. Maybe it's the little mannerisms I've started to pick up (bowing, hand motions) or maybe it's that my Japanese for the most part is devoid of a wacky foreign accent... who knows.

In any case, for many Japanese people, it's almost a point of pride for them to be able to identify people who are Japanese, people who are Korean, people who are Chinese, etc...

Gar: Sorry, I'm not Japanese.
random Japanese person: Honto?!?! (really?!?!)
Gar: Soo da. (yes, that's correct).
random Japanese person: Ehhhhhhhhhh... (you have to hear a native Japanese speaker say this to understand it...)

Of course, some Japanese are quite proud to be Japanese and consider themselves to be "separate" from other Asian ethnicities. The irony is that it's historical fact that the Japanese people themselves are not native to islands of Japan... a separate ethnic group called the "Ainu" were the original inhabitants of Japan. Culturally and historically, Japan is of course separate from Asia... but racially speaking, many Japanese probably have Chinese, Korean, or other Asian ethnic roots. Waves of immigration, frequent wars and "colonies" in Asia have all had some effect on the population.

It's not speculation on my part, as well. I've already met several Japanese people in Japan who tell me of having mixed Chinese or Korean ancestry, as close as their mother/father, and as distant as great-great-grandmother/father. A tall student I was talking to yesterday (he's about 6'5) was speculating that probably his very white skin, round eyes, and height comes from a grandfather who was Caucasian, maybe Russian, since his family comes from Hokkaido and there's strangely no mention of his grandmother's husband...

Yep, I've had many interesting conversations with higher-level English students about this, and while some students freely admit that yes, so-and-so in my family was Korean or Chinese, other students ardently deny that a large portion of the Japanese population has some Chinese or Korean blood. Ultra-nationalism or inter-Asian racism? Probably a little.

After teaching English for almost 4 months, I've only encountered 2 students whom I'd consider to have racist views on the issues. Both were men and insisted that Japanese people had to be a separate racial group than Chinese, Korean, or other groups, because of the "superiority" of Japanese culture. One even begin to go on a tirade about how the Japan has never been conquered by another country, and it created it's own culture independent of China or Korea... which is funny because:

1. Japan lost WW2 and was OCCUPIED by Allied Forces. Sorry, but losing a war and having foreigners stomping around your country = being conquered.
2. 99% of all kanji are derived from Chinese and the grammar of the Japanese language bears similarities to Korean, far too many to be just coincidence.
3. Buddhism, probably the prevalent religion among most Japanese, is an import from China, which imported it from India.
4. Some of the most popular "Japanese" foods at the moment: ramen, curry, and kim-chee (AKA ki-mu-chi)
5. Kannon, a popular Japanese folk goddess, is derived from Kuan-yin, a Chinese folk goddess.

And on and on and on...

Yeah, it's a bit sad to run into a few closed-minded individuals when the vast majority of Japanese people that I've met are quite the opposite - especially the businessmen types at my school, most of which have post-college degrees. They realize that the future of the Japan in the face of both North Korea and an unstable economy is greater cooperation with China and South Korea.

Oh, and don't even get me started on a comment a person (a non-student) once made to me once that my English must not be "good" because I'm Asian... pshhht.
posted by G at 2:35 AM   | (0) comments

So I'm still alive... sorry for the absence, dear BLOG and friends.

Life in my new homestay in the city of Kawanishi has been quite fun, and I find I've been learning a lot of new Nihongo (Japanese). This of course, is due to the fact that my Japanese host family speaks very little English, though my host family mother has pretty good listening comprehension (<--- pshhht, "good listening comprehension"... such a typical English teacher phrase).

Previous to this homestay, the phrases I'd say most often, in no particular order:

1. Ohayo! / Ohayo gozaimasu! : "good morning", but often said at the start of work as well.
2. Boku wa nihon-jin ja nai. Amerika-jin desu. : "I'm not Japanese. (I'm) American."
3. hittotsu Mekaazu Makuu wisuki, rokku. : "One Maker's Mark whiskey, on the rocks."
4. Mo hittotsu onigaishimasu. : "Another one, please."
5. Gomenasai... wakarimasen. : "Sorry... (I) don't understand."
6. Mo ichi do / mo ikkai, onigaishimasu : "One more time, please."
7. Yukkuri hanashite kudasai. : "Speak slower, please."

My Japanese language ability is still struggling, but hopefully, I'll start to see some real progress in the next months. I've also signed up for a Japanese class at the city hall. The staff there tested me and placed me in the "intermediate" class, but I think they may have misjudged my Japanese ability... haha. The teacher was speaking at a blistering pace and I swear I could actually hear my neural pathways screaming in pain as my brain strained to comprehend things he was speaking.

I'm also still meeting with my language exchange partner as well... what a nerd I'm beginning! I stay home a lot more studying Japanese than going out with friends.

Yep, yep... the fun of learning Japanese. My friend the Yellow Vato is having similar amounts of fun as well in mastering the Japanese language.

Time to catch the last train. Another update on Sunday... perhaps with pictures of Kawanishi...
posted by G at 5:25 AM   | (0) comments

Tests... hrmmm.

Borrowed this from Cora and I took the test twice... I wonder which result is more true. I suppose parts of all four are in my personality: introverted, withdrawn, undercover competitor, aversion to conformity...






posted by G at 5:14 AM   | (0) comments

"Listen, Jake," he leaned forward on the bar. "Don't you ever get the feeling that all your life is going by and you're not taking advantage of it?" Do you realize you've lived nearly half the time you have to live already?"
"Yes, every once in a while."
"Do you know that in about thirty-five years more we'll be dead?"
"What the hell, Robert," I said. "What the hell."
"I'm serious."
"It's one thing I don't worry about," I said.
"You ought to."
"I've had plenty to worry about one time or other. I'm through worrying."

-excerpt from 'Fiesta' (The Sun Also Rises) by Ernest Hemingway

.:.

Been reading some Hemingway lately... both to keep my English level up (because there's a lot of bad English here in Japan) and to inspire me to write more. Even if I return home someday with only a fistful of dollars, I at least want to have a short book or novel written by then too.

Writing down anything in English has been quite therapeutic... lately, I've been having a re-occurring dream and I'm not sure what to make of it. Normally, I discount dreams as being rather useless, but given the fact that it is Biblical truth that God has used dreams to communicate to people before... makes me think twice before randomly dismissing it. It's pretty complex and I don't feel like writing down the entire dream sequence at the moment. All I'll say is that this is the key element in the dream:

A fishtank full of fish... dead fish.

I think the dream is making me moody, but I don't think my friends here in Japan know that. Call me half-stoic, half-introverted... I leave it up to people to find how I'm really feeling.

Sometimes, things like that are often (invisible).




'the otherside of 25'

lines of pain I pen, I write with regard
to the frequency which my heart and my soul are scarred
scratched far beneath the surface, it seems never safe
whatever land or place I travel, unhappiness always gives chase
a fatherless son since 11, friends never understood
their families were stable, surrounded by folks that were good
though mom worked hard to raise the necessary funds
I dreamed of old days, when Dad took me to the range to shoot guns
because in those memories I felt a father's care
his constant presence was love and my worth never unclear
but in a one parent house, what could I expect?
only son on his own, unintentional child of neglect
my mind struggles to grasp what was the divine plan
a mother can raise a child, but can't teach a boy to be a man.

now I'm 25, and people say I'm fully grown
but have I really changed, beyond the superficial zone?
bigger, taller, of course, went to school for a bit
got some pieces to a puzzle but none of them fit
look past the coat, the tie, and the suit
gaze into my eyes and see the entire empty truth
the grind of one life turns a small wheel
I'm sadder, not wiser, weary of the weight that I feel
the reservoir of my soul seems so often spent
my search for what's missing, a seemingly futile attempt
I admit, my wounds are easy to pass by
concealed to normal vision, visible only to the 3rd eye
people shake their heads, they don't see the stress
"Garrett's so sullen and strange, why is he always depressed?
He doesn't have cancer, isn't even deaf or blind
He walks on two legs, God gave him an un-handicapped mind
He needs to grow up, shutup and live life
He should buy a car, a home, get a good job and a wife."

I hear their words, but I never respond
my feelings are an ocean's depth to their shallow duck pond
the answer I give is a cold gaze submerged
the ice in my veins, a cacophonous funeral dirge
one whole life's discord giving my thoughts wing
look in my eyes, and these are the words that they sing.
"Don't judge my pain, until you taste death
when it stinks in your mouth and chokes out your breath
making you gag, gasp, stutter and stammer
the heartache of 'why?' pounding your soul like a hammer
your childhood ripped away rough by cruel fact
untimely passings holding dreams down to be hacked
no fount of wisdom, or mentors to guide
clouds of doubt to rain on you as you shiver outside
hollowness of silence your only redress
clumsy errands for closure tripping your steps
winds of circumstance stinging exposed eyes
the loneliness of your experience bleeding you dry
solitude wracking you broken at the seams
some nights sleepless because you fear to dream
and when you finally long just for a way to be free
then you'd tasted a sip of the cup handed over me."

hold back your platitudes, proverbs, and quips
my seas of despair still rage, unbound as years slip
so I clutch broken pieces, my father's God I beseech
hoping to heaven for some comfort as deep cries out to deep
on foreign shores, wordless, sentenced without plea
still quiet were the answers, soundless sighs in the breeze
the man I am now, was, or if, never became
25 and still just a boy, wounded soul gaping with pain.



Don't worry... I'm fine. I think.

.:.

A cool NY Times article on Lost&Founds in Japan that's not an exaggeration. Something I really dig about Japan: people are honest and polite like that. I dropped my wallet once while in a hurry at a train station and a nearby person picked it up, ran after me, and gave it back to me with the quickness.

Back home in the States, you can bet folks would take my wallet and run the OTHER direction.

posted by G at 4:26 AM   | (0) comments

i'm going to burn in hell

Dear BLOG,

Before I begin this next rather strange entry, let me say this: at the moment, there's a lot that I like about life here in Japan. Very few things bother me about being here in Japan, but this was one of them.

Tuesday night, post-work, I went with my co-worker/homie Selman to grab a bite to eat in Osaka. After a humble meal of coffee and sandwiches, we linked up with one of Sel's Japanese friends, who took us to place to chat and have drinks.



Hmmm.... was is it a church we went to?



Hello, Babylon...

Nope.

It was an entire bar/cafe (name, "CHRISTON CAFE") with a "gothic Catholic church" theme. The lighting was dark, the paint on the walls was intentionally dirty/musty, and the place was filled with actual Catholic church artifacts - mostly statues and busts of Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and apostles. Even the staff all wore t-shirts with an old Medieval woodblock etching of Jesus face.

Creepy? Yep. Especially with the industrial dance music pumping in the background.

Sacrilegious? Mos def. While I can forgive the modern Japanese ambivalent attitude toward religion (heck, they learned from America/the West), creating an entire bar with a "religious theme" for the express purpose of making money... e v i l.

Apparently, there's also a "Buddha" themed bar too that's owned by the same group of people. Aiyah. And I wasn't the only one who was bothered. Selman, a devout Muslim, found it all a bit bizarre and freaky too. I'm steering clear of the joint next time. I half-expected to be struck down by lightning after exiting the place.

"Gothic church" themed bars... add that to the list of things that are wack about Japan, along with schoolgirl cults and used panty vending machines.
posted by G at 4:12 AM   | (0) comments

blog surfing

The marriage bug bites another... go Joe, go!

Congrats, bro... I'm still in shock.

Roses are Red
Violets are Blue.....
All my base,
Are Belong to you.

Haha... what a poet you are, man. Oh, and if this is a joke... IMMA KEEEEEL U. heh.

.:.

And another New Year's story in Vegas... though more on the gambling / boozing tip.

i was too eager to join the communal humping of the American Dream and i lost the rest of my money.

Puwahahaha. Great stuff.
posted by G at 3:22 AM   | (0) comments

sayonnara 2003, hello 2004

It's a brand new year, and already I'm off to a fresh start, living in a new place with a Japanese host family. The tone of new year here in Japan is definitely more festive than back home in the States, but at the same time, it's a different sort of party atmosphere - more like a Christmas / Thanksgiving-esque sort of happiness. Celebrating the new year is definitely a family affair here in Japan - not the Western-style, wile-out, get krunk (AKA crazy drunk), and pass out somewhere with your friends and co-workers. Nope, it's different.

Some pics:


The host fam and I eating special soba noodles on New Year's Eve... same thing as Chinese pretty much. Eating long noodles is symbolic of (hopefully) living a long life. I ate a lot of noodles.

On the left is Junko, the oldest, who came back home to visit... I think she lives in Osaka now. Closest is the youngest child, Koji, who's 22. Mrs. Wajima, my host mom, is behind me.


Same scene, except I'm taking the pic, and Junko and Mr. Wajima are showing off the long soba noodles. Also note: my cellie and Japanese dictionary are on the corner of the table. Important stuff, yo!


First day of the first month of the new year meal... very special. On the lefthand side is the middle child and oldest son, Masashi, and his wife Mai. They came over to visit New Year's day. Also in the pic is the family dog, Love, who answers only to the Japanese pronunciation of his name: Ruubu or Ruubu-chan. Haha.


The special traditional dishes for the New Year, or in Japanese, o-sechi ryori. The food varies by region in Japan, but some items are pretty common to all.


OK, this is not a New Year's picture, but I just thought I'd throw a pic of Amy Nish and I, especially since she made the trip out to Kobe to visit me. Being able to speak English, especially with somebody from back home who has a similar background (the hell of Kent schools, UW, AsianAm Christian, etc.) was good. Any English conversation you can have in Japan without the aid of a dictionary is big to me... haha.

And yeah, sorry Amy for spoiling the picture... life in Japan really has driven me a bit nuts at times.

.:.

So somebody wrote to me and asked what it's like being 25. Well, to tell you the truth, it's not that much different from 24... but as a service to those younger than me, I'll pass down the wisdom I've acquired over my quarter century of life into the following random bits:

1. God is always at work; whether or not you acknowledge it is a different matter. Sorta like gravity.
2. Faith is more than belief; it's trust.
3. Just when you think you know everything about something or somebody, including yourself, you'll find you don't.
4. Things change. Love and the Truth do not.
5. Love is a conscious choice. Not just a feeling.
6. You can't choose your family, but friends are the family you choose. Choose wisely.
7. If you want respect, you have to give it first.
8. Develop 3rd eye vision AKA spiritual eyesight... learn to see beneath the surface of all things.
9. Cherish the innocence of children. They understand things in a way that all adults have lost.
10. Worst comes to worst, my people come first. If you don't share/look out for your friends and fam, don't expect them to share/look out for you.
11. Corollary of 10: If I have bread, my friends and fam have bread. If I eat, my friends and fam eat. A real man shares his good fortune with others.
12. Nothing makes a long trip pass faster than a good CD.
13. Learn something new.
14. Corollary of 13: Never stop learning.
15. Savor the small moments. And if you have a bad memory like me, take a picture or write it down.
16. Make plans, but be prepared to change them... in cases where our plans and God's plan diverge, you can count on some divine correction.
17. Corollary of 16: Be flexible... because if you don't bend, you'll break.
18. Never underestimate the power of a little bit kindness and courtesy.
19. Corollary of 5: Anticipate the needs of those you love. Don't wait to be asked.
20. Word is bond. To quote Tony Montana, "I only have two things in life... my balls and my word. I don't break either fer nobody!"
21. Corollary of 8: Learn to read people. It'll help you play cards better and save you a lot of grief.
22. Corollary of 4: Everything and everyone belongs to God. Steward it/them while you have it/them; be prepared to give it all back someday.
23. Selfish people suck. Avoid them.
24. You can be stripped of everything you have in life except 3 things: your faith, your pride, and your memories. Value them.
25. Separate the temporal from the eternal, and prioritize things accordingly. Example: the souls of people are eternal. Your Louis Vuitton handbag is not.

Bonus. Don't take the random sayings of some Chinese guy with a shaved head celebrating his birthday in Japan as gospel truth. Always check everything in life, including this list, against the true source of wisdom.

.:.

On a rather random note, it's kinda weird and strange to see what I was doing on my other birthdays...

-2002
-2001

I've forgotten that my blog has been around that long...
posted by G at 1:08 AM   | (0) comments

in?scrip?tion (n-skrip-shun)n.
1. The act or an instance of inscribing.
2. Something, such as the wording on a coin, medal, monument, or seal, that is inscribed.
3. A short, signed message in a book or on a photograph given as a gift.
4. The usually informal dedication of an artistic work.
5. Jeremiah 31:33