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Tuesday, March 30, 2004
Sel and Stretch rock'n the mic during the studio session for the "Jahzla" gig this past Monday. What's Jahzla? Besides 2 emcees, a funky bass player, electric guitarist, and drummer, Jahzla is simply "Jah's Law". I like the hidden spiritual reference. So last night was big because it was Stretch's last night here in Japan. I've only known him for the 7 months that I've been in Japan, but he's been a good friend. I remember during my birthday in December, the man was hardcore on "It's your birthday, we're going to go out to eat and you're not going to pay!" Funny. It's kinda strange how well I've clicked with the whole Toronto crew (Selman, Stretch, Martin) but I guess I would attribute to just two things: God and hip-hop. I guess I have a talent for finding friends with similar tastes. Anyways, tomorrow, Stretch will be on his way home to Toronto, to take care of some family business. I respect a man who knows the importance of family. Ki o tsukete, Stretchla. Take care and God bless... holla at me if you ever decide to visit Sea-town. ... And yes... despite a series of stupid blunders... I'm still going back home for a visit. ... Racism at Yale? Recently, KASCON was held at Yale, but all was not quiet out in New Haven. Mr. Rain has an interesting account of his visit that every person of color, especially men, can relate to. Some straight-up, on point writing... to quote him: Even worse was the feeling that this wasn�t some isolated incident--experience has proven antagonistic acts like this will continue to happen for the rest of my life, and I know there�s no way I can do something every time and win every time. It�s maddening. Let�s say I�m lucky enough to find the right girl to marry, and we have successful careers and save up enough to have kids, and work hard at giving those kids a good life; well, someday, someone will still call my kid a chink, or worse. Of course, yours truly isn't too surprised. Perhaps my cynicism about the state of racial affairs in America has been increasing magnified over the years. After all, all those Yale kids... I'm sure more than a few of them carry that Ivy League education around like it's proof that, "I can't be racist... I'm too smart and rich to be racist!" Well, in case y'all didn't know... being smart and rich, doesn't make you immune to racism. Hell, it just makes you a smart and rich racist. | (0) comments 
Saturday, March 27, 2004
To enquiring minds:
The Transformer in the previous post goes for about 3700 yen or $40 bones. If you're serious about me getting one for you, hit me up via my e-mail and I'll be happy to negotiate a fair trade. Four more days until I'm back Stateside... | (0) comments
Thursday, March 25, 2004
so silver, so sexy
Money can't buy you love or happiness... ...but it can buy the next best thing: Transformers! My latest purchase is one I've been looking for since I came here to Japan: a remake of the classic Autobot Streak as Subaru Impreza WRX, only available at the moment here in Japan. (Transformer geek trivia: Streak was originally what kind of car?) Behold the following pictures and be in awe of the beautiful detail... 
My hand clutching the beautiful box. 
Size comparison with my ring and watch. Note the distinctive hood intake, and new model lights... even the Subaru logo on the grill! The Autobot symbol on the license plate... nice touch. 
Side view... check out the rims and mirrors. All four doors, the hood, and trunk can open as well. 
BW shot of the interior. Incredible detail with the seats, steering wheel... even the shift, stereo and dash are present! Note the right-side driver (J-style). 
Under the hood... checkout the Autobot "engine block", which becomes the gun when the car transforms to robot mode. 
Rear view with all the details - spoiler, lights, WRX and Subaru on the trunk, "SLV STRK" license plate, and exhaust. Sweet! 
Another front view shot. 
Robot mode, packing the heat. The head comes through the exhaust area in the hood and can rotate side-to-side. 
"If elected Transformer president, I pledge equal energon welfare for all Americans..." Streak has Gundam MG style hands - both hands open/close into fists and trigger fingers have separate articulation. 
Stand'n tall... he's a big boy, about 9-10 inches tall. 
"Why you all up in my grill, huh?!" 
"Now an educational message to children everywhere - brush your teeth! Or else..." There were only 7 left at the store I bought it from. If anybody back home wants to buy one and have me bring back for you better holler at me... .:. Did I mention? I'm enroute... I'm gonna be back home for Ryan's wedding... finished ironing out travel details today. One week in Seattle, first week of April. wh00t. | (0) comments
Monday, March 22, 2004
Abe and I, Shinsen-gumi style, in Kyoto. It was most.expensive.game.of.dressup ever. I felt slightly violated, tourist trap-style. Who were the Shinsen-gumi? Imagine a government sponsored police force, with state-sanctioned right to use lethal force on anybody who might cause trouble. Sorta like a black ops CIA unit, except with swords... really sharp swords. True the Japanese ideal of tragic heroes, most of the members died young, though their memory lives on in various monuments around Kyoto. The symbol of the group was the kanji "makoto", usually translated as "sincerity" or "truth". It's the symbol on the headbands both Abe and I are rockin'. On a comedic side note, I look freak'n ridiculous with all that hair on my head. Reminds me why I gotta shaved head in the first place. - - - Other funny reads (besides my hair): rain describes zombie life. mr. lot battles the birds. akito reflects on the joys of dog ownership. and last, but not least... dave contemplates the implications of Jesus rollin in a Honda. I'm a cynical person by nature and experience, but I find a good laugh helps to ease my mind. Lots of things been causing me stress lately, but I'm going to marinate on those issues for now instead of writing about them here. Need some organization and careful thought first. - - - In other news, the Seattle Times has an article about my old school district being questioned over the use of excessive force on students, especially students of color (mostly African American / Asian American). Good 'ol Kent! I'm glad I'm out of that craptastic land of gayness... | (0) comments
Sunday, March 21, 2004
hacking off the arm of peace
Like I mentioned before, it's tough for me to get news about back home. So you can imagine my shock when I heard about this: Peace Statue Vandalized During my time at the UW, especially my last 3 years, I walked by that statue all the time from my apartment to class and back. As a person who is Asian-American, I suppose I'm very conscious of WWII and host of issues it unleashed: the internment of Japanese Americans; the post-war lifting of the Chinese Exclusion Act that allowed Chinese men to finally bring back wives from China; and of course... the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I'm horrified somebody would descrate that statue - especially since it is a statue of a little girl. Sadako Sasaki, the girl who died of leukemia as a result of the atomic bombing, is in many ways symbolic of the who the worst victims of war often are: children. In a corrupt and Godless world, inevitably it is the innocent who suffer. I suppose I'm also bothered by the relative lack of coverage about this whole issue. For those of you who want to help, I encourage you to spread the word. The World Peace Project for Children is trying to raise the $5000 it will cost to repair the statue. --- Of course, here in Japan, people are very conscious of war and its effects. Modern, post-war Japan, can be said to almost be entirely shaped by its experiences in fighting and losing WWII. The fact that Japan is banned from an actual "military", that its (American influenced) Constitution is anti-war and denies Japan the right to collective self-defense (war), and the pervading attitudes of almost isolationistic, ultra-pacificism are very strong here. Probably one of the most controversial issues of the year: the dispatch of the Japanese Self-Defense Force (SDF) to Iraq to perform humanitarian work such as rebuilding water and sewer systems, roads, etc. A special law was barely passed authorizing the deployment, and I'm holding my breath for the firestorm that will erupt if there are significant numbers of Japanese casualties in Iraq. Even among my students, I find that there is a sharp divide of opinion about what to do, even when such a deployment is not unprecedented. Before, Japan has dispatched its SDF to do humanitarian work in SE Asian countries like Cambodia. Most of my students, to simply put it, are afraid of somebody dying... after all, Japan is the "safety country". Here in Japan, you're more likely to die from cancer or other diseases than from slugs in your chest. Perhaps I'm a bit jaded when it comes to death. Or perhaps the necessity of people dying, in sacrifice for the greater good, is an ingrained concept in my mind. Hrm. | (0) comments
Friday, March 19, 2004
Spiritually Ed-jamacated
My friend, old roommate, and seminary-immersed friend Dave is offering a free taste of theological education on his blog. It's quite an interesting read, especially considering that I grew up in Seattle. A lot of his analysis is on point, so for those out there in web-land who don't know what the spiritual landscape of Seattle is like, check it out. It's a very interesting read. Warning, though: only scholarly folks need apply. A highlight that I agree with: If individual churches are growing, but overall Christianity is not, is not the deck of cards merely being reshuffled as sheep pass from one pasture to the next? Rather than creating an island of morality in a comfortable church, isn�t there a better way to be called out into society to engage in the authentic transformation of the city and the world? I can just see my English students eyes bugging out if I made them explain this passage: Vague spirituality seems to be the vogue position to take when any issue of religiosity arises. A liberal, tolerant pluralism is highly valued. This is partially apparent by the abundance of literature available on new age spirituality and the growing ranks of neo-paganism Heh heh. Perhaps some fun new supplementary material. I can hear myself teaching now... Alright, everybody... it's time to learn some new vocabulary! Anybody want to explain what neo-paganism is? heh heh. | (0) comments
angry asian man highlights
Anybody who knows my web habits knows that I'm a staunch supporter of Asian American interest sites like angryasianman.com. While the evils of Internet life are quite numerous (spam e-mail, scams, child pr0n), sites like angryasianman.com and iistix have provided a under-represented group of Asian American peoples, my people, with a voice that has been denied to them by traditional media. Because I haven't had home access to the internet in the Japan, I've missed quite a number of interesting stories I might have otherwise highlighted. A correction to that oversight:
Be informed. | (0) comments
Tuesday, March 16, 2004
the gaijin among us
Today I had a special 2-hour lesson that I planned with fellow (Jahz Law) teacher Selman about two topics near and dear to me: -Japanese stereotypes about foreigners -Foreigner stereotypes about Japanese people. The class was quite small, but we had a good discussion. Oddly enough, all the students that attended were women - usually it's the Japanese men who get all riled about the topic. One of my favorite students, who I've nicknamed "my homie the pig doctor", once said the most hilarious quote ever about the topic: "I WISH JAPANESE PEOPLE WERE MORE LIKE KOREANS" (more on that ironic statement in a later blog entry) Most Japanese people, especially young people, are surprised to learn that the majority of the people that they consider foreigners in their country are not the visible types, such as your run of the mill average, Joe Schmoe Whiteguy, but others - two of the largest groups of "foreigners" here in Japan: Chinese and Korean people, of course. (where do Japanese people think makes all the kimchi and yumcha they eat, anyways?) The English understanding of the word "foreigner" is just anybody who's a non-citizen and from a different country. But the understanding of the Japanese word "foreigner" often applies to anybody who is not ethnically "Japanese", regardless of citizenship. Many permanent residents here in Japan, such as 2nd, 3rd, and 4th generation Chinese and Korean children born here in Japan, are for all sakes and purposes, culturally and even linguistically Japanese. Most Chinese and Korean families who become citizens here in Japan are by law forced to adopt the Japanese pronounciation of their names - for example, the Chinese name 'Lin' (forest) is changed to 'Hayashi' (Japanese pronounciation of the identical character). However, because of the household registration system here in Japan, it's easy to trace back any family's roots and discover their, *gasp* Chinese-ness or Korean-ness. The system dates back to the Tokugawa era, where all Japanese families were by law ordered to register their families with local Buddhist temples - the original intent being to stomp out Christianity. Anyways, it was fun to see how perceptive the students were about stereotypes of Japanese people. One of my favorite students, a university English teacher who used to live in Ohio, had a lot of stories to share. Of course, the discussion also turned to me and my experiences being an Asian-American teaching English here in Japan. I guess I take for granted how often my meeting both foreign English teachers and Japanese students of English breaks their stereotype of who speaks and teaches English. At the end of the lesson, another student made an even more funny comment about the stereotype that all English teachers in Japan are highly qualified (they're not): "I think you guys (Selman and I) are the only qualified English teachers in all Japan!" Hahaha. Did I also mention we taught them the term cultural imperialism? A Chinese American Christian and Indian Canadian Muslim teaching the modern Babylonian language (AKA English) to Japan. It's a wacky world. .:. Closing time at the internet cafe. One last thing: comment system update. The old place I got my comment system from went all stupid and is saying I can only have 5 comments per entry now. BOO. | (0) comments
Sunday, March 14, 2004
who is that masked man?
It may still be cold here in Japan, but already the first signs of Springtime are here... no, not sun. And not that most ubiquitous of Japanese symbols, sakura (cherry blossoms). Yes, it's... ALLERGIES If you think allergies are funny, just remember: you too are inhaling the reproductive material of thousands of plants. Yep, quite literally tree and flower jizz is all in your eyes, mouth, and nose. YUCK. Japan seems to also have a large number of plants that my body hates. Luckily, I've decided to take a very Japanese approach to the problem. 
Thanks to my friend the 100 yen store, I can get 10 masks for a 100 yen. wh00t. .:. In other news, I've taken to reading almost everyday the English language version of a Japanese newspaper called the Daily Yomiuri. The writing is aight, but what I really like about the paper is that often highlights the news from other English language newspapers, such as the Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, and The Guardian (UK newspaper). The only thing that bothers me about the paper... it sometimes seems to run an excessive number of crime stories, especially about Chinese people. when according to official Japanese government statistics, foreigners only account for 2 percent of the total crime total here in Japan. Anti-Asian racist paranoia... definitely a BAD thing Japan has imported from Western Culture. Boo. | (0) comments
Wednesday, March 10, 2004
I write my lifetime in between the paper's lines
A lot of thoughts are marinating right now... but the thought I contemplate today: How can I trust a Heavenly Father when for most of my life, I've had nothing but the absence of a father? Hrmm. Trust issues. .:. A friend of Dave's is doing a survey on Blogging. Be nice and help the guy out. | (0) comments
Tuesday, March 09, 2004
Friends of Friends, Across Land and Sea
I went to visit a Japanese church this past Sunday in the hills north of Kobe in city called Hiyodori. The church is pastored by the friend of Helen's father, who met him while serving as a missionary in Brasil. Once again, the Japanese Brasilian community enters my life to give me a fresh view on my faith and my life... 
The wheels on the bus go round and round... for 20 minutes. 
The church fam and myself... got treated to a great home cooked meal and best of all... Brasilian coffee! Nice, black, and strong with sugar... 
It was snowing. 
Pastor Oshima showing his ocarina skillz... he was one of my main translators as his English was pretty fluent. He also speaks Japanese and Portugese. 
Myself, Pastor Oshima, and some of the original ladies who helped found the church (I think). 
One of the church deacons... every week, he handwrites the sign for the church. He's a professional calligrapher. 
.:. More later... | (0) comments
Friday, March 05, 2004
Transformer Therapy
From a purely male view, one of the great things about Japan is that Transformers never died out. Sure, Gundam is a lot more popular here, but the Japanese cultural fascination with the idea of big robots, mecha, and other anthromorphic mechanical things... it extends to everything. My first week after Shiv and the rest of the Seattle crew, I felt pretty blue. Being that I'm trying to be a good boy and control my taste for whiskey (I've sworn off whiskey for Lent), I instead bought myself a new toy. Yeah, men and toys... Here's a pick of the new Galvatron... I don't know if he's out yet in the States, but he's pretty cool. A high tech, Concord-esque plane bristling with GUNS and plus, an easy, old-school style transformation. He makes firing sounds when you press a button. In robot mode (or roboto modo in Japanese, heh) he's got a sword and some very poseable arms, which is important for a Decepticon, when you want to point the big gun in the most threatening manner at some Autobot or something. 
My friend Steph is an advocate of retail of therapy. Let it be known now that I'm now patenting the term Transformer Therapy. Maybe I can start a club, or better yet, a secret society of men who can collect Japanese toys, have no girlfriend around, drink alcohol and eat junk food. ... ... ... Second thought, that's pretty much guys who hang around comic book stores. Comic book stores? Yes, I can hear my friend Ryan saying his famous line now... "Whenever I walk into a comic book shop with my girlfriend, it's like I'm a Greek God... PUWAHAHAHA!" On a side note, to appreciate the quote "I still function" that's in my picture of Galvatron, you have to be a "Transformers The Movie" nerd like me. My next Transformer mission: To buy the deluxe WRX STI Transformer that tranforms from car to robot and back. It's real, but difficult to find because it's so popular... | (0) comments
Wednesday, March 03, 2004
random thoughts
"Random thoughts" was the name of always a completely wacky series of threads at my old messageboard, IIStix. It was pretty much about... well, random thoughts. This next blog-entry will probably be very much along those lines, some James Joyce-esque stream of consciousness stuff. Why? The internet cafe I'm at now, the free Yahoo BB one in Osaka, is playing some straight wack-azz boyband music and it's driving me crazy. .:. Gaijin Behaving Badly Speaking of boybands... they're hugely popular here in Japan. Sure there's the native boyband here and there, but what is far more popular is Western boybands, especially Backdoor Boys, N*STINK, and now more recently, a Brit import called "Blue" (talk about despoiling my favorite color). Am I hating I the prevalence, the completely idoltry of white boys? If they're pulling an Elvis... HELL YEAH. Yes, it's dawned on me that I haven't written about perhaps the most disturbing thing here in Japan... the phenom of "Gaijin Worship". I could write paragraphs on the subject, but I'll save that for later. But I'll put it like this: the disrespect many foreigners have for Japanese people, especially Japanese women, makes me want to walk up to them and stab them in the face with a rusty fork. Word is bond. Example one: The nickname most whiteboys have for Japanese girls here in Japan... "yellow cabs". Why yellow cabs? Because anyone can pick one up and ride it... Angry Asian men: be prepared to hold back your rage if you ever visit Japan. On a side note, there is a small minority of foreign white guys here who are cool and treat Japan with a lot of respect. I would include my Ashiya crew co-workers in this group, and my old Myohouji roommates. But they are a small minority, indeed. Another interesting note: the most racist men happen to belong usually to two nationalities. Yes, a stereotype... but it's waaaaaaay too true all the time. What are they? Aussies, and yep... AMERICANS. I really hate some of my countrymen. .:. To Trust or Not Faith is a lot about choices; my friend Jon F. was reflecting on that in his blog. I spend a lot of time thinking about choices in the past... the irony is that I often spend so much time analyzing the past that I forget to think about my future. Am I oblivious, lazy, or just too trusting that God will provide? Probably a bit of each. .:. Reading I've also been reading more; reading is relaxing. But for others, like poor Dave... it's WORK. Ouch. Finished: My Hemingway book. Started: A book about Buddhism here in Japan. .:. Blogs It's strange to visit random blogs and read about a strangers' life. Yet also cool, especially when they turn out to be Chinese American and Christian. .:. Bangohan ga nai My host mother just e-mailed me on my cellphone... no dinner tonight, I'm on my own. Doh, no home cooked Japanese food... waaaaaaah. *sniff sniff* .:. Today's Blow to manhood One of my Japanese staff co-workers, Mako, commented to me today in her cutesy Japanese girl voice on fresh black beanie my homie Mel brought me from Seattle (courtesy of SOY clothing): Garrett-san... doko ni kawaii boshii o kaimashita? (Garrett... where did you buy your cute hat?) EH?! Kawaii ja nai! Kakkoi dayo! (WHAT?! (Its) not cute... (its) cool!) Mako laughed at me and repeated, "No, cute!" Man... guys like me ain't cute. Cute equals not manly. Just cool, plz, ok thx? Emasculation... | (0) comments
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in?scrip?tion (n-skrip-shun)n.
the facts.
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