Showing posts with label culture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label culture. Show all posts
Friday, May 14, 2010
またテレビ金沢！
Next week I'm flying to America for a weeklong break of sorts. This is the longest I've been away from my country. More on that later...
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Cultural Capitol
(not "Capital," or is it a play on words?)
Check out my article in the latest issue of the Tufts Traveler magazine! Got a photo spread too! Download the latest issue.
Also check out my Japanese blog if you're interested, though you'll need a Mixi account to access it. I have a Russian blog too (you'll need a VKontakte account to access it), though it hasn't been updated in a while. That may change late next week, though almost certainly not before then.
Today I approached some unusual people on campus who were drumming up support for their upcoming rally downtown against the American military base in Okinawa. It appeared that I had caught them off guard, and I got the sense that they hadn't actually talked to any real American people before. Fortunately, my Japanese has gotten good enough now so that I was able to express my own opinions and find out exactly what their views are. Although their posters all over certain regions of campus do seem generally anti-American (and Japanese students who study here also seem to have that impression of this group), that is apparently not, in fact, the case. They support the tens of thousands of other Japanese who are actively against the base's presence, and generally believe that the base should be relocated elsewhere. Furthermore, they are against the continuing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and they believe that troops should be withdrawn immediately, subsequently blaming Obama for continuing a failed war.
(NY Times article)
LA Times article, from an earlier time when it seemed that the earlier agreement with Hatoyama to relocate the base to a new location on the island could still hold water, so to speak. Clearly the US isn't "making the case" very well.
Grievances against the base include not only the right of sovereignty; it is a stereotype that American soldiers are sometimes not so "considerate" so to speak--that is to say, there have been incidents including rape and the "accidental" death of a local man. When I visited the Marine base at Iwakuni last month, I learned that soldiers there get into trouble on a basically weekly basis, and they have to go and apologize for it all the time. That all being said, it is not well understood why the USA needs or wants the base(s) at all. True, there is the fuzzy issue of "Asian Security," but perhaps it more closely relates to the sphere of American influence, both military and cultural, and of course likewise economical. Moreover, in the city of Naha for example (the largest in, and the capital of, Okinawa), the American military presence brings big money to local businesses. Still, there has been more and more friction with the locals recently, and it doesn't wear too well.
All in all it was an educational experience to speak with these people and try to explain that the situation in Afghanistan has become rather too complicated to simply leave. They're not "anti-America" or "anti-American," they told me, but seeing their posters in some places with pictures of thousands of people chanting against the wishes of my home government can certainly make me feel a bit uncomfortable. As I left, I reminded them that it's good to talk about things, that there are several other Americans on campus here, and that it ought to be a good idea to talk with them.
A quick comment on circle culture at the university here.
I grew up feeling encouraged to cultivate many different interests, in fact to such an extent that I felt I was often spreading myself too thin. Here, most students are in one circle (just one, though occasionally two), so that means one activity to focus on. It seems to me different from the usual way in America to cultivate various "liberal arts" though neither approach is necessarily better. The upside of the Japanese way is clear: cultivation of dedication, a chance to get really good at something, opportunity to become close with a singular group of friends who share a common interest. It's something I vaguely sensed before I came here actually, and something I wanted to try. So far so good, though coming from my home perspective of wanting to do as much as possible, it's a bit difficult to do everything.
Check out my article in the latest issue of the Tufts Traveler magazine! Got a photo spread too! Download the latest issue.
Also check out my Japanese blog if you're interested, though you'll need a Mixi account to access it. I have a Russian blog too (you'll need a VKontakte account to access it), though it hasn't been updated in a while. That may change late next week, though almost certainly not before then.
Today I approached some unusual people on campus who were drumming up support for their upcoming rally downtown against the American military base in Okinawa. It appeared that I had caught them off guard, and I got the sense that they hadn't actually talked to any real American people before. Fortunately, my Japanese has gotten good enough now so that I was able to express my own opinions and find out exactly what their views are. Although their posters all over certain regions of campus do seem generally anti-American (and Japanese students who study here also seem to have that impression of this group), that is apparently not, in fact, the case. They support the tens of thousands of other Japanese who are actively against the base's presence, and generally believe that the base should be relocated elsewhere. Furthermore, they are against the continuing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and they believe that troops should be withdrawn immediately, subsequently blaming Obama for continuing a failed war.
(NY Times article)
LA Times article, from an earlier time when it seemed that the earlier agreement with Hatoyama to relocate the base to a new location on the island could still hold water, so to speak. Clearly the US isn't "making the case" very well.
Grievances against the base include not only the right of sovereignty; it is a stereotype that American soldiers are sometimes not so "considerate" so to speak--that is to say, there have been incidents including rape and the "accidental" death of a local man. When I visited the Marine base at Iwakuni last month, I learned that soldiers there get into trouble on a basically weekly basis, and they have to go and apologize for it all the time. That all being said, it is not well understood why the USA needs or wants the base(s) at all. True, there is the fuzzy issue of "Asian Security," but perhaps it more closely relates to the sphere of American influence, both military and cultural, and of course likewise economical. Moreover, in the city of Naha for example (the largest in, and the capital of, Okinawa), the American military presence brings big money to local businesses. Still, there has been more and more friction with the locals recently, and it doesn't wear too well.
All in all it was an educational experience to speak with these people and try to explain that the situation in Afghanistan has become rather too complicated to simply leave. They're not "anti-America" or "anti-American," they told me, but seeing their posters in some places with pictures of thousands of people chanting against the wishes of my home government can certainly make me feel a bit uncomfortable. As I left, I reminded them that it's good to talk about things, that there are several other Americans on campus here, and that it ought to be a good idea to talk with them.
A quick comment on circle culture at the university here.
I grew up feeling encouraged to cultivate many different interests, in fact to such an extent that I felt I was often spreading myself too thin. Here, most students are in one circle (just one, though occasionally two), so that means one activity to focus on. It seems to me different from the usual way in America to cultivate various "liberal arts" though neither approach is necessarily better. The upside of the Japanese way is clear: cultivation of dedication, a chance to get really good at something, opportunity to become close with a singular group of friends who share a common interest. It's something I vaguely sensed before I came here actually, and something I wanted to try. So far so good, though coming from my home perspective of wanting to do as much as possible, it's a bit difficult to do everything.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
デーブ・スペクター
Dave Spector
Dave Spector is a Chicago-born Jewish-American TV personality who has been living and working in Japan since the mid-80s. He's a regular figure several on Japanese TV programs, commenting usually on "foreign" news, though recently also occasionally on Japanese news as well. Being a blond, white, American foreigner, he's rather a recognizable figure and household name.
So what's the deal with Dave?
He's one of the most successful and certainly one of the more recognizable foreigners in Japan, that's what. Still, to foreigners (i.e., Americans) living in Japan, he can seem very strange. To me, up until I actually read about him and his career, I had seen him several times on TV here and thought him rather annoying. True, I must admit I felt somewhat envious of his clear success with Japanese life (his Japanese is known to be perfect), but if you watch him then perhaps he might occasionally come off as a sort of stereotype of foreigners. The thing is, he's got to be one of the top ten most prominent non-Asians on Japanese TV, so his presence also carries a lot of weight. According to this Japan Times article, part of his success stems from his ability to digest great amounts of information from the English-speaking world and then relate it to his Japanese audience--especially since, as the JT article claims (and in my experience, I consider it to be more or less true), Japanese news coverage of "foreign issues" tends to occasionally be somewhat lacking in detail or in-depth analysis. That certainly seems to be the stereotype, and on a couple of occasions I have felt bemused at the style, angle, or amount of news coverage on certain topics while living here in Japan.
That said, why is Dave Spector one of the most reliable of the gaijin talent? How has he done it? It's another stereotype (that the JT article touches on) that Japanese people can be wary of or hesitant toward foreigners, whether for language difficulties, cultural differences, or mere stereotype. The Dave Spector Wikipedia page talks about this idea, and how he responded to it with The Panda Approach.
The Panda Method
This so-callaed Panda Method is the idea that something that you always hear about but may not know so well personally is much more approachable if you meet it in a controlled environment and it's doing something silly. That way, you won't feel intimidated, and whatever reservations you have had about the meeting will melt away. Take a panda for example: they're really wild animals that live in bamboo forests in China, but if you see one in your local zoo running around playfully or munching one of those bamboo shoots in utter cuteness, they don't seem so wild and in fact appear quite cuddly. With this idea and an intuitive understanding and proclivity toward supporting the American value to stand up for oneself, Dave started out his career with bit parts on TV and worked his way up, doing silly stuff, acting like the hapless foreigner he wasn't (though of course, he appeared to be), all while gradually becoming, as it were, a part of the furniture. As a foreigner who had grown up with American values combined with a mastery of the language (all three qualities being predictably unexpected), he played the non-threatening part that the culture suggested he play--while at the same time being in command of his career. The net result of this is that he has created his own quite comfortable place that previously was simply absent in the culture. Furthermore, over the years, he has made the culture work for him, and he's gone from being the silly panda to gaining trust and playing more and more serious roles.
I can relate to a lot of these ideas, also being an American who is living in Japan. Locals constantly seem impressed by my developing mastery of the language, and I find that people relax quite a bit around me if I act a little silly, which fortunately as far as I'm concerned is my nature. Moreover, once people see that I can communicate with them in their language, the whole communication process gets a lot easier. Still, built into Japanese language and culture is a certain "wall" of distance between people that can sometimes seem quite fuzzy. That wall is inherent to the language, and it depends on the degree of closeness with the person in large part, which also has something to do with age and relative status. It's not as concrete as you may read about and is certainly more complicated than a textbook will tell you, but broadly speaking, it's true.
When the wall breaks down, people become closer. American values tend to stress openness, standing up for personal rights and beliefs, and various freedoms. In Japan, things tend to be different. A university student's life, for example, is dominated by one or two "student circles" of which one may be a member. But these aren't your weekend Frisbee clubs or Tuesday-Thursday choir practices. They also have nothing to do at all with any teachers. Students tend to have fewer (yet more serious) hobbies, and friends tend to be almost exclusively one's clubmates rather than mostly those who live in the same building. They're serious, and they meet often, commonly going to dinner together after meetings or having parties as many as several times per month. I've joined two circles this semester, "XXTRA" (live rock band jam/practice/performance circle) and "Melo Melo" (a cappella circle), and so far it's been a fantastic way to get to know Japanese students, practice the language, and to really feel like I'm experiencing the culture in-depth. Besides that, it's great practice for my music, something I've missed for too long.
The Other Side of the Wall
There's a new movie coming out in Japan called 「ダーリングは外国人」(My Darling is a Foreigner) that looks at some of these cultural differences from the Japanese perspective. The movie, based on a manga of the same name, focuses on the relationship between a Japanese woman (Saori) and an American guy (Tony) living in Japan, and various issues that arise over the course of it. Over the course of these events, various stereotypes are addressed. However, the manner of addressing these stereotypes is also distinctly Japanese. The concept of racism as it exists in the States just does not exist in Japan, and stereotyping happens all the time, even stereotyping of their own culture. In fact, on more than one occasion I have found Japanese people to be surprised at the fact that rice is quite common in America, let alone the fact that Los Angeles is famous for its glut of sushi restaurants. That's not to say it doesn't happen elsewhere too--in any country in the world, most people don't get the chance to travel, and there's no place like home, right?
On the subject of stereotypes, I read a memorable story in my compendium of Traveler's Tales: Japan that related the experience of a mostly black jazz band from New York City who arrived in Tokyo for a week of performances to find the place set with watermelon. In America, this action would be questionable at best and could even be called racist.
(From "Department Store Panic" by Jim Leff)
I can even corroborate the bit about the watermelon. I recently saw a cantaloupe for sale at the local supermarket--about a third the size of a normal American one--for about ¥2800, the equivalent of about $31. For one melon.
The more international experience I gain (I have no love of the word "foreign"), the more I come to see how these stereotypes and cultural peculiarities differ. So far it's been fascinating, and it's certainly a great education for whatever I end up "doing" in life. I've signed up for classes this fall at Tufts, and that includes my plan to write a senior thesis, concerning something about international culture. We'll see where that may lead. Maybe I could become the next Dave Spector...
Kanazawa University Foreign Students - Asano River Cherry Blossom Viewing Party
(金沢大学留学生 浅川花見）
( April 10, 2010 )
Dave Spector is a Chicago-born Jewish-American TV personality who has been living and working in Japan since the mid-80s. He's a regular figure several on Japanese TV programs, commenting usually on "foreign" news, though recently also occasionally on Japanese news as well. Being a blond, white, American foreigner, he's rather a recognizable figure and household name.
So what's the deal with Dave?
He's one of the most successful and certainly one of the more recognizable foreigners in Japan, that's what. Still, to foreigners (i.e., Americans) living in Japan, he can seem very strange. To me, up until I actually read about him and his career, I had seen him several times on TV here and thought him rather annoying. True, I must admit I felt somewhat envious of his clear success with Japanese life (his Japanese is known to be perfect), but if you watch him then perhaps he might occasionally come off as a sort of stereotype of foreigners. The thing is, he's got to be one of the top ten most prominent non-Asians on Japanese TV, so his presence also carries a lot of weight. According to this Japan Times article, part of his success stems from his ability to digest great amounts of information from the English-speaking world and then relate it to his Japanese audience--especially since, as the JT article claims (and in my experience, I consider it to be more or less true), Japanese news coverage of "foreign issues" tends to occasionally be somewhat lacking in detail or in-depth analysis. That certainly seems to be the stereotype, and on a couple of occasions I have felt bemused at the style, angle, or amount of news coverage on certain topics while living here in Japan.
That said, why is Dave Spector one of the most reliable of the gaijin talent? How has he done it? It's another stereotype (that the JT article touches on) that Japanese people can be wary of or hesitant toward foreigners, whether for language difficulties, cultural differences, or mere stereotype. The Dave Spector Wikipedia page talks about this idea, and how he responded to it with The Panda Approach.
The Panda Method
This so-callaed Panda Method is the idea that something that you always hear about but may not know so well personally is much more approachable if you meet it in a controlled environment and it's doing something silly. That way, you won't feel intimidated, and whatever reservations you have had about the meeting will melt away. Take a panda for example: they're really wild animals that live in bamboo forests in China, but if you see one in your local zoo running around playfully or munching one of those bamboo shoots in utter cuteness, they don't seem so wild and in fact appear quite cuddly. With this idea and an intuitive understanding and proclivity toward supporting the American value to stand up for oneself, Dave started out his career with bit parts on TV and worked his way up, doing silly stuff, acting like the hapless foreigner he wasn't (though of course, he appeared to be), all while gradually becoming, as it were, a part of the furniture. As a foreigner who had grown up with American values combined with a mastery of the language (all three qualities being predictably unexpected), he played the non-threatening part that the culture suggested he play--while at the same time being in command of his career. The net result of this is that he has created his own quite comfortable place that previously was simply absent in the culture. Furthermore, over the years, he has made the culture work for him, and he's gone from being the silly panda to gaining trust and playing more and more serious roles.
I can relate to a lot of these ideas, also being an American who is living in Japan. Locals constantly seem impressed by my developing mastery of the language, and I find that people relax quite a bit around me if I act a little silly, which fortunately as far as I'm concerned is my nature. Moreover, once people see that I can communicate with them in their language, the whole communication process gets a lot easier. Still, built into Japanese language and culture is a certain "wall" of distance between people that can sometimes seem quite fuzzy. That wall is inherent to the language, and it depends on the degree of closeness with the person in large part, which also has something to do with age and relative status. It's not as concrete as you may read about and is certainly more complicated than a textbook will tell you, but broadly speaking, it's true.
When the wall breaks down, people become closer. American values tend to stress openness, standing up for personal rights and beliefs, and various freedoms. In Japan, things tend to be different. A university student's life, for example, is dominated by one or two "student circles" of which one may be a member. But these aren't your weekend Frisbee clubs or Tuesday-Thursday choir practices. They also have nothing to do at all with any teachers. Students tend to have fewer (yet more serious) hobbies, and friends tend to be almost exclusively one's clubmates rather than mostly those who live in the same building. They're serious, and they meet often, commonly going to dinner together after meetings or having parties as many as several times per month. I've joined two circles this semester, "XXTRA" (live rock band jam/practice/performance circle) and "Melo Melo" (a cappella circle), and so far it's been a fantastic way to get to know Japanese students, practice the language, and to really feel like I'm experiencing the culture in-depth. Besides that, it's great practice for my music, something I've missed for too long.
The Other Side of the Wall
There's a new movie coming out in Japan called 「ダーリングは外国人」(My Darling is a Foreigner) that looks at some of these cultural differences from the Japanese perspective. The movie, based on a manga of the same name, focuses on the relationship between a Japanese woman (Saori) and an American guy (Tony) living in Japan, and various issues that arise over the course of it. Over the course of these events, various stereotypes are addressed. However, the manner of addressing these stereotypes is also distinctly Japanese. The concept of racism as it exists in the States just does not exist in Japan, and stereotyping happens all the time, even stereotyping of their own culture. In fact, on more than one occasion I have found Japanese people to be surprised at the fact that rice is quite common in America, let alone the fact that Los Angeles is famous for its glut of sushi restaurants. That's not to say it doesn't happen elsewhere too--in any country in the world, most people don't get the chance to travel, and there's no place like home, right?
On the subject of stereotypes, I read a memorable story in my compendium of Traveler's Tales: Japan that related the experience of a mostly black jazz band from New York City who arrived in Tokyo for a week of performances to find the place set with watermelon. In America, this action would be questionable at best and could even be called racist.
(From "Department Store Panic" by Jim Leff)
On the surface, Tokyo seems much like any other big city. It's easy for a Western visitor to fit comfortably into its familiar urban facade, only rarely glimpsing the breathtaking exoticness that lurks just beneath the surface.
Notice the mowhawked, body-pierced Japanese youth coming toward you on the Shinjuku sidewalk. You've seen punkers before; he's hardly worth a second glance. But watch as he bows to an elderly stranger out of respect for her age.
You're not in Kansas anymore.
I was there to perform with a mostly black jazz band, and was appalled when the promoter's welcoming party featured a table full of cut-up watermelon. I was more horrified still--for different reasons--when I learned that off-season watermelons in Japan run a cool $100 per. So...it was more an ostentatious show of respect than adherence to a stereotype. Or was it?
It's nearly impossible to say; East/West cultural correlations are slippery, and sometimes the more you probe and analyze, the less you understand.
I can even corroborate the bit about the watermelon. I recently saw a cantaloupe for sale at the local supermarket--about a third the size of a normal American one--for about ¥2800, the equivalent of about $31. For one melon.
The more international experience I gain (I have no love of the word "foreign"), the more I come to see how these stereotypes and cultural peculiarities differ. So far it's been fascinating, and it's certainly a great education for whatever I end up "doing" in life. I've signed up for classes this fall at Tufts, and that includes my plan to write a senior thesis, concerning something about international culture. We'll see where that may lead. Maybe I could become the next Dave Spector...
(金沢大学留学生 浅川花見）
( April 10, 2010 )
Sunday, April 18, 2010
The Mystique of Aviation, and New Salarymen
The BBC envisions a world without planes.
An intriguing sort of piece inspired by the Eyjafjallajökull chaos. Don't miss the point--it's not about the current event at all. I think it's about the mystique of travel itself, and the inherent wonder of aviation that can be so easy to forget.
Here's another look at Japanese universities and the whole inherent system there, written by a foreign "salaryman" living and working in Tokyo. Check it out.
On a side note, a friend of mine who lives and works in Tokyo is the international manager/representative of an up-and-coming Tokyo rock band called Molice. They call themselves "Blade Runner Music" and they're currently trying to win a contest for a chance to play at a festival in Canada, so I encourage my readers to click here and vote for their video. Even if you're not interested, do my friend a favor--no registration required, all you have to do is click!
An intriguing sort of piece inspired by the Eyjafjallajökull chaos. Don't miss the point--it's not about the current event at all. I think it's about the mystique of travel itself, and the inherent wonder of aviation that can be so easy to forget.
Here's another look at Japanese universities and the whole inherent system there, written by a foreign "salaryman" living and working in Tokyo. Check it out.
On a side note, a friend of mine who lives and works in Tokyo is the international manager/representative of an up-and-coming Tokyo rock band called Molice. They call themselves "Blade Runner Music" and they're currently trying to win a contest for a chance to play at a festival in Canada, so I encourage my readers to click here and vote for their video. Even if you're not interested, do my friend a favor--no registration required, all you have to do is click!
Sunday, November 15, 2009
The Chrysanthemum and the Sword
"The study of comparative cultures [...] cannot flourish when men are so defensive about their own way of life that it appears to them to be by definition the sole solution in the world. Such men will never know the added love of their own culture which comes from a knowledge of other ways of life."
- Ruth Benedict
- Ruth Benedict
Where I am now...
Sunset in downtown Kanazawa, in front of the Kohrinbo Atrio shopping mall near Katamachi.There's a reason why I elected to spend an entire year in Japan. I became fascinated by Japanese culture, and now that I'm actually here I feel only more excited by it. It was difficult to believe it for a very long time, but now it finally feels like the pieces are falling into place in my life, and everything really IS going to work out in the end. I went through some very difficult times, but I've come through it, and I'm doing better than ever. I love my life here.
So why did I come to Japan? To "better" myself, to approach some ideal, to figure out my life? No. A friend of mine from Australia reminded me yesterday of what I'm doing here. Simply put, I came to Japan because I knew it was a good idea. I knew it would be a good thing for me to do. That's it!
Yesterday I overheard a conversation about how giving people more control over their lives will increase happiness and life expectancy. Writing, talking, music, friends--these are my means of control, of introspection, of finding meaning in the wonder of life. The only thing that's really giving me anxiety right now is my studies--it's very important to me, but there are so many other things going on here! I'm still adjusting to life here in that way.
Pico Iyer has written a very insightful article about his impressions as a foreigner having lived in Japan for a number of years. I highly recommend it; I think that many of his ideas about the form and structure in Japanese society are very astute.
So what am I DOING in Japan??
- Jōdō - every Friday I practice "the way of the staff"
- Karatedō - every Tuesday I practice "the way of the open hand"
- Shodō - every Wednesday I practice the art of Japanese calligraphy
- Melo Melo A Cappella - every Friday I attend A Cappella Circle meetings on campus
- KUMAKUMA!! - a new band that I have formed with a Japanese friend and an Australian friend
- Japanese B - language class four times a week
- Kanji B - once per week (supplement to regular language class)
- Japanese Anthropology - every Monday
- Special Russian Independent Study course - every Monday, I meet with a grad student from Russia who speaks fluent English and Japanese as well. I read Pushkin and Dostoevsky in the original Russian for the class, and we discuss culture.
- Trip to Nagoya - next Thursday, I'm going to Nagoya with a couple of friends. I'm going to see an awesome concert, and thanks to the awesome drummer from MAE, I'm on the guest list. I'm SO STOKED for this!
- JUSCO (big nearby department store) / shopping
- Food happens all the time
- Organized cultural experiences: tea ceremony, ikebana
- Dinner, nightlife - restaurants, clubs, karaoke
- Helping Japanese friends with English
- Comparing cultures - Class meets on Tuesday, and we analyze cultural differences. I'm in a group scheduled to discuss Mythology, with an emphasis on Japanese mythology of course.
Last week, U2 broadcasted their live show from the Rose Bowl in LA, and I happened to watch it live. I'm not a huge fan of U2, but it was awesome.
Calendar of cultural events
Interesting article about Japanese names
Individually wrapped bananas!
Super cool Japanese girl!
Traditional style Japanese house.
I cooked my dad's recipe for fried chicken with country gravy, and made it with rice and corn, just the way I like it back in California. I also made a salad with 1000 Island dressing, and there were many American style drinks to go with it, including milk for dipping Oreos after dinner. I invited about eight guests, and they were all from non-English-speaking countries, as I planned, so that I could show people that American food is more than just McDonald's hamburgers. It was a delicious feast!
A photo of me was featured in this article from the Hokkoku Shimbun. The article is about how a group of us international students are participating in this program to learn about Japanese culture, and so we were learning to make soba noodles. In other words, I was in the newspaper because I was making noodles. YES!
Article from the Hokuriku Chunichi Shimbun about us, too.
The Germans!
The Finns!There's a sushi place in Kanazawa called Matsurizushi (Festival Sushi), where you pay by the plate. In other words, you sit down at the bar, and various plates roll past you with different kinds of foods (or drinks) on them. You take what you want, stack up the plates as you eat, and pay ¥100 per plate when you're finished. Not satisfied? In front of your seat is a touch-screen monitor that displays various food options. Choose what you want, and depending on what it is, your selection will either be wheeled out on a card by a friendly waitress, or will roll up right in front of you on a Shinkansen-styled food train. Now THAT is a dining experience I can believe in.
People love holidays in Japan, and Christmas is no exception by any means. It's an excuse to decorate! To give gifts! To shop! And Christmas in Japan is known to be a couples' holiday, rather than a family holiday as it is in America, or as a more religious holiday in other parts of the world. So what is religion in Japan? There is a saying that Japanese are born Shinto, marry Christian, and die Buddhist. What does that mean? Japanese people do not categorize themselves by religion as Americans and much of the Western world so often does. Everyone knows the traditions and customs and mixes and matches them in whatever way seems to fit, so as Ayer mentioned in the above article, certain combination that seem to defy "Western sensibility" (as if there is such a thing) are common everywhere in Japanese society. As a result, because people like Christmas, Christmas is popular.
Finally, here's a clip from TV Kanazawa, featuring some familiar faces. The translation of my broken Japanese is "I like to cook myself, so this is really fun!"
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Quality of Life
Photo of the interior of a bar called Sturgis in the happening Katamachi neighborhood of Kanazawa. The place is a rock and roll paradise, a bit of an otaku sanctum in the best sense of the word that's a mellow museum when it isn't a party. The walls are covered with memorabilia and musical instruments are everywhere. People from all over the world write on the walls about how they will never forget Kanazawa and Sturgis and its proprietor, and musicians come and play and leave their mark. Much of it is American music memorabilia, but the place is truly international.Russia and Japan are two nations that have some of the most notoriously high suicide statistics in the world. Why is this?
«Японцие живут слишком хорошо,
а русские слишком плохо.»
"Japanese live too well; Russians too poorly."
- A relation of my weekly Russian tutor
Though I am in Japan, I'm still studying Russian on the side. Every Monday I meet with a graduate student from Russia and we discuss in Russian some issues of life and culture and literature. At our last meeting, I asked the above question and we discussed the idea of quality of life, a phrase that seems to be thrown around quite often. But what does it mean?
In Russia there's a bit of a joke that I have mentioned on this blog before concerning the idea of the Russian Soul. But is it so different from an American? What is culture, anyhow?
I believe that culture consists of the life experiences that make a person. Perhaps in psychological terminology, this might be known colloquially as "nature versus nurture." Americans seem to love categorizing and qualifying, quantifying and defining things; I'm coming to realize that religion is a large component of identity in American culture. Students at most colleges must declare a major in a specific field by their third year of studies. From my current studies, I'm beginning to see what appears to be an international trend towards regionalism. Anthropologist A.R. Radcliffe-Brown wrote in 1939:
“Concrescence...into larger and larger social structures by political, economic, religious, or other organizations is the outstanding feature of human history”
Perhaps, but maybe we're moving beyond the "global village" phase with a bit of a return to regionalism. People love to emphasize their regions: people want to find culture, the unique bits of flavor in a place. Japanese sake brewers are returning to regional flavors. Southern Californians are proud of the Southern California dialect and traditionally love to hate certain phraseology used by Northern California residents; similarly, Russians from Saint-Petersburg make fun of slurred Moscow Dialect. In Japan, one of the most distinct and recognizable dialects is Kansai-ben, the speech of people from the Kyoto region, though from what I have seen it is both a point of pride for Kansai natives and a liked and appreciated bit of culture by other Japanese, sort of like the way that everyone likes New York pizza but only New Yorkers really know and understand it, and they're proud that it comes from their home.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Concerning Birthright
Standing at Masada at sunrise, overlooking the Dead Sea and the Jordan highlands. I'm wearing a shirt that I got at the Bedouin camp the night before.It sounds too good to be true, right? A free trip to Israel for 11 days? Round-trip airfare from JFK to Tel Aviv, guided tours, trained security escorts, meals, hotels, museums, hikes, tours, a camel ride, swimming in the Dead Sea, side trips, discussion groups, concerts, travel assistance, and more...for free?
When I first heard about this Birthright thing, I was very, very skeptical. How could it possibly be free? What does this "Taglit" organization get out of it? What's the catch? Am I obligated to go to some kind of "Jewish re-education" or pledge money or become assimilated into something? What are the hidden fees? Am I even eligible?
I'll tell it straight. My mom isn't Jewish. My dad is Jewish...ish. His family comes from mostly Jewish heritage, though he personally never had a Bar Mitzvah, and neither did I or my brother. Still, we always celebrated Chanukah every year, and most years we would go to my grandmother's house for a Passover seder dinner. However, that was almost the entire extent of Judaism in my life while I was growing up--ask any orthodox Rabbi and I'm simply not Jewish. My mom comes from a Protestant family, and though I went to a synagogue no more than three or four times total in the first eighteen years of my life, I've probably been to church at least a hundred times, not to mention having been inexplicably baptized at age ten. Even so, with all that Lutheranizing and acolyting and communioning, not to mention the continuing Christmas tradition (and yearly Easter baskets of chocolate as a child) in my family's house, I grew up feeling more at home in the company of Jews, even though I was even less Jewish than pretty much any one of my relatively very secular Jewish friends.
So what's the deal here? Did I fool some bizarre organization of questionable motives into giving me a prize package worth thousands of dollars that I didn't deserve, using my own questionable motives? Not at all.
The Taglit organization's stated purpose (they're the money behind Birthright) is simply this: they believe that it is the birth-right of all Jewish people to visit Israel. Therefore, they endeavor to make it possible for young Jews to visit Israel in the best way they can--and tons of them come back with positive experiences to report. In Taglit's words:
Taglit-Birthright Israel provides the gift of first time, peer group, educational trips to Israel for Jewish young adults ages 18 to 26. Taglit-Birthright Israel's founders created this program to send thousands of young Jewish adults from all over the world to Israel as a gift in order to diminish the growing division between Israel and Jewish communities around the world; to strengthen the sense of solidarity among world Jewry; and to strengthen participants' personal Jewish identity and connection to the Jewish people.
So what does that mean? Basically this:
If you are a young adult who can consider yourself Jewish, and you have a real interest in traveling to Israel, you are eligible. So when I went to the Tufts Hillel to find out whether this program is for real, I met with the Birthright coordinator, and I gave it to him straight. I told him that I'm technically half-Jewish (at best), though I would love to take advantage of this fantastic opportunity to go to Israel. I continued, saying that my Jewish heritage from my father's side of my family had always been an intriguing sort of comfort to me, and I would like to find out more about it and sort of test how well I connect to it. Plus...it's a FREE TRIP TO ISRAEL. So that's basically what I said, and that's also basically what I told Shorashim as well, when they did their phone interview with me (which is really just a get-to-know-you sort of thing, to make sure you're genuine). "Genuine? What does THAT mean?"
From their website:
Q. Will this be a "religious" trip?
A. You may apply for the Taglit-Birthright Israel gift regardless of your Jewish background or affiliation. All Taglit-Birthright Israel programs will provide opportunities for participants to celebrate Jewish life together. Some Trip Organizers represent different religious movements, or Zionist ideologies. To learn how to choose among all the Taglit-Birthright Israel-approved trip organizers, please go to 'How to Choose a Trip Organizer'. By asking some key questions like, "How will Shabbat be observed?" will help ensure that the program you are choosing is right for you.Q. This gift sounds too good to be true, what's the catch?
A. There is no catch, no strings attached. Participants are only responsible for a $250 US deposit, fully refundable upon their return home after successfully completing the program. Participants are under no obligation to Taglit-Birthright Israel, which finances the trip, or their Trip Organizer, who implements the trip, for any future activities or financial obligations. Of course, should participants decide to become more involved in the Jewish community, go back to Israel or explore other aspects of Jewish life, we encourage them to regularly check out the rest of the website for resources that may fit their needs.Simply put, in ten years, this organization has taken over 220,000 (yes, two hundred twenty THOUSAND) young people from over 50 countries on free ten-day trips. What do they mean by "free"? I paid for only the following:
• Plane tickets to and from New York
• About a third of the meals
• Souvenirs
• A $250 deposit that was refunded about a month after the trip ended
• Return trip extension fees so as to accommodate my trip to Russia after the Israel program was over (not a required expense of course, though they make it VERY easy to extend your trip however you want by up to three months, not to mention MUCH cheaper than what the airline would usually charge)
But what about safety? "Israel is too dangerous--I wouldn't feel comfortable there" or "My dad/mom would never let me go" or "I'm afraid to go to the Middle East" -- let me share the following with you:
• I never once felt unsafe during the trip.
• We had an armed guard with us the whole time. TWO armed guards when in more rural areas.
• The organization carefully plans routes and checks conditions before going anywhere.
• They have taken over 220,000 young people on these trips, and I'm told their safety record is impeccable.
• It's in everyone's best interests to do their absolute utmost to keep everyone safe.
• Taglit lists all of their other safety precautions on their website. So does Shorashim.
• Chances are, you know other people like me who have gone on a Birthright trip and had an amazing time.
I understand that back in January, with the Gaza offensive going on, it was probably not the best time to be there. But during my time there, things were quiet. I would hate to think that anyone would be kept from going to Israel because of fear of attack. Besides that, El Al Airlines (one of the most popular airlines used by the program, and Israel's national airline) has probably the best safety record of any airline operating. I suspect you're in a lot more danger driving on a freeway or visiting many areas of many US cities than you are on a Birthright trip. If there's not a war or anything going on, that's no way to miss out on an incredible opportunity.
So what about my own experience? I will say that my trip to Israel affected me much more than I could have predicted, and I really felt a strong connection to the place that I couldn't have expected. I am more interested in Judaism, and I'm even thinking about having a Bar Mitzvah. "AHA!" you say, "THAT'S WHAT THEY WANTED, ISN'T IT!"
Well, yes, isn't it? I wanted the free trip to Israel, but isn't that sort of because I was curious about it? I was interested, and now that I've been, I've learned a lot. Besides that, it's no secret that Birthright is designed to make everybody happy. Certainly the Israeli government wins, because they get tons of tourism dollars and a lot of great press. Wouldn't you want young people visiting YOUR country and then going back home to tell everyone what a great time they had? The Birthright organization wins, because they are fulfilling their stated goals. And certainly, the young people win, because we get an amazing free trip to Israel. "BUT WHAT ABOUT PALESTINE??" you might ask. That's actually a great question--and I'm glad to say that nothing about my trip felt like being indoctrinated or proselytized. In fact, we had frank and critical political discussions many times, during which we learned a lot of history, got many different perspectives, and learned about the great complexities of the situation. I can't speak for other trip providers (so I highly recommend Shorashim), but I left Israel with greater respect and understanding for both Israeli and Palestinian peoples. I also truly became friends with several soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces, and I have immense respect for them.
So it's legitimate, and it's true. I strongly recommend the Birthright program to anyone who is interested and remotely eligible. What do you have to lose? You just might discover that you have a lot more than you knew about to gain.
Check out the trip provider Shorashim - they're the group I went with, and their whole philosophy on the trip is extremely well-balanced, not to mention packed-full of awesome activities and and very welcoming to everyone.
When you sign up, tell them that I referred you, too. "AHA!!" you say, "SO YOU'RE GETTING SOMETHING OUT OF ALL THIS!!! TREACHERY!!"
Yes, it's true, they will give me a bit of money if I refer people to them that end up signing up for a trip, and there's even a possibility of me getting to go BACK to Israel for free (AGAIN!) if I get enough people to sign up. But why would I help Shorashim out if I didn't believe in what they're doing? I had a truly amazing time, and deciding to go for a Birthright trip was one of the best decisions I've ever made. If you have any questions, please email me or comment on this post.
IF YOU ARE GOING TO APPLY FOR BIRTHRIGHT, READ THIS:
1) REGISTRATION OPENS AT NOON EST ON SEPTEMBER 9. YOU MUST REGISTER (and pay the $250 deposit) AS SOON AS POSSIBLE ON THAT DAY! IT IS FIRST-COME-FIRST-SERVED, AND THEY MEAN THAT.
2) TO REGISTER: Go to ISRAELWITHISRAELIS.COM (website for Shorashim)
3) Mention my name on the registration form! And send an email to gordon.dale@tufts.edu saying that I recruited you!
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Холодилник–Приключение
Refrigetator-AdventureIn class today, we were discussing hypothetical additions to the classroom. I meant to say I'd like to add a "refrigerator filled [...with food]" but I misunderstood the word. Learning a language is all about expressing yourself, right? I had misinterpreted the ice cream ad pictured at right (it's nice to be able to illustrate this), but now that I know the word it's actually even funnier. The ad says:
Adventure with Taste!
For the record, Russian ice cream (Extreme cones included) is really good!
So much to say, as always.
So, things have been up and down the past couple of days, but I'm happy to say that the hot water is finally back, as of today! Tomorrow morning I finally get to take a real hot shower, for the first time in almost three weeks.
There are many echoes of the Soviet past here, in everything from the bureaucracy of everyday life to the way the buildings are constructed. Russia is a harsh place, but the people are basically good as in any other place.
Some more scenes from last weekend:
Selling souvenirs in Izborsk. They had a lot of wood-carved stuff, and it was pretty cool. I didn't buy much, but I did buy a bottle of homemade kvas that was amazingly good the first day and then turned rancid. I got lots of great pictures though!
From Saturday, in Pskov. This picture appears to be very random, but there's something hilarious and very Russian happening here. This scene is a bride and groom in their wedding clothes, and it's POURING rain. (The bride is mostly obscured behind the woman in the foreground--unfortunately, this is the only picture I got.) The happy couple had only moments before this picture was taken released two white doves into the sky, despite the downpour. Some Russians, just as some people in any world culture, just love traditions, and this is one of them. On a nice day around the parks of Saint Petersburg, you'll see similarly dressed couples out for photo-shoots. They're really everywhere!
The spring in Izborsk. On the right is a local resident, and the others are Smolny people (second from the left is one of the tutors, a Russian native)--the other two being students in my class. The water was delicious, but from what I know about backpacking, I was wary about drinking very much of it without treatment. I haven't heard of anyone who drank it getting sick though, and the locals use it for everything.So I'm thinking about getting a haircut. It's getting a bit long.
A quick word about Russian hairstyles. Check out the dude on the left of this photo from ГОГОЛЬFEST. Yeah, that's right. The dominant hip style for young Russian men seems to be the mullet (yes, really), but this guy seems to be taking it to a whole new level. I thought briefly today about the idea of going much shorter with my hair, but the last time I did that was in second grade and it was awful. My hair doesn't do anything interesting except poof. When it's really long it gets slightly wavy and if it's at all short (or just randomly at other times) it gets poofy.Regarding my return to America, it's looking more and more like I will return several days earlier than planned, for various reasons including the fact that the trip to Eilat will no longer work out. However, I'd still like to spend two or three days in Israel while I'll have the opportunity, so I'm investigating that possibility. Then I'll fly to New York, and probably straight on to LA sometime around the 14th or so, unless I make some sort of stop in Washington DC or perhaps Chapel Hill NC to see family that I would otherwise not see for quite a long time (and don't see often anyhow).
With all that being said, let me know if you want anything in particular from Russia or from Israel!
Now I'm going to get more personal here.
I finished reading Salinger's Catcher in the Rye for the first time earlier this evening, and I have to say it couldn't have come at a better time. Most American students seem to read it sometime around the tenth grade, but it was never required for any class I was in.
A quick word about literature and required reading:
No matter how accellerated the academic program or how mature the student, you can't expect young people to be ready to have a mature interpretation of a work of literature if they can't relate to the experiences in it. With that being said, however, there is undoubtedly great value in reading for everyone. Furthermore, the experience of reading literature will be quite different for the twelve year old book nut, for the searching young adult, for the middle-aged person, or for much older people. Your own experience has a lot to do with what a work of art or literature means to you.
I'm happy to say that being here not only makes me rediscover the joy of connections with people, but also with academia and literature.
And now for some Holden Caulfield:
"Lawyers are all right I guess--but it doesn't appeal to me," I said. "I mean they're all right if they go around saving innocent guys' lives all the time, and like that, but you don't do that kind of stuff if you're a lawyer. All you do is make a lot of dough and play golf and play bridge and buy cars and drink Martinis and look like a hot-shot. And besides. Even if you did go around saving guys' lives and all, how would you know if you did it because you really wanted to save guys' lives, or because what you really wanted to do was be a terrific lawyer, with everybody slapping you on the back and congratulating you in court when the goddam trial was over, the reporters and everybody, the way it is in the dirty movies? How would you know you weren't being a phony? The trouble is, you wouldn't."
Now here's the thing. A year ago, perhaps, I would have quite agreed with Holden. Now, however, I'm not worried so much by such questions. I don't think this is the kind of thing you can ever "explain" to someone--it's something that people just have to work out. It's very meaningful to me personally to look at this quote and see the grasp for maturity in it, and to realize that my perspective on it now is utterly unlike anything I could have conceived when I thought similarly.
Toward the end of the novel, Holden has a conversation with one Mr. Antolini, a former teacher of his.
"The fall I think you're heading for--it's a special kind of fall, a horrible kind. The man falling isn't permitted to feel or hear himself hit bottom. He just keeps falling and falling. The whole arrangement's designed for men who, at some time or other in their lives, were looking for something their own environment couldn't supply them with. Or they thought their own environment couldn't supply them with. So they gave up looking. They gave it up before they ever really got started."
Now here's another thing. I have had very similar thoughts in my head in the past few months. It's terrifying to think that you might never be in the right place and to keep your eyes so wide open with looking around that you can hardly see and you end up tripping over yourself because you can't see the ground. I'll return to this subject in a bit. Antolini continues:
"Once you get past all the Mr. Vinsons, you're going to start getting closer and closer--that is, if you want to, and if you look for it and wait for it--to the kind of information that will be very, very dear to your heart. Among other things, you'll find that you're not the first person who was ever confused and frightened and even sickened by human behavior. You're by no means alone on that score, you'll be excited and stimulated to know. Many, many men have been just as troubled morally and spiritually as you are right now. Happily, some of them kept records of their troubles. You'll learn from them--if you want to. Just as someday, if you have something to offer, someone will learn something from you. It's a beautiful reciprocal arrangement. And it isn't education. It's history. It's poetry."
This is one of the most powerfully comforting and encouraging things I've read in a long time, and it reminded me of how great literature can be. It was pouring rain out when I read it, and I read it again because it was just so meaningful to me. The truth is, I'm not half so troubled now as I was a year ago, though I certainly do have my troubles.
"Something else an academic education will do for you. If you go along with it any considerable distance, it'll begin to give you an idea what size mind you have. What it'll fit, maybe, and what it won't. After a while, you'll have an idea what kind of thoughts your particular size mind should be wearing. For one thing, it may save you an extraordinary amount of time trying on ideas that don't suit you, aren't becoming to you. You'll begin to know your true measurements and dress your mind accordingly."
And maybe that's about where I am now.
Now here for something different. This is a poem my dad sent me in an email last week:
INTO MY OWN, by Robert Frost
One of my wishes is that those dark trees,
So old and firm they scarcely show the breeze,
Were not, as 'twere, the merest mask of gloom
But stretched away until the edge of doom.
I should not be withheld but that some day
Into their vastness I should steal away,
Fearless of ever finding open land,
Or highway where the slow wheel pours the sand.
I do not see why I should e'er turn back,
Or those should not set forth upon my track
To overtake me, who should miss me here
And long to know if still I hold them dear.
They would not find me changed from him they knew--
Only more sure of all I thought was true.
Robert Frost, what a romantic you are. I get that, though. However, what most intrigues me is that last stanza and the couplet at the end. It makes me wonder about whether I'm changing while abroad. I think a lot, and really, I'm not sure I agree with that last bit of the poem. It's true, these lines of Frost are quite idealistic, but what a curious thing to contrast at the end the idea of remaining the same (yet more so) with the idea of total independence. People have a way of always wishing they were elsewhere, as Salinger pointed out, and I'm certainly no stranger to that feeling. However, being abroad (it's been almost five weeks now, and I'm nearly halfway through my summer abroad) as long as I have now, I've come to realize how important to me are the connections I have back home and the people who have been close to me. So it's true, I am learning to be more sure of all the things I tried so hesitantly to hold on to in the past, and that's a very good thing.
To close, I was never ready to go to college. Two years ago, I was graduating from high school in a ridiculous ceremony at Disney Hall in Downtown Los Angeles, but I was happy to see everyone all together, including my grandmother and grandfather and my cousin and my immediate family. I wasn't thrilled to be going to Tufts, but I was getting more excited for it, and I was really really looking forward to spending a week in Australia in July. Looking back on that time, I had so very much less experience with life, and I was so much more unsure as a person. As much as I probably think too much now, I REALLY thought too much then. When I got to college, I really couldn't deal with the parties, the drinking, the culture, the academia, the people--anything, really. But as a good friend told me, maybe that's what college is for--learning how to be ready for college. There's an interesting way to think about it.
I know that I should be living in the moment here and making the most of the incredible place where I am, but part of that whole process is realizing just how important those connections are to me.
I'm looking to the future, to August 2010 when I return to Tufts, and I'm wondering excitedly what sort of person I'll be. I'll be a lot more mature, I know, and much better able to handle myself as a person. I'm already doing better academically, and though it's still hard sometimes, I'm certain that I'm where I need to be. I always knew that I needed to go abroad--I've known it since I was in high school, or maybe even earlier. It's hard, but I'm doing what I need to do, and if I hadn't gone, I wouldn't have been on the right track to learn how to be happy. When I return to Tufts, I can't wait to see what it will feel like to finally be there and be ready for it. I can't wait to give it a try. I can't wait to see everyone, and to get interested in academics.
Japan is also going to be great. I'll be a lot more in control of my personal space there, and I'm also more interested in Japanese culture. That language might be even HARDER than Russian though. I never actually believed anyone when they told me that Russian is hard. Hah. HAH. Yes, YES, Russian is hard!!
I'm nearly halfway through my summer abroad, and it's proving to be what it needs ot be. Onward and forward.
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