The musings of Inihtar

A break

2008-03-28T21:49:00.002-04:00

I'm taking a break from blogging. Not sure when I will resume, but I don't have the heart to put an end to it completely. Thank you for reading and your comments.

Giving up stuff for Lent

2008-03-07T01:47:00.004-05:00

When I was younger (and Catholic), I used to give up something every Lent. I was partly inspired to do so by my many Muslim friends who fasted during Ramzan, and partly by some little religious twinge I experienced as that time of year approached. (Incidentally, I always found the period between Ash Wednesday and Palm Sunday particularly depressing, although I'm certain it wasn't in contemplation of Christ's tribulations.)

The one thing I remember resolving to give up year after year (with varying degrees of success) was sweets. I soon realized (although I suspect I knew deep down all along) that my reason for this was anything but spiritual. True, it was a huge sacrifice, probably harder than anything else I could have given up. I've an inordinately sweet tooth, which resulted (and still does) in a constant (and largely unsuccessful) battle with my weighing scale. So when I decided to give up sweets during Lent, it had very little to do with Christ and everything to do with my midsection.

As I came to realize this, I took the easy way out. I simply stopped giving up anything. And since then, even when I've felt the urge to try again (maybe not something as obviously self-serving as sweets but perhaps a little more spiritual), I always decided against it, with the excuse that I would end up making it about myself or giving up altogether. I've also told myself that giving stuff up for Lent is largely a Catholic thing -- so I don't need to do it anymore.*

So I haven't given up anything for Lent in ages. But this year, I feel a bit guilty. I've finally acknowledged that I've been lazy about dealing with the real problem. If I end up making my Lenten sacrifices about myself, the right thing to do would be to find a way to make it glorify God. The problem lies with me, not with the sacrifices.

I've finally realized this three-quarters of the way through Lent. But isn't Lent just a symbolic period in preparation for Easter? There's no reason why I can't start now, is there? Of course there isn't.

Now that that's settled, the question is this: which of my many vices will I give up?

*I know that in some traditions, penance during Lent is supposed to make up for our sins, and that, as I've been put right with God through Christ, I don't need sacrifices to justify me in God's sight. But human hearts and minds don't submit willingly to God (mine most certainly don't), and I do believe that sacrifices focused on God can help us bring our desires more in line with His.

Britain rescinds America's independence

2008-02-27T18:26:00.004-05:00

Since Craver found this funny when I posted it on Facebook, I figured it wouldn't alienate my American readers too much, so it would be ok to post on here.

(And yes, I'm poaching. . .again. But people who don't bother to keep a blog shouldn't throw stones at others making valiant efforts [ok, making efforts) to rescue their own rapidly deterioating ones. . . Caveboy!)

Britain is Repossessing the U.S.A.

A Message from John Cleese

To the citizens of the United States of America:In light of your failure to nominate competent candidates for President of the USA and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective immediately.

Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths, and territories (except Kansas , which she does not fancy).Your new prime minister, Gordon Brown, will appoint a governor for America without the need for further elections.Congress and the Senate will be disbanded.A questionnaire may be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed.

To aid in the transition to a British Crown Dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:You should look up "revocation" in the Oxford English Dictionary.

1. Then look up aluminium, and check the pronunciation guide. You will be amazed at just how wrongly you have been pronouncing it.

2. The letter 'U' will be reinstated in words such as 'favour' and 'neighbour.' Likewise, you will learn to spell 'doughnut' without skipping half the letters, and the suffix-ize will be replaced by the suffix-ise.Generally, you will be expected to raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels. (look up 'vocabulary').

3. Using the same twenty-seven words interspersed with filler noises such as "like" and "you know" is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication.There is no such thing as US English. We will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell- checker will be adjusted to take account of the reinstated letter 'u' and the elimination of -ize. You will relearn your original national anthem, God Save The Queen.

4. July 4th will no longer be celebrated as a holiday.

5. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers, or therapists. The fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows that you're not adult enough to be independent.Guns should only be handled by adults. If you're not adult enough to sort things out without suing someone or speaking to a therapist then you're not grown up enough to handle a gun.

6. Therefore, you will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous than a vegetable peeler. A permit will be required if you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public.

7. All American cars are hereby banned. They are crap and this is for your own good. When we show you German cars, you will understand what we mean.

8. All intersections will be replaced with roundabouts, and you will start driving on the left with immediate effect. At the same time, you will go metric with immediate effect and without the benefit of conversion tables.Both roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour.

9. The Former USA will adopt UK prices on petrol (which you have been calling gasoline)-roughly $6/US gallon. Get used to it.

10. You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call French fries are not real chips, and those things you insist on calling potato chips are properly called crisps. Real chips are thick cut, fried in animal fat, and dressed not with catsup but with vinegar.

11. The cold tasteless stuff you insist on calling beer is not actually beer at all. Henceforth, only proper British Bitter will be referred to as beer, and European brews of known and accepted provenance will be referred to as Lager. South African beer is also acceptable as they are pound for pound the greatest sporting Nation on earth and it can only be due to the beer. They are also part of British Commonwealth - see what it did for them.

12. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as good guys. Hollywood will also be required to cast English actors to play English characters.Watching Andie McDowell attempt English dialogue in Four Weddings and a Funeral was an experience akin to having one's ears removed with a cheese grater.

13. You will cease playing American football. There is only one kind of proper football; you call it soccer. Those of you brave enough will, in time, be allowed to play rugby (which has some similarities to American football, but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full kevlar body armour like a bunch of nancies). Don't try Rugby - the South Africans and Kiwis will thrash you, like they regularly thrash us.

14. Further, you will stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host an event called the World Series for a game which is not played outside of America. Since only 2.1% of you are aware that there is a world beyond your borders, your error is understandable. You will learn cricket, and we will let you face the South Africans first to take the sting out of their deliveries.

15. You must tell us who killed JFK. It's been driving us mad.

16. An internal revenue agent (i.e. tax collector) from Her Majesty's Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all monies due (backdated to 1776).

17. Daily Tea Time begins promptly at 4 pm with proper cups, never mugs, with high quality biscuits (cookies) and cakes; strawberries in season.

God save the Queen.

Only He can.

John Cleese

From Inihtar: Incidentally, I must add Craver's response to this letter: "Being the good natured fella that he is, President George W. Bush chuckled and said that he will not ask U.S. troops to respond to the letter. He did however, appoint Chuck Norris as Ambassador to the U.K."

Sri Lanka trip

2008-02-16T00:13:00.003-05:00

View of the sea
My parents
Neighbours
View from my parents' place
Playing pool (or trying to!)
Old college friend with her husband and friend
Ready for high school friend's wedding homecoming party
With the bride

Bangkok trip

2008-02-01T23:10:00.000-05:00

What went wrong?

2008-01-16T08:56:00.000-05:00

I know I've sadly neglected this blog (and haven't read any others in ages -- will remedy that soon!).

I'm still recovering from my trip that was good, bad, confusing, guilt-ridden, joyful, tense, scary, exhilarating, tearful, fun, restful and exhausting (physically and emotionally), all rolled into one.

Can a simple change of scene bring about a drastic change in personality? I can count the number of times I've cried or yelled at someone since I moved to Tokyo on one hand (in fact I don't think I've yelled at anybody. . . I just stew inside). But when I was in Sri Lanka, I felt like I had absolutely no control over myself. . . I'd be talking about something, get slightly emotional, and the waterworks would start (I cry when I'm really angry which is very frustrating). I yelled and screamed, threw tantrums, swore and acted like a diva.

I had a great deal of control over how this trip went, and how much my parents and I enjoyed my stay there -- but I just felt like a puppet in the hands of an evil version of myself. I tried to explain to my parents why I am just a Christian and not a Catholic like them or any particular denomination, but I was constantly conscious of how unChristian my behaviour was. I tried to point out to them how wrong some of their attitudes towards their lives were, but felt completely unqualified when my outlook didn't seem any better.

I'm back in Tokyo now, feeling stragely detached, as if I'm remembering someone else's memories, and devoid of emotions, as if I used up all my quota during my trip, and now have none left over. And I'm wondering who I really am . . . the person I was on this trip or the relatively nice, relatively cheerful person I seem to be here?

Flying off!!

2007-12-19T18:56:00.000-05:00

Today, I fly off to Bangkok!! And then, on Christmas Eve, I head "home" to Colombo, just barely making it before Christmas. . . and probably starting off Christmas Day in a taxi on the way to my parents' place from the airport, if not in the airport itself! This year has certainly been all about new experiences!!

I won't get to blog or read other blogs until after Christmas, so merry Christmas all!! Hope the joy of Christ's birth remains with you throughout the new year!

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this." Is 9:6-7 (NIV)

Wednesday allergy

2007-12-16T23:08:00.000-05:00

I have made an interesting discovery. . . I am allergic to Wednesday (the cat, not the day -- then again, maybe the day as well).

The past few times I've visited Okia's apartment to see Weds, barely three minutes pass before my eyes start to itch and I develop a fit of sneezing. The first time this happened, I thought it was just a coincidence. But after the second, third time, I'm convinced that it's not.

But how could it be? I lived with the little guy for a year-and-a-half! Sigh. I guess now, my visits will have to be confined to under three minutes -- which would probably suit Weds just fine -- he's going through an anti-human (or maybe it's just an anti-Ini) phase.

Anyway, it's been a while since my last Weds photo, so here's one.

And I thought I was the klutz!

2007-12-05T07:51:00.001-05:00

Do you remember this post about the convoluted set-up (cool, but convoluted nonetheless) of my workplace in New York, and my prediction that I would go tumbling down the stairs just when my crush from the video-editing department walked in? Well, looks like I wasn't the one who should have been worried about being a klutz. Behold my former crush at -1:48 (not sure why it's counting backwards)!

I know I'm being a bit mean but it is pretty funny! And I will be the first to admit that I've walked into way more than my share of (visible) walls and doorposts.

The secret signature of my soul

2007-12-02T07:46:00.000-05:00

Even in your hobbies, has there not always been some secret attraction which the others are curiously ignorant of -- something, not to be identified with, but always on the verge of breaking through, the smell of cut wood in the workshop, or the clap clap of water against the boat's side? Are not all lifelong friendships born at the moment when at last you meet another human being who has some inkling (but faint and uncertain even in the best) of that something which you were born desiring and in all the momentary silences between the louder passions, night and day, year by year, from childhood to old age, you are looking for, watching for, listening for? You have never had it. All the things that have ever deeply possessed your soul have been but hints of it -- tantalizing glimpses, promises never quite fulfilled, echoes that died away just as they caught your ear. But if it should really become manifest -- if there ever came an echo that did not die away but swelled into the sound itself -- you would know it. Beyond all possibility of doubt, you would say, "Here at last is the thing I was made for." We cannot tell each other about it. It is the secret signature of each soul, the incommunicable and unappeasable want, the thing we desired before we met our wives or made our friends or chose our work, and which we shall still desire on our deathbeds, when the mind no longer knows wife or friend or work. While we are, this is. If we lose this, we lose all.

--The Problem of Pain, C.S. Lewis

Have you experienced this? This sense that you were made for something more, a deeper longing for something greater that even you can't define? Does it feel like what C.S. Lewis describes. . .something just beyond your reach, "promises never quite fulfilled, echoes that died away as they caught your ear?"

Does it always remain beyond our reach? Or do we choose -- because we are too afraid, or too busy, or too comfortable with our lives as they are -- to not reach out and grasp it?

And if so, is this lack what makes us exist instead of LIVE, settle for functionality instead striving for PASSION and practice religion instead of pursuing a RELATIONSHIP with our Creator.

Is it a fruitless endeavor, at least in this life? Will we go to our deathbeds still longing for something we've never been able to reach? How do we find the "echo that did not die away but swelled into the sound itself?" And what if we lose the desire altogether?

To know or not to know

2007-11-29T01:48:00.000-05:00

At one time or another, we've all been through it. We stand in front of a (metaphorical) closed door, faced with two choices. We can either open it and deal with whatever is behind it, or we can leave it shut and never know.

I've been asking myself which course I would take. Would I rather know, even if the answer turns out to be something I really don't want to hear, or would I prefer to let it remain unknown.

When faced with this dilemma in the past, I've always opted to know, no matter how painful. And painful it has been. But the need to know has always trumped the fear of getting hurt. "I just want to know! I can handle anything as long as I know!" But then, more often than not, when I have found out, I've realized that I'd have been better off not knowing. Surely the wise people who came up with sayings like "ignorance is bliss," and "what you don't know can't hurt you" were right. No?

I'm in a situation now where I could either let the door remain shut and retreat quietly, or open it and face one of two possible solutions -- one that I want -- very much -- and one that I don't -- very much. If I leave it, there won't really be any adverse effect -- after all, if I don't know what could have been, I can't really count it as loss. On the other hand. . . oh, the possibilities if it turns out to be what I want! And yet, even as that unconscious smile begins to appear at the thought of what could be, I'm reminded of what the alternative could mean.

But the familiar mantra is never far away. If only I knew. I could deal with anything, if I just knew!! I can't stand not knowing!

In the end, I know I will choose to find out. I am, after all, in the business of finding things out. I just hope I can deal with the consequences.

Yokohama and turning 27!

2007-11-26T03:02:00.000-05:00

Seeing as last Friday was Black Friday, Okia and I decided we were due for another Ikea trip in memory of our U.S. days! Just to keep life exciting, we headed off to Yokohama this time, a different place and a different Ikea. We spent most of the day there, and emerged hours later, duly laden with lots of good (but necessary) stuff.

Deciding that we'd earned a good dinner, we headed off to Chinatown for a wander around and some yummy Chinese food.

Some pictures from Chinatown:
Ini in front of one of the Chinatown gates

The world's best Nikuman (pork bun) shop (or so they claimed)

Enjoying the world's best Nikuman

Okia trying to decide which of two identical pink teapots was prettier

A real rotary phone in the restaurant where we ate

Ahhh! Food!

The next day I turned 27! Something about getting older must have triggered some sort of signal in me, because I spent most of the day huffing and puffing, rearranging my furniture to make my apartment more homey. I think I sort of suceeded (pics to come!) That evening, a few friends and I went out to a bar with some live music for a very low-key celebration.

A tough decision

2007-11-18T06:09:00.000-05:00

A recent chat I had with a friend about a career decision he was facing set me thinking. If I had the opportunity to work on behalf of someone who everybody knows has caused a great deal of pain and suffering, but has not yet been tried, and therefore not convicted, would I take that position?

Arguments in favor: everyone is innocent until proven guilty; even the most heinous of criminals is entitled to being treated fairly; and, careerwise, it would be the opportunity of a lifetime.

Arguments against: well, everything else. . . that, despite the fact that he has not been convicted, his crimes are well known and documented. Could I, well aware of the atrocities this person has committed, willingly ally myself with him?

As we struggled through the pros and cons of the situation, I remembered my previous post about the movie Dead Man Walking, how Sr. Helen Prejean remained firmly on the side of a convicted killer, despite everyone around her condemning her for her decision. And I thought of Jesus and the company he kept -- people who had not yet been tried or convicted, but about whose sinfulness nobody had any illusions.

But I still wasn't convinced. This person's crimes are on a much larger scale than your average criminal. And I wasn't entirely sure that my friend really believed his arguments about fairness. Intellectually, yes. In his heart, not really. What also concerned me was whether he could, if he came across the people whose lives had been ruined by this person, justify his decision to them and to himself with a clear conscience.

I told him to pray about it. His immediate response was "Ugh. Praying -- the answer is no." My response: if that's the case, I know what I would do.

But when I thought about it afterwards, I realized that I was pretty sure that my friend had not really prayed about it, but had simply assumed what the answer would have been if he had. But I'm not entirely convinced that would be the answer.

After pondering this for a few days, I'm still not sure what I would do if I was in his shoes. But after thinking about it, I do have this to say to him: go back and really pray about it. You might be surprised!

The latest in Sri Lanka

2007-11-02T23:39:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, the Sri Lankan Army killed one of the most senior leaders of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE -- yes, a group designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S., EU and India), S.P. Thamilchelvan, in an airraid, the BBC reported.

The first reaction of those who don't know much about the situation there would be that this is a good thing. If the forces in Afghanistan kill a senior member of the Taliban, don't we celebrate that as a good thing?

But this killing is anything but good news. Thamilchelvan was not just a senior leader of the LTTE, he was also the chief negotiator, communicating with international envoys in their efforts to reach an elusive peace agreement between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Tigers. With his death, that peace agreement has now moved even further away. The GOSL is, as usual, playing on the world's paranoia about "terrorist organizations" to justify this killing, and promises that more will follow. Little do outsiders know that, as far as terrorist organizations go, the GOSL is no better, if not worse, than the LTTE. I in no way condone the means by which the Tigers go about achieving their goal of a separate Tamil homeland. I absolutely don't. But the government uses the very same means, and yet, the President, Mahinde Rajapakshe (who, incidentally, runs the country as a family business, with his relatives in key ministry posts), sits on his high horse and points his finger at his opponents. And naive outsiders buy it.

The government knows that Thamilchelvan's killing will only step up the kidnappings and brutal killings on both sides. And that is exactly what it wants -- to provoke the LTTE, so that the GOSL can then continue to feed on the world's "terrorism" paranoia, and justify its own actions as retaliation, its noble efforts to deal with terrorism . . . all while innocent civilians are stuck in the middle, their loved ones lost, their lives ruined.

For a taste (and it is only a very small taste) of what goes on Sri Lanka, click here. Most people live under the illusion that the capital "Colombo" is a safe place, but, while there is no outright fighting there, the surreptitious kidnappings and killings make it anything but.

Update

The turning woman!

2007-10-17T07:02:00.000-04:00

I think I've run out of things to say on this blog for now, so while I try to come up with something worthwhile to say (ok, something to say), here's something to mull over.

Is she turning clockwise or anti-clockwise? Or both?!?!? (Click on the picture if you don't see her turning).

For more info, click on this link.. . . so what do you think? (my theory is that she turns the other way when you're not looking!)

(To give credit where credit is due, Caveboy sent me the link:))

Interesting globalization facts

2007-10-04T20:30:00.001-04:00

I came across this story today in The New York Times, about the results of a survey of more than 45,000 people in 47 countries on what they think about globalization. There were several tidbits I found very interesting:

Despite the increased focus on illegal immigration in the U.S., and individual states implementing their own measures to clamp down on illegal workers, the number of Americans supporting tighter immigration curbs has declined. So did the number in Britain, France and Germany. Jordanians, however, want stricter immigration policy, to stem the tide of Iraqis flowing into the country since the war started in 2003 (from 48 percent in 2002 to 70 percent).
55 percent of Americans believe their culture is superior. . . the only other Western country to display such self-confidence was Italy. (What exactly is "American culture?") The Swedes, Brits and French, however, seem in need of an ego boost -- only a fifth of Swedes and less than a third of the other two think their culture is superior. (The French have self-esteem issues?!?! Who'd a thunk??!?!?!)
In most countries, the strength of people's religious belief falls as their wealth increases. The U.S. appears to be the only country where the opposite is true. Lots of religious rich people there!
Fewer than half of Americans, Japanese and Israelies believe homosexuality should be accepted.
Germans and Spaniards appear to be the most peace-loving people -- only a tenth of them said military force is needed to maintain order. This is compared with over a third of Turks and Americans, a fourth of French and Italians and a fifth of Brits. (I'm inclined to believe Japan would be similar to Germany and Spain, because of its general anti-war sentiment and its constitution, which Abe tried in vain to change).
The percentage of Russians using mobile phones is higher than the percentage of Indians. . . and Russia had a higher level of adaptation -- from 8 percent of Russians owning mobiles in 2002 to 65 percent today, compared with 12 percent of Indians in 2002 to 60 percent now.
South Korea has the highest degree of computer ownership in the world -- 93 percent!
Germans are the biggest news junkies -- 80 percent "follow international news closely most of the time."

Can you read this?!?!?!?!?

2007-10-02T02:22:00.000-04:00

fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can. i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

--Not sure where this is from. . . someone posted it on Facebook.

"This we know, all things are connected"*

2007-09-28T02:14:00.000-04:00

Most people are aware of the concept of six degrees of separation -- that you can connect yourself to any person in the world through six people. . . as in you know someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows that person. Yup, I think that's six people.

Now, thanks to Facebook and other social networking sites, there are even fewer connections between each of us. Or I guess the connections might be the same but these sites allow us an easier way to discover them. And yet, when we do find these strange connections, it's mind-boggling!

Case in point:

Last week, someone, a complete, total, random stranger -- let's call her Hakusakana -- added me as a friend on Facebook. I saw that she knew one person on my friends list, a professor at the J-school -- Srisri (who knows the most random people, particularly South Asians, in such random ways that I've ceased to be amazed by his connections). I also gathered that she was a Sri Lankan who was in Japan. So figuring that she was not some person who was randomly adding friends, I accepted her request. A couple of days later, I got an email from her, saying, in essence, "I didn't know there were Tamils in Japan. Are you in Tokyo? Do you want to meet for coffee?"

I assumed from her email that she was an ethnic Tamil, but found out later that she was Singhalese. In any case, I figured, "Why not?" and we decided on a time and place. We met up and she told me that she was visiting Japan for a couple of months. I asked her how she knew Srisri and she told me that someone had put her in touch with him a few months ago when she was in Europe. First semi-random connection established (semi-random, because I guess I actually met her through him, although her connection to him was pretty random in itself).

As we talked, I mentioned that I'd lived in Minnesota. "Oh, you lived in Minnesota! Do you know these two girls. . .?" she started. Even before she finished her sentence, I knew whom she was talking about. I'd met Mindh and Deep (the former a Singhalese painter, the latter a Tamil dancer) through some acquaintances who were alums of my college. The two run an organization that hosts performances by artists in diaspora, and I had wondered, because of Hakusakana's interest in art and in Sri Lanka (her profile made both pretty clear) if she somehow did know them -- the Sri Lankan art world is tiny indeed. So while amazed at the second random connection, I was not entirely surprised by it.

As we chatted about her experiences, I remembered that she had contacted someone else on my list of Facebook friends. I knew him, Yip, also Sri Lankan Tamil, because he went to my high school (in India) several years before I did, and my parents knew his. But I couldn't, for the life of me, figure out how she would know him.

"Oh," she said. "My husband went to school with him." Then she stopped and looked at me. "Wait! You went to school with Yip. That means you went to school with my husband!"

We stared at each other in shock. How does a random stranger turn out to be the wife of someone you went to school with, albeit a few years older? She seemed a bit worried at first about this, uncertain about whether I actually knew him, and if so, how well I did, and if so, if we'd been on good terms. I, on the other hand, was pretty sure that I didn't know him personally but that I would recognize his name. At first she wouldn't tell me his name, and, though I was dying to know, I didn't push her. After a while though, she relented. And I found that I actually did recall his and his brother's names and even vaguely remembered what they looked like. (When I got home later, I called Nev and asked him if he remembered them. After thinking for a bit, he said "Oh yeah yeah yeah! His brother was a goalie on the soccer team!")

As I returned home, I pondered the past few hours. I was struck by Hakusakana's pretty crazy experiences over the past few years but also by the strange ways in which we were connected. How do you meet a person whose path would normally never cross yours (different backgrounds, grown up and living in different parts of the world) with the only obvious thing in common being tenous ties, on both sides, to one little island on the other side of the world. . . and then find several people whom we both knew in so many weird ways?

I guess the world is not as lonely a place as it sometimes seems!

*a quote attributed to Chief Seattle, patriarchof the Suquamish Indians.

Daytrip to Kamakura

2007-09-23T03:28:00.000-04:00

Okia and I headed to Kamakura on Saturday for the day. We'd been hoping that the weather, which has been unusually warm for this time of year, would have cooled by then, but no such luck (as you can see from the photos). The highlight of the trip was definitely the really cool bamboo forest (home of the zen Hokokuji Temple, where I also got my first taste of Matcha Tea (not a fan of any tea, green tea included, but was still a worthwhile experience. . . it's thicker and more bitter than regular green tea!) And of course, the beach!!!

Soba lunch!

Traditional Japanese Shinto wedding
Okia with a Japanese fall flower (she told me the name but I can't remember:()

Hase dera Temple
Kamakura Daibutsu (Great Buddha)
In the bamboo forest

First bowl of matcha!

At the beeeaccch!!!

Kyoto-day 2

2007-09-16T22:28:00.000-04:00

The next day (my last day of travels), I checked out of the hotel, and headed off to Kyoto Municipal Art Museum, which was displaying an exhibit of works from the famous Philadelphia Museum of Art. I spent a considerable amount of time there, trying to memorize the paintings and the stories behind them. Frustratingly, many of the explanations were in Japanese (I usually read every word of the descriptions and information about the paintings in an art museum, so found this especially trying).

From there, I headed off to Heian Jingu, with its several striking buildings, all painted the same bring vermillion colour with green-tiled roofs.

I then went to Fureaikan, Kyoto Museum of Traditional Crafts. Funnily enough, it was one of the few places that didn't charge anything to enter and view the displays, and yet it was one of the best exhibits I saw -- of wood and stone craftwork, dyed cloths, dolls, clothes, fans, umbrellas, paper lanterns, and several other uniquely Japanese crafts, with videos demonstrating how the items were tranformed from simple raw materials to the exquisite finished products.

From there, I decided to take a walk around the area and headed in the general direction of Murin-An a villa located on breathtakingly-beautiful grounds, built by Meiji statesman Aritomo Yamagata (who also designed the gardens). In addition to the villa, the grounds also have two other structures -- a tea-house and a western-style building where the Murin-An conference on Japan's foreign policy, just before the Russo-Japanese war, was held in 1903.

Me in the gardens of Murin-An

Aritomo's villa

The tea-house

The room in the Western-style building where the Murin-An conference was held

Some of Aritomo's personal items

Then I headed off to Yasaka Jinja in Gion. By this time I was getting ready to be done and get off my feet. But I walked around the shrine for a bit and headed into Maruyama Koen (park), popular for its hanami (cherry blossom) viewing in the spring (guess I'll just have to make another trip next year).

I walked around Gion a little more, hoping for a glimpse of geisha again, but I guess I was too early this time. I finally gave up in disappointment and exhaustion, and headed off to Kyoto Station to catch the Shinkansen back to home sweet home and my own bed! (It was a strange feeling, to come back to Tokyo and feel at home here for the first time ever, simply because I felt like such an outsider in the other places by comparison!)

Kyoto--day 1

2007-09-14T07:32:00.000-04:00

The next morning, I woke up and headed off to Nijo-jo. I walked around the grounds, looking at the displays in Ninomaru and Honmaru Palaces and the beautiful gardens that made up the compound. I couldn't take photos of the inside of the palaces, but they have some beautiful, incredibly well-preserved, famous paintings on the walls of nature and animals. One of the rooms (I think it was the visitors room) has "nightingale floors" which squeak when they're stepped on, warning of visitors.

From there, I went on to the Kyoto Imperial Palace where the royal family used to live when Kyoto was the capital of Japan. The Imperial Palace that we visited was not the original one -- apparently, the Royal Family used to stay with courtiers occasionally (like when the Palace burned down, which it seemed to do a lot) and finally ended up moving permanently into one of these homes, which then became the Palace (and burned down a few times itself). The sprawling grounds, with several gates leading in, had huge parks, several smaller, less well-known palaces, and a few ruins.

I made a quick stop at Shokoku-ji Temple, which was very quiet and peaceful after the bustle of the Imperial Palace.

I went back to the hotel, took a short nap, and then headed out to Gion, hoping to see Geisha on the way to their appointments. Unfortunately, I think I was too late (naps must sometimes take precedence over other things!) But I did walk around the area, particulary on a street called Hanami-koji, which was lined with quaint little traditional tea-houses, and, in significance of the changing times, a steak house!

An aside. . .an article on morphine scarcity in Sierra Leone

2007-09-11T02:00:00.000-04:00

Note: Will return to photos of my trip in the next post

I across this article and watched this slideshow in today's International Herald Tribune, and wanted to share it.

*If anyone read the earlier version of this post, I apologize. I deleted it because it was basically a rant (of sorts) and, while in keeping with my whole malcontent theme these days, there are good reasons behind why I am where I am right now. And when God decides the time and circumstances are right, I will hopefully be able to do the kind of work this reporter has done. But in the meantime, I will stay here and appreciate and enjoy my life as it is.

Weekend trip -- part II

2007-09-08T09:40:00.000-04:00

The next day, I set off for Nara. When I reached there, I headed off to Nara Park, the site of the famous Kohfukuji Temple, with its several buildings, several of them designated National Treasures, and a National Treasure Hall, where many artifacts and relics from the temple's past are displayed.

At first, I was awed by the deer grazing in Nara Park, and approached the first few cautiously. I soon realized that the deer had no such compunctions. They were incredibly friendly, approaching people walking through the park with no hesitation. I soon found out why. . . they wanted to be fed. I saw several people mobbed by four or five deer as soon as the animals realized that they were holding food. By the end of the day, I was definitely less enamoured of the deer than I had been at the start.

Five-storied pagoda

Inside the National Treasure Hall

Nan'en-do (South Octagonal Hall)

I also stopped at the Nara National Museum which had a special exhibit on Buddhist paintings from the 11th to 13th centuries. While fascinating, it was also quite overwhelming and intense and the sheer number of art works made it difficult to take in. I found the permanent collection, more varied with sculptures and artifacts, easier to absorb. Unfortunately, no photos were allowed.

From there, I went to Todaiji Temple, home of the famous Daibutsu, or Great Buddha (14.98m tall) in the Daibutsuden, supposedly the largest wooden building in the world .

Scale model of Todaiji

After Todaiji, I made a stop at Kasuga Taisha a compound of structures painted in bright vermillion, hung with a multitude of lanterns.

By this time, I had walked so much in the intense heat that my legs were starting to become numb. I decided that I had seen enough of Nara for this trip and made my way back to the train station to move on to Kyoto, where, after making some tentative plans for the next day, I promptly collapsed into bed exhausted.

Weekend trip -- Part I

2007-09-05T09:47:00.000-04:00

I decided to take a trip over the past weekend and headed of to Osaka on the first leg of my journey, where I met up with Machan, who I haven't seen since we graduated from high school. I'd emailed her some of the places I wanted to see beforehand, so as soon as the Shinkansen reached Osaka at 10 a.m., she met me there and we headed off to the Osaka Kaiyukan.

After a quick stop at the Suntory Museum to watch an IMAX movie on the "Deep Sea," we decided to head off to the Peace Museum. Unfortunately we could only spend half an hour there, but it was a moving and educational experience, albeit a rushed one, reading about and looking at photos and relics from World War II, seeing Japan both as a victim and a perpetrator.

When we were pretty much kicked out of the Museum, we headed off to Osaka Castle.

Unfortunately we couldn't take too many pictures of the exhibits inside the castle depicting its building by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, its history and the history of the area. The few I did manage to take didn't turn out too well. Oh well :(

After the castle, we headed off for dinner, which we had been looking forward to all day (I'd been looking forward to it for the previous few days actually, ever since Machan had told me that we'd go eat okonomiyaki, even though I had no idea what it was). So off we went to the restaurant, passing a famous Osaka bridge (can't remember the name) and taking some pictures with some very Osaka-ish signs.

We arrived at the restaurant where we ordered the ingredients and they brought them to us raw and we cooked them. . . or at least Machan cooked them while I watched and pretended to help!

Okonomiyaki

Yaki Soba

We finished dinner and decided to head to the kanlansha (giant wheel) for a night view of the city. Again, pictures didn't turn out too well:( But I did manage to take this one:

Machan: Please don't let me fall off the kanlansha!!!

We finally decided to call it a night, bid farewell until next time, and Machan headed home while I went to my hotel, checked in, showered, and collapsed into bed in preparation for another big day.

Tokyo festivals

2007-08-28T06:51:00.000-04:00

Last weekend, Tokyo residents celebrated the summer with (at least) two area festivals. . . and as one was in my former neighbourhood and one in the current one, I went to both. I have never seen more food than at the first one (in my old neighbourhood)! There was every kind of food imaginable, from noodles to octopus, kebabs to fried rice, (literally rice that was fried, on a stick!), kakigoori (shaved ice with syrup on top) to Japanese wines, champagne and beer. There was Turkish food and Egyptian food and Indian food, Italian food, even Sri Lankan food!

My new friend O'Rhi with her well-deserved noodles! Octopus!
The Sri Lankan food stall!
We found the Dom Perignon stall!

The second festival, the Koenji Awa-odori, was completely different. Okia and I walked down to the far end of the market street in our neighbourhood and settled down. Pretty soon, people started lining up. And then, the dances began. I watched enthralled as old and young, men and women, dressed in various traditional Japanese costumes, travelled down the street, dancing in formation, playing instruments and calling out the traditional chants.

Okia waiting for the dances to begin

Geta