I Pause, and Reflect on My Road

As I wait in the airport for my flight to California, I reflect on the past year of memories. I traveled to and lived in Japan, I climbed Mt. Fuji, my friend Eric Gotwols passed on from this life, and I made substantial steps (networking with industry professionals and increasing knowledge/skills) toward becoming a Game Designer.

A lot has happened to transform the way I approach my daily walk, as well as the long term journey ahead. I continue to practice a mindful-approach to daily life, finding respite in the moment and peace in my infinite inhalation/exhalation. Though difficult, it is always better to pursue authentic happiness and leave fear and worry behind. I'm sure it is this type of energetic vibration that attracts me to positive situations and people, making life the continual breeze that my wings easily catch.

I continue to discover and practice new ways of improving myself, through martial arts, positive affirmations (a.k.a. Mind re-training), and intuition training. I also continue my online research of 'hidden news' concerning alternate perceptions of reality, the looming time/events of 2012, and the possibility of contact with human extraterrestrials (projectcamelot.org and divinecosmos.com). There's a lot going on, and I can feel time speeding up. Life seems to be a lot more harmonious; I keep seeing 11:11 (or similar times of repeated digits) and my heart whispers to me that life is simply a flowing river. Don't fight the current, be humble and follow it to my next destination.

California will be an awesome vacation. I can't wait to visit all my family and share stories of Japan, this semester at school, and funny ideas/creations of my imaginative mind. I feel like this trip will give me the opportunity to express myself in a new way, and to receive some new experiences as well. I will spending a three days at a hostel on Venice Beach, and then my options are quite open. I wonder where the river will run?

I recognize there is still much to prune on my life tree. I've got a few bad habits I'd like to see wither and die rather than me needing to pluck and watch grow back later. Those who know me best could probably guess what these things are, but I don't think I'll bring them up to anyone unless they become unruly... or if they continue long enough! I hope that by focusing my energy into nurturing my strengths, these 'personality weeds' will dry up from lack of attention.

The holidays are in full swing, it makes me think about the human family. With mixed feelings I look around this airport and see a race of species both united and divided. I wonder about the human condition and ask the universe if people will ever tame their own suffering, so they more effectively assist in helping others.

Christmas has got me thinking; this whole Jesus story about repenting from sin to escape judgement seems too masculine and 'old hat' for me. During last night's sermon, I kept wanting to hear about the power of Christ to unite his flock, that we are all precious children of the Cosmos, ANYTHING that could make us feel positively charged with the intention to turn to our fellow man, extend an open palm, and say “Brother, it's great to be here on Earth with you right now.” Instead, I could only feel a collective sigh of relief; “Whew, good thing that Jesus-guy died so long ago, or else we'd all be screwed.”

I hope the next generations of religion-followers will break free from the mental constraints that their theology chains them with. I pray that they will be able to recognize and respect their own power and creativity enough to escape the indoctrination of the Church like I did; but still I know that each person has the Free Will to will make their own choices about God and the Nature of Life. I guess I just want to see the confused and afraid people of this planet be able to walk about with heads held high, hearts healed and open to one another, and minds craving the mystery of life.

Winter Updates, get your Winter Updates here!

Soooo, it's been a while since I've had steady, up-to-date posts on this blog. Quite a lot has happened since I returned from Japan, the lovable island-country that I now miss dearly. I'm actually on winter break right now, enjoying time off in snow-covered Doylestown before I fly out to California. I look forward to 2 weeks of sun, family, and In-N-Out Burger (seriously, it's the best freakin burger you will ever have).

This past semester, I continued to work closer towards finishing my custom-made undergrad degree, Games and Society. In addition to making a video game, drawing/painting, and writing poems/short stories, I took some more 'philosopical' classes about Society, Technology, Religion, and Virtual Worlds. While on winter break, I plan to construct my own independent study to make video games and distribute them on the internet, get feedback, and modify the prototypes. I'm on my way to becoming a great Game Designer... horay for chasing my dreams!

Arnold and I have gotten more serious about training. We've moved into western martial arts, and are studying fencing and longsword combat. Also, we've been meeting at the gym 3-4 mornings a week to do weight training, cardio, and ab workouts. Gotta get these bodies into peak fighting condition!

And of course, it wouldn't be college if I didn't meet some new friends, hook up with a few girls, and take a psychadelic journey. Quite a busy semester, but ah, what great times! Next semester will be my last, and I've already got plans for snowboarding, seeking internships in the computer gaming industry, going to GDC in San Francisco, and taking my motorcycle for romps through the woods. I can't wait to graduate, but there's still much to do!

Though we plan out much of our lives out, there are still so many questions and uncertainties to face. We ask ourselves: "Where will I be in 6 months? A year? Will I make steps closer to fulfilling my purpose? Am I satisfied with my path, my relationships, my career, my life?" I try to face these unknowns with a light heart, humor, and persistance.

What about this 2012 stuff? I've been researching this issue for about 3 years, finding all sorts of interpretations of what will happen during/after this time. I believe humanity is in for some interesting times ahead, and we're all about to get rocked with new discoveries. I can't help but question what the future holds: what kinds of realities will we create for ourselves and others? how will people change and evolve through the alchemy of time? what do extra-terrestrial species look/act like, and what hidden knowledge/skills do they have? Keep your eyes and ears open, brothers and sisters!

Be sure to check out these other Blogs of mine:

Integral Gamer- where I write reviews about video games, through the philosophical lenses of psychology, sociology, and games (as systems of play).

Fist of Fury- an outlet for my primal obsession with survival skills, as I continue to learn more about martial arts, weapons, and preparations for the Zombie apocalypse (maybe?).


The Future of this Blog- I want to practice my narrative writing skills by chronicling my ongoing adventures in Ithaca/wherever I am. I also want to share my evolving spirituality/emotionality/mentality/worldview, with open-mindedness towards changing perspectives on life. That's what blogs are for, yeah?



Final Words:
As contrived as the Christmas/Holiday season is, I think that a glance beyond the glitz, gifts, and repetitive 50's songs can reveal something more meaningful. Whatever you get out of the winter holidays, I hope we all can remember that authentic happiness is available 24/7/365.

Part 5: Energetic Descent

It was finally time get off of the mountain, and I have to say, going down is MUCH easier than climbing up! I was almost running down the mountain, my spirit enlivened by the constantly beautiful view of the valley as well as the iTunes music I forgot I had brought with me. and NO, the music didn't take away from the natural scenery. It actually gave me the needed psychological boost to enhance my physical performance, especially in my worn-down state.

I quickly skipped and slid down the path, passing the slower travelers with care and stopping occasionally to empty the rocks from my shoes. Around an hour into the descent, I struck up a conversation with a group of japanese young adults. They were around 24 years old, and they came from the city. One of them offered me a CalorieMate (energy bar), and I gladly received the morning snack. I spoke briefly with him about martial arts and studying Kendo. Under the instruction of his father, this guy studied kendo for several years. Quite the person to meet on the steep slopes of Fuji!

After the brief five hour descent, it was finally time rest. I met up with the rest of my group at 5th station lodge. Julia had almost reached the top but turned back at the last minute! The others had all just finished their descent a few hours before I returned. We enjoyed the stillness of our bodies over conversation and lunch.

Before long, we walked from the cabin and took a 30 minute bus ride to the bottom of the mountain. I reflected on my journey, appreciating the whole experience. In my respite of the cushy bus seat, my statistics for the past day ran through my mind as after completing a level in a video game.

Total play time: 29.5 hours
Total Time ...
Uphill ascent – Walking: 14 hours
Uphill ascent – Bussing: 0 hours
Downhill descent – Walking: 5 hours
Downhill descent – Bussing: .5 hours
Sleeping time: 5 hours
Resting time: 5 hours

Climb a mountain: Accomplished.

Part 4: Face Death with a Grin

Exhaustion finally began to set in. My body was aching all over; my knees were locking up, by arms were tired from using the walking stick, and my lungs burned. However, as I stopped to rest, I began to shiver. The intense mountain winds permeated my light windbreaker jacket and over-cooled my sweaty torso. I had to keep moving now, in order to generate enough heat to stay warm. I knew I was getting into a desperate spot, but I had no choice but to continue at breakneck speed, passing everyone in front of me, breathing with varying emphasis in the different parts of my lungs, and resting when absolutely necessary.

As I reached 8th station I knew I was done. I needed to stop somewhere or death would take me. I knew that each station had a lodge, where you could pay a large fee (about $50-80 dollars) to rest for a few hours to a day. I had no money on me, but at this point I was fighting for survival.

I entered the lodge, expecting to be questioned or spoken to by someone managing the lodge. When nobody came to see me, I decided it was time to play in nonchalant. I took off my shoes and rested by the door for a moment, then headed into the bungalow. Rows upon rows of sleeping bags lined the floors and loft. I found a secluded corner, took off my sweaty shirt to dry it, and passed out in seconds.

When I came to a few hours later, I saw two japanese men sitting across the way from me. They were glancing at me and speaking to each other. “Uh oh,” I thought, “The jig is up.” Soon, an operator of the lodge came to me with a chart that showed names and prices. At first I couldn't understand, but it slowly dawned on me that he was asking if I had already paid. In my broken Japanese, I responded that I had no money. His reply was, “Get Out.” As I prepared my things to leave, I told him that I only came in because I thought I was going to die. He told me “Still bad, get out.” Well, business is business, I suppose.

With renewed energy and a dry shirt, I endured till the 9th station. The summit was finally within view, but it was still quite a distance away. With maybe another hour of climbing to go and the exhaustion affecting my psyche, I had a difficult decision to make. I could turn back after all this way, scurry back to the 5th station, and get the much needed rest that my body craved... Or I could finish this battle once and for all, reach the summit, and look back on this pivotal moment in my life with pride. A fire of conviction rose up from within me, and with unshakable determination I set off for the summit.

At 9:15AM, 21 hours after I left the restaurant near the train station, I had reached the summit of Mt. Fuji. Finally I had my Moment of Glory... but it only lasted for that one second. I immediately wanted to get the hell off of this cold, windy, barren mountain. But I did stop to savor the view and eat my bento lunch, which I had saved for when I reached this point. As I was about to depart, I saw climbers taking pictures by an obelisk that had the japanese writing signifying it was the summit. I needed to have this accomplishment captured in film, so I asked a random japanese climber, in japanese of course, if he could take my picture. He excitedly agreed and I positioned myself for the shot. If you look it up on Facebook, you can see in my face that I was exhausted, cold, and a little grumpy. However, I finally did it! I achieved the impossible, and in less than a day!



I'm almost finished, the last installment will be called:
Part 5: Energetic Descent

Part 3: Test of a Man's Will

I woke a few hours later; my body was stiff, I could feel every muscle burning with resistance. I checked my cellphone to discover it was 1:30am. Everyone else had left to climb to the top at around 11pm, and there were a few backpackers heading out at this moment. I knew that if I couldn't get up now, I would not be able to make it to the top of the mountain later.

In the dead of night, I gathered my clothes, a bottle of water, and a bento lunch box. My ascent would be made without the backpack I began the trip with; I would leave that at the lodge and come back for it later. Only wearing sweatpants, a long sleeved shirt, and a windbreaker jacket, I started up the trail. Stay light, I thought, and get up that mountain quickly.

It was a clear night, and the stars and moon provided enough light for me to navigate the steep mountain trail. I reached 6th Station without much trouble, and decided to take a rest. I thought I could see the top, looming beyond the few stations that broke up the trial. These small lodges stood out as both beacons of reassurance and clusters of light that mentally anchored me to the goal ahead.

As I rested, I began a conversation with a japanese couple. They looked well prepared for the assent, wearing heavily packed climbing backpacks and wearing layers of clothing that covered everything but their faces. I told them the story of my climb thus far, and the male climber looked impressed. He offered me food and water to help me finish the climb. I gratefully took the extra food and carried it in a plastic bag, my only extra weight for the climb. I glanced toward the summit and figured that it would only take a few more hours of uphill battling until I would stand on the top of the mountain, which seemed to be near.

I was very, very wrong. The trek to 7th Station was noticeably steeper; each step on the gravel path was unsteady, and I would slide backwards a few centimeters as small rocks shifted under my weight. I now relied on my walking stick as a third leg, driving it firmly into the uncertain ground with every few steps. It was more difficult to breathe as well, from both the increased workout on the dramatic incline, as well as the high altitude's noticeable changes in pressure, oxygen content, and temperature. Oh, and about seeing the top: that was an illusion. The mountain's steepness made it seem that the peak was “just around the corner.”

Despite these challenges, the sunrise provided a profound respite. I halted my ascent to rest and take in the majestic view. My panoramic view was once in a lifetime; below me the blanket of green forest tucked in to the mountain's barren soil. Clouds rested like pillows above the forest, connecting the higher planes of sky to the upper peaks of nearby mountains. In the valley, foreign buildings and lights peppered the natural landscape. The clear lake glistened under the warm, intoxicating sunlight, and so too did the distant, sheer blue sea shimmer in the sunlight. For that moment, I felt as if I had forgotten the toiling that we mere mortals endure. My climb up this mountain felt more than a literal ascension, it were as if I could now view the world with the opened eyes of an indigenous Ancient.



Coming soon... Part 4: Face Death with a Grin

One Mountain, One Man

My travels in Japan have come to an end, however I need to chronicle the last few adventures and lessons. In subsequent posts, I'll be unveiling the future direction of this blog and what can be expected in further posts. However, let me begin with my most memorable event in the land of the rising sun; the 3 part story of the day I climbed a mountain.

Part 1: A Mammoth Decision

After taking a night bus to Tokyo from the university in Akita, I navigated the train system from Tokyo Station to Kawaguchiko station. I stepped off the train and stood in the presence of Japan's largest mountain and dormant (but soon active) volcano, Mount Fuji.

Humbled by its massive size and towering peak, I decided I should fill my belly before tackling such an assent. The local town was bustling with tourists, so I started walking down the street to the first restaurant I could find. It was a small cafe with only a few backpackers seated for service, so I entered and chose Beef Curry from the menu.

I decided to create a plan of attack for this mountain. My left pocket held my tactician's tablet, a palm-sized notebook where I could compare the relative costs and benefits for each strategy;

Plan 1) Scale the Fugisan (I had already paid for a bus ticket, and I wouldn't be with a group so nobody could know where I am, plus I'll be fatigued before getting halfway up the mountain. However, I'll have an awesome story and challenge myself, if I would just be a man, fill up my water pack and move through the pain)

Plan 2) Take the Bus and Meet friends at 5th Point/ halfway up the mountain (Basically the opposite arguments here. I would save energy by using the purchased bus ticket and meet up with friends at the designated point, but I would be nothing but a simple tourist and miss out on a once-in-a-lifetime experience)

After I finished my meal, I came to my conclusion. I thought to myself, "Fuck it, I'm climbing the bitch." Just after that, a backpacker who was also about to leave the restaurant gave me his hiking stick (the one you see in my facebook picture) and told me it was from his morning ascent. Taking this as a confirmatory sign from the universe, I thanked him and accepted the walking stick with my red-hot spirit blazing for adventure. And so my journey began ^_^


Part 2: Initial Ascent

The first two to three hours were a plunge into the doubting depths of my being. I started walking in the direction of the mountain along the main road, where busses shuttled herds of tourists to and from the 5th point (halfway up the mountain). It was a hot, humid day and the sun was cooking my flesh. I sipped away at the straw connected to my water pack, and observed the incoming doubts and compromises my mind began to create. Thoughts told me to turn back, or get on a bus, or try to hitchhike. I dismissed these and pushed forward through the oppressive heat, stopping every hour or two to rest and eat.

After three hours of walking, my defensively pessimistic mind began to settle and my spirit opened up. As I walked on I felt as if the mountain herself was observing me climb. The surrounding nature was calm and beautiful; the dense forest was filled with the quiet humming of insects and occasional chirping of birds.

I soon began to sing (both known and made up songs) with a rush of theatrical excitement, as if I were on stage or starring in a motion picture. I waved to passing busses and cars, grinning with pride. Every step was filled with purpose, and every kilometer a testament to human persistance. With force and fervor, I smashaed the walking stick into the ground in time with my steps, my body now becoming an instrument that drummed a beat against the pavement.

Kept in time by the perpetual rhythm of foot, stick, and concrete, I conquered First Step, Second Step, Third, Forth. Soon night fell, and I walked on by the light of the moon and stars. I finally reached the 5th station lodge at 9:30pm; I had walked 9 hours what most people took a 35 minute bus ride to skip over. After meeting with friends and sharing stories of travels thus far, I collapsed on the tatami mats to rest. Later I forced down a Bento dinner; I had no appetite, and only felt the throbbing pain in my calves. I finally went to sleep in a sleeping bag, glad to finally rest my muscles.

Coming soon...

Part 3: Test of a Man's Will!

The Passing of an Irreplaceable Friend

When I first heard the news on Facebook, I was shocked and in disbelief. Gradually I uncovered the tale from friends and family; one of my closest friends from home didn't come home from a party, because he fell to his death in a nearby quarry. It seemed like some kind of bad joke, or horrible plot twist from a teen movie. But this is cold hard reality for everyone back in Pennsylvania, and for me too.

I know people are taking Eric Gotwols' death very badly, and everyone has to deal with the tragedy of death in their own way. I've learned to deal with it from when my Dad passed away, from multiple suicide attempts with close friends and family members, and even lately when a friend of mine here in Japan cut herself and I helped clean up the mess. I try to flip the tragedy into comedy, by remembering the good times and consciously recognizing how much we love each other, even if things between us weren't always 'perfect.' Heck, in this case I even chuckled because of the fact that I knew Eric so well, I could just take a guess that he was probably taking a piss and just didn't notice the massive quarry nearby.

I loved Eric so much. I reflect back on having him and all our friends over at my house almost daily to play video games and hang out. He was full of competitive spirit, and would passionately enlighten everyone about the things that he held most dear; sports of all kinds, movies of all genres, video games of all systems, friends from high school and college, his fraturnity TKE, his family, and any Philadelphia sports team. His bold presence commanded attention if you were nearby; I could listen to him go on for hours about sports and not have the slightest idea what he was talking about, but the way he told stories kept me so damn interested that I'd be compelled to ask him more!

Eric inspired me in many ways, and in fact this blog's title "Journey of a Man" was a phrase that he used to describe this very trip to Japan. I was looking forward to sharing my experiences here with him by sharing my personal journal, and especially talking about the baseball game I'll see in Tokyo. I wanted to tell him stories about Japan so fascinating that he would keep asking me more, and perhaps get the itch to travel. Since his passing, the sad fact is that these aspirations of mine are now simply illusions.

We buy into so many illusions in life, and we create them daily. Some people might not want to hear this, but one illusion is that we miss someone. What we really miss is the feeling that someone gave us, what their presence created in us. That longing to see a lost soul and regain that feeling is really just the illusion of separation. When you open your heart with gratitude and remember something awesome about that person, the feeling of their presence will be created right at that moment.

In any case, we're all human and we'll still buy into the drama of a soul departed. It doesn't matter what you believe about what happens to you after you die, whether it's heaven, hell, purgatory, valhalla, reincarnation, sleeping under the dirt, or warming up in the dugout at a baseball game set in the Afterlife Amphitheater (which would be awesome). When somebody you love unexpectedly disappears from your life, the hurt is a wake up call to create a better feeling in your life.

It may take a day, a week, months, or even years to get past the tears of sorrow. But transforming those tears into tears of laughter and joy from memories of the departed at their best keeps the true spirit of that person alive, and it's as if they are still around. I'm sure Eric would be happy to be around so many friends who are laughing and sharing memories about him. He'd be at the center of attention, still!

I personally decided to make myself accountable for my intentions after digesting the reality of Eric's passing. I have been smoking a lot out here in Akita, and I had always intended to quit after college. But I threw out my last pack of Marlboros and gave it up now, in realizing just how short life already is.

Once a year, cherry blossoms brilliantly bloom en masse. Their sight and auroma lift the spirits of a weary passerby, inspiring the joy of life. Just as quickly as they arrive, the white and pink flower petals descend from their high branches and litter the ground. As one walks by, gusts of wind twirl the dancing colors, which evokes the sensation of experiencing mysteries that we do not quite understand. Life and Death coexist, yet The Journey of a Man continues.

The Future of Gaming

During my time in Japan, I've been doing plenty of research on the games industry via websites and podcasts. Since my ultimate goal is to break in and get my creative juices flowing via game creation, I feel like this is the best way to gain some peripheral career experience. I still have to focus on actually creating games (hopefully after this semester ends, because learning Japanese is really time consuming!), but this research helps me get an idea of what is out there, and what may come beyond the horizon.

Mobile gaming has taken off big time. The Iphone and it's application store, though cluttered with useless junk and seriously in need of quality control, has given game developers a great platform to release high quality games at the low end market price. More importantly, it has extended social gaming away from the stagnant PC screen to the sidewalks of the city and the department stores of suburbia. We could see further implementation of GPS coordinate recognition with future game designs, and the possibility of encoding information into different geographical areas. Imagine: the next zombie game takes place in your home town, and you need to hunt down all the zombies while doing your grocery shopping!

I was thinking about a way to use games to bridge the gap between the young and old generations. When I think about the older generation, I imagine they are confused and maybe afriad of the younger generation's obsession with video games, seeing it merely as a "time waster." With more and more research proving the opposite, it's time to focus on the positive use of games.

Considering that one day I will become an old gamer with deteroirated visual/motor skills, what would I want to play with my kids or grandkids, who DO have the fresh reflexes available? My advantage over the younger generation is not only the 30+ years of gaming experience, but also the decades of world knowledge I will have accumlated. There could be some interesting ways of fusing the Skills of the Young with the Knowledge of the Old. Perhaps a mech game that demands so much of the player, that in fact it requires 2 players to succeed; the younger rides in the cockpit, pilots the mech with their superior motor coordination, and focuses on the micro encounters. Meanwhile, the elder focuses on the macro-war and declares strategies/mission objectives from a real-time updating battlefield scenario so as to affect the larger war at hand.

What about the current elderly population's invlovement in our lives? I think we teenagers/ young adults are sometimes fool ourselves into thinking that "old people are useless" when it comes to play. However, I can remember spending about 3 years watching my Poppop dominate Jeopardy and The Price Is Right from his livingroom couch. His gaming knowledge is actually quite extensive; so why not harness that in conjunction with my advanced hand-eye coordination? I'd love to see a game design that demands both real world knowledge and fine motor skills (and comeon, we can do better than Mario Is Missing).

The Wii has got the right idea with Wii Sports and Wii Fit. Okay, I know it's not an effective means for the 15-35 age group to get into supreme athletic shape, but it has gotten middle aged moms to buy video games for themselves while taking their kids to Gamestop. I'm optimistic here, I think this could be the start of a trend that pulls in the older generation, as well as some gaming skeptics, to buy and play video games with us. I wouldn't be suprised if this becomes the case, since the video game industry is doing very will in our currently recessive economy and still has room for growth.

Once we've converted the elders and skeptics, we can move on to the final step... world domination! MWAHAHAHA!

BIG UPDATE: Can a Man Explode?

I've heard of human spontaneous combustion, and I surmise a weak postulate: that a man can in fact explode from doing too many things at once. This past week has been fantastic, and I hope you will listen to how fun it has been!

Last Tuesday, I spent ALL of my time in-between classes training in 2 fighting games for the PS3, Soul Calibur 4 and Street Fighter 4. Both of them are amazingly complex, yet I find it more difficult to learn and apply skills in SC4 over SF4 for a few key reasons:
1) Use of 3 dimensions over 2 dimensions
2) Greater number of different button-combinations for techniques
3) Greater amount of characters available to play
Both of them are a challenge to learn, but my years of experience playing Smash Brothers (especially the summer of playing in the House of Pain) have given me the skills in timing, reading attack precedence, and creating mind-games that are easily transferable to these fighting games. Gotta love virtual competition haha.

I've been helping out with the Environment and Ecology Club here by harvesting the leeks, onions, and spinach we planted several weeks ago and selling these vegetables to AIU attendees and affiliates. I also posted some small flyers in the computer lab that had some suggestions to save paper on them. I feel like my "peasant farmer" experience with the EEC, joined with recent knowledge of buying organic vs. buying local, has led me to a personal conviction to renew my membership at the cooperative market in Ithaca and support local farmers. I'm hoping they sell white rice, which is such a great food staple and I hope to cook with it a ton when I move into my apartment at IC this fall. Ah, I can see myself now; riding my badass motobike to the local farmers market and chatting with locals while buying fresh, pesticide-free fruits and vegetables... Okay, kind of dorky but it sounds balanced and good to me haha.

In more JAPAN related news, I spent this past weekend playing with ADORABLE little japanese children! (There is a large chance that I will either marry a japanese woman or adopt a japanese child, either way I'm getting my hands on one!). My fellow students and I introduced ourselves in front of 100 squirming kiddies and their parents on a rainy saturday morning. It was an optional celebration day at the school, and there were games and activities set up all over. I helped out by operating the raffle booth in a flashy orange yukata (robe) and white headband. One kid in particular was wailing and flailing because he wanted one of the prizes, pretty funny to watch actually haha. I brought my own gifts for the little rugrats; sea animal & star stickers, and those little wooden airplanes that you assemble. Not only did I get paid and fed a FANTASTIC set lunch of fried chicken, rice, miso, and salad, but I also took pictures with the stage performers dressed as popular Japanese cartoon characters. The main one is known as Anpanman, and I find it clever marketing that this character is used to sell bread (In the cartoon, he gives his friends power by pulling off his bread-face and giving it to friends).

My Time as a Buddhist Priest

Every year in Yuwa, the locals hold a festival honoring their shinto roots. I took part in this festival by transforming into a shinto priest and participating in the local parade. I wore the traditional priest clothes; a yukata robe covered by more white robes, a black hat, and very uncomfortable wooden sandals called getta. Several international students joined me in this event. We were assigned to help the older men by carrying the portable shrine (mikoshi) as well as very tall staves with banners attached to them.

The female head priestess and her nobly dressed priests began the ceremony with various chants in and around the temple. It's hard to say what they were doing, since it was all in japanese and a dialect that is difficult to understand. In any case, after some time of this ritual prayer and bowing we took our leave and began the hour long parade into town. Many of the villagers gathered outside of their homes and greeted us with bows and smiles. I kept greeting everyone with a "konnichiwa" and a huge grin on my face, eliciting a chuckle from several amused villagers.

We arrived at another temple in the middle of town to commence in more ceremony. This time, all of the priests were sitting in a large tatami room, and at certain times we would all bow toward the shrine. What caught my interest the most was a live katana demonstration by one of the priests; it was almost as if his soul and the sword's were one, and together they danced before us to please the kami and aquire their blessing. I was impressed at the priest's form, speed, and economy of motion.

This ceremony was followed by a delicious bento lunch with beer and sake. Oh yeah, those priests could drink! It was a very humid day, so a little buzz was motivating for us all to complete the our procession through the rest of the town. We arrived at one more small temple, and were given a small shot of sake to drink! One more run through the town, and we finally ended up back at the first temple. We all circled the temple a few times before finally ending the ceremony.

I was completely exhausted by this event; it was the hottest day in Japan so far and the stiff wooden shoes I was wearing were too small for my feet. I am glad I had the opportunity to experience this local custom, and to see such an old tradition still celebrated in this modernizing world. However, I don't expect to ever desire the monastic life or to wear those uncomfortable getta again; I now have a new level of understanding for the pain women endure when wearing high heeled shoes.

2 Weekends; Happy children, creepy theater, and Nuclear power

It's been a while since my last update, so this may take a while. Bear with me though, as there is a lot to talk about!

I woke up at 8am on a rainy saturday to drive an hour to Diazen city with a few other students. We got to hang out with a massive group of Japanese children, maybe 150 or more, and their parents at this father's day assembly. I had forgotten how amazing little kids are, just seeing them run around aimlessly makes me so happy. I spoke with a few boys and girls in Japanese, asking them how they are, how old are they, what grade are they in. Sometimes they even answered in English, which impressed me and also reminded me of how bad I am at japanese. I'm still a toddler! We did group exercises together; it was like being on an episode of The Wiggles.

After all the shenanigans were over and the kids were dismissed for lunch, I handed out stickers for them all to enjoy. When the first few airplanes, helicopters, and racecar stickers were handed out, I had little wide-eyed Japanese kids surrounding me, eager for a cool sticker of their own. Ah these little kids; they are like the toys that I will want in 10 years (after a few pets and a few jobs I suppose haha).

Me and the other AIU students visited the children's school and playground next. They have so many cool things; pet turtles and fishes, TVs, posters with Pokemon to help them learn Hiragana letters. All of us were invited to come back, and I will be so happy to hang out with kids in a classroom environment. I want to teach them little kids games, like Simon Says and Duck Duck Goose. Maybe I'll modify these games a little bit... it would be good experience for me as a game designer hahaha.

To contrast with this exciting day, my Sunday evening was one of the most depressing experiences of my life. I went to see a traditional Japanese theater production, called Noh, that took place on top of a large hill. It was raining that night (which seems to be the customary every year), all of the audience that was in the outside seating had to wear many plastic ponchos.

The performance itself was terribly creepy; the motions of the actors were robotic, their voices somewhat monotone with extended vowel sounds, and the music (drums, flute, chanting) made me recollect native american tribal rituals. I had to stop and think to myself... was the Japanese upper class that REALLY that boring in the 16th century? Thank god I live in modern times, with such wonderful distractions as video games, anime, and rock music.

Jump forward one school week: I find myself on a bus heading to Rokkasho village, home of several nuclear facilities. If you really want to know more about this place, feel free to ask and I'll tell you everything I know about nuclear energy, disposal, fusion, and storage. However, my brain was so full of information from that day... seriously, I discussed the use of radio isotopes as a way to measure cell propogation, with a real-live Japanese scientist! Perhaps later I'll make known my personal opinions on the use of nuclear energy as a viable energy source for mankind.

We spent one night at a lavish onsen hotel. Ohmygod I was in heaven; the meals were dynamite, the rooms were traditionally made, and the hot baths were all nude. It was sex segregated, and there was a hot bath outside that offered a wonderful view of a majectic waterfall and the surrounding nature. While soaking in the warm waters and emptying my mind of thoughts, my awareness soon fell on the large divider that separated the male and female baths. Curiousity took hold, and desire soon won over morality as I snuck over to have a peek at the ladies. There were some older ladies (bleh!), but fortunately there was a nice view of some well-bodied japanese ladies, soaking in the steamy night. Say what you will about right action and right intention, but I had to indulge my childish curiousity (not to mention ninja sneakery) in that moment.

I took a japanese robe as a souveneer, which is actually socially appropriate to wear all around the hotel. I saw many japanese, young and old, wearing these like casual wear. It will certainly make for a nice bath robe back in the U.S... by the way, I've been missing home like CRAZY and I can't wait to return with stories and being able to express myself in a full english vocabulary, not to mention catching up with friends, eating fast food, having the freedom of driving a car, and finding out what Metal Gear Solid 4 updates are available.

The Bond Between Teacher and Student

I'm at my desk, slowly sipping from a cup of mildly-bitter green tea, after drinking sake from my samuari sake cup. This cool, slightly damp Monday, I write to you from my room. I hear the sounds of birds sharing the news, passing cars from the main road, and the humming and clanging of machinery that is building AIU's fitness center.

I glance to my shelf and see the gift Sakamoto-sensei gave me last weekend, a palm-sized rabbit made entirely out of Jade. This was a momento from my day of fishing (we caught nothing haha) and relaxing, as well as the evidence of a unique bond being created here. I recall the time at the harbor; it was a fruitless trip as far as the catch was concerned, but I experienced the elements of deep-sea fishing. Casting the weighted fishing line, interpreting the sonar device that measures both the current depth as well as underwater activity, and driving the boat around all filled me with the joy of becoming more than who I was yesterday.

I returned to Sakamoto sensei's home for a home cooked dinner, desert, and authentic Chinese tea ceremony prepared by his wife. We had a pleasant discussion, and Mrs. Sakamoto helped me create my own Kanji name. For each Kanji, I chose the syllabic character that I thought most suited some important elements of my personality at this time.
-"Ku", I chose the Kanji that holds the meaning "carpenter" or "industrious."
-"Ri," meaning "rational" or "science."
-"Su," representing "defend" or "save."

Here's my interpretation of the characters placed next to eachother; Chris (kurisu) is the "rational carpenter who defends." Then you may ask, what does this mean? Defends what? At the moment, I can think of 2 personal examples:
1) By learning about and making video games, I am attempting to defend their existance in the eyes of skeptics who see them merely as "time wasters." I am constructing both rational arguments and playable games to get my points across.
2) My study of martial arts is a process of building a mind-map for self-defense. Through practice and understanding, I am learning skills that may come to be used for protecting either myself or another.

Then, I was TOLD to sit in a full-body massage chair and play Japanese video games! If all of this wasn't enough, I took him up on the offer to borrow some bikes for the semester. Such kindness and generosity, what an awesome pair of Japanese folk! We've already made plans to have a barbeque on July 4th (Independence Day woooo!) and I can't wait!

Planting rice, judo tactics... I become more Japanese by the day.

This past weekend was quite eventful. I met my host mother on Saturday, a nice japanese woman named Atsuko. We spoke about our lives for a while, and I found out she has a shy, introverted son who is in 8th grade. Atsuko has difficulty communicating with him, and after school he just goes home and plays video games (sounds too familiar haha). I look forward to meeting him and pulling him out of his shell a little bit. Maybe I can be a model for him, show him how to relate to his mother and get involved in some school activities.

On Sunday, I planted rice with some fellow students. It was a fun experience; sloshing around barefoot in cold mud was humbling to say the least. The first task was to create rows and columns in the mud, so we could plant the rice more efficiently. Then, all the students entered the muddy field to begin planting.

For 30 minutes, I was an expert fieldhand; my left hand held a large chunk of the rice-plant, and my right hand was used for pinching off a few strands of the plant by the roots and submerging it just a few inches in the mud. It was a challenge to stay in the rows we marked, and the many farmers who were standing by helped us by throwing us advice, encouragement, and some more rice-plant when we would run out (those who couldn't catch the plant that was thrown at them instead recieved a splash of mud and laughter from the rest of us haha). I got 4 leeches on my legs during the planting, which I had to rip off of leg when we cleaned up and left the field. I guess I'm a pretty tasty meal haha.

I'm really enjoying Judo Club, and I'm starting to understand the human body in a completely new way, the aspect of physical balance. We usually warm up on the tatami mats with stretching, rolling, and crawling around. Then we move to practicing ukemi (quick recovery), many types of throws, some groundwork, and anything we can think of. Finally, we spend about 30 minutes with Randori, which is a freeform grappling encounter.

The Environmnt and Ecology Club is starting to become more active. We've been meeting weekly, and now we've starting planting green beans and lettuce. We've got some activities to plan, and we're currently trying to devise ways to regulate the amount of paper printed in the library. I suggested that instead of overtly controlling the amount a student can print, we offer a system of rewards to positively encourage limited paper consumption. Now we need to come up with prizes that will actually encourage this behavior!

It's really difficult to get into the habit of making websites! Besides making the time to work on the websites (I'm in Japan, there's other stuff I can be doing!!!), the part I struggle with is adding a mechanic to the site that I have no idea how to do, mainly because it takes so long to find out how to do it, then actually impliment it. The payoff is great though, to learn a new technique that will benefit future projects. I'm trying to develop the habit of spending 1 hour a day working on websites/games, and my current goal is to finish Your Image Center's updated website by the end of this month. Then I'll move on to adding a shopping cart to the site, making my own website, taking on clients, making money, becoming an independent adult, yada yada.

Tonight I'm meeting Atsuko-okaasan (mother) at Kappa Sushi! If the weather is nice, I'll hopefully be going fishing this weekend with Sakamoto-sensei on the sea. If so, I'm gonna catch red snapper and make sushi, not to mention be ON A BOAT!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7yfISlGLNU&feature=PlayList&p=ED9441CFC963F147&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=1

Kakunodate and Tazawa- Samuari Town and Beautiful Lake

The rhythm of life in Akita has settled into a driven composition of academics, clubs, friendships, and personal projects. Classes are fairly easy and I think my first Japanese test on Friday went well. Before the semester is over, I'll be writing papers on the Bushido (samurai code of ethics) and the presence of martial arts and military influence on traditional Japanese theater. My first Judo session was fun, and I think I've grasped some of the basics of groundwork grappling. For Ecology and Environment Club, I'll be helping to promote some long-term green projects to be carried out here at AIU, including planting trees and (hopefully) getting an Akita pet!

This weekend, many Japanese and international students took the opportunity to visit some of the beautiful locale in Akita Prefecture. First stop was Dakikaeri Gorge, a natural gorge turned to tourist stop. There were some interesting old buildings, a shrine, an old well, and a suspension bridge allowing access to the small waterfalls. At one point on the stop, I noticed a small statue on the top of large rock structure. I wanted to get a picture of it, so I held my camera in my mouth by its laniard and hopped into knee-high, chilly water. A steep rock climb followed, and I made it to the buddhist statue. A few old-looking 10 yen coins lay at its feet, and after some pictures I left a coin and made a wish. The decent from the top of the rock was much easier: from the high vantage point I could see an easy, walkable path around the sloping backside of the rock! I was also able to catch a small frog by the lake, and I let it hop out of my hand and onto a startled Hannah.

Lake Tazawa is Japan's deepest lake (423 meters), with beautiful, clear blue water and plenty of tourist distractions. I was tempted to rent a motorcycle or ATV for 30 minutes, but I decided to save my money and ride a space-ship paddleboat with some friends for 500 yen. There were plenty of overpriced, locally made trinkets, but nothing stood out as a must-have souvineer. We also viewed the Tatsuko-hime statue, a large golden woman standing on a tall cement base that allows her to "stand on water" just off the shore. I'm not sure of the legend behind her, but somehow she became a dragon that now lives under the lake.

Kakunodate, a samuari town that has existed since the feudal times of the 1600's, still retains a sense of tradition despite necessary modernization. The old-style manor architecture and drainage ditches contrast with the newly cement-paved roads and large traffic signs. We were provided tickets to view the Aoyagi Samuari family Manor Museum. I was getting exhausted by this leg of the trip, but my interest was peaked by the large collection of ancient katana, tanto, yari, full body armor, spears, and even some western-style rifles. I also spied what appeared to be the first prototype motorcycle; a bicycle fitted with large machinery and pedals for accelation and braking. Before leaving the manor, I managed to aquire a samuari sake cup that will make a fine addition to the other shot glasses and epic goblets I use for drinking.

That's about all the news to report for now. I continue my long-term ambitions of website development, body-mind training, and game design. Go play my first game now, it's cute and simple! Let me know what you think of it!

http://www.playcrafter.com/#gameID=46043&invitedBy=12128

Oga- Home of the Evil Santa

On the second day of Golden Week, a group of merry travelers made a trip to the Oga Peninsula. Christof, Ayaka, Miki, Yakari, and Weston rented a car and made the 2 hour journey to the home of the Namahage. This local tradition is similar to Christmas in the west; both celebrate the New Year and revolve around cleansing people's souls. However, the mascots for this holiday are demons that storm the village and threaten to take away all the bad children... A little negative reinforcement never hurt anyone, right?

On the way to the tip of the peninsula, we visited a seaside aquarium (pictures going up on facebook soon). I've gotta say, I didn't know penguins were so awesome, they can just shoot out of the water and land on their feet, ready to waddle about their business! 

When we arrived at the tip of the peninsula, everyone was starving. We decided to eat at a cheap, traditional sit-down restaurant located at the end of a row of stores. I had some octopus in my Ramen, and a bottle of hot sake to help me enjoy the view. Afterwords, I decided to buy a black, stylized bokken (wooden training sword) and a souvenir for Tianna. 

The tip of the peninsula itself marks the 40th degree north latitude... yeah yeah boring I know. But what's neat is that there are a series of rock formations that line up to mark the latitude line. These rocks are split down the middle, and when you stand in such a way to see through the split on all the lined-up rocks, you know you are standing on the latitude line. 

We were all pretty tired on the return trip, but after returning the rental car we decided to do Purikura! I'll never get tired of these japanese photo booths, they're insane and adorable. Dinner was a sampling of sushi, yakitori (meat stick), fried rice, pizza, and salad (plus sake and ice cream for myself) for about 1000 yen per person. So cheap!

The cab at Wada Station couldn't take all 5 of us back to AIU, so Weston and I saved some money and made the hour walk home. All in all, it was a fantastic day trip and I've pretty much decided where I will retire. My grandkids are DEFINITELY getting a visit from the Namahage a.k.a. Evil Santa.

Beginning of Golden Week in Japan

Today marks the first day of Golden Week here in Japan. Basically, a bunch of national holidays happen to fall within the same week making it the longest time off of work for many people. Government and corporate jobs offer paid time off, and families will travel to visit other parts of the country. 

Today is "Showa Day," and no, it's not about taking showers! This day honors Emperor Showa, who ruled Japan during World War II and is a symbol of unity to the japanese.  WWII ended without extended bloodshed thanks to Showa's decision making the unified spirit of the japanese people.

To celebrate the season of blooming Cherry Blossom trees, I went to a Hanami festival today. As soon as I arrived, a japanese man handed me a beer! I brought some cookies with me, and the whole group of us shared our food and enjoyed the beautiful day. There was also entertainment: a few singers, a pessimistic clown, and... well I got drunk and stopped paying attention haha. 

It still blows me away to see how thankful and kind-spirited the japanese are. It's interesting to notice the physical, mental, and spiritual nature of these people compared to what I'm used to back at home. If I were to generalize from my experiences, I'd say that Americans certainly express a greater degree of freedom (and complexity) of thought/speech compared to the Japanese, and it definitely shows in social interaction. 

Japanese is a complex language to be sure, but one can cling to the (sometimes limited) social norms and live a simple life of friendly, silly, and endearing interactions. And while the culture still feels foreign to me, there is a beautiful harmony that arises from the natural unity of these people. Seriously, if you need help with something, the japanese devote all human faculties to getting the job done.

To compare, Americans quickly become emotional about, well anything (personal issues, television shows, sports, even pets). We have no reservations in expressing ourselves about any issue in a heated, and sometimes hilarious, fervor. Our social norms make it alright to stand out and "be yourself," and a lot of the time it's very entertaining to see different ways of expression (joking, singing, yelling). 

Well, that's enough of sociology for now. Big day tomorrow seeing the Oga Aquarium and doing who-knows-what. I will say, I've got a little homesickness in my time here... but not enough to leave just yet!

R&R In Akita City

I'm now well on the path to recovery from that terrible illness, and I decided to treat myself out to a night on the town. So, myself, Yasuka, Eve, and Katie took a little trip to Akita-city last night. While the ladies joined some other friends for bowling, I took advantage of the onsen right next door. 

Basically, an onsen is a large public bath. There are procedures to be followed: first, strip down completely and place all your personal items in the locker. In your exposed state, walk past all the other naked dudes and find an open stool at the scrubbing station. Then give yourself a nice scrubdown using their body soap, shampoo, and hot water. Once you are nice and clean, go find an empty bath or hop in the steamroom. 

I'll admit, I was slightly uncomfortable at first. However, the whole activity was pretty normalized and all the older men seemed not to care.. so why should I? I could tell though, this was definitely an activity for men in their 40's-60's. I saw nobody my age in the bathing areas, and I spotted some hair oil for older men to use.

There's a lot more to do besides bathe, if you have the money. Massages, pedicures, and facials can cost from 2000-7000 yen, depending on how long and which type of treatment you want. There's also a restaurant or vending machines if you'd like a snack afterword. Next time, I'd definitely bring some more money for at least a beer, if not a massage.

There's also a lounging area filled with reclinable chairs and shelves upon shelves of manga to read. I took a copy of Naruto and tried to read it... mainly looked at the pictures haha. I believe the second floor also had karaoke and Nintendo Wii's to play...

I also bought my first sushi dinner! The group of us ate a ton, I had 10 whole plates and drank a bottle of saki to boot! The bill wasn't bad either, only 1300 yen for me.

[Update: Last night I went to an all-you-can-eat style restaurant. For 2,000 yen you have access to unlimited sushi, ice cream (soft serve and scoop), crapes, cotton candy, soup, and an assortment of cold meats (including yakitori and cow tounge) sea food, and more. Some of the food is cooked by you, on a small grill that is installed right in center of the table. The atmosphere of this restaurant was made complete by the silly "selection music" that played the whole time... it sounded like electronic elevator music]

First Week of Classes, Influenza Fight

Things here at AIU have settled into a familiar rhythm (By the way, Phil never got in trouble for the party haha). Most of the faces I see around here are pretty familiar, and I know a lot of names at this point. This college is really small, I'd but the numbers somewhere around 400-500 students. There are maybe 90 international students, and girls definitely outnumber the guys by a 3:1 ratio. 

I've signed up for all my classes, clubs, and most extracurricular activities. This semester I'm taking: Intro to Biology, Environmental Science, Japanese 101, Intro to Japanese Performing Arts, and History of Japan. These are all pretty simple classes, all 100-200 level. My clubs include: Environment and Ecology (we plant food and grow it in a field), Judo (the art of tossin' foo's), Hopping Runners (not sure why they're hopping... just a running group), and Tennis. 

It seems that during my first week here, I caught a pretty nasty fever. After a few days, I finally decided to go see the school nurse about it. Unfortunately, she doesn't speak any english! So, after some time, patience, and eventually some help from the student admin. staff, I was told that I should go see a doctor because my fever was so high and had lasted so long. 

So, I took a bus to the local doctor near Wada Station. The bus driver let me off right outside of the office, and I was grateful for it because I'd never be able to find the place by myself. Inside, it was clean and orderly like any doctor's office. The nurses did not know much english, but thankfully the doctor could make coherent sentences. I went through the motions: check health insurance, please wait, come this way, few initial tests, please wait, see the doctor, answer questions, few more tests, please wait, stick a long q-tip up my nose and scrape my brain with it, please wait.

Finally, the doctor calls me back into his office to tell me I have Influenza B. It'll be a few more days until I'm better, and I should avoid being in public (ie. going to classes). I'm given some pills for the fever and the cough, and then I'm whisked back out to the front desk to pay for the visit. All in all, it was a pretty routine visit and I was most suprised by the cost. In Japan, health insurance will cover 70% of the cost for ANY medical service. So in my case, I only had to be 30% (2,000 yen) for this visit. Not bad!

I ended up walking 45 minutes to get back to campus (just missed the freakin bus) and I told student services of my situation. They advised that I be assigned a separate room away from everyone so I would not get students sick, and I agreed. Within the hour, I was moved into what I like to call "Quarantine Room," basically a handicap-friendly Global Village Apartment. 

The room itself was pretty nice, it already had furniture, internet connectivity, remote controlled heating and lighting, a kitchen, and a full bathroom (with the special toilet too!). 3 times a day my food would be delivered via a helpful worker-san. Otherwise, my time was spent sleeping or trying to watch Naruto online. Unfortunately, the internet in the room is pretty spotty, and so my time online was limited. 

That's why, after 4 days in that room, I've broken quarantine and snuck into the library to get some internet before most people wake up. I also had to get out of that room because I'm smelling some weird smell today, and I can't pin down what it is! At first I thought it was my body odor, then maybe last night's dinner, but now I'm starting to think that my nose is a little tweaked and I'm going to have this smell-bias for a while.

[Edit: The salad-dressing smell is gone. I have no idea what that was all about. Also, I move back to my room tomorrow. Everything is A-Okay!]

First Party at AIU- they CAN dance! Also, martial arts = man

On Friday night, we held a birthday party for two students at the university. The faculty actually let us have a dance party using the student center. Phil DJ'd for the event, and the only requirement/rule was no underage drinking... BAHAHAHAHA!

At first the party was pretty lame. The stage was set, the music was moving bodies, but none of the japanese students were dancing. They just formed a big circle around the room, like they wanted to watch but not participate. We were warned, the japanese students are very self-conscious about such outlandish behavior as dancing... so me and a few guys started grabbing girls from the outskirts of the dance floor and dragging them into our insanity. Pretty soon, the whole room was a mass of dancing bodies! (There was one Hungarian student who was an awesome sight to behold. Picture the 1970's disco scene; he was that guy wearing the tight white clothing and busting out pelvic gyrations and mini-kicks that made all the guys laugh, but all the girls want him). 

Phil did get in trouble by the end of the night because of the underaged drinking, and we'll find out the repercussions tomorrow. The japanese are strict when it comes to these laws, but Phil cannot be held responsible for their actions, especially since he announced the school's drinking policy twice.

Otherwise, this has been a pretty tame weekend. I slept a lot last night, bought a crazy multi-hangar and some sponges at AEON, and found a new abomination in fast food. This one is called the "Mega Mac," McDonald's heart-attack between buns that is only offered in Japan. It consists of 4 spiced meat patties between 3 buns, with delicious special sauce and a side of fries + drink. I was in a food coma afterwords.

Here's something interesting worth mentioning. I went to the library today to do some homework and go online, and while resting my eyes from the computer screen I spotted something on the bookshelf. It was like my mind told my eyes, "Hey, check this thing out RIGHT HERE." The spine of the book simply said "Martial Arts," and I decided to snap it up. I turn to the forward, and this is what I read:

"The Martial Arts cannot be practiced as a form of entertainment or distraction. They are a serious undertaking which does not necessarily mean a sad one- far from it. You cannot approach them tentatively with your fingertips, with a mere touch of the lips, or with superficial layers of thought or heart. It would be better never to become involved, but if you do, it is essential to carry on to the end, until one's being is regenerated to the point of being made man again- a real man."

The journey continues.

The First Week in Japan

Since I arrived at school, I've been keeping a journal in one of those black and white speckled Composition Books. You may ask, "Why keep both a journal and a blog? That is a lot of repetition!" This may be true, but I may be writing secrets about you in this journal, along with my own personal feelings and thoughts. I don't want the internet to keep track of these things, and besides, this blog is more about sharing my impressions of the Japanese culture with family and friends in the west.

The first few days of school were for orientation, which was a long and arduous process. I met a ton of kids, both international and native japanese. I'll say that I definitely feel the language barrier here when the students have conversations in japanese (or any other language). I try to listen intently to what they are saying, and maybe I'll pick up some key words, but otherwise it is still overwhelming. So I sit in my blissful ignorance and know that one day I'll be voicing my thoughts and opinions in nihongo. 

Along with the jetlag and language adjustment, I would say that I've been adapting to the culture quite well. Everyone is so polite and cute! I find myself bowing when saying "arigato" (thank you) and greeting passing japanese students with "ohayio" or "konbanwa" (good day/evening). I'll even say little things to express subtle feelings, like "kusau" (damnit!), "uri" ("i'm confused" sound), "yari yari" (used for different situations, can mean "I'm tired" or "Let's fuck em up!"), "men doksai" (what a pain), and the simple "hai" (means yes, used for acknowledgement of something or someone). The japanese spirit is accommodating, humble, and enriched with a sense of honor that is rare to see in America. My impression is that they do not express their true feelings or emotions in an extroverted way, but rather keep them within and sort it out in private. 

I've had a blast trying new things in Akita-city and the neighboring AEON shopping mall. We are pretty far from anything here on campus, so taking the bus to these places for 150 yen is how we stave off a lot of boredom. The city is quite clean, and I love how cartoons are so intermixed with the culture. You can't turn a corner without seeing an anime character on something. In AEON, my favorite activities include: getting a giant parfait, exploring Utopia Arcade and playing their 500 yen Gundam Simulator, buying a yakitori (meat stick) for 50 yen and carring the stick around in my mouth, watching japanese people and notice their coy glances at the curious "gaijin" (forigner), taking ridiculous pictures in japanese photo booths. 

I've found the greatest fun-zone on earth, and it's name is Round One. You pay an entrance fee of 2200 yen, for access to 3 floors of ridiculous fun! Here's a list of what they have: coin-less arcade, bowling, batting cages, volleyball, soccer, football, archery, mini golf, badmiddon, tennis, riflery, skating, mini-bikes, kiddy ball pens, boxing, pool, karaoke, massage chairs with WALLS of manga. Oh, and you can spend the night. This place is a short cab ride from AIU, so you can wake up and get back in time for classes... This place is heaven for everyone's inner child. 

I've met so many friends here, each one is unique and awesome. The campus community is very close, almost tribal in nature. Information and indeed gossip about people and events travels very quickly and to everyone. The japanese students are fun to talk to, because we are both just as excited and confused about each other. This international university will be a challenge to both my character and my social skills.

There has been a little romance already, but I won't say too much there because things are still up in there. I will say that she is sweet, kind, smart, cute (but not too cute), and japanese. She likes anime, manga, video games, and she's japanese. I know I said that already, but she gets bonus points because of it haha.

Arrival to Akita

I've finally gotten the internet situation under control, so here's a preliminary update on my journey so far. When I first arrived in Tokyo, I was surprised by how clean and orderly the airport and train areas were. Surrounded by Japanese people and words, I had to get a train ticket from Narita Airport, through Tokyo Central Station, and on to Akita Station in the far north. I was directed to an English-speaking ticketing counter, and had to shell out 20,000 yen for the train ride (that's about $200).

While on the Narita Express to Tokyo, I met a lovely woman named Yuki who was in her older 20's. We discussed some common interests (movies, anime, karaoke) and what were are both doing in life. She works at the airport 5 days a week and commutes from her apartment in Tokyo. If I can make a trip to Tokyo in the future, I would definitely like to go do some karaoke with her!

When we arrived to Tokyo station, I was unprepared for how hectic it would be. It was a sea of japanese people in a multileveled maze of escalators! Yuki helped me out by showing me where to go and buying me a ticket for the Akita Shinkasen (bullet train), also called the Komachi. While waiting for the train, I bought some sushi for 550 yen and watched people as I ate. 

A 4 hour train ride/nap later, I arrived in Akita-city. It was past midnight local time, and the train to Wada Station would not operate until morning. So, I found a taxi and managed to communicate that I wanted to go to Plaza Crypton (the hotel located right next door to AIU). Though it was dark outside, my first car ride on the LEFT SIDE OF THE ROAD was certainly a sightseeing adventure. 30 minutes and 4,800 yen later, I made it to the hotel.... but it was locked! I found a night-call buzzer and thankfully the man working the night-shift answered the door. He was extremely hospitable, handling my room key and the money I gave him like sacred objects. I was shown to my room with haste, and thats when I began to celebrate! I had a few post-travel cigarettes outside and did a little dance to express my happiness/keep warm in the cool night air. I was so overwhelmed that I couldn't help but shed some tears of joy. YATAH!

Yes, I am in Japan!

Words cannot express how overjoyed I am to be in this country! Everything is so different, but it feels so friendly and accommodating despite the language barrier. I was so overjoyed the first night that I cried in the hotel room! I am both at peace here, yet my heart is fueled by so many new friends, observations, and experiences. I've been keeping a separate (and more private) journal of this whole trip, because I consider this blog to be more of a social uplink to the West.

I apologize for the delay in updating, but things have been very busy here with orientation and spotty internet connections. When I get some stable internet later today, I'll put out some notable stories of my adventures here so far. There are lots of pictures to show too!

About to Head Out!

I'll be leaving America in less than 48 hours, and I'm mostly packed and ready to go. I'm a little nervous, but mostly excited for this trip to begin! I've taken care of all the necessary things here, and I'm ready for a new and exciting path to follow.

When I arrive in the country, I'll still have quite a journey ahead of me until I arrive at my final destination. After I land in Narita, I'll take an express shuttle to Tokyo station. From here, I'll buy a ticket for the bullet train north to Akita. 4 hours later, I need to locate the Crypton Hotel, where I made one night's reservations. I'll be sure to take lots of pictures on my way, as well as of the hotel and my morning meal (so excited for their food!). Finally, I take a shuttle to AIU and get settled in to my new home for the next 4 and a half months!

Though this school is situated in the middle of the country, it does offer a bus ride to the main city of Akita. This is great for those who want to make the walk in the summer, or pay a 100 yen (1 dollar) for the quick 15 ride to town. It's quite a walk, but this would encourage me to get some more running in, and it would offer some time to appreciate the natural surroundings in such a beautiful wooded area. 

I foresee money being an issue with this trip, since I'm already spending so much to get to Akita. Web design is my "future" income source, so I'm going to consciously split up my spending: pleasure, presents, and personal. This is everyday spending, big trips to the city, and gifts I'm bringing back (not for YOU! haha jk it probably is you). With my yen-intensions (or yenshins haha) made in advance, I'll know when and how I can make a trip to Tokyo and other areas, as well as enjoy onsens (hot baths), baseball games, and the Akihabara (games and comics in Japan). Horay for budgeting! 

Ithaca Preparations

Like Odysseus in Homer's The Odyssey, I've returned to the land of Ithaca (thankfully, I'm not facing 50 young suitors who are trying to steal my wife). I'm here for a few reasons, namely to secure an apartment for August 2009- May 2010 and make sure Financial Aid is taken care of. However, I do plan on seeing some good friends and enjoying some weekend drunken revelry before returning home on Monday. I also plan to get some website/iphone sdk work done... or at least finish reading and watching all the tutorials. 

I was surprised how well I was able to travel today. I basically listened to music, thought about things, played video games, and worked on my MacBook for 11 hours. And I feel amazing! My heart's magma burns with fire! It really is surreal being back in APT 0302, almost like I never left!

A Week of Assignments and Coffee

As this week comes to a close, I question a few expectations and assumptions that I have before I depart for Japan. What will it be like to finally immerse into Japanese culture, from my train ride into Akita to daily life with the locals. What can we talk about, relate to the world about? Will it just be day to day affairs, or random facts about Japan? How about the food, bathrooms, public communication, going to the store? All of these things I take for granted insofar as I already know the culture and norms of America. I can certainly expect some difficulty at least with the transition to a new language for all hours of my visit, but I remain hopeful that my learning curve is great enough to help me adapt to this new environment. I see myself journeying through Japan with a sense of self-discovery and growth that will also stir some change within me. 

I downloaded a few software development kits today, one for Mac called GameSalad and another for the IPhone. These are necessary along with Game Maker the Adobe Creative Suite to increase my arsenal of tech skills needed as an entrepreneur. I am a little apprehensive about this role, but I'll remain confident and see where life takes me. 

As far as female companionship is concerned, I'm ready for new friends during this international getaway. I've never had a steady girlfriend, but I'm not looking for a hookup either. I just want to get to know what girls from around the world are like, to see if I can grasp it enough to be communicating friends. Just talk about homework, classes, and common interests. And when the japanese schoolgirl fantasy starts to materialize before me, I'll know exactly what to do.

Before this week gets started, lets see the report for today's Killzone 2 scores here.

Me: Unlocked Medic's Combine Ability.

Puffy: Great motivational support.

Gotwols: First on his Team's Leaderboard. Also, 93 in a match without the team win 1.5 multiplier. 

"The Man who approaches War with Sorrow and Compassion will be passed over. Swords will swing and bullets shot, but none will land on Him. With the Way to guide Him, he can never be Lost in Death."

My First Post!

This is my first blog post! Horay! In honor of this day, I'll transcribe what I've already written in my journal/ slice of computer paper. 

[This was hand written on 3/11/09] Relaxation and Preparation

I have 20 days to prepare for my journey to Japan. I can't wait to get there and start seeing a whole new lifestyle, a whole new world in fact! I know I've overburdened myself with preparation work: learning Japanese, practicing Street Fighter 4, and developing Mom's website must remain at the top of the list. I also planned to work through my game programming and design books, as well as spend a few days in Ithaca. My primary concerns there are to secure housing for the fall semester, check on my motorcycle, and visit some friends. [some sentences omitted] 

I'm going to work hard to see these goals met, while detaching myself from the outcome. If I finish or leave work to be done later, I'll know that I gave it my best! Haha easier said than done, I can already feel my procrastinating mind say, "You don't have to do it RIGHT now, go have fun instead." Fun is my balance to work, and they must each hold a strong sway in my lifestyle from now on.