Thursday, November 29, 2007
Monday, November 19, 2007
"Okinawa's war time wounds reopened"
My island itself was invaded by Americans; I've met people that experienced it. The wounds are still there, so to speak. And I've felt guilty, being an American in Japan. Guilty for the bomb when the 9th graders make their yearly trip to Hiroshima. Guilty when an American causes trouble for Okinawans.
I feel guilty for this too, because I'm feeling indignation over it and I know that America's deeds in Okinawa aren't without shame.
My island itself was invaded by Americans; I've met people that experienced it. The wounds are still there, so to speak. And I've felt guilty, being an American in Japan. Guilty for the bomb when the 9th graders make their yearly trip to Hiroshima. Guilty when an American causes trouble for Okinawans.
I feel guilty for this too, because I'm feeling indignation over it and I know that America's deeds in Okinawa aren't without shame.
Monday, November 12, 2007
My Beach Project
As part of the "My Beach Project", I served as "beach captain" for a stretch of beach on my home island of Ie.
We cleaned the beach and tallied the garbage we collected. Akiko-sensei and I ended up doing the majority of the work, seeing as the boys would pick up piece of trash then sit in the sand and stare out at the ocean.
Beggars can't be choosers, and I was pleased with any help I could get.
I'll spare you the environmental spiel; there was a lot of trash and it was shameful, shameful, that it accumulates as it does. Even in Okinawa, with their close connection to the ocean, trash is everywhere.
Token "Mission Accomplished" photo:
We cleaned the beach and tallied the garbage we collected. Akiko-sensei and I ended up doing the majority of the work, seeing as the boys would pick up piece of trash then sit in the sand and stare out at the ocean.
Beggars can't be choosers, and I was pleased with any help I could get.
I'll spare you the environmental spiel; there was a lot of trash and it was shameful, shameful, that it accumulates as it does. Even in Okinawa, with their close connection to the ocean, trash is everywhere.
Token "Mission Accomplished" photo:
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Welcome to the Galaxy
I have quite a bit to post from October, but I've been busy playing Super Mario Galaxy in my free moments. I've wanted to gush about it to someone and Okuma suggested Takeuchi-sensei, but I think he just wanted to see the look on Takeuchi's mustachoid face when I brought it up. It's not the first time the teachers have ribbed him for looking like Mario.
My gaming habits have changed--particularly in terms of Mario games. Instead of helter-skelter running around, skipping to new worlds with the bare minimum of stars, I instead play each level (galaxy) through as many times as possible, stripmining it of goodies before moving on. This works most of the time: occasionally a comet blows by a galaxy and opens up a new star and I must return to a previous galaxy I thought I'd conquered.
I haven't played a game in a long time where I had almost complete, unending joy even when a level is being frustrating. I exclaim and curse and have laughed my ass off at various points. It's just a pleasure to play!
That's enough gushing for now.
My gaming habits have changed--particularly in terms of Mario games. Instead of helter-skelter running around, skipping to new worlds with the bare minimum of stars, I instead play each level (galaxy) through as many times as possible, stripmining it of goodies before moving on. This works most of the time: occasionally a comet blows by a galaxy and opens up a new star and I must return to a previous galaxy I thought I'd conquered.
I haven't played a game in a long time where I had almost complete, unending joy even when a level is being frustrating. I exclaim and curse and have laughed my ass off at various points. It's just a pleasure to play!
That's enough gushing for now.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)