New Year

It's the end of 2010 already! As I get older, the years seem to pass more quickly. Maybe I'm just getting busier. Anyway, I've enjoyed my first year at S.I.S. very much. There are so many nice students here that it sometimes seems more like fun than work.

I don't have any special plans for the new year yet (although I'll go to Thailand to do a presentation with a couple of other teachers at the end of January). There are always parties somewhere on New Year's Eve, so I'll probably go somewhere in Kyoto (I lived there for 9 years, and most of my friends are still there). I'll be spending Christmas day in Guam with my family. I'm looking forward to some warm weather, and playing a round of golf. In Australia we say that Santa brings presents on his surfboard, but I don't know what to expect in Guam. Actually I don't make a big deal about Christmas now, but when Sophie gets a little older I will.

Do I have any new year's resolutions? Hmmm...I should decide to lose a little weight, of course. Okay, I'll only eat tofu every day for 2011!! Well, seriously, I'm thinking about joining a sports club in Takatsuki. It's a little far from my house, but I should make an effort, right? I hope you enjoy(ed) the winter break.

Discoveries

Another topic of Chapter 9(OC) is discoveries; either personal ones (about yourself, a friend, an intersting place, something you'd never noticed before about something familiar), or the more general type (exploration to foreign places, useful inventions etc).

This year, I've discovered how much fun blogging in class can be. I hope you agree with me. It's been my first time to do it, and I've enjoyed getting to know each of you better through your writing, and even your choice of photos and blog design. Computers are an ongoing discovery for me. I was already about 31 or 32 years old when the Internet became well known and people started exchanging email, whereas you have grown up with it.

Of course there are many other discoveries that I'm grateful for, not least fire, and the wheel (ha ha). Seriously though, when I ride my bicycle I usually think what a wonderful invention it is (to allow us to move quickly without causing any pollution, and giving us some exercise as well). Without the airplane I would probably never have come to Japan, so I appreciate the Wright brothers efforts too. I doubt the usefulness of space exploration though. I think we should spend money on saving the Earth, not trying to go to Mars!

I hate zoos

In Chapter 9 of the OC book we look at the future. Our future is full of uncertainty and problems. For one thing, the global population is growing fast, and a larger percentage of people have money to spend on manufactured products. Therefore, the habitat of wild animals is being destroyed to help boost all kinds of production and economic growth.

It's clear that many animal species will become extinct before long. Even the tiger, such a beautiful creature, is likely to disappear from the wild very soon. What can we do? As much as possible, I guess we have to create protected areas and enforce them more strictly, and have breeding programs in those protected areas to raise young endangered animals that naturally live around there. That will not always be 100% successful, but it seems to be the only answer.

I hate zoos though. Pandas don't belong in Japan, giraffes don't belong in Australia, and so on. I don't believe that owners of zoos who claim they are helping animals are sincere. They are just making innocent creatures prisoners, often in very small cages, and making a profit from visitors. My wife wanted to go to Asahiyama Zoo this summer, so I reluctantly agreed to go. Seeing magnificent creatures, such as wolves, moving up and down, up and down, again and again in the same small space (slowly going crazy) just made me feel depressed.

Something I used to love

Have you ever seen this game before? It's not really played in Japan, but is very popular across the world (in England, and former British colonies, basically). There are three forms of the game now; the 5 day test match, one day games, and 20-20, an even shorter version. Every four years there's a World Cup for the one day game.

It's said to resemble baseball slightly, but VERY slightly. It's a far more complex game, with many more strategies and possibilities. Americans say it's boring, because they don't have the patience to understand the subtleties of the game. One big difference is that the bowler (like a pitcher) should make the ball bounce before it reaches the batsman (batter). It is fine to try and hit the batsman, unlike in baseball. This tests his skill and courage. The ball can be hit anywhere in 360 degrees (there are no fouls). The batsman can keep batting as long as he has the ability to stay, but there are more ways to get him "out" than in baseball.

Anyway, when I was a boy I wanted to play for Australia at this sport, but sadly I couldn't. Maybe it's just as well I couldn't, or I wouldn't have become a happy English teacher in Japan.

Partners

When English speakers talk about "Mister, or Miss, Right", they mean the man or woman who is an ideal match for them as a partner in marriage. The topic of ideal partners is raised in Chapter 8 of the OC book, so I'll tell you about mine. Her given name is Yoshiko, although she prefers to be called Miko (another way of saying the same kanji). I've already told you that we met on a flight from Bangkok to Osaka about 8 years ago.

To tell the truth, I don't believe in the idea of there being just one Mr or Ms Right for anyone. In my opinion, that sort of idea belongs in silly Hollywood movies. There are almost certainly several people who could be an ideal partner for you. The most important thing is timing. Are you both ready for marriage at about the time you meet/ start dating? Of course you need to share common goals, values, and so on, and find each other attractive, but that is not such a rare thing to find in others.

Anyway, what I like about Miko is that she has good common sense and is not shy about telling me her opinion, especially if I think of some foolish idea/plan (I sometimes do). She's also independent, which means she doesn't depend on me for entertainment all the time. She's talkative as well, which means I don't feel pressure to always think of conversation topics.

What kind of person would be your ideal partner? When do you think you will feel ready to marry someone? What kind of wedding/ honeymoon would you like to have? Please respond in your next post.

A good friend

This is a photo of me with my good friend Greg, and his lovely wife and daughter (Lisa & Julia), about five years ago. At that time they lived in the countryside in Queensland, and could sometimes see kangaroos from their balcony. They live in Melbourne now. Greg's main job has been as a counsellor for people with various problems, such as alcoholics etc. It's not always easy work.

We first met in 1985, through a mutual friend in Brisbane. We were both 20 years old and crazy about music at the time, and enjoyed checking out each other's record collections (yes, records...there were no CDs even, at that time). In the next few years, we sometimes shared rental houses with other people, often went to concerts and parties together, and took a couple of long trips with other guys to remote parts of Australia.

I haven't seen as much of him as I would have liked over the past 20 years, as I've been in Japan most of that time, but we've kept in touch and remain great friends. I was best man at his (& Lisa's) wedding 7 or 8 years ago. What I like best about him is that he's not like the "average" person. He has his own way of thinking and behaving. He doesn't care about conforming to so-called "normal" behaviour, or acting like most people do. He's a unique individual, and very funny and intelligent. These days he likes to write short stories whenever he has time. Recently something he wrote about Australian football was published in The Age (the main Melbourne newspaper).

A special day

I know that some of you are interested in charity, so I'll tell you about a special day for some of my friends and me. Once a year, in June, we take part in a sponsored walk for charity along the Kamo River in Kyoto city. As some of you may know, a sponsored walk involves finding sponsors (people who agree to donate money if you do what you say you will do), and then taking part in the event (a 10km walk, in our case). My best friend, Kevin Ramsden, who lives in Kyoto, organizes the event. (The photo is of some of us taking a break at the halfway point).

We walk 5km from San-jo bridge up to Kitayama bridge, then turn around and walk back down the other side of the river. A mixture of Japanese and foreigners take part every year, and we all have lunch and drinks together in an Irish pub afterwards. As you can imagine, I gain more calories than I lose during the day. The purpose is to raise money for disadvantaged children (orphans in Zimbabwe and Nepal). Kevin has contacts in those countries. Last year we raised a little over 1,000,000 yen, and had fun at the same time. If any of you are interested in joining us next year, let me know sometime.

Communication in a high tech world

As we all know, people (particularly in developed countries) have access to amazingly sophisticated technology nowadays. It is certainly true that this gives us the ability to communicate faster and in more ways than ever before. But what use are people making of this technology? Are people communicating more, and leading happier lives as a result?

Of course there is no one simple answer to this question. My friend Dale (we were on our way to a concert at Zepp Osaka in the photo) loves to go out and has many friends, but he also makes notes about his experiences and writes about them on his blog. He uses technology to enrich his (already enjoyable) life. Can we always say the same thing about other people? My friends and I sometimes comment about seeing a few (usually Japanese) people sitting together somewhere for a long time, all of them using their keitais, and never talking. It looks like a strange situation, in our opinions. Is technology making people less interested in talking? In the past families used to sit together and watch TV, so even if they didn't talk very much, at least they were sharing an experience. Now kids go to their rooms and use their various high tech devices alone. Could technology become more of a problem than a help to communication? What do you think?

Globalization's impact on me

Naturally globalization has affected my life in various ways, but the most obvious one is that it played a part in me choosing to live in Japan. I first came to Japan in 1989. At that time I was feeling adventurous and just wanted to explore the world as much as I could. I had been in India for 4 months before I arrived in Tokyo, and was curious to see what life in Japan was like (maybe I was also kind of chasing an American girl, but that's another story).

I knew very little about Japan then. I was even surprised and relieved to discover that there were some trees in Tokyo!! It was hard to adjust to the crowds at first. Being inside Shinjuku station at night made me feel like I was some kind of fighting spaceship in a video game, dodging missiles. After a few happy years here I realized I could enjoy having a career in Japan, even without speaking good Japanese (because of globalization). I went back to Brisbane to do my M.A., but always planned to return.

Summer

The most enjoyable part of my summer was probably just having plenty of time to spend with Sophie. Her first birthday was on August 20th (this photo was taken on that day). Over the summer she discovered how to walk. Now she can walk across a room slowly, swaying from side to side, kind of like a drunken old man. Although she's only small, she's surprisingly strong, and loves to be chased around the house (by me) and to play with things that "grown ups" use, such as remote controls, mobile phones etc.

We went to Hokkaido, as planned, and had a good time exploring some national parks. It was cooler there than Kansai of course, especially in the forests and on mountains. I carried Sophie 1.7 km up a very steep, rocky trail to the top of Kurodake (in Daisetsuzan National Park) on my back. It nearly killed me, but the views from the top of the mountain made it worthwhile. We saw a fox up there, and some squirrels as well. The weather was good the whole time, and we ate really delicious soft cream every day (maybe my summer diet was not 100% successful).

Summer vacation

This summer I'm planning to go to Hokkaido with my family. Sophie is too young to take on a long flight, so we decided to hang out in Japan somewhere. I lived in Sapporo for a year in 1992, so this will be a nostalgic return for me after 18 years. At that time I was a young guy working at a conversation school and didn't get much time off, so I didn't do as much sightseeing as I would've liked. This time I want to enjoy the countryside more. We're trying to book a sleeping car on the "Twilight Express" (the Osaka-Sapporo train), but it seems like it's hard to make a reservation. If that's not possible, we'll fly. Anyway, I'll rent a car up there and drive around for about 10 days. Sometimes we'll stay in expensive hot spring hotels, and other times just cheap places. I'm especially looking forward to spending time at Akan National Park (it includes Masshu-ko), and swimming in some lakes. I guess we'll eat "jingiskan"(?) too. Lamb (or mutton) is delicious!

A magical experience

I took this photo while standing on top of an old, ruined temple in the countryside in Cambodia. The sunset was spectacular, and we could see across a really wide area of jungle. The sound of the insects was very mysterious, almost like some kind of machine. They must have been a similar creature to cicadas though.

Angkor Wat was very near this place too. If you have a chance, I really recommend you go there. There is a strange sense of something "special" as you approach it. It's hard to describe, but you might feel how wonderful the Khmer culture must have been. The Khmers came from present day Cambodia, but ruled a huge Asian empire from about 900 A.D.- 1400. The stone walls of Angkor Wat are decorated with countless carvings showing events from the daily lives of the people.

My good and bad points

Of course I have many bad points, but maybe the worst is that I'm not strict enough with myself. I usually eat and drink too much. If I want something, I have it. If I exercised more, it might be okay, but these days I don't have much chance to play sport. Anyway, I'm also a bit lazy. I don't like cleaning my room very often, and tend to leave things until the last minute. My wife says I'm stubborn too. I guess that's right, although maybe that can sometimes be a good thing.

My best point is probably that I'm reliable. If I say I'll do something, I really try to be sure that I actually do it. That's something that I think is important, for myself or anyone. I'm also glad to say that I'm not a follower of fashion. I prefer to do things my way, and don't care what is "popular". Also, I'm not especially fussy. Simple things can satisfy me.

Accomplishments

My daughter is a genius. She has an amazing accomplishment already. She can read the newspaper. When she has finished reading the newspaper, she eats it, which saves me having to take it to the garbage collection point. She's a very helpful, considerate person.

Maybe my best accomplishment was to help bring Sophie into the world and keep her happy and satisfied. I'm also successful at keeping the garden at our house in good condition, so that visitors who come to have a barbecue with us in the yard can enjoy a pleasant view. I have also visited numerous different countries in the world and broadened my undestanding of some other cultures, which was always a dream of mine.

Getting ahead

It's seldom easy to succeed in business, because there's usually a lot of competition. Businesses try to attract attention to themselves in various ways. Advertising is one obvious method. The owner of this carpet shop in Istanbul has another method. He keeps his lovely cat outside the shop. People passing by are bound to be attracted by it, and stop to play with it (as I did). Then the owner comes out and talks to you (soon the topic turns to carpets). I found out that this type of cat is unique to Turkey. They are always white, with different colored eyes. I don't like to buy bulky items when I travel, so I didn't get a carpet. It was fun meeting the cat though.

A great city I've visited

Have you heard of Dubrovnik? Maybe not. It's on the coast of Croatia, which used to be part of Yugoslavia before the war in the early 1990s. A few centuries ago, it was controlled by Venice (when Venice was an independent city-state, before Italy was formed). Many of the better buildings in the old town were designed by the Venetians. You can still walk around the outside of the old town on top of the city walls. Down below are charming stone houses built close together, some of them on a steep slope. My wife and I rented an apartment here for a few days. The people are friendly, the weather is usually good and the seafood is always fresh. This is a photo I took of the old town after swimming at the beach below.

My last place

Before my wife and I moved to our current house, we lived in a "mansion" in Juso. I use quotation marks ("...") because mansion actually means a huge, super expensive house. We lived in an apartment, on the 6th floor of a 10 storey building overlooking Juso Park. It faced west, so in the evenings I could often enjoy beautiful sunsets. I remember watching planes climbing in the sky from Itami airport. After a while, I came to recognize their flight paths. I had many potted plants on the balcony. Once a year, we could watch the Yodogawa fireworks festival from the balcony. On those nights, we invited friends and had a party. It was a bit cramped for more than two people, so we decided to move to a house when we were ready to have children.

Life these days

My life these days is going fine! I've been very busy getting used to teaching at a new university. This is my first year at Kangaku. I hated the travel from Takatsuki to Kotoen in crowded trains at first, but now I can cope with it a bit better.

I'm enjoying this time of year, because it has finally started to get warm. I hate cold weather. On the weekend I enjoyed being outside working in my garden most of the time, or sitting on the terrace (overlooking the pond near our house) with my wife and daughter, Sophie. Sophie is 8 months old now, and is growing up fast. It's fun to play with her, but we also have a lot of things to do to take care of her. She can sit up by herself, but can't crawl yet. She enjoys mashed vegetables, fruit, udon, rice, and salmon. She enjoys eating everything (like her father does!!), and usually looks happy. Do you like the photo of her?