Nihon, Nihongo, and Oh-So-Much-More

Japan was incredible.

I start by saying this to anyone who asks how my trip was. That's because the moment I attempt to encapsulate the experience of living there for five weeks, words fail. I can't accurately summarize all that I felt and what the experience meant to me, and I suppose people don't really want me to either. They want to hear it was "good," and move on with their lives.

That doesn't keep me from wanting to express it. The beauty, the history, the spiritual aspects and the people... How do you explain that to someone who hasn't been there, in the moment? It's an undertaking that seems fairly impossible. I will elaborate as I see fit, but this will be closer to a collage of fragmented thoughts, moments and pictures in Japan.

Maybe that's best anyway. Maybe that's the way it really happened.


Landing. We came into the Kansai Intl Airport, a manmade island they built in the ocean, slowly sinking as the years go by.


View from the balcony of our dorms.


Breakfast of champions. Didn't think seaweed wrapped rice balls filled with fish sound delicious first thing in the morning? Well, you'd be wrong.


A fantastic photo of me. I must be overcome by all the excitement of Namba, a neon-lit shopping area where the trendy hang out. Trendy like me. And this look.




Ramen isn't just ramen. Although it is made in Osaka. Ramen shops specialize in incredible from-scratch varieties that chefs spend years in school learning to create. This remains one of the best meals I had. Maybe if you lick your computer screen you'll taste a bit of the incredible garlic flavor in this dish.


On the other hand, nothing quite grosses me out like Jello. Particularly coffee flavored jello. Utah would've stumbled on this first if they'd been into caffeinated beverages. Luckily Japan worked it out, so the world won't miss out on this delight.


And then there's Mos Burger. Think hamburger, with teriyaki sauce, lots of mayo, add curry and some onions on a delightful bun and you have Mos Burger. Better than it sounds. I promise.


Mass transit is all the rage in Japan. Occasionally very crowded, rather expensive on the whole, and totally convenient and clean. It puts ours to shame. Oh and that's Laurel in the background, another program member, dutifully doing as asked by the University, to wear masks around for the first week we're there, lest we kill everyone in Japan with swine flu. It didn't last quite so long with the rest of us...

I guess it would be appropriate to say this is a blog on my first impressions of Japan: food, surrounding areas and mass transit. So it seems like as good a bridge as any to end this post with my Shinkansen ride to Tokyo. We'll save Tokyo for next time, but these bullet trains are incredible. They literally leave and arrive the minute they say they will. The stewardess' are helpful and friendly, and the entire experience is just good.



More to come ...

Alright, alright already...

To be updated soon: a brief blog on the wonders of Japan. Hopefully
you don't care if it's a lot of pictures. Cuz those are worth
thousands of words. Words I don't have to write.

Dear Anonymous

Well friends, I am officially returned to the United States. And I have many incredible things to say about Japan. I love the exposure to a society that gives me the opportunity to experience a different cultural perspective; an opportunity that always allows one to question the places they came from and to expand their mind and narrow their predjudices. This is why I love to travel and explore places that aren't... well, here.

I have far too much I could discourse on my time in Japan, but for the moment, I will lead into the actual topic I wish to discuss tonight.

Today I got a response to my post on "The Trials of Self Loathing," from an anonymous reader who apparently doesn't agree with what I have to say. Which is fine! I don't expect everyone to think as I do. But likewise, they can hardly expect me not to address their comments if I feel so inclined. And since it is my blog, so I shall.

First the comment:

On Jul 14, 2009, at 4:51 PM
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "G0ywads, or The Trials of Self-Loathing":

Attempting to explain spiritual things to non-spiritual people is impossible. Depth goes way over their heads.
When the spirituality on this blog actually is developed and strived for, maybe this blog would be worthy of reading.

And now, my response:

Dear Anonymous,
Thanks for your thoughts! The feedback of the readers helps us improve the services we provide here at Once A Murderer. Now, if I may, I'd like to address your comments.

First, bravo on soldiering your beliefs! It takes true moral fortitude to stand for what's right in these dark and increasingly evil times. I'm just disappointed you felt as though you needed to post your response anonymously. If, as you seem to imply in your comments, spirituality and hence God are on your side, there should be no reason to not publicly declare your lofty residence in the mansions of Heaven. Certainly I would never presume that your remarks were made anonymously out of a shame for your tennants, but you've put me in the difficult position of having to surmise the type of person who wrote this, so I might adequately respond.

Clearly you are not an avid reader of my blog since the post you remarked upon is older, and in terms of content, hardly a scathing review of religion. I've written far worse.

But perhaps we have some common ground there. I suspect that to some degree you too believe other religions can seriously confuse people looking for the truth. We differ only in that you believe you have "the one true church" and I believe there's no such thing. Ah well. As the saying goes, "You say tomato..."

I'm making the assumption you're a member of "the church." Your morally superior tone has that ring to it. I understand the need to justify to yourself that the way you're living your life is right. But I would like to offer a little advice, as a friend. Being so cocksure about an unknown afterlife and your own spiritual jockeying smacks of doubt. In fact, I find it interesting that you left these anonymous comments on that particular post, one which focuses on self-loathing, closeted homosexuals. For all intents and purposes, you've left me to assume you fall in that category and are thus taking such offense to my blogging.

Now I also gather you got to my blog through my facebook link, so likely we're facebook friends (a meaningless title indeed) unless you've dropped me for my lack of subjugation to the prophetic counsel. After all, you wouldn't want to hold onto people who don't think or believe the same way you do. It's a pretense that's seen us through Holocaust atrocities, Marxist regimes, and even mob persecutions of Latter Day Saints. Solid thinking indeed.

Perhaps that's the reason for your anonymity, then. Perhaps, like many who cry the loudest, you're covering for your own personal problems. I should hope you didn't withhold your identity for fear of being revealed as a hypocrite. Although it makes sense; and I completely understand, then, if you felt like you needed to make a righteous attempt at combating Satan but were afraid your own life, seated upon your throne and crowned with arrogance, wouldn't hold up to the scrutiny.

And what a crown it must be. I admit that I bristle (albeit only slightly) at your implication that I neither have nor am striving for spiritual things. I'm much obliged for your assessment, I really am. And I hope you'll give Jesus a high-five from me the next time you sit down with him and determine the spiritual state of others.

I could take the time to explain my own spirituality, my belief system, and the trials I went through to come to them and stand here as a person who feels he lives his life according to codes of a spiritual nature. I could, but I won't because I'm afraid the "depth" would go way over your head (A quick clarification: Does that sentence in your response mean I'm so deep I can't see the shallower "depths" above my head? I'm just asking logistically, of course, since that would reasonably, make me deeper than you. Elucidation would be quite welcome). It's incredibly presumptuous of you. I can only take from this that you mean I don't fall within your standards of spirituality. Not to be rude, but considering what you've given me so far - that you're likely a hypocritical closet case who feels better by condemning things that he/she doesn't understand - I'm not sure I want to hold myself to your spiritual standard. Its got a little too much "double" mixed in.

Finally, I appreciate that you've deemed my blog unworthy of reading - not just for yourself but for everyone. As I previously stated, you've clearly not been following my blog, so while I am grateful for your thoughts, I doubt you speak for all the readers out there. And sweetie, if you don't like my blog, no one is forcing you read it. You sound as though you'd be much more comfortable perusing LDS.org, so please, feel free to waste their time if you don't care for the content here. I have no intention of asking for your permission, or your spiritual guidelines before posting in the future, so really, don't expect it to get any better.

Anonymous, in the future, if you want to leave more comments on my blog, I welcome them. But in the meantime, feel free to take a look at why you're so desperate to prove your faith by anonymously attacking the spirituality of others through chicken shit comments. If you're looking for a fight, I'm happy to oblige, although I generally prefer rational, well-reasoned arguments. The "God-says-so" defense doesn't hold water, and the "I'm-on-Spiritual-high-ground" gives you no credibility. Seriously, do better next time.

Love your friend and offensive blogger,
Peter

Mysteries of the Exotic East

Konnichiwa bitches.

As a quick update, I just wanted to inform you, my loyal readers, that i am currently going to be updating this very rarely for the next month or so. Whats the difference from what i am currently doing, you ask? As you should, since i never update this regularly anymore...

Fine, that was deserved. But i am not updating anytime soon because i have limited internet capabilities (although this may change when we are no longer under quarantine by the school for suspected swine flu. which we dont have but the japanese are afraid we do.)because (oh. i already stole my own thunder)Im in japan. and this keyboard is really difficult to use at times. i keep switching into kanji and kana characters. if my grammar is terrible, thats why.

Yes, the exotic world of anime, honorific exchanges, and robots. though i have yet to see any of the last one. but i have faith that i will get to before too long. here's hoping. anyway the point is that im far too busy trying to survive to worry about keeping this blog up to the minute. or week. or month.

whatever, in the meantime, ill continue to get stared at by adults, laughed at by children, and misunderstood some old asian guy trying to help me figure out how to buy a subway pass. until then, take care and just be jealous i can buy sake out of vending machines here.

G0ywads, or The Trials of Self-Loathing

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Ring Around the Costume Shop

Finally, as promised far too long ago, I will post my sketches and the actual costumes that came from them. It was for a beginning costume design class, so we each took a character from the play Ring Around the Moon. I was assigned Isabelle, a character who wears a dress that gets constantly mentioned throughout the play - it was a daunting task. Plus the director set the piece in 1912. Has anyone looked at the dresses during this period? They aren't pretty, they don't move, and they're not flattering to the figure. Ah well.

The process was also pretty consuming. I have to research the period and dresses for said occasions, then search for the right fabrics, dye them to the appropriate colors, meet with the pattern-maker and help them create a 3D version of the sketch, attend fittings, hair stylings, etc. etc. etc.

Turned out that my simple designs were some of the most time consuming and difficult to make, not to mention costly. This is a running theme - somehow I dream in naturally complicated designs. We saved a little money by not purchasing the perfect hand-beaded fabric online for the ball gown (which, when paired with the silk crepe would've brought this dresses cost in materials alone to $3000) and instead, I spent my life beading it myself. You do what you gotta do, I guess. Course, some saintly souls were willing to aid my in that beading process, but I'll allege I spent around 20 hours doing it. While I didn't have to make the dresses, I was still deeply involved and anything not clearly someone else's job, fell to me.

All in all I think it turned out well. Unfortunately these pictures don't do the beading/sparkle justice. Just imagine it sparkling under the stage lights. Because it did. And it was fantastic. My hands still hurt.

The Travel Dress/Coat:
This picture is terrible, I just took a quick one with my iphone, so sorry for the lousy quality.


And here's the actual:


On stage, suitcase in hand:


The Ball Gown
Once again, this is partially terrible photo and that I used colored pencils (watercolor or prisma color markers are far superior) but you get what you get.


And the actual:


The dress in action:


There you have it. It was busy, but in the end it was also really, really cool. For our final project we created designs for an imaginary show of our choosing, in any time period, but based upon the 7 Deadly Sins. I'll post those as soon as I get them back.

Updates Galore

...are coming soon. In fact they'd come now if I didn't have to go to work. Damn it. Well, just sit on the edge of your seat until then, because as promised, the designs and the dresses will make their way on here, plus what has taken up all of my time the last couple months...

To make this post a little less lame, I will present for your viewing pleasure, the Chuck Norris Action Jeans!

Everyone should own a pair, or five. Who knows when you'll get into a scrape that only Chuck could get you out of.