rain

Woke up at 6, while chekcing my email I found George Bush picked Tony Snow as his new press sectretary. How friggin funny is that? He is not making any effort to appeal to anyone who disagrees with him. Can you tell he is NOT up for re-election?

Skyliner-Charlie Barnet!

Found an interesting article on the internet in China; how the government and business censor the findings and availabitlity of search engines, blogs, and news. Very interesting stuff. A great deal of it focused on the issue of Google "selling out" their freedom of speech creditials for profit. The article makes a good arguement that they in fact did not, entirely, sell out.

The internet is a rather large chink in Chinese armor, and this is an important subject. The conclusion brings up a point I have myself made on several occasions. That people get used to making choices. If you start of choosing between Coke and Pepsi, you will eventually wonder why you can't have a Mountain Dew instead. A slippery slope leading to increased freedom, though not likely democratization in China anytime soon. China will never have an American Style deomcracy, and I am not so sure that bothers the Chinese much. They have their own thing going, and some day they will get it just the way they like it.

So, the ready availability of points of view radically different from the party line-literally, in this case, should increasingly bring pressure from below on the party for concessions towards greater freedom of expression, and the slope slides on. Why dont you check out some info on Chinese internet?

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/23/magazine/23google.html?pagewanted=1
http://www.opennetinitiative.net/studies/china/

For an interesting experiment, I recomend you use this link to Google China, and search for Falon Gong. Then compare the tone of the results to a similar search on Google.com. I doubt you will be terribly surprised, but it is fun anyway!
http://www.google.cn/

So, anyway, school was great today, but the kids are a handful at this school. Ther e were a lot more show offs, and jerks than usual. Strange, but the staff is nice, and the building is close to home so I am willing to work with them. I am just waiting for Golden Week next week from Tuesday until Monday. I will be off, and may just finally make it to Kyoto. I have a sleeping bag, a tent, and a car. I am good to go anywhere! Whoo hoo!!!! Exciting ne? My life rocks. Of course, if history is any judge I will do far less than I could and be very happy with that. I am boring, what can I say? Well, my bottle of sake awaits, and I am tired of typing. See ya!

On the road to find out

Missing some friends tonight. I wish I could pack up friends like socks and carry them with me. Seeing them online is not the same as seeing them. Oh well. Tomorrow is another day, and I have kids to play with. =)

bats outside

Home again. I must admit that I do not yet really know what to do with all my new found free time! I am off most evenings, and have very little do now; now that everyone has gone home, that is. School is still going great. I am not enjoying my current school as much as my first, but the kids are the same, and I am enjoying them very much. I spent my last 40 minutes today playing dodge ball with one of the sixth grade classes-it was a blast. I think today I played dodge ball twice, and climbed the monkey bars. I might have done something else too, but I forget things you know. Lunch today was crap. Today and tomorrow is fifth grade, they have a HUGE fifth grade class; nearly twice the size of the others. Kinda wierd, actually. So anyway, same thing different day. wish me luck!

damn loud train

Chillin at the crib. Just wanted to let ya'll know we are on day four, and it is STILL a ROCKIN job. ALTIA kicks ass...

Black Muddy River

So I show up at work, some lady brings me coffee and I sit on my ass for an hour or so studying. After that, I go do two classes. After those classes, I go to one classroom, where I eat my lunch with students-same lunch in fact (different trays though). After lunch, I sit on my ass for a about 30 minutes drinking more delivered coffee, and then do two more classes. Following which I am told to get the hell out of the school. I didn't leave, but I could have!

All in all, my life will be some variation on this schedule for the next year. I am not unhappy about this. I love the kids, I like the teachers, and the school lunch is not bad at all. Do I need to bring up the coffee again? I am really enjoying my new job here, but that does NOT mean I am good at it! Someday, perhaps, but right now I suck! Oh well, I like playing with the kids anyway.

So my parents have been visiting for about a week. I feel bad, because I was not really able to plan them a good visit. I wanted to set everything up, but I was either too lazy or too busy. I am not sure which. Either way, I am trying to show them every thing I can, and direct them to everything else. It is all I can do. Unfortunatly, I do not think they will be making it to Kyoto this time. I guess it will be incentive to return. I feel bad about that, but in context-I have never been to Kyoto either.

I bought a rice cooker, fridge, iron, ironing board, and various kitchen utensils at the "recycle shop." I ALMOST have a livable apartment-with an extra bedroom. Can you beat that? Hmmmmm...ne?

Also, just in case anyone was wondering-I dont miss Nova. I just miss my students!

She's your cocaine

6 hours and several, ok, perhaps more, chu hais later I am happy to announce I had a great evening. I met a black man from Baltimore who was very interesting to talk with. VERY interesting. The first deep and intellectual conversation I have had in Japan with any substance. It was cathartic, and quite enjoyable-the kind of conversation that 90% of the world would not understand, and 5% would not care about. I still do not agree that “racism” in Japan is actually misrepresented “nationalism” though. I have a different idea of nationalism. To my mind, racism harnessed towards political, etc ends would constitute nationalism-not the failure of some dude to let me into a hotel because I am not Japanese. That is racism to me, simple and pure. However, since there is really no acceptable definition of nationalism as a sociological construct the answer (and who is right) will have to remain a mystery.

Happiness is a long conversation about something, rather than nothing. I am free.

Thus far, I am 1 for 1 on my quote challenges, yet I am inspired to try it again. This time I ask not for who said it, but rather what was said. Good luck, those bored enough to try.

A quote by Rick Blaine is my guardo camino for the evening.

when doves cry

Dont want to jump the gun, but Altia seems on the up and up. Nice, but not too slick. More to come...