2013/06/25

In the Light of the Super moon



A superstar / beautiful, charming, lovely, full breasted /
meets a superhero / red, blue, strong and full chested / 
at the supermarket / bright, bustling, loud, and fully stocked.
Together they fight supernatural things / the haunted, the mysterious / their force brings forth shock.
They make love 'neath the Super moon / round, yellow, now at its fullest/
They are a superlative / the best, the most, the biggest and brightest.
Until a supernova swallows them all / the moon, the sky, their green and blue planet /
Proving that one and for all, it is mightiest.




Photograph by Quynh Ton, Your Shot via National Geographic

Your Time Left on Earth: One Day vs. 30 Years vs. One Hundred Years



This week's Freakonomics podcast had listeners weigh costs and benefits of a different kind of economics question: if you had a 50/50 chance of getting Huntington's disease in the future and you were given a chance to take a test to confirm whether or not you will get the disease, would you take the test? Currently there are no treatments or preventative measures for the disease (excluding choosing not to have children thereby choosing to prevent passing the gene to the next generation).

If I knew that I carried the gene, would I change the way I live my life? Sure, I wish that my family could all be together. But I want to see the world. I also want my independence. I love, miss, and appreciate my family because of our limited time together. I wouldn't be anywhere else than I am right now if I knew that I carried the gene.

2013/06/23

Do Americans Eat Rice?

“Do Americans like rice?” an earnest Japanese student asked me. As an American and an ex-pat living in Japan, I’m constantly at odds with questions about American culture and tradition, such as  questions about food, dress, religion, politics, education, health care, language, tradition, family values, pop culture, rock culture, poop culture, public transportation, large suburban homes and bustling sleepless cities, Lady Gaga, First Lady Obama, taxes, taxi rates, Disneyland, and Disney World. I was hired to serve as a high school English teacher and post facto international ambassador for Japanese students’ culture-related questions.

We Japanese take off our shoes when we enter a building. Do Americans do that?
We Japanese use chopsticks and many small dishes when we eat. How do Americans eat?
We Japanese eat rice with every meal. Do Americans eat rice?

Some of their questions are easy to answer:

The Simple Life

Just as a skilled photographer helps us appreciate the startling beauty in the most simple, everyday sights, so to must we never forget the good in simplicity.

When I was working in Oakland, it was a struggle to show up to work because it was so. Damn. Hard. I’m not going to get into that too much. Now, it’s sometimes hard to show up to work because I feel so purposeless… On more days than I’m willing to admit, I show up at 8:14 (just barely on time… not that it matters), sit at my desk and do as I please (read a book, write, study Japanese, surf the web…… … … yup, that about covers it), and clock out at 4:00. I usually get bored out of my mind, sitting in silence for 7 hours and 45 minutes without any tasks or responsibilities. Assistant Language Teachers are often ridiculously under-utilized in JET.

Today, I procrastinated in showing up for work. At the last minute, my stomach felt ever-so-slightly uncomfortable, at which point I contemplated calling in sick. Despite this, I slowly marched through my routine in getting ready for work.

2013/06/21

The Pursuit of --

You're pursing something.
Right now, you're working towards something.
You want it badly.
What is it? Where is it?
Why do you want it? 
How long have you wanted it?
Will it make you happy? Are you unhappy unless you have it?
Will it fulfill you? Are you unfulfilled until you have it?

What do you want? It's hazy now. Why do you want it? It's hazy now.
It's happiness. It's a better job. It's a healthy relationship. It's more time. It's quality time. It's work. It's recreational time.
It's elusive. It comes in and out of focus.
You're happy. You want to be happier. You have like. You want love. You have a home. You want the world. You have the world. You want a home.