I saw me a tree!

So many of the pastimes in Japan revolve around the seasons, and just looking at things. In the winter, you watch the snow come down. In the spring, you look at the cherry blossoms. In the summer, you look at the flowers and the fireworks. In the fall, you look at the leaves changing (kouyou).

Kouyou is exactly what I did all weekend. I call it 'old man fun time'.

Those young crazy city folk don't get this kind of thing. But, city folk don't really know what trees are anyway.

It is nice to help get in the right frame-of-mind for winter. When you live in one of the snowiest cities on earth, you kind of have to mentally prepare yourself for winter like you're about to play in the Super Bowl or something.

Saturday, up to Akiyamago, a steep canyoned valley with small onsen dotting it all the way to the top. Took one onsen and looked at more leaves. Puuuurrrdy colors. There was snow up high, and I touched and subsequently ate the season's first snow out of a parking lot. It wasn't too tasty, but I had to follow tradition.

Yesterday, went to momiji-en (Japanese maple park) in Ojiya. Nice park, small and maply.

Nice weekend. I'm old.

The Mexico of Asia

I was talking with a college friend yesterday and he said something that was very true:

"The reason you like Thailand so much is because it's the Mexico of Asia"

...and he was totally right. Thailand is the Mexico of Asia, and that's why I feel a certain affinity with the place. My guess is that anybody from the American southwest who visits Thailand will probably feel immediately comfortable there as well. The attitude and lifestyle are similar, it's cheap and delicious, and you the street culture and market culture are the same. Makes me feel like I'm down in Mexico again in a psychadelic version of the markets of Morales or Oaxaca. But mostly it's just the disposition of its people, with a laid back style that contrasts with the rigid atmosphere in Japan.

So what's Japan? The Canada of Asia? I think so...

Sadness

Two different social epidemics have saddened me lately, one here in Japan and another back home.

Lately there has been a rash of suicides by young students in Japan, most recently one here in Niigata.

Also, another major drunk driving accident in New Mexico, killing 6 people including an entire family of 5.

Both incidents are representative of social problems that plague both areas. New Mexico has had such a huge problem for so long, and has recently had the worst rate of drunken driving related fatalities in all of the United States (goes hand-in-hand obviously with one of the highest per capita beer consumption rates). Japan has nearly zero alchohol related traffic deaths in any given year. Why? Because Japanese laws are strict. People here drink more than New Mexicans, but there is a zero-tolerance policy in place. Even one sip of beer will put you over the legal limit for driving. There are taxis in even the smallest of rural towns, and a general culture of safety and designated driving. I used to criticize the zero-beer law, knowing that I could trust my own judgement as to whether one sip of beer would impair my driving or not. But I think I'm buying into it, as it's obvious that there are too many people in the world who can't see the difference between a sip and a 12-pack.

As far as Japan's problem, the suicide rate is extremely high. America's is not, comparably. Why? That one is more complex, but Japan has a long history of being a 'suicide culture, in which suicide was seen as something that was an honorable solution to a problem. I can't say I understand it. I think this article sheds some light though... http://www.espacoacademico.com.br/044/44eueno_ing.htm

The recent student suicides were all connected to cases of being bullied. There are bullies in schools all over the world, and lord knows I was tossed around school more than a few times. But Japan's problem is very serious...and in my opinion it comes down to lack of teacher intervention. Because you know what comforted me? I knew that if a teacher saw me getting bullied, he would run over and at least stop it, if not grab the kid by the back of the hair and drag him to the principal's office where he faced sure punishment. Or I could tell my parents who would get involved with the teachers who would keep an eye on the situation. There is an active culture of discipline and communication in the academic world back home that I just don't see here very often. I can't tell you how many times I've seen bullying and teachers who turn a blind eye to it. It's so disturbing. Most notably, I was walking down the hall with a teacher. Some students were pushing and tripping the mute girl, Nanae. The teacher continued walking. I stopped and shouted at the kid, and smacked him on the head so he knew what I was getting at. There is little I can do other than that as I'm not a teacher with power, and can't even communicate to the kids in a functional way. I raised a stink about it, and the principal asked me about it...but nothing was ever done. It is a culture that tends to avoid confrontation, but confrontation is the only way to ease Japan of its bullying problem.

In Japan, there is a very strict rule about drunk driving and a culture that is careful about its consequences, and back home there is not. Hence, New Mexico has a problem. Back home, bullying surely exists, but punishment is strict and if seen, it is confronted. In Japan, it is not. Hence, Japan has a problem. For me...I obviously agree that turning to suicide is a poor choice...but if I couldn't turn to my parents or my teachers for help, I suppose my options would be more limited. The teachers MUST get more involved and learn to create a culture of direct confrontation in schools when it comes to bullying, regardless of how much it disturbs the daily social peace.

I didn't exactly think that through too well, but needed to rant. Just my two cents.

bangkok pics

a week in bangkok

just back from my week in Bangkok. Originally I had just planned to go to for a break, get in some good eating and relaxation and visit a dentist (sounds sketchy but it's not).

The week ended up being absolutely incredible. The first time I went to Bangkok last year I spent time with some other JETs (Pam, Deccy, Yamagata Kristin) and it was fun, but we were just in transition down to the southern beaches. My attitude towards the city itself was not entirely positive; on the surface, Bangkok is just another huge city that stinks, screams at you and makes you feel like you've just smoked a pack of cigarettes from walking down the street. It has great temples and the cheap shopping and food is out-of-control, but if you are going somewhere like the beach the next day, you probably can't wait to go.

But this trip, I got to know Bangkok in a whole new light (no, not that kind of light. I stayed away from the ping pong banana shows and most everything else scandalous and eye-opening that the city is known for). I ended up falling in love with the city because I saw parts of the city that the normal tourist just never gets to. I spent the majority of my time in back markets selling food of every imaginable taste and color, the side streets and chopshops of Chinatown, and the waterway canals of old Bangkok where people still move and shop by long-tail boat. I ran into festivals with no other foreigners, and went to bars and restaurants that were the same. I ate street food that I would normally be afraid to touch. A big reason for all of this is that I quickly made friends who were locals...from just chance encounters in bars where the person wanted to show me around next day, to a guy just helping me read a map and then we end up in a taxi boat cruising the canals of the fruit plantations. As with anywhere, having a local show you around is the key to travelling right. But I just hadn't expected that on this trip so it was a nice surprise. I made a couple of Thai friends that I will keep in touch with.

Anyway, I'll probably be back there before all is said and done. More pics and stories to come.