Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Happy 2009!



Let's hope 2009 is a kinder, gentler year.

Best wishes to all!

Monday, December 22, 2008

Refocusing

Trying to get into the holiday spirit. Must try harder.

Work has been a complete nightmare and I'm trying hard not to let it do my head in but. . .it hasn't been easy. How is it that so many incompetent people rise to the top and hold jobs for which they are not even remotely qualified?

Maybe I need to refocus my attention and think about the things that I should be thankful for, such as:

1. My daughter, who makes me a better person.
2. My son-in-law, who actually likes me.
3. My job. At least I've got one, considering so many people right now do not.
4. My health. I'm pretty darn healthy, although the cold winter air has stirred up my asthma a little. Never knew I had asthma until I moved to Tokyo.
5. My friends, even though I don't see any of them unless I or they get on a plane.
6. Food to fill my belly, a roof over my head, and a warm bed. An alarming number of people around the world don't have those basics.
7. My computer and Internet connection, without which I would be lost.
8. A belief in something greater than myself, that guides, inspires, and comforts me.
9. A sense of humor that often gets me through the day.
10. The ability to see, feel, and hear the world around me, and to make my way through it relatively unscathed.

When I re-read my list, I realized that my life is really quite basic. The older I get, the more I accept the simplicity of my life, and the less I need. I've gone from living a somewhat privileged life in an exclusive, expensive neighborhood of luxurious homes to living in a tiny one-room, cockroach-infested Tokyo apartment. I lost everything I had in the stock market crash of 2001 where I had invested heavily in technology but didn't have the safety cushion of wiser, more cautious investments to soften the blow of a world turned upside down after 9-11.

For three years I was unemployed, though not for lack of trying. Then, through a chance meeting, I found an opportunity to work in Japan, which I grabbed.

I look around me at people my age and wonder what their lives have been like. Did they ever lose anyone they loved? Do they ever wake up in the middle of the night, wondering what they would do if they didn't find work soon? Do they have someone to love them, to be with for a lifelong commitment? What kind of old age will they have--one of freedom to do the things they've always wanted, or one of desperation, trying to make ends meet?

Maybe I'm feeling a little nostalgic tonight. Thinking about my youth. Thinking about the things that used to make me happy, and realizing now that while life is a series of ups and downs, not much of it is all that important. It's the basics that count. It's sort of like the family whose house catches on fire and the only things they manage to save are themselves and a box of pictures. When you boil it down to its essence, life is nothing more than that box of pictures. Everything else can fall away or disappear because none of it has real significance. It's the basics that count--our families, good health, and a job.

Sunday, December 07, 2008

Whadda mousie!

Haven't felt like writing much lately, so here's a fun little video to watch. What a little champ!

Friday, December 05, 2008

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Why I stay

As I let my fingers do some online shopping this morning, I realized that this will be my second Christmas back in the U.S. Can't believe it's been that long already, and that I've been in Las Vegas the whole time.

Now that Vegas has "gown up" a little, I had hoped it would grow on me and that I'd learn to like it just a wee bit, but that hasn't happened. In all honesty I have to admit that it hasn't gotten any easier to live here. So, why do I stay? Easy answer: I have a job and a home. In this economy, those two things are pretty important, so I'm thankful to have them.

But, if wishes could come true, this is what I'd wish for: A villa in Tuscany; a job writing travel articles; a red mini-Cooper; a size 4 body.

And, of course, world peace, and the end of hunger, poverty and global warming.

I don't think that's asking too much at all, do you?

Sunday, November 09, 2008

President-elect Obama

This truly is a historic time, and I have to say I never thought I'd see such a moment in my lifetime. Seeing Barack Obama become our president elect has given me hope that America can be saved from the path of destruction laid out over the past eight years by the Bush administration.

While no one could possibly expect Obama to fix everything that's broken with America in one or two terms, he seems to be the most capable of bringing about some much-needed change. Let's hope he'll restore our Constitution, get the country busy developing alternative energy and all the jobs that will be created from that endeavor, appoint more liberal Supreme Court Justices that will keep their hands off women's bodies and uphold the laws instead of playing politics such as appointing presidents! Let's do everything we can to help him get this country moving again and bring our troops home.

Friday, November 07, 2008

Sunday, October 26, 2008

The big countdown

Nine days to go before the election and I'm already a nervous wreck! I can't bear the thought of another stolen election, like in 2004 and 2000. Every time I think about those elections it makes me wonder what might have been. I know that's wasted energy and none of it can be changed now, but, if we learned nothing from the past, that will be the final nail in the coffin for democracy. We've already lost so much. I just hope that everything goes smoothly and all the votes are counted--this time.

This has been one of the nastiest campaigns in America's history, which shows how desperate the Republicans are to stay in power. Between you and me, I think McCain made a Faustian pact to do or say anything if he would be given the election. That included picking Sarah Palin as his running mate, a pick that turns my blood to ice just thinking about what she would do as president. Just to add a little comic relief here, take a look at Palin As President and click around on various objects. They're adding more stuff every day and it's hilarious.

On a more serious note, Naomi Wolfe has written quite a bit about what it takes to create a fascist government , and it appears that we've met all 10 criteria. Scary thought!

She's also reported--and this is on the Army Times website --that on Oct. 1, the 3rd Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team (which trained in Iraq for 35 of the last 60 months) was commissioned to active duty on U.S. soil. "This new mission marks the first time an active unit has been given a dedicated assignment to NorthCom, a joint command established in 2002 to provide command and control for federal homeland defense efforts and coordinate defense support of civil authorities."

This seems extremely troubling to me and should be to any American. Why do we need Army soldiers patrolling on U.S. soil? I also read that since the Patriot Act, all soldiers have signed new oaths that no longer include any language about upholding the Constitution of the United States. It now includes something about "completing the mission." What mission? Equally troubling is that they are answerable only to George Bush --and not to Congress or to the governors of the states to which they have been commissioned (which is also unknown, although there have been reports of these troops in Georgia and Alabama).

I certainly hope Wolfe is wrong and just overreacting, but I honestly think she's sounding the alarm after considering some very strong evidence that something is brewing. As I said, I hope she's wrong and that the election goes without a hitch. However, there's that part of me that thinks I'm being naive to think it could be that easy. As citizens, it's up to us to be vigilant about our democracy. We think just because it's been here for over 200 years that it will continue as a democracy forever, but history shows that democracies are a fragile idea.

We must vote and stay vigilant.

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Can we afford to elect a short-fused president?

Last night, after watching the presidential debate, I couldn't help noticing McCain's festering rage. You could see him struggling to keep from boiling over as he gritted his teeth behind that bizarre mask of makeup he wore. I'm sure he had been coached to "keep his cool" because his temper is something that's well known, and he has an exceedingly sort fuse.

As Obama brought up rebuttals to McCain's claim to "understanding" the world, and particularly his expertise about the Iraq war, by recounting all of the times that McCain was wrong about the war, McCain seemed ready to burst a blood vessel.

Then again, when McCain spoke to what he perceived as Obama's naivete about potentially meeting with Ahmadinejad, he was so incensed that he could barely spit out Ahmadinejad's name, and actually stumbled over its pronunciation.

While McCain so freely slung barbs and lies at his opponent, he was incapable of even looking Obama in the eye. Obama, on the other hand, remained presidential and calm, trying on numerous occasions to make eye contact with the old curmudgeon.

McCain is a relic of the past cold war mentality. He's still angry, 40 years after his capture, that the U.S. gave up on the spectacular mess in Vietnam that took 58,000 U.S. soldiers' lives, and maimed another 350,000--to say nothing of the civilian deaths.

McCain is living in the past and he's dangerous because of that short fuse. He has been known to rebuke his advisors on numerous occasions, and as far as being a "maverick" goes, he's an angry maverick with his hand too close to that red button. And don't even get me started about that "maverick" choice of Sarah Palin. How much real love of country does a man have to make that kind of choice for someone who could very well take his place? After seeing her interviews with Gibson and Kouric, she makes Bush look brilliant.

"A mountain I couldn't climb"

Teaching foreign students has been one of the highlights of my life, for many reasons. Sometimes I hear things I don't understand at all, other times I hear everyday things put into a different perspective, and occasionally I am treated to some delightful insight about another culture. For example, last week my students were given an assignment to go out and find someone who looked like a native English speaker and ask him or her a few questions.

Now, beyond the normal difficulties of being shy or self-conscious about their speaking abilities, most students also have to overcome the major hurdles of communicating with people who speak very fast English and who don't understand foreign accents.

One tall and handsome Asian student came back to tell about his attempt to make a conversation in a Las Vegas jazz club with what he described as "one of the most beautiful women" he had even seen. He said the beautiful woman was sitting with a "not-so-beautiful" woman and he had to make a decision about his chances for starting a conversation with either one of them. After some careful thought, he decided to try to speak with the "not-so-beautiful" woman. Here was his reason:

"The beautiful woman was a mountain I couldn't climb."

I, along with the entire class, burst out laughing because we all understood exactly what he meant.

Saturday, August 30, 2008

Lighting up the world with joy

In a world that often leaves us feeling helpless to do anything of consequence or meaning, here's a video that will bring a smile to your face.

Decided to take matters into my own hands!


Saturday, May 31, 2008

Excuse me but I think there's someone living in my closet!

This actually happened in Tokyo!

Japanese woman caught living in man’s closet


(05-30) 17:34 PDT TOKYO, Japan (AP)

A homeless woman who sneaked into a man’s house and lived undetected in his closet for a year was arrested in Japan after he became suspicious when food mysteriously began disappearing.

Police found the 58-year-old woman Thursday hiding in the top compartment of the man’s closet and arrested her for trespassing, police spokesman Hiroki Itakura from southern Kasuya town said Friday.

The resident of the home installed security cameras that transmitted images to his mobile phone after becoming puzzled by food disappearing from his kitchen over the past several months.

One of the cameras captured someone moving inside his home Thursday after he had left, and he called police believing it was a burglar. However, when they arrived they found the door locked and all windows closed.


“We searched the house … checking everywhere someone could possibly hide,” Itakura said. “When we slid open the shelf closet, there she was, nervously curled up on her side.”

The woman told police she had no place to live and first sneaked into the man’s house about a year ago when he left it unlocked. She had moved a mattress into the small closet space and even took showers, Itakura said, calling the woman “neat and clean.”


So, if you're wondering how this could possibly happen and how someone could not notice a person living in his closet, it actually wouldn't be that difficult. Japanese closets aren't like American closets. Usually they have a completely separate storage unit with its own sliding door located above the main closet. People don't often open that cupboard because it's usually where they store things like suitcases or boxes of stuff. You could sort of think of it as being an attic space where you wouldn't normally be opening and inspecting it more than once or twice a year.

I can see how the woman could have lived up there. She must have had some sort of rope ladder or something that she could use to crawl up into that space and then pull it up so no one would see it.

It's interesting that the guy never noticed that anyone had used his shower, but she could have wiped it down thoroughly after each use. Like the article said, she appeared to be neat and clean.

You'd think the woman might have been caught on weekends though, when the guy wasn't at work. Although, if he's like lots of single men, he probably spent most of his time out of his apartment, but still, I'd wonder how she could know when he'd return after an absence. She must have had some close calls!

And, not to gross anyone out, but what about middle-of-the-night bathroom visits? Seems to me that any 58-year-old woman might have to, at least occasionally, do that. Maybe she had a hardy bladder.

I sure hope they find the poor old gal a home somewhere. Japan isn't well known for its homeless shelters, especially Tokyo, so I wonder what will happen to her. Maybe she's better off in a minimum security jail cell. At least she'd have a bed, toilet and hot meals.

Favorite cartoon ever!

I just stumbled upon a cartoon I remember seeing many, many years ago and loved. Never thought to look for it on YouTube but I guess almost anything can be found there. So, here it is, starring Marc Antony and Pussyfoot.

Monday, May 26, 2008

Layoff alarm

Last week my boss announced the possibility of layoffs. Ugh. With summer sessions starting soon, enrollment is way down and we don't have enough students signed up. This will almost certainly mean that some, if not all, of the teachers will be laid off. It will be based on seniority and since I was the first full-time teacher hired, I will be the last one to go, but I'm still vulnerable. This situation seems doubly astounding since they just hired a new teacher a month ago!

To say I'm worried is an understatement as I'm my only source of income. For most of my career, I've been a writer first and a teacher second. Now I need to see if I can drum up a few writing gigs, although I've been out of the loop for quite a while, at least in the U.S.

Let's hope the layoff alarm was a false one.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Japanese version of The Office

After watching the original British TV show The Office, starring Ricky Gervais, I didn't think the American version could possibly match the humor, but Steve Carrell and the rest of the cast have done a magnificent job. So, here's a spoof done on SNL of what a Japanese version might look like.

Saturday, May 17, 2008

You're kidding, right?





Just came across these pictures that are supposedly the latest shoe rage in Japan. I don't know where anyone would wear them in Tokyo, but I suppose there are "those" places where one could use them for, um, artistic dancing or whatever. (snicker)

They make my feet hurt just looking at them, to say nothing about how I imagine my back would feel.

I am so not ready for this!

Doesn't make any difference if the temps are in C or F, they're still too high! I know I whine about this too often (as J&T would agree), but I can't help it. I'm just not a hot-weather gal, whether it's the dry heat that people here say is "not that bad" or the steamy heat of Asia. Heaven to me would be a place that never gets over 75F or has humidity over 30 percent. I'm going to try very, very hard, for the sake of harmony, to just accept it. It is what it is. . .and I don't see myself leaving Vegas any time soon.

In Celsius:


In Fahrenheit:

Friday, May 16, 2008

Recycling Las Vegas style

Our dryer, a previously-recycled model bought about 8 years ago for around $100, gave up the ghost about two weeks ago. We've been hanging wet laundry anywhere we could find a hook, doorknob, or shower curtain rod. Because it's been so hot lately, drying really hasn't been a problem and clothes dry in record time. However, it's not so easy to hang sheets and towels, so we were getting a little desperate for a new dryer. Unlike Tokyo, we don't have any of the laundry-hanging gadgets that make drying clothes outside easy. When was the last time you saw anyone using a clothesline like we used in Arizona when I was a kid?

T, the resident super shopper, found an almost brand new gas Maytag that had been returned to Lowe's and was selling for 50% off. It's so beautiful and modern looking! It's HUGE and could easily fluff comforters. It also has a drying rack inside the dryer, so you can put sweaters or canvas sneakers, or whatever, on the rack and the drum remains in place while the drying air circulates around the rack. Cool!

So, after disconnecting the old dryer and carrying it out to the curb, the three of us unloaded the new dryer off the back of the pickup and carried it into the house. It was a breeze to hook up and move into place. As long as we were at it, we decided to do a little work on the washing machine as well. It was never properly installed and the connectors to the hot and cold water were reversed. No one but me seemed to mind, but since all the cycles called for a "cold" rinse, and that meant "hot" in reality, I had to be super careful about washing anything that might shrink in hot water.

Now, everything is working perfectly and we're all very happy.

The funny part is what happened to the old dryer out on the curb. As we sat watching a movie that evening, we suddenly heard what sounded like some machinery being knocked around outside. We ran to the kitchen and looked out into the dark evening to see what was causing the noise. A pickup truck with several scavenged washers and dryers onboard was parked at our curb and our old klunker was being loaded inside. It did my heart good to see that someone could make use of the old model. In Vegas the trash service will pick up appliances, but I worried that it would go to a landfill rather than get recycled.

I hope the guys in the pickup make a few bucks. They're the recycling heroes.

Thursday, May 08, 2008

What a tough life!

This is Lily. The funniest cat in the world, I think. When she's not running around the house or sleeping, she's sitting on the floor like a little Buddha. She cracks me up! The weather's turned quite warm and she's having a little adjustment problem with that big thick fur coat she has to wear. Have a look at this tired, hot kitty after a rough day of, well, mostly sleeping.



Yes, that's her tongue. Her teeth are so teeny weeny that she seems to have a hard time keeping it inside her mouth when she sleeps or plays, hence, an often crispy tongue.

Saturday, April 19, 2008

An Engineer's Guide to Cats

Having been owned by many cats over my lifetime, I have to tell you that this "guide" is priceless!

Monday, April 14, 2008

What happened to spring?

Doesn't this seem a little extreme for mid-April? We had a week or two of really beautiful spring weather, but now look at the temps. Holy cow! Yesterday was 34C (93F). While people in other parts of the country are complaining about the rain and cold, here we are with sunburns in Vegas!

Sunday, April 06, 2008

O-hanami in Japan, but not in Las Vegas

This year there will be no o-hanami (cherry blossom viewing) for me as I sit here basking in 78 degree weather on a typical spring day in Las Vegas. Usually, cherry blossom season is quite cold and windy in Tokyo, but nevertheless people have their picnics under the fully-blooming cherry trees where they can admire the spectacular beauty of spring. Last April, I wandered around the campus of Tokyo Institute of Technology, which was two blocks from where I lived in Ookayama in greater Tokyo. It was an unseasonably warm (nearly 70 F), sunny spring day, and the dozens of 100-year-old cherry cheers that lined the entrance to the campus were in full bloom. Every tree had rows of families and friends spread out on blankets under its arching branches. It was a sight that will live in my memory forever.

It's really hard to get used to only having two seasons now that I've left Japan. In fact, May 29 will mark my one-year anniversary of living back in the U.S. and it's been a big adjustment, especially weather wise. I loved the changes of seasons in Japan, a country that celebrates each new season with seasonal food, traditions, and festivals or other special activities. While there are many parts of the U.S. that have four distinct seasons, the ones I remember best were those I spent in the Greater Seattle area with its full array of seasonally blooming trees, shrubs and flowers, or changing leaf colors. It, too, was spectacular in its seasonal beauty.

And then there's Las Vegas. While there are many things that bloom in the desert in spring, I will never get used to such a dry, brown landscape, especially now that water conservation measures are being more fully embraced. People are digging up their lawns and replacing them with desert landscaping that requires little or no water. It's good for the environment, but makes everything look even more like the surrounding desert. Maybe that's why the new trend of painting houses in a wider array of autumn tones started. When I first started coming here to visit my daughter and her husband, all (and I mean ALL!) of the houses were painted very pale shades of tan or cream. They also all had bright green lawns and shade trees. Now, the houses are taking on more color, I suppose to make up for the drabness of the landscaping around them, although there are some newer areas that are beautifully landscaped with palms, mesquite, and other desert greenery.

So, even though I won't be viewing those gorgeous cherry trees this year, I suppose I'll just enjoy the beautiful blue skies and warm spring temperatures here in Vegas. . .and pray that summer doesn't arrive too soon.

Saturday, February 23, 2008

What a great prank: Stopping Time

If you want to pull a cool prank, there's no better place than Grand Central Station. About 200 people were in on the prank that lasted exactly 5 minutes.






OK, maybe you could try London. . . where even more people took part. I suppose it will hit all the major cities of the world before long.




Wish I could have seen it in person!

Sunday, January 20, 2008

In a rut and feeling bored


My life in Vegas is definitely in a rut. I go to work, come home and work on my lesson plans for several hours, read a few of my favorite blogs or latest news, fix dinner with J., watch a little TV, write some email, and go to bed. So, what's the big deal? What seems so different from my life in Tokyo where I did almost the same thing, with the exception of fixing dinner with J. and watching a little TV?

I've been mulling that over for quite a while now, and still don't know for sure what the difference is. All I seem to come up with are a couple of things. The first is that in Tokyo I taught many more lessons a day than I'm teaching now, and there was so much more interaction with students and other teachers. In our tiny teachers' room (about 4 feet by 12 feet and filled with lockers, bookcases, 2 miniature tables and stools, and 2 very small sofas) usually anywhere from 5 to 20 teachers were climbing over each other to get to their lockers, books, or fridge and catching up on the latest gossip or discussing politics, books, students, restaurants, travels, expiring visas, Japanese bureaucracy, and a million other subjects. It was amazing how much could be discussed during those meager 5-minute breaks. I miss all that chatter and laughter. 

No topic seemed taboo, which may or may not have been such a good thing. Nevertheless, with so many personalities, there was always something interesting going on and I usually went home chuckling to myself about something funny that had happened at work that day.

Not so much in Vegas. Even though we now have 5 teachers (all women), we have very little interaction. Usually the teachers just stay in their classrooms during their breaks or make a quick dash to another building to use the restroom (yeah, it's a bummer that we don't even have a restroom in our building) or have a smoke.

Another strange thing is that, while so many people come to Vegas because it's "such an exciting place," I find it all very boring. I mean, after you've hit the strip, done a little gambling, seen a few shows, the "real" life here is just about making it from one day to the next--putting up with the rude people, horrible traffic and even worse drivers.

Rant alert. This is just one of the many things I see almost every day: Picture 3 lanes of traffic in one direction, I'm driving in the far left lane, a school bus is in the right lane. The school bus puts on its flashing lights, extends its "stop" sign and stops. I stop in the far left lane (as is required by law) and suddenly this car in the middle lane blows past me--and the school bus--doing at least 50 mph! But wait, there's more! By the time I approach a very busy intersection up ahead, where the light has just changed to green, I see the same car that had just blown past me in the MIDDLE lane cut another car off at the intersection to pull a RIGHT TURN right in front of the car that was just starting to accelerate from the green light! Fortunately, the driver in the right lane hit his brakes in time to avoid hitting the car. This is the way people drive in Vegas! End of rant.

So, aside from trying to stay alive while driving, another realization about the rut of living here is that this city sucks. There are no interesting or quaint streets to meander through on foot. There are no tiny bakeries where you can catch a whiff of something wonderful baking, no chocolate shops, no corner flower vendors, no cute, hole-in-the-wall places to explore, no sidewalk cafes, no open-air markets filled with today's fresh produce, no independent bookstores to wander through, no cute park benches from which to people watch while eating a freshly-baked croissant and sipping coffee, no street vendors selling quick and inexpensive yet delicious and nutritious meals for office workers. Everything here requires a car (which my international students complain about) and miles of driving down seven-lane-wide boulevards to go to large chain-stores located in even larger strip malls that all look alike and include at least one fast-food franchise. This is the heartless, soulless look of modern America in a so-called modern city. What an empty, empty place. 

I think living in such a place is an assault on the senses and can easily make one jaded and bitter. I already see it happening to me and I don't like it. In just a few short months, work has become drudgery, and I think it's because there aren't the things here that can smooth the rough edges off life, like those things I mentioned above. It's those little, seemingly meaningless, things that soothe and enrich our lives.

Even though I have the wonderful and often hysterically funny companionship of J&T, two adorable cats to get my critter-fix, a lovely home in which to live, my own flat-screen TV (a very generous Christmas gift from J&T), I feel a longing for a city that offers much, much more to stimulate the mind and nourish the soul.