This That and Whatever Comes to Mind

Missing my buddy Zip

It's been 3 months since my canine buddy Zip passed away. He had been very ill for about 3 months, and it was really hard watching him fade away...every day he seemed to have less strength. I can only imagine what his owners were going through.

The last time Zip came to visit was the day of our yard sale. People around from early morning, dogs from all over coming to visit as well...after the sale was over, we had a party on the terrace, and it was just too much for the little guy. He sought refuge at my place and spent the entire evening sleeping on my kitchen floor. That was April 29th, and probably his last truly active day.

We lived in the same building for 9 years....he started showing up at my door on a regular basis after spending a few days with me while his owners traveled. Some days he would come over once or twice, stay for an hour and then go home. Other days, he would come and go all day long, staying only a few mintues each time...almost enough to drive me crazy. He was like a cat...the only time he really communicated was when he was hungry. I used to laugh when he would come in, feel the sunshine on his back and turn around a few times before plopping down to absorb the warmth.

The last few years he was a constant practically every night...sleeping for hours on my sheepskins. Not the most affectionate of dogs, he had his routines, and I guess my apartment became a santuary of peace as I left him alone to do as he pleased...sleep quietly.There were a few times I completely forgot he was there...until I almost fell over him when I went to lock the door.

And now he's gone...he died peacefully at 4:30 the evening of June 3rd. He had so many fans...for about a week after, people showed up with flowers and pictures and stories...it was really quite touching.

Three months ago, and when I see movement outside my door, even now, I look up expecting to see him, patiently waiting for me to let him in.

 

Been a long while

Can't believe how long it's been since I posted here....well, I can believe it as it's true.

Too much Facebook (blushing...busy reading and commenting on my friends' posts and playing games, although I have cut down considerably on the games)....lots of reading (raiding my neighbor's bookshelf has kept me busy in Michael Connelly's world, plus rereading and adding to my Discworld series)...daily posts on OhLife, an online diary (every day an email asking me 'How did your day go?' arrives, and all I have to do is write a reply...it gets stored online and only I can access it...a great way to clear the mind before going to bed and so much easier than longhand...and the best part: it's free!!)

I know...excuses, excuses. OK, I admit it...I am just plain lazy!

No promises, but I will try to post more often in the future.

2 months later

Been meaning to post here ever since the earthquake and tsunamis on March 11th.

Let's just say it has been so overwhelming that I simply haven't been able to compose my thoughts enough to write about it. I thought it might be a good idea to post it for posterity and to keep my experience fresh, but the impact was so strong that I doubt I will ever forget it. Still trying to get my head around these past few weeks...I hope this post isn't too rambling.

It will be 2 months tomorrow since the disaster...certainly doesn't feel like it's been that long. Watching the news and related TV programs on relief efforts, you realize that the recovery is going to take a very long time...years. It is happening, but oh so slowly.

One of my worries is how it is affecting the entire country...and the economy. Traffic has been light, restaurants at night are practically empty, some store shelves have been almost empty. People have been avoiding food supplies from areas around the nuclear plant in Fukushima, even though it's been proven they have been produced away from the plant and are radiation free. Extremely sad to say, there are reports of discrimination and vandalism all around against people and cars from Fukushima...fear is a powerful emotion. And I spent a weekend in Kyoto early in April and saw few tourists...and I do mean very few.

This last week was what is known here as Golden Week...3 major holidays within one week: April 29th Showa Day (the last emperor's birthday) May 3rd Constitution Day and May 5th Children's Day.  And as an extra since most people take it off anyway, May 4th became a holiday some years ago and is known as Green Day. As a result, many companies close down for the entire week. I understand many people spent their week this year volunteering in the Northeast...maybe that was why the beach in front of my house was comparatively quiet.

Today I went shopping in downtown Yokosuka...and enjoyed a quiet lunch at my favorite little cafe in a corner of the local discount store. And I was delighted to see lots of cars...there's one uphill section that I usually dread because the line of traffic goes from the bottom to the top, but today it didn't bother me at all. The cafe was busier than it has been lately...and supplies seem to be flowing freely again as store shelves everywhere are well stocked.

One topic many people are talking about is the need to spend. The government has been pushing a conservation program, and I can understand the need to conserve electricity (with the nuclear plants out of action, there's a 30% reduction in production) and gasoline. But in order to get the economy out of the doldrums it's been in (I know...long term recession is still going on, but the situation has gotten worse), the population needs to get back into spending normally again. My hope is that we do it with a different consciousness...keeping in mind how our actions will help support the people who are still suffering.

Maybe Golden Week gave people the chance to breath again...away from work and the problems there, spending time with family and reconnecting, hopefully getting out of the house and away from the television and the impact from the images still being shown. Talking to friends and neighbors and students, everyone agrees that one way to help the survivors up north is to get back to our normal lifestyles, and I saw positive signs of that happening today.

Venting!

Warning...I need to vent, so if you aren't interested, please don't read any further.

Watching all the happenings in Egypt and other Middle East countries on the news...I find it very irritating when a commercial comes on for some cosmetic or diet pill. Or sports news about some 22 year old getting miilions of dollars for signing onto a soccer team. As far as I'm concerned, it's disrespectful!

I understand the necessity for sponsors...the media has to pay to get their crews around the world to cover the news. And sports are popular in developing countries as well as the developed world. I just don't comprehend why the sponsors can't be more relavent to the news...or why athletes have to make so much money for kicking or hitting or throwing a ball!

And don't even get me started on the Super Bowl....

Of course, I sit here with my computer and TV and food in the fridge...I admit it...my favorite program right now is So You Think You Can Dance. Oh, and my monthly rent alone would pay for someone's education for 6 months. Does that make me a hypocrite?

I try to help make the world a better place by lending to entrepreneurs through Kiva. I make a monthly donation to the Central Asia Institute, Greg Mortensen's organization that builds schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan. I try to spread the word through my blog and direct word of mouth, having friends over and talking about social issues with my students...seems to be the right time to start my monthly gatherings again. Even if only one person comes, it will be one more person to join the cause.

And now there is Facebook....what a wonderful tool! I spend too much time playing games...true... I do try to share websites and causes whenever possible. It just seems so little...

Better than nothing, right?

OK, done venting...if you are still with me, thank you for reading. It means a lot to me.

Time to get serious

The latest buzzword in Japan is 断捨離 (dan sha ri)

断= refuse, decline 捨= throw away 離= separate

Together it symbolizes cleaning up and out and simplifying your life.

One of my students is an editor for a small publishing company, and he sent me a copy of a book titiled DanShaRiAn...the An meaning person...that went on the market last month. Part manga, part text...an easy read with lots of advice and tips. Just what I needed as recently I've felt a bit overwhelmed...not only with physical things, but with happenings in my life...nothing major, but lots of minor happenings.

One thing that's been on my mind is my blogs...what to do with them. Today I decided to clean out my Typepad account...downgrade! Backed up 4 (couldn't quite bring myself to deleting them completely..hey, I put a lot of work into each and every post!) and kept 3...this one, my Japanese social issue portal and my ESL business site. Rereading a lot of what I've written in the past, I admit to being quite impressed with my writing...^-^

As a result, I figure it's time to get serious...posting on a relatively regular basis (no promises...I don't do well under pressure), getting back to what I originally planned for each blog. So here I am...outputting.

Next is my ESL blog...one of my students is a marketing coach, and we are working together during our lessons...I help her give me advice in English, and so far it's very effective for both of us. I'm having new name cards made (VistaPrint) and debating whether to move my site so I can use the same template...will wait and get some feedback on the name card template first. Before I do that, though, I need to rewrite a lot of the content...add keywords...rethink the benefits for my students...should keep me busy for awhile.

Then to my portal site...as I can publish my posts on both Facebook and Twitter, I can kill 3 birds with 1 stone (gads, that's such a brutal metaphor...the only one I can think of at the moment...any suggestions for future reference appreciated...^-^)

OK! Enough for one post...still have a lot to get out of my system and am feeling excited, but the sun has set (right in front of my living room this time of year), I lit some of the candles my sisters sent me for Christmas, I just let out a big sigh...time to go!