Creative!

rice paddy artwork (not my pic, nytimes)

This doesn't even look real

courtesy of Discover News: http://news.discovery.com/space/black-hole-bubble.html

Fukuoka Pic

My New Website!

http://www.wix.com/daholla/DAH-Photography

Aw

One of my students started crying on the floor today when I told her I was leaving school in 2 weeks to go back to America, she's 15. I think it's going to be a sad goodbye at my 3 schools.

World Cup Side Effects

Watching their friends during a P.E. class volleyball tournament, my students cupped their hands around their mouths and made vuvuzela sounds for a solid 10 minutes....bzeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Two new pics from cherry blossom season a while back...

Before & After (too bad I'm going home in 6 weeks)

splashhh

rainy season is actually living up to the hype here...forgetting what the sun looks like...

Remix

Japan: Color Shock

Had some free time at work today...made a video to some of the pictures I've taken! (Talo Cruz Music)

The Difference Between Floors (The 3's & 2's)

At one of my middle schools there is a stark contrast between the third year and second year students. The third year students on the third floor are 14 & 15 years old while the second year students on the second floor are 12 & 13 years old. I'll label them the 3's and 2's from this point on...so the 3's are still teenage kids, but are respectful in class and to the teachers. They are friendly, outgoing and for the most part study hard. We sit in the teachers room between classes and trust them to act accordingly, or go out and talk to them like little adults. This is a small school, about 80 kids per grade and of course there are the trouble makers....but overall its an ideal grade. As I walk from my 3's hallway down to the 2's it is probably best compared to walking from a nice park into a jail that is in the middle of a prisoner riot. Just 15 steps down you find kids punching each other in corners, throwing trash on the floor, and drawing all over the desks. They run around throwing what is left of their school supplies, and between classes the teachers roam the hallway with a loudspeaker/blowhorn like prison guards. The teachers from other floors are heard taking deep sighs before they descend into the 2's. I spend most of the time in the 2's classes waking students up, taking away small weapons or turning their textbooks to the right page. In the 3's classes I spend most of the time teaching, helping the students or answering questions. However, stickers seem to be like tranquilizer darts for the 2's, slowing them down to study a little. I'll have to tell my successor before I leave...

woah

big hole...(<---link)

New Pic

CELTICS CELTICS CELTICS!

wishing I could watch these games on TV instead of my tiny computer screen, at least I'll be home for the Red Sox championship this year

all over the place

so recently I've been trying to figure out where Im going after my contract ends here and I've been talking with my brother about starting up a "small" business here in Japan before I head home and get a job. I've been doing research, making some connections and checking the feasibility of it all over the past week plus which is why I haven't posted much here... Anyways I'm kind of excited about the prospect of it as it would give me a reason to come back frequently, however it might keep me in Japan a few more months than I planned if it goes forward...

Taj Mahal Pillar

The Haggle: India Journal Part II - ?

Ive been really lazy with the posts, I tried writing one before but had trouble putting India into words or at least entertaining ones. Anyways 2nd attempt I want to write about the bargaining (con) techniques in India because it was the best/most frustrating Ive ever seen on my travels...

So there are three types of opening techniques I saw while traveling in India: 1. the upfront 2. the quick friend and 3. welcome to my family approach. The upfront consists of simply saying hello to you as you are walking past, asking you if you want to buy something and inviting you to come in. If you say no they might follow you for a while, tell you that looking is free and then move into the second approach (the quick friend). So you say no right away but then they change the subject, where are you from? they will ask, where are you going? what have you seen? If you answer anything that gives them another opening they will try to sell you something else. You say you are going 4km away to see a fort and they will try to get you a taxi or rickshaw, you say your going to eat and they will try to take you to a restaurant. If you want a train or bus they will immediately try to put a joker hat on your head and march you in a parade on the way to a travel agent.

This is because India is like a connected market, if someone gets you to go somewhere they get a commission. Its an amazing thing how they work together to make deals informally. We tried to get a taxi once in Udaipur and the driver said no to our price (was overcharging us double on his offer) so we went to another car and asked how much, quickly in Hindi he tells the other driver to say a price above the one he offered so we will think he is giving us a fair deal. All working together. As much as it was frustrating for us the entire trip to have to hassle so much and sometimes overpay because we were western it was something to see.

Some people would skip the first two approaches and go for the third which has a bigger pay off in the long run. They will be incredible nice to you from the start and hold back saying anything about a sale for a long time. Maybe a whole conversation will go buy, they will tell you about their family, how other people in the city will try to scam you and to be careful. Then after a while and they think you trust them because they've acknowledged how the game works but that they aren't a part of it...they will throw in the sales pitch. I had two guys come up to me and ask me why westerners don't like to talk with Indian people. I started talking with them and told them its because when you are a westerner people are always trying to sell you something here or cheat you out of money so you dont know who to trust. We talked about this for a while and then as we were leaving he tries to get me to go to an iron making factory with him and his friend. It was disappointing, but revealing.

It is understandable that the people in India try to take westerners for more money, we can afford it there and they are so much poorer. However it is really frustrating mentally to know you are constantly being ripped off, or trying to be ripped off. It almost becomes a matter of pride rather than price. I told Taelor that if I was to run a business I'd send my employees to India to learn negotiation and Japan to learn service, because they are both at the top of their games.

Over a long time in India you do save a lot by haggling, and if you dont you will end up losing a lot over the long run. We probably saved a few hundred dollars over the course of two weeks. Every trip I go on I try to bring home a painting and haggling saved me about $150 on it. I probably still overpaid.

There were people that were nice to us on the trip without trying to make a sale. We got a ride from restaurant owner we met, met many people on trains and buses who just wanted to talk and India families also traveling. It was a mixture of encounters, either way the negotiations were interesting, frustrating and sometimes funny but overall something amazing to experience in India.

The India Journal - Part I of ?

So I tried to keep some notes on things I saw, thought of and did while I was traveling in India but without a notepad had to put them down in the back of my friend Taelors journal...I just got the pages I wrote from her yesterday so thought I'd do a series of posts about what I wrote on the trip (...coming up after I teach a few classes!)

More India Pics...

and more like the above at http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=36610917&l=95d0379832&id=2607355 (you dont need facebook to view)

The Arches of Agra (click the pics to make bigger)

Some of my shots in Agra, home of the Taj Mahal...which can be seen in the archway of the first shot

Finally back in Japan...

India was awesome but I'm beat, the next week or so will be pictures and thoughts from the last two weeks there...Ill start posting once I get some sleep thoughhhh

The value of napkins

indian food...no teepee...

India

In Udaipur! Been through Delhi, Agra (taj mahal), Jaipur & Jodhpur the last 5 days...played cricket in a dried up river today with some little kids and bought a cool painting from an artist here...goa next

Running away to India...

for two weeks with my new camera, so my writings/pictures will be taking a short hiatus. When I get back Ill have alot to post about, if I actually decide to come back!

The rule I have to break...

So in Japan Ive assimilated pretty well over the past 9 months, I know the polite way to talk, the polite way to drink, the polite way to greet, the polite way to do most things...but there is one thing I understand but just cant follow, the polite way to eat. In Japan there is a terribly difficult cultural norm that you aren't allowed to eat in public, while walking or in the office. Besides inside your house or in a few designated places (park benches, inside restaurants, holes you dig in the ground) it is extremely rude to show that you like and eat food. Since I am always hungry in this land of sushi, octopus balls and noodles (I lost 20lbs when I got here, but have gained 10lb back) I am always looking for food. I understand the reasoning behind the cultural expectation, here if you are eating food in public it is rude because it reminds others who dont have food that they dont. But this isn't a place of starvation on the street, there is one homeless guy ive seen in the whole city and I still see him in the grocery store sometimes. I see japanese people stuff rice balls on the back of buses, or suspiciously eat hamburgers under the shadow of bridges like trolls, so I know they struggle with this rule as well. I feel like if everyone just ate wherever, we could all stop hiding that we are so hungry all the time, right?

Anyways to the story...so I went to Mcdonald's this morning for breakfast (typical american, yes I know) and had about 5 minutes before I had to catch the tram to work. With this precious time I went upstairs where Im allowed to eat and put away one of my four hash browns. I then had to go and catch the tram and while I waited I couldn't touch the three hot tempting potatoes still sitting in my hand because that would be rude. I also couldn't touch them when I was on the tram so waited until I got off. After getting off in front of my school I wanted to eat but couldn't eat them on the street because that would be rude, I also couldn't eat them in my office, that would be rude too. So I was stuck...I decided to eat them in the school parking lot between two cars with a tree at my back. Finally alone with my treasure. As I was about to put the last one in my mouth, hiding with my precious like golem from lord of the rings the vice principle walks by...in Japanese he asks me "Is it delicious?" Mouth full of shame I manage to spit out "yes, um excuse me" as he walks away. I manage to eat the last one before going into the office and hide the bag in my jacket, cant let anyone know I eat food. Then I secretly throw the bag out and cover it with other trash to make sure the evidence is gone...whyyyyyy! haha

sakurajima is jealous...

this isnt one of my pics, its of the one going off in iceland right now...

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/04/photogalleries/100419-iceland-volcano-lightning-ash-pictures/#iceland-volcano-lightning-1_19113_600x450.jpg

Newest work

From Amami! way back from when Tara came to visit Japan...

Israel - NY Times Article

I always think it is strange when people put politically charged comments or subjects on facebook. I think so especially because the format doesnt really allow for any lengthy conversations and a two sentence status update on a complex issue does nothing but just poke the issue with a stick and run away. So I thought this format would be more appropriate for this post... I also had a lengthy debate about the course of Israel with some friends here in Japan and think this book that I am writing about generally represents my opinions on the larger issues and human rights.

So I was going through the New York Times last week and came upon an article about a book which is causing alot of discussion and problems in Israel right now. Its about the settlements and possible solutions to the situation in the Middle East. If you are interested in this issue, Id highly suggest reading what the authors say. You can find the book and article here: http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/12/israeli-stores-stop-selling-book-that-denounces-settlers/?ref=world

Although I am no expert on the history of Israel and some of the references in the writing escape me, the general points made throughout the book hit home. In no way did I agree with everything that has been written, especially certain references to groups of people both in Israel and abroad, but two important aspects were well spelled out and made with a rational outlook on the future. Also the authors do a fair job to place blame where blame is due, both in Israel and on its enemies. The allocation of fault must be recognized and compromised to build a better future and to try to resolve the conflicts caused by them.

The first of these important aspects is about the necessity for Israel to resolve the current situation with a two-state solution, and soon. To remove itself from the settlements is a must. It is not just a necessity for the palestinians that a two state solution be created, but also for the future of Israel. If Israel continues to stay in the settlements then soon Jews will no longer be the majority voters in the land. What the book simply points out is that if Israel wants to remain BOTH Jewish and Democratic it must divide the land. It must remain Jewish because Israel is why we can survive in this world and why we will continue to do so. If it decides to keep itself in the settlements and remain a jewish state, democracy will not work, and it will become an apartheid state. An apartheid state is not what we or our ancestors envision our Jewish state to be and is not the ruling choice of a civilized and moral people. This point as well as the benefits, history, rights of self-defense, role of the rest of the world and expectations of the palestinians are included.

The second aspect which I found I agreed with was the discussion of the contract between citizen and state. The authors discuss draft dodging blunlty. If you didnt know military service is compulsory for all Israeli citizens at a certain age (besides certain groups). This section of the book is really interesting and the point about how if a society has raised, protected and taken care of you while you were young, you owe it to the society to put something back. It is something I think alot of us take for granted. In America we live in a relatively safe bubble and often forget that it takes alot to keep it that way.

There is also a section on Israeli Arabs and the why the mentality towards them is the way that it is (it is on pg 34) really interesting. This is accompanied by how human rights violations must be rectified and how once they are done so then loyalty can be called for. It also follows with Israel's obligation to all citizens and how to build loyalty, not destroy it as well as how the Palestinians are not children and must also act responsibily.

Anyways if youve made it this far you might as well read the whole thing on the link above. We'll talk about it after youve read it :P

To the right --->

Been trying to take pictures which represent each place I travel to in Japan, the ones on the right are from (kagoshima, tokyo, kumamoto, nagasaki, kirishima, minami satsuma and yakushima)....Once I choose which pictures I want to mess around with I start editing the colors, exposure, other technical terms etc...until I get something like you see now

Gonna try to take and edit alot during my India trip next week! so there should be some new ones soonishh

Gutter Revalations

So I was riding my bike home from the gym yesterday and went to get something to eat at the supermarket (nishimuta) which ended up being closed for some reason. I went to the place next door and then started my way back home but this time there was a man standing in the middle of the road in front of nishimuta, standing with a wider than normal stance and wider than normal smile. It was dark and drizzling so as I got closer I realized his pants were down and was sending an arching stream of pee into the gutter below him. I kept peddling and started laughing and looked back to his ass hanging out in the street light.

Reminded me of when I saw a guy in Singapore peeing in a bush (punishable by caning or jail I think in Singapore, or something legit)...what ive begun to realize here in Japan is that people are the same everywhere in some ways, when you cant speak the language you forget that these people have personalities, bladder problems, etc...especially in Japan where the outside culture is so bent on being as polite and reserved as possible. Now that I can finally hold a conversation with my teachers and japanese friends Im remembering that these are actually people, not super polite japanese robots. Eight months in, actual people not japanese robots, check.

Title Explanation

I cant eat bread (celiac)...so I order Jr. Bacon Cheese Burgers at Wendy's without the bun. Its also a deep metaphor for life, or maybe could be if you think hard enough.

For Friends, Family & People who stumble upon this...

Hi! こにちわ！

I've been writing mass letters to my friends and family along my travels around the world the past 3 or 4 years and at the recommendation of a few friends thought I would look into a blog. So I've decided to give it a try. Im not exactly sure what it will turn into right now, but maybe Ill remember more if I write things down more often, rather than once every 3 months or so. Plus theres pictures...enjoy!

Practice Swing

woosh