: notes to self :

take a stand!

v.unproductive day. the quark screen is killing my eyes-"MY EYES, MY EYES!!"-plus pizza lunch day and a Tuxedo cake from Longo's makes for a very stuffed and sleepy naomi.

2 things:

i) why does everyone slag on markham? sure it's the epitome of urban sprawl and the home to a disgusting number of chinese plazas and tim horton's, but there are nice things about the 'Ham (that's not for real, i just made that up). we have lots of park space, really good schools and libraries, well-kept public facilities, v.diverse communities, scenic streets, excellent places for chinese food, and pockets of pretty good shopping. it's not just a place where spoiled and frumpy weirdos congregate!!

ii) Liz and I have decided to form (if necessary) the Coalition Against Flying Cars*. Think about it people, if we allow these machines to be built, the sky will be jammed full of these aberrations, and we will be deprived of sky! you know that feeling of release when you breathe in that first breath of spring air, and look up to meet a beautiful blue sky. now imagine doing that but instead seeing the back of a tailpipe spewing exhaust back at you. how horrible would that be? stunted sightlines! fuel dripping down on our persons, victims of flying car droppings. and liz will tell you, it's no fun being crapped on by flying objects! HECK NO MAN!! say No to flying cars!




*we do not discriminate against planes. or flying carpets.

glocal listings

1. thanks to kathy's ex-UHSer-crazy-fun-music-groupie buddy janice, click here to watch Feist's "Inside and Out" video. I couldn't help smiling while watching it, not just cuz it's a freaking AWESOME song, but a) it's shot in black and white and b) she looks kind of stilted, despite the whole tough-yet-groovy stance, exactly the way i think i would appear if i was a rock star! good going girl! plus she has really startling cheekbones and i just want to feed her.
2. all Osaka Ishiguros and Nakamuras are safe and no one was involved in the crash in Amagasaki. Please take care of the families who've lost someone.
3. i've lost all five kate spade organizer bids. this is a good thing... right?
4. i seriously hope the NDP amendments to the liberal budget are kept-so much money for social welfare!! go jack. stephen harper is quite creepy. blah conservative right. i should like, be like, on CNN. anderson cooper is like, so hot. AAAHHHHHH! i'm gross!

rage against the machine


the fun thing about work is that i can get reeeeeeeally angry about... romance novels! how fun is that? =)


anyways. so remember the "best and worst" list? "baby of shame" may have won for worst title everrrr but the winner for most insipid novel everrrr definitely has to go to "A Most Suitable Wife"-which is coming to bookstands in the UK this December, lucky buggers! NOT!!!! the best part about this stinking book is not that it is so horribly contrived (the main characters' names are Taye and Magnus *barf*) but that affixed to the copy control sheet was a pleasant little warning that read: Proofreader, please give extra attention to quotation marks. Typesetting noticed some were missing. The operative word here would be some. Always up for a challenge, I picked it up, thinking it to be yet another harmless exercise on the Penta system. WRONG! There weren't a few quotation marks missing... there weren't many quotation marks missing... instead, every instance of spoken dialogue was missing opening quotation marks!!

which meant...

yes, that's right people...


not only did i have to manually insert them all, but it also meant that instead of a surface read, i had to read every single word of the WHOLE. BLOODY. BOOK. as a reward for my efforts, i was subjected to some of the worst euphemisms i've ever read in my entire life.

Pop Quiz!

What is "tiptoed through the tulips" a euphemism for?


And for the cherry on top of this annoying aggravating heinous experience, i had to read through the entire final exposition-the part where the lovers reveal they were smitten with each other from the start, which is much like the part of the comic where the villan stupidly tells the hero his dastardly plan. only in romance novels, there's an offer of marriage, and in comics, there's an offer of death. unfortunately for me, i was not given the option of death as i had to slog through the most banal exposition known to man-for a horrid EIGHTEEN PAGES!!!!! Stupid Taye kept on interrupting Magnus, since she's so brilliant, always one step ahead of him, which made the exchange DRAG ON AND ON AND ON. bring on the vat of boiling oil stat!!


I was so agitated, I bid on a kate spade organizer on eBay to calm my nerves.

If you have a shred of decency and relatives in the UK, beg them to not buy this book. Tell them to steer CLEAR. FAR AWAY. GO! RUN LIKE THE WIND! AVERT YOUR EYES!!!!




hahah, i luv my job =)))

and then she said...

the weekend's been a bit overwhelming in a very new and awe-inspiring kind of way. i never quite gave my full attention to the strength that the women around me exude, and i'm sort of at a loss right now, trying my best to articulate this-but will fail miserably. but this is important, so it's important to try.

macrocosm.
-i saw da kink in my hair at the princess of wales theatre on sat. it was really well staged and Jully Black was awesome! on three separate occasions i found myself bereft of breath, the power of the narrative moving me to tears (i know, i'm such a crybaby!). i was reminded that life is truly funny, scary, heartbreaking, lovely. i can't remember specific bits of dialogue-just the slow rushes of emotion that demanded love and forgiveness for mother sister cousin aunt grandmother wife girlfriend daughter. how privileged are we that we can be all of things.

Fathers be good to your daughters,
daughters will love like you do.
Girls become lovers who turn into mothers
so mothers be good to your daughters too.
-JM

microcosm.
-one of my best called me to let me know she had dealt with a relationship issue between herself and coworker. she didn't get the answer she wanted, and was understandably sad. i know it's not exactly the most earth-shattering situation-things just don't work out sometimes, but the day after the conversation, i realized from this incidental incident how brave she is. she put herself out there and let herself be vulnerable. she gave the situation 100% and can now walk away without any regrets. almost 10 years of friendship, and i'm still so impressed and proud of her. Could I do that?



Can I follow through and put into action what I've learned? Dear God, I hope so. Teach me to be a better and braver person and increase my capacity to care until You're blue in the face.

the worst and the best


| the worst title for a book EVERRRR!!! |


"Baby of Shame"



!!!!
(and yes, it's just as awful to read. sigh)





| best make-you-dance-and-feel-happy song EVERRRR!!! |



"Inside and Out" by Feist


i love this song!!!!!!! she is awesome, and i must see her in concert!

check it ouuuut here




| worst way to wake up EVERRRR!!! |


"why is my 645am alarm ringing on a Saturday??.....aw NO!! it's only F R I D A Y...."





| best vegan experience EVERRRR!!!! |


Fressen on Queen West in between spadina and bathurst... their food is AMAZING. i seriously, truly considered converting after this meal. their sweet potato soup and spinach and mushroom filo was so delicious-I almost keeled over in delight. i have been raving about this restaurant non-stop for the past week. just be prepared to wait a while for your food... "slow food" mentality and the servers are few and far between.

frustration

i've been watching nhk news pretty regularly ever since the controversy over the New History junior high textbooks, published by the Japanese Soceity for Textbook Reform, incorporated in the new school curriculum. Basically the issue is that China and Korea (less so) are protesting the use of these textbooks as they merely gloss over the atrocities Japan committed during the time of the 2nd World War (incidents date earlier than official involvement). This includes the Nanking massacre and the use of mostly Korean 'comfort women.' In the textbooks, the former is referred to as the "Nanjing incident." Recently there were violent incidents in Shanghai as Japanese-owned stores were vandalised, 2 exchange students were assaulted, and there was a demonstration/raid on the Japanese embassy. preceding these events, China had publicly condemned Japan and the US for their visits to Taiwan-there was probably a thinly veiled Bush-like ultimatum hiding in the wings.

What to make of this? Are the Chinese and Koreans freaking out over nothing? Are the Japanese totally at fault?

The Japanese government is notorious for its collection of hard right-wing conservative nationalists-it would be safe to assume that groupthink is a oft-visited mental state. So in a way it's not a surprise that yet again, right-wing nationalists were hired to create these new textbooks. The authors' goal was to promote japanese nationalism, as they claim it has been eroded-essentially lost-in the face of changing global attitudes. National heroes including a manga artist are highlighted in the text.

Pride in native land is all fine and well (and can be fun: take note of SMAP's "Made in Japan" tour) but should NOT come at the expense of truth and mercy. Despite the fact that only a handful of public and private JHS are using the New History textbooks (no pun intended i guess), the matter still stands that the deliberate omission of necessary vocabulary/facts is still permeating part of Japan's collective consciousness-a blatant absence of learning endorsed by the Mombusho (ministry of education).

Say what? Government is supposed to be representative of the people? The ranks of high-level government include hard-liner-militant old-school nationalists like Gov. Shintaro Ishihara, who has made extremely derogatory comments towards foreigners in public addresses, who is a strong backer of the Textbook Society. Fortunately, the majority of Japanese do NOT agree with the use of these textbooks including the Japanese teachers union which does not support the use of the texts. To add to the chaos, in 2001 when another batch of textbooks written in the same vein were produced, the publishers and administration implemented the textbooks in the curriculum of special needs schools in Tokyo. The underlying motive was greater acceptance of the content if seen in such a "sympathetic" setting. Gag.

Effectively what that stunt and in general what this whole situation shows is the denial of humanity. As soon as you strip the Other of an identity, of potential, it's always easier to wave a dismissive hand.

Japanese people have the right to know what happened, and hopefully by extricating and explaining their history in a concise and factual telling, recognition of the Other as a neighbour, a friend, a Person, will be facilitated. The blowhards so bent on self-preservation for Japan forget that by dismissing what happened during the war, they condemn their own. What of the men who served in the war? Who can they tell their story to? What of the horrors they faced in Nanking? What of their families? Who do you tell when no one wants to hear you? What happens when you are denied your experiences? (Read kerri sakamoto's One Million Hearts for more insight).

Japan needs to take ownership of its past and stop ignoring it like it never happened. The easiest way for reparations to occur would be for the government to issue an official apology to the citizens of the countries the Imperial Army devastated and

to grant citizenship to persons born of foreign heritage

or at least, for a start, Koreans born in Japan or "imported" to Japan. Discrimination against Koreans has been happening for decades, the worst of it was during the annexation of Korea during the 30s. The Imperial Army justified the takeover by claiming Koreans were actually a different type of Japanese, thus a reunification between the two cultures needed to take place. However, the brutalities inflicted upon the Korean people (Korean/Hangul was not allowed to be used; rape; reposession of land/goods; forced slave labour; overall 3rd class treatment...) only manage to cleave the members of each culture further away from each other. Only recently has there been a softening of borders, as both Korea and Japan have become strong enough to command global recognition of their economic strength. However, even to this day, a soccer/baseball/whatever game between Korea and Japan will never just be a game. The order of the names of the countries during the World Cup was bitterly debated. Koreans living in Japan still don't use their real names, choosing to adopt Japanese versions (Kim becomes Kin (gold)) instead. Grant them citizen status-let them vote, go to the same universities, work side by side with your brothers, let them realize their potential! The government has tried throwing money at the Korean comfort women, but were rejected. All the women really needed was an official apology. An acknowledgement of who they were and what they were forced to endure. Recognition of the brutality a human can inflict on another human.

yes, Japanese people have a violent and horrible past...but failure in the past does NOT guarantee failure or weakness in the present. I just wish people would understand that. I know that's a hopelessly naiive position and very out of sync with the proper politickings that happen every day...and that's exactly why i have an intense aversion to power struggles. But i get so angry when I see this happening in a country I truly love, and how it is just reinforcing stale and destructive attitudes. Mind you, when one of the accusers is China, who likes to produce its own version of revisionist history, it's equally as frustrating. Hey China, wanna grab a tea and chat about Tiannamen Square? Yeah, didn't think so.


Argh, the world is so depressing sometimes. Gambare minna.

...i'm so excited, that i just can't hide it...

-just got trained on Quark and Mac OS X, and given a brand spanking new keyboard; it's so white, that it's slightly blinding. but the keys are oh so soft =))) mac icons are so cute! and the system seems pretty user friendly... i'm excited, and perhaps i will be convinced to jump off of the good ship PC. itunes baby!! i've noticed though that there are a shocking amount of Phish files in the shared music folder.

-started knitting again! if anyone out there is interested in knitting or crocheting for a good cause, Listen Up! All you have to do is knit/crochet an 8x8 square (any colour of yarn) or 4x4 squares if you're impatient =) then what will happen is that the ladies from the JGCT Blanketeers will host a 'joining party' and everyone's squares will be stiched together to make blankets. the purpose of making these blankets is to give them to seniors' residences like Momiji and hospitals. The great thing about this project is that you can make the squares on your own time, there's no quota, there's a fun party (great food guaranteed-JGCT ladies know how to COOK) and you're helping out your community! There are easy instructions online and if you need extra help, the ladies gots kits for u! this goes w.out saying but boys are definitely welcome (the very cool Mac guy at work told me he was a knitter too!)

check out some of michelle's work so far here


-i'm so looking forward to: reel world film fest, da kink in my hair, rachael yamagata @ koolhaus, UTGC anniversary concert, Nike Run T.O., softball season and "sunny days, sweeping the clouds a-waaaay!"



hope you have a downright lovely day

really!


i was reading the ingredients list on the back of my pack of Ricolas. the second-last sentence reads:

Do not use during pregnancy or when breast feeding.


!!!!!


speaking of surprising small packages, i just found out one of my favourite teachers at Hirano Yougougakko is pregnant! I think she and her husband will be awesome parents. Eri and Kenji met while working at the same JHS. She is currently at Hirano, while he is at Ikuno =) Last summer there was a beer garden event for the Ikuno teachers. Kenji asked me if I could teach him any Chinese, because he and Eri were going to China during summer break. Apologizing, I told him I didn't know any Mandarin except for "I love you" "I don't understand" and "Watch TV." (though they are pretty useful if u think about it hahahah). He was disappointed because Eri can speak English really well (studied in London for three years) and so for once, he wanted to be Mr Linguist =) hahahhaha, cute. They actually ended up camping out in Mongolia too! For New Year's, they sent out cards with a cute picture of them grinning in a tall-grass field in Egypt. Lucky baby Mishima =)

i coulda been a contender...


once a year, there comes a cold that knocks me clear off of my feet, rendering me incapable of speech, or lateral movement. remember Weird Balinese Disease via Shaun in '04? It sure packed a potent punch in a short amount of time (lasted for only a couple of days). I remember standing at the bus stop at Bentencho, feeling like my nose was slowly leaking grey matter, and my body was being battered by a trio of former heavyweight champs. Body blow! Left hook to the head! Uppercut! No flu/cold/illness has ever made me cry...until then!

However awful that was, the '05 version of the Mama Said Knock You Out virus has actually been a touch worse. It started out rather innocently, a scratchy throat which I assumed to be a consequence of jumping right into three hours of karaoke (after an inexcusable absence of a year), singing such classics like "So Far Away", "Boku wa Kokoni Iru", "Help", a Captain and Tenille song, and laughing myself senseless as MYM and Kathy sang "Drop it Like It's Hot."

The scratchy throat evolved into a full-on assault of the sinus cavities, beginning with a nauseating headache and distractingly painful body aches which I endured agonizingly at work (gaman suruyo! egh.) and tried to put behind me with 14 hours of sleep. I bet labour is less excruciating. At least you can opt for an epidural then. I was convinced I was getting better by the weekend, NOT! Sunday to Tuesday is one big mentholated blur. I took on an incredibly irritating cough, which I blame my hyper-Scandinavian-giantess of a leader Dawn from the Running Room for. (Speaking of which, as I was sad and sick, I couldn't do much except watch buckets of crappy TV. As a result, I will die an undignified death at the running clinic tonight).

But the kicker, which gives the KO to '05 over '04 was the Sore Throat to End All Sore Throats. I was down for the count yesterday because my throat felt so inflamed, I was afraid I had tonsilitis. Everytime I tried to swallow, it felt like rusty knives were scraping and slicing my larynx. I would physically wince with every swallow, and no amount of medicated cough drops would lessen the pain. Yet another virus bringing me to my knees. Whyyyyy immune system, WHHHYYYYYYYYY???




"ADRIANNE!!!!!!!!!!!"




cough.



I'm glad thrilled happy to report that everything is much much better today, and that is why i can laugh heartily at this... the sore throat a phlegmy shadow of its former awfulness. The cough is currently dying a wheezy death. Bring on the weekend! And food! oh how I have missed thee.

Bring on '06-I'll be ready.






Lesson to the kiddies: play safe and don't share your drinking boxes. also, Captain and Tenille songs are pretty high-larious.