Sakura

Lately I’ve been in a poetry kind of mood so this is a poem I wrote if you want to read it. I hope just because I mentioned poetry you aren’t bored already. This poem doesn’t rhyme so maybe that helps since some people don’t consider non rhyming poems as poetry. I’m not sure why since the definition of poetry has the word prose in it which means common written or spoken language. Anyway, please leave a comment about what you think about it.

The Trees By the River

They twirl and float down onto the water

Water so clear and so cold, it is spring

Springtime is when they open up and reach out

Out to the sun and the people below

Below the blossoms that spring from the trees

Trees that are deep brown and flaking with age

Age of unknowable length, what they’ve seen!

Seen the bright kimonos passing on by

By the edge of the river many walk

Walk and chat about numerous subjects

Subjects like Westerners and their strange ways

Ways such as sitting in chairs, oh how strange!

Stranger still, they don’t use chopsticks or soy

Soy in their food or bentos no less

Less have we seen than cherry blossom trees

Trees that stood when the samurai where there

There in the shadows and ninja would sneak

Sneak to protect their master and their clan

Clans with a great many generations

Generations that still walk by these trees

Trees that look down with great wisdom abound

Abound and around yet we’ll never know

Know what it was like to be there that time

Time long ago when the trees were so young

Just in case you were wondering. The Cherry Blossom trees usually live 1,000 but some are known to live 10,000 years (that’s a crazy long time!) depending on the species. It takes 3-7 years to become full grown.

(319 words)

Milky Way Myth

Hello once again! I’m already looking forward to the summer (what is it with me always thinking about the next season?). So, I’ve decided to tell y’all about the Tanabata Festival that takes place in Japan on July 7th. The story goes something like this:

In heaven, the princess Orihime was a weaver who made the cloth for the people of heaven to wear and was the daughter of the emperor Tentei. One day she met the herdsman named Kengyuu and they fell in love. At first everyone was pleased as their happiness was a joy to see. However, they began to spend so much time together that they began to neglect their work.  Eventually, the people had no cloth to make clothes and the cows began to get sick. The people protested to Tentei and he decreed that the two must be separated. Orihime wept for many days till the emperor allowed the lovers to meet one night every year. Happy once again Orihime began to weave the most beautiful cloth again. So on the one night a rear Orihime and Kengyuu get in boats and meet each other halfway in the river. If you look in the night sky you’ll find Orihime on the east and Kengyuu shining brightly on the west side of the Milky Way.

Note: depending on the version of the story, the lovers sometimes cross a flock of magpies who form a bridge.

To celebrate the Japanese people put little bamboo trees in their garden and they hang papers with wishes written on it. Usually the bamboo tree is put out by grandparents or the people of Honshu (that’s the main island of Japan). People in Hokkaido (the northernmost island part of Japan) actually celebrate this festival sometime in August.

Here are some pictures to look at :)

Sources:

http://www.care2.com/gates/holidays/tanabata/tanabata.html

(313 words)

Social Media+ Information=Lightning Fast

So...this week the theme is social media.

Claim of Reality: Social media helps spread information faster.

I’m sure many of my other classmates will be debating whether social media is good or bad for relationships and how it impacts them. Meanwhile, the more obvious shall be written here.

When a natural disaster hits people scramble to get new and answers of loved ones, friends or just news. After the Great Earthquake 2011 in Japan, many phone networks were down. People visiting used Facebook, Twitter, and other social media to contact loved ones and give them news.

Also when Hurricane Sandy hit social media helped spread information on what residents should do. Information about closed roads, power restorations, and school closings could be accessed on Facebook and Twitter. The people of Morris county really found it helpful as well as the police. It made their job easier to keep the town orderly and get advice on what to do in certain situations.

Social media can not only spread news about disasters currently happening but also about disaster prevention. Southeast Asia Disaster Prevention Research Institute has a lovely facebook page and so does the Association of Natural Disaster Prevention Industry. This is really wonderful for people who hear a tornado, for example, is coming and don’t know what to do. They can find out quickly and easily.

Unfortunately, this also means bad new can be spread faster too. In the essay Electronic Intimacy, the author admits that it only took her eight minutes to find a picture of her boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend on his facebook wall. Also, a detective’s daughter found out her father had died on facebook before relative could tell her.

There’s no denying that information can now be spread faster whether it is good or bad news.

Sources:

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2010-10-20/news/bs-md-ci-breaking-news-of-death-20101019_1_social-media-social-networking-sites-city-police-union- detectives daughter

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/japan-earthquake-tsunami-drive-social-media-dialogue/story?id=13117677#.UWG7BpPvv9k

(318 words)

Mythical Tigerfish

Hello! Another post about Japanese mythology!

If you go to any older building or temple made in the Edo period (1603-1868) in Japan you might find what is called shachihoko on the edges of it. They look like this:

Of course not all of them are golden but they are a unique architectural style to many Japanese buildings.

The shachihoko can also be found in Chinese mythology as well but that’s not surprising since people from China migrated to the island of Japan in the first place. The shachihoko are believed to be able to bring rain so many were put on building for protection from fires. During the Edo period, most buildings were wooden so it makes sense that the people would put up charms against fire.

The shachihoko are said to be half carp half tiger. When it comes on land it turns into a tiger and in the water it is a carp. They are thought to look like this:

There are a lot of carp or koi in Japanese mythology because they are seen as the most inspiring of all fish. This is because they swim up rivers and they don’t give up even if they are pushed back. They are so admired that many get tattoos of them. All the types of koi tattoos can be found here.

(223 words)

Schwinn Ad

Here's my ad that I have to analyze for class ;_;

CATS!!!!!

       Ok, so, to start I love all animals but I need a topic for this blog and I’m looking at my cat memed binder so today it’s cat blog day.

      Out of all the animals in the world, I think cats are most like humans. Mostly it’s because no two cat have the same personality like people. Some like to lie in the sunlight, others are lazy, most can be nasty, and the wonderful few are the friendliest you’ll ever meet. See! Just like people! They’re also enthusiastic eaters like us! Ok, we don’t hunt down our food and leave it’s guts on our masters’ front steps.....but that’s not the point.

      Here’s the Japanese aspect in this blog today. Japanese bobtails are very prized in Japan usually because many Emperor have owned one. There’s a well known legend that tells the tale of why they have short tails. Apparently, a cat was sleeping by a hearth (fireplace) when it’s tail caught on fire. Panicking it ran through the whole city liking all the wooden buildings on fire and destroying the city. The Emperor was so angry, that he decreed that all cats have their tails cut off. Note: this is a legend and probably not true so there’s no need to worry about the poor kitty cats.

      Another famous cat in Japan is the Maneki Neko meaning ‘beckoning cat’. Perhaps you’ve seen it. It is the waving cat that stores put in the front window. Depending on which paw is waving, it means wealth, luck, or just welcoming a customer. One of the most well known stories about the origin of Maneki Neko goes like this:

“A feudal lord - some say it was Naotaka Li, lord of Hikone district - was passing Gotoku-ji when it started to rain. As the lord took shelter under a tree on the grounds, the priest's cat peeked out of the temple and raised a paw to invite the lord inside. The lord was curious about this unusual behavior and walked to the temple courtyard for a closer look. When Naotaka Li was standing in front of Tama in the courtyard, lightening struck the tree under which he had been sheltering. The lord's life had been saved, and he immediately believed the cat to be an incarnation of the Goddess of Mercy.” That’s why they are considered lucky. This is why I love cats, they aren’t all nasty hissing wild animals. They can be helpful and fun.

Sources:

• http://manekinekomusic.com/legend.html

Japanese Vending Machines

Random blog post time!

It is quite clear that the US has fallen behind in the technology of vending machines. It’s a bit harder to find one especially if you live in a small town like I do. Not that many care, I just think it’s interesting and this is a post about them.  When people go to Japan, they are amazed by how many vending machines there are. They are very popular and some of them are highly advanced in their technology.

The first vending machines in Japan were wooden and dispensed stamps and postcards. Since then, the mechanics involved have been dramatically advanced. Now, many of them have electronic screens. A vending machine company can collect information from a machine like at what time of day what drinks sell the most. In the morning, coffee and juice sells the most and at night soft drinks are usually purchased. Even more advanced machines with look at someone walking up to it, analyse their face structure to determine age, and recommend a certain drink for their age type. That might seem kind of creepy (and it is) but many don’t care or actually like it. They can learn what others their age are drinking and join the trend or try something new that many like. Kind of makes me feel sad for American vending machines that are broken down or grey.
It might seem silly but it’s nothing to sneeze at. In 2008, vending income was around $6 trillion. I’m not sure if that’s in yen or dollars but if it’s in yen that’s still about $10,626,996.72 today. (yeah I put that into a converter, whatchu gonna do ‘bout it?)
In America, it’s pretty rare to find a vending machine that sells things besides drinks and food. Personally, it feels like I’ve accidentally discovered a dinosaur. I stare at it with surprise then get on with my life. In Japan, it’s not so hard to find cigarettes in a vending machine. According to eHow, “..underwear, socks, instant and cooked noodles, and eggs. Even Rhinoceros Beetles have been dispensed from Japanese vending machines.”
When the first vending machines came out in Japan, other machines like it were created as more and more became interested in them. Machines that would play a clip of a movie if you put a quarter in them came about and others. Of course the movies were in black and white but they were still quite popular especially among kids. There aren’t any around now, sorry.

Really it’s amazing the kinds of things you can find in Japan, so, until next time, see ya! :)

Sources:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4B_qJFMXp-w- Vending Machines History and How they work

Read more: Information About Japanese Vending Machines | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/facts_5530362_information-japanese-vending-machines.html#ixzz2MsqgB5ac- Stats on Vending Machines