Sooo....

since I have swine flu (no, I do not feel that awful... and anyone who makes unflattering comparisons with pigs shall be dealt with swiftly), I can't leave the house (or go to the fencing tournament, which makes me very, very sad).

Thus, I spent all day inside, a reclusion which turned me into an ideal shufu (housewife).
I vacuumed and polished the floor. Dusted every surface in sight (including the koto). Did laundry and put it out to dry. Put the futon out to air. Scrubbed the bathroom and sinks. Baked a cake in the rice cooker. Trimmed my sage plant. Scrubbed the kitchen (THAT took forever) and all my pans. Reorganized my bookshelf. Practiced the koto. And finally, to complete the transformation, I cooked "hakusai to usuage no nimono" (a dish of simmered cabbage and thin fried tofu, in a slightly sweet, gingery sauce), while watching a ridiculous gossip show.

This leaves me with two thoughts:
A) I am not cut out to be a shufu (no one should consider their work easy, its exhausting and requires a patience I lack).
B) What am I going to do tomorrow?!

This month there have been two main important events. The first was definitely the Thanksgiving weekend in Kyoto, where almost all the Fellows got together for the first time since our orientation in Tokyo. It is amazing how well such a diverse group can click, and how much fun we can have together. Although we failed to get a turkey or wild boar, we did have a great amount of awesome food, from nabe to stuffing, and cake to sukiyaki. We also all went to see the “illumination” of Koyomizudera, which was absolutely gorgeous and magical. But, at least for me, the highlight of the whole weekend was the ekiden. Not just because it was so much fun to run as a team, cheering on friends, but also because we made the organizers extremely happy. Apparently our presence made the race an ‘international event’, and we even got to meet the very friendly, hakama-clad mayor of Kyoto!

The other big news this month is that I have not only found a really lovely koto teacher, Yokoyama-sensei, but have also bought a koto! I have been waiting (and saving) for this moment for the past two years. It is a real, Japanese-made koto, and I am extremely lucky to get it, as it was made for my teacher many years ago. Not only is this a chance to learn how to play the koto properly (as gagaku and hogaku styles are very different), but also a great chance to really compare the differences in teaching/ learning styles between private lessons, university classes and hogaku clubs. Since my project may be moving more into that direction, I look forward to learning all I can, and hopefully get well on my way to my goal of “bi-musicality” (this is an ethnomusicology term, which indicates the ability to work in two different music systems at the same level).

I feel a little bit bad, as due to various things (Thanksgiving, illness, waiting for workmen) I have missed a lot of class. While there is some small part of “bad-student guilt”, the real reason I feel guilty is that I know I’m doing myself a disservice. I really, really want to pass the JLPT2 (in July), and need to work hard to make sure I pass it on the first try. Any advice, recommendations etc… are very much appreciated.

As I write this I am pleasantly warm and slightly coppery smelling, as I have just returned from the neighborhood onsen (famed for its natrium-laced water, hence the coppery-ness), which may well become a weekly ritual. There is nothing better to cure sore tendons than blisteringly hot water!

Thanks to my advisor, I have recently been seriously getting on with the research I am being paid to pursue. My first meeting (after the Musicological Society of Japan debacle) was with the ethnomusicology professor at Osaka College of Music. She was very nice, and answered my questions, although most likely wondering why I chose such an esoteric topic. She also introduced me to a professor who is both a koto player and classical singer, and has performed the two simultaneously! (Thus, making her the most awesome person to talk to, and just generally worthy of total admiration). I can't wait to sit in (and maybe even play!) in her group koto class! Music geek paradise!

OsakaOnDai is very cute, and tiny. It was nice, and a little nostalgic to be in a conservatory again, the sounds are all so very familiar... until you pass by the tatami room where a shamisen class is being taught! From the looks of it, next term I will be spending a good chunk of time at OsakaOnDai, so I can audit Kataoka-sensei's class (yay participant observation!) and flit between others. Already I am discovering information that makes it seem likely my project will change a bit, which is exciting! Since the only two music universities in Japan which have official hogaku programmes are Osaka OnDai and Tokyo GeiDai, I really hope to spend a bunch of time wheedling myself into classes and workshops in Tokyo!

Today I went to the very top of Kobe U, which is built up the side of Rokko-san, which equates to awesome views. In a tiny building from the 60's I met Oda-sensei, a musicology professor from the Human Development department. I thought it would be a good idea to see what students planning to become music teachers are taught, which looks pretty interesting.

I am starting to feel much more at home in my various communities at Kobe U, as the amount of nomikai and events I am invited to is increasing. Last week I went to a party by the international club, where I got to meet a bunch of new people and drink ridiculous amounts of umeshuu:) Next month I will go compete at a fencing tournament, followed by a victory/defeat party with my fellow fencers. I'm also looking forward to meeting up with all the other Fulbrighters for Thanksgiving in Kyoto, and the ekiden (hopefully my tendons will decide to cooperate!)



Finally, I went to Tokyo for the weekend, which was very necessary. A bunch of my friends were either hanging around or performing at Waseda-sai, and it was great to see them all. On Sunday Masa and I wandered around parts of Tokyo neither of us had really visited much, starting with a terribly healthy breakfast of ningyoyaki (little pastries filled with anko, in the shape of a doll's face) at a temple bustling with children all dressed up for Shichi-go-san (the festival of seven-five-three year olds). It was certainly a good way to start the day.



We went to Kanda to look at old books and Ochanomizu for instruments, although it seemed like there were no kotos to be found anywhere. On the way to Akihabara we passed by a "temple" to Confucius, where we both payed our regards and asked for success in academic pursuits. Shinjuku is already being decked out with an odd mixture of Christmas and New Years decorations, and shined ever so attractively in the dark.

Living alone is different from living in a single room in a dorm.
Yes, perhaps an obvious statement, but true nonetheless.
I try very hard to be friendly and open to people, and I do realize that I have only been here a month, AND that friendships in Japan work at a more glacial pace, but I miss being able to walk across the hall to talk to a friend or go to a party.
I have joined two clubs, the Fencing club and Hogaku (Traditional Music) Club, and that has helped boost my social life. I have also made friends with some ryuugakusei and students from my department.

But I am still ever so grateful that Mu lives relatively close by. He is one of the few people who corrects my Japanese (as I once corrected his English), and sees me as a a friend, rather than a foreigner.
Also, it is nice to talk to someone who isn't a student.
Because I am no longer a college student. It is a bit hard to come to terms with that fact.
Many of the preoccupations of the students I meet are no longer also my own. I don't receive grades, am not allowed to work, don't have to worry about scholarships or grants (for now ;p). And I have a new series of worries they don't, such as making sure I budget my funds correctly, find good research contacts, pay my bills on time.
Of course, we do share many things too... what to do in the future, significant others, language issues.
But nonetheless, I am no longer a student. And Mu gets that. Cheers dude!

Recently, my life seems to be comprised of periods of great activity, flying around the universe on the Hankyu train line, followed by inactivity. I need to make the days a little more even, or at least always highly active….
Thanks to the injection of grant money, I was finally able to go to Nitori (a local version of Ikea) and winterize my apartment. I now have a wonderfully fluffy futon for my bed (complete with leaf design cover ☺) and a kotatsu futon, in a lovely dark grey with red stripes. Since I live on the slope of a mountain, the temperature drops pretty dramatically at night, although the days are still quite warm (especially compared with Wisconsin!) My friend Mu lives nearby the store, and helped me drag everything back to my place, before running off to check out his new apartment in Osaka.
Recent events have been quite varied, and actually highly useful in understanding more about my country of choice. On the 22nd, myself and several other Kansai Fulbrighters (and poor Keaton, who just needed to get out of Toyohashi) went to the Kurama Hi no Matsuri (Fire Festival). Along with seemingly everyone else in Kyoto! On the train there were two geisha in “off-duty” wear (simple hairstyle, lighter kimono, very light powdering of whitener), which was unexpected. As was the police presence in Kurama. They seemed to think all the spectators really had an interest in getting singed by the 3-4 meter fiery torches being carried through the town. Once we got to a less crowded area, we were free to follow the torchbearers, as they dropped embers and ash along the streets. People had opened up their houses to display family treasures, and placed lanterns along the path…you can easily see the origins of this festival, a way to fight away the dark and pray for better days (and apparently fertility). Since getting back to Kobe was out of the question, I got to spend the night at Reed’s awesome apartment (although mine is bigger, whahaha ;p)


I managed to get to class just on time on Friday morning, still smelling of fire and smoke, after catching one of the first trains out of Kyoto. That evening there was a party for the international students, which was great fun, although there was a significant amount of nanpa going on… seriously, I could not be further from the usual female ideal here! Oh well, I should just take it as a compliment and shut up ;p
Thanks to Terauchi-sensei, I wheedled myself into the yearly Musicological Society of Japan meeting, early on a Saturday morning. Needless to say, the highly academic language did not make comprehension an easy task, but I did learn a few interesting things. Most importantly, Japanese ethnomusicologists seem to mainly focus on the impact of Western music in Japan. This was a bit shocking, as was the fact that they were not as friendly as ethnomusicologists I met in the US. I guess its good I found this our sooner rather than later. It was a little bit frustrating and discouraging, but I’m still glad I went.
Saikin I’ve been pondering my options for my post-Fulbright life. Certainly it may be a bit early, but it takes time to apply for things or make connections. No matter what, I’m lucky enough to have a spot at SOAS, which is a great thing. But I still would kind of like to stay here, for at least another year or two. Recent ponderations involve Tokyo College of the Arts, which has a phenomenal (and unique) traditional music programme… At the very least I hope to get an introduction to some of the professors there, for research purposes. Also, Japanese TV does hold some fascination, as does trying to get a spot in some music company. I’ve been checking out voice competitions, and should maybe think about joining a talent agency…. ahhh, so many things ;p

My apartment has internet! Praise the kami!

Life on the slopes of Kobe has changed considerably since I last wrote.

First of all, I now have classes... the fact that I can't receive grades is quite novel, but also very fortunate. I am taking two of my advisor's seminars, one undergraduate and one Masters level. I rather enjoy the latter (although I skipped it yesterday to be a tour guide for my father and his friend who came to visit). I get to learn about music in the Meiji era... sort of. Its the very odd experience of knowing what the professor is talking about, but not always knowing what she is saying. If I were being graded, I would totally fail :) The same goes for my Japanese language classes, which I am taking at the top level. And am woefully unprepared for... everyone else in the class has passed at least JLPT2, while I am probably at the JPLT3 level. But since I want to pass 2, it will be great preparation. So many kanji... thank god for my second brain (my wonderful electronic dictionary!)

I have also been experiencing what it means to hitorigurashi (live alone). My apartment is huge, even by US standards, and have found myself to be quite house-proud. I clean and fumigates the place like a demon... admittedly also a measure to keep away the terrifying gokiburi (cockroaches). Turning into a yamato nadeshiko (ideal Japanese wife) as we speak ;p And while it is gratifying and fun to have this independent life, it can occasionally be a bit lonely. Nonetheless, the views are stunning, I have my own mountain range. When it is sunny it seems like the green, fluffy slopes are painted on the sky, and when it rains, fog drifts up the mountains, like tendrils of smoke from a dragon.


(Bedroom... pics of the living room/kitchen will be forthcoming)

However, I am already quite busy, and have had the chance to reconnect with old friends, and make new ones. Since he lives relatively nearby, I've gotten to hang out with Mu quite a bit. After Masa, he was the first official guest to the apartment, an event celebrated with mass amounts of beer and curry :) I have also hosted Nick (another Fulbrighter) and had a small post-GRE party for him. Naturally, I went looking for the Kobe fencing team ASAP, and am now on their roster and website. As with fencers all over the world, they are a fun but slightly odd bunch. Coming from the heavily female LU team, it is weird to now be one of three female fencers in a team of 14-18 (can't always tell who is an alum and who is a student). Nonetheless, their dedication is admirable. The fencers learn all three weapons, and direct bouts without whining *ahem,cough,cough*. The footwork is quite a bit lighter than the LU training, but is very interesting nonetheless... lots of "calling and answering", which initially left me rather perplexed.

As mentioned earlier, I got to play tour guide for my father and his friend Roberto, who were on a whirlwind tour of Japan. This gave me a chance to see some of my favourite places in Kyoto again (Fushimi Inari Shrine and Kiyomizu Temple), discover some new parts of Gion and eat some of the most amazing tempura ever! We even got a quick glimpse of a geiko, as she walked into a machiya. To see another facet of Japan, away from the loftyness of religious sites, I took them to the Namba area of Osaka, itself temple to food, gambling and bright lights.


I look forwards to writing more about what I learn here, now that I have access to the internet at home. If you have any requests, I can try to write about those :)

Kobe, one learns quickly, is a city of hills. No matter where you are going, or where you are coming from, a hill seems to pop up out of nowhere, a strange phenomenon for an immobile promontory.
The hills here are not only physical, but also mental and social. Trying to convey a request, failing, and only getting more flustered. The infamous language hill, which three years of Japanese classes has only gotten me over the very foothills of. But, as any hiker knows, the trek is half the fun, and the reward when you reach the top is incommensurable, whether it be a perfect view of the city of Kobe and the sea, or successfully acquiring the correct type of stamp, tofu or random kitchen appliance.
I should not complain too much about hills, since I had assistance getting my apartment set up from a very patient boyfriend, who uncomplainingly helped decipher all the incomprehensible kanji required to figure out internet stuff and carried various, heavy essential pieces of house-ware. Of course, we also had time to explore some of the city, taking in Nankinmachi, the Chinatown area, and all the fun things near the port :)

After worrying about the first meeting with Terauchi-sensei, my advisor at the Graduate School of Intercultural Studies, I was quite relieved to find that all my worries were in vain. Although we discussed my research and schedule in Japanese, it quickly became clear that her English is fantastic, which may be of great comfort in the future. She has offered to introduce me to several professors at other universities in both Kobe and Osaka, as well as a music association which sounds fascinating. I will probably end up taking a couple of her undergraduate classes and Master’s level zemi, along with some Japanese language classes at the International Student Centre.
I coincidentally ran into the entire Kobe University fencing club as they exited an izakaya, and gave them my card. I am looking forward to joining the group, as they look like a friendly, fun bunch (although a couple hours in an izakaya can definitely enhance that impression) and learning more about fencing in Japan.
And speaking of running into things coincidentally, I came across the infamous inoshishi. Actually, I went looking for them, on the rocky slopes of Rokko-san. I thought one might see one from afar, and that they would shy away from humans. Imagine my surprise when not one, but three different inoshishi walked up right next to me, and stopped to sniff and grunt hello. Not entirely sure what to do in such situations, I resorted to speaking to the various inoshishi in keigo (perhaps with the assumption that as Japanese boars they would understand that I was trying to respect them) to the great amusement of the boyfriend. Apparently he had never heard anyone say “gokigenyo” to a wild boar, fancy that…

This is my first post in Japan, in well-over a year.

It is truly weird. I really thought I wouldn't be able to return, that I would end up in grad school or something, and be tied up for several years, thus presenting an obstacle to coming back. It is still all kind of surreal, like a dream that will fade away if I close my eyes (although serious jet-lag can give the same effect ;p)

I have running around Yokohama and Tokyo for the last couple days, staying with Saya, and catching up with many of my Waseda friends. I won't say Tokyo is perfect, because like all places, it has its faults. Some things annoy me, like ATM problems and the crowds, but it always seems like around the corner there is something that makes me forget my annoyance.



Saya, Natsumi and I spent a fun Saturday in Shibuya and Harajuku, hopped up on delicious desserts from Sweets Paradise, and purikura. The next day was a major LU/Waseda reunion, over tons of okonomiyaki and umeshuu (plum liquor, yum!). I also got the chance to explore Yokohama with Saya who, despite living quite close by, had never visited the city. It has a lovely, mini-amusement park with a terribly romantic looking ferris wheel (kanransha in Japanese) and some cool red brick, Meiji era warehouses, now converted into a cute shopping centre.

And, of course, I got to see Masa again. Who looks even better when wearing Japanese fashionable clothes. Today we went shopping together :D The dude sure has expensive taste...

The hotel Fulbright has assigned us is near Roppongi, an area of huge skyscrapers (more so than the areas of Tokyo I usually hang out in), bright neon and expensive bars. But, walking back from the station in the comfortable half-dark, and from my window, I can hear the semi (cicadas) singing.

As of today, there is one month left before getting on the plane to Washington... where I will then get on a plane to Japan. (The fact that the whole trip will include about 24 hours inside planes is a little terrifying, but allow me the bliss of denial, for now).

Who would have thought there were so many preparations? Moving between countries is not a new experience, but now I can see how all the details can kind of pile up. Especially since there are a few directly specific to Japan.

* I have an apartment, kindly handed down from the previous Fulbrighter! It is huge, by comparison to all the others I looked at, and not as expensive. Win-win! Also, it is pretty much completely furnished, an awesome bonus.

I never thought I would live in an apartment by myself right after college. The image that came to mind was usually a cardboard box or *eeek* graduate housing, one of those places even cockroaches shun.

*Translations... of my cv (done), project proposal (not started yet!), and all the various letters to real estate agents, advisors etc...
Writing formal letters is difficult enough in English and Italian!
Each time I send the draft of the letter-of-the-day to Masa, it comes back looking completely different from how it started... oh dear.

*Shoes (oh my god, shoes). Seriously. In Japan, unless you are prepared to spend absurd sums of money for rather ugly shoes, it is impossible to find size 8.5/9. Thus, I must find several new pairs here, make sure they go with pretty much every outfit ever (slightly problematic) and then lug 12-13 pairs across the Atlantic Ocean.

*Omiyage (presents). Somehow, amongst the Imelda Marcos-like collection of footwear, there needs to be enough space for Italian presents for pretty much everyone I meet. Fulbright advisors, university advisors, friends, parents of friends whom I will be staying with, professors whose classes I want to take, neighbors I haven't even met yet, music professors whose classes I will observe...
And how will customs deal with all these (most likely) food items?

I have been reading up about Kobe, which is super close to both Osaka and Kyoto, and has some nice mountains to climb nearby. It is a port city, slightly off the beaten track, and home to a decent foreign population.

The city has been rebuilt after the Hanshin earthquake, and apparently has a beautiful "luminary festival" called Luminarie every year in December, to commemorate their recovery. The pictures are pretty stunning.


Its exciting. And terrifying. And I'm counting down the days :)

This happens to me from time to time, when in Rome.
There are thousands of antique stores, galleries and small painter's workshops. While many are of little interest, purveying mediocre copies to Stendhal-syndrome affected tourists, sometimes one comes across a real gem.
And then, I naturally become obsessed with that artist's work.
Now, I realize that good art does not necessarily equate to expensive art. But I have a knack for falling in love with pieces by artists who are famous in Italy. The fact that they are not world-renowned means that the price tags are not SO cardiac-arrest inducing, but yet are unfortunately out of my range... (in my vivid imagination).

So, this summer's lucky candidate is Piero Mocci, who is very much still among the living, and is even based in Rome.
Some might think that his work is a bit repetitive, perhaps simplistic... however the pieces somehow capture my attention.






The work of self-declared "tortured artists" usually does little for me, particularly because many of them are not, and detract from the work of those who truly do put their souls on canvas. I'm sure critics would call my tastes plebeian, however there's just something about the happy, dreamy quality of his art.







One day I want an apartment/house/ cardboard box filled with art :)

(Maybe I can start collecting in Japan!)

Graduation, ain't it crazy? Time passed so quickly, the last two weeks of college are simply a blur!

While waiting to go to Kobe, I shall be bumming around Rome. Saya is staying here, her first time visiting Europe. We went to the nearby city of Tivoli. which has the stunning Villa D'Este, with its fantastic fountains and frescoes. It is beautifully sunny and hot here :)

Seriously, it is a must see for anyone who visits the Eternal City.

However, this should not just be "bumming around" time. My Fulbright project proposal focused on Japanese conservatories, but I have been assigned to the Kobe Graduate School of Intercultural Studies. Which means that the project needs to be altered... into what exactly is the question. Thats a bit of a setback, because I will have to write and translate a new one.

どうしょ〜〜〜？

All works are by the incredibly talented Kristiana Pärn.

This is one of the few times I desperately want some art I could actually, potentially afford! (You know, instead of Monet's "Water Lilies"...)

The beauty of the colours, and adorable choice of subject matter.... ah,but to be gifted in the pictorial arts!











You can get them from shanalogic.com

It is 8th week, and it seems like every other university has already closed its doors for the summer.
We still have three weeks, between class, exams and graduation ceremony stuff.
While I enjoy Lawrence, and the people here, I am also ready to go to Japan and on to the next great adventure.

Also, I have to do a group project. I do not like them, especially when the other members of the group (for instance) leave town right when we should all be working like mad.
When you find out option A is no longer possible, you do NOT wait a week to inform the rest of the group! You say so immediately, as to not make the senioritis-stricken one freak out even more.

I have to find a way to get an A in at least one of my two "hard" classes, and people are not making it easy!
These are the last couple weeks of my undergraduate career, being completely stressed out should not be part of the plan...

Next week my wisdom teeth shall be pulled, so stress shall be combined with pain and ridiculously strong painkillers.
And then packing, packing, paaaaacking!

Finally, people need to answer their e-mail. Not difficult.

I do not entirely believe it myself, but:

!!! I will spend all of next year in Japan, studying musical methods, as a Fulbright Scholar !!!

This is truly unbelievable, such luck is entirely uncommon!

Please, come and visit :)))

What a strange term this has been. As usual, there seem to be temporal distortions in the air, as time has been passing both ridiculously fast and slow, sometimes as the self-same time.

My university fencing career has ended, with remarkably few tears. I have had a clean sweep of qualifications, making this my third year competing at Regionals. It seems so strange to have a definite end to something I put so much time and effort in, laying down arms, as it were. Certainly, fencing shall remain a fixture in my life, as long as my joints continue to allow such jostlings... but team competition is now something of the past. I am thrilled that we finally beat UMichigan, revenge is all the sweeter after one year of waiting :)

Graduate schools have kept me on my toes, as both American universities (wrestling, no doubt, with serious financial concerns) rejected me outright. Ethnomusicology is not high on the list of priorities. Interestingly my long-shot school, the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London, accepted. It shall be rather odd to return to Europe, after four years spent in the rather rural MidWest. I wonder if my vaguely British accent will make a triumphant return?

Naturally, I am still waiting on the Fulbright Commission's decision, as to whether they will send me off to Japan to research Japanese musical teaching methods. Truly, that would be fantastic, one more year in the most fascinating country on Earth (perhaps I'm biased ;p). While looking at the projects chosen last year, I came across a girl who is studying the works of Yazawa Ai, a shoujo-manga artist. It would be really interesting to see what she has discovered, since I rather enjoy what little I have deciphered of Yazawa's manga.

Anyway, relating to the subject of London and Japan, I seek counsel. Since both my country "choices" have been fighting each other for years, for the first place position on the list of "Most Bloody Expensive Countries To Live In", my monetary situation will be rather dire. Fulbright will not allow me to work in Japan, and if I go to London I will only be able to work 10-15 hours per week, due to the intense nature of the SOAS Masters programme.

So, any advice on how to survive on 15-20£/3000¥ per week? (This is what will be left after I pay rent, fees and transport)

Apparently most adults have only read six of the books in the TOP 100 list. Sad. Sorry, I fail at embedding the info. But anyway, how many have you read?

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen 2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien 3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte 4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling 5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee 6 The Bible (browsed it) 7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte (started it) 8 1984 - George Orwell 9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman 10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens 11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott 12 Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy 13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller 14 Complete Works of Shakespeare 15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier 16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien 17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks 18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger 19 The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger 20 Middlemarch - George Eliot 21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell 22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald 23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens 24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy 25 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams 26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh 27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky 28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck 29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll 30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame 31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy 32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens 33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis 34 Emma - Jane Austen 35 Persuasion - Jane Austen 36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis (repetition!) 37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini 38 Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres 39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden 40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne 41 Animal Farm - George Orwell 42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown 43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez 44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving 45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins 46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery 47 Far From The Maddening Crowd - Thomas Hardy 48 The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood 49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding 50 Atonement - Ian McEwan 51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel 52 Dune - Frank Herbert 53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons 54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen 55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth 56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon 57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens 58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley 59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime - Mark Haddon 60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez 61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck 62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov 63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt 64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold 65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas 66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac 67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy 68 Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding 69 Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie 70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville 71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens 72 Dracula - Bram Stoker 73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett 74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson 75 Ulysses - James Joyce 76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath 77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome 78 Germinal - Emile Zola 79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray 80 Possession - AS Byatt 81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens 82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell 83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker 84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro 85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert 86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry 87 Charlotte's Web - EB White 88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom 89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton 91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad 92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery 93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks 94 Watership Down - Richard Adams 95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole 96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute 97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas 98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare 99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl 100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

37/100.... there are a few in that list which I really want to read!

This in unacceptable!

http://www.sibetrans.com/trans/trans10/cusick_eng.htm

Music used as an instrument of torture? Are you kidding me?!?

Music is created to enlighten the spirit, fire the mind, gladden the heart... not to cause suffering and injury!

How can one of the most beautiful things in life be twisted so? Who could possibly condone this action?

What is WRONG with people?

How can someone defame the work of so many centuries worth of artists, their never-ending efforts to "express the inexpressible"?

-Watson Fellowship essays: Submitted
-Watson Group Interview: Scheduled
-Fulbright Application Hard Copy: Submitted
-Fulbright Online Application: Ready to Go
-Lecture-Recital: Scheduled for January 29th
-Choir Solo Audition: Aced

Sheesh. It's been less than a month since classes resumed, and I have spent at least three-four hours everyday preparing essays, grant proposals, personal statements... so much time spent seemingly justifying my existence.

Fall is tinging Wisconsin with the usual lovely palette of red, orange and gold. The view from the room where my Japanese class is held is stunning, a light sea of greens and orangy-reds. What is fall like in Osaka, Ulaanbataar or Hawaii?

It is nice to be back at LU again: fencing, friends and parties, the availability of cheese, my favorite Con practice room... but yet there is something missing. My koto, for one.
And I can't help but think how nice it would be to go for a walk with Giga, under the golden canopy.
The road is calling me again.
Also, I miss Japanese food: the smell of tempura udon and kare-raisu on my way home, fresh tofu and taiyaki in Monzennakacho, vegetarian sushi in Shimane-ken.

But, this promises to be a wonderful weekend, and a challenging year. And ya'll know how much I love a challenge ;p

Ladies and gentlemen, the honeymoon is OVER! Kindly re-activate your brains at this time, and start looking at the facts. Most people know that I am not one to get intensely political. I believe everyone must do what they think is right, even if I disagree with their ideas. I glory in free will, and the potentiality contained within.

However.
However.

We must get over the amazement caused by McCain's nomination of a female vice-president:
"Oh, how progressive"
"Someone who understands women... she'll surely get the Clinton vote".
"Amazing!"

No.

She may be a woman, but many of her (and McCain's) platforms could truly ruin the lives of many American women... and men (and undecided) for that matter.

This combo would like to overturn Roe vs. Wade. Yes, I realize that in 8 years under Bush that did not happen, however their choice of Supreme Court Justices could just turn the tide.

There are those who are pro-choice, and those who are pro-life, and each person can choose their side. However, we cannot allow one side to decide for all women. Gov. Palin said that, in the hypothetical scenario her own daughter were raped she "would support abortion only if the mother's life was in danger" but " would choose life."① She would like to make abortion illegal, which would only cause a great number of women to seek dangerous illegal abortions. She supports abstinence, which is all fine and good... but for the fact that her own daughter is proof that sexual education is NECESSARY. And now that poor girl has no choice.
Think, do we really want all American women to end up choiceless, like Piper Palin?

No.

Think of the charming little chant, which echoed through the halls of the Republican National Convention:
Drill, drill, drill! Drill in Alaska, destroy yet another piece of the Earth.
Yes, its true. The US must become independent from foreign oil...but more importantly, all countries should strive to find renewable energy sources. Let us focus on researching said resources (the "corn oil" advertised across Illinois, for instance), and try to contain the damage the human race has already done. Can we really afford to have a leader who does not believe that global warming is caused by human hands?

No.

McCain and Palin oppose same-sex marriage, and she supported a non-binding referendum for an Alaskan constitutional amendment to deny state health benefits to same-sex couples.② I understand that same-sex marriage may be deemed problematic for religious reasons. However, civil unions and equal rights for same-sex couples should be a basic right. Just imagine if your husband/wife was in the hospital, scared and in pain, and you were informed that you are not allowed to see him/her...wrenching.

And I continue.

Palin has promoted oil and natural gas resource exploration in Alaska, including in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and initiated a lawsuit over the federal listing of the polar bear and Cook Inlet beluga whale as endangered species.③ Now, I am not a fan of guns, for they are a dishonorable and dangerous weapon. But, I can understand how someone living in a wild place like Alaska would need one. You need to make sure you and your family are not attacked by polar bears or wolves while waiting for the bus.

But this does not make it right to shoot down wolves from helicopters, or cease protecting endangered species. Remember, they were there first!

Think, do we really want a "book ban-er"④ in power? As a lover of words, books and thought, I find the censoring of knowledge is a vicious crime.

Please, think. Just because she is female, does not mean that she is necessarily a progressive choice. We must not vote for gender, but for vision.

And girls, please vote. A great many women have suffered and died for us to acquire the right to do so. Just read about the suffragettes. Or even you are not in to books, watch "Steel Angels".

Around the world, millions of women have no voice. Use yours.



① Alaska 2006 Governor Debate
②"Same-sex unions, drugs get little play", Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved on 2008-09-01.
③"State will sue over Polar Bear Listing, Palin says", Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved on 2008-09-01
④ "Mayor Palin: A Rough Record" from Time Magazine