julia jima

New blog

2010-09-29T10:08:00.002+09:00

Hello friends,

I am now blogging from my blog, Haramaki Love. It's a business that I started upon my return to Canada, inspired by Japan, of course. But the blog is not just business, far from it. It's about my life as a newlywed here in Montreal, the people I love, and things that I enjoy too, like movies, love letters, fashion and coming soon... a little bit of advice.

Hope to see you there!
xo

A beautiful country wedding...

2009-08-29T02:08:00.002+09:00

Check out Marie-Eve of Lake Jane's gorgeous affair here.

Things that go Bling: Keep yer belly warm... with Haramaki Love

2009-02-04T13:01:00.000+09:00

Things that go Bling: Keep yer belly warm... with Haramaki Love

hello there..

2008-05-13T10:29:00.001+09:00

i think i might come back.
just testing the waters..
not sure yet,
its important to remember who i am writing for..
and why!?

it's been a long, long while,

2007-10-27T06:42:00.000+09:00

but things are good.
much has happened since the last post, and i wonder if this blog has seen its end, or if it needs to be restarted somehow.

i lost a teacher of mine about a month ago. his name was ernie nelson and he was one of the gentlest, loveliest instructors i have ever known. he taught me singing years ago, and i have fond memories of him sitting at the piano smiling up at me as i struggled with my scales. now that he's gone, i really miss him.

as i lost ernie, i got a new life in mine. yet to be named husky mix, who was abandoned by his previous family. i adore him.

all for now, but more to come.

she's my idol

2007-05-18T21:53:00.000+09:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1USZQBebXV4

thoughts on living... and dying

2007-05-18T21:35:00.000+09:00

A friend told me about a documentary she watched that was filmed here
in Japan, about a young woman who had advanced cancer that had spread
through her body. Her family was told that she had one month to live,
but they chose not to let her know. They simply couldn't bear to. They
decided to celebrate her and her partner in a mock-wedding: dress,
hair, makeup, dancing and all- in a fancy hotel. The documentary
showed all of the family members balling their eyes out at the
ceremony, as they knew how close the end was. Her condition quickly
deteriorated and she passed away a few weeks later.

My mouth hung wide-open as Azusa recounted this story to me. We were
eating dinner, and I practically lost my appetite. I found it
absolutely insane that that girl was not told that she had a month to
live. If it was known that I only had a month to live, I would want to
be the first to know. Actually, I'd probably rather keep it from other
people around me, but if someone were to know, it would damn well be
me that ought to before anyone else.

I suppose this illustrates something interesting that occurs in Japan,
that of protecting your loved ones by assuming the family pressures as
a group, and attempting to protect your loved ones as much as
possible, even if that means witholding what would seem to be very
important information.

From there, the discussion progressed to our own lives and to what we
would all do if we knew today that we had one month to live. All three
of us had very different versions. Mine was that if I found out today,
I would be on a plane tomorrow to Canada, with my passport, all my
money and whatever really mattered. Everything else I would just
leave. And I would spend the rest of my time with my family and loved
ones. And that's all. Azusa, having a child and also with baby number
two on the way, had a different story. So did Kazumi. But for all of
us, it was about tying up loose ends, coming to peace, taking care of
our loved ones, and saying everything that had to be said.

well said, sigmund

2007-05-15T20:49:00.000+09:00

Sigmund Freud on love and work:

"Love and work are the cornerstones of our humanness."
"Love and work... work and love, that's all there is."
"One is very crazy when in love."
"How bold one gets when one is sure of being loved!"
"We are never so defensless against suffering as when we love."

simple, but true.

things that i will miss about japan- part III

2007-05-15T20:09:00.000+09:00

6. my shower room. its so fun to have a small room to shower in that you can kind of walk around it, with a nice big mirror and a stainless steel cube bath.
7. mochi. i love mochi. its just so good.

things i'm on the fence about.. part I

2007-05-15T20:00:00.000+09:00

i realise that there needs to be another category. things that i am going to simultaneously miss and not miss. there are a few of such things.

1. the kids in my building. ok, again not things, but whatever. they are really cute, and they make me smile. but they are also incredibly irritating, and have scared the shit out of me on numerous occasions. either by throwing dead cockroaches at me, or by literally jumping in front of my car as i attempted to enter or exit the parking lot. (thank goodness for quick reflexes). at the same time though, they are pretty strange and pretty hilarious. and they let me pet their tiny kittens and puppies that seem to pop out of nowhere.

things i am not going to miss.. part II

2007-05-15T19:59:00.000+09:00

2. My ridiculously high monthly cell phone bill.
3. The office. Small, cramped, loaded with desks and people and chairs
and students and noise and dust and tons of other useless crap.
4. School bathrooms. One word: unsanitary.
5. Mosquitoes and other creatures that abound on the island.
6. Oppressive humidity

Things that I will miss about Japan- Part II

2007-05-15T19:53:00.000+09:00

2. I guess they are not really things, but despite them being annoying at times, I am for damn sure going to miss my students. They always make me laugh, even when they are simultaneously pissing me off. And the fact that they seem to like me makes liking them pretty easy..
3. This kick-ass 24-inch screen iMac that I convinced my school to buy and that sits in my office and that I am typing on right now. Love it.
4. Handkerchiefs, that Japanese ladies (plus me) use to dry their hands with after washing. Its environmentally friendly, and just plain enjoyable.
5. Family Mart. I am going to miss this place with a passion. Its one of my favorite places in Japan. If I could choose to export just one Japanese business to Canada, it would be this one by far.

things that i absolutely will NOT miss about japan- part I

2007-05-13T21:40:00.000+09:00

there's always a balance.
1. random people knocking on my door at random times for random reasons. frankly, its annoying. and also a tad on the stalker-ish side. though not intentionally. like when the post man insists on hand-delivering an ordinary letter or an ordinary small package that requires no signature and that could very easily fit into my mailbox, simply because there is a foreign name on it, and ohhhhh, isn't it fun to annoy the foreigner and peek into their apartment!

things i'll miss about japan- part I

2007-05-13T21:28:00.000+09:00

there are so many things that keep popping into my mind. thought i'd start to make a list.

1. juicy juicy kinkans: these tiny, bite-sized citrus fruits that look like minature oranges. only in japan, sour, and delicious. eaten whole, peel and all. loaded with vitamin C and great for colds. actually, they have natural enzymes that work as a cough suppressant. last night i went to my favorite hangout, to order my favorite drink- vodka, soda, halved kinkans, lemon liqueur and a dash of sweetness of some sort, complete with a tiny fork to nibble on the kinkans between sips. my friend the restaurant owner/bartender fumio-san lowered his eyes at my request. "juli-chan, the kinkans are finished. out of season. no more kinkans." SHOCK. devastation. disbelief. a tad dramatic you say? its just that i am in love with this fruit. and they don't exist anywhere else. i like the little things so much that i smuggled two bags first into the states, then into canada when i went in march. and we all know how the americans are serious sticklers when it comes to bringing fresh fruit into the country.

careless talk kills?

2007-05-10T19:22:00.000+09:00

according to this article, the above was a slogan used in world war II to prevent soldiers and US army officials from spilling the beans about whatever it was that they were getting up to.

and we all know they were getting up to no good at all..

recent news is that they are buckling down on current US troops' blogging and e-mail habits, with the newest restriction being that superiors must review all outgoing e-mails and new blog posts before they get sent and published. and its not only for the soldiers, but this also applies to their families, as well as everyone working for the military.

its sad, really. the need to voice the human experience, especially in times of war, is so important. perhaps not to the world through a blog, but monitoring e-mails in my opinion is a breach not only of the right of freedom of speech, but of personal communication.

kimono power

2007-05-07T21:12:00.000+09:00

had the most amazing kimono experience
felt like a princess,
was treated like true royalty..
gorgeous silks,
tight-fitting obis,
toe socks and special shoes.
people gawked,
stared,
but it was ok this time.
my dear friend kaoru said i was like the most beautiful flower on the highest mountain.
i think that is one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me.

um...

2007-05-05T02:37:00.000+09:00

ok, i have clearly been having fun with these blogthings lately. they are so silly, but somehow, through the waves of the internet and with their broad, one-size-fits-all questions, there appears to be some truth behind it. i mean, aren't you interested in knowing what kind of weather you represent? (bright and sunny) or, what kind of sandwich you are? (good ol' grilled cheese). its riveting stuff. but how about that truth? such a powerful word. i have a new necklace from a beautiful jeweler here in miyako, made with lots of stones, mainly lapis. lapis is so beautiful, a dark purple blue with flecks of gold in it. its also quite a powerful stone, said to be the stone of truth and friendship.

about the stone: "the romans believed it to be a powerful aphrodisiac. in the Middle Ages, it was thought to keep the limbs healthy and free the soul from error, envy and fear. Attributed with great healing, purifying and curative properties, Lapis Lazuli points the way to enlightenment, and aids in the opening of the Third Eye. Popular with ancient alchemists (who knew it as sapphirus), it was used in medicine, cosmetics and paintings. It was also believed to confer ability, success, divine favor, ancient wisdom and cure sore throats. This stone is for Understanding, Higher guidance, intuition, connection to higher self, overview, decisions for good of all. Organizes, quiets mind. Self-expression, writing, creativity, dream insight...Anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, autism, shyness, nervous system; , speech, hearing, pituitary, lymph, inflammation, pain (especially head), protection."

ouuu... i like it. i like it a lot. something about this stone, its properties. seems to fit into the never-ending puzzle that is my life at the moment. it may be just what i need, in fact.

keys to my heart?

2007-05-05T02:36:00.000+09:00

The Keys to Your Heart

You are attracted to those who are unbridled, untrammeled, and free.

In love, you feel the most alive when your lover is creative and never lets you feel bored.

You'd like to your lover to think you are loyal and faithful... that you'll never change.

You would be forced to break up with someone who was insecure and in constant need of reassurance.

Your ideal relationship is lasting. You want a relationship that looks to the future... one you can grow with.

Your risk of cheating is zero. You care about society and morality. You would never break a commitment.

You think of marriage something you've always wanted... though you haven't really thought about it.

In this moment, you think of love as something you thirst for. You'll do anything for love, but you won't fall for it easily.

What Are The Keys To Your Heart?

this may just be true.. at least in part

2007-05-04T16:50:00.001+09:00

Your Birthdate: August 13

You're dominant and powerful. You always need to be in charge.
While others respect your competence, you can be a bit of a dictator.
Hard working and serious, you never let yourself down.
You are exact and accurate - and you expect others to be the same way.

Your strength: You always get the job done

Your weakness: You're a perfectionist to a fault

Your power color: Gray

Your power symbol: Checkmark

Your power month: April

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

butterfly season

2007-05-03T10:45:00.000+09:00

is officially here in miyako, and its quite simply- delightful.
it is golden week in japan, which means five days off, yatta!
yesterday was spent driving around, on the hunt for secret beaches. i found some, and also a beautiful path filled with butterflies.. amazing. then my first swim in the ocean this season. heaven..
four more days of holiday for me. detoxing, studying, running, cleaning, going to the beach, massage, a few dinners planned, a few coffee dates.. and best of all, on sunday, a kimono day for me! ritsuko-sensei, one of the top japanese dance teachers of japan (!), has invited me to her home to dress me formally in kimono, and to have lunch.. which is incredibly exciting, as well as quite an honnor. i have worn a yukata before, which is simply a light summer-style kimono, but not the real thing.

happy working, playing, and most importantly,
happy spring
xjuliax

i should also say,

2007-04-30T00:38:00.000+09:00

that what i have learned about people,
first impressions,
living in the moment,
appreciating nature,
laughing,
grace,
the mystique of the japanese sensibility-
aesthetically and otherwise,
politeness,
being good to others,
and understanding what you really need and what you really need to let go in order to be sane,...
are some of the greatest gifts i have received from this little gem miyako.

change change change

2007-04-29T23:50:00.000+09:00

had a chat with a friend this evening
about change
about who we were when we came here,
and who we are now.
in small ways, this island casts a spell on its inhabitants
its a spiritual place,
a calming place,
a place where i stand out moreso than i often wish to.
a place that has calmed me down,
grown me up,
put me on my path..
helped me discover my health,
seen me suffer,
seen me grow,
seen me smile
and definitely seen my cry.
i'm getting cheesy and sentimental,
but,
when the end is near,
its what happens.
and all these past and upcoming goodbyes,
are making me reflect,
on the good times.

goodbye, goodbye

2007-04-29T12:49:00.000+09:00

it feels like my life the past few weeks have been filled with goodbyes. first to shin, then to my family when i left canada, then to sarah, and now to a small fleet of really cool triathletes that came to compete at the 23rd annual strongman competition of miyako.
i spent the last week hanging out with IRON HAMBURGER kjell, a german triathlete, and just saw him off at the airport. i am seriously going to miss him, and the endless chats!! good luck for the next few months kjell and i'll be sure to see you again sometime, somewhere!

saying goodbye bit by bit though is probably a good thing. its far from easy, and there will be a few people here that will make me cry. especially all my really close girlfriends who i won't be seeing much of once i leave. there are already about 10 girls coming to see me in canada, and as for japan, i'll definitely be back.

90 days left....

ambulances ambulances

2007-04-14T00:13:00.000+09:00

everywhere,
everyday,
especially at night,
buzzing through the small miyako streets.

so few people,
so many of the noisy things.
what's going on?
spring time equals sick time?

hearing them is scary,
and sad,
to think of the people inside,
and those that love them on the outside.

i'll soon be back,

2007-04-04T04:28:00.000+09:00

but, before i forget what i have been up to, here's a list.
2 weeks in montreal, toronto, and north hatley were spent:
-shopping. i packed two suitcases from japan full of clothing and other crap, and didn't bring a single pair of knickers. idiotic. so the first day was a b-line to buy skivvies.
aside from that, bought lots of food to take back, jeans, pills, herbs, books and magazines.
-eating. indian, greek, middle eastern, italian, vegan, mexican, japanese (i know, its lame), french, and some great home cooking.
-playing. had great dinners and discussions and drinks and parties with people who are lots of fun.
-walking. since i own two (yes, its ridiculous) cars in japan i seldom walk anywhere. walking is nice.
-driving. (and cursing quebec drivers)
-sleeping. in my wondrous bed
-chilling. playing wiiii and watching movies and american tv and reading trash mags. heaven.
-visiting. my future school in toronto, old friends, doctors, hairdresser. new bangs, new ambitions for the future.

well that's a nutshell of it all. i am ok to be going back to japan, though not at all excited about the prospect of returning to work. but i suppose that's what happens when you go away on holiday. even if that holiday is home.
four months left of the job, followed by three weeks in china, then back to canada officially. if the plan ends up going as i am seeing it right now, it will be six months in montreal before moving to toronto for a few years (well, 4- gulp) to go to school. i was worried about toronto, but was happily surprised at its great vibe. i really liked it. and its so close.
xjx

horoscope

2007-03-19T08:54:00.000+09:00

i like it, and i like the idea of it for my upcoming trip to canada.
upcoming = the day after tomorrow.... ahhhh!!!! so exciting!

Leo:
Here are the blessings I wish for you in the coming week: (1) not a sudden evacuation from a pitch-dark tunnel into a blinding light, but rather a gradual transition from the frigid blackness to cool grayness to warm brightness; (2) not an eruption out of a claustrophobic squeeze into the middle of nowhere, but rather a natural evolution from an interesting limitation to an expansive possibility; (3) not a stressful rocket launch from the bottomless abyss to a scary peak, but rather an exhilarating joyride from the lower depths to the ringing heights.

(From Free Will Astrology)

translation?

2007-03-17T14:57:00.000+09:00

i realize that among my three readers, probably half (yes, 1.5), don't speak french. so for fun i entered my previous post through babelfish. the result:

since the primary education, when I read the books of the splendid countess of ségur, I adore this expression. it is besides a very relevant expression in this moment yesterday, it was the storm at home: thunder, clouds, flashes... and there, which 24 hours later, the sun strikes and I am smiling! that always made good face our problems and try to solve them in a communicative way my colleague came to excuse near me second once, which was completely suitable being given the very loose way in which it had behaved the first time. as for me, I decided to less take this job with the serious one. that is not worth simply the sorrow to break me the head. I will continue with performer at 110% in class, for the benefit of my pupils, who are expensive to me but beyond that, it is finished! and that made good of saying enormously, and writing that. in this moment I am in a hurry too to return four dodos! xjx

après la pluie, le beau temps...

2007-03-17T14:38:00.000+09:00

depuis le primaire, lorsque je lisais les livres de la magnifique comtesse de ségur, j'adore cette expression. c'est d'ailleurs une expression très pertinente en ce moment. hier, c'était la tempête chez moi: tonnerre, nuages, éclairs... et là, que 24 heures plus tard, le soleil frappe et je suis souriante! ça fait toujours du bien de faire face à nos problèmes et d'essayer de les résoudre de façon communicative. mon collègue est venu s'excuser auprès de moi une deuxième fois, ce qui fût tout à fait approprié étant donné la façon très lâche dont il s'était comporté la première fois.

quant à moi, je me suis décidée de prendre ce boulot moins au sérieux. ça ne vaut simplement pas la peine de me casser la tête. je vais continuer à performer à 110% en classe, pour le bénéfice de mes élèves, qui me sont chers. mais au-delà de cela, c'est fini! et ça fait énormément de bien de dire, et d'écrire ça.

en ce moment j'ai trop hâte de rentrer.
quatre dodos!
xjx

i confronted him

2007-03-16T11:23:00.000+09:00

on my way back from class, i asked him about the whole thing. and this is where i switch to french. bon. premièrement, c'est un con- mais ça, on le savait déjà.
honnêtement, je l'haïs un peu. je sais bien que c'est fort, mais c'est vrai. il n'a aucune idée de comment traiter les autres. c'est vraiment triste. lorsque j'ai abordé le sujet, il a joué sa carte d'innocent, qui ne voulais pas me faire de la peine, etc. etc. il a mis le blâme sur les autres, et il ne m'a pas offert de bonne solution. tout a finit avec moi disant 'bon, ben de toute façon, je termine ce boulot bientôt donc..'. il m'a répondu, 'ne dis pas ça.' Ma réponse? 'eh bien c'est la vérité, puis c'est comment je me sens.' (dans ma tête, c'était beaucoup plus fort, laid, et méchant. mais ça, je le garde dans ma tête).

merci de lire tout ça. je sais que ce n'est pas la chose la plus intéressante du monde. mais parfois, il faut laisser sortir ses sentiments. autrement, ils peuvent devenir paralisants. à partir de maintenant, je met toute cette histoire derrière moi. c'est fini, terminé. je ne veux plus y penser, et je vais continuer mon travail du mieux que je peux, sans laissé toute cette merde me rendre triste. bon... gomme à effacer, où es-tu?

ok, despite the negativity..

2007-03-16T09:33:00.000+09:00

there are a few things to be happy about!
1. i can for some reason blog at work suddenly.. funfun!
2. i go home in five days.. and its going to be hot.
3. i have some wonderful supportive people in my life here, that makes up for the job ten-fold
4. i am reading and learning
5. and to end with the most obvious- its friday. yatta!

this damned job..

2007-03-16T09:21:00.000+09:00

makes me nuts sometimes. in particular, when i am being outrightly taken advantage of, used, and basically given an air kick in the rear end.
in a nutshell, there was an english haiku poetry contest throughout japanese high schools. kids were asked to write a haiku prose in japanese, then translate it into english to be then submitted to a board of judges. my co-worker, let's call him Toe, asked me to help him out. i obviously obliged and took on the challenge wholeheartedly.

basically, i worked for a month correcting, translating, and fixing up a few hundred poems. when they were submitted, i felt confident we would have some winners, as there were some quality pieces in there. sure enough, out of the whole country of japan, there were 11 winners. THREE of them were from this school. let me remind you, that this school is the smallest school in the prefecture, and one of the smallest schools in japan. as well, it is very far from being academic and would be considered low-level.

so.... flash forward to monday. i'm sitting at my desk typing away at this little gem that i type on right now. i sense commotion in the hallways, step outside, and find a TV camera, three reporters, the three winners, Toe, the vice-principal and the principal sitting in a room doing an interview. speeches, awards, flashes, video.. the works. i am confused, slightly dumbfounded. why hasn't anyone told me about this? what is going on here?
Toe comes in afterwards and apologizes, saying that the vice-principal didn't want me there. he also neglected to tell me that he won teacher of the year or some bullshit, has been published in five newspapers throughout japan, and won an electronic dictionary and airplane vouchers. and i hate to say it and toot my own horn, but the truth of the matter is that none of this would even exist had i not put my poetic brain to work. so its fucked. and i hate this job more than ever now. i do not like being taken advantage of in this way. and i have a funny feeling that the fact that i am female, and white, has something to do with it. as samantha in sex and the city once said: "shit, motherfucker, fuck, shit." sorry. that was dirty. but it felt good.

what's your type?

2007-03-15T19:55:00.000+09:00

i think i may have found mine... at school. but let me begin by saying that i think i am a bad teacher. i'm moody, i cheat, and i pick favorites. none of these traits are desirable in an educator. thankfully i keep them relatively well hidden, but still.

so on to the type and typing. i have always been one to say that i didn't have a type, and that, in fact, i thought typing to be limiting and basically a flawed concept. of course, i never argued being someone that i liked's 'type', but i prided myself as not having one myself. as such, i have ended up with a variety of different people.
ok.. that sounds bad. not that many, but very different individuals. no one can be compared, for example, to my skinhead tattoo-covered japanese dude who listens to punk, techno and trans (eek), and generally looks pretty scary.
but i digress. what i am getting at actually involved the classroom. i mentioned just now that i pick favorites. as in, there are certain kids in my classes that i am drawn to during class time. when i have my students complete a worksheet, for example, and i roam the class checking on their progress, i find myself often haunched over a particular type of kid (aside from those that actually need help, of course. i'm not that horrible). in a nutshell, they are all the 'bad' kids, the loud ones, which in english, is a good thing. and, despite them being 'bad' and 'funny' and 'cool', they all have really sensitive, sweet hearts underneath it all. i just love talking to these kids. its way fun, even more so than class itself.
so my deduction is that this (not that all three of my loyal readers even care), is my type. or at least, its the type i am drawn to. and let's be clear- its not just about love relationships, its about them all. so here's to meeting new crazy, loudmouthed people, with supersoft centers.

tears of joy? + quote of the day

2007-03-02T22:51:00.000+09:00

starting with the quote, said my my co-worker kazumi today over green tea and rice cakes:
"We're [the education system] are making Japanese kids stupid."
beautiful, and so spot on. the passing grade in high school is 35%. i mean, come on. that's just lazy. seriously.

as for the tears, it was high school graduation yesterday. nice ceremony, lots of awards, speeches, slide shows, official bits and pieces, and of course, lots of tears. i've been here for almost two years, and still things amaze me. although i don't remember the specifics of my own high school graduation, i do remember feeling rather elated knowing high school was over, and i could finally start studying what i wanted to, and not wear a lame uniform. in japan though, its as if the students feel the best years of their lives are over. its really kind of funny actually. but at the same time, when i look at my students, who live on this tiny island of 7000 people and have grown up together, been to school together their entire lives, i can understand the tears. its time to begin living in big japan. and that, i admit, can be scary.

que c'est bon

2007-03-01T22:40:00.000+09:00

icelandic hafdis huld produces some beautiful sounds:
ski jumper, tomoko, it's great.
plus, she's super cute.

introducing:

2007-02-27T21:46:00.000+09:00

the world's greatest waste of time: facebook
its fun
i've seen the faces of people i haven't seen in ages..(some in years)
i was finally bullied into signing up
its been 2 days, and i've played too much
hehe

that's all
xjx

おはよう！

2007-02-10T08:50:00.000+09:00

this just in: i'm coming home in march!! ok, i am probably jinxing it by writing about it, but to be honest, i just don't give a shit. because my tickets are reserved and its a plan and i am very very happy.

getting to this point though has been a bit of a mission. starting with the refusal of the board of education to let me go. i had requested unpaid leave, which seemed pretty fair to me, especially since i will be leaving during spring break, a period when there are no classes and nothing to do at school. last spring break, for instance, i spent babysitting my co-worker's adorable five year old all day at school. for over a week. happy, happy, joy, joy.

so.. yeah. i'm very excited and generally quite joyous at the prospect of seeing my dear mother, sister, friends, shops, streets, bed, house, car, the works.

but how did i finally get permission, you ask? (well, truth be told, i haven't officially received permission yet but i think that i will. and if i don't, then i am coming anyways. they can fire me if they want.) well, i played the health card, which apparently is the only card that does anything for anyone around here. they treat you like a bit of an invalid, but its worth it. and the truth is, i have been wanting to get home to see an endocrinologist as i haven't been feeling 100% myself lately and am guessing that my thyroid has something to do with it. that's the thing about medicine, once you start studying it, you become obsessed and slightly paranoid and you associate symptoms for the most obscure illnesses to how you were feeling that morning. very dangerous. but i digress. after explaining this situation (that i wished to return home to see my specialists) to the big people, they once again refused. i wanted to cry and scream in anger all at once. i felt entirely helpless, and it gave me even more resolve to get out of here.

so, i went to the hospital, armed with my doctor's notes, prescriptions, and a stack of books: medical journals, two thyroid manuals, a drug-herb interaction source book, and of course, my trusty romaji dictionary. i was determined to get a doctor's note. the doctor was wonderful: young, very handsome, and didn't speak a work of english. it was perfect.

an hour later, i emerged, albeit slightly red and sweaty (partly due to stress, partly due to sitting in front of and having to explain my situation to this stud), but i did have a precious note in hand. hallelujah! it was a glorious moment, and a moment that i really liked myself and was proud at my determination. don't want to be big-headed about it, but i am seriously amazed sometimes at my capacity of getting things done, and so easily and painlessly. its as if i don't think it will happen, so when it does, i'm the happiest kid on earth. so, to anyone who has something weighing them down, get started. and good luck.

for your goodness

2007-01-26T19:52:00.000+09:00

in my head,

2007-01-26T19:42:00.000+09:00

i come up with things i want to blog all the time. when i am driving, teaching, walking. just never when i am sitting in front of my computer. i suppose i'll have to start noting some of them down for future posts. but what i did want to say, was that i can no longer post at work as i am unable to sign in. and it sucks. and its all because i decided to switch to the new google-ized version of blogger. in retrospect, big mistake, but there is no turning back. and don't get me wrong- i'm a fan of google.. though i wish it wasn't taking over so much and so fast.

happy new year

2007-01-07T16:11:00.000+09:00

just back from australia today- had a great time exploring melbourne and sydney, coming face to face with kangaroos, koalas, emus and fairy penguins, shopping, eating good non-japanese food, driving around, walking around, being around.

its a strange feeling to be back in my apartment, but not in a bad way. its time for the final stretch of japan: 7 months left, in which i hope to enjoy myself and get as much out of it all as i possibly can.

here's to wishing everyone a very happy 2007. thinking of everyone in canada, i miss you! je vous envoie toutes mes amitiés et meilleurs voeux pour un super 2007.

bisoux
julia

dear blog,

2006-12-17T20:51:00.000+09:00

i didn't forget you. i've just been avoiding you for some reason. not sure if its actually avoidance, or laziness, or being busy with other things.

in no particular order, here is the latest:

-watching and falling in love with Greys Anatomy
-enjoying Ugly Betty
-bought tickets for Australia, and leaving in 5 days for winter holidays! while there, will spend a week with janine and stu in melbourne followed by a few days in sydney with aussie jackie from kenya!
-dyed my hair brown
-my computer died. spent a computerless few weeks, ordered a new hd, and all is well now. maybe why i haven't blogged in forever.
-had an amazing week-end in ishigaki
-spent time in mainland okinawa
-started writing a novel, then stopped
-visited a japanese gynocologist. went better than expected.
-rowed in a hari boat race, our team came in third.
-went to a halloween party dressed as a baby with diaper (a real one- think Depends)
-made lots of soups, mostly spinach.
-ate lots of fruit for breakfast
-cut down on caffeine
-acknowledged my sugar addiction
-lost my ipod case
-had a sanshin concert
-will be playing sanshin for a new year's special next week on mtv- miyako tv
-weather cooled down, its 15 degrees today. brrrrrrr
-had a cold, got better
-did a detox
-put air in my bicycle tires
-biked a bit
-walked quite a bit
-drove a lot
-started teaching my students french- figured that since they can't speak english anyway, might as well teach them something new.
-showed them Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain. most of them slept through it.
-cooked banana bread on several occasions
-my friend mick had a baby named hana, sooo lovely
-another baby by co-worker yano, who i held in my arms. he is a week old today.
-sarah's dog fell out of the window when she was driving. she's ok though.
-recently put two duvets on my bed.
-killed some plants
-lost a few pounds
-surfed the net
-studied
-sang kareoke on a few occasions..new favorite: holding back the years by simply red.
-dvd player broke
-cleaned my fridge
-did yoga
-bought two pairs of shoes: one black, pointy, flat and cute. the other in fireengine red pvc. nicer than they sound.

that's all i can think of right now, and its really boring. but its life, i guess. bottom line though, i am doing well in my little life over here. really looking forward to the holidays and some sunshine down under!

wishing everyone a happy holiday season,

xx julia

do you carry your wallet in your back pocket?

2006-10-21T21:46:00.000+09:00

From Dr. Ben Kim:

"Did you know that carrying a wallet in your back
pocket can dramatically increase your risk of having a
chronic lower back problem?

Sitting down with one side of your pelvis slightly
elevated because of a wallet can cause instability in
your pelvic joints, which can cause intermittent lower
back sprains and strains.

Please think of people you know who still carry their
wallets in their back pockets and pass this tip along."

dove..

2006-10-19T18:26:00.000+09:00

is doing something good with its campaign for real beauty and self-esteem fund.
check out their new film here.
its well worth it.

well said, bill

2006-09-26T17:45:00.000+09:00

"Suburbia is where the developer bulldozes out the trees, then names the streets after them."

-Bill Vaughan

ode to the victims of the shooting at dawson college

2006-09-15T17:31:00.000+09:00

its in these moment of absolute insanity that we are struck not only with the fragility of life but also the reality of our times.
we are taught to be weary of others and yet we become aware early on that it is only
through trust and compassion that we are able to truly connect with
others.
education, as well, unites us together in an element of peace
and curiosity. we go to school everyday grateful to be alive in a time
of equal opportunity, grateful to be living in a city so beautiful, so
vibrant as montreal. we go to school everyday grateful that our small world in which we live, is in peace, whereas others' worlds are in shambles.

and then situations such as what happened last wednesday come along and shatter it all, in minutes. we are completely destabilized,
our world of delicate safety becomes one of terror, fear, and hatred.
why is it that the balance is so extreme? how is it that as hard as we
try, as open as we are, we can still be pushed down?

my thoughts, love and prayers go out to all of the students, faculty and staff of dawson college, in particular those who were harmed and their families. my
thoughts are also with the killer's family, and the killer himself. we
have to remember that blame is tricky: while its easy to blame just one
individual, as a society we also hold an important responsibility for
such acts.

see the complete story here.

What's your name in Russian?

2006-09-15T11:46:00.000+09:00

Just type your name here in the box. Then click the box under your name and the link will translate.

No Great Surprise: Surprise Parties Kill.

2006-09-13T08:51:00.000+09:00

"But that moment when Edward reeled back has stayed with me down the years, confirming my general view that surprise birthday are pernicious institutions, often sadistic in basic intent. What could be more pleasant than a well planned, entirely disclosed birthday party, with the central figure allowed every opportunity to vet the guest list, plan the impromptu toast, dictate the scope of food, drink and music? What more barbarous than the sudden scream of "surprise!", the unpleasing visages from the past looming into view, the wrong cocktails?"

[...]

"Now the scientific evidence is in. Surprise parties can kill. To put the matter in scientific terms: Emotional stress can precipitate severe, reversible left ventricular dysfunction in patients without coronary disease. Exaggerated sympathetic stimulation is probably central to the cause of this syndrome."

[...]

"One of the earlier patients, Dr Wittstein told the New York Times, was a 60-year-old woman whose family had given a surprise birthday party for her. "Seventy people jumped out from the dark and screamed, 'Surprise!' and literally three hours later she was in the intensive care unit,"

Of course many rituals in our society have a furtive homicidal intent, most notably those fraught sessions known as family reunions. Grandpa and grandma drive to the event, get mildly looped, head for home and are wiped out on the interstate by a semi when grandpa pulls out of the rest stop. Father keels over when he opens the front door to see a plump faced man vaguely resembling the daughter who left home all those years ago saying in a throaty voice, "Hi, dad".

So please, no surprises."

Love it.
By Alexander Cockburn, February 12/13, 2005. Read the full article here.

If you do feel the need to plan a surprise party for someone, despite the risks involved, at least do it properly, using this guide.

english version

2006-09-10T02:55:00.000+09:00

this is funny. its what the online translation generates from the french post intitulated 'Jamais deux sans trois' (never two without three).

I hope well that NOT! I went supper with three friends this evening to celebrate my birthday (which A took place now almost a month ago). it was very pleasant: four girls, of good food (Tartar tuna, fish, salad, noodles Japanese.), good drink (beverage with the fruits of delicious passion.). then we passed in a bar very close, a place which I know well. while returning there was a playing guy of the saxophone, and there, suddenly, behind the bar and a little everywhere of the noises of rifle (of the species of fireworks) leave and I have the two hands on my mouth everyone rises, advances, and starts to sing me happy spend while shin brings the cake: enormous, with apple-canelle and bituminous mix of cream fouetée. a surprised festival. I HATE the festivals really surprised. I find that stressing and frankly not pleasant. and the worst, it is that last year they played me the same tower this time on the other hand by ammenant me in a beautiful hotel when me, believing that we went to the beach, were equipped with way very inapropriée. then here. worst it is than I had said to everyone with which point I hated the surprised festivals. in short I hope just, I really hope, that it will be a case from never two without three

jamais deux sans trois?

2006-09-10T02:42:00.000+09:00

j'espère bien que NON! je suis allée souper avec trois amies ce soir pour célébrer mon anniversaire (qui a eut lieu il y a maintenant presqu'un mois). c'était très plaisant: quatre filles, de la bonne bouffe (thon tartare, poisson, salade, nouilles japonaises..), de la bonne boisson (breuvage aux fruits de la passion.. délicieux). ensuite nous sommes passées dans un bar tout près, un endroit que je connais bien. en rentrant il y avait un mec jouant du saxophone, et là, tout à coup, de derrière le bar et d'un peu partout des bruits de fusil (des espèces de feux d'artifice) partent et j'ai les deux mains sur ma bouche. tout le monde se lève, avance, et commence à me chanter bonne fête pendant que shin apporte le gâteau: énorme, à la pomme-canelle et enrobé de crème fouetée. une fête surprise. je HAIS les fêtes surprises. vraiment. je trouve ça stressant et franchement pas agréable. et le pire, c'est que l'année dernière ils m'ont joué le même tour- cette fois-là par contre en m'ammenant dans un bel hôtel lorsque moi, croyant que nous allions à la plage, étais habillée de façon très inapropriée. alors voilà. le pire c'est que j'avais dit à tout le monde à quel point je détestais les fêtes surprises.

bref. j'espère juste, j'espère vraiment, que ce ne sera pas un cas de jamais deux sans trois.

My horoscope this week

2006-09-03T12:17:00.002+09:00

When offered a choice between dueling interpretations, you should opt for elegant and generous stories over vulgar, boring, and unimaginative tales. While the no-nonsense, just-the-facts approach may seem to explain everything just fine, I assure you that there will always be catalytic enigmas lurking beneath the surface. This is one time when poet John Keats' rule will be in full effect: "If something is not beautiful, it is probably not true." Transcend the obvious, please. Rebel against the ravaging numbness of plain old everyday ugliness.

By: Rob Brezsny, who always has something interesting to say. Though its sometimes not 100% clear, it makes your wheels turn and reflect on your life.

what's getting me thinking

2006-09-01T09:46:00.000+09:00

two things in particular this morning. actually, three. from least to most:

trouble in paradise: my co-worker's love affair that started last saturday, as previously posted, appears to be getting on her nerves a bit as he has already moved in and has some strange habits, according to her. among them: he doesn't eat breakfast and eats tofu champuru every single night for dinner, without rice (shock!). he doesn't like to sleep "collé", as we say in french, meaning 'stuck together'. personally i don't blame him in the 33 degree heat that we are now experiencing.

so much for the kyoto protocol: but is this such a great big surprise people??

"we all let her die": on his blog, my net buddy smellydog wrote about a story that struck a cord within me. its about a 14-year old canadian girl who suffered from chest pains and other symptoms for four years, going from doctor to doctor until she finally died of the very rare pulmonary hypertension recently. it's a well-written article that could teach you a thing or two about your health, your kids', your morals and irony. ah, and also a bit about the canadian healthcare system. (so much for socialism.)

all for now..
j

haircut part II

2006-08-30T15:02:00.000+09:00

it's 1:57 pm, lunch is over and the faculty of irabu senior high school is sitting in the teacher's room, working, or, as in my case on this particular afternoon, pretending to. it's still summer vacation so there are no classes and we are pretty much all there. oddly and rarely, working at 1:57 pm today was a very quiet thing, until "julia-saaan!" i look up to attention, as its my kyoto-sensei (vice-principal) screaming my name from the front of the room. "hai!" i scream back. he asks: "did you cut your hair?" (i have been back to school for a week now) "hai!" i scream back. by this point all the teachers are looking on. then, "nande?" (why?) i tell him that my long hair was too hot in this weather. he just about accepts this reply, then decides to ask one more question that i do not understand. everyone bursts into fits of laughter: "ahahahahahahahaha, ahahahahahahahaah!!" i pretend to go along with it: "ahahahaha." it ends. moments later, the very kind math teacher who sits at the desk next to me asks me for a japanese-english dictionary. i provide one accordingly. he points to the japanese word that translates to "dissapointed in a lover". he then says, as best he can: "my boss worry this is julia's story, so you cut the hair." i want to tell him that i am not that kind of girl, but that would be rude, so i don't.

montreal's french for kaki

2006-08-30T13:46:00.000+09:00

there are lots and lots of french restos and bistros in montreal. some are great, some not so great, some very expensive and some quite cheap for what they serve. here are my top pics, all things considered:

Au Pied de Cochon
536 Duluth E.
514-281-1114

i'm a big fan of au pied de cochon. the atmosphere is fabulous: bistro-style and relaxed, i just love it. and the food... excellent. but you definitely have to be a carnivore to eat here.

L' Express
3927 St Denis
514-845-5333

i have been going to l'Express pretty much since i was a newborn and my mum just popped me under the table while she enjoyed one of the amazing steak tartare at one of the most autentic parisian bistros in montreal. not what i would necessarily call romantic though as the tables are very close together. skip dessert and head a few doors down to Suite 88 Chocolatier (3957, Rue St. Denis) and try their fresh preservatives-free chocolates instead..or their gelato or amazing pear-almond cake. the very first "montreal chocolate lounge", or, as some have called it, the "Tiffany's of chocolate" (minus the price of course). in short, original chocolates to be amazed by.

Au Cinquième Péché
330 Mont-Royal E.
514-286-0123

this is a cute place, and the food is really good though portions are on the smaller side. great wine list and in a nice location for an after-dinner stroll..

Entrecôte St-Jean (L')
2022 Peel
514-281-6492

the best steak et frites in montreal. that's all there is on the set menu, but its delish. i ended up here at least once a week when i worked downtown. the service is efficient, but not the friendliest- so you've been warned! its worth it though.

Chez Pierre
1263 Labelle
514-843-5227

good for duck and extensive wine list. a bit on the pricier side though.

Le Flambard
851 Rachel E.
514-596-1280

le flambard is a bring your own wine, and the food is very good, service pleasant and good atmosphere. they do two services in the evenings so call for the times and to reserve.

Le Maistre
5700 Monkland
514-481-2109

the place to be if you find yourself in n.d.g. (my hood- wahooo!!) or on monkland. it's very good. very.

and, last but not least, here is a recommendation from a web-friend, david in toronto:

Le Bonaparte
443 St Francois Xavier
514-844-4368

david says: "traditional and somewhat touristy but their prix fixe is a pretty good deal. Great service." the place does get excellent reviews and is in a good location in the old port for an evening stroll along the water. thanks david!

i give in, i give in

2006-08-29T15:12:00.000+09:00

i finally turned off the AC today and opened all of the windows in my apartment. there comes a time when you just have to do this. for one thing, having a similar indoor and outdoor temperature means that you don't go into shock when you step out the door, and your glasses don't steam up. also, its better for the environment, cheaper, and healthier. after all, if every hot country in the world pumped the AC, we would be in a much worse-off state than we already are. as humans, we must learn to adapt. my current adaptation is sitting in front of the fan in my skivvies typing this.

haircuts and love

2006-08-28T20:38:00.000+09:00

there is something that compels the japanese to 'just comment'. every single person i saw at work today, including students, said 'oh, you cut your hair'. full stop. no indication of whether this is a good or bad thing, just the statement, in case i had forgotten or something. what is up with the japanese and their tendency to just state the obvious? so i tested my student who works at mos burger today after she, too, uttered the same five words. i asked, "kawaii?", meaning, "is it cute?" her answer? a straight-in-the-eyes, dead on serious "no". well, that'll teach me to ask about the obvious next time.

this just in- while dining at mos burger this evening with a japanese friend- she informed me that she has met the man of her dreams, that she is madly in love with. she plans on marrying him and having lots and lots of babies with him. this is IT. they have each other's keys and he knows her ring size. they met on saturday. that's two days ago. it just never ceases to amaze me. but i guess love at first sight may just exist.

you know you're back in Okinawa, Japan when...

2006-08-28T15:45:00.000+09:00

- its so fucking hot you think you are going to pass out at any moment
- you blast your AC, and turn it on and off about ten times during the night
- airport staff help you wheel your luggage to the people waiting to pick you up
- airport staff lift your ridiculously heavy luggage onto the conveyor belts
- flight attendants put your carry-on luggage away for you, adjust your seat into its upright position for you and replace your table for you. talk about service.
- flight attendants give you their pen to keep
- your sink is soooo low you get a backache from just washing your face
- after driving your mother's good car, your own car's breaks feel like they don't work- back to driving a jalopy makes you realize how shitty it is
- you get confused when you turn corners about which lane you are meant to be in
- you take a boat to work
- you are already sweating as you get out of the shower
- you are back to taking three showers a day
- kids point
- people stare
- people wonder what you are doing at the bank.. hmm... i wonder!?

the evil in me

2006-08-27T20:07:00.001+09:00

You Are 32% Evil

A bit of evil lurks in your heart, but you hide it well.
In some ways, you are the most dangerous kind of evil.

How Evil Are You?

2006-08-21T10:07:00.000+09:00

Watch this

It's about a type of breast cancer few know about.

you know you've left japan when.. Part III

2006-08-15T12:54:00.000+09:00

- you fight with your family, because you are close (physically) to them
- you don't have a secret language anymore
- people give you dirty looks when you use dirty language
- you use a clothes dryer to dry your clothes
- everything (appliances, food) seems huge and quasi-industrial
- you drive into oncoming traffic- wrong side of the road.
- you are amazed at the one nice waitress you meet in weeks, and give her a hefty tip
- there are rotten eggs in your salade nicoise and they give you a free iced T. cheapskates.

you know you've left japan when.. Part II

2006-08-14T08:16:00.000+09:00

- there is suddenly a ton of drama since you can now communicate with people
- you can blow way too much cash in two days on clothes and accessories
- cakes taste good and are not made of sponge
- it dips down to 13 degrees C at night
- you drive 8 hours and arrive in the big apple
- you feel overwhelmed at the bookstore as the whole place qualifies as 'English section'
- you find many more people attractive
- you become rude

you know you've left japan when.. Part I

2006-07-31T23:41:00.000+09:00

things are suddenly made to fit your size and height
people are rude
portions are huge
the flight attendants say "uh-huh" and "ungh-huh" to you
it looks like you are really disturbing the flight attendants when you ask for a cup of apple juice
the shower head is about a foot above your head
the shower pressure is so strong you think it may blow you right out of the bathroom
you are freezing in 25 degree weather, and you wear socks, jeans, a sweater and a scarf to compensate
people on airplanes think you have the plague because you are sporting a lavender-scented face mask (to protect you from other people and the gross environment that is an airplane cabin)
flight attendants are old and fat
people are rude (is this a repeat?)
people are fat
people have terrible fashion
you could spend an hour just staring at the cheese and bread section of your local supermarket
you go to a natural foods store and almost die of happiness
your bed feels almost too soft and too big
you sleep under a duvet, and its July
you do the dishes without breaking your back nor appearing as though you have just wet your pants- because, the sink is at an appropriate level as opposed to down to your knees
there is a dishwasher and a full-sized oven in the house!
and a dryer- oh my!
you can wear low-cut tops and still be conservative
people all around you are smoking pot, having a couple beers and then driving home
you walk the street and go unnoticed because you are no one
you go to the park and see two well-endowed ladies almost nude, sunbathing
you have an hour-long conversation with the guy next to you on the airplane (also from quebec) about his recent separation with his partner, the division of goods and care of the children, in great detail
everyone speaks English, and French

0 days, 21 hours, 23 minutes and 53 seconds

2006-07-27T09:49:00.000+09:00

Till I go home to visit! Yahoooooo!!! Can't wait:

-to experience the anonymity of the big city once more. ah. goodbye, everyone that i know in Miyako.
-to wear some scandalous clothing. goodbye, everyone who sees me everyday in Miyako.
-to eat some good food: arabic,italian,indian,chinese,vietnamese,portuguese,french,ethiopian,bistro,cafe,patisserie française! goodbye, Miyako izakayas and wanna-be cafés.
-to shop for real sizes with real design. goodbye, shops in Miyako.
-to visit museums, parks, galleries, exhibits. goodbye, beaches of Miyako.
-to go to NYC and shop and enjoy. goodbye, money.
-to see everyone that i love and have great discussions with them. see you soon, friends in Miyako.
-to relax in vermont by the lake eating elaborate breakfasts, freshly made pies. goodbye, diet.
-....

so, goodbye. see you soon.

bullied by kids

2006-07-26T21:34:00.000+09:00

there is this little kid who lives in my building who for the second time today terrorized me with a humungous half-dead cockroach. when i went to put the recycling downstairs this morning, he was wimpering so i walked up to see what was the matter. apparently the roach bit him and drew blood. then the kid thought it would be amusing to chase me with it and touch my arm and back with it- little shit. i have to say it, i don't mind most bugs and spiders, but roaches, they just freak me right out. i was throwing away an old umbrella that got destroyed in the last typhoon and used it as defence, all the while telling him to stop. as i walked up the stairs back to my place he followed me, with his little brother and sister close behind, and i was actually kinf of running. but it felt ridiculous. finally i stopped and actually scolded him in english. an elderly woman popped her head out of an adjacent apartment and gave me a dirty look. then i sought refuge in my apartment and locked the door and put the chain on.

what you do when there is nothing to do at work

2006-07-25T10:47:00.000+09:00

-check e-mail
-check bbc news
-check the NY times and wired
-read favorite political blogs
-listen to weezer's full albums on repeat
-listen to quebec radio, notably the show "Sexuellement Parlant" on 98.5 FM- "Le FM parlé de Montréal"
-make lists about things to do, pack and organize before leaving to go home
-drink echinacea tea
-play on flickr
-eat the banana chocolate cake i made on the week-end
-read the scholastic guide to 'building your vocabulary'
-burn a mp3 cd for my co-worker
-blog
-sigh
-be a bit bored, because its your job
-attempt to study some japanese.. cough cough**

its only 10:49 am.
at noon i will eat lunch, then hopefully retire for a nap in the tatami room.
and that will be my work day today.

japon + julia: 1 an

2006-07-24T09:18:00.000+09:00

de grandes félicitations pour votre union depuis maintenant une année complète. vous avez réussi à surmonter plusieurs défis ensemble, et pour ça, vous devriez être très fiers. meilleures des chances pour une seconde année. espérant qu'elle soit riche en bonnes expériences!

congradulations to julia and japan on their one-year anniversary of union. you have managed to overcome many hurdles over the past year, for which you must both be proud. here's to wishing you a strong and enjoyable second year together.

cinéma du parc, au revoir..

2006-07-23T20:52:00.000+09:00

j'ai appris aujourd'hui que le cinéma du parc de montréal fermera ses portes le 3 août, faute de public suffisant. du 28 juillet au 3 août le cinéma va faire rouler quelques de ses anciens succès, dont:

Run Lola run, de Tom Tykwer;
Amores perros, d'Alejandro González Iñárritu;
Trainspotting, de Danny Boyle;
Talk to her, de Pedro Almodovar;
Lost highway, de David Lynch;
Lost in translation, de Sofia Coppola.

je les ai tous déjà vus, mais je me pointerai quand même. de toute façon, j'arriverai juste à temps du japon, et ça me donnera quelque chose à faire pour ces premières journées de shock culturel réversé. et pour survivre la fatigue du décallage horaire de treize heures bien sûr.

je dois avouer que je trouve ça dommage de voir un petit cinéma qui a toujours favorisé les films indépendants devoir fermer ses écrans. le communiqué de presse du CDP explique la fermeture du cinéma comme étant dû à d'autres cinémas plus grands (voire AMC) rajoutant des films de répertoire dans leurs salles suite au succès du CDP (et donc en imitant le CDP). c'est à partir de ce moment-là que la clientèle du CDP à diminué. triste n'est ce pas? moi-même j'étais heureuse de pouvoir visioner de bons films au AMC, si proche de chez moi. mais je ne voyais pas les répercussions. apprenons donc une leçon de notre cher cinéma du parc. lorsqu'on peut, faisons un effort d'aller chez l'indépendant.

khmer rouge victims

2006-07-21T10:08:00.000+09:00

i stumbled accross this tiled image today. pretty powerful, and made me sad. about 1.7 million were killed as a result of the regime. but what have we learned from it?

what are those made of?

2006-07-21T09:20:00.000+09:00

ahhhh my lifeline

2006-07-19T16:20:00.000+09:00

is acting up, like an angry teen unwilling to OPEN UP. except for its slender, silver and oh-so-sexy and its my PowerBook G4 that i simply can't live without, and now, apparently can't TURN ON. so if i am not responding, this is why.

its being covered

2006-07-19T15:18:00.000+09:00

my friend zoe who escaped beirut in the news

can't you sit up straight and watch what comes out of your mouth?

2006-07-18T19:23:00.000+09:00

From the Sydney Morning Herald: "A microphone picked up an unaware George W Bush saying [To Tony Blair, as in the picture on left] that Syria should press Hezbollah to "stop doing this shit" and that his secretary of state may go to the Middle East soon."

now let`s do one for mr. harper

2006-07-18T16:59:00.000+09:00

Selfish
Thick
Egomaniacal
Prejudiced
Hamburger of an
Evil
Nit-wit

Hoggy
Autocratic
Rabid
Penny-pinching
Esurient
Rigormortis

Inattentive
Shrimp

Conniving canker sore of an
Anal
Nincompoop
Another
Devious
Indifferent
Animal on earth. Is that what we
Need?

reasoning? take a look at what harper has done so far to aid the 40 000 canadian residents safely evacuate lebanon.

introducing beauty

2006-07-18T16:45:00.000+09:00

this is the way my dear friend yuriko introduced herself in a teacher interview last year. i thought it was sweet enough to post:

◎ Introduce of myself
I’m BEAUTY. I’m not saying I’m beautiful. This is an acronym.
I’m Brave because I like to go for challenging ways moreso than for easy ways.
I’m Energetic. I never show my tired face to my students. If you see it, I may be sick.
I’m Authentic. I’m honest to students and never tell lies to them except for white lies.
I’m Unique. I always try to think I am the only one. No one replaces me. I’d like students to think the same way as I do. They are only one. Nobody can be instead of them.
I’m Trustful.
I have a Yearning to be an English teacher. I do believe teaching is my true calling.

*apparently it wasn`t very well received. they didn`t get her originality. they obviously weren`t very Unique now, were they.

safe and sound, thank god

2006-07-18T13:21:00.000+09:00

my friend managed to cross the syrian border into jordan in the middle of the night on saturday. she went in an ngo-sponsored SUV convoy. (i suppose SUVs can be ok sometimes). she has sought refuge in Amman, which is overflowing with other refugees at the moment. so, for now, she is ok. i am so happy to report this. though there are still lots of people in a lot of danger in Lebanon right now. we must keep them in our thoughts and prayers.

more later..

according to this, she is still ok..

2006-07-16T14:37:00.000+09:00

middle eastern crisis

2006-07-15T10:10:00.000+09:00

i just received an email from a friend of mine who is living and studying arabic in beirut. it appears, as she just figured out herself a few days ago, that she is living in the middle of a serious conflict between israel and lebanon that started when lebanese Hezbollah fighters based in southern Lebanon captured two Israeli soldiers on wednesday.

what ensued, however, from the israeli side, has been hugely disproportionate to the lebanese seize. the israelis have set air raids across southern Lebanon, and have destroyed the runways and terminals with bombs at Beirut's international airport, forcing the airport to close. it looks like there is no way out. there have been over 50 lebanese casualties. but Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has now promised an "open war" against Israel after his offices in Beirut were bombed yesterday. so its escalating, and creating an unstable and dangerous future in beirut.

it looks like the un security council has been meeting and opposing the israeli reaction, as well as expressing concern over the loss of civilian life. both france's Chirac and russia's putin have requested the bombardments END. and then there is mr. bush, who, with every single move he makes, infuriates the world. he urges israel to limit casualties, but says nothing about stopping the attack. go figure. the one good point of the us and israel's love relationship that is very clear to me right now is that my dear friend is living across from the American University of Beirut, which makes it a safe place. the israelis will not touch anything american.

i am worried about my friend, but she is a strong girl. her e-mail was really poignant in so many ways. here's an excerpt:

'I suppose one of the advantages of Lebanon's notoriously unreliable electricity is that everyone has generators. When I walked outside this morning you would hardly guess that nobody had land power, except for the loud hum of generators emanating from every building. Business as usual, I suppose. The Lebanese have lived through a lot of conflict and no one is too quick to give up. People are quietly going about their lives, buying candles, food supplies, charging up their phones with credit, and buying reserves of their favourite cosmetics in case of shortages. Everyone wants to be prepared, but no one is ready to give up their Gucci heels just yet. Some businesses are closed, but many are operating just like they always would. One problem is that tons of people are not showing up for work, even when their offices are open. Lots of people are talking about packing up their families and heading for mountains, and some have already headed out to bunker down. Most Beirutis are staying in town, but aren't going out too much. I am particularly amazed by the resilience of the 'fashionistas' and 'playas' of this town. Although most people are opting for quiet nights these days, you still can't hold back the Lebanese ladies from getting decked out in their finest or tell some of these dudes that it isn't the right time to show-off your new Hummer. To be fair, most of them have taken it down a notch, with the girls strutting within the confines of their neighbourhoods and the guys harassing me from cars parked street-side. You have to adapt, I guess.

Most of the tourists and ex-pats looked pretty lost this afternoon, wandering around Hamra with their luggage. People have been getting very mixed messages from their embassies, from the news, and from their loved ones. I think the best thing for most of us is to listen to our intuition, especially those of us who have been here a while, because we probably have fairly good instincts about this. We hear the bomb blasts happening in the suburbs (right at this moment, actually), we know the conflict is serious, we know the NGO and UN staff are talking about leaving, we see the journalists scrambling and squealing like little piglets fighting for teats, we know the beaches and clubs are quiet and we know that summer in Beirut is over before it really started. Liza Manelli and Sean Paul have cancelled their concerts, for god's sake.'

so here's to my friend. i send you love and strength and power right now. i hope that the un security council will make some waves, and fast. and i meditate for you and your safety.

cultural confusion

2006-07-14T17:41:00.000+09:00

i walked into mos burger, the japanese fast-food burger joint, with shin today because he was hungry. i had already eaten so was just accompanying. upon entering i spotted a colleague of mine sitting in the far corner- and actually i kind of knew he may be there because i saw his car parked outside, this red jeep-y kind of thing, but a yellow plate so not some terrible oil-gas-guzzler that we all hate. (americans, mind you, well-known for adoring these types of vehicles are slowly buying less of them, i read in the NY times last week. they appear to finally be reacting to the rising oil prices. hallefuckingluyah.)

so anyways. spot the teacher, and walk on over for a chat. he is a good guy, really sweet and nice and obviously diligent, seeing as he was marking papers and i was just standing there with a stack of freshly-rented dvds.(this is, by the way, in the middle of a normal working day for both of us. we were spared, however, due to a typhoon and not being able to take a ferry to our island school). we chatted a bit and shin came over, and then this is when the real shit happened. basically, i can't remember exactly how but we got onto talking about the environment. oh yeah, i was saying that at family mart, a japanese convenience store, they really OVERDO it with the plastic bags. like they will give you a separate one for every single thing that you buy, so they don't touch or some ridiculous shit like that. and then i added that another big one japan, environmentally speaking, is the overusage of 'waribashi', or disposable chopsticks. people use them all the time and its really maddening.

shin immediately piped in saying that vinyl really wasn't that bad for the environment, or at least not as bad as the disposable chopsticks. this is where i had one of those 'ok what-the-fuck-don't-forget-to-breathe-japanese-moments'. i try and explain to him nicely about things like biodegradability, waste disposal and renewable and non-renewable resources. but my japanese is shitty and his english isn't so great so we don't understand each other and the conversation gets heated. and meanwhile, of course, my poor innocent co-teacher is just sitting there, trying to not look freaked out by shin waving his tattooed arm at me. the best part was when shin tells me that i should really BE CAREFUL, and then started telling me about the japanese KKK and what they would do if they heard me saying shit about japan. i hate it when he pulls that bad-ass attitude with me. as if there is someone spying on my every move.

we managed to exit the building and get home without killing each other and then sat down with some dictionaries and somewhat got through to one another, but it wasn't easy let me tell you. shin mentioned that i would be offended if he said something bad about canada, but the fact is, as i told him (which surely fired him up even more), was that no, i wouldn't be pissed but rather open to the fact that no country is perfect, with canada certainly included. i am not proud of canada's water craze (we are one of the top fresh water users in the world) nor strict refugee policies, for instance.

so here's what: living in a country like canada i have been priviledged to get to know diversity first hand, which is obviously not the case in japan. as such, perhaps this makes me more open to not only world problems, but my very own. shin and i parted on a good note, and he even apologized. it may be a language thing, it may be a culture thing, but there is a deep separation that definitely exists in a clear way. maybe its just a question of how one chooses to approach it, or, as it may be the case for me and shin in the future, how one chooses not to.

i don`t like my job

2006-06-13T11:29:00.000+09:00

it`s a damn shame, but its true. this job is not fun, not challenging, not interesting. what the hell am i doing here? i guess that i am learning to live in this crazy island that is miyako, which is so far away from my roots, identity and former reality.

so why do i stay? question i have pondered over the past year, and that i continue to ponder. the exact answer i do not really know, but certain forces keep me here. one, for sure, is the deep caring and feelings that i have developed for the most curious and funny man. he is great in every sense and without him, my guess is that i would have been in line for the next plane out of here. there is more though, this sense of life as a different person, pseudo-celebrity status, even though it pisses me off most of the time, especially when i am jogging and i feel the world inspecting me. and then, there is the beauty of this place, hidden beyond the borders of this gray and ugly city that crumbles and molds before my eyes. and of course, there is the learning process that i have not yet completed, but am living through. and its damn hard.

i really need to write more on this, mainly as a means to see where i progress through all of this. my friend louise beauchemin once told me that in life, its critical to have something to look forward to. so what do i have to look forward to?
-the end of the rainy season, the return of sunny weather and swims in the ocean
-buying a bicycle and peddling around
-going home to canada to recharge and see those that i love

another friend, whom i have listened to for years without really knowing her personally, once told me to write a gratitude list for what and who in your life you have to be thankful for. so here are mine for today:

1. mummy- she seems to always be at the top of my lists
2. shin
3. my bed
4. yummy, healthy food
5. a teacher- for being able to stay in canada a bit longer.. yahoo!!

good morning to you too mr. principal!

2006-06-07T09:08:00.000+09:00

monday, 7:46 am, irabu island. i have just laid out my books and started planning my day's lessons when the school principal strolls by my desk in the teacher's room. "julia-sensei, genki? saikin takusan tabeta desu ka?" [julia, how are you? have you been eating a lot lately?] i pretend not to understand and give him a half-smile. then he procedes to ask the other teachers around me if they agree that i have "become fatter" and they all smile uncomfortably and get back to work. what the fuck!? is this the way to greet your employees on a rainy monday morning? well, in japan, turns out it is. the japanese, you see, have this uncanny talent of simply stating the obvious, including the obvious that you don't necessarily need to hear, thank you very much.

situation number 2: tuesday, in the middle of a class, 11:05 am. i am explaining an english saying to the students when my co-teacher asks, in the middle of it: "julia, what is that on your chin?" um.... are you kidding me here mister? "it's a pimple." "ahahahahahahahaha!!! really? i have never seen you with a pimple before!! hahaha, this is a sign of youth!" "um, yes, and humidity, [and PMS]." ok, on with the lesson kids! end of the day "thanks, see you next week mr. xx" -- "Ok julia, and take care of that pimple!!, hahahahahah!!" i smiled and left. buh-bye.

welcome to japan. the land of the ever-polite and somewhat emotionally repressed, except when it comes to weight gain and spots.

DANGER WARNING

2006-05-01T11:50:00.000+09:00

A 26-year old guy decided to have a cup of coffee. He took a cup of water and
put it in the microwave to heat it up (something that he had done
numerous times before). His goal was to bring the water to a boil.
When the timer shut the oven off, he removed the cup from the oven.

As he looked into the cup, he noted that the water was not boiling, but
instantly the water in the cup "blew up" into his face. The cup remained
intact until he threw it out of his hand but all the water had flown out
into his face due to the build up of energy. His whole face is blistered
and he has 1st and 2nd degree burns to his face which may leave scarring.
He also may have lost partial sight in his left eye. While at the hospital,
the doctor who was attending to him stated that this is fairly common occurrence
and water (alone) should never be heated in a microwave oven.

If water is heated in this manner, something should be placed in the cup
to diffuse the energy such as: a wooden stir stick, tea bag, etc. It is however
a much safer choice to boil the water in a tea kettle.

General Electric's response:
Thanks for contacting us. I will be happy to assist you. The e-mail that you
received is correct. Microwaved water and other liquids do not always
bubble when they reach the boiling point. They can actually get superheated and
not bubble at all. The superheated liquid will bubble up out of the cup when it
is moved or when something like a spoon or tea bag is put into it.
To prevent this from happening and causing injury, do not heat any liquid
for more than two minutes per cup. After heating, let the cup stand in
the microwave for thirty seconds before moving it or adding anything into it.

Now you know.

bedbugs love heat (well, dust mites do)

2006-04-19T10:47:00.000+09:00

who knew that NOT making your bed was actually a good thing? turns out that dust mites just love you to pull the covers over them after you wake up, making a toasty little nest for them to grow and play.

by simply folding down your sheets/comforter/blankets to the end of the bed when you wake up, the bugs are exposed to the cooler air and will scurry, or at least reproduce at a slower rate. there are many sources, here's one.

it's been awhile,

2006-04-10T08:40:00.000+09:00

but i am alive and well and kicking. how are you?

as the weather gets warmer here in miyako everyone seems to be coming out of their shell. including lots of bugs and little creatures that we had a break from over the winter season.

it's been just about 8 months, and it is starting to feel like a long time. in less than 2 weeks i will be setting out for a 2-week adventure to visit my mate Jackie in vietnam! very excited to get out of the japanese bubble and do some exploration.

since this job can be at times somewhat flavourless i have been looking into some online degree programs. any suggestions would of course be welcome! my current choice is in holistic health, but i am open to most things, bar hard-core business.

i now have my little mac all hooked up at school too which is rocking. and recently was given a tv and dvd player- so have been digitized to some degree lately. my main focus of the moment though is diet-related, for health reasons. have you heard of the macrobiotic diet? its basically japanese-vegan, and I am adapting it to fit my own nutritional, and sometimes compulsive, needs.

all for now. hope you are smiling!
julia

for atanga

2006-03-24T08:48:00.000+09:00

For my Canadian friend Atanga who lost his kid brother Umana yesterday from a train crash in Quebec, Canada.

water, rain, water.
that is the day today
tomorrow it will freeze
and be shiny, hard, cold.

where are we?
why?
how do these things happen?
why is the world filled with beauty,
when this beauty is laced with such harsh pain?

so many questions with impossible, unsatisfactory answers.

atanga,
i think of you today and cry.
for you, for your brother, for the ice that entraps most of us someplace,
usually our hearts.
death is treated in the west with obscurity and nonchalance.
what's missed is the anguish, loss, nostalgia, soul chaos.

life calamaties such as these have consuming power
while they hurt, teach, confound.
the future may seem grim and abandoned,
with you stuck in an old desolate house.

but you, atanga,
are a talented man with love and creation in your heart.
peace will find you and be caring of your delicate feelings
steps will be small but thoughtful from here

with love,
from julia

Lung Cancer

2006-03-24T08:46:00.000+09:00

Hello all,

Hope that this finds you well. I started off just writing this e-mail to my mum and then changed my mind and decided to send it to everyone on my list. I wasn't sure whether or not it was a good idea, as I understand that it is a sensitive issue, but the stories I have been reading lately are circling my mind and I felt I must share what I have learned about lung cancer, especially as it pertains to women. If you do not wish to learn more about this cancer, then I ask you to kindly delete this e-mail. I don't want to scare or depress you, I only write this because I believe it is important that we are aware of the risk of lung cancer for ourselves and our loved ones.

It all started when I was perusing the news recently and read that the late Christopher Reeves' wife, Dana Reeves, died last week of lung cancer at the age of 44 years old. She was a non-smoker. I was shocked by this and decided to look into it. As it happens, more and more women are being diagnosed with lung cancer each year, and lung cancer is now the number one killer of women in the United States and Canada, with breast cancer second. Even worse, 1 in 5 of women diagnosed with lung cancer have never smoked. A big problem with this cancer is that it is virtually asymptomatic and when the patient ends up feeling badly and consults a physician, the cancer has usually spread to other organs. As a result, very few survive and most die within 5 years.

Before, when I thought of lung cancer, as the website I cite below asserts, I pictured an older male smoker, not a younger non-smoking woman. Unfortunately, little is known at present about the high incidence of lung cancer in non-smoking females, as most of the cancer research that has been performed in the last few decades have focused on other cancers, such as breast and ovarian. Through mice testing, however, researchers have found a possible link with estrogen levels and lung cancer. The use of hormone replacement medicines, for example, correlated with a slimmer chance of survival among lung cancer patients.

From the following website, http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2006-03-07-reeve-lung-cancer_x.htm , I found information on how to reduce the risk of lung cancer. While the first two points are quite obvious, the second two provide some sound advice.
Avoid tobacco. If you smoke, quit.Ask people in your home or car not to smoke. Stay away from smoky restaurants, bars and other establishments that allow smoking.Eat five to nine servings a day of fruits and vegetables, especially if you have ever smoked. Get plenty of yellow and orange plant foods, such as carrots or sweet potatoes, that are rich in beta-carotene. Beta-carotene may reduce lung cancer risk, but experts don't advise taking beta-carotene supplements, which have been shown in clinical trials to increase the risk of lung cancer.Test your home for radon, a colorless, odorless, radioactive gas found in soil that can cause lung cancer. *****
On a more positive note, things in Japan are going well. Teaching is at times challenging, but keeps me on my toes. The island is beautiful and my Japanese is coming along.. though very slowly.

Hoping that you all are well and looking forward to hearing your news! Please send some, as well as any comments of course.

Peace and smiles,

Julia

pool party

2006-02-28T10:57:00.000+09:00

Bijoux_PoolPartyRing
Originally uploaded by breathless_x.

this ring is fabulous. of course designed by my favorite, swatch bijoux.

he kicked him..

2006-02-02T21:26:00.000+09:00

student e-mail

2006-02-01T18:21:00.000+09:00

Hello, although it is AKANE of the third-year student in the Julia Irabu
high school, do you remember?
AKANE is the student who often touches Julia's breast and is scolded by
Julia.

Before this, I was very pleasant for Julia's younger sister and Julia's
mother to have come! He is a bright and interesting family.
If it can do, I will want to meet again, although it was shameful and was
not able to talk at that time.

A photograph when you have made a promise is sent.
Of course, the student who is in this photograph together is not AKANE. The
student is CHIAKI. it was given by CHIAKI!

Although it comes out to a slight degree and is graduation, I want to play a
lot with Julia till then.

Moreover, let's meet in school.

i ♥ shindig

2006-01-25T22:30:00.000+09:00

Originally uploaded by canneberge.

the sun is shining...

2006-01-20T09:43:00.000+09:00

from tokyo
Originally uploaded by canneberge.

in irabu this morning, it`s a beautiful day.
nothing like some golden rays to make one feel alive! today is entrance examination day at irabu senior high school, which means that we have openned our doors to the middle school boys and girls who will be terrorizing us come april. as i approached the ferry terminal this morning i saw my fellow teachers dressed practically in black tie- quite a change from the usual trackpant, slip-on sandals with socks and t-shirt style. apparently, today is an important day to meet the new students, so you have to look good. of course no one thought to inform me, and i am kind of standing out in cargos and spotty chuck taylor hightops from tokyo. dang.

24 bus

2006-01-13T14:46:00.000+09:00

on my ferry ride to work this morning, i had a ponder about transport. public transport, to be more precise. i was daydreaming of montreal in the winter, and yearned to be sitting on the 24 bus along sherbrooke street, at midday, when the sun is shining and you are certain to secure a window seat, possibly even the one in the back corner of the old-style buses with the little ledge that you can rest your feet on so nicely. if i was going east, it would be downtown, maybe to meet a friend for lunch, maybe for an afternoon seminar, or for a bit of shopping. if i was going west, it would be to go home, and on the way perhaps a pitstop at the coffee shop, the pharmacy, the cleaners. ah. i do miss that bus ride. and i do miss my home, even if it is now resting in the freezy canadian winter.

my commute now is very different from that 24 bus ride downtown. three days a week i board an island-run ferry at 7:40 am. in the summertime, the ride is smooth, and the water`s aqua blue is what i stare at. in the wintertime however, the ride is very wavy. the waters are moved by the strong winds creating huge waves that make you feel like you are going to tip over.

strange

2006-01-13T14:42:00.000+09:00

this very ordinary photo of shin and me sitting in my apartment is my most viewed photo by far. and janine, who has the same photo on her flickr site, tells me it is also her most viewed.

do people have cast fetishes maybe?

Broken Hearted

2006-01-13T14:37:00.000+09:00

Is this the new Cindy Sherman?

meh.

2006-01-12T11:24:00.000+09:00

i`ve thought about it, talked about, written about, dreamnt about it, and i think i`m gonna just do it. recontract, that is, and stay on another year here in miyako.

the decision is not an easy one, but as some have said, it is all about tradeoffs. i miss home, but many people and things make me happy here. among them, my friends, shin, my collegues, my home and the most beautiful sea on earth.

i will have to set some goals for myself, and not let this all become too easy, which it could easily become. more on that later.

i do plan on visiting canada this summer too.

jet interview

2006-01-11T14:48:00.000+09:00

a few mates mailed inquiring about the jet interview, so i figured i would post it here in case it can prompt anyone to come on over! (and of course select miyako jima as their teaching location of choice :) )

a few pointers for the jet interview:

1. be prepared, especially in all matters japanese. learn some names,
check out the current events in japan (they asked me to name 3), and
of course why you are interested in japan.

2. knowing a word or two in japanese helps. even saying `konichiwa`
(hello) at the beginning is good. personally, when they asked me about my japanese ability, i counted to ten, which i learned in jujitsu class as a kid. totally dorky but also endearing.

3. beyond teaching, our job is really about being open, friendly,
bringing cultures together, having ideas and a certain amount
of sponteneity, WHILST trying to fit into and contributing to the
japanese working environment. you are not expected to know all the
answers, but you have to be sensitive enough to learn them.

4.read up on some canadian news too, and things that you would want to
teach your students about canada.

5. show them you are confident. they don`t want to hire people who
will get homesick and leave 2 weeks later. at the same time, though,
be honnest about homesickness and culture shock. its a reality
everyone faces when moving to a foreign country.

6. situational questions. they will ask a few of these. try and think
about what they want to hear as well as what you want to say.
basically, display in your answers that you are flexible, and be
honnest if you are not sure.

7. relax. seems obvious enough, and i think it is what allowed me to
get through the interview and score a job. in all honnesty, i was not
that well prepared. they asked me to name 3 current events in canada,
and 3 current events in japan, and i couldnt even name one!!! but i
managed to stay cool, and discuss with them. it was a good atmosphere.
i displayed my adaptability and eagerness to learn.

8. finally, the best advice i have ever given and received when it
comes to interviews in general, is to BASE EVERY ANSWER IN EXPERIENCE.
For instance, in answering the question: What are your 2 best
qualities? , the answer `I believe that my greatest quality is
openess, which I acquired in part through my upbringing as well as my
travels throughout Asia and Africa. This quality contributes to my
life positively, for example...My second quality is that I am responsible.
Working in a financial institution for 2 years taught me the importance of..

May seem obvious, and if it does I apologize, but having been the
interviewee a few times, you would be surprised how many people
answer: I am open and responsible. It may be true, but that sentence
alone will likely not sell me. I need proof! evidence!

The basing in experience goes for all questions of course, not just
the obvious ones. For the JET interview, they asked me how I would
deal with a very difficult class that was borderline out-of-control. I
explained that I would stay calm and not raise my voice, and specified
that I had experienced on-the-job stress where I behaved calmly, which
is why I could say with confidence: `I know I have the capacity to
keep it cool when I need to.`

Ok, there you have it. Feel free to bitch and comment.

happy new year

2006-01-09T11:46:00.000+09:00

here's to wishing you a great 2006! so far, this year seems to be giving people some good vibes. yesterday my mum, sister and the rest of the tribe took off from miyako island after a 2 week visit. as per usual, it was hard to say goodbye. i hate goodbyes. but we somehow managed.

the time spent together was lots of fun, though rather stressful and demanding in some ways. big groups aren't always easy to coordinate. in any case, i still feel lucky they came all the way over here to japan to visit me, and it fills my heart with love for 2006!

their visit has also left me pondering a question i will need to address in the immediate future, and very seriously too: whether or not to stay a second year here in japan. at the moment i am leaning towards staying, and would welcome any comments or opinions you may hold on the topic.

peace to you.

'tis the season..

2005-12-22T20:16:00.000+09:00

to finally blog something, finally. it has been awhile now! and i actually have a semi-excuse: i was ill for the past 2 weeks, yes 2, with strep throat (acute tonsillitis for those who don't recognize the streptoccocal bacteria name). thankfully, i am now well, after a week of daily trips to the hospital (morning and night) for antibiotic treatment via I.V. - all i can say is that the japanese system is slightly maddening, though terribly amiable and polite. go figure!

so now it is christmas' eve's eve, and tomorrow i am off to osaka to meet the family! yes, my mum, sister charlotte and 5 family friends are about to board a plane for a japanese christmas. i am so lucky. and especially excited. the first week will be spent touring japan's famous kansai region, notably kyoto, koyasan and osaka. then we all come back to my island for another week. it is bound to be fun, albeit in a circus-y kind of way!

i hope that everyone is doing well and is happy in their respective homes and lives. here's to wishing you and yours a peaceful and humourous holiday season.

may you be filled with spirited creative energy and love in 2006.

xo julia

what i have been working on lately

2005-12-01T15:21:00.000+09:00

the following passage is from a report on the prize-winning water strategy solution for miyako island developed by the teachers and students of miyako agriculture and forestry highschool. last week the swedish ambassador paid us a visit in recognition of last year`s first place win at the sweden world water forum: photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/bombilladeluz/sets/1461967/
i am meant to be checking the english of the report. hmmm. chemistry class would have come in handy here. too bad i was never an ace at it-

2.2 Isolation, selection and mass culturing of phosphate-solubilization bacteria
In isolating phosphate-solubilization bacteria, we applied the soil dilution flat plate method and used soil composed of weathered Ryukyu limestone for the bacterial source. We placed 10g of the soil into 90 mL of distilled and autoclaved water contained in a 200mL Erlenmeyer flask, and mixed it for ten minutes. We inoculated 1 mL of the supernatant of the resulting mixture using a pipette into a sterilized plate containing hydroxyl apatite, and incubated it for ten days at the 28℃ in darkness11). We counted the colonies that formed a clear zone and converted the number into 1 g of dry soil12). We indicate phosphate-solubilization bacteria as bacteria that has the ability to solubilize phosphorus that had combined with positive iron and became non-soluble. Three roughly classified types such as hydrogen sulfide generating bacteria, sulfur oxidized bacteria, and organic acid generating bacteria are recognized12) 13).

ayoye

2005-11-06T20:29:00.000+09:00

la semaine passée je suis tombée dans l'escalier de mon bloc apartement et j'ai tiré deux ligaments de ma cheville gauche. et non, je n'étais pas saoule, seulement distraite! j'ai passé trois jours à la maison au lit.. comme on peut voir dans la photo ils m'ont posé un plâtre! le premier de ma vie! maintenant ça va un peu mieux, mais j'ai toujours de la difficulté à me déplacer. j'ai hâte d'en finir avec ce plâtre dans 2 semaines!

last week i fell down the stairs in my apartment building (no i was not drunk, only distracted), and tore two ankle ligaments. as you can see in the photo.. they gave me a cast, my first one ever! its a pretty irratating contraption but necessary. thankfully i will be done with it in two weeks!

a factory of happiness!

2005-11-06T20:24:00.000+09:00

j'étais super crampée lorsque j'ai vu le chandail de cette fillette. est-ce que ça existe des usines de bonheur?

i had a good giggle when i saw this girl's t-shirt, which translates literally to: 'a factory of happiness.' do they exist?

the latest

2005-10-21T10:45:00.000+09:00

so what has been going on here in miyako? well.. let`s see. school has been going well generally speaking, i am feeling happier and more comfortable in the classroom. i am now beginning to enjoy tweaking ideas and lessons to make for positive learning experiences in all of my classes. i am also getting to know my teachers better which has been nice, and feel more like a contributing team member.

apart ca, la vie roule bien en general. ma semaine est assez occupee, je prend des cours de sanshin (instrument japonais) deux fois par semaine et un cours de yoga une fois par semaine le jeudi soir. c`est vraiment la joie ce cours, situe dans une petite maison japonaise en plein milieu de la campagne. nous ne sommes que 3 ou 4 eleves, moi et des femmes japonaises dans la cinquantaine. et c`est un cours assez avance, avec de la meditation a la fin au son des fredonnements des crickets.

la fin de semaine je suis souvent soit en train de dormir ou bien rendue a la plage, et le soir a la decouverte des nombreux restaurants et bars caches dans les petites ruelles de miyako. dernierement la temperature a baisse, ce qui fait BEAUCOUP de bien. je peux maintenant dormir la nuit sans l`air climatise! youpi!

next month i am setting off to okinawa mainland for our mid-year conference, and then for the week-end to TOKYO, for which i am totally pumped. i will be flying over with janine and stuart, and meeting up with some montrealers!

so there you have an update. i miss everyone and look forward to hearing news.

j`espere que tout le monde se porte bien. j`ai hate d`avoir de vos nouvelles!

xo julia

irabu teachers at my welcome party!

2005-10-20T14:52:00.000+09:00

this was taken a while back, when jackie was here in early september. actually it was the night before she left, and also my welcome party for irabu high school. whenever there are parties with these teachers, it is a blast!