A Story To Start

What led him to choose the path he choose to lead. What force was beneath him that allowed the snap of the fingers within his hands. The air con blew around him, the whimpering of air streaming through an endless void. What was he doing,? where was he going? What was this perpetual journey he had set out on? What was his past telling him? Why were his thoughts coming in fast like the wind on an endless journey? He knew why and he knew when, but somehow he knew neither of them. Was chocolate his motivator to keep the key board typing and his fingers thinking, was that why he was driven to write? Or was it something deeper, something altogether different? It was a crazy force that spun his mind and didn’t tell him what direction he was going. It was the camera lens behind the camera that sneaks views into picture. It was his simple joy to weave words together like the waves of the ocean overlapping one another on their way to a distant shore. He liked the way that thought could be put together with superfluous flow and how the mind could conjure this creation. It was an animalistic desire to do this. It quenched some deep longing in his soul. He loved language for the same reason. The thoughts could be generated by flips of the tongue that rhymed to a beat unimaginable to the thoughts surrounding them. Yet the words were soft like the wind on the sea or the trees on a mountain, ancient in their discourse, warm in their tone. Would he know no end to his existence? Was time a mere representation of space crammed with purpose? That is what is mind thought up everyday of every hour, and yet there was joy in those hours of purpose. He liked freezing images sending them to the world letting others observe. The mere sunset was something of a snowflake where each time was a different dance to a different beat. There was temptation and oblivion to escape from. He sat on a couch for many hours in silence except for the humming of ticks on clock that strung character into the room. There was a characteristic about the way his eyes blinked that hinted at a normality in his thinking. The key of his thinking was not the think. For thinking too much constantly drove him into a series of complex workings of the human mind, which were hard to decipher at best. It was by doing these simple ramblings that he was able to free his mind and let the supreme work on their own. It was at these times that life lingered on linguistics and languished the lamentable lines of disintegration. How had he come upon these words? What was his fascination with the serenity or everyday speech? What mind would dock such things in discernable grace and leave the cupboard open for more paintings.

So coming back to Japan was really more the result of a pull rather then that of a push. I remember being young and having to do a report on Japan. I spent many nights working on the project. I believe that we where given a country to choose and being half Japanese I wanted to research the place where my ancestors came from. I remember seeing the the flag and seeing the red sun in the middle of it. I later came to learn that Japan was "Land Of The Rising Sun" from then on I was intrigued. I've been drawn to Japan since my eyes first knew of some mystery in my existence.... some force, which made me feel different, made me "stand out... not fit in"... That was the quote that so eloquently described our high school graduating class of 2004. I guess the draw to Japan started out as a simple desire. It's funny because now that I'm here I realize that desire was really part of an identity crisis. Don't feel bad. I know who I am. I am very happy! I smile many times everyday. My friends back home though would see me do little things.... like the way that a flashlight goes with me everywhere, or my tendency to always bring I giant backpack to go on a small trip into the mountains. I end up having food and clothes for everyone. They often remark "You're so Japanese!" I imagine what movies can tell me and what I've seen upon first embarking to Japan when I was just out of middle school when they say these things. I must've been about 17 when I stepped off the plane and first saw Japan. Kyoto and then Katsuyama with it's beautiful rice fields and ancient temples. The movie in my head had gotten it correctly and by simply striking a gong I could see my great grandfather working in rice field with the red sun and the dreams that were in his head. "Ohh what crazy dreams you had great grandfather" There was a twinkle in his eye when he worked those fields on those days. Maybe Japan seemed too small for him.

      So now here I am with Bob and Japan keeping me company as I write and write. At this point I am very keen to buy a surfboard. I have just recently signed up to the local pool. 2 days ago I called my Supervisor to see when we were doing something that I knew had to do with town culture. "ohh Johnnn eeeeeto. ano 3 moutiru ok.. anooo guitar shimasu" "hi" and "hi" I was being picked up at 3. We arrived at the festival and there were kind men smoking and adjusting lights. There was also a tower built on the spot right by the procession of smoking, smiling, men. Later we all cooked Wild Boar on a hot grill and stood around with our chopsticks flipping the meat until it was ready to eat, fingers dodging flames... it was cultural Japanese hot potato. It was a lovely way to eat dinner. They asked me to drink lots of beer too. I soon left my glass full and escaped. My supervisor apparently plays the Japanese Flute and his son plays the Taiko drum. They are very important to the city for this reason. It is a very important skill to know how to properly play the Taiko drum. After the festival all member leaders attended a 2 hour meeting to discuss how my supervisors son played the Taiko drum. He had good technique apparently, but needed to be more forceful. Ahhhhh I said and continued to eat fish and rice. I teach English every Friday to my supervisor's family. It is a pleasure.

    So I have just finished a giant beach party. This previous weekend all teachers got together at at a wonderful beach just south of me and shared stories. We are all going through similar experiences. It is amazing how similar our lives are in some respects. We have a commonality. Everybody has a good heart. The waves were beautiful. I arrived at the beach at 10 am maybe. The sun comes up at 4 so who knows. I went around the beach asking how much it was to buy a surfboard and where I could buy a surfboard in Japanese. Some passers by let me borrow their surfboards and go out on the waves. They were very nice. They hadn't even surfed yet all I was asking was where to buy a surfboard. The waves were fun. It was enjoyable to be on a surfboard once again. Japanese people are very nice. That night I met some other teachers who were in my situation... drawn to Japan... searching for something. We all love speaking the Japanese Language. It is a wonderful commonality. It was one of the most amazing things I encountered. I saw a person I had not met yet. I went up and said how are you. She had a blank look on her face and replied "Konichi wa" I replied back "Konichi wa" and we spoke in Japanese together for a while. She was Russian and knew Japanese not English! she didn't know any English. We both knew Japanese... our lives we shared.

     So now I close this piece. The beach party lasted into the next day. I saw a beautiful sunrise over an ocean. That is a fantastic sunrise to see every time. Waves could be heard lapping as dreaming travelers welcomed another morning, a white sandy beach with sea shells stretched into the sea.

So I'm sitting in my house the rain tiptoes down slowly outside. There was a small Earthquake again tonight. I say again because there was one couple of nights ago. There is nothing to worry about, but it sure lets me know, puts my human into perspective. There was a traditional festival I attended over the weekend. I linked up with some fellow Alts and together we danced down the streets with the rest of Japan for the Iwaki Celebration. It was a workout. We all dressed up in Hapi's (traditional ware) and tried to learn the dance. It is interesting living alone. Today after returning to my house I decided to go see if I could find the beach. It was a beautiful Sunday and the rice fields danced to the old men and women working in them. Yes I was in Japan. I did find the beach and gosh darn it there is surfing, but I didn't bring money to rent a surfboard... oh well next time. I biked around for the afternoon taking in the sights and ended up finding another beach where I might be able to surf. I think I'm not sure, but from what I can discern is that the surfing season is only 1 month a year. Hopefully I'm wrong, but we will see. As I was saying living alone is interesting... I mean really alone. I'm alone in the house, but now the whole town says foreign words as well. Actually I have some plants next to me and there keeping me company. I will name them right now. Bob and Japan. It's nice to have something green to keep you company. Having the sea close by gives a sense of freedom as well.  My Japanese is improving by the day. Although its still quite difficult to do simple things like operate the laundry machine with Japanese labels, or figure where the train goes. It's back and forth. Sometimes I think to myself ohhhh I just want this to be in English. And then sometimes I love the Japanese experience, the maze the puzzle, the invention. I've actually spoken quite a bit of English lately. I'm definitely in a different world here. Whewwy! The kids I'm excited to teach. The little ones are all really awwwwww. That's what I say a lot during the day. In fact that is what Japan is. It's a cute town. The cars, the buses, the little old people everything. At the same time there is a gong sounding in the distance which gives a whole different interpretation.. a deep calling for respect. Tomorrow it's an early morning gotta be up to go to Fukushima City. Will get pictures soon. I've been taking them just having compatibility issues.

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In Japan?

I have now been in Japan for 8 days. I`m getting settled here in the town of Naraha. I`m right by the sea and yet, not far from skiing. Upon arriving in Tokyo little did I know that I would soon be encountering 800 teachers like myself from around the world going through this same journey. Tokyo seemed to be a fantasy. There we were 31 floors up in the nicest hotel I`ve ever stayed in overlooking Tokyo lights. It was a teachers Ideas Festival. Everyday we would get up and go to different clinics they had set up for us. There was breakfast and lunch provided for us and at night we partied. I don`t think I remember being so tired in my life, yet there was a smile on my face as I closed my eyes every night to go to sleep. Naraha Machi is a 180 degree turn form the high energy of Tokyo City, yet still everyday just as new. On just this past Wednesday a bus pulled up to Koriyama City and 25 or so disheveled foreigners greeted the afternoon sun. I was one of them and I remember there was tension in the air. ``What were we stepping into?`` ``What were we Doing?`` ``This is Fun!`` I knew we were ``not in Kansas anymore`` when my supervisor and I met for the first time and after I said my introduction I Said ``do you know English`` and he said ``eeeeeettoooo``. On the car ride to my final destination we both tried conversation. I quickly relearned the Japanese that I had forgotten and he caught onto some English quickly so by the time we reached the small, cute town of Naraha I knew where I was staying for the night....right and left quite confidently in Japanese. He knew that I had good skiing in my town back home...... That I loved Japanese food.........and that I was excited to teach. Actually we exchanged quite a bit, but I still remember it being quite hard and that my tired brain hurt form thinking. I remember falling asleep in a Japanese style hotel that night feeling that I was in some surreal life and then I feel asleep. So now as I write this to you I have been here for aweek. The reason I am still staying in this hotel is because my room is not yet ready. I`m still figuring out my role in the the small town of Naraha. The Sea rolls out clear to my left and I sense it`s great space of freedom and possiblity. The air is fresh and I think my half Japanese Half German person is leaning back towards a rolling red sun. As abnormal as I feel my feet sense familiar soil and the feet are quite good at sensing such things.

Blank White Paper

Though You Always See What Can be Right
Though The Soul Is One Within Your Time
I`ll Rock To You Baby Because I Always Want To See The Way You Fly
I Was Walking On The Shore To Show
All The Places I Would Choose To Go
It`s The Laps Of The Waves And The Simmering Of The Sea That Lets You Know
When You`re In My Arms And I Can Tell
When I Write On Your Back And I Spell
It`s The Pictures Of The Sun The Places I Never Want To Kill

You See It Though You Never Have To Say
Here I Am Staring Up At The Day
We Are Living Today
Every Scene Is Just Another Flip Of The Page

Now The Song Is Slowing Towards The Beat
The Melody Of The Words Will Come And Meet
It`ll Never Match The Rhythm You Have Inside Your Feet

You See It Though You Never Have To Say
Here I Am Staring Up At The Day
We Are Living Today
Every Scene Is Just Another Flip Of The Page

Before The Push

Today I have not done much.  This morning there was some delicious Spinach spaghetti to devour and so I did do that. I am planning on going to work today. I will be working at the Aspen Institute at the Ideas Festival for setup.  It should be a great experience. I am quite excited. The weather is nice today. The sun is already shining brightly and a blue sky fills up my nearby window sill.  Japan is pushing into my thoughts regularly. I am very excited to go experience another adventure. Gosh what a world we live in. One of my good friends in college just seems to be getting more famous by the day. She is touring the world and is now playing on late night shows. It’s amazing the people that you come in contact with! Teaching shall be a new adventure. I think it’s important to always write down your thoughts. You never know where they will take you. Just a minute ago I was leaving Australia dreaming  of thinking of going to Japan and now it’s right in front of me. I’m amazed by the adventures my friends have already embarked on and the places they have gone and still are. At this day in age anything is possible. We have the whole world at our fingertips we just need to walk outside and keep walking. These last few months my music is coming together. I have a great group of friends that I love playing music with. It is such a pleasure to meet on the mall and play to the afternoon folk. Now we are again parting ways and thus I am filled by a reluctance to move forward to Japan as I see a path forming if I change course. I am confident in my decision and am excited to see what comes. That’s my entry for now. You know how I feel.