Politically correct?

　The hip sip in a zip!

I was chatting with my ex co-worker back in college, now the manager of beaners. He told me that they have changed the name since beaners is a slur…There’s a point when being “politically correct” goes too far and I just can not believe this locally owned coffee shop did it so…at the same time, It gave me wistful flush back, I thought my memosy at this coffee shop has been gone. I took my dog several times and chat with friends. When they went on 24 hours, I stayed there all night to see how it is like. Working on last minutes HW at beaners, you meet buddies who have the same problem. Made me feel I am not the only one. That was fun. I miss their apple cider, white bears that you can not find anywhere; it is the sweetest coffee ever that you can feel the adrenalin just rush through your body system right away. Though I am not capable of taking this extreme amount of sugar, but I don’t mind take a risk and try it again….


*****

Beanersというコーヒーショップが私の大学の回りにあちこちありました。Beanersはコーヒーの代名詞のように、というかコーヒーショップなんて言葉はあそこでは存在しない位Beanersという名が幅を利かしていた気がする。

同じ通りにあるスタバが値上げしても私たちビンボウ学生にず～っとリーズナブルでいてくれたり、フェアトレードのコーヒーも取り入れるフレンドリーなBeanersです。私のいたミシガンはとっても寒いので冬はよくここへ通って５．６時間とか平気で居座ってペーパー仕上げたし。中が人でいっぱいで座れない時は白い息を吐きながら外に座って友達と喋っていたときも。私は冬限定のアップルサイダー（りんごジュースを温めてシナモン、オレンジピール等でスパイスアップしたやつ）と、甘党のアメリカ人だからこそ作れるホワイトベアーが大好きでした。　

で、最近このBeanersという名前はヒスパニックの人たちにとっては差別的な表現になってしまうからとBiggbyに改名しました。どうなのだろう。なんか寂しい感じです。

"Quotation"

Today’s quote from Eternal sunshine

How happy is the blameless Vestal's lot!
The world forgetting, by the world forgot.
Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!
Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd.y

The second is from Nietsche's Beyond Good and Evil, Part VII: "Blessed are the forgetful: for they shall have done with their stupidities too."

A bear hug

Since I started work, I started to take a train.

It was a culture shock to me since I never be close to somebody I don’t know. Seriously, the station stuff literally squeezes people to pack the train. Somebody’s shoulder is just above my face. When the train shakes, you really don’t have to hold yourself coz you just can’t. There is no space to even step. This morning, it was worth. I made myself getting an empty seat, so I fall asleep right after I sat. Then, a guy in front of me suddenly dropped towards to me, and I’m sure I felt touching “it”. Ew….Even now that I am writing grosses me out.

This is the day I decided to get reserved special seat no matter how much it cost.

What I did not know for a year.

77 cash card…this is only one Japanese card that I have. My financial resource. In order to get cash, I went the bank in Ginza. There are lots of efforts involved with this action. The bank close at 5, need to get done with my work before 4 to get there. I wonder how many times I failed to just get there. Then….My friend just told me that I could use any ATM machine to get cash with the card. How stupid I am. I have always been. Anyway, there are way too many occasion which you need some cash in your hand in Japan.


I lost my dog when I was 12, my grandma passed away 5 years ago, Inabasan passed away 2 years ago. And kenji-san is gone now. Since he was my pare rents good friend, I was not so close. But they were the reason I got to know JICA. They are so open-minded and pursue what they wanna do over the money. So cool. Knowing how they met in Paraguay, I just longed for it maybe I can find somebody who has same dream. I liked Kenji-san’s parenting as well. He seems to try to raise Remo a decent boy, with no bias. I am sure he is a grown up, hiroko-san count on. Men. Good people always die too early.

Grin-grin.

It was awfully crowded in the train this morning. This is beyond the imagination, there is no place to even step. Really bad which made me miffed.

Having free coffee coupon for MacDonald (I go only for that reason), I went there to get a cup of coffee. The girl just smiled so nicely and made me happy. I think it was my first time I appreciate somebody’s smile. Oh my. I am getting old like sarari-man.

Peppy guy

There is a delivery guy coming to my office every Tuesday and Thursday.

Delivery guy always run and seems like they never stop running.

This guy is so charming way to far from the guys I work with.

He came in and goes “ooops wrong room” he just grin widely and it was very cute of him.

Money makes the world go around

I’ve been workin in this office since June, so I am doin quite good….though….
People here is so International, some has degree in the state, some are even from foreign country. Even if he did not go abroad, they never get shrieked with English.. I would say this is what is called higher education…tokyo uni?

But things that stuck in my mind is…..its just sad the work is all about money in the end. Yes, it is environmental Dept here, but the first thing is off-course to make money in order to pay mortgage. They do a project that has potential of benefit. For example, there is a methane factory in Malaysia. We do CDM to reduce methane emission. Yeah, it’s a great project…but when you think about it, if you visit Malaysia as a environmentalist….they would say” let not make palm tree factory its deforestation.” I cant help but wonder…I just don’t get the mechanism of CDM. Why don’t multi-corporation just spend some money on environment. Just by hiring consultants and make CDM, you could save a hell a lot of poor animals in Amazon.

As I work here, I see they work so hard that they do not have a time to involve with environment activities… They don’t know or never hard of fair trade, they don’t care about Stand up and Speak out. Yes they are contributing the mother earth just by working, but why don’t we show some move abit. Last time I went, all we did was bitching about the frigging work, barely talk about anything else. And I realize that guys tend to become oyaji when they get drunk, which I am not comfortable with. On the way home, somebody puked in the train. I dobt know why they drink without knowing his limit and tank up?

Low calorie?

Its awaited lunch time, and I got this cup which has only 30 calories…..after I ate this, I am still hungry, I ended up getting a bread which has like 200 calories. Now I am satisfied.

Knock out

最近仕事柄、環境や温暖化のデータを見て温暖化が急速に進んでいる事を身に感じていたようだったけれど、今日はやられました。ワシントン条約のレッドデータにあった野生の絶滅してしまった植物のリスト。エクセルに植物の名前が羅列してあるのだけど、スクロールしてもまだまだある植物の数。こんな数の植物がもう自然の形で存在しないと思うと悲しすぎます。前に１３秒に一種の植物がこの世から無くなっていくスピードだっていってたっけ。困った困った。

絶滅してしまった理由は温暖化だったり、森林破壊だったり殆どが環境を考えない人為的な問題。そしてその人為的な行為の中で一番矛盾しているのがお花好きな人達の欲望による園芸採取です。お花屋さんに行ってたまに見るのが古典植物や高山植物。なかなか手に入らないし、珍しいので園芸好きの人達は買ってしまうわけだけれど、それがどこから来たかはあまり考えません。ちょっとだけなら別になくならない、と思って登山中に採ってしまう人もいます。頭のいい人はそれをビジネス化して、特許までとります。そこに咲いているから美しいって事を忘れないで欲しいです。と言う私も昔知らずに買っていた一人なのだ・・・。
仕事ではお堅い対応策とか理論・知見ばっかりだけど、ちょうど共感できる報告書があったので紹介します。元世界銀行の人で温暖化の影響を経済的に分析してずらずらとこんなにひどくなるぞと言っているんだけど、最後はこうです。

「気候変動を放置すれば、経済的損失は、1930年代の大恐慌や２度の世界大戦に相当する→現在のペースで気候変動が進んだ場合、世界各国のGDPの５%から最大20％に上る損失が予測される→一方、気候変動の原因となるGHGの排出を抑えるために必要なコスト（＝早期対応の場合）は、世界のGDP総計の1％前後にとどまる。」スターンレビューより。数字とかには弱い私だけど、こう言われるとなんだかやる気にさせられちゃいます。っと言ってもGDPの１％を対応策に！なんて決定権も無いので、自分のできる事からコツコツと。

A mysterious Place

Did you know that toilette can be a really fun place?

To be specific it is a culture of its country.

So, It was a quite shock to see the latest toilette in Japan.

After spending some time in the state, the lid of the toilette welcomed me

and at the same time,

it made me realize that I am way too behind the time.

Second thing was a board for changing clothes.

What is that for, I wonder.

I know high school girls tend to change clothes in the restroom after school.

Is this for them?

I am so obsolete.

By the way,

we have a convenient little machine installed to the toilette,

called wash let. Maybe in women’s only, there is a bottom named Utahime.

We push this bottom to muffle the toilette sounds.

I guess this is a Japanese thing.

We used to keep flush while we pee.

So, this artificial sound has been created.

Save water,girls!!

Oh speaking of which,

I also wonder why there is a huge space

between the floor and the door in the American restroom.

There is also a slight space where the door closes

and you can literally see people outside.

America is a country where advocate own privacy,

Why is that.

noblesse oblige

　I’m very easy going basically, but when it comes to what I do, I try not to compromise myself. Having said that, I thought working in this current office where it deal with Kyoto protocol is something I can be proud of. Well, it was not really how I expected when I saw a TV program on Tuvalu. So, we try reducing the CO2 emission by Kyoto protocol. I work and contribute to the mother earth. Sounds good huh.

BUT.

Watching TV last night totally blow my whole idea.

Tuvalu is one of the places on earth that is most vulnerable to the affects of global warming they are the first one to go under the water when the sea level rises. The small Pacific island nation, Tuvalu, is considering bringing a lawsuit against large companies for their insufficient measures towards global warming. Man!! I kinda knew the system. Because we are at urgent level of this global warning.

If you deeply consider the situation, there is no room to think about the benefit. You just have to sweat and scuffle hoe to plant trees There is a fact that CDM does reduce CO2 emission in a great deal. Things in the developing country are a whole a lot different from what we know. They just release sludge into the river and people take bath down in the river. It is multi-company who brought the business with the pollution and I think it is their responsibility to wipe their own ass. This stuck my mind this week. Am I doing it right or not. When I was working at botanical garden, things were so easy, stress-free. I wish I could go back.

満員電車の中

On the way home from work, there was an old guy showing his disability card or whatever and saying “please turn off the cell coz I use medical equipment.”

Thought somebody would offer him a seat or something.

No one did.

He was kind enough to notice that in the priority seat where it says “turn off the cell near this seat”. Then, there was a person who ignores this notice in front of him and keeps typing it. So the old guy had to tell him over and over again, in the end he goes “would you like to harm disability though I begged you?”

The whole atmosphere got gloomy. Now people put grimace on their face and looking at the old guy. God.

What is the reason of this mood shift? No it is not the old guy. The person who did not turn off the cell is the wet-blanket… There is definitely a Japanese custom, of..How would I say…”No bother, no fuss-rule”under the skin.

Me no Likey

今の仕事を始めて約３ヶ月。私の恐れていたこの日が来てしまいました。今朝、私の頭の中に「あ～、仕事行きたくない。」がよぎった・・・。やばい。前回の派遣の時（たった１日でそう思ったから）比べると３ヶ月はMuch betterなんだけど。仕事の内容も働いている人達もナイスだからずっとやっていけるかと思ったけど、慣れたらVoila,この通り。

アメリカの前職では行きたくないなって思ったことは一度もなかった。１２０Fの炎天下の中、汗かきながら働いてつらいときもあったけど、次の日は皆に会うのが楽しみで、植物を見に行くのが楽しみでDescansoに行ってた。

日本ではシチュエーションが違うのかな。最近はすぐに辞める人が多いって言うけど、こんなにせかせか空気の悪い場所で、間人電車にゆられて、夜中までPCに向かって、ずっと働く意義ってなんだろう。そんなんで忍耐力とか培わなくても、他の方法は幾らでもありそうだけど・・・。なんちって。たった３ヶ月働いた人には解らない何かがあるのよね。きっと。

Polar

Too cute to be true.

Michigan to California

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　去年の今頃仕事のためにミシガンからRelocateしたわけですが・・・・。
今こうやって地図で見るとすごいもんだわ。２６００マイル、グランドキャニオン等にも寄って３日で。
しかも、これは日本横断と同じくらいの距離。若いからできたんだろうなあ。アメリカいると年とか関係ないから？

え？

ひょンとした事からサンタバーバラで出会った友だち（LAに着て初めての友達よ）が誰かをバイクで引いてしまったと・・・・。ガーン。なんて言っていいのか。

くだらない英語 其の二 Atomic Sit-up

. atomic situp 38 up, 5 down

person 1 is baited into performing "the hardest situp ever". Person 1 then lies on the floor on their back and told cross hands on chest. Person 2 then holds a towel over the face of person 1 covering the eyes telling him sit up quickly with all his strength when he say to. Meanwhile person 3 has removed their pants and is squating over person 1's face with out him knowing. Person 2 then tells person 1 to sit up quickly and removes the towel as soon as the sit up begins. The result is person 1's nose is planted into person 2's ass.

Betcha cant do an atomic situp

by Double fisted Bobo Aug 18, 2003 email it
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2. atomic situp 15 up, 2 down

when one is conned into attempting a "most difficult" situp resulting in a firm thrusting of the suckers nose directly up the shit pipe of a prankster. Usually results in prompt ass kicking and residual smell of butt mud for several days.

See the movie Heavy Weights or any highschool locker room

by chickenmanty Dec 8, 2003 email it

http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1729120

A bomber

On the way back home, a young lady offered me a seat in the train.
......

Yes, I wear fluffy clothe,
Yes, I do wear a flat shoe,
And no I am not a pregnant.

Momo has to turn over a new leaf seriously….on diet wise…

Descanso garden summer 06'

More fotos with etsuko and my mother.
Pic I:: The board alice and i propered
Pic II:: Matilla hop poppy, the california cative
Pic III:: crimbing rose

Planting Fields Part II

DARK WORLD with a blight future

Not being to see the view must be hard.

I can't even imagine how it is like.

and I saw a blind women in super crowded sinjuku station in this morning.

Compare with ginza, i really dislike this station since everybody is disorienting.

they just walk, her and there bum around, you just hit people so many times(and no sorry huh), the cause of headache.

and here was the women walking with a stick.

How is that possible. Does sshe have a trick!?

Somehow I thought I can do better in my life.

She should go all the way to the ulter space to show people that motivation!!

今日のポーラちゃん

TOEIC

GOT ONLY 840....and Obviously I suck in Reading section(most of listening were perfect...)

My first Greeting Card

Yay!

Candle night

　


　日本の電車事情を身をもって知らされた日。



でも



　キャンドルの暖かさで忘れちった。

Planting Fields Part I

今日、暇でFlickeringしていたら昔インターンしていた植物園の写真を発見。懐かしいなあ。

ニューヨーク州ロングアイランドの州立公園です。とっても広大な敷地にミスターコーのお城とお庭がどーんとあります。ニューヨークはアメリカの中では歴史が古いのでここにある木もとても古く壮大です。ほんとに、ほんとに、
ほーんとに壮大な木が壮大な土地に住んでいます。

７人のインターンと一緒にHeybarnで４ヶ月暮らしたっけ。
それまでアメリカにいたとはゆえ、家族と暮らしていたので、これは私にとって初めてのアメリカ生活になりました。ホームシックにもならず、国境とか言語の違いなんてなくアメリカ人に囲まれて楽しく暮らしたなあ。

またいつか戻りたい。Re-unionしたいわ。

Traverse City

トラバーしシティーはミシガンの北にある島で私の住んでいる所Okemosから３，４時間かかります。
映画、「Sometime in anywhere」で撮影されたとても綺麗な避暑地です。ライラックの咲くときで有名。
今回で５回目そしてミシガンできっと最後。だからチカコさんと渡嘉敷さんとこれてとても良かった！！

Descanso Garden

This is the place where I work.

It is a small wild garden, there is actually a lady who asked admission fee back because there are too much weeds! I call this place " a lovely community garden" because the people who live here love this garden like thier back yard.

I found those pics from FLickr. It looks much better than what I have seen :P

Michigan State University II

この雪道を運転するのも歩くのも大変。

今日のポーラちゃん

今日のポーラちゃん

最近のチワワは小さい！

けど

態度は相変わらずでかい。

Dedieu~the mamade~

There was tears when I saw her performance.
Vraiment belle!! Musique tres bonne aussi

www.virginie-dedieu.com

Summer 06’PartII Rancho del Zocalo Restaurant

あのアランフェスタみたいな哀愁漂う曲なつかしいわ。
写真はニューオーリーンズの私の管理していたあの階段。
あと、これは同僚のが好きだったRancho del Zocalo Restaurant

Summer 06’PartI New Orleans

普通夏のバイトといえば海だけど、私はディズニーで・・・。

最近、友だちが写真を送ってきてくれたので思い出をアップ。
Flickerでも見つけたので幾つか。



私は、やっぱり始めてやったEaster Lilyがエレガントだし一番好きかなあ。あと、噴水のところも一度やらしてもらってCala Lillyにしたのもお気に入り。それにしてもこのクリスマスバージョン、一体幾ら掛かったのか・・・因みに普通は一回（３週間もたせます）につき、大体３～５万の予算でやってます。