I am an Aunt!!!!

Kyo, watashi-wa oba-san desu.

Today, I am an aunt. My first nephew was born February 27th at 6:30 am EST in Raleigh, North Carolina.

I got the news while I was enjoying my first visit to Gary's One Shot Bar down the street from my house. About an hour earlier I became friends with the bartender and one of the patrons - Ueno and Atsushi. Ueno had already given me a cocktail on the house earlier, but Atsushi bought me another drink, and we all toasted a round of kampaii (cheers) and omedeto (congratulations).

Wow, I'm an auntie!!!

Let Them Have Music*

Anybody who knows me knows that I love music; and right now I'm going through an intense album phase. Lately I've really been respecting the concept of the album - while artists certainly can't depend on songs being played in any kind of order I like to think that the order matters to them. Listening to an album as a piece is like looking at a series of works by one artist, looking at all of the pieces in a single collection by a fashion designer, or listening to an entire concerto by a composer. Each song, outfit or what-have-you is beautiful and interesting on its own but in the group you can see a theme, how each piece acknowledges it, and how each piece differs from it. In the specific context of music, I really enjoy listening to the different sound variations contained on one album.

These are recent albums I've been eyeing:
Nickleback - All the Right Reasons
Fall Out Boy - Infinity on High
Christina Aguilera - Back to Basics
Rodrigo y Gabriela - Rodrigo y Gabriela
Jill Scott - Collaborations

I recently bought these albums:

• Joy Denalane - Born & Raised: thoughtful, soulful music with a slightly 70s sound; good songs are Be Real, Change ft. Lupe Fiasco, Start Over
• Paolo Nutini - These Streets: rock vocals with jazz/rock instrumentals; listen to Last Request, New Shoes, or everything. His voice is beautiful.
• John Cougar Mellencamp - Freedom's Road: heartland rock with a conscience; some of the best songs are Rural Route, Jim Crow, and Forgiveness

I recently re-discovered Sly and the Family Stone and Three Dog Night. great music.

I'm also really intrigued by iTunes' Power Ballads compilation. I haven't quite made up my mind about it, but it did remind me that I can/should update my own power ballads playlist.

Also, if you haven't checked out the All-Star Tribute version of Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On," you really should. A link to the You Tube videos here: the original and the updated.


*This is a movie. Have you seen it?

From 1 to 60

In the Sunday Times the magazine cover story is titled "From 0 to 60 to World Domination" about the rise and immense global success of Toyota. This makes a good epilogue to my last post, about how Americans can create ideas but the Japanese run with them.

One element of the article that really interested me was Toyota's relentless pursuit of developing a full-size truck for the American market. Trucks just seem to be so American, so entrenched in the American psyche; and while many people appreciate mid size or compact Toyotas, Hondas or Nissans, driving a foreign truck is an altogether different matter. Most foreign car companies produce an SUV, but have you seen a truck by BMW, Hyundai, Honda or Mercedes?

And this reminds me of a topic I've thought a great deal on in Japan. What is American? Or rather, what is exported image of America and what is really American? The other night a Japanese friend was asking me about food that I missed from the United States and at one point he was like - oh, but there is McDonalds! I was just like, that is hardly a good example of American food. I regularly see McDo, Gap, Starbucks, and even Denny's. I feel like these do reflect one aspect of America's character - we're good at producing and exporting things for immediate consumption. That is very American. At the same time the images of America that are perpetuated abroad are not often reflective of people's daily lives. As with any other country, they're often stereotypical or reflect a small segment of the population.

Trucks are very American. So are guns. It's amazing how many people bring up the issue of guns with me - not just Japanese people, but Gaijin too. Apparently every American owns a gun. I had a long discussion with a (Japanese) friend the other night, where I was almost surprised by my perspective. I had to really think about why guns are so valued by Americans, and how that could come to be. I didn't defending the culture of gun ownership but for maybe the first time I did give it some legitimacy.

America had very rough and wild beginnings. When pilgrims/puritans/explorers arrived from England they were entering a VAST unknown. Forget a feeling of security - guns provided actual security, and it was an efficient way to kill potential food. Futhermore, individuals owning guns were an integral part of the Revolutionary War. Yeah, the militias that the 2nd Amendement provides for (which is now essentially the National Guard) were instrumental in beating back the British, but so were individuals hiding out in the woods, picking off British soldiers. Guerilla warfare, although not often lauded, was important factor in the Revolution. It was individuals with their guns.

I'm not sure when the last continental state was fully settled, but I do know that the frontier was explored and pushed for decades; and the frontier mentality has long outlasted any material border with wilderness. As long as memories of the frontier exist, gun ownership will too. Maybe Toyota can develop a new American gun for the 21st century.

You Know It's Bad When...

Vladimir Putin accuses the Bush Administration/America of "undermining global stability."


In other news, I was recently discussing with a (Japanese) friend America and Japan's respective talents in the global economy and my friend said something really interesting. She said that the Japanese can take an idea from 1 to 100 but they can't go from 0 to 1; Americans, however, can create something from nothing.

That really encouraged me because I've grown increasingly frustrated with American policy in almost every sector (foreign, environmental, education), so I feel like hey - if nothing else, we still got ideas! at least that is something.

For Your Consideration

Please go to the January archives/January 11th and read the post "Harriet Rosa Mayfield Bledsoe, or The Revolution Will Not Come Through Your iPod".

I started it on the 11th so that is when Blogger posts it, but it's something I've been working on for a while, and I just finished it tonight. I'm really excited about it, so please take a look!

Thanks!

A Shining Moment

I had one of my shining moments in life today...

My roommates and I are just chilling today when Amber brings out some whisky-filled chocolates (apparently one of her students gave them to her). She offers one to Stephanie, who promptly eats it and starts gushing and exclaiming about the smooth shot of whisky that erupted when she bit the chocolate.

So then it's my turn. Amber gives me one of the chocolates. I look at it and think - this is kind of big, I'm supposed to eat the whole thing at once? Being the bright child that I am, I bite into the edge. I feel a slight crunch, then a second later I have syrupy whisky dripping down my face and onto my clothes.

I just sat there, stunned. First at the situation - why was there liquid on my face?? Then - a split second later - I was like, HOW DID I NOT SEE THIS COMING???

Definitely one of my greater moments in life ;)

Tokyo Writers' Salon - "I don't remember"

I don't remember my Arabic. I'm getting rusty on French, and my English breaks a little more each day. I don't remember the last time a saw a Twix or the last time a magazine came to my home without being picked up in the 'Imported Magazines' section at Tower Records first.

There is a lot that I don't remember. Maybe it's for the best, as to clear out space in my head for the cache of memories concocted every day in Tokyo. Being repeatedly bitten by a male model in a club. Walking around Azabu-Juban, Moto-Azabu, and Roppongi for an hour trying to find a building whose address I didn't have, helped by a Filipina with her own interesting stories to share. Mistakenly walking into a hostess bar with my roommate then naively sitting down with the ladies for "1 drink" because certainly they wouldn't charge women for their company.

On a very basic level I don't remember anything but confusion; I certainly don't remember what it is like to not be confused, or at least to be unaware of all that I don’t know. Every day is really an adventure - a comedy of errors, really. But this daily uncertainty combined with my inclination to fully indulge my curiosity is, I think, worth far more than remembering the taste of a Sunrise biscuit; or remaining in any of my stateside habits.