With a fresh eye

Artists learn to look at their work, whether it be a painting or a drawing, with a "fresh eye". What this means is taking a step back or putting aside for a while what your are working on so you can see ways to make improvements. But how can you look at your life with a "fresh eye". Coming to Japan for the first time I was (and still am) like a kid visiting Disneyland for the first time. Everything was new and fascinating. But I imagine that even to the people who live in Paris, the Eiffel tower become just "that metal thing" in the background. Or the citizens of Egypt see the Great Pyramids as "those big stones"once and a while. So how do you get the "fresh eye"again? Whenever I return to America to visit my family, I always discover that some things that were part of my everyday life in the past become rare treats and some of them have become "warts". The same goes to Japan. Although I'm from America, when I return to Japan I always feel at home, where my wife and new born son live our everyday lives together. As my son grows and discover the new world around him, I look forward to seeing my life again with a "fresh eye"

Jun-Ken-Pon!

In Japan, shortly after babies learn how to walk and have developed enough dexterity in their little hands, they soon learn the game called “Jun-Ken- Pon”. Jun-Ken-Pon is the Japanese name for the game “Rocks, Paper, Scissors”. This game is played in countries all over the world, but in Japan it is as important to the culture as Sushi and “Hello Kitty”. Everyone knows how to play! It’s as an essential skill as using chopsticks or a Japanese style toilet. Children play it simply for fun or to settle arguments. And the best thing about Jun-Ken Pon is the results are final. No cheaters welcome! In schools, teachers decide which team goes first or who gets the extra dessert. Jun-Ken-Pon! My pudding! Or at home, the kids are fighting over who gets to play with the computer game Jun-Ken-Pon! I’m first. Even adults use it to decide all kinds of things. Who is the designated driver tonight? Jun-Ken-Pon! No sake for me. Who takes the dog for a walk this cold morning? Jun-Ken-Pon! I’ll get my coat.
I think many of the worlds problems can be settled by making Jun-Ken-Pon THE law to decide all kinds of issues. Drill for oil? Jun-Ken-Pon! Human Cloning? Jun-Ken-Pon! Who will be the next President or Prime Minister? Jun-Ken-Pon!

Why am I white?

The other day, I was reminded of my past vacation in the beautiful island of Okinawa when a young boy asked me, “Why are you so white?” Admittedly, I have always been a bit envious of the tan crowd. The men who can take their shirts off in public without fear of blinding the casual passerby. The golden-tan people who enjoy a lifestyle outdoors in the sun not reserved for ones with a ghostly white pallor. Recently, in Japan the pursuit of a tan is not fashionable or healthy. There are many products to prevent the nasty sun of inflicting damage to ones complexion. There are sun blocks, sun repellent umbrellas; sun hats and these strange sleeves women wear when driving that remind me of “The Bride of Frankenstein”. But despite of this, I still want a tan. During my life I have tried many times to get a tan. The results ranged from ” slightly flushed” to “red lobster”, but never “a brown coloration of the skin caused by exposure to ultraviolet rays” as defined by the dictionary. Not being one to give up easily, I decided to try a self- tanning product that promised a tan in five days. I had visions of going on my vacation in Okinawa bronzed and ready for a week of fun in the sun. Diligently, I applied the lotion as instructed for five days, and I no longer looked like I just got out of the hospital. I actually had somewhat of a tan! I was ready to go. I spent a week swimming, snorkeling and canoeing in the sun proudly displaying my first tan. But as the week progressed the self-tanning wore off and I was actually getting whiter! I was the first person in history to return from a trip to a sun drenched tropical island … Whiter!

Quiz Society

I love my wife. My wife loves TV. I want to be with my wife. Therefore, I watch TV. Surfing the channels on any given night, it might look like this: drama, quiz show, people eating, quiz show, stupid comedians, quiz show, men that look like women and quiz show. Japan is obsessed with quizzes! You can’t escape them. Here is how a typical show goes: There is this monkey. The monkey wants a banana. A banana is in an upside-down bucket submerged underwater. How does the monkey get the banana? The panel of the quiz show consists of famous and semi-famous people, called “talent”. When I ask my wife what these “talent” do? She replies by saying that they are “talent”. “Yes, but what IS their talent?” I ask meekly. “They are JUST TALENT!” she retorts. Anyway, these “talent”, draw their answers on cards as the audience eagerly waits for the answer to the monkey’s dilemma. “Why can’t they just TELL me how the monkey gets the banana? Why does it need to be a quiz?” I ask, reluctantly. My wife shouts, “Urusai” which means “shut up” in Japanese. Next follows, endless commercials for cell phones, green tea, instant ramen, beer, and cosmetics to name a few. In the meantime, I could have gone to Africa to give the monkey a banana and STILL have time to see the answer. Finally, the “talent” reveal their answers (sometimes acting out their answers) and all are satisfied (including the monkey). Actually these types of low budget quiz shows are a brilliant way of extending a one-minute film clip (in this case a monkey) into a 30-minute program. The obsession with quizzes is not limited to just TV. It extends into every aspect of life in Japan. The other day a boy asked me, “ Do you know what my favorite sport is? “No, I don’t” I replied. “Is it, A: baseball, B: soccer or C: basketball?”