As in finding out if we are having a boy or a girl, LOL. Last time we went to the Dr.s we had two different types of ultrasounds- the regular kind and what I think is called the 3d kind (sorry, my Japanese isn't good enough to figure out what is going on all of the time). So I just assumed that we would do the same this time and that we would get to see if it was a boy or a girl. But unfortunately we only did the old fashioned kind and the dr didn't comment one way or the other. If I had been with DH I would have asked him to ask for the other kind of ultrasound, but because I was with MIL and SIL, I didn't want to seem pushy or take up too much time. And I was happy in seeing that the baby was still fine and growing at the normal rate.
Despite me not wanting to take too much time I ended up having to see two other Drs all because I asked the main OBGYN two questions. A) At this point in my pregnancy, how many calories should I be consuming? B) Are there any nearby excercize classes for pregnant women? I seriously thought these questions would take about 5 minutes to answer but the Dr insisted on me going to a health & diet specialist for A) and the head of maternity nurses for B).
I felt like I wasted the health specialist's time since I really only had the one question. I'm not super worried about weight gain at this point (though I have already gained 5 of the 20 pounds Japanese Dr.s say I should gain) but am curious since I haven't been especially hungry during the day. I think part of it is that I have started eating breakfast which I didn't do before and school lunches are so big. So dinner time I don't feel hungry. But she made sure to go over in detail what I should/shouldn't be eating and how much of what food group. I wanted to laugh when she asked me what was the main part of my meal: bread or rice? Japan is carb. obsessed and they base their meals around that. I said that mostly I base my meals around whichever veggies I have on hand (and refrained from telling her that I also base it on meat or fish). The carb. is the last thing I consider and half of the time I leave it out.
Anyway, I was really excited to meet the head of maternity nurses. I think usually I wouldn't have met her until much later in the pregnancy but because I had my question she went ahead and did a quick intro to the maternity ward where I will have the baby. I have heard horror stories about how some nurses can be a little strict or not accommodating to foreign wives, but this lady and I got on super well and I feel so much more relieved. She said she delivered for a Peruvian once (whom I know since I teach her daughters) so it wasn't a big deal if I didn't speak too much Japanese. She also said that my weight gain was fine and that since the baby seemed average I shouldn't worry.
She went over a lot of information and was really patient when questions came up. She wasn't able to help with an excercise class (the one they have is at 2pm on weekdays which is when I have work) but she did tell me where I could get the local government pregnancy guidebook in English and she told me about different birth plans that the hospital offers. She also talked to me about brestfeeding and cloth diapering, both of which are things I am curious about but thought might be considered a hassle in Japanese hospitals. It was a little awkward when she started showing me how to "massage" myself to get milk. Not because of her touching my chest, but because my MIL and SIL were there and I don't really get topless in front of them too often. Not to mention that Japan is kind of conservative.
But anyway, glad things are going fine and that I got to learn more about where I'll give birth. Bummed about the sex (especially since my Facebook birth club were waiting for my announcement) but it's not so bad. I want to keep it a secret so that we can all guess at my US baby shower, anyway, so it's probably better that I don't have to have a secret on my shoulders all month.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
The Visit pt 2
The next day we went to Miyajima, or the island with the temples and the
deer just outside of Hiroshima. I have been there a dozen times
(probably more like only 8) but I don't mind going as it is pretty calm
and peaceful. This time wasn't too crowded due to it being a Monday and
light rain, so that was really nice as well. We made a quick stop at
McDonald's for breakfast which was nice for me as I never do it
regularly. The visitors would have probably gone for anything but
McDonald's is quick and has coffee.
On the island we did the usual thing of walking to see the red gate in the water and then visiting the various temples. I was a little tired and winded from all of the steps so I didn't go into all of the temples but everyone else enjoyed themselves. My dad's fiance is a big gardener so she really enjoyed the care that has been taken to all of nature on the island.
We ate okonomiyaki for lunch at a place where they cook it right in front of you. Not like you get in the states though. The chef doesn't throw the knives in the air or light the grill with a big flash of fire. Instead he just cooks quietly. Okonomiyaki is made from a thin pancake/crepe that is salty not sweet. You can add various things to it but we had it with noodles, egg, bacon, cabbage, and cheese. My dad also got oysters with his. I recommend it to anyone who wants to eat Japanese food but who doesn't like seafood.
We did the obligatory souvenir shopping and then went back to see the gate when the tide was out. Our guests walked down to it but again, being tired, Motoaki and I gave it a miss.
We then left the island and headed to Iwakuni, the city with a US Naval Base that our first home stay student, Nana, came from. The main site there is the Kintai bridge which is a wooden arch bridge. This is also a peaceful place that was a little deserted due to the late time of day and it being not a holiday. We also took time to tour the iris gardens and temples which were a big hit for Shelia and my sister. I am not the biggest flower fan (I prefer greens) but this was my first time to see the iris and they were impressive.
We got on the road at about 6 pm for the long ride home. Unfortunately we got back too late to Maniwa and none of the good restaurants were open, so we ended up getting Joyfull. Joyfull is similar to Denny's in that it serves sit-down fast food. It is good for foreigners because it is cheap and has a colored menu (as well as a mix of things like hamburgers, spaghetti, chicken, etc), but I felt a little embarrassed at the quality of it.
On the island we did the usual thing of walking to see the red gate in the water and then visiting the various temples. I was a little tired and winded from all of the steps so I didn't go into all of the temples but everyone else enjoyed themselves. My dad's fiance is a big gardener so she really enjoyed the care that has been taken to all of nature on the island.
We ate okonomiyaki for lunch at a place where they cook it right in front of you. Not like you get in the states though. The chef doesn't throw the knives in the air or light the grill with a big flash of fire. Instead he just cooks quietly. Okonomiyaki is made from a thin pancake/crepe that is salty not sweet. You can add various things to it but we had it with noodles, egg, bacon, cabbage, and cheese. My dad also got oysters with his. I recommend it to anyone who wants to eat Japanese food but who doesn't like seafood.
We did the obligatory souvenir shopping and then went back to see the gate when the tide was out. Our guests walked down to it but again, being tired, Motoaki and I gave it a miss.
We then left the island and headed to Iwakuni, the city with a US Naval Base that our first home stay student, Nana, came from. The main site there is the Kintai bridge which is a wooden arch bridge. This is also a peaceful place that was a little deserted due to the late time of day and it being not a holiday. We also took time to tour the iris gardens and temples which were a big hit for Shelia and my sister. I am not the biggest flower fan (I prefer greens) but this was my first time to see the iris and they were impressive.
We got on the road at about 6 pm for the long ride home. Unfortunately we got back too late to Maniwa and none of the good restaurants were open, so we ended up getting Joyfull. Joyfull is similar to Denny's in that it serves sit-down fast food. It is good for foreigners because it is cheap and has a colored menu (as well as a mix of things like hamburgers, spaghetti, chicken, etc), but I felt a little embarrassed at the quality of it.
The Visit pt 1
Last week my dad, his new fiance, my sister, and her
boyfriend David came to Japan. This was about the 6th time for both
my dad and sister to come but it was a first for Shelia (the fiance) and
David. It was also my first time to meet Shelia (I met David last
winter and drove to Colorado with him). Though I am sure they felt like
they were here forever, for me it was really busy and thus went really
fast.
We started out the trip meeting up in Hiroshima. They had flown into Tokyo and spent the night there before coming down. Tokyo is about 7 hours from our house (by car) and Hiroshima is only 3. They also had JR passes (pretty cheap and a good deal if you want to see a lot) so they were able to take the bullet trains to us.
Since we met at lunch time we decided to get food first, and as I had bet Motoaki, my dad wanted ramen. This actually worked out well as David is a picky eater and ramen is noodles, broth, and meat. A lot of you are probably thinking "instant ramen?" but I would say that instant ramen to real ramen is like Little Debbies to real cake. Both are delicious, but they can't really compare.
The restaurant was crowded so we had to split up. I gave Maggie and David Motoaki and I sat with my dad and Shelia. It was a little weird meeting someone my dad is going to marry, but I think we were able to avoid any awkwardness. Luckily we had things like Japanese culture and my baby to distract from any tension.
After lunch we checked into our hotel which is actually a big communtiy center. It is very near the Peace Museum in Hiroshima and foreigners get a discount for staying there. Though it serves as a hostel you can also rent it out for retreats and tour groups. The center also has a concert hall, bath house, and meeting/conference rooms. Anyway, when we were pulling up we were surprised to see tour buses for Monkey Majik parked beside the building. Monkey Majik is a half Japanese, Half Canadian band that Motoaki and I like. We used one of their songs for our dance at our wedding. I like them because they sing in English and Japanese. In the past I have included them on cds I have had made for Maggie and she likes them too.
Anyway, didn't think too much of it as we checked in and then headed to the peace museum. This is the one dedicated to the atomic bomb. I have been there numerous times so Motoaki and I sat in the small cafe they have while the others went in. Afterwards we walked through the gardens to see all of the various memorials. The most famous one is the statue of Sadako and her paper cranes. It is stated in an old Japanese story that anyone who folds 1000 cranes will be granted a wish by the gods, so Sadako and her friends folded cranes in order to cure Sadako's leukemia. Sadako had been 2 at the time of the bomb and she, like other children exposed to the radiation, fell sick when she was only 11. Now children all around Japan fold cranes and send them to be put into glass cases to remember Sadako and others who died as a result of the bomb.
The other famous spot in the gardens is Genbaku Dome, one of the only structures to survive the blast. It has been left as is, a gutted structure, as part of the memorial.
After that we headed back to the hotel and found out that Monkey Majik was playing in the hotel's concert hall that night. Though I felt bad ditching my dad, Maggie, Motoaki, David, and I decided to go. Though I didn't know a lot of their songs, it was fun to see them and a good experience for Maggie and David. Japanese concerts are slightly tame compared to western ones, though you do get a lot of enthusiastic fans. Part of the thing that is interesting about them is the trend of fans to do choreographed moves for different songs. Like during one song EVERYONE pulled out a towel to wave around their head. During another song everyone did specific hand movements. It was a good concert for Maggie and Dave as there was a good mix of Englisha and Japanese.
The concert finished early (maybe around 7:30) so we went to a major shopping street in Hiroshima to find food. Again, my sister's boyfriend is a little picky so we ended up findng a family restaurant (like Denny's or Perkins) that served pasta and pizza. For being cheap, it was really good. We stayed for a long time and caught up on a lot. I really like my sister's boyfriend- we have similar humors and we are the same age so we get along well. That's great as they are the family I will probably see the most.
We started out the trip meeting up in Hiroshima. They had flown into Tokyo and spent the night there before coming down. Tokyo is about 7 hours from our house (by car) and Hiroshima is only 3. They also had JR passes (pretty cheap and a good deal if you want to see a lot) so they were able to take the bullet trains to us.
Since we met at lunch time we decided to get food first, and as I had bet Motoaki, my dad wanted ramen. This actually worked out well as David is a picky eater and ramen is noodles, broth, and meat. A lot of you are probably thinking "instant ramen?" but I would say that instant ramen to real ramen is like Little Debbies to real cake. Both are delicious, but they can't really compare.
The restaurant was crowded so we had to split up. I gave Maggie and David Motoaki and I sat with my dad and Shelia. It was a little weird meeting someone my dad is going to marry, but I think we were able to avoid any awkwardness. Luckily we had things like Japanese culture and my baby to distract from any tension.
After lunch we checked into our hotel which is actually a big communtiy center. It is very near the Peace Museum in Hiroshima and foreigners get a discount for staying there. Though it serves as a hostel you can also rent it out for retreats and tour groups. The center also has a concert hall, bath house, and meeting/conference rooms. Anyway, when we were pulling up we were surprised to see tour buses for Monkey Majik parked beside the building. Monkey Majik is a half Japanese, Half Canadian band that Motoaki and I like. We used one of their songs for our dance at our wedding. I like them because they sing in English and Japanese. In the past I have included them on cds I have had made for Maggie and she likes them too.
Anyway, didn't think too much of it as we checked in and then headed to the peace museum. This is the one dedicated to the atomic bomb. I have been there numerous times so Motoaki and I sat in the small cafe they have while the others went in. Afterwards we walked through the gardens to see all of the various memorials. The most famous one is the statue of Sadako and her paper cranes. It is stated in an old Japanese story that anyone who folds 1000 cranes will be granted a wish by the gods, so Sadako and her friends folded cranes in order to cure Sadako's leukemia. Sadako had been 2 at the time of the bomb and she, like other children exposed to the radiation, fell sick when she was only 11. Now children all around Japan fold cranes and send them to be put into glass cases to remember Sadako and others who died as a result of the bomb.
The other famous spot in the gardens is Genbaku Dome, one of the only structures to survive the blast. It has been left as is, a gutted structure, as part of the memorial.
After that we headed back to the hotel and found out that Monkey Majik was playing in the hotel's concert hall that night. Though I felt bad ditching my dad, Maggie, Motoaki, David, and I decided to go. Though I didn't know a lot of their songs, it was fun to see them and a good experience for Maggie and David. Japanese concerts are slightly tame compared to western ones, though you do get a lot of enthusiastic fans. Part of the thing that is interesting about them is the trend of fans to do choreographed moves for different songs. Like during one song EVERYONE pulled out a towel to wave around their head. During another song everyone did specific hand movements. It was a good concert for Maggie and Dave as there was a good mix of Englisha and Japanese.
The concert finished early (maybe around 7:30) so we went to a major shopping street in Hiroshima to find food. Again, my sister's boyfriend is a little picky so we ended up findng a family restaurant (like Denny's or Perkins) that served pasta and pizza. For being cheap, it was really good. We stayed for a long time and caught up on a lot. I really like my sister's boyfriend- we have similar humors and we are the same age so we get along well. That's great as they are the family I will probably see the most.
Words for Wednesday: No Angel and Something Dangerous
Last Sunday I started Something Dangerous by Penny Vincenzi. This was a book that I had picked up by chance at a second hadn't bookstore only to find out it is the sequel to one of my favorite books, No Angel.
The first book follows Celia Beckanham and her marriage to Oliver Lytton from the early 1900's through to the 1920's. Though Celia comes from a well to do family she isn't deterred by the fact that Oliver's family are from the working class. They own a publishing house which Celia soon joins, much to the horror of her blue-blooded family. Balancing children and work, Celia slowly becomes a woman in her own and develops opinions about the world that she wouldn't have if she had married rich and become a house wife. With the start of WWI most of the men go off to war leaving Celia and her sister-in-law, LM, to run the business. Due to the struggles of trying to publish in a time of thrift, the women take chances with publishing different types of material, and the men return to find a very different publishing house.
Added to all of this are numerous side stories of affairs and family secrets. We also get to watch the children of the family grow up, as well as the adopted child Barty that Celia rescues (or steals, depending on which characters you identify with) from poverty. The book is long but I remember reading it quickly and feeling a bit disappointed when it finally ended.
So I am thrilled to have found Something Dangerous which picks up in 1928 with the Lytton children having grown up and with Celia and Oliver coming into their twilight years. I have just started but am already hooked. According to the bio from the book, Penny Vincenzi used to write for magazines like Vogue and Cosmopolitan before becoming an author, and I find that she is able to strike a fine balance between a romance novel and a historical one. I feel like her female characters are strong and overcome the obstacles that women faced before feminism became popular. At the same time they make mistakes and sacrifices, which makes them rateable and real.
I recommend both books and am looking forward to tracking down the third, Into Temptation.
Book Club June 25th
Last night was our first real meeting for book club in that we actually
had a book to talk about. When it was through my husband, who had been
in the next room over and could hear us, asked me what we had
discussed. I told him, "the book we've been reading" and he responded
that it sounded like we discussed a lot of other things. Yes, we were
off topic a lot.
The book we discussed was Tomorrow, When the War Began (which I had already blogged about) and the book ended up getting a 4.9 rating out of ten. The general consensus was that while OK for a teen novel, the book wasn't much. Most people felt that it lacked depth and detail and that too much time was spent on the teenage girl feelings about boys.
We also talked a lot about the fact that the author is an adult male but that the narrator was a teenage girl. We wondered if he had chosen that route as a way to make more money, or if he really felt like he was in tune with the thoughts and feelings of a 17 year old female. I figure that a lot of the book was probably written with the thought in mind that it was for a teenage audience. Some of the members were surprised when others reported that the book has won awards, been taught in schools, and has been made into a movie.
As I said before in my Words for Wednesday entry I didn't think the book was that bad as I have read some really bad stuff in my day. I also felt that it was just as good as The Hunger Games. The book is actually a seven part series and one of our members went ahead and read the other 6 (he is a smart guy and has a lot of free time- plus I think he found them free to download on the internet). He said that sadly a lot is left unanswered and undeveloped despite the many sequels. Still, as I said we did give it a 4.9 with two people awarding it a 7. It was a good book to start with and I hope the person who picked it doesn't feel bad.
The book we discussed was Tomorrow, When the War Began (which I had already blogged about) and the book ended up getting a 4.9 rating out of ten. The general consensus was that while OK for a teen novel, the book wasn't much. Most people felt that it lacked depth and detail and that too much time was spent on the teenage girl feelings about boys.
We also talked a lot about the fact that the author is an adult male but that the narrator was a teenage girl. We wondered if he had chosen that route as a way to make more money, or if he really felt like he was in tune with the thoughts and feelings of a 17 year old female. I figure that a lot of the book was probably written with the thought in mind that it was for a teenage audience. Some of the members were surprised when others reported that the book has won awards, been taught in schools, and has been made into a movie.
As I said before in my Words for Wednesday entry I didn't think the book was that bad as I have read some really bad stuff in my day. I also felt that it was just as good as The Hunger Games. The book is actually a seven part series and one of our members went ahead and read the other 6 (he is a smart guy and has a lot of free time- plus I think he found them free to download on the internet). He said that sadly a lot is left unanswered and undeveloped despite the many sequels. Still, as I said we did give it a 4.9 with two people awarding it a 7. It was a good book to start with and I hope the person who picked it doesn't feel bad.
Friday, June 15, 2012
Happy Birthday Motoaki...sort of...
June 14th was Motoaki's birthday. It's easy to remember because that is flag day in the US and I was born on the 4th of July- we are a matched set. Well, if you are American...
Anyway, we aren't big into birthdays but I try to do something. He is turning 37 so he didn't want to make a big deal of it. Since his birthday was on a week day we decided on having some really nice meat (well, nice for him- it's the Japanese "nice" which means really fatty...), salad, rice, and cake.
I was also excited because I was able to sneak away and buy him a new suitcase. We have other suitcases but he likes hard cases (he is Japanese) and his old one has a big crack in it (I suspect it is like 12 years old). I also got him some shorts that are "good for water and land." At least that is what the tag said. I thought I would get him a pair of khaki shorts since he only has one pair and he is always looking for them only to find that they are in the hamper or on the line. This pair just happens to be "rough" which is good since Motoaki likes the beach and does a lot of outdoor work at his job.
So I raced home from work and got everything all set up. I had to run a few errands and make some calls for work. Was about to start cooking when I got a call that he was having trouble and wouldn't get to our house until 8. AND when he got home we would need to go to a different city and get his car...
So I left the meat to thaw thinking we would just do the b-day celebrations on Friday. He picked me up and we stopped for some udon (which is his favorite food anyway) and then got the car. We made it home and he ate his cake by himself (I am not a big cake fan and was full).
It wasn't until the next morning that he told me that he would be going to a work party for dinner. The meat that he had selected was thawed, had been thawing, and needed to be cooked. So tonight while he was out I ate the birthday meal without him. It really isn't the end of the world. We are going to Hiroshima this weekend with my family and can celebrate there.
Ok so this isn't exactly how we would have eaten it. We would have had rice, less greens, and sauce. But Motoaki wasn't here so I had it my way.
Anyway, we aren't big into birthdays but I try to do something. He is turning 37 so he didn't want to make a big deal of it. Since his birthday was on a week day we decided on having some really nice meat (well, nice for him- it's the Japanese "nice" which means really fatty...), salad, rice, and cake.
I was also excited because I was able to sneak away and buy him a new suitcase. We have other suitcases but he likes hard cases (he is Japanese) and his old one has a big crack in it (I suspect it is like 12 years old). I also got him some shorts that are "good for water and land." At least that is what the tag said. I thought I would get him a pair of khaki shorts since he only has one pair and he is always looking for them only to find that they are in the hamper or on the line. This pair just happens to be "rough" which is good since Motoaki likes the beach and does a lot of outdoor work at his job.
So I raced home from work and got everything all set up. I had to run a few errands and make some calls for work. Was about to start cooking when I got a call that he was having trouble and wouldn't get to our house until 8. AND when he got home we would need to go to a different city and get his car...
So I left the meat to thaw thinking we would just do the b-day celebrations on Friday. He picked me up and we stopped for some udon (which is his favorite food anyway) and then got the car. We made it home and he ate his cake by himself (I am not a big cake fan and was full).
It wasn't until the next morning that he told me that he would be going to a work party for dinner. The meat that he had selected was thawed, had been thawing, and needed to be cooked. So tonight while he was out I ate the birthday meal without him. It really isn't the end of the world. We are going to Hiroshima this weekend with my family and can celebrate there.
Cloth Diapers????
Call me a hippy, but after talking to some moms in my Late November Birth Facebook group, I am seriously thinking about using cloth diapers. I know, I know...
BUT have you seen the new cloth diapers? Especially the ones that are "one size pockets"? Cloth diapers have come a looooong way since when our parents were babies.
A week ago I was talking to my grandma on the phone when she asked if I was going to use cloth diapers. I laughed a bit and said, "No, grandma! This is 2012!" But then, an hour or so after I had hung up, someone posted about fuzzibunz, a brand of modern cloth diapers. I thought I would head over to the website just to take a peek, and I really liked what I saw. The new diapers look like a cross-breed between a disposable diaper and a baby swimsuit/shorts. And though they are expensive, you can save money by buying ones that "grow" with the baby.
I've never been one to "go green." I mean, I recycle and I don't litter, but I also use paper towels and waste water (in some opinions) by taking long baths and then rinsing off in the shower after. So when thinking about having a baby I would have never considered cloth diapers. In fact, when I worked at Target I couldn't believe that people would come in and buy them. But those were the fold ones. After playing around on the fuzzibunz website, talking to people on Facebook, and watching a LOT of youtube, I am starting to like the idea of cloth diapers more and more.
For starters, they are supposedly gentler on the baby's skin. Then, you can technically save money in the long run and you don't have to constantly run to the store to get new. You have to wash them, but with washing machines and a bidet on our toilet, I don't think that will be that hard. After all, I already pick up Finn's poop all the time. I know a baby's poop will be worse (blow-outs and what not) but I think I could get used to it. And you help the environment. Plus THEY ARE CUTE!
Again, this might just be a pipe dream. I might get the baby and realize it isn't worth the extra hassle. One mom actually suggested to start with disposable for the first few weeks/months while things are crazy and I am an emotional/stressed mess. And then, when the baby is a bit bigger and I am in a groove, to buy one or two diapers and try it out. Then, if I like it and am not bothered, to invest in sets.
My main hesitations are that the cloth diapers will be a hassle when I am out for the day like at the mall or on a road trip. My other concern is that whatever daycare we go with will flat out refuse to use them. But, I am thinking that even if we only use the diapers on the weekends and at night, it might work out (saving money) in the long run. I am also worried about shipping to Japan and finding laundry soap that works with the diapers. The mothers I have talked to on Facebook have all been very good at answering my questions in detail as to what they see as pros and cons of the diapers. I really wish I could actually meet someone who uses them so that I could see in person what kind of work goes into it. I met one Japanese mother who used cloth diapers in the beginning, but she said that she gave up because it was too hard. BUT she was using the folded ones, which do seem like too much work for me.
If you are interested, here are the sites I have been looking at. I originally liked fuzzibunz but am now thinking the gogreen one size pockets better (only because I found some bad reviews about the fuzzibunz one size diapers). I also have seen reviews that say the alva diapers are the same as the gogreen diapers (made by the same manufacturer) but cheaper.
http://gogreendiapers.com/5-
http://www.justaddcloth.com/
http://shop.fuzzibunz.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lo2-7Fa75AY&list=PL111062E4696E7B40&index=27&feature=plpp_video
Euro 2012
I
joined a Euro 2012 sweepstakes with some people in town. Though I
don't mind watching football, I am not the biggest fan of sports in
general and only joined this as something to do with Motoaki. And there
is money involved which is always fun. I drew the Czech Republic and
Motoaki got Croatia. Not good teams, but one can dream, right?
But that is not what I really want to talk about. Two weekends ago Motoaki and I were spending a lazy morning in front of the TV and in an effort to watch something we could both understand, we started watching a BBC documentary about racism in Football in Poland and the Ukraine. Recently there have been a lot of reports about racism surrounding the Euro games, and I don't think I would have cared if I had not watched this documentary.
Though I am not a watchdog for racism, I do tend to get a little heated when the subject comes up. Though America isn't perfect and I am not perfect, I like to think that I was raised with a general respect for people who are different from me. My parents never expressed a difference or hatred for people that were a different religion, race, nationality, or sexual orientation from us. We had friends that were from all over and hosted home-stay students. Though my mom was upset that I would be moving to Japan, she never had a problem with the fact that my husband is Japanese. My parents don't love everyone, but their dislike for someone was always based on poor character.
So anyway, I was quite shocked to see that, in 2012, it is quite common to see racist violence being allowed at professional soccer matches. When I say allowed, I am not talking about the racial slurs you hear pro players make on the field. I am talking about the fact that fans hang banners that spout slogans such as, "Dirty Jewish Whores" or "Death to Jews." They also make monkey sounds when black players take the field.
I know that fans from opposing teams can get into heated arguments, but what shocked me about this was that sometimes the fans would attack other fans that were supporting the same team. For example, at one game in the Ukraine a group of Indian students had come to support the local team. They knew that there were some dangers of being assaulted due to their race, but they thought they were safe by sitting in the family section. Sadly they were wrong. In the video shot by the BBC you can see the Indian men just sitting quietly. Suddenly fans supporting the same team as the Indian men come running down the stairs and, pardon my language, start kicking the shit out of the Indian men for no apparent reason. And the next thing you know a dozen people are up and beating on the Indian men. Finally (and it was a long time) some police some and break it up, but no arrests are made. In fact, no attempt is made to help the Indian men out of the stadium. As they make their way out other fans stand up to kick and hit the men. It was one of the sickest things I have ever seen.
Here is a video with the footage...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-
Now I know racism happens in America and in Japan. It also happens in the UK, Australia, and pretty much any country you go to. But I cannot fathom that this would happen in one of those countries without it being made into a big deal.
I liked this quote at the end of the video footage in the link above...
I agree with many comments stating that racism exists in all countries...but the massive difference is that countries such as the UK are very visibly working hard to try and stamp it out, while countries such as Poland and the Ukraine do little or nothing...they even deny they have a problem.
And what really irks me is that this is all centered around a game. I don't care how you feel about football or soccer, IT IS A GAME! GROW THE F%&# UP! I know there are tensions in these countries behind these games, but to attack someone purely because they are enjoying a match and doing nothing is insane. And scary!
If you can find the whole documentary, it is worth watching. It paints a whole new light on the games in Europe.
But that is not what I really want to talk about. Two weekends ago Motoaki and I were spending a lazy morning in front of the TV and in an effort to watch something we could both understand, we started watching a BBC documentary about racism in Football in Poland and the Ukraine. Recently there have been a lot of reports about racism surrounding the Euro games, and I don't think I would have cared if I had not watched this documentary.
Though I am not a watchdog for racism, I do tend to get a little heated when the subject comes up. Though America isn't perfect and I am not perfect, I like to think that I was raised with a general respect for people who are different from me. My parents never expressed a difference or hatred for people that were a different religion, race, nationality, or sexual orientation from us. We had friends that were from all over and hosted home-stay students. Though my mom was upset that I would be moving to Japan, she never had a problem with the fact that my husband is Japanese. My parents don't love everyone, but their dislike for someone was always based on poor character.
So anyway, I was quite shocked to see that, in 2012, it is quite common to see racist violence being allowed at professional soccer matches. When I say allowed, I am not talking about the racial slurs you hear pro players make on the field. I am talking about the fact that fans hang banners that spout slogans such as, "Dirty Jewish Whores" or "Death to Jews." They also make monkey sounds when black players take the field.
I know that fans from opposing teams can get into heated arguments, but what shocked me about this was that sometimes the fans would attack other fans that were supporting the same team. For example, at one game in the Ukraine a group of Indian students had come to support the local team. They knew that there were some dangers of being assaulted due to their race, but they thought they were safe by sitting in the family section. Sadly they were wrong. In the video shot by the BBC you can see the Indian men just sitting quietly. Suddenly fans supporting the same team as the Indian men come running down the stairs and, pardon my language, start kicking the shit out of the Indian men for no apparent reason. And the next thing you know a dozen people are up and beating on the Indian men. Finally (and it was a long time) some police some and break it up, but no arrests are made. In fact, no attempt is made to help the Indian men out of the stadium. As they make their way out other fans stand up to kick and hit the men. It was one of the sickest things I have ever seen.
Here is a video with the footage...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-
Now I know racism happens in America and in Japan. It also happens in the UK, Australia, and pretty much any country you go to. But I cannot fathom that this would happen in one of those countries without it being made into a big deal.
I liked this quote at the end of the video footage in the link above...
I agree with many comments stating that racism exists in all countries...but the massive difference is that countries such as the UK are very visibly working hard to try and stamp it out, while countries such as Poland and the Ukraine do little or nothing...they even deny they have a problem.
And what really irks me is that this is all centered around a game. I don't care how you feel about football or soccer, IT IS A GAME! GROW THE F%&# UP! I know there are tensions in these countries behind these games, but to attack someone purely because they are enjoying a match and doing nothing is insane. And scary!
If you can find the whole documentary, it is worth watching. It paints a whole new light on the games in Europe.
Words for Wednesday: Tomorrow When the War Began and King Rat
As I mentioned before, we have started a book club in Maniwa. The group
is made up of about 9 foreign teachers and one Japanese friend of
mine. We are meeting once a month to select and discuss a book. The
point of the club is to get us to open our minds to books we might
normally read as well as to let people share stuff that they are into.
The first selection, Tomorrow When the War Began, was not exactly the type of book I normally pick up but it was a good read. It is a young adult novel, and that might discourage some from reading it, but apart from a few "love trianlges" I think it is can suffice for an adult reader. It is just as interesting as The Hunger Games.
Anyway, the book takes place in Australia and is about a group of teens who go camping one week only to return to find that their hometown has been taken over by a foreign army (in the first book it is hinted at where the intruders are from, but we don't get any straight answers). Their families are being held in a POW camp at some local fairgrounds. The teens then have to decide whether they will surrender, fight, or go back to the campsite they have spent the past week at.
I saw a member from book club last weekend and he expressed how he loved the idea and wished it had been written with adult characters. I think the characters are old enough in the book for it to be relatable, but I wish that we had gotten more specifics on why the invasion took place and where the invadors are from. It is hard in this current reality for me to imagine anyone wanting to invade Australia. Or, maybe more so, anyone having the strength and numbers to invade Australia.
I haven't read too many Aussie books and I enjoyed learning some new vocab as well as learning about farm country in that part of the world. It actually reminded me a lot of home- especially with the fairgrounds since those are things we have in Iowa.
The book has been made into a movie but it has gotten bad reviews. Still, I think it would be fun to watch. There are also two sequels to the book and though I don't think I will get to them, I imagine they have the answers I felt were missing in the first book.
The second book we are reading for book club is King Rat. It is written by James Clavell. Though I have never read any of his other books, I am familiar with his work because he is quite popular among expats in Japan- especially the guys. He wrote the novels Shogun, Gai-jin, and Tai-pan.
King Rat takes place in a POW camp in Singapore run by the Japanese. The characters are British, American, Aussie, Korean, and Japanese which is interesting since those are some of the nationalities represented in our group. So far it is reading like a lot of other war books I have read (or POW books) and though it wouldn't have been my choice, it is interesting.
There are a LOT of characters and they aren't given too much detail so I am finding I am getting a little lost with who is who. But I like the interaction between the nationalities. I thought the book was going to focus generally on the brutality of the Japanese, but so far we have seen very little of that. Instead, it seems to be westerners betraying westerners. Though they are allies, there are a lot of tensions between the armies, which is an interesting aspect of the novel. I had also never thought much of Australia's part in the war (I went through a WWII phase where I read a lot about the war in Europe and then the Japanese as well as China).
It takes a lot of concentration, but I recommend the book. Although personally I am thinking Gai-jin would appeal to me more. I must admit that I am only on page 140 of 479 pages of King Rat, so my mind could change.
The first selection, Tomorrow When the War Began, was not exactly the type of book I normally pick up but it was a good read. It is a young adult novel, and that might discourage some from reading it, but apart from a few "love trianlges" I think it is can suffice for an adult reader. It is just as interesting as The Hunger Games.
Anyway, the book takes place in Australia and is about a group of teens who go camping one week only to return to find that their hometown has been taken over by a foreign army (in the first book it is hinted at where the intruders are from, but we don't get any straight answers). Their families are being held in a POW camp at some local fairgrounds. The teens then have to decide whether they will surrender, fight, or go back to the campsite they have spent the past week at.
I saw a member from book club last weekend and he expressed how he loved the idea and wished it had been written with adult characters. I think the characters are old enough in the book for it to be relatable, but I wish that we had gotten more specifics on why the invasion took place and where the invadors are from. It is hard in this current reality for me to imagine anyone wanting to invade Australia. Or, maybe more so, anyone having the strength and numbers to invade Australia.
I haven't read too many Aussie books and I enjoyed learning some new vocab as well as learning about farm country in that part of the world. It actually reminded me a lot of home- especially with the fairgrounds since those are things we have in Iowa.
The book has been made into a movie but it has gotten bad reviews. Still, I think it would be fun to watch. There are also two sequels to the book and though I don't think I will get to them, I imagine they have the answers I felt were missing in the first book.
The second book we are reading for book club is King Rat. It is written by James Clavell. Though I have never read any of his other books, I am familiar with his work because he is quite popular among expats in Japan- especially the guys. He wrote the novels Shogun, Gai-jin, and Tai-pan.
King Rat takes place in a POW camp in Singapore run by the Japanese. The characters are British, American, Aussie, Korean, and Japanese which is interesting since those are some of the nationalities represented in our group. So far it is reading like a lot of other war books I have read (or POW books) and though it wouldn't have been my choice, it is interesting.
There are a LOT of characters and they aren't given too much detail so I am finding I am getting a little lost with who is who. But I like the interaction between the nationalities. I thought the book was going to focus generally on the brutality of the Japanese, but so far we have seen very little of that. Instead, it seems to be westerners betraying westerners. Though they are allies, there are a lot of tensions between the armies, which is an interesting aspect of the novel. I had also never thought much of Australia's part in the war (I went through a WWII phase where I read a lot about the war in Europe and then the Japanese as well as China).
It takes a lot of concentration, but I recommend the book. Although personally I am thinking Gai-jin would appeal to me more. I must admit that I am only on page 140 of 479 pages of King Rat, so my mind could change.
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