Z Reflections

Hi Everyone!

A big welcome to all the people now following my blog via Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks.

If you are not familiar with Twitter, I have added a link to it on my recommended web page. You can use it to follow my blog and do all kinds of fun stuff. Here is the blip from Twitter:

On Facebook, just look under my name, Zackary Prince. My only real problem with Facebook is that you have to join before you can see any profiles. Many of my friends here use Facebook so it is a nice way to keep up with people.

Or I am on Skpye, ZackaryPrince. Skpye video is fantastic and free, free, free! I cannot recommend it enough. Downloading the program and getting started takes about two minutes tops. All you need is a headshet and a webcame if you want people to see you. I didn't think video but be a big deal but it has been fabulous.

As I've said before, I may be the most accessible person you know. If you would like a pagepage or blog linked to this site, please let me know.

As always thank you for reading and keep the comments coming!

Peace,
--Z

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Hello.

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To my great surprise they don’t celebrate Thanksgiving here. They do celebrate Independent Day with gusto. Wow you should see the futuristic fire works! Or, um maybe I am making that up.

Christmas

In the Western World Christmas is often the main holiday of the year. Families gather, presents are opened, arguments break out, too much food is eaten, random hugging breaks out, and most people hope for at least some snow. I personally hope for nice big snowdrifts so heavy all you can see is the glorious snow. There are all kinds of advantages to not having a car.

Everyone goes to work in Japan and most people don’t celebrate at all. There are a few stores that have Christmas decorations but they are boring. If I see anything good I will take some pictures and put them up. Some people do talk about exchanging presents and the Japanese do love to shop. Many girls I have talked to think that Christmas is a great time to receive an expensive gift. Another time I will talk about shopping but for now let me say that finding luxury items in Japan is as easy as finding a McDonald’s.

Throughout Japan you will find Christian churches here and there. Two blocks behind my apartment is a decent sized Catholic Church. There are foreign missionaries from many different denominations walking the streets. Most of them seem to be wearing white shirts, ties, nondescript slacks and are just a bit to friendly. To be fair one of my friends here is a missionary and has a wonderful and relaxed demeanor. When we talk he is always kind and listens carefully.

New Years (shogatsu or oshogatsu)

This is the holiday that everyone gets excited about. If you haven’t seen your family throughout the year you see them during New Years.

They never use the world vacation, they always say holiday. This is confusing at first as people say, “I had a holiday yesterday and went to see my parents.” You worked yesterday and knew there was no national holiday. Also, I have problems getting anyone to say or understand what a weekend is in the American sense of the word. People say, “I worked on Saturday but had a holiday on Sunday.” I never knew how much I liked the word vacation until I came here. Tradition says that you should go to a temple within the first week of the New Year. When you go to the temple you pull hard on the cord to ring the bell twice. Then you donate yen to the temple, bow to the Buddha, and clap your hands twice. Temples use the money to keep afloat throughout the year. What Japanese people think while they are doing this I don’t know. I wish for peace and feel the solemn weight of time. In Japan most people visit their families and go to a temple together. For many families it is a time-honored tradition to visit the same temple each year.

Larger temples are open until Midnight and with long lines. Last year I waited for over an hour but it was worth it to bring the bell and clap twice. I don’t know why they clap twice or why I like it so much but it is great fun. Many temples ring a large bell at exactly midnight. The one I went collected donations to ring the big bell. There was a good mix of Western and Japanese people. Some people rang the bell with a gently touch while others flexed strong muscles and made the bell sound like thunder. Yes, the thunder people I saw were westerns. One guy looked liked a professional line backer and had arms of steel.

As I have mentioned explaining food is not my gift so I am pasting this information from Japan-Guide.com
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On New Year's eve, toshikoshi soba (buckwheat noodles), symbolizing longevity, are served.
Various kinds of special dishes are served during shogatsu. They include osechi ryori, otoso (sweetened rice wine) and ozoni (a soup with mochi).

(There are pictures but it won't let me post them. I will figure out the picture problem this weekend.)
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You can buy expensive pre-made items like this although most people make them at home. Some people buy them to give as gifts. One of the business classes I taught told me about Oschi Ryori you can get at the store for over 10,000 yen ($100). After learning this I often reminded them of my address if they wanted to drop off a present.

Take care, ^^^^Z

Many people have asked about my holiday plans. So what am I doing? I don't know yet. Whenever I figure out something to do that is exciting and affordable I will pass on the details.

Tonight some friends are having an early Thanksgiving Day party. I have been looking forward to this and will no doubt get stuffed. On Saturday morning and early afternoon I plan on sleeping and then sleeping some more.

Saturday night I am going to an English party. There are small compaines here that set up private students for one-on-one lessons with a native speaker. The students pay a one time fee to the company and then it is just the student and teacher. These English parties are sometime small in a conference room or in clubs like that one I am going to tomorrow. For native speakers the party is free. I really like the word free in any langugae. Japanese students pay a high fee to get in. The last big English party I went to was a blast. So I am looking forward to the one on Saturday.

Time to go run for my afternoon bus.

Take care,

^^^^Z

People ask me if Chicago is the automotive capital of America. I am sad that they get Detroit and Chicago confused as Detroit is not such a nice place. They do have a new beautiful airport. I never know what to say the main industry in Chicago is. Generally I talk about the financial markets and banks. Some days I feel like a goodwill ambassador for Chicago as I tell people about the wonders of the city. I was always proud to live in Chicago and I have never loved it more.

The Internet isn't working here at school today for some unknown reason. I am reminded of an Onion (a satirical newspaper) article entitled, "Lack of Internet leads to employees actually working." Without the Internet one does need to something to do. I guess in a worse can scenario that would be work.

The Internet just came back but I have a class.

Take care.

--Z

Hello Everyone!

The New York Times has an amazing ability to find serious writes that can fully explore current events. Every so often they have great stories on people and places not related to the days news cycle. I hope you enjoy the link below about a 12 year boy as much as I did.

I want to write about politics when I have more time. I wasn't a McCain supporter but I was very impressed by his concession speech. As much as I like Obama, his speech was not great.

I live in Nagoya and the link below contains lots of good info. There are even maps and such for those of you that like that.

Some of you may have followed the story in Alaska where Sen. Ted Stevens (R) was convicted of felony charges but still ran for re-election. He came real close to winning too.

The link below is a fun test of your knowledge of past Presidents. I hope you do better than I did!

Everyone reads manga in Japan. It is like Harry Potter in America where you can see a child, a senior citizen, a punk with fire red hair, a policeman and an attorney all reading it on the same day. Harry Potter is very popular in Japan and when I ask the kids they always know it. The author is worth 1.5 billion last I heard.

A nice article on women in the wine world. The Japanese don't drink much wine and many restaurants don't carry it. The excellent French restaurant I ate at last week had an amazing red wine. I had forgotten how interesting and delightful wine can be.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fg20081114d1.html

I hope you enjoy these links, it was fun for me to share them.

Peace &Love,
-Z

My left wrist hurts most of the time so I haven't been writing much email. I am going to keep this blog updated so please check back often. You can also choose to follow this blog on the top left hand corner.

Nagoya is starting to get cold (not in the Chicago sense of the word) and that is nice. You know why I love winter? In Chicago I love snow so that is cool. I do not love snow when I am driving. My favorite thing about winter is dressing up in fun clothes. The summer in Nagoya is so HOT that even I only think about comfort clothes. Now I can do the cool layered look and enjoy my leather jacket.

My apartment is fixed up nice and is very warm and cozy. This time of the year there is nothing better than coming home and curling up with a good book on the couch. If you have a nice cup of coffee and turn up the heat you can pretend it is spring. I pretend a lot, it keeps me sane. What am I reading? Lately it has been a guilty please, an Anita Baker Vampire novel. I think she is becoming a vampire and a werewolf, I'm not sure.

I have enjoyed listing to my CD collection (7,300 songs and counting) which makes me happy. The funny thing about having a big music collection is that someone always has more. I met a Japanese guy last week that has over 2,000 CD's. My collection includes a mere 750 CD's.

18 more days of work an then I have 23 days of vacation. My job has been annoying lately but I can't complain about the time off. Actually, I can complain about anything as many of you know. Let me try again and say that I am happy about the long vacation.

A writer without an audience is an unhappy writer. Please let me know if you are reading my entries. I do know my parents are reading it which I appreciate.

The more comments I get the more blog entries you will see.

Yeah, I am in a bad mood today. At least we have had two days without rain! And I have a 3 day weekend which is a beautiful thing.

Take care out there and as Dan Rather used to say every night: Courage.

I guess people made fun of him so he stopped saying that. I thought after an hour of nightly news that saying courage was a great idea. We all need courage to get through the financial crisis which is ever ongoing. I hope none of you out there are losing horrific amounts in the stock market.

Peace & Love
--Z