A Downside of Japan

 

I think this picture of a Common Merganser was taken in Florida in 2008. What a gorgeous duck!

What is not so gorgeous are the concerns raised in this article I found about the experience of a woman of color in Japan. 

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2023/06/19/voices/note-people-color-interested-living-japan/

"Long-term, if you can tolerate, dismiss or ignore being the object of constant stereotype-laced presumptions, irrational fear or untoward curiosity — you’ll probably have a great time in Japan. If you’re not that person, you can still power through and reach your objectives. The students understood, sadly, it’s familiar ground to many Black Americans. It’s not the first time they’ve had to choose how to respond to ignorance. But, how do you process these interactions in a way that doesn’t negatively impact your self-esteem? Figuring that out will be your key to success here."

That is some beautiful writing! At the same time, I am saddened by this state of affairs in Japan. I am certainly going to do my part to address "Japan’s pervasive xenophobic and exclusivity mindset."

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

New Year's Greeting!

Image
I recorded this version of Born Free on my Yamaha P-515. This song has always been special to me for a number of reasons. I love the message and loved reading the book and seeing the movie. I have always loved the lyrics and the melody. Lastly, it was the first song I learned on the piano.  In 1976, I rode a motorcycle from Seattle to San Francisco. Each night, I camped on the coast. Before losing the light, I would practice this song on a melodica, a flute-like instrument with a short piano keyboard. My mom inspired me to try this instrument as she used to play one on our sailboat.  After I returned to Alaska, I took piano lessons. I will never forget when I hit my first chord to match the first note of this song. I fell in love with that harmony! The pictures are from a recent day I spent with my friend Rohan in the Shinjuku area.  Thank you to Rohan for your guiding! The Godzilla figure is perched up high on a building. The other two photos were taken at a very photogenic cemetery.
Read more

Here's To Longevity!

Image
I recorded "All I Ask of You" on my Yamaha P-515. This song brings back such wonderful memories. Setsuko and I saw a live performance of Phantom of the Opera. This song has always been one of her favorites! These pictures were again taken during our Kyoto trip. The beauty just keeps on coming! Speaking of favorites, I would today like to talk about longevity. Specifically, I would like to share some thoughts about a very informative book I just finished, "Outlive," by Peter Attia. At times, it was a challenging read as he gets pretty technical when it comes to the science and medical background he provides. However, that challenge is well worthwhile; he provides a ton of good information. The book is organized into the following sections: Part 1: The Technical Elements of Disease, the Medical Field, a Roadmap for Reading the Book Part 2: Nutrition, Cancer, Heart Disease, Memory and Alzheimer's Disease Part 3: Exercise, Stability, Nutrition, Sleep, Emotional Heal
Read more

It is Lucy Thomas Time!

Image
    These photos were taken at a Festival we attended last Saturday night. The top photo was taken during a very cool live performance. I was mesmerized by the beautiful clothing they wore! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dXWmHR7pPA The above link is to an amazing performance by Lucy Thomas when she was 13 years old. She has a voice that is out of this world! I dare you to not get goose bumps when you watch that video!  Lucy is now 19 years old. She just came out with her fifth album and is due to be starring in the musical "Rosie" in 2024. Without a doubt, she has one of the most beautiful voices I have ever heard!  She has also recorded some gorgeous duets with her sister. What a talented family! I love her song selection as she has recorded a number of songs from musicals.  One of the things that is so amazing is the passion she puts into her singing. She sings with a maturity that is much more typical of someone twice her age.  The good news is that you can access almost
Read more