La vida es Sueño / Life is a Dream / 人生は夢だ

And a time to every purpose under heaven...

2012-02-06T22:17:00.005+09:00

My hand-written, Japanese article about El Paso, Texas in "Amigo," the Kurashiki Goodwill Guide newsletter, 1/2012

Below is the English translation of the article; it reads a bit choppy, but flows smoothly in Japanese, I think.

El Paso, Texas, USA Johnny Mendoza Govea

My hometown is El Paso, Texas, USA. ”Texas” is a Native American word. It means “friend.” Of course, English is spoken. Yet with Mexico being so close by, Spanish is also spoken.

Some famous foods from Texas are steak, chilli beans, Texas toast, etc. The portions per person in Texas cooking are double the size of regular American portions. It’s really a feast!

Texas is widely spread out as a state with various geographical features. NASA is in Houston, a flat area. El Paso is in the desert and is called the “Sun City.” Thanks to the nearby Rocky Mountains, no tornadoes hit the city.

El Paso’s sunsets are very beautiful. They’re worth to see!

No borders: coffee with a hint of orange

2011-12-02T15:27:00.004+09:00

Peace exists in the collective harmony of all

“350 Arrested in Occupy Raids” http://www.democracynow.org/2011/12/1/headlines#10

In these times of the awakening 99%, people are beginning to smell the coffee aroma of truth in the crisp fall air. Fully alert, they have simply and succinctly announced to the world their awareness of the innate inequality of a “free and open market,” which never really was free to begin with and maintained a tightly closed community of speculators, share holders, big ballers and shot callers AKA the 1%. They maintained this idea even as the brave few are being evicted from the #Occupy movement of public spaces across America. And many around the world have collectively said, “Duh!” in response.

This is to say that the imperialistic economic force of the US has been felt for decades abroad, especially in places like here in Japan. There’s an applicable saying that goes, “When the US sneezes, Japan catches a cold.” Such a symbiotic relationship as is the US-Japan bond, albeit lopsided to the benefit of the US, reflects how small of a world we really live in. More than that, though, it exemplifies how intricately woven and delicate the balance of our global society is, economically, structurally, politically and humanely. A drop in the value of the dollar in the States causes Japanese automobile export prices to fall short of intended profit goals after the return exchange of dollars to yen transacts. A Japanese switch from US-made corn imports to imports of corn grown elsewhere causes an imbalance in supply and demand, not to mention, highlights the weighted tariff scales yet affected by any free trade agreements.

Casablanca’s character Rick once said in reply to a question of his nationality, “I’m a drunkard.” Evaporating from this sarcasm is a hint at the global citizenship that we all share. And as a “citizen of the world” (the explanation of Rick’s statement by his friend Louie), we each ought be more conscience of how our actions affect other communities as well as the ecological system. The 99% of us who are not uber-rich and who have no legions of lawyers nor lobbyists to protect our interests have our lifestyle choices, our various forms of currency and the way we hold onto them in banking institutions as well as our votes to answer in times of dire straights. We assert our world citizenship when we stand up to the power structure in these and other responses to extravagant power distances. We can choose to recycle or to just throw away unsorted trash. We can choose to use public transportation instead of personal cars. We can choose which community members we respect as leaders, from grass-roots organizers to elected politicians. Each singular effort we make might seem insignificant, yet, taken together, our collective massive presence shall be felt. That’s the promise of the 99%.

Specifically, an American worker who diligently seeks to upgrade her/his educational and/or professional development achievements ought to be granted the equivalent financial reward and economic status of such work. Teachers in Japan, for example, work very hard as subject teachers AND as coaches/advisors to after-school club activities, while attending to their year group’s special activities. They are constantly upgrading their skills via on-the-job training, area seminars and purpose-specific workshops. They get paid fairly well for their hard work and they are widely respected across Japanese society for the way they fulfill these tremendous responsibilities. What might happen if teachers in the States were dealt the same measure of respect? Students’ attitudes towards their teachers and toward their educational endeavors would positively increase excrementally. I don’t think American students would be as complacent and as downright lazy as they are with their chances at making their lives better through a better education if such a revision was made. And it would all be to the benefit, again, of our global village as the bright young minds of tomorrow are given that much more of a edge at leadership and organizing through practical, hands-on experience via teacher guidance.

The US 99% needs to be aware of the rest of the world, too. Social networks like Twitter and even just a sporadic reading of world news, a whisk of that hint of orange, will clue them in on the fact that other people around the world also have economic struggles for survival, usually much worse than their own. As people are arrested in Occupy raids by various local police, Pakistanis are mourning for their dead at the hands of NATO bombs. There is the fearlessness of Egyptians and Libyans taking back their countries from dictators, while Mexican drug violence takes the lives of many innocent people despite the country’s federal policies. True global exchange begins with this hint of knowledge of these events and more in order to translate into sympathetic pro-activism and social compassion beyond borders.

Faith in the Unknown, renewed

2011-11-08T21:57:00.006+09:00

Lilica in front of the shoe lockers of her kindergarten's entrance

Each day makes the journey worthwile since each moment that passes brings with it a reason to hope and an opportunity to grow. This cooler season of fall clears the air with crisp hues, while it presents honest questions. When will we make a home, that is, build our own house? How long will we stay in Japan? Is it a good idea to move the family to the States? Should I pursue a PhD or an ED? Should I just continue to seek other professional development opportunities? Is teaching the only dream I can fulfill? What about acting, writing and singing?

With these and many more subtle nuances of future planning, I take in the fresh air that signals to my lungs a surge of positive energy is about to envelope me. I then exhale out all of the negativity, the doubts, the anger and the frustrations. I can learn more Japanese. I will make a better relationship with my wifey. I definitely am able to seek more constructive ways in raising our Lilica and instilling her with a deep respect for words of an authority, while honoring the shining, individual performer that she is becoming.

The art in each of us rings true with our own melodies, the rhythms of our pulses. The voices of our ancestors still echo in our minds. All the while, our future generations pace anxiously, anticipating our choice of our lives` paths. Thus, they can be born into something better, something more concrete and something more engaging. We have that power to decide the direction of our lives and all of these lives, bound together by honor, by blood, by ancestry and by harmony. It chooses us, this power, just as we choose it. We can collaborate all that we have in order to find the equilibrium of our minds and balance the relationships of our existence.

It just takes a first step, a written page, a dream reignited, a smile. We have all of the abilities that we need to have, when we need to have them. It's just a matter of timing that reveals our strengths and weaknesses. We can learn from our mistakes and transform those lessons into steadier steps on the path of a true human being. It's called channeling energy. It's called the connection to the Great Mystery. It is a faith that is hope unbound by limit, prayer unbound by time. It is a collective reassertation of the spiritual renewal that flows through us all.

Why the #Occupy Movement?

2011-10-29T12:32:00.006+09:00

"Take the Bull by the Horns" by Molly Fair

"How many laws have you changed?” King replied, “I don’t know, but we’ve changed a lot of hearts.” (“Don’t Dismiss The Drum Circles: Why Hippie Culture Is Still Important To Our Protests,” Danny Goldberg, Dissent Magazine, Accessed on October 28, 2011: http://www.alternet.org/vision/152863/don%27t_diss_the_drum_circles%3A_why_hippie_culture_is_still_important_to_our_protests/?page=entire)

The Occupy movement is not about unfocused rebellion, confusion or mass hysteria. It’s about the concentrated efforts of concerned, well-informed and involved citizens who have succinctly analyzed that the free market economic system is strictly geared toward the unruly, insane profit of 1% of our population. We are the 99% precisely because this Darwinian, non-Utopian-based system strives to oust any potential political power “we,” the people, might have in rechanneling the wealth to the needy and the middle class. This protest is about taking that power back, en masse, from every corner of the world, in order to make a more balanced, humane condition in which everyone has a fair shot at success if they work hard. When the beacon that was the ideal American model of government was extinguished by greedy corporations and an exclusive set of non-philanthropists, it became our responsibility, our right and our duty to try and re-light the torch.

In a little over two centuries, America’s experiment in democracy is going down in flames because the powerful uncompromisingly horde their power and wealth in offshore bank accounts, various forms of stock, and personal bank rolls defended by legions of special interest lobbyists, savvy accountants and scrupulous lawyers. If this ideal of democracy has any chance of being revived, then it has to be changed NOW, by us. “If Americans were to realize they’ve been the victims of Republican-style redistribution—stealing from the poor to give to the rich—the whole political atmosphere might change.” (“Have and Have Not Nation,” E. Robinson, Truthdig.com Accessed on October 29, 2011: http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/have_and_have-not_nation_20111028/?ln). This is the despicable trend of Robin Hood turned on his head. And it’s media with a Marie Antoinette attitude of “Let them eat cake” when reporting on why the Occupy movement is so necessary. We can’t afford to miss this chance, in whatever way we can support the people, for we, the 99%, are the only ones who can change our own destiny and the future of our nation. We have to take our nation back by whatever means necessary.

Mayor's Cup Speech contest, etc.

2011-10-12T14:12:00.008+09:00

My English translation of Kouchou-sensei's article about the Mayor's Cup Speech contest

Lilica conquers the tallest oni ("ogre") @ Chayamachi's Oni festival

Recently, our Junior High's Principal published the above article in the monthly newsletter about a student's presentation at the Mayor's Cup Speech contest. I coached the student from start to finish with the help of another English teacher and the support and feedback from still other teachers. This marks the second time I've been involved with this activity and, though the speeches didn't place in the top 6, each of these students I've coached worked their hardest and grew exponentially.

It must be very challenging to make a speech in another language, especially one that you're still learning. I have yet to do the same in Japanese, at least in any formal circumstance. There is a Japanese speech contest which I'll aim to enter in next year. Until then, I'll at least do my last performance of the season as the Multinatioal Cheering Squad captain this coming Sunday for the Kurashiki International Friendship Festival. This cheer is done all in Japanese in a big, booming voice and with the aid of a script and other vocal cheering squad members. It's a lot of fun.

Meanwhile, my daughter is getting along very well socializing and playing at kindergarten 5 - 6 days a week. Her schedule for kindergarten changes monthly and this October, we're all waking up very early to get her ready and on the bus by 8AM. This is the prequel period of her Elementary school training. We continue to adjust, grow and learn as we go as parents and as Lilica's support system. She's blooming!

Global Discussion in English: "What would you say to President Obama?

2011-09-22T22:19:00.008+09:00

Tonight, I lead a monthly discussion group of 18 Japanese adults regarding the recent meeting between new Prime Minister Noda and President Obama during the UN conference in New York City. It was a very lively talk about what the group's members thought were Japan's priorities and what each of them might say to President Obama if they were in the Prime Minister's shoes. Below are the slides I showed the group. It's too bad the class was only 1 hour 30 minutes because I think we could have extended our discussion even further. Enjoy. Peace.

President Obama, yes, we will!

2011-09-05T21:43:00.003+09:00

Walk the path, Mr. President.

“Obama's betrayals offer lessons we can't deny” – Opinion, by Danny Schechter (dissector@mediachannel.org), Al Jazeera English, http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/08/201182991442788791.html

"We have to say we were wrong, when we were, not in our beliefs, but in pinning our hopes on an adept, opportunistic, and double-faced political performance artist."

Talk about a disillusioned former believer! Mr. Schechter points out many flaws of our President that elicit him as an elitist, calculating power monger. His quote above regarding our President shows signs of resentment so deep that it could have only come from someone who once whole-heartedly, unabashedly supported him: “I have to admit that I was seduced by the idea of Barack Obama” (same as above). President Obama has, in fact, made some executive decisions recently that seem to betray the fabric of progressivism and common sense, like the deficit ceiling brawl that he simply could have avoided with a stroke of his pen, invoking Section 4 of the 14th Amendment. More importantly, President Obama has yet to draw down the troops, Special Operations teams and privately-contracted “security forces” in Iraq and Afghanistan as he promised to do (http://www.democracynow.org/tags/afghanistan). The military-industrial complex that President Eisenhower warned us about so many years ago has our American dream of true democracy in a stranglehold:

The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion -- a major victory for Osama bin Laden, whose announced goal was to bankrupt America by drawing it into a trap (Noam Chomsky, http://www.chomsky.info/articles/20110824.htm).

Yet, our President does try to improve some status quo conditions, such as the Infrastructure Development bill he's trying to push through (http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/08/31/presidential-memorandum-speeding-infrastructure-development-through-more) and the care he’s taking for the Hurricane Irene victims (http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/09/04/president-obama-hurricane-irene-victims-entire-country-behind-you). Compare this to Governor Rick Perry's self-proclaimed "over the top" measure, dubbed the Loser Pays bill, which, on the face of it, makes frivolous law suit seekers pay all of the legal bills if they should lose, but actually gives a big opening for businesses to abuse the law (http://www.texastribune.org/texas-legislature/82nd-legislative-session/guest-column-why-loser-pays-is-a-loser/). This Loser bill comes from a serious contender for the Oval Office in the 2012 election cycle. The point being that President Obama is at least trying, if possibly only superficially, to help the American worker, while Governor Perry is blatantly sucking up to potential business interests that could bankroll his bid for the Executive Office.

I do agree with Mr. Schechter that President Obama:

...spoke for the people but served the power. His wanted the other side to love him too even as his stabs at "bi-partisanship" proved folly (see above link).

To try to appear as the only adult in the room among name-callers and blame-pinners is one thing. But to bring a compromise, no, a give-away to the Republican Party during the debt ceiling negotiations was pure politico bravado. President Obama had a huge chance to make a real difference and clearly state his position against Wall Street and its bank-rollers IN LEGISLATION. Instead, he appeared to cave into the capitalists who manipulate our national fiscal policy. His version of the facts is graphically displayed here: (http://www.whitehouse.gov/infographics/the-bipartisan-compromise).

If, in fact, President Obama was still in the our corner, fighting for Main Street, then he’d immediately, completely end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, drone attacks in Libya and other military ventures to “secure our national interests.” This would by far reduce our need for borrowing and free up lots of money for domestic programs to create real jobs for people who want to work. If he is to fulfill his own prophesy as the curator for change and enamor a different kind of politics, he needs to play ball and make Executive decisions as only a President can. He once stated when asked why he wanted to enter politics that he believed in:

...the simple idea that we have a stake in one another, and that what binds us together is greater than what drives us apart, and that if enough people believe in the truth of that proposition and act on it, then we might not solve every problem, but we can get something meaningful done (Barack Obama, The Audacity of Hope, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307455874/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=1278548962&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=1400082773&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=01DWQB5WDBW7SY0ZR2QW#).

In order to make meaningful change now, our President will have to say “No” to the special interests, as powerful and as deep as their pockets may be. He’ll have to remember his own idealistic spirit, set the example through personal as well as official action and renew his own energy by filling his surrounding environment with advisors who actually believe and live up to those treasured ideals as well. President Obama must always carry with him the idea that he is our leader, the American people's choice of a leader, which is why I refer to him as "our President." I spoke for him in the ballot box and I expect him to speak for me now.

The political advisor of the President, Mr. David Axelrod, suggested the use of the phrase “Yes, we can!” as a slogan for then-candidate Mr. Obama in his own bid for the Presidency. That phrase comes from “Si se puede,” a Spanish phrase made popular by Cesar Chavez of the United Farmworkers union. It inspired a struggling people to fight for their basic human rights, their fair wages and benefits and the fully supported livelihoods of their families. Now that President Obama can wield so much political power from the bully pulpit, he can turn this phrase into measurable action with those and all American workers in mind. Transform the phrase to “Yes, we will!” and see where it can take us, Mr. President. I and many others still believe a difference can be made!

Who am I becoming?

2011-08-08T12:34:00.004+09:00

Where I came from: El Paso Convention and Visitor’s Bureau
http://visitelpaso.com/

Where I am: Website of sightseeing in Kurashiki
http://www.city.kurashiki.okayama.jp/dd.aspx?menuid=9900

My heritage: Geronimo (Goyathlay) – Apache, Words of wisdom
http://www.firstpeople.us/FP-Html-Wisdom/Geronimo.html

Addition aspect of my heritage: Are Chicanos the same as Mexicans?http://www.mexica.net/chicano.php

OK. From the above links, you can tell I’m going through a somewhat precarious time of self-investigation and spirit-enhancing goal setting. That is, I’m soon going to turn 34 years old and I’m analyzing where my life is heading.

Yesterday, my beautiful little girl and I went to the park and squirted our hummingbird-shaped water guns at some cicadas that we found in the trees there. It was very refreshing bonding time. Lilica’s recently has faltered a bit in her toilet training, though I know she’ll bounce right back and graduate from those pull-ups she sometimes dependent on. We had no accidents during our afternoon together

She’s soaring in her artistic abilities, in her imaginative play and in her descriptive prowess of the world around her. She’s becoming a story-teller like her daddy as well as a very active, bright member of our familia. Soon, she’ll begin kindergarten which, we hope, will continue her incredible intuitive growth and social skills at her ripe age of three.

Of course, I’m a father first, a husband in synch, a man, a son, a teacher, a learner, an expression of awareness in the Universe, all following sequentially. What I mean to say is I mean a lot of things to a lot of people and so I carry my responsibilities with purpose and an empowered heart. I am a soon-to-be 34 year old human being, soon to celebrate 6 years of marriage and in joyful constant jubilation as a parent. My daughter makes me proud. My wife makes me feel very lucky. And my continuing evolution makes me wonder about life as it unfolds.

Will I erode the blocks in my mind to successfully master the Japanese language? Will we live here in Japan indefinitely? Is there a life for us back in the States (as we expatriots call our beloved US of A). Can I find ways to get through to my students, despite language, cultural and other fabricated barriers? Attitude is a state of mind. Purpose comes from a determined mind. My spirit spreads its wings in faith of a glorious flight ahead, while professional talons grip the nopal cactus named Kurashiki Board of Education.

I know what I’m saying before I say it because the words are flowing through my vessel as an ancestor’s chant. Lilica’s descendants wait their turn. I am plugged in and must release these expressions of hope in vibrant turn of phrase. The rainbow imbued happiness that I know is the root of my life cannot be forgotten. I have to make the most of them and feed the hunger of my yet-discovered legend. I’m an actor waiting in backstage for his cue, a writer yet to ink his first book. I am the songbird without a record deal and a lover still wanting to dance.

So, how does all of this cumulate? In a word つつく, to be continued, sin fronteras…

Seven years in Japan or newly trimmed nails?

2011-07-13T12:01:00.000+09:00

There is a feeling throughout my physical body of a renewed sense of joy, awareness and wonder with the world. I'm not sure if it's because the seven year anniversary of my arrival in Japan is fast approaching or that I've recently trimmed my nails or neither of these reasons in particular that I feel alert down to my fingertips and toes. This may sound strange in either case, but I inertly have a burst of energy flowing through me in every action I take recently.

How do this apply to me now? I can see ten steps ahead in every decision I make. I can "feel" a situation out and apply the appropiate response accordingly much better than I every had before. I can be specific with my word choice and deliberate with my reactions while maintaining online fluidity. In other words, I am alive and loving every minute!

Happy 235th Birthday USA!

2011-07-04T15:43:00.002+09:00

The Declaration of Independence

The truth shall set you free!

2011-06-30T21:27:00.003+09:00

Support Wikileaks despite the banking blockade!!!
http://wikileaks.com/support.html

Short Radio Interview (from min. 3:45 to min. 11:10)

2011-06-28T09:12:00.004+09:00

My interview with FM Kurashiki's "Nina" of Sunshine Radio, June 24th broadcast
http://fmkurashiki.ning.com/

2011-06-20T20:36:00.004+09:00

Lilica's 3rd Birthday!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTvbclvQrAw&playnext=1&list=PL4FBEE9AC48B26FB6

Are artists liars?

2011-06-08T16:17:00.005+09:00

Are Artists Liars?
http://moreintelligentlife.com/content/ideas/ian-leslie/are-artists-liars?page=full

“The liar lies on behalf of himself; the artist tell lies on behalf of everyone. If writers have a compulsion to narrate, they compel themselves to find insights about the human condition.”

There is truth in the narratives we weave as human beings in order to sustain the fluidity of our own reality. Sanity is hooked into the belief in our own stories. We don’t lie to ourselves. If we do, we eventually lose grasp of the reality we are in transition of creating and we spiral into mental chaos. Instead, we fit pieces of what we see, hear, smell, touch, taste and realize with combinations of experiences from our past and expectations of our future to reinstate what is real. In other words, the “reality” that we describe is an ever-evolving creation of the mind’s will, our sensations with respect to our environment and in light of the relationships we share with other things / living beings.

Artists tell fantastic stories because they elevate their art to be a keener, sharper reflection of the reality that they know, in their bodies, in their mind’s eye, in public and private revelations. Actors incorporate skills to portray the lives of the characters they embody, while transcending that one life and aspiring to uplift its rises and falls as a description of what we all can and do go through. An actor channels into many facets of human nature, even, and sometimes especially, the darker ones which may be scarier to handle. They harness their energies to honestly describe what their character is going through.

Writers describe their “fiction” with written projections of the mental images of many characters interacting with one another as their story transgresses. The plot of their stories may range from simple to intricate, yet the result is always the same: a sense of the world of the story and its characters lingers afterwards. This is why we think of “happy” stories, “sad” stories, bedtime stories, fables, etc. When storytellers, who might write down their words or might not, recall these core feelings of their stories, they also tend to retell them a little differently as they refurnish in the setting of online sentiments. We human beings are in constant flux, adapting to changes around us, so our stories will also multiply its subjective power.

Anyway, I’ll try to create my art as best as I can through the channels of teaching, writing, singing, running, cheering and performing in various venues. I’ll continue to study acting and fine tune my writing to be topical and relevant, even while I’m not physically producing these means of art at a professional level at this time. It’s just the “prep time” for future work, the groundwork involving expansion of my repertoire and the mulch from which my creative flowers will bloom. Let the juices flow!

America, Still "Land of the Free?"

2011-06-01T12:38:00.019+09:00

Renewal of the Patriot Act

http://www.aclu.org/blog/national-security/unmasking-secret-law-new-demand-answers-about-governments-hidden-take-patriot

There is nothing patriotic about the Patriot Act which gives the U.S. government nearly free reign on how to define a "terrorist" and how to interpret the legal ways to spy on such a person or organization. What happened to our so-called cherished Bill of Rights, that protects our freedoms like the freedom of speech and the freedom from illegal search and seizures? Why didn't Congressional representatives require accountability from the President and his Administration for providing detailed warrants to request such information. At this point, it seems only to be reported back at the convinience of Obama's people.

Notice, "request" is the word I'm using when I talk about getting warrants for spying on people. Precident dictates that one request information, not demand it tyranically, assuming the authority you carry is above the law, which many in Washington affirm is status quo in this post-911 era. American citizens have their rights guaranteed by the Constitution, so the government cannot simply aquire any private information about a citizen at its own whim or leisure. That's not what we are about.

If we become a "Big Brother" authoritarian-controled country, then we are creating more of dictatorship within our own borders. Such a path, if continued, can only lead to extremes the likes of which would resemble Col. Gaddafi's regime of Libya, a government controling its population by killing segements of them. Given our official stance on ousting that regime, it would be hypocritical if we didn't also correct our own government's actions. It is much more patriotic and sensible to defend the Constitution and the human rights protected by it. We cannot allow for America to become a police state.

Growing up fast

2011-05-30T22:16:00.006+09:00

Lilica does a cheer, 「あち、こち、ぐるぐるまき！」or "Here, there, rollin' rolls!"

Watching Lily grow up is a facinating experience. Last week, she decided to begin toilet training on her on terms. We've been trying to get her to do this, on and off, since last summer, but she had to decide for herself to do it, which she finally has. The first level is peeing in the toilet.

Katsumi and I decided to reward Lilica each time she successfully gets to the toilet without wetting herself. So, when she finishes, we give her a sticker of one of her favorite characters and she peels off the back herself and attaches it to her sticker book. This means, of course, that we have to get many stickers for her, but the process reinforces her positive image of using the toilet. We also don't get mad if she doesn't make it on time. Instead, we're trying to encourage her that she can make it the next time.

There are ups and downs. Sometimes Lilica refuses to go to the toilet, for whatever reason, and we have to keep her in the "training" diapers until she gets back into the groove. Yet, she realizes, after hearing some of her older friends say "Lilica still wears diapers...I thought that was only for babies," that its another step in growing up. It's an exciting, frustrating, nostalgic thought-provoking experience for us to watch her become a big girl. I remember how I used to rock her to sleep in the wee hours of the morning after she was just born. I hope she takes the time she needs for this and that she doesn't grow up too fast. My little mamacitas!!! Que "purr-dy"!!!

Lilica Margarita at around 2 months old

Lily at 2 years, 11 months, happy she can pee in the toilet

Children's Day, May 5, 2011

2011-05-05T21:22:00.004+09:00

Our father-and-daughter bonding time at Ikeda Zoo, Okayama City

What a fantastic day! Lilica and I enjoyed a visit to the zoo today, along with a short trip to the park a few hours afterward. We've connected in a special way, my little girl and I and our mutual understanding is deepening because of days like this. It's great to be alive!

Collaboration

2011-04-22T22:53:00.008+09:00

There's a set of words in Japanese 「お蔭様で。。。」 which mean "Thanks to your support..." These words are usually followed by a report of an accomplishment or finished task. This phrase is a very accute verbal recognition that we are all dependent on one another and that our work relationships are priority when trying to achieve goals. It acknowledges that we couldn't have made it without the help of those around us, regardless of the kind or capacity of their contributions.

This comes out of the group-oriented tradition of Japan. Yet, more than that, its spirit dwells in the idea that success is always shared and that the fruits of our labor can nourish our entire inner circle of family, colleagues and friends. Another Japanese phrase 「ご協力してありがとう」 or "Thanks for your cooperation" doesn't quite sum up this kind of spirit since it is usually directed at customers from a shop keeper or store owner.

When we begin with the notion of thanking someone for their support, we are also including them in the process that we undertook in order to grow. We're offering them their due respect as well as relating to them how important their influence is to that process. This kind of giving of thanks works to reinforce the positive aspects of the relationship, as opposed to blaming someone when we fail which only highlights the negative aspects. It is an important first step to reinforce continued success for everyone and to maintain a harmonious balance in our interpersonal relationships.

Story in front of a robot

2011-04-20T20:34:00.001+09:00

Lilica makes up a story, on-the-spot, just like me, in front of a picture of a robot at the park.

Sandbox storyteller

2011-04-07T21:35:00.000+09:00

Lilica straightens out my mix-up of her telling of a story.

Recent video of Mijita in "Sticker Explanation"

2011-03-31T21:08:00.003+09:00

Nuclear power, coal power and Mother Earth rebalancing herself

2011-03-31T09:44:00.032+09:00

The first test of a nuclear bomb at Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA during the predawn hours of July 16, 1945

Hiroshima, one of the two Japanese cities bombed by this nuclear weapon (the other is Nagasaki), almost 66 years ago today. Its Peace Memorial is a tribute to the wish for a nuclear-free world.

A collage of images for the "hibakusha" or atomic bomb survivors from Hiroshima

"A Debate on the Future of Nuclear Energy" - http://www.democracynow.org/2011/3/30/prescription_for_survival_a_debate_on

I read through the interview (link above) about the safety of nuclear power from power plants. As educated as both commentators are, neither of them mentioned the bombs that had been dropped almost 66 years ago on Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States. They need to turn to history to see the overall picture. The effects on the Hibakusha or atomic bomb survivors are still being felt today. These explosions released abhorrent amounts of nuclear power into the atmosphere, ground water and among millions of innocent civilians, devastating life as they knew it. It wiped out the entirety of these and surrounding areas and their long-term effects have been catalogued.

Though the physical structures have been rebuilt and generations have been brought up since, there is still torment from this hellish nightmare. It is said that effects of the accident at Fukushima's Daiichi nuclear power plant have yet to be lethal, but exposure to nuclear radiation takes years to show its full scope. Chernobyl's victims are still being counted. Studies of Three Mile Island's effects "have been unable to conclude that the accident had substantial health effects," but there are gaps in the evidence and there remains much debate about the consequences of this nuclear fallout.

My point here is that we know that greenhouse gases cause global warming, thus leading us to seek an alternative to using fossil fuels. But nuclear power, as proven through history, is NOT the way to go. Solar power, wind power and other sources can provide much more environmentally-safe energy. We can all live much more conscienciously by not driving so much, or at all, by not idling, by using public transportation, by reducing our personal use of electricity and by recycling or reusing what we can. Mother Earth, as all things in nature, renews herself and finds the balance to make energies stabilize. That means when we humans go far off on the deep end and abuse her resources, we cause imbalance and destruction, if only a little at a time.

We humans are a PART of Mother Earth's circle, her web of life. We MUST stop acting like we are demi-gods in control of all that we see because, like a stern parent to her child, we WIll feel that spanking of our own doing. Worse than this, if we don't stop this abuse of natural resources, we not only destroy our place to live, but we'll rob our children and their children of a safe home and a prosperous future. We'll leave them with nothing but ashes of a fruitful life that once existed on this planet. We'll fulfill the Hopi prophecy of the end of this world.

Yet, we can do something about this now. And we must. OMATEOTL ("All my relations").

Coming together in Cuba, praying for recovery in Japan and explaining war in Libya

2011-03-29T11:05:00.013+09:00

"CUBA: Jimmy Carter arrives on 3-day visit" - http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/laplaza/2011/03/jimmy-carter-in-cuba.html

"Evacuees persevere, eye future" - http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110329b1.html

"Tiny Qatar flexes muscles in no-fly Libya campaign" - http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iuF0st-1pnG1ye_b2miw0SvaVBlQ?docId=16f27808e3cb4be897239027dec00c90

"Libyan Forces Ready to Battle Rebels in Qaddafi's Hometown" - http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iuF0st-1pnG1ye_b2miw0SvaVBlQ?docId=16f27808e3cb4be897239027dec00c90

"Obama defends military intervention in Libya" - http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2011/03/201132823265977825.html

The Actress: Dame Elizabeth Taylor

2011-03-24T10:59:00.005+09:00

Pioneer for women, for actresses, for people aflicted with HIV/AIDS and for all-encompassing compassion, Dame Elizabeth Taylor
http://www.dameelizabethtaylor.com/

"Elizabeth Taylor, a star of Hollywood" - http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_17685705?nclick_check=1

"Elizabeth Taylor: The life, the looks, the movies, the smarts, the talent" - http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2011/mar/24/elizabeth-taylor-life-talent

Winner of the Peace prize makes more war

2011-03-23T11:31:00.003+09:00

No Dove Zone, by Mike Luckovich

We need a hero...we got one.

2011-03-23T09:07:00.007+09:00

No Laws, No Secrets: The Anarchist Creed of Julian Assange
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/no_laws_no_secrets_the_anarchist_creed_of_julian_assange_20110322/

We are not drones or batteries for the state to use and abuse freely without remorse. We, as human beings, can think, speak our minds, feel, reason, compromise, balance ourselves and our lives with our surroundings and live harmoniously with others without making war or continuing selfish dishonesty. Julian Assange is one brave individual, just like Bradley Manning, Che, Malcolm X, MLK, Cesar Chávez, Nelson Mandela and others who fight in the spirit of Neo against the Matrix system of complacency and complicity. We MAKE the true checks and balances by being informed about what's really going on in the world around us, reading, discussing, thinking, activating our thoughts into concrete action for change. Every little bit we do for the cause of freedom and independent thinking causes the world of illusions to dissapate in the blinding truth of the life-giving Sun. No more excuses! We cannot allow truth to be white-washed by governmental entities. We must rein in these bureaucratic offspring of our own creation and let the truth guide us in how we live. We must live well with all of our relations. OMATEOTL.

Resiliency

2011-03-22T10:58:00.011+09:00

The Japanese never give up!!!

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/a_bet_on_japan_20110320/

I live in a fantastic country. Though I am very happy to be an American of Mexican, Spanish and Apache descent, I love mi querido japón very much. The support network of caring individuals here makes up a powerfully strong collective spirit of 我々(wareware) or "we." Here is a list of cities and prefectures all across Japan that are making space available for victims of the earthquakes and tsunamis, that is, giving them a temporary place to stay: http://d.hatena.ne.jp/kizuna311/.

This kind of sharing and looking out for total strangers is one simple example how the Japanese truly consider themselves a family. I was wrong to say to my wife when the details of the tragedies began to appear on TV that "I can't do anything about it." I hadn't been watching the images that Friday, March 11th because I had been working and then I had my last evening class for English conversation. My wife told me what had happened over the cell phone and was very distraught. I thought, though it was a tragedy, that I should continue with my plans for the night which were to join friends for a farewell party for those leaving the program. Little had I realized until the next day how devasting the earthquake, tsunamis, aftershocks and nuclear plant crisis were to be.

Yet, I know that I should have been much more considerate and mindful of everyone's safety, including my own and that of my family. Everyone was physically safe, but we should have been together to grieve and mourn those who had fallen. And I should NOT have gone out that night, which turned out to be a personal tragedy and a milestone for the importance of sobriety and full realization of family responsibilities. I fell many times on my way home, I think, in part, to physically remind myself of those responsibilities. The day that followed, I recovered and then opened my eyes to the news of thousands of stories of people who had died and many family memebers that were missing because of the triple punch string of disasters.

Now, I'm trying to make up for my selfishness. I hope that others around the world can do the same. Please help however you can and watch how Japan will lift itself up again and shine in the Rising Sun.

http://www.jrc.or.jp/english/relief/l4/Vcms4_00002070.html

Live life every moment

2011-03-18T08:54:00.003+09:00

Viva! Live! 生きる！

2 years and 9 months ago we were blessed with the newest addition to the human family, to our own family and to all of the universal relations: Lilica Margarita. Now, we live life with reference to her life.

After the continuing tragedies of the aftermath from last Friday's earthquake, tsunami, aftershocks, and impending nuclear plant meltdown in Northeastern Japan (Sendai-shi, Migayi, and the surrounding prefectures), one clear message comes across. We must live every moment to its fullest. Living in ceremony and prayer for the thousands of victims who died so far and of the missing people who are still trying to make due without electricity, heat, shelter, food and means of communication, we must live. We must give all of the help we can to them through donations to the Japanese Red Cross, etc.

Yet, the single biggest way we can help is by living, and living in a much more earth-friendly, community-friendly way. Our Lilica and her generation deserve to have a good Earth to live in. They don't deserve the devastation we're leaving them. Natural disasters are, in part, a result of our misdeeds and abuses to the environment. Mother Earth is just trying to put her cycles back into balance.

Tragedies befall more tragedies. Japan had, as my wife said, a triple punch devastation with the earthquake, tsunami and trouble at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The people of Japan need lots of help to recover from this tragedy and we of the rest of the world must live right, live well and live within our means to not abuse the Earth or each other any more. We must live so that Lilica and her generation can too!

Peace. 平和

Job security

2011-03-10T11:14:00.003+09:00

OK, so here again comes the time when transitions occur. Below is a link to an article in the Japan Times online by a fellow English teacher in Japan. Though I don't know the author personally, I do know what the person is feeling.

Our status as "ALTs," "NETs," "Eikaiwa teachers," etc. is normally based on a yearly contract that starts in April and ends in March. The uncertainty of job security this kind of position provides is enough to keep even veteran teachers like myself a bit on edge since, as the author pointed out, we have families who depend on us. More permanent status or, at least, a gateway to such status would be ideal. Yet, politics as they are in Japan, be it locally or nationally, seem to prevent anything like this from happening.

I am very fortunate to have the job I have and I want to continue in it for some years if possible. The life I've made here with my family is golden, the opportunities for my daughter beyond imagination. That's why I'd like to continue. I've been told I can stay another year, but next year will present the same set of circumstances. All depends on how I handle them, I suppose. Maintaining positive foresight on all the available options will help me to decide the future of my family and my career path. The two are intertwined. Building more on the connections I've made and the trust I've engendered among students, colleagues and superiors will help to further create the job security I seek. In the end, it's all relative and I'll keep counting my blessings every day.

"A worrying period for all ALTs" - http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20110308hn.html

Ignorance is bliss

2011-03-10T10:06:00.003+09:00

911 Truth.org - http://www.911truth.org/article.php?story=20050523112738404
9-11 Commission Report - http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/index.htm
"Still in the dark about 9/11" - http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/still_in_the_dark_about_9_11_20110308/?ln

"The Overthinker"

2011-03-09T12:04:00.005+09:00

"The overthinker"

What kind of intervention can (or should) the U.S. make in Libya? Why is this situation different from other freedom struggles in the North Africa/Middle East political landscape? And what is the end-all point of doing anything in the region, Oil? Democracy? Power? Or some combination of these?

The status quo reveals the U.S. is continuing selfish interests regarding oil and power in its diplomacy in the area. President Obama continues the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, while maintaining prisons like the one at Guantanamo Bay. Our nation is still acting like an empire and our political leaders and elite cadre of rich people are continuing to plunder, steal and subdue as much power and wealth as they can get their hands on without a slight sense of regret.

Regular people like us are just making it or are attemting to stabilize our families' futures during grim times like these as we watch the overall human capacity to abuse the earth's resources most certainly lead to self-destruction. Nature will have its way and this empire, just as those that came before it, will fall. Where will we be when this happens?

I think we ought to be honest with ourselves and our children. I think we need to ensure human rights across the board and stop abuses of them anywhere. Getting rid of one tyrant like Gaddafi doesn't justify bringing in another or acting like one ourselves. How should we lead the world? By example?

"Richard Reeves: Obama has 11 options in Libya, None Ideal"

Honesty in politics?

2011-03-07T13:53:00.003+09:00

Would you resign your office after taking a donation of merely 50,000 yen (over $600) from a foreigner because it's the law? Foreign Minister Maehara did.

He shouldn't have done this in the first place, but how many American politicians who have received literally millions of donations from foreigners would do the same?

If only American politicians were so dead-pan honest...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12659629

Living the Dream

2011-03-02T08:52:00.008+09:00

July of this year will mark my 7th year anniversary here in Japan. I've grown a lot since my plane first touched down at Haneda International Airport what seems like a lifetime ago.

Before that time, I was single, looking, waiting and hoping for my life to begin. I had just finished graduating from university after a prolonged tenure, broken up by a nearly two-year stint as my Ma's home health caretaker. I fulfilled the dream she had for me by getting that highly prized degree and have since received another from a graduate university in the U.K. And I still anticipate going for a third (PhD or ED) sometime in the future. The point is I am on the path, without a doubt or even moment of pause, of continuous learning, an evolution and a fulfillment of a true human life.

This being said, I also want to acknoledge all of the people who helped me to get this far. My mother is number one on the list. Without her, I would have likely fallen in my darkest hour. My Ma and Welow who both inspired me to use my mind to advance myself in life and who also taught me life's fundamentals, such as laughter in love, determination in sacrifice and excellence in character. My aunt La and uncle Jaime, for their unshakable belief in my promise. My uncle David and aunt Nancy for their constant support. My father and family for their advice. It always seemed to balance the circumstances. My cousins Rosie and Ernie, Louie and the many, many others too numerous to list here. They are all my generation and the example of their lives keeps me in check. And, since coming to Japan, I am priviledged to thank my amazing wifey, the dream woman fulfilled, who literally made every high expectation I had in a life partner become a reality with her engulfing love , her modesty and compassion and her straightforward nature.

Now I can share all of these people's lessons and hopes and personalities with my angelic little daughter, Miss Lilica Margarita. It is for her that I fight the world and part the ocean so that she can develop her own senses, her unique personality and her encouraging promise. I live on through her but she also lives on as her own true person. I pray that she and all of the relations of humanity can find inner peace and pure joy in this life. OMATEOTL ("All my relations")

* * * *

Descriptions of Libya's anti-Gaddafi struggle from inside Tripoli

http://www.democracynow.org/2011/3/1/terror_in_tripoli_libyan_american_describes

The Battle of the Budgets: New Fronts in the Afghan and Iraq Wars

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/the_battle_of_the_budgets_new_fronts_in_the_afghan_and_iraq_wars_20110301/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Truthdig+Truthdig%3A+Drilling+Beneath+the+Headlines&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher

Winter's last stand?

2011-02-14T21:19:00.003+09:00

Tonight's rice field, blanketed in snow

I hope this is the last cold blitz of the season. Winter is harsh when you're bicycling to and from work everyday. This past three-day weekend, the snow came and left and came again with a vengence. It snowed almost sideways, nearly blinding my field of vision and chilling all of us at school to the bone even when we were inside.

But the spring is another breath away. I've signed on for another year of work in Kurashiki and things are looking promising. My third year students at the Junior High (equivalent to 9th graders in America) are preparing for their graduation as they anxiously anticipate high school entrance exam results. Though I've only known them for just a year, I feel that they're grown tremendously, not only in mind but also in character. I hope I could have made some impact on ther lives, even as I only could see them in class once a week and at other times randomly. Their futures are guaranteed to be bright and adventurous, just as mine had been at their age. The world is renewed again with a force of new awareness about how we affect our enviroments and ourselves in this planet and I believe that this newer generation can make a difference if only it applies itself still.

We take in what we dish out and the Kurashiki NET program has provided me with ample opportunity to shine even more. I continue to invest myself in further informal classroom research and lesson fine-tuning. To be a better teacher, I have to keep my mind open and learn when to shut up and listen to my students and fellow teachers. Further professionalism comes from more concentration on the little points like greetings, flow of the lesson, remembering and/or reading students' names, FAIRNESS to all and ever-evolving patience. I have to keep trying!

"He's trying to treat a malignant cancer with an aspirin."

2011-02-01T09:48:00.004+09:00

"It's too little too late," said Omar Ashour of Exeter University. "He's trying to treat a malignant cancer with an aspirin. They are still in their own world ... They have ignored the main demands that are coming from Tahrir Square."

"Mubarak holds talks, pushed by army, U.S. and protests"
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/01/us-egypt-idUSTRE70O3UW20110201?pageNumber=1

Democracy Now! on-the-ground coverage of the Eygptian people's movement.
http://www.democracynow.org/tags/egypt

Eygptians deserve democracy too! Mubarak should leave under pressure from the people of Eygpt and from a genuine push, not a political face-saving move, by our President Barack Obama. We cannot dictate how this all works out because it is the right and privledge as well as the responsibility of the Eygptians themselves to decide how they want their government to be. America must support the free and democractic process around the globe.

Stepping stones

2011-01-27T20:39:00.004+09:00

With a bittersweet tongue, the mouth should stay closed. This is the time for intuitive listening.

Performance feedback and evaluations are only a small part of the continuing on-the-job training, a chance to hear input from collective sources through survey and awareness. By survey, I mean the way co-workers can anonymously comment on how you do as far as job performance that is reported to you by a representative. By awareness, I mean how you can read between their comments and find the truth of your "presence" in the workplace and within the community.

These are not final judgments. Instead, they are intended to help you improve yourself and "elevate your game" to an even more professional level. Japanese society tends to hold the Spartan approach of strict coaching with high standards and easy flow of criticism, even if muffed criticism. As an American, I sometimes need reminding of this and that my once cherished self-confidence may sometimes be viewed here as slight arrogance. "No one likes the nail sticking out" here, the person who stands out above the rest. But, I am and will always be a non-Japanese person, so I can't help but stand out for that mere fact.

Yet, I stand out also because of my determination to be my best and shine beyond all expectations. I am an ever-evolving persona of enigmatic consequence, the positively fed, positively reinforced and, thereby, positively re-invented human being who is willing to reach for higher goals. All of my hard work thus far has payed off in dividends. A grade is just an indication of greater things to come.

OMATEOTL ("All my relations")

Make the Dream come true!

2011-01-17T23:11:00.001+09:00

Dr. King's dream lives on in all of our greatest efforts at recognizing everyone's humanity and undeniable rights.

President Obama's New Year message

2011-01-04T09:09:00.000+09:00

Happy New Year!!!

2011-01-01T13:35:00.001+09:00

Here's to a bright and wonderful 2011!!!

The War Cameraman - Youichi Watanabe

2010-12-28T13:56:00.003+09:00

Youichi Watanabe, the slow-talking war cameraman from Japan

Some interesting links to his site and blog:
http://yoichi-watanabe.com/
http://yoichi4001.iza.ne.jp/blog/

Freedom of Speech in the Modern Digital Age

2010-12-28T11:16:00.002+09:00

P.S. The CIA made a sub-division called Wikileaks Task Force, abbreviated WTF. Um, WTF? Exactly! Protect Net neutrality!!! Fight Big Brother to secure democracy-in-action!!!

Renewable energy from within

2010-12-27T10:50:00.004+09:00

Of course, as with every new year, 2011 promises a fresh start and an opportunity to reform unproductive old habits. We are each given the miracle of life, the breath from the eternal which is, beyond question, the most precious gift of all. That life-force, that energy which originates from love and understanding and from the same place as our ancestors before us, is powerful and revitalizing. We can refresh our spirits in it. The hopes and dreams we carry for ourselves and for others are re-energized by all of this positive enlightenment.

So, what I'm saying is, simply, we should appreciate everything and everyone that touches our lives so that we can move forward in a balanced way. We should use all of our senses to find the "guiding light" in the little things around us in order to continue to grow and learn more as human beings. We can be better and, with stregth of will, we will be!

Bright new day!!!

2010-12-25T22:48:00.000+09:00

Post-Emperor Akhito's birthday

2010-12-24T15:39:00.004+09:00

Christmas is a relatively minor holiday compared to the Emperor's birthday (yesterday, Jan. 23rd) here in Japan. Even more so in comparison to New Year's Day festivities which bring families together from all across the country. Hopefully, 2011 will prove to be a prosperous and peaceful new year for this delicate web of human relations.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20101224a3.html

Interesting Cartoon editorial from the Japan Times

2010-12-20T12:00:00.002+09:00

The fourth box with President Obama's "missing backbone" was especially telling.

(Source: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/cartoons.html)

Okayama Nichi Nichi Newspaper profile

2010-12-19T22:21:00.004+09:00

My profile in the Okayama Nichi Nichi Shinbun, 12/15/2010

The English translation of the above survey answers:
① Name – Johnny Mendoza Govea
Nickname – Johnny
Sex – Male
Age – 33
School name – Kita Junior High School
Duration as an Assistant Instructor – 6 years
② Impression of school and children – There are many bright, funny and energetic children.
③ Impression of Kurashiki, Okayama – I think both the weather and the residents are warm.
④ What do you do on your days off? My daughter and I go to the park to play.
⑤ Dream for the Future – I want to be a real teacher.
⑥ Specialty and charm point – My charm point is my smile.
⑦ Who do you respect and why? I respect my mother. Her “life-force” is very strong.
⑧ Favorite Japanese food – Oyako (“mother-and-child” or chicken and egg) rice bowl
⑨ Favorite Japanese word – “Yoshi” or “All right!”
⑩ Appeal of your hometown – It’s always sunny in El Paso, Texas, U.S.A.

In the shadow of giants?

2010-12-17T14:35:00.003+09:00

President Obama stands at the podium in the shadows of members of the press

Who does he answer to? It is my most sincere hope that is is still to the American people, poor and rich alike.

End the war

2010-12-15T13:27:00.002+09:00

Richard Holbrooke's last, dying words were "You've got to stop this war in Afghanistan."

Some intereseting links:

http://www.cfr.org/publication/23632/after_holbrooke_new_afghan_tests.html
http://www.democracynow.org/2010/12/14/headlines#14
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20025587-503544.html?tag=cbsContent;cbsCarousel

What's your Japanese zodiac?

2010-12-14T13:59:00.005+09:00

Chinese zodiac animals

The list in order:

1. Rat (Mouse)
2. Ox (cow)
3. Tiger
4. Hare (Rabbit)
5. Dragon
6. Snake
7. Horse
8. Ram (Sheep)
9. Monkey
10. Roster (Chicken)
11. Dog
12. Pig (Wild Boar)

I was born in the Year of the Snake and, apparently, in the solar term of the Monkey and in the "long hour" (2-hour period) of the Horse. As for my family, my daughter was born in the Year of the Mouse and my wife in the Year of the Horse. The rotation of years, solar terms and "long hours" is such that you have an outer self, an inner self and a secret self, respectively. Let's check out my zodiac details.

By appearences, my Snake traits demonstrate that I am: a "deep thinker, wise, mystic, graceful, soft-spoken, sensual, creative, prudent, shrewd, elegant, cautious, responsible, calm, strong, constant, purposeful; can be a loner, bad communicator, possessive, hedonistic, self-doubting, distrustful, mendacious, suffocating, cold." My inner self, a Monkey, shows me as someone who's: an "inventor, motivator, improviser, quick-witted, inquisitive, flexible, innovative, problem solver, self-assured, sociable, artistic, polite, dignified, competitive, objective, factual, intellectual; can be egotistical, vain, arrogant, selfish, reckless, snobbish, deceptive, manipulative, cunning, jealous, suspicious." My secret self, the Horse, should reflect my truest personality with characteristics like: "cheerful, popular, quick-witted, changeable, earthy, perceptive, talkative, agile—mentally and physically, magnetic, intelligent, astute, flexible, open-minded; can be fickle, arrogant, childish, anxious, rude, gullible, stubborn."

So, what does all of this say about me? I believe is says that I re-create myself as I see fit. I am an innovator of things that I see before me and a collaborator with others to make the best things happen as they can and are destined to be. I am confident in my own abilities to think and to dream and to make these thoughts and dreams come true. And I always try to live my life with a smile, positively and without excuses.

Then again, I can be very stubborn, un-cooperative and sometimes selfish. But these are my own insights of myself, a critique of what I see and what I can decifer. Other people might see me differently, so it becomes very important for me to listen and learn each and every day. This is how love spreads and how the world can begin to become better. That is my hope, at least.

(source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_zodiac)

Ebizo says sorry

2010-12-08T13:47:00.005+09:00

Japanese traditional Kabuki actor Ebizo Ichikawa reacts during a press conference in Tokyo, Japan, Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2010. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

Here are some links to stories about Mr. Ebizo, the Kabuki actor. During a night out partying, he was attacked and his face was damaged to the point which he required surgery.

"The revelation that Ebizo went out for a drink the same day he canceled a press conference on his scheduled New Year performance, citing a health problem, has baffled the public."

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20101208p2g00m0et014000c.html

"Ebizo, who in the early hours of Nov. 25 was apparently drinking heavily with friends in a bar in the Nishiazabu area, suffered serious facial injuries after reportedly being hit several times by a 26-year-old suspect."

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20101208a3.html

President Obama and General/Former Secretary of State Colin Powell

2010-12-02T15:51:00.002+09:00

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/12/01/president-obama-general-powell-push-a-new-start

Bright smiley girl

2010-12-01T20:28:00.003+09:00

Wifey took this picture of Lilica. It reminds me of a picture of a saint.

Life is in the "in between" moments.

Listen to the voice from within

2010-11-25T21:48:00.002+09:00

Always trust your gut. That's what my Mom always taught me. Making a more permanent life here in Kurashiki means doing more professional things like following through on your word when you give it. Loyalties coincide with the same ultimate goal: be a better teacher, a more open-minded human being, and good things will follow. We always reap the rewards of our earnest preparations as well as face the consequences of our not-so-glorious moments.

Yet, life will always find a way to balance itself out. We are given the challenges that we CAN meet when we can meet them. All the tools we need are at our disposal. We just have to follow the signs, life's little markers that signal the path we should take. And always trust in that inner voice that sees without and within, the omnipotent energy source or awareness that completes us in our humanity and in our relation to the network of life-forces.

A new harmony is ready to set in.

Shivers and laughs

2010-11-19T15:09:00.003+09:00

You know you've been in Japan too long when...you follow the trend and buy this season's ヌーボー ("New borduex" is a kind of wine that isn't aged) after watching the news announce its start.

So, fall is slipping into winter and December is nearly upon us. 'Tis the season for end of the term tests and people with cold masks on their faces and 簿年会(end-of-the-year parties). Christmas cakes will soon be selling and the catalogs for New Year's Day special food 「おせち」are already passing through many hands. I recently got my flu vaccine, while Katsumi and Lilica have scheduled theirs to be sometime within the next coming weeks.

Life slows down in the cold of Japanese winter, like synchronizing your heartbeats to the gusts of wind. Next year, I'll start teaching an English conversation class and I'm prepping for that, too. Yet, much time still remains...

We've been eating lots of daizu (soy beans) in our school lunches. Dinners have been hot and usually out of a pot. Lily's still growing, but has a very fresh memory of the recent events which she details to whoever is around, whether asked or not. She makes us laugh at her sharp awareness of details, like the facts that a red cup "is not blue" and that it's "no thank you" to more dinner but always "PLEASE" to the mention of dessert. She continues to make life a joy every day and she binds our family up in very good times.

Lilica's dancing video

2010-11-14T17:33:00.002+09:00

Lilica loves to dance to "Pearly Shells" and other songs from her Mickey Mouse "Beach Party" DVD!

Of the moment

2010-11-03T22:01:00.002+09:00

I've read that we are simian creatures of flowing time, that we, as humans, can't ever grasp the "moment" for its own sake. We are either comparing online events to what happened before or we are assessing how they will affect the future plans we've already conjured up. Can it be that we can't fully appreciate, live in and internalize "the preesnt" just for what it is?

I don't think it's impossible for us to live in the moment as it is. In fact, living in Japan for over 5 years has taught me a lot about how to see life through different perspectives and how to appreciate the little things in each and every moment. There is a balance between people relationships and with the environment around us. We sometimes are very powerful when the time has come for us to be and we sometimes have no control over the events of our lives. Yet, we do decide how we can live and how we can best face any moment with our wisdom, our grit and our sheer life-force from the origin of life.

Doing our best in every moment, regardless of the circumstances, trials and advantages, is living life like a ceremony. Living each moment in a sacred way, just for its own sake makes high moments in our lives when we are the best human beings that we can be. If we fail and still have the courage to smile, rise up and brush off the dust from our shoulders, we win.

Our minds listen to many more words than can be spoken by the fastest speakers, that is, our minds have the capacity to wander while we listen to someone make a point. No doubt the readers of this blog have already thought of other things in the midst of reading these words. This is how I know that we can reach our fullest capacities as human beings and live each moment to its fullest. We owe it to the precious lives we were given to live them, without shame and with our best efforts. Before we return again to the source of this great awareness, we must strive to live.

Change of life

2010-10-24T21:19:00.003+09:00

Menopause

Gives me pause. Makes our relationship stop dead in its tracks and spin onto its head. Feeling the blood gushing to my skull leaves me only one choice: Flip it. Turn this sucker around. Appeal to my wife's hidden senses, that is, hidden somewhere deep in the jumbled mix of horomones and rash emotions that cause outbursts of displaced anger and place undeserved stress on me.

Emotionally drained as I am, I still know what it means to be civil. To be a part of a working relationship, a progressing marriage, it takes two people to work through things. But wifey right now doesn't have her right mind most of the time. She's chuckling when I tell her how she's making me feel. I hope her mother can talk some sense into her. God willing, Momma's visit tomorrow will begin the cleansing of our relationship by snapping wifey out of her funk.

Who will I become?

2010-10-12T22:24:00.005+09:00

Considering your life as a sharp turning point drops you on your butt and holds a big mirror up for you to see what you've become can be a time for illumination. It can also be a time for complete honesty with yourself as well. Honesty about who you want to become in terms of what you've been doing so far in "getting there." What mental obstacles do you let get in the way? What emotional barriers hold you back? What kinds of patterns do you have to regulate in yourself in order to reach your goals?

I'm reading a book about philosophy and taking care of a wolf called "The Philosopher and the Wolf." In it, the author, Mark Rowlands, says that humans are basically scheming simians or apes watching others in order to find the opportunity to take advantage of the situation. Wolves in their packs, on the other hand, are built on a network of trust and loyalty. You can't convince a wolf to the just terms of a contract because a contract is based on the agreed upon fairness between simians who otherwise would rob each other blind if they had the chance. Wolves protect their own because of loyalty, not words or agreements in kind. Human beings sacrifice some things in order to get other things in return.

So, how has this book caused my thinking to change? Well, I believe some of the concepts Mr. Rowlands is addressing are dead on true. However, I am maybe a bit naively hopefully that all human have more than just this scheming capacity. Also, I think that the older parts of our spirits that come from the same awareness, the same source as the wolf, can and do occasionally return to reclaim our collective sanity and cause us to do the right thing BECAUSE it is right, not because it is profitable. The natural state of things always balances things out, one way or the other, and we human are by no means excluded from this cycle. Whether we admit it or not, we are limited to what we can do simply because we're always looking to get something out of it.

If we strive for that higher good, by consequence we'll elevate our status to near the prowess and natural composure of the wolf. In Native American stories, the wolf is always a very cunning and naturally intelligent individual who is usually the main orchestrator of the narrative in which he appears. Yet, he doesn't cling to this temporary power because he knows, intuitively, maybe even instinctually, the powers that be must pass from one aware individual to another. We are not to know or even start to comprehend how or why this passing of power occurs, only that, as the wolf, it certainly does pass and when it's our turn to wield it, we'd better get it right.

So, I strive to be a wolf, or better, an eagle. But what does that mean? And what kind of honesty am I really sharing here if not the messages of my ancient spirit to its much younger and immature mind. This blog is for me to read and re-read so as to signpost where my thoughts were at a certain point in time. Or is it more a way to see the image after connecting all of these dots? Only the infinite source can be sure.

Becoming a "big girl"

2010-10-01T22:17:00.003+09:00

Our precious little Lilica is growing up so fast! We're trying to get her potty trained, but it looks like it's going to take a while for her to get it. She's learned how to politely ask for and thank us for things in both English and Japanese. She's also now intently watches one of her favorite animated shows, Anpanman. Her attention span for new things has greatly expanded and her eye is very keen. She can find the tiniest character, from Anpanman to Mickey Mouse, in the background of any scene on TV. Even if only for a split second, Lilica can spot all of her favorites just as if it were Waldo in the "Where's Waldo?" book series.

One of her recent booms has been to wash her hands often, all by herself. It's a great habit but we're going to run out of hand soap soon. So, Okaachan has ingeniously devised a control method: hide the soap dispenser in the washing machine after using it. That way we decide when she washes instead of having dinner interrupted every ten minutes or so for "wash your hands." Another trend of hers has been congratulate herself every time she does something right, even before we compliment her on it. She says this in Japanese, that Lilica is "jouzu" or great at something, like an expert. She's imitating what Okaachan usually says, but it's very cute.

Though there are other times when Lilica can be disagreeable or even a downright crybaby, she is learning about the world around her and how to act in it at lightning speed. There are times when she prefers her Okaachan to her Otouchan, but these pass and then she and I play together again. I have to remember how important her mother is and not impinge on this sacred bond between them. Of course, I want to ensure that she and I have lots of good bonding time as well. So, the weekend seems to be the right opportunity thus far. Let's enjoy it together, Lilily!!!

Mr. Colbert speaks truth to power: The harsh working conditions of farm workers are finally publicly acknowledged

2010-09-27T23:01:00.003+09:00

What's important here is that farm workers' human rights and dignity must be protected and preserved.

And now there is peace of mind

2010-09-24T23:47:00.002+09:00

Tranquility, in this near-midnight silence, has pervasively entrenched my entire being. I am renewed, refreshed and, above all, much cooler than the recently finished summer had allowed me to be.

The fishscales in the sky only a day ago highlighted this change of weather and easing of tension. My daughter's laughter and persistence in succeeding in her potty training arouses my essential paternal fibers to fuse into a burst of streaming energy at work. I admire her charm and, most importantly, the strength of her spirit because Lilica is a fuesty character. Her growth and natural progress toward full-blown childhood inspire me to continue to learn and adapt in my work as a teacher. She fuels the motivation that drives my passion for my job and for our lives.

Wifey, you support me and provide me with such delicious food, made from your ingenuity and creative palette. You keep our daughter in high spirits as you achieve daily small goals in your housework. Yours is the life I intertwine mine with forever because our destiny is one. This life that we continue to build is rooted in our trust and love for each other and for all of our source of strength, our family.

At last, we made it through the sweltering summer and not we can harvest the fruits of our labor and preparation. Soon, I'll reap the rice I helped to grow and bring it home to feed our family and nourish our bodies. Now, it is time to rest.

Relaxed, refreshed and ready to go!!!

2010-08-25T08:58:00.005+09:00

Lilica Margarita Govea, portrait: August, 2010

We're back home in Kurashiki after an amazing vacation in San Francisco, CA, USA with familia from all around. Relatives flew in from different parts of the country just to meet Lilica and see me and Katsumi again after so many years. It was so much fun and it was also such cool weather, almost cold at times. It seems like a cool memory of fresh whipped cream that your tongue just recalls after having finished dessert. Yet, each moment of this first overseas family trip replays vividly in my mind. The loops of these flashes compound my happiness and warm my heart.

Now, my ladies have returned and we are re-synchronizing our inner clocks to the Japanese summer daylight. Katsumi even made me an "o-bento" or boxed lunch early this morning after only two days. She is an amazing wifey, even in her beleaguered, jet-lagged state! I said to her that she didn't have to do any of that extra work, but she insisted. I am so blessed to be her husband.

My Lily jumped into my arms at Hiroshima airport, as if the sight of my leaving her and the family at San Francisco International had passed only a moment before. A full week had gone by when I was had to be apart from my ladies so that I could return to work and do my duties here. But that embrace Lilica and I had was, by far, one of our greatest moment together. Just a nugde up on the amazing day we all spent at the photo studio to take our family portraits in San Francisco. Up above, Lilica is posing for that photo session like a pro.

Life is quite amazing.

World traveling family

2010-07-28T14:29:00.005+09:00

http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B7g4PkKvSN5lZGE0ZjgxZGMtZjE2OS00ZDFjLTgyYmUtN2ViMmI1OWUzNzkw&hl=en

Let's see if this works. The link above are for a fun slide I made using Power Point today.

Collage of Lilica's future possibilities

2010-07-28T00:03:00.002+09:00

By LMG in collaboration with K and JMG

The fighting spirit

2010-07-26T13:30:00.006+09:00

敢闘精神

（かんとうせいしん）

"The Fighting Spirit"

To calm and focus the mind, one must be quiet and listen to their own heartbeat. Listen to the rhythmic life-force that paces out each breath and instills nutrition to the mind and body with renewed energy. It is in these pulses that one learns to reconcile himself with the world around him and, more importantly, with the world within, he, himself.

The benefits of this kind of positive reinforcement of channeling your strength into your natural rhythm and relations with the environment multiply abundantly and influence others in a magnificent way. Taking a moment to infuse your own worth with self-discipline, confidence, trust and love makes everything clearer. Knowing who you are and what you are made of, that is, what capabilities you currently possess quickens the ready arsenal of tools you have to accomplish what you set out to do.

You must start when you are ready and you must always be prepared. This is the warrior code, the way of taking a single step with trusted, firm commitment while delicately balancing yours with all of nature. There is a syncopation, a melody and a harmony that is the music of your life and before your swan song takes you into the next realm of existence, you must "clean out" all negative possessions and affirm the love that fills all of us from the core of our being. The Great Mystery which connects us and weaves its intricate story at the pace of all of our collective thoughts always provides all that we need at any given moment.

Do more and don't fear being the best self that you can become for it is only you fulfilling your destiny. The legend of you begins with these thoughts and expands with each word you speak, building on each action you take. As the raindrops collect and form the prism through which sunshine reflects a rainbow, you can channel all of the bright aspects of your life to reflect the best of yourself. This is the promise of a new tomorrow while living in this moment. And there is peace once more.

San Francisco, here we come!!!

2010-07-26T08:59:00.003+09:00

In one week, mi familia and I will finally have an amazing reunion with my Mom, uncles, aunts, cousins and baby Carmen, the newest addition to the California branch of the family. We are very excited and are busily packing up our things in preparations of this long-awaited trip. It'll be Lilica's first international flight and our first family trip overseas.

Here at work, there isn't much to do, but I am trying to study every student's name from various lists and photos so that I can call on them personally when our September lessons commence again. When it's possible, I go out and help with different sports/extra curricular clubs that practice every day in this sweltering heat. Otherwise, I stay in the office and try and get something productive accomplished.

When I return alone from the trip, I'll be heading out to English Camp (see the poster below). That's looking to be an exciting project as well. Most of us in the N.E.T. program will be staying overnight at the camp to invigorate the junior high participants with an all-English environment and get them to use the language with ease , or, at least, without embarrassment. Communication comes in many forms and I hope that the lines of communication that we all establish at camp will be fruitful and reoccurring.

Last night's Global English discussion PPT in JPEG format, PART 2

2010-07-23T10:36:00.003+09:00

Last night's Global English discussion PPT in JPEG format, PART 1

2010-07-23T10:15:00.002+09:00

"Raising a Family" Power Point presentation

2010-07-21T15:11:00.004+09:00

Tomorrow, I will make the slideshow presentation (links below) to a Global Community in English discussion group here in Kurashiki. There will be 21 members in the class, high school age and up, who will participate.

I'm going to use a lecture/small group discussion format with a ten-minute break after 45 minutes, like the university lectures I used to hear back in the day. At the end of the slideshow, I'm also planning on showing the "Barrio Angel" scene from the movie Mi Familia / My Family to show how one family deals with the announcement of a new baby coming.

Hopefully, we'll have some good ideas exchanged about how to meet some of the issues in raising a family these days and the importance of cooperation between parents and among all involved. Wish me luck!

https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B7g4PkKvSN5lYWQzNDNmM2UtZjE4MS00MjE5LWE5NjUtM2VjODdmZWYyYWFk&hl=en

http://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B7g4PkKvSN5lYWQzNDNmM2UtZjE4MS00MjE5LWE5NjUtM2VjODdmZWYyYWFk&sort=name&layout=list&num=50

Honesty

2010-07-15T22:25:00.005+09:00

New glasses from my wifey, new flowers I picked after "arranging" them at work

I am not perfect, yet I know I expect a lot from my wife and daughter. As a man, I must learn to collect more patience within myself and, despite the ease with which tempers flare in this sultry heat, I must continue to exhale the negativity away.

Understanding one another comes with lots of patience and plenty of consideration for each other's feelings. My wifey has taught me more about compassion (which is probably why she reminds me so much of Ma) than any other person I know. She can feel sympathy for a total stranger because she can relate to their humanity and instantly see herself in such circumstances. At times, she might go too far and end up crying for every little "sad" story she sees on TV, but I adore her for the fact that she cares about people so much.

I care too. And my culture is one which takes care of its own. Our family is blessed beyond belief for the mere fact that we are so mixed in our ways of thinking and feeling about ourselves, our environment and our futures. Variety is the spice of life! A man in Mexican-American culture, like in Japanese culture, should be strong and should set a good example. But, in my culture, letting out emotions like anger and sadness, laughter and praise is quite the norm. In other words, to be a loud, passionate man is highly praised..

There is a difference among Japanese expectations of a man. A man in Japan must 我慢する (gaman suru) or hold back many of his inner feelings for the greater good of group. This is seen as being an adult and is valued more than releasing the fluid emotion that sometimes wells up inside. The strong silent type that occasionally "barks" at his inferiors to set them in line is treasured above all things here..

I say there has to be a balance between these two norms in our house because I can only modify my way of thinking to a limit. There's something about one's own culture that stays with us, always, no matter where we might end up living. So, Mexicans sometimes sing and cry when they drink and its usually about their women and families and that's OK too. And its cool that Japanese men do silly dances and soulful serenades at company karaoke get-togethers, but not in the presence of their loved ones. I want Lilica to know each culture's influence and let her choose her own way. In the process, I hope I can become a better man, a better father, a better husband and, overall, a better human being. OMATEOTL ("All my relations").

2010-07-15T09:55:00.003+09:00

New Introduction in school newsletter:

My quote roughly translates to - "With the phrase, `Alright, Let's go!!!' and using lots of energy, I strive to do my best."

The Unpublished Self Intro for Kurashiki

2010-07-15T09:43:00.003+09:00

Here is my self introduction in Japanese and English that DIDN'T get published anywhere. I thought when I moved here, that I might be asked to make a self-introduction in the community newsletter. This is something I've been asked to do in every rural area I've moved to in Japan. Apparently, cities don't have such a custom.

Anyway, please enjoy the read:

こんにちは。私の名前はジョニー・ゴベアです。ジョニーと読んでください。私は北中学校でＮＥＴの仕事を始めることができ、とても嬉しいです。私は倉敷市へ妻ともうすぐ２歳になる娘の３人で引っ越しできました。今、私たちは小町トンネルの近い福島近所に住んでいます。

桃とぶどうの岡山のもと名所を訪れたりもと郷土料理を食べたりすることを楽しみにしています。倉敷市の美術館をいただき行きたいと思います。もちろん、倉敷市のイングリッシュキャンプとかスピーチコンテストも頑張りたいと思います。北中学校の体育会はとても楽しかった！

そして、この地区のできるだけたくさんの人々と交流していきたいと思います。最近は授業あまり入ってない生徒たちと手を伸ばしようと努める。私は私の力で彼らの人生のために上げることを希望する。もし町で私を見かけたら、気軽に声をかけてくださいね！よろしくお願いします。

Hello. My name is Johnny Govea. Please call me Johnny. I am very happy to begin my work as a NET here in Kita Junior High School. I have moved to Kurashiki with my wife and our nearly 2-year-old daughter. We now live in the Fukushima neighborhood, near Komachi tunnel.

I am looking forward to discovering more of the sights and sounds of Okayama-ken, the Land of Peaches and Grapes. I want to go see Kurashiki’s art museums. Of course, I’ll do my best at events like Kurashiki’s English Camp, Speech Contest, etc. Kita Junior High’s Sports Festival was a lot of fun!

I want to communicate with as many people as I can here. Recently, I’ve tried to reach out to the students who don’t usually go to class. I hope I can make a difference in their lives. If you see me on the street, feel free to say “hi!”

Mexico and US relations

2010-07-05T11:09:00.001+09:00

President Obama and First Lady host President Calderon and his wife

Neighborhood crane and rainy Saturday fun

2010-07-03T22:48:00.004+09:00

A crane across the canal from our apartment, "fishing"

During this rainy season day, Lilica and I spent some time together while Katsumi went grocery shopping. We watched a Miffy video and I gave Lilica a snack before she started running around again (see the video below). We also saw the above crane perched on the roof of the building across the canal from our apartment. He was waiting there for many minutes, watching for any carp swimming in the canal. I opened the window and called out to him, but he just stared back and brushed his feathers with his beak."

These days, we only have TV, an animated DVD or two, toys, books and our imaginations to keep us entertained. It fun to play with my daughter, learning what she knows and can say as well as teaching her things that I know. Having a family is an amazing experience that I hope every man is blessed to have. My wife has done so well in raising our little girl while I work during the week and I truly appreciate all of her efforts and love. I hope to do the best I can as a father during the evenings and weekends when I'm home, to enjoy this precious time with Lilica, too. Our two-year-old is growing so fast!

Vacation plans and life prior to them

2010-06-28T22:05:00.006+09:00

How long has it been? Five years? More? It doesn't matter really. We're finally going back to the States on our first overseas family trip. Lilica, at two years old, will become an international traveler...very cool. She already has her American and her Japanese passports ready to go and we've cleared Katsumi's ESTA status for her visitor's entry into my good-ole' US of A. We're just making last minute arrangements with the travel agent and planning out how we'll pack for Lilica, mainly. This is going to be a fantastic visit!!!

In the meantime, I have an observation coming up with a representative of the Kurashiki City Board of Education on Wednesday. My Japanese teacher of English (JTE) and I have made all of the preparations for this lesson with a second year class and tomorrow, we'll go over the "game plan" once more. This observation, in conjunction with reports from my supervisors, other teachers and various parents and community members will affect what kind of bonus I can qualify for this first year. Each year there is another observation and each year there is a chance to increase that bonus amount. Of course, I'm going for the gold and aiming high.

Yet, I now have a moment to recount the past experiences from these last three months. Kurashiki and its urban-ish living has been great for us. I say "urban-ish" because it also has a bit of rural flavor still mixed in. We literally live between wide ranges of rice fields, cut up by streets, canals and many smalls buildings. And, it's still possible to order out for dinner, go shopping at a "real" mall or even a 24-hour grocery nearby. We have been extremely blessed and I hope to continue this stream of positive energy flowing through our lives by working my hardest at my job and contributing as much as I can to my school.

My professional career path has evolved up until this point, but I also need to re-develop my creative energies as well. In the mist of this humid, rainy season, the new Mescalero/Aztec poet-actor will find new venues to perform, too. All in good time...and what a good time the journey is!!!

2010-06-18T11:07:00.003+09:00

Our "little model" Lilica

Today is Lilica's 2nd birthday!!! We celebrate the miracle of her entrance into this world together with Momma here in Kurashiki and with my Mom in spirit, heart and mind. Lily will be able to meet her Nana again this August during my birthday time and she'll also get to meet the rest of the family in San Francisco. We're all very exciting and thankful for these celebrations and family reunions.

Days of Summer

2010-06-06T21:57:00.003+09:00

The Sun rises now around 5 AM every day and I get up soon after to take a little run around the neighborhood. This happens every other day as I like to sleep later on the mornings in between. Slowly, but surely, I'm building back up my "running legs." I want to get into really good shape before our trip to the States this August.

Lilica's vocabulary, most especially her Japanese vocabulary, is growing by leaps and bounds these days, too. She's making many small sentences in Japanese, though only a few words in English are coming out of her lips. I think she knows more than she's speaking, it's just that she constantly hears and sees Japanese everywhere. I hope to get her to speak more English with me. It's important that she becomes fully bilingual.

My friends back in Seto sound like they're doing well, at least according to my Japanese father, Mr. Nagaoka. I miss them and hope that we'll be able to get down there for a good long visit sometime this year. Lilica's grown so much since we left there. It's been nearly a year ago since we moved away from the place I called home for five years. I want re-introduce Lilica to the beauty of the mountains, the orange trees and the seaside views that make up Melody Line's beautiful Sada Misaki peninsula.

In the mist of this nostalgic moment, I hear the whisper of the "Seto no hana yome" song in the back of my mind, as flashes of ocean waves lapping the shore and swinging circles of windmill blades trigger the memories of my late afternoon runs at sunset. It was a beautiful place and time to live and enjoy life anew as a newlywed and then as a new father. And now our Lilica is soon-to-be two years old. Wow, time sure seeps through the fingers like sand. The winds keep blowing through my mind, changing the thought patterns as I stare out the night window to see the newly planted rice field just below and hear the chorus of frogs sing their melody. Now, too, is a very good life.

2010-05-24T15:20:00.002+09:00

On a Sunday afternoon

Our weekend was moved up a bit, since I had the Sports Festival at the Junior High on Saturday. The photo above was taken at home where I played with Lilica all day as torrential rains fell. We had a good time playing all sorts of games and singing different songs in both English and Japanese. She really enjoys watching the sing-a-long Sesame Street DVD I got her a while back, especially Elmo and Snuffy's number with the song "Row, row, row your boat." There's a part where Elmo climbs up on Snuffy's back and, during this viewing, Lilica climbed on my back as we sang the song. She can't say all of the words yet, but she keeps the tunes and melody perfectly. She's a natural when it comes to music.

Today, I got my multiple re-entry permit stamped on my passport in preparation for our trip to the States this August. It was so easy to acquire at the Okayama branch of the Hiroshima Regional Immigration Bureau. I think that I've been in Japan long enough and with my Japanese spousal status that I don't get any kind of hassle from the Immigration officials. They acknowledge that I'm here to stay, indefinitely. Our plans for the future aren't clear as far as what work and where we will finally make our home, that is, buy our own house, but, for now, Japan is still the place we live. Wherever we do settle down permanently, home is always the heart is.

2010-05-02T10:02:00.002+09:00

Lilica and the Bear

During a casual walk down the shopping arcade near Bikan area, Lily found this stuffed bear in front of a shop. She was very excited to see it and kept kissing and hugging it for a long time. Many people walking by stopped to say how cute she was, while the store manager smiled as she talked to a customer from the inside of her store.

Each time we go the the "Museum" area, we find new things to see and new places to explore. We always find a new place to eat lunch, too, and are truly enjoying this のんびり or laid-back city life. Kurashiki is big enough to have all of the conviniences of a city, yet still feels small, with little stressful moments or few scenes of overwhelming crowds. It's really a nice place to live and I feel very lucky to have found it for my family.

Teaching in a bigger city

2010-04-23T14:03:00.001+09:00

Kurashiki is a much more populous place than my previous Japanese residences. There are nearly 700 students at the Junior High School I'm teaching at, all of them have or will have a lesson with me and another teacher, a Japanese Teacher of English (JTE). There's a staff of seven JTEs plus me, meaning there are lots of team teaching opportunities and many fruitful experiences to be had.

Yet, something I hadn't really come across before which I see a lot of now: "bad" boys and girls. "Cliques" or, I think, cute "gangs" of kids who wish to assert their own individualities and personas. They don't conform with the school uniforms, nor the regulation hairstyles. But, I find I have some sympathy with them. I remember how hard I tried to fit in during those adolescent years and I don't blame them for their fluctuating frustrations. Everyone goes through them.

I know that some of these kids have had a hard time at home, though I'm still learning more about each child. I feel I can help them, if they ask or, at least, I can convey to them that someone, even a "foreigner," can care about them, too. I know many teachers think about how they are doing, yet most seem afraid to approach these great potentials of humanity. Any one of these boys and girls could be great successes in their lives, IF they stop and see life for what it really is: a challenge leading to growth and amazing human attainment. I hope I can get through to some of them.

2010-04-14T08:10:00.002+09:00

Weekend visit to the Bikan area, Kurashiki:

Lilica likes the 耳 or ears on these masks

This new home is beyond the expectations I could have hoped for, this peaceful, magical place called Kurashiki. Our family has settled in very well and we're branching out into our local community, one person at a time. Katsumi and Lilica took a trip yesterday to a local community center which has a children's program. It's a small place, with a few children and parents, but it's a new place my ladies can visit anytime they like and its not too far from our apartment.

Last Sunday, we visited a park in the neighborhood, too. It had a swing, a very tall slide and a rickety see-saw, but it was very fun for Lilica and a nice walk to and from for Katsumi and me. It, like some other things around here, has so much potential. I hope to take my family there often and maybe play some kind of ball game in the adjacent field.

We've come a long way and, again, the future is very bright. Our future is limitless and our passion and drive for making a better life is stronger than ever. I hope we do well here, too.

2010-04-08T08:22:00.002+09:00

Things are settling down a bit as we had our refrigerator delivered yesterday and we're making final re-arrangements of the placement of things in our new apartment. We've got the lay of the land pretty much now and Lilica's doing very well here too. Although, we're still looking for a near-by playground in our neighborhood or at least some kids Lily's age to form a new social group.

Unfortunately, Momma (my mother-in-law) is going home to Ehime today, so we're all a little sad. Yet, we're very appreciative and happy for the time and effort she spent with us in making this move and we wish her safe travels back. We couldn't have fit in here so quickly and succinctly without her help. Of course, my Mom's BIG help in funds proved to be an abundant source from which we could get the essentials, like our new bike, in order to function well here too. Our mothers are such a blessings, the angels on our shoulders.

Lilica Margarita's photos

2010-03-26T23:13:00.001+09:00

The joy of our lifetimes, Lilica Margarita Govea -

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=73735&id=610291522&l=4d25bc07c7

Dissertation for MA in TEFL, U. of Birmingham (U.K.)

2010-03-22T10:38:00.003+09:00

For anyone remotely interested, here is a link to my 99-page dissertation I wrote to complete my studies in the Master of Arts in Teahing English as a Foreign Language programme at the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom.

http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B7g4PkKvSN5lNTBjOWI2YjQtZTcxMy00YWEzLWJlNzktNWM3ZTI2ZDNjODk1&hl=en

Below is an abstract of the dissertation in 100 words:

Abstract of Dissertation

What effects do the prevalent sempai/kohai (master/apprentice or senior/junior) powerdistance relationships, especially between teachers, have on the introduction of genrestudies in Japanese EFL classrooms?

By JOHNNY MENDOZA GOVEA; A dissertation submitted on March 20, 2008 to the School of Humanities of the University of Birmingham in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL).

The four challenges of (1) teaching English through communicativemeans, (2) encouraging the hone use of communication in English, (3) utilizing the ALT effectively in the classroom, and (4) sensitizing students to the cross-cultural relationalities between how Japanese culture and English-speaking cultures perceive language use were reformulated into the dissertation question. Exploration into what power distance relationships exist and why genre studies was the focus were expounded upon through a combination of research, including informal classroom research and an online survey of native English-speaking teachers/teacher assistants. Premises gathered were streamlined to ascertain how to meet some of the above-mentioned challenges.

2010-03-17T21:06:00.002+09:00

My New Year's message, 2007: "Fuku wo maneku" or "Come happiness"

Over three years ago, I wrote this message above on January 5th in Seto, Ehime. Now, we live in Fukuda, or "happy field." Soon, we'll move to Fukushima, or "happy island." No matter where we go, we seem to find the perfect spot for more happiness.

At a new frontier

2010-03-14T12:40:00.005+09:00

Lilica posing on her Miffy tricycle near Taki-gawa stream behind our apartment

Within a few weeks, we'll pack up all of our belongings, load ourselves up in a rental car and head on out for Kurashiki, Okayama, our new home. These are exciting times, though a bit sad, since we must say goodbye to the good friends we've made here in Akaiwa.

I've loved our walks around the area, sometimes all three of us, but mostly just Lilica and I. We've ventured between many rice fields, seen different kinds of birds, streams and rivers and, always, felt the sheer power of the surrounding mountains when talking these walks. At first sight, I felt like these mountains were old "ronin," the masterless samurai that sought a retainer to commit their loyalty to. They overshadowed us with their stories of old and their legends of bravery.

Now, I know that that was just a mental reflection of how I felt, being an employee of a company so far away, yet being a teacher locally. Now, there is no conflict of loyalty, nor any doubt as to my true purpose in profession. In any case, I'll continue to strive to be my best as a teacher, a learner, a husband, a father and a human being.

Yes, Lilica, we're moving on up and the best is yet to come! Let's cruise on down that promising road together with Okaachan and keep one another company as we walk the path to success.

In transition (aka the attempt to capture this rising tide)

2010-03-09T23:25:00.000+09:00

In the quiet, white slush of night
my ladies are dreaming
Our future plans are bright
our transition, gleaming

As I reminisce of work done
and contemplate the new
I know I am the one
who will keep on shining through

A teacher is a student
a student, a teacher
beyond accounts prudent
the "human potential" feature

Humility is best
Cooperation is key
Love above the rest
Smile gratefully

wavering muse
sporadic voice
spark a new fuse
make a new choice

The new dream begins
follow the signs, live the ceremony
The new song spins
an ever-evolving harmony

Official new start on April 1st

2010-03-02T21:46:00.000+09:00

Morning view near Yoshii Junior High entrance

I can now say officially that I've have been offered a job as a Native English Teacher (NET) for the Kurashiki Board of Education and that we'll be moving the family to Kurashiki, Okayama at the end of the month. We've already arranged a moving service to help us with this move and, soon, we'll begin packing and sorting things out for this departure from Akaiwa. My 7-month term here in this amazing community has been highly fulfilling, both professionally and personally.

Lilica and Katsumi, especially, have had a chance to make some good friends here among the other neighborhood mothers and children. I've befriended not only the local children and school teachers, but also others who have shared part of their life stories with me. It's going to be hard to say good-bye to everyone around here. Yet, we'll be moving into a new position with great potential and a bright promise for our family's future. Wish us luck!

Little discoveries

2010-02-28T22:46:00.001+09:00

Lilica finds a bird design on the Yoshii manhole cover

Today, Sunday, Lily and I went for an early afternoon walk by the Yoshii River. It was partly cloudy and breezy today as we watched herons feed near the one of the streams of the river, small hawks circle above our heads and little swallows swoop this way and that in the rice fields.

Spring is coming and as we spend our best moments here, Lilica is making new discoveries about birds, words and chilli beans (without the chile, of course). She calls me "Otou" and Katsumi "Ahh-chan," based on our nicknames of "otouchan" or "daddy" and "okaachan" or "mommy." Yet, she can perfectly pronounce the nicknames of "Obaachan" and "Nana" with ease, those of her two grandmothers. I guess she feels very loved and close to us and she makes us smile and laugh every day.

Our little runner

Fun despite fires

2010-02-21T23:15:00.000+09:00

Lilica trying on my UTEP cap

We had a very good weekend, despite the Sunday burning of river weeds from Takiyama, past our apartment complex, down to the Yoshii River. This happened in the morning, with a few days' warning, so we heading out for shopping during that time. When we returned home for lunch, the fires had almost subsided, but the ash from them was everywhere.

Apparently, this is the way the townspeople clear out all of the brush and weeds that grow along the rivers and streams. I was completely surprised by it when we first saw these fires a few weeks ago, while driving through the Mimasaka area of Yoshii River. It's an interesting way of renewal and natural fertilization, though it robs a day's chance to dry clothes on the line and air out futons. And the smoke is considerably dense and obtrusive along some major roads around here, too. But, we seem to be the only family not used to it. Live and learn, I suppose.

Spring will come sooner or later

2010-02-13T12:02:00.000+09:00

Lilica brushing her pearly whites Saturday morning

Today is a beautiful day! I put out Lilica's Doll's Festial display, in its glass case.

Katsumi and I cleaned up around the apartment to welcome some guests this morning, too. The process has begun. Everything is falling into place.

New beginnings, here we come.

"Cinderalla" Lilica

2010-02-09T20:40:00.000+09:00

Lilica trying on Okaachan's slippers

Recently, Lilica loves to walk around in either her Okaachan's or my slippers. When she tries on mine, she has to be careful to balance herself because they are way too big for her feet.

Our little girl has a "baby"

2010-02-08T22:50:00.000+09:00

Lilica caring for her Miffy doll

At over 1 year, 7 months, our little Lilica Margarita has now found her own motherly instincts kicking in through the care of her Miffy doll. For those that don't know, Miffy

is a rabbit character from Holland that is very popular in Japan. We can see the weekly broadcast of the 5-minute Miffy episode every Sunday evening. Lily likes the music more than anything else.

Lilica is something special. She makes me very proud and both Katsumi and I very happy. I hope all of the best things in this life can come her way. I'll work hard to make sure this happens.

Beginning anew

2010-02-02T22:19:00.000+09:00

平成２２．２月２日(Heisei 22, 2 gatsu, 2 nichi) =　February 2nd, 2010

So, here, I begin a new blog as a continuation from my previous one on Myspace. I'll update once a week or so, as I can, and connect with more friends and familia this way through sharing my thoughts and impressions of this world.

In this way, I'll continue on this discovery of self and of life as I lead my family along this journey and mark my rise through the existence of the life-light force that surges within me. All blessings to all of my relations, to the ancestors who came before me and to the decendants of our daughter Lilica Margarita who are waiting their turn. Thank you Great Spirit. OMATEOTL