Another Perspective (Video)

This video was so fun, I had to share :)

(Not) Easy Japaneasy

These days I've been hitting the Japanese textbooks again. There are just over 100 days until the big, annual proficiency test and I have sworn to pass this time. When I took it in 2006, I was a bit distracted with grad school, and last year I thought since I use Japanese at work all the time that it would be enough that I didn't really need to study. However, racing against the clock to take a language test in a stuffy room with dozens, (or, depending on the venue, even hundreds) of other people, I realize that I need to study specifically for this exam.



Two weeks ago I searched out the language schools that offered classes specifically for this test, and then narrowed down the choices to convenient locations and realistic class times. It came down to a school that offered 90 min private lessons on Monday and Wednesday nights, or a 3-hour class on Saturday mornings.

Saturday morning with no cartoons
First I tried the Saturday class. Waking up before 7am on a Saturday felt horrible, and getting on the same train I take to work on weekdays made the experience that much worse. However, when I got to the class, I found the other students to be at about the same level as I am and the teacher to be excellent. The teacher knew the test inside-and-out, and let us know what vocabulary or grammar points to expect, what year certain expressions had first appeared on the test, different strategies for studying and when taking the actual test. I walked out of there feeling energized more than anything.

"I hate Mondays" -Garfield the cat
Then came the Monday class. After work I jumped on the subway and met a friend for dinner before class. I thought it would be a bonus taking classes at this place just because I'd be able to meet my friend more often. The class started at 8pm so I headed over and met the teacher. Since it was just a free trial lesson, the class was only 45 minutes. She had me read a few paragraphs from a book I had brought, then confirmed when I answered the questions correctly. Then I read the next paragraph and answered the questions. The teacher made a few comments, but I really felt like I could do this on my own. After the class I politely declined to sign up and decided to go with the Saturday classes.

Discovery
However, I still felt like one day a week wouldn't be enough to pass the test, so I also found some volunteer groups that teach Japanese on weekday evenings. These groups proclaim that they are not "professional language teachers" but they are happy to help foreigners with daily issues (like contacting the phone company or getting cable, whatever) or to study Japanese. One group is on Tuesday nights at city hall near where I live so I went there last night. The group turned out to be excellent and they ask a mere $3 per month for room fees and making photocopies of handouts, etc. One woman said she would be my personal volunteer and she would even be happy to answer questions if I had some during the week, such as if I wanted to write a letter or send an e-mail in Japanese and needed her to check it. I was completely amazed and very glad I had not signed up for the private lessons.

So in the end, I'll take the Saturday morning class and attend the volunteer group on Tuesday and maybe one other volunteer group on a different night (I was quite surprised to find many of these nearby). With this, I should be ready for that test on December 7th. Wish me luck!

Things are moving ahead with my transfer into the Urban Environment section, which I previously wrote about here, and it should be decided by the end of next month. That means there is lots of negotiating to do over the next few weeks and, as a result, going on vacation to China for nearly 3 weeks might have to be cut a little short.

So now I'm deciding whether to still go to Beijing and Dalian for a couple days and cut out Xi'an, or just go to Dalian for a week or so. I didn't get to see Dalian very much last time, not to mention it was November and freezing cold, so that could be a worthy choice.

On the other hand, it would be pretty cool to be in Beijing and see some of the sights. I'm not usually one for sightseeing, per se, but having studied Chinese history, it seems less like "tourist attraction" and more of closing the academic loop to extend what I’ve read in books to what I’ve seen with my own eyes; granted, this still takes some imagination since these are mostly relics now. That said, there's lots of history preserved in China—maybe more so than anywhere else in the world—and with so many pieces of the picture, it doesn’t take much to start to comprehend what “time” really means. Dalian itself is also rich in history, although not so much as a central part of Chinese history, but particularly in connection with Japan, who subjugated the peninsula after the first World War as they began to expand their territory.

Nevertheless, as interested as I am in history, I'm looking forward to the future. The new position will bring with it many new opportunities and work/projects overseas, so--at present--I'm looking forward to those experiences as well.

Update: Was told that the other section managers met to discuss my transfer and a few people argued over getting me in their section. Nice to hear. But it is pretty much decided (as per my intentions) to enter the Urban Environment section. One project manager even mentioned to me today that he has a project coming up in Brazil that he'd like me to join! Guess I'd better start practicing my Portuguese!

Offshore eyesore

I recently listened to a program discussing the Offshore Drilling proposal being debated in the US at present ("A Closer Look at Offshore Drilling" TotN 8/11). After hearing both sides of the debate and trying to stay open to the arguments, the supposed benefits just don't seem to add up.
To think this would lower the price consumers pay for energy, especially at the pump, is lofty at best. Any oil would not affect oil prices for the next 30 years according to the Department of Energy (as quoted in the program), and even then would be a pebble in the ocean.
Those supporting the option then turn to the argument that these platforms are much safer than they were 30 or 40 years ago and we should ignore the oil slicks or accept that they are just natural occurrences. A further extension of this argument says that oil barge accidents result in more oil being dumped in the ocean in a single case than over an entire year for these offshore platforms. Still another argument says that windmills kill birds too so might as well just stick with what we know. This "lesser of two evils" argument seems childishly stubborn and there are too many tar covered beaches to be duped into believing it.
On the other hand, to keep the moratorium in place and avoid having States compete over who will buy their shorelines would force us to look towards other forms of energy--for which there are many. I believe the argument comes down to "renewable" versus "non-renewable". That's been at the crux of the problem for a long time, and we've been faced with this since the 70's at the latest. So the benefit of exploiting oil resources offshore is not only at the expense of desecrating the environment, but also at the risk of putting off development of renewable energy sources even longer. At some point we have to accept that we need to move in a different direction and that it is better done now than later (see the Stern Review for more on that).
After the housing bubble, I hope people realize that they need to do something to prevent firms from feeding off what is common property (i.e. "tragedy of the commons") and exploiting what they call "externalities" (which really means taking what is not theirs), and giving very little in return or assuming they can lean on the public who will always sacrifice for the greater economic good.
Actually, the problem is not exploiting natural resources. The problem is when those resources are finite/non-renewable, dirty, and come at the expense of the public economy and general well-being. If something is renewable/sustainable, then there is a level at which we can exploit it at very near zero sacrifice. The Alaskan pipeline didn't free us from the corner we've painted ourselves in, and offshore drilling won't either. This is just new wallpaper on an old problem when, in fact, it's time to start thinking outside the box and breaking down some walls in order to construct new ones.

Caffeine Fix

At work, our department has a coffee and tea machine that spits out instant green tea, oolong or coffee, hot or iced. The tea is actually pretty good, but the coffee really leaves a lot to be desired.

Nevertheless, since people in this department are always travelling to far-and-away places, some of which have excellent coffee, they bring back little souvenirs. At some point in the last year, people started bringing back coffee from places like Lao, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Columbia, Vietnam, etc. We don't have a drip coffee maker or anything though, so I bought a coffee cup that functions as a french press. You put the coffee in the cup, fill it with hot water, then a screen fits inside the cup which you push down after a couple minutes when the coffee has brewed (see HERE if you don't get it). It makes a great cup of coffee!
Currently the largest bag of coffee is from Ethiopia, so I've been drinking that mostly. My favorite, however, is a variety pack one person brought back from Laos. It is all organic, fair trade, so-to-speak, but that's mainly because it's pretty much coming straight from the source more or less. So there's really no reason for me to hit the chain coffee shops anymore. Sorry Starbucks!

After the games

I'm currently planning a trip to China once the games are over in Beijing. I still have a visa to enter the country from last year which is valid until the end of October, so I'm taking advantage of that.
Recently, J and I watched a documentary by Discovery on the Great Wall of China. I've been fascinated by Chinese history since university and the idea of actually going to the places I've read about is a real thrill. Our plans are to go first to Beijing where J has some friends that have offered to show us around, lend us bicycles and even a vacant apartment to use while there. We'll stay for a few days and I hope to go to the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, not to mention the urban planning museum I read about recently on James Fallows blog. And of course we'll visit the Olympic facility sites and get some commemorative pictures, no doubt, where I'll be sure to wear my Beijing 2008 cap I bought last year.
After Beijing we are planning to head over to Xian where the Qin Dynasty tomb featuring all the terracotta statues of soldiers, each unique and possibly fashioned after a real person, are well-known as a tourist attraction. There is also a history museum there that got rave reviews by our friend Yang who works as a museum researcher/planner.


Finally, we'll head up to Dalian to meet family, relax and eat lots of good food--especially the fresh seafood they've got. I am also considering having more clothes tailored while there since I've been quite happy with the results so far, and that has only been through mailing my sizes and pictures to the tailor before. This time, if I can get measured in person and pick the fabrics myself, I think I'll get some really cool shirts and slacks.

Lastly, about a month ago, amongst all the pre-game rioting in Lhasa, I could hardly turn on the tv or go downtown without seeing someone in a Free Tibet t-shirt or holding up a flag. J and I talked about it a bit and I realized we had very different views of the issue. Naturally, she had been fed the Chinese historical view and has had little else to go on (nor the interest) since she was much younger. This made me realize that it was not an issue of her being unsympathetic to the issue, but that we had very different access to information. Myself, and I believe most of the Western world, is hearing the side of the story represented by political liberalism and the Dalai Lama (whom I respect), and thus feel the issue is a cut and dry case of oppression. Well, 800+ years of history is hardly ever cut and dry, so I decided to read an account of Tibetean history that would give a bit of insight into the whole issue. This is a pretty fair account of leaders and interaction between the two cultures, not to mention the role of England during their East Indian foray, that says a lot about what the relationship between the Tibetean Autonomous Region and the PRC really is. It hasn't made me think differently from before, as my core belief is that Tibet does deserve more recognition in their role--or lack thereof--in forming policy for development in line with their own distinctive culture. At the same time, the book speaks to reasons why China would claim Tibet as part of their nation and not, say, a sovereign nation that can stand completely on its own. Anyone with an interest in seeing the issue from a historical point of view before judging the current day reality should certainly consider giving the book a read. Luckily, since it's an online e-book, I thought I'd share it here:
The Snow Lion and the Dragon

Passing the Rubicon

Yesterday I finally got the good news that my company will be changing my contract so that I will officially be a consultant of the Urban Environment Section. It's been almost a year since I participated in a project in Thailand, so I was wondering when I'd be able to get my other foot in the door. Luckily, we are entering a new project cycle and I am ahead of the wave, so I'll be positioned to take part of a team on a new project.

This past week I've been doing a lot of research for a report on geology and plate tectonics around West Sumatra in Indonesia. It's been interesting to read about these beautiful places in that area, but also horrible to read about the destruction they have experienced at the mercy of Mother Nature. Since Indonesia lies along a convergence of three plates that are pushing together, another earthquake of extreme magnitude (i.e. 9+) is predicted within the next 20 years. According to Kerry Sieh, the leading expert on earthquakes (http://www.gps.caltech.edu/~sieh/publications.htm), this could happen tomorrow or it could happen 20 years from now, but it's almost certain to occur. So now the question is, how to prepare for it? How to educate people who live in this hot zone? With all the hero movies these days (Ironman, Dark Night, Hancock, etc), this is truly a story of saving the lives of an estimated 200,000. During the research, I also found a great little resource at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History (http://www.mnh.si.edu/explore.html) where you can learn about all sorts of things (and see samples and displays online) at the click of a button.