Last day of April

PLEASE NOTE: I have not had the chance to watermark all of my photos, and it will take me a great deal of time, as I published this and my other blogs between 2010-2017. I ask you to respect my property. Feel free to use them as long as you credit me as follows: Photo by Jody McBrien, learningtheworld.org. Thank you.


We've had a lovely quiet weekday after a very busy week for me. This morning is a sunny one of 61 degrees F. It should go up to mid-70s today, so we'll get out of here for a good walk. I've lost 7 pounds from all the healthy walking (with lots more to go - walking and weight 😊 ).

I chatted with friend Eric and my mom on FB this morning. Mom said it was 90-something degrees there today. I'll take the 75 here today! It is really fun to enjoy a real spring this year. I'll post a few more photos in this entry taken from the past couple weeks. Today I want to walk around and see more of the azaleas that are coming out on campus.

Scenes on campus

Mom recommended a show on PBS called Spectrum: A Story of the Mind (http://www.pbs.org/program/spectrum-story-mind/) about autistic perception. I really enjoyed it. I need reminders about how challenging it is for people on the spectrum to live in this society we have created. For many, it's not a disability (except that it is socially in the one of many possible worlds we have created); it is a difference in the way people perceive the world. But to live in this society, most need support because our governments only seem to value those people that they can get to work to grow the economy. And that's just getting worse, especially with the current government. Brendan has a swim test and interview coming up in May at the Georgia Aquarium. I hope that the people will see the value Brendan can bring to the job.

I am missing my UU (Unitarian Universalism) service today and my friends there - Wilda, Bill, Louise, and others. I am busier here than I anticipated with my one class, research that has me lost and crushed on transportation for hours, hours of transcribing interviews, and hours planning out the transportation and activities and how to get to them. But I am finding some spiritual  quiet in the natural beauty of my side trips to shrines and parks. The Japanese greatly value the beauty of nature, and I also find it healing.

Temple prayers and requests

Later, back at the ranch...

We took that walk and found that the neighborhood 7-11 (really) is only a 10-minute walk from our apartment, so we can always go there to pick up things when we don't feel like a bus ride to Hachioji and a real grocery store. We heard noise coming from the area of the gym, so we headed over to see what was going on. We found the tennis courts and baseball stadium. We also saw something going on at another athletic field, so we stopped and tried to figure out what on earth it was. Never did figure it out, but after a few minutes, a student came over and said we weren't supposed to be there. I'm sure he didn't know I was a visiting professor - we couldn't communicate - but he might have been shocked at that anyway, as I was in shorts. So we just left.

I was reminded of the song "Signs, Signs, Everywhere a Sign (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLm3HMG8IhM), but we can't even read the signs! What was the problem with us watching and trying to figure out this event?

More pretty shots of the awakening azaleas on our walk home --

When we get back from Hong Hong, I have to make an appointment with Victor, a Japanese-American professor in the Faculty of Education, to get some advice on Japanese etiquette...

Next week will be very busy. After class on Monday afternoon, Dick and I have to scramble to get the right train to get the right bus to get to a hotel near Narita (airport). It takes nearly 3 hours to get to the airport, so we have to do it the night before to catch a 9am flight. On Tuesday morning, we fly to Hong Kong for the week.  After we figure out how to get to the hotel, we will meet up with my friend Greg and his husband Sean for a walk and dinner. Then Wednesday-Friday, I'll be working with my colleague Tracey (we went to Emory together) on a terrific global education research project she is leading. I'll have the evenings and Saturday to see some of the island with Dick. If the weather will be good, I'm thinking I'd like to go on the watch to see pink dolphins (yes, they really are pink).

Meanwhile, I am hoping my right shoulder and upper arm stop throbbing. I'm sure it's from constantly carting my backpack around the city and from typing at a very un-ergonomic position. I may have to splurge on a massage.

After nearly a month, I will try to put some of my thoughts in as a global traveler. I've figured out that I've been to over 40 countries in my life (so far!) and some of them many times. I've lived in the US, Ireland, New Zealand, and now Japan. Here are some things I've learned (some mentioned in past posts):

1. I love simplicity. When all I can bring to live on must fit into an average sized suitcase, I am happy. Far fewer decisions on what to wear. Far easier to clean (this current place takes me under an hour; my Florida home? Three hours.) More quiet. Far less TV. More nature. No car! Fewer decisions. More peace. More appreciation.

2. Although I am a real loner, I need my friends. People are kind here, but no one (aside from Marc and his wife) has invited us out. I'm not one into lots of frivolous chat or frequent parties, but I miss my weekly walks with Becky, a good tete-a-tete with Rebecca, raising a glass with Bill and Wilda, and gathering occasionally with Kathy and Jeanine and Bud. I miss Roger's gentle humor in his sermons and Louise's smile. I miss my furball, Aura. I am very good at adapting, moving on, leaving behind with many things, but I recognize that I do still need a small group of friends who can  understand me and accept me as I am.

3. When in doubt, pay attention. Remember. Especially when you can't ask because of language barriers, observe. In Japan, sumimasen is probably the most helpful word in the vocabulary. It means "Excuse me," or "Oh, sorry!"

4. In spite of my relative expertise at multiculturalism, I will make mistakes, so I need to learn how to deal with them. Japanese society, I was told yesterday in an interview, is not very flexible. But it's not something I can take a course on to get it right. Observing, paying attention, goes a long way in social cues, but it isn't enough. For instance, I was given directions about how to cancel a class and when I could make it up. I took it at face value and planned an early make-up class with my students so Dick and I could travel towards Narita earlier in the day. Mistake! I should have had it approved first by administration, and I should not have made it with little time to spare. Though not really my fault, I apologized, canceled the make-up, and will scramble to get to Tokyo Monday night.

5. When frustrated, find peace. For me it is usually nature - the latest  beautiful flowers, seeing the mountains in the distance, enjoying the water and the birds and a blue sky or interesting clouds. I also find myself using meditation techniques to release tension and recognize my privilege. For Dick, it seems to be looking up films, enjoying videos, and spending time on Facebook. I learn more about how it is our response, not our circumstances, that make or break our peace of mind. I'm a real novice at it, but when I can do it, it helps.

6. Use all these experiences when meeting strangers and visitors. Don't assume the worst. Instead, recognize the struggle. Especially with immigrants and refugees, know they are trying very hard. It is not easy. Be kind, be helpful. As an immigrant myself right now in a place where I only have a beginner's vocabulary (and am I ever glad I at least have that!), I can tell you that such kindness makes all the difference.

NOTE: July 2018 date on post is republish date, not date of the event.