"American Music"
Do you like amercan music
I like american music
don't you like american music baby
I want you to hold me
I want your arms around me
I want you to hold me baby
did you do too many drugs
I did too many drugs
did you do too many drugs too baby
you were born too late
I was born too soon
but every time I look at that ugly moon
it reminds me of you
it reminds me of you ooh ooh ooh
I need a date to the prom
would you like to come along
but nobody would go to the prom with me baby
they didn't like american music
they never heard american music
they didn't know the music was in my soul baby
Ok... enough of the Violent Femmes lyrics. I am home in America now. Break has started, but more importantly: Fall 2006 Study Abroad TUJ has come to an end.
I have made relationships that are so powerful and I know these people will be in my life forever. This exposure to Japan and Asian culture has opened up a curiousty that I only want to contiune exploring. I have found so many loves from people, to enviornments. I feel lucky and honored every day. I will always have the impact that these relationships have left, and I am able to come back to Japan for another semester. A semester that will be different than this one that just concluded. I will be working in Shibuya for a Tokyo based website launching in the begining of the year, I am living in an apartment near the transportation and nightlife area of Shinjuku. Truely an independent experience. However, nothing will every compare to sharing a space with people that have become my best friends. Being able to feed off of their explorations and curiousity of Japan allowed me to discover twice as much (or 70 times as much) than I would have on my own. Sakura House was an amazing experience. Everyday I will miss living with my friends.
It is great to be at home and to see everyone that I love. It is a great feeling to see everything that is stable in my life. I am glad to be celebrating the holidays with my family that I have missed so much. in my house, which is so beauitful and cozy especially this time of the year. I can't wait to celebrate New Year with Thom and all of my friends from philly.
Jan 5th, Watch out Japan.... I am coming back!
Change of plans...
Going to Temple University, I was aware of their abroad programs and how easy it was, being a Temple Student, to go abroad. When I orginally applied for Temple University Japan, I only had plans to stay one semester. And then once I was here, and became compeltly curious by the cutlure, in love with the city, and found amazing relationships, I applied to stay for the entire school year. While registering for class, I realized a class was being offered that would allow me to learn about non profit orgainzations, and then at the end of the semester I would be sent to India to work along side of one. I applied, and got accepted! More to it then that, Phillp Morris (that fabulous company) is paying for me to go! And when I saw pay, I mean flight, housing, food, admission fees, etc!
So here I am , going to back in the states in a few days, but now I am going to be returning back to Japan, and before I head home for good, I will be off to India! So I have had a change of plans, but I can only hope that means more memories, more impacts, more amazing oppurtunities!
Here is a little but more about the class I am taking:
NGOs and International Development
This course will give the students a comparative overview of development theory, with a focus on Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs) in/and South Asia. The students will be introduced to the main theoretical perspectives in development studies and encouraged to view development issues from various viewpoints, including the social, economic, political, and historical. The concept of "development" itself, as well as the interlocking set of circumstances that have helped make certain states developed and kept others from becoming developed will be discussed and the impact of globalization on poverty, and the situation of the absolute poor, will be highlighted. Two weeks of NGO volunteer work in India at a designated time after the end of the semester The grant from Phillip Morris will cover students’ travel to India and back, local transportation within India, lodging, food, admission fees, etc. Students will be responsible for their own incidentals, souvenir purchases, film and other personal expenses.
Faced Death by Fugu
Takifugu is a genus of pufferfish, often better known by the Japanese name Fugu (Japanese: 河豚, literally "river pig").
The fish is highly toxic, but despite this — or perhaps because of it — it is considered a delicacy in Japan. The fish contains lethal amounts of the poison tetrodotoxin in the internal organs, especially the liver and the ovaries, but also in the skin and the testicles. Therefore, only specially licensed chefs can prepare and sell fugu to the public, and the consumption of the liver and ovaries is forbidden. But because small amounts of the poison give a special desired sensation on the tongue, these parts are considered the most delicious by some gourmets. Every year a number of people die because they underestimate the amount of poison in the consumed fish parts.
The poison paralyzes the muscles while the victim stays fully conscious, and eventually dies from asphyxiation. There is currently no antidote, and the standard medical approach is to try to support the respiratory and circulatory system until the effect of the poison wears off. The fish is also featured prominently in Japanese art and culture.
**Compliments of Wikipedia.org
I ate it, I loved, and it was delicious!!
(let's hope it doesn't have a delayed reaction.... :) )
