We Are Shaped by Our Thoughts

Japan – Day 2, Part 3

In Day 2, Part 2 (“Basaball, She Be My Life” – remember that phrase?), TO and I had just finished our trip to the mountain lake where we enjoyed lunch and scenery. On the way back down the mountain, we got off the bus half-way to visit a Buddhist monastery.

As we waited for the light to change before crossing the street (in itself now an unusual characteristic for me), I saw a store with a huge dragon made of paper.

We crossed the street, then a small bridge over a stream, and up a walk-way toward the back (rustic) entrance to the monastery.

We passed through this ancient gate…

…and then past some fields of wild flowers.

By now I was tired and didn’t feel like anything strenuous. That’s when I saw the stairs we were heading for. I didn’t really want to climb them but I certainly wasn’t going to complain in front of my older friend who was about to race up.

Some ways up these stairs we came to a small graveyard.

I commented that they seemed very close together, and TO said that in Japan it is required by law that everyone be cremated, something I hadn’t known.

Not having to wonder how far we had to go,…

…we climbed the rest of the stairs, then followed the path along a little ridge until we had the following view:

I stood there looking at the scene while TO explained it to me. This is the typical satoyama. “Sato” means livable area and “yama” means mountain. The word “satoyama” expresses a philosophy of having small agricultural areas next to mountains that demonstrates the harmony that can be achieved between people and their needs to grow things to eat and the surrounding natural area that they do not need to destroy.

A little further on we came to a small children’s park where there were clay (or whatever) sit-on statues of camels, giraffes, and kangaroos, all of which, as we know, flourish in Japan.

After consulting a map so we wouldn’t get lost,…

…we headed up towards, and finally arrived at, the monastery area.

Before entering the monastery itself, we stopped at the entrance fountain to wash our hands, as dictated by tradition.

Up ahead we saw the actual entrance to the monastery itself…

…with the traditional incense burner…

…where we had our picture taken, just in case we were to disappear.

We attended a Buddhist ceremony with many other visitors. I refrained from taking photos but did not refrain from obtain a video surreptitiously. Let me know if you want to see it when I return.

So now we’re heading down via a different route, which began with steep stairs. As I was a bit unsteady, I hung onto the hand rail for dear life.

At the bottom of the stairs we walked along a small path and saw more beautiful flowers.

To our right was a small drainage creek.

What do you NOT see in this picture? The correct answer is litter.

There was, of course, a “do not litter” sign on the fence,…

…but the difference between Japan and China is that in Japan, the people obey these signs and don’t litter. Indeed, I saw very little littler in the streets, fields, or anywhere in Japan. The evidence of litter in China is reduced thanks to the many people employed to pick it up. Not everyone in China litters, however. Many times I have seen individuals actively seek out trash receptacles, but there definitely is a large portion of the population who tosses cigarette and candy wrappers onto the sidewalk.

I think littering and other societal phenomena are self-perpetuating. If one lives in a society where very few people litter (and thus such actions are frowned upon), it becomes more second-nature to discard trash into cans on the sidewalk. If you’re living in a society where a large percentage litter, you are more inclined to adopt the more convenient habit of tossing trash off to the side with little concern about where it ends up. I felt these different tendencies myself in the two environments (China and Japan). Thus living in a clean and neat society tends to create the desire to keep it neat, but living in a messy society requires more mental and physical effort to buck the trend and to carry your trash until you find a suitable receptacle. Such behavior tendencies extend to jaywalking and other things, thus making us products of our environment and not vice versa. It’s only because of my personal experience with bike crashes that I always wear a helmet, despite the fact that only 5 of us in Beijing do.

We passed a couple cherry trees whose blossoms were coming to an end,…

…some Photinia,…

…and some other flowering shrub.

Then I was delightfully surprised to come upon a tree I hadn’t seen since leaving my own yard in Virginia. This is a special split-leaf Japanese maple with very special leaves. It is relatively rare in the U.S., and I’ve seen no other outside my own yard until now. Obviously, it’s more common in Japan.

All in all, it was a splendid day. TO dropped me off at my hotel for a short rest before he picked me up for dinner.

保罗

Passengers Will Please Refrain

First, let me comment on the news ever so briefly. Really bad about Detroit, but if there’s a silver lining, it’s that CNN and MSNBC have finally reduced their coverage of the Zimmerman trial. Now I see they’re on to the mayor of San Diego and the would-be mayor of New York. What’s really sad is that we probably ARE the best country on Earth.

Anyway, the news of my demise has been greatly exaggerated. I took a 5-day trip to Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Macao, then came back. I decided to ride the high-speed train both ways (8 hours each way). I’ll tell you all about that trip once I’ve finished Japan and Guanxi (if that ever happens). It was a wonderful trip and I got a chance to spend some solid time with one of my TJ students and her family. We took the train together back to Beijing.

When I got back to Beijing, I discovered I had to give 4 presentations in 7 days, so that occupied all my waking time. During the same period, I came down with the worst cold I’ve had in many years. I’m in my 3rd week of it, I think, and though it’s steadily getting better, it’s amazing how many tissues I go through. Here’s my small waste basket in my office:

By now some of my TJ students should be doctors, so can one of you tell me why my right nostril is sort of stuffed and my left one is running to beat the band? Why the disparity? Regardless, I have only 3 options: (1) constantly (every minute or two) blow my nose on these flimsy tissues they have in China, (2) lay on my back so the mucous can drain into my through only to be swallowed shortly thereafter, or (3) stuff a tissue into my left nostril and leave it there. Depending on my needs and mood, I use all three (not simultaneously). (Sorry I have no photos of these options.)

It hasn’t been the dull, lonely summer I had expected, what with constant speaking engagements, dinners, and other stuff – I’ll fill you in later – but I haven’t had much energy, thanks to my cold, and whenever I’ve finished an obligatory event, I crash and take a nap.

So, let’s get back to Japan, and then I can tell you about the movie they made about me.

保罗

The Age of Innocence

I had a birthday a few weeks ago. It’s not my favorite holiday and, in truth, I stopped really celebrating my birthday internally when I turned 22. At that time, I liked myself (sort of, with “a few” exceptions) and thought if I stopped celebrating my birthday I would not get any older and my personality would not change. The first assumption turned out to be clearly false, but most of the personalities and values I acquired by 22 have stuck, for good or bad.

On my birthday one of the teachers gave me a cute eating utensil set. I guess she objected to the 25-cent forks I had.

One of the clubs at school was selling fans that were hand drawn by the students as a fundraiser. I bought myself a present for an outrageous $8. The student who drew the characters translated them as follows: “You are unique in this world and you can master the tranquility of nature.” Seems like a lot for just 4 characters. Maybe she recognized me for the gullible guy that I am.

A couple days after my birthday I received a few cards. How wonderful! I put them on my kitchen table to remind me that there are a couple people out there who remember who I am.

Then, just a few days ago, boom! I get a whole bunch of cards in the mail, including a cool book from my sister, one that will help me pass the summer in the park.

I also received a new painting from my granddaughter, who clearly is entering her Georgia O’Keeffe phase.

I don’t know where they were. I’ve been going to the mail room every other day but saw nothing until they all came in at once. (There’s an old song that goes “I’d like to get you on a slow boat to China.”)

I’m usually not sentimental about these things, but, being isolated here, I decided to decorate the doorway to my office with the cards. Let me know if you’ve sent one but don’t see it here.

I’m sending the list of people who sent me a card to Sandy so she’ll know whose have arrived. There is one card (below) that arrived unsigned. Yours? It’s from Trader Joe’s.

Envelopes got separated from the cards – in a rather violent way, in some cases. I was laying in bed opening them, and as I would tear one open, occasionally the envelope went flying across the room with the card still in my hand.

Anyway, I want to thank all you sincerely and deeply for the cards and notes contained therein. If you know someone overseas, in the military or otherwise, please don’t underestimate the the value that even just a simple note carries. Context is everything.

In addition to the cards and book, something else very special arrived in the pack: a long, warm, and newsy handwritten letter from a wonderful former student. All teachers will tell you that this is what we live for. If I had a way to laminate it (which I don’t, at this silly school), I’d do so and put it on my wall. Thank you, GH, for being as wonderful as you are.

I know that we all think about writing someone now and then but put it off because we’re so busy answering cell phones (!), but we should work harder at slowing down and taking 5 minutes to send an email we’ve been putting off. I know I have about 20 I need to send (but I’m too busy mopping floors, washing clothes, dodging cars and lugies, etc.)

Lots going on here that I’ll try to relate in between descriptions of Japan and Guanxi.

保罗