Here for something

I saw this link on MSN about a man "being trapped in his own skin." You can find the link here.

My first thought when hearing about this was an NPR interview on the talk show "Fresh Air," about how so many people are misdiagnosed as vegetables when they get into an accident...and the result becomes that they let the person die.

It makes me think about my own life...how I'm not really living a fruitful life right now and how I'm wasting a lot of time playing video games. I wonder if I could accomplish so much more if I was focused and had a plan of some sort or even started thinking of a plan to achieve something in life. I guess if I don't start today, then nothing will come out of this thought...

Labels: Life, news

Veteran's day

When I was kid, I thought it'd be cool to go into the army. It wasn't any grand idea about serving the country, or helping out with any war effort, but more like a big video game which I could gain skills and become some sort of officer. As I got older, I realized that people die in war and in combat and that you aren't playing for points or even a level up, but you're role is to kill people and protect those whom your fighting for.

I really didn't want to go into the army when I reached high school. I was afraid of a draft and wondered if I would even survive boot camp. But luckily no draft was ordered and I escaped with my life.

Today is Veteran's day and when I look at some of the things that people sacrificed for us in the United States, I'm always thankful that they put their lives on the line, (some even giving their lives,) so that we can have the freedom that we have today. I always loved WWII films. The strategy of war and working as a team to achieve a common goal. It's kind of like American football in some sense, except deadlier. Me being a civilian and never really sacrificing that much for my country, I really respect those who have served in the military for our country.

Even now, I wonder if some of my friends who went into the military are still living. I hope so, but I have no idea if they are or not. I can only hope and pray that they come back alive.

She and her friend are both Christian, and I wondered if it was a good idea for them to even go into the military. She is such a nice person that it's hard for me to imagine her doing the dirty work of our country. All I know is that I'm not doing much for this country and I guess the only thing that I can really do is volunteer my time and my money for causes that deserve it and spend less on myself. Not saying I do much of that, but it really makes you think about what people do for you; and the fact that you don't realize what they're doing. I hope that you'll take some time today, or even another day, to really think about what people do for you so that you can enjoy the freedoms that you have today.

Since I'm part Japanese, and some of the people that go to my church fought in WWII in the 442nd regiment, I thought that it'd be nice to post a link to some info about them. While they are only a small part of the service that has been done in this country, I hope that you will take some time to read about some history of the wars in the present and in the past. I can't stress enough how much we owe all the veterans.

Labels: holidays, Life

There's times when I wonder why God has placed me on this earth...today was one of them. It seems like things build up in my life and I don't diffuse it early enough, and it becomes a huge explosion that causes lots of burns in my life. Anyway, I don't think that I handled it very well today, but oh well...got to forgive, pray, and get better over the weekend.

I sometimes wonder how things would be with the people that I know if I wasn't part of their lives.
Anyway, nothing serious, just blew up today and said some things that may have caused people to not feel so good.

Learn from your experiences and don't let history repeat itself.

Labels: Life

Didn't God die and rise again for them too?

Our bible study is going through this book called, "The Ragamuffin gospel," by Brennan Manning. I must say that I've only read the first two chapters and I find that I am agreeing a lot about what he is saying.

God loves everyone (sinners)
God loves not only the "good" people, but the "bad" people as well
God is a God of grace and Mercy and not an accountant looking to be repaid for your sins
God loves the outcasts, prostitutes, Money grubbers and IRS agents, homosexuals

Etc.

I must say this book really brought back some of the love that I felt from God when I first experienced Him at AACF. Granted not all AACF members are loving or accepting, but there were key players that played a big part in my life and I felt that I could actually be myself for once.

However, as I got out of college I found that the world is a very unforgiving and cold place to be in. I always wondered why it seemed like the youth had more fire in their bellies than the career aged people. I told myself that I'd never be like that, but I found that when I started a job and had less time, I took my eyes off of God and put it more on this world.

Anyway, a long story short, I became like everyone else in this world and not much like God's personality.

I found that in the first chapter, he hits one of the things I was struggling with which was grace from God and not judgment for my wrongs. I felt that I couldn't be forgiven for the wrongs I had done or what other people thought of me. So I'm glad we're reading this book.

Anyway, it also brings up a good point that I need to love those around me and try to at least pray for them. Because God loves everyone. And even though I'm struggling with loving my neighbors as myself, or treating people the same way I would like to be treated, I find that God loves them just as much as He loves me.

I know that in the future, what we accomplished on earth or all the money we made or things we collected or own won't be worth anything in comparison to knowing God. As Paul wrote, "I count them all rubbish in comparison to knowing God."

I guess I have things to work on in accepting people as they are. I wonder exactly what I'll be doing in God's kingdom when heaven comes. But whatever it is, I'll be happy that I'll be with the Lord. Hopefully...heh

Labels: faith, Life, work

When the Last Sword is Drawn

I watched this movie with my dad tonight. I was really impressed with this movie as I felt that it captured a lot of Japanese culture in the sense of honor and tradition of the Samurai. You can find this link to Amazon.com here.

The movie seemed to really get at the heart of the traditional samurai and a "true" samurai. One of the first scenes of the movie has the two main characters drawing swords at one another with one samurai intent to kill the other. What happens next, I will let you find out.

The heart of the movie is about the changing times from Samurai times (Tokugawa era) to Meiji era where Samurai means nothing anymore. The Shogun will lose his power and the emperor will be restored to power (basically the changing of the times at that time.) The Shogun government fights this and resists the southwestern clans raising up the emperor.

A note, in the Meiji era, it became the Meiji era because of Commodore Perry from America who blasted the land from afar with cannons on boats and showed that the power of new technology is superior to the old way of swords and bushido. Because of that event of being helpless to the western technology and will, Japan adopted a new way of life so that they could become more "modern."

Also another note, a lot of farmers moved out of Japan during the Meiji era and settled in Hawaii and the west coast of America because to fund the Meiji Restoration, middle class farmers were taxed heavily. So a lot of them moved to America because they heard stories of people coming back rich.

Anyway back to the movie...it was a great movie. I really liked it and I feel like I can relate to the main character in his stubbornness and sense of duty to his country. The main character didn't earn much and had to go to an extreme of leaving his clan for a reason explained in the latter parts of the movie. In the beginning I was perplexed as to why he left his family. They were worse off when he left and it was a mystery to me throughout the whole movie until the end. But all I can say is that he did it because he had to. There was no other choice as it seemed. And he and they sacrificed much to keep on living.

The movie does get slow at times and the story bounces back and forth through flashbacks and different points of time not in chronological order which can be confusing but understable as those points reveal plot points.

Overall, I really enjoyed this movie. See it on netflix if you have it. The movie is called, "When the last sword is drawn." Maybe it's because I can relate to some of it that I really liked it. It has a lot of Japanese culture in it. But maybe because I feel like so many people sacrificed much for me (a descendant) in my recent family history that I feel like I owe them more than I'm giving them right now.

A line from the movie was, "Get ahead of the times...Go wild. Bloom." I won't spoil the movie for you by telling you what that means, but it does mean a lot in the movie. Part of me wishes that I was more disciplined in my life. But wishing will never make reality happen.

In economics, we learn that money spent here is money you could have spent elsewhere. You can apply that to time. Time you spent here, could have been spent elsewhere. And that's part of what sacrifice is all about. What are you willing to sacrifice for your future and your descendants or for other people? It's not about giving something up, but creating something worthwhile in the time, money, and everything you've got to put it to good use for a common goal.

I keep on asking what I want to do with my life. But I know what I need to do first before I seek out what I want to do.

Labels: culture, Japan, Life, movies

The Ramen Girl reviews on Amazon

If you go to www.amazon.com, or easier by following this link, they have a great review by this person named "go fish." He/she captured what the movie was all about and reviews it a lot better than I do. Anyone who has lived in both Japan and America can relate to this movie. I really liked this movie and hope that the screenwriters will write more about Japan and America and the cultural differences in movie format. =)

Labels: culture, Japan, movies

Temptations of WoW

Even though nobody is playing World of Warcraft in my guild, I'm finding that I want to log in to play the Hallow's end holiday event when it hits October 18th, but I won't.

It seems like nobody in my guild is playing as they're all the same level as they were before, except for one person. With new challenges in life and new babies being born I guess nobody has time to waste on things that don't matter.


The Ramen Girl

Anyway, was reminded of Japan again when my parents were watching this movie called, "the Ramen Girl." Okay movie, but would have been way better if they kept the deleted scenes in the movie. Most of the movie left plot holes that were explained in the deleted scenes. The deleted scenes would have made the movie a lot darker and kept the movie longer than most people could handle, but I would have liked the movie a lot more with them in. Maybe that's just me.

The Ramen Girl, however, is a light hearted movie which shows part of Japan's culture in putting everything into their work or life, (their work being their life.) Definitely this movie is all about "heart" as the ramen shop owner who is training the ramen girl puts everything on the line for her while the ramen girl needs to adapt to Japanese culture. Culture clashes and anger arise, but in the midst of it you see that both of them are trying to help one another in the end. As you go along in the movie, you see that both chef and student need one another because they both need to change. Both are stubborn and are missing something in their lives because they just can't seem to do what they got to do.

A tagline from the movie was, "In food as in life, sometimes the missing ingredient is love." In this crazy fast paced world it's easy to go on with your life and forget what or who are most important to you. Maybe that's saying too much for this movie as it didn't really get that deep into that, but in Japan, sometimes that's as deep as you'll get. However, the movie did really get to what mattered most to them in the end.

To get to know a person in Japan is really difficult, because of all the safeguards a Japanese person has. Sometimes you need to share a moment in what someone really loves to do...whether it be drinking or an activity that shows their heart, like cooking. Whatever it is, people do not open up too easily in Japan and culture definitely keeps Japanese reserved. Sometimes you can't do what you want to do in Japan, but must follow the rules. It's complicated, but as a westerner, you can express who you are even in the midst of the norms and traditions. This movie is an expression of that, being who you are in the midst of the norms, yet experiencing reservedness and conflict in being different. However, it is also a mix of conforming to the norms, because that's how you get through life sometimes.

Anyway check it out on netflix if you're interested. I liked the movie. IMDB has a page on it found here. Definitely reminded me of Japan. However, if you haven't been there, you may wonder why everything is the way it is in the movie. The movie stays true to Japanese culture and misconceptions from westerners and some foreign attitudes in Japan. However, in the deleted scenes, it shows the darkness that is prevalent in Japan, which is true of all places that people anywhere don't like to talk about.

Labels: Japan, movies, World of Warcraft