The Blues

(1) I was talking with my sister on the phone the other day and she was telling me adorable stories about my niece. One night, my sister put the Baby down to sleep.  As my sister walked out of the room, she heard my niece quietly practicing words to herself.  "B..b...b..lue.  B..lue...  Blue."

(2) BIGBANG, a Korean pop band, put out this music video entitled Blue about a week ago.  It seems someone besides my niece has been practicing how to say 'blue' as well.  I really like this song and find it wonderfully appropriate that kpop is keeping up with the current trends of my niece.

(3) The Samurai Blues played this morning (5:30 EST) and lost to Uzbekistan.  Sad day.   I was hoping for a good successful game for my boys.  Instead, most of the team will have to take their jet lagged little selves back to their various teams with only a second place finish in their group for this round of the World Cup qualifiers.

Source: Tumblr.
Photo credit: Koki NAGAHAMA

Source: Tumblr,
Photo credit: Koki NAGAHAMA

In any case, it was nice to have them back home for a few days.  I always forget how much I miss them in their roles as JNT representatives rather than Bundesliga spieler, etc until they're back in Japan.  But by the time I've rejoiced in having them back in Japan, they've already played and left again.  Such is the life of a fan in a time zone 14 hours behind.

(4) It's the last day in February. I was supposed to hear from the NSF if I was going to get the Japanese internship by the end of February. I was really hoping for that internship. Now I have to learn to deal without it. Singing my blues on repeat above.

(5) The day started out with some fabulous thunderstorms and heavy rain. I normally love rain. However, since Kato-san is currently out of commission, that meant I walked 30 minutes to work in the pouring down rain. On the other hand, this is the gorgeous view that greeted me last night when I left the lab to walk home.

Walking Home

It's near the end of February and we're experiencing some gorgeous weather.  Here is a glimpse of some of what I saw on my walk home yesterday evening.

Phoenix Rising

The Atlantic Monthly recently put out a series of before/after photographs for the Japanese tsunami from last year, March 11, 2011.

At first, I thought they were before the tsunami/ after the tsunami pictures, I compared conditions before and after and wondered what it would be like to see a scene I'm familiar with destroyed beyond recognition.  I was again humbled by the events.  

However, the pictures didn't quite jive.  Buildings that appeared in the tsunami pictures didn't exist in the non-tsunami pictures.  Now granted, I have no doubt that a tsunami that can move ships far inland can move houses and buildings with abandon.  But...

So I read the caption and realized that these were pictures of the recovery's before and after: before - March 2011 and after - January to February 2012.  

My whole perspective changed.  This is no longer a story simply of a people and a country faced with the task of picking up the pieces; this is a story of a people who have done much to rise from the ashes.  This is a story of hope and courage and of a people who have faced their challenges and are moving on.  It's a beautiful and moving commentary on the human spirit.  

I highly recommend it.  

You can view the series here.  

Of Memory and Recollection

Memories are funny things.

True story: Once upon a time, before a rugby game in college, I ran into a fence.

I remember lots of things about that event. The exclamation from my teammate when she realized the ball she kicked was going to go over to the fence; the thought that I could run and catch the ball before it did so; the impact of face against metal fence post; the immediate thought that my cheeks were now concave and not convex - all of these things are still clear.

I remember hearing my coach - usually a very 'walk it off' kind of man - running up to me as I moaned on the ground, hands over my surprisingly still intact cheek and and muttering, "I'm not getting up this time"  in anticipation of his gruff ways and how he surprised me instead by taking my face gently in his hands and looking at me before saying, "Oh, Erin, you look beautiful."

I spent that entire game on the sidelines with ice on my face and tears copiously running down my cheeks from the chilliness .  All of these details feel as though they happened just last year.  I remember the teasing from my roommates and the questions from classmates and the taunts from rugby coaches (long after the incident).  My eldest sister took me to the emergency room and asked lots of helpful questions as the doctor pushed and prodded my cheek bone and promised that I hadn't actually broken anything.  The pushing on the bone hurt so much though that I was afraid he was going to finish the task the fence hadn't accomplished.  I could actually feel my bones give under his tension - it was a very weird feeling.

All these funny little memories that gather around one single event.  I can relive the entire experience every time I so choose.

Except...

I can't remember which cheek I ran the fence into nor which eye I blackened.  Was it my left or my right?

You'd think I'd remember such an important detail in this story.  But I can't.  I honestly can't.

How could that be?  Why did my mind remember so much and capture so much of the feelings of pain and embarrassment, of the sound of my coach's voice and my teammate's exclamation?  How can I remember the clang of my face against the fence and not remember which cheek ran into that fence?

Fascinating.  Simply fascinating.

Singleness

Here's a recurring line in my life: "Now, if only we could find someone for you..."

Whenever I hear this from a happily dating friend, I smile.  They are expressing more about themselves than they are about me.  

Friends, of course, never say this to you when they are in the throes of a relationship that takes everything and gives back nothing.  They never say this when they are in an unhealthy relationship in which both parties somehow emphasize each other's weaknesses and prey on each other's worst fears.  

No, it's when they are in good relationships in which there is real communication, real friendship, and real affection.  It's when they are in relationships that allow them to be productive and successful in other aspects of their lives.  It's when they feel peace about their lives and where they are going.  They see themselves progressing in their current relationship and finding the prospect of such a journey a pleasant and exciting one.  

It's almost as though a light has switched on in their hearts and souls.  "This is it!  This is the relationship I've been seeking for and working for."  It feels like a revelation and they want to rejoice with others in this Eureka! moment.  

My friends then look over at me and see me still laboring away, single, and wish that I could be where they were.  Hence, the statement accompanied by a very sincere smile.  

I confess, there are times when I wish that I was in their shoes.  There are times when those comments get me thinking, "Yeah, where is my Prince Charming?"  And honestly, some friends are so happy in their happiness that you want to grab the nearest man in your life and see if something could work.  (reference to Dear Enemy by Jean Webster).  

The two most recent uses of this line were from some friends who, for the first times in their lives, have been in good relationships.  It's a breath of fresh air to watch them.  Also noteworthy, these are two friends who are recently out of some of the worst relationships they have been in while I have been their friend.  I watched them struggle and hurt and fought to keep them from going down spirals of self-doubt and self-criticism.  Don't misunderstand; the guys they dated were both great guys, both nice and kind, intelligent and pure in their intentions.  However, the relationships themselves were not great - a case just to show that it's not enough just to find some "nice guy".  After working and trying and feeling like they were coming up against brick walls, they were emotionally spent and exhausted.  After the relationships, I watched them learn to pick up the pieces, keep their heads up and move on.  None of it was easy.  

As a result, when my friend looked at me with that smile and I knew what  was coming next, I simply smiled back.  It's not just a matter of finding someone - it's a matter of finding the right someone.  

Right now (i.e. today), in my life, in the flurry of research, English teaching, acapella, VISAS, CBFP, and church activities, it's nice to say, "This is enough." 

Friends and Books

Last Thursday, one of my friends recommended a book to me.  He claimed it was a "laugh out loud comedy book that he could read again and again."

The book?  Leave it to Psmith by P.G. Wodehouse.

My friend also made a point to say that Wodehouse has a way with the English language which he personally feels can only be equaled in the writing of Rudyard Kipling.  I would guess he knows; he has read 92 of Wodehouse's 96 novels.

I've had friends recommend books before:

One person recommended his favorite book.  I read it, was disappointed with it and thought less of the man from then on.  It was a lot of pressure for one little book that the man had liked several years previous.

Recently, I have fared better.  One friend recommended a book.  I read it, didn't like it at all, and never thought less of the person.  In fact, when he has recommended other books, I gave them a try and found I really liked them.  Other people have recommended books that I have felt free to like or dislike with no bad feeling on either side.  (I hope)

When this friend, then, recommended Leave it to Psmith (the p is silent) I was determined to read it with an open mind and not connect him to it.

The result?

I read the book over the weekend and thoroughly enjoyed it.  In fact, I was sorry to have it come to an end, not because the plot was lacking tying up its ends but because it was a book that entertained from start to finish.

But try as I might, I could not get my friend out of my head.  I felt like I was coming to a better understanding on how he saw the world and what he truly enjoyed.  I found myself rejoicing to know such a friend as him.

Knowing Things You Didn't Know You Knew

"We never know what we know in our native language.  If someone says something wrong, we can tell that it is wrong but we usually have absolutely no idea why."  As related by a pronunciation expert.

It's true.  But thankfully, due to instruction, we can learn what we know in our native language.

Here is a new MV that Beast released for their fans on Valentine's Day:  I keep watching it on repeat because it's just so fabulous and hilarious and addictive.


This has so much Beast flavor that I think the members themselves had some distinct input into this music video.  For one, finger skateboarding and dance break?  That has boy written all over it and let's face it, Beast is pretty much all boy.

Of course, half of the fun for me in watching these videos is their liberal and often interesting use of the English language.  From even the very beginning of the song: "Love is pain.  Love is sober."  Sober?  (I think they really might be trying to say 'over' but it honestly sounds like 'sober')  Another bonus is the closing frame with the word "Easy" written out in flames.  (Is this a reference to their song about that easy girl who got away?  You really don't want your girl to have that reputation)

The chorus though is what this post is really about.
"Mystery Mystery (girl) Mystery Mystery (scene) Mystery mystery (love)"

Mystery.  Does it sound wrong to any of the rest of you English speakers?  Do you know why?

Answer: the schwa.

In order to distinguish a word, we relegate the 'e' to a schwa which is little more than an 'uh', in order to de-emphasize the non-important syllable in the word that we recognize as "mystery".   (/ˈmist(ə)rē/)

Beast, however, never puts in a schwa and the result is the fabulous music video that sounds like this:
"Miss Terry Miss Terry (girl) Miss Terry Miss Terry (scene) Miss Terry Miss Terry (love)"

Let's hope no one in Beast is using this MV to break up with Miss Terry.  Poor girl.