January 2005

Inside this Issue:

  • What Happened in January
  • A Vacation in Pictures
  • 2004
  • 2005
  • Links O' Plenty
  • Natsume Soseki
  • Thailand's Treats

睦月 (MUTSUKI) - JANUARY

Welcome back everyone to another year. I hope everyone's holiday was refreshing and fulfilling?I'm sure you're thinking of your next already. Well… time flies. We've already finished the first month of the new year, so I hope those resolutions are in full swing. Personally, it's been a pretty foul start to the year due to illness. I won't bore you with the details, but let's just say that I hope you are all spared from having an endoscope rammed down your throat for many years. Here's to the new year everyone. Make the most of it. Steve

WHAT HAPPENED IN JANUARY

  • Mahmoud Abbas won the Palestinian Presidential election.
  • The largest passenger aircraft, the AIRBUS A380,which can carry up to 800 passengers, was released in France.
  • A joint European-American space mission sees the Huygens-Cassini probe land on Saturn`s moon Titan, and beam back invaluable pictures and sounds.
  • The Asian Tsunami death toll soars to more than 220,000 people (as of January24).
  • A peace agreement was signed in Sudan, which is aimed at ending the conflict in the south of the country. The conflict claimed 2 million lives and created more than a million refugees.
  • A bushfire destroyed 80,000 hectares of land, caused $50m of damage to houses and stock, and killed 9 people in South Australia.

A Vacation in pictures by Tristan Newton

(To Right) The lovely Hoi An at dusk. Great cheap food, tailors and nice beaches. I recommend this place to anyone planning to visit Vietnam… especially you Tony.

　

(To Left) This is the Mekong Delta in the south and this pretty much sums up the place. It's a fascinating place to visit and I wish I had more time to enjoy it at a leisurely pace.

(To Right) The best part about being at Angkor Wat so early in the morning was that I could wander through the galleries alone and get this good picture.
(To Left) Angkor Wat at dawn. I got up around 5am for this shot and I had to ask myself, after standing around for nearly an hour with another 30 or so Japanese cameramen, was it worth it… I'll let you be the judge.

IMAGES AND EVENTS YOU MAY REMEMBER

2004

Favourite movie: Pirates of the Caribbean - probably made before 2004 but I only watched it for the first time last year. Jason K.

Can you believe I didn't see a movie in 2004? Anon.

Hmm... definitely not 'Meet the Fockers'. `Talk to Her' I think. Lorna

Collateral (cuz of Tom, of course) Steve D.

They were mostly crap. I haven't seen a good movie since the early 90s. Actually, Kill Bill Volume 2 was fun. Tony

After having looked through 2004 movie lists and realizing that I haven't even heard of half of them, I will have to go with The Incredibles (apparently one of the few movies of 2004 I actually saw) I have to admit I also enjoyed Troy. Mayumi

I don't think I saw a 2004 movie. Chris

Super Size Me - without a doubt, it has changed my eating habits forever.　 Dale

LOTR "Return of the King," but all time favourite is Ryoma no Yuku John

Hotel Rwanda Larry


Happiest moment of the year: Birth of my son? I've gotta say that, don't I? Jason K.

Son learning to walk. Alastair

Lighting 60 sparklers with my nieces on New Year's Eve… Lorna

Watching Stanley Cup Hockey Finals, with a beer in hand, at 8:00 a.m. at friend's house. Steve D.

Every moment is a happy moment. In the words of the immortal Sean McCormack

"It's all good." Tony

My professor walking into the last final exam of my college career and telling us to put our pencils down. Mayumi

Seeing Wendy. Chris

Coming back to Japan. Dale

Not a moment, but watching John Ryoma become more “human” over the past year (he looked like an alien when he was born. John

Surprising my parents on Christmas Day. Larry

Any not so happy moments? Election results in the US and Australia. Jason K.

Having the worst trots in human history Al

Not to make light of the enormity and seriousness of the tragic event; watching newsreel after newsreel of the Great 2004 Tsunami washing away the tropical paradise that was once our Honeymoon Haven. Anon. .

Losing 3 out of our first 4 hockey games. Steve D.

Well...I did spill some milk in February. Tony

Being too sick to actually attend my graduation after 4 years of hard work Mayumi

Coming back to Japan and having to leave Wendy… twice. Chris

Having to pack everything back up to move again. Dale

Any involving me sweating profusely (ie. May to September) Larry

Biggest story of the year: Birth of my son! Jason K.

Of course its gotta be the Tsunami. To actually see one on TV and the destruction it caused. Alastair

Sumatra earthquake followed by the Tsunami. Bush crime family re-election. Anon.

I'm playing hockey in Japan! What could be bigger than that? Steve D.

I spilled some milk in February Tony

Tsunami... Mayumi

I won a mountain bike race! Not much of a story I guess, but it was by 0.023sec… how close is that over 4.4km and 7.5mins?!! It could've been more but by the final 300m I was so exhausted I could barely ride, and was going so slow I could've been driving Miss Daisy. Wendy was yelling at me to hurry up! And as the prize, I got 30 cans of tomato juice. Hey, it almost sounds like a story now. Chris

Bush got in again...I still can't believe it. Dale

Bush reelection. John

The tsunami. Larry

Any goals achieved?　Bought a van. Alastair

I did not tear my hair out when Bush was re-elected. Lorna

Joined a hockey team. Steve D.

I made it through 2004. Tony

Tanned on the beach in the French Riviera- unfortunately I'm already pretty tan and didn't have much to brag about. Mayumi

Went back to university and realized an old dog can learn new tricks. Dale

Quit smoking since August 6th. John

I finished that huge vat of cashews I bought at Costco back in February. Larry
　

2005

New Year's resolutions:

Not to make any resolutions. Jason K.

Quit smoking. Alastair

Exercise. Not to repeat past mistakes. Learn more. Anon.

Many!I'll pick one. I am going to 'seize the day'. Yes, I am. I say this every year. It is a great resolution for a procrastinator though. Lorna

Win a damn hockey game. Steve D

If I tell you, then you'll know if (when) I break them. Tony

I haven't made a NY`s resolutions in years and I'm not starting now. Mayumi

Drink less beer. Oops… broke that one already. Chris

Improve my Japanese. Dale

None really - I guess work less, but work better. John

Try to do more good things and less bad things. Larry

To hand my things in on time. Lani

Place(s) you want to visit in Japan:

Hokkaido Jason K.

Nagano hiking places. Alastair

Shikoku- but not in summer! I want to see the snow monkeys in Nagano too. Lorna

Hokkaido. . . .again. Steve D.

I'd like to go snorkeling in Okinawa. Tony

Alex Kerr's place in Shikoku. Mayumi

North. Chris

Hokkaido in the summertime. Dale

I want to revisit Kochi. John

That big new aquarium in Okinawa. Larry

Hokkaido. Lani

Place(s) you want to visit overseas:

Home (Australia). Jason K.

The Great Wall of China. Alastair

Anywhere safe. Steve D.

Great wall of China. Tony

Cuba!! As much as the world demonizes the government, it still seems like such a romantic place. Mayumi

Canada? Whistler, or New Zealand. For mountain biking of course. Chris

New Zealand John Laos or Burma. Larry

China and Vietnam. Lani

Something you don't want to do this year?

It's the same every year - work! Jason K.

Put up with a long rainy season. Alastair

Banking. Deal with immaturity. Be cold. Waste time. Anon.

Hmmm.... I don't want to sit in the middle seat in a crowded airplane for 13 hours. That is a good thing to avoid. Lorna

Go to a bar that Conor has been to. (Oh, I guess that rules them all out!) Steve D.

Fill out a questionnaire. Tony

Unknowingly put a piece of liver in my mouth… ick. Mayumi

I don't want to let the year go by without some type of self-improvement, whether it be educational, Japanese etc. Dale

Hmmm… nothing special John

Die. Sweat. Die from sweating. Larry

Work… hahaha Lani

　

Here are the latest websites people have recommended:

NATSUME SOSEKI 夏目漱石 (1867-1916)

Natsume Soseki was the pen name of Natsume Kinnosuke, who is widely regarded as the foremost novelist of the Meiji era.

Born into a reputable family in Edo (Tokyo), he began his life as an unwanted child, born late in his mother's life. It was an unhappy childhood, as the Meiji Restoration affected the family greatly.

Upon entering junior high school, Soseki became enamored with Chinese literature, and fancied one day becoming a writer. This was strongly disapproved by his family, and when he entered the University of Tokyo it was with the intention of studying architecture. However, at that time he started studying English literature, feeling that it would prove useful in the future. After graduating, he was greatly encouraged by a friend to become a writer, and started composing haiku and other poems.

Things moved very quickly from that point on in Soseki`s life. He entered the English literature department, mastered the English language, took on a teaching position at a junior high school in Ehime prefecture, Shikoku, and then a high school in Kumamoto prefecture, Kyushu. During this time he wrote many haiku, poems, newspaper articles and periodicals, and also married Nakane Kyoko. In 1900, he was sent to England by the Japanese Government to further his studies. He spent 2 very unpleasant years there despite having solidified his knowledge of English literature. After returning to Japan, he became a professor of English literature at the Tokyo Imperial University (University of Tokyo).

Soseki`s literary career began in 1905 with the highly praised novel I Am a Cat. The novel had a unique plot in which a nameless cat kept in the house of a junior high school teacher, critically observes the strange aspects of human society. He then began writing one novel a year until his death due to a stomach ulcer in 1916.

Soseki originated his own world of literature characterized by modern individualism. Some of the major themes of his works included people fighting against economic hardship, the conflict of duty and desire, loyalty and group mentality versus freedom and individuality, personal isolation and estrangement, the rapid industrialization of Japan and it's social consequences, contempt for Japan's aping of Western culture, and a pessimistic view of human nature.

His contribution to the history of Japanese literature has been enormous.

THAILAND`S TREATS - LANI GRAHAM

My trip to Thailand was great, but I think I did a bit too much shopping. I went to Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Ayuthaya (luckily I'm not into laying on beaches and didn't go to Pukhet). I planned to do a lot of sightseeing in those cities and another city, but I didn't get around to it. I did visit some wats and saw some nice things, but I couldn't seem to tear myself away from the markets. Next time, I say. My vacation was not relaxing (as I wasn't laying on the beach), but it was very fun. I also found it refreshing. The dirt and disorder of Thailand was a nice break from the nicely arranged & orderly everything of Japan. I think I need a little chaos every now and then to keep sane. The 2 pics are both temples in Bangkok. I'm a temple freak, so I took a lot of pics of temples. That's about all I can say about that.

Soseki`s“...death due to a stomach ulcer” … freaked me out due to the similarity to what I have now. Anyway, thank you very much to all who contributed to the questionnaire and in general to the newsletter. Please keep the information or ideas coming in. Till next time, cheerio. Steve

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