Facebook Status: Japan flight at 7:30 AM, Takin' the SIM card out of my phone at midnight. If you need to reach me after that, message me on here. Also, check out Godzilla's Back: https://godzillasback.blogspot.com/.
Farewell land of the free, home of the brave. Good bye hamburgers, flora and fauna… Tahoe, Stinson, San Francisco and Boston. Peace out Boston College and everyone who I have been lucky to cross paths with on this side of the Pacific Ocean. Deep breath. Now that is out of the way, time to look forward. Tomorrow morning, 7:30 AM, I will be lifting off and soaring to the land of the rising sun. This trip has been such a long time coming, and I am ready to get back to business. Summer 2010 has been a parade of memories to which I will hold for the rest of my life. Fireside chats watching the sunset made for some of the most chill California nights I have ever seen. Working for the San Rafael child care system taught me so much about the mindset and methods required to teach and raise future generations. Waking up next to my girlfriend for the past three weeks has been directly responsible for the newest smile lines creasing the corners of my eyes. I could not possibly have asked for anything more than I had.
Tomorrow’s ten to twelve hour flight will be trying to say the least, but Tokyo is the light at the end of that tunnel. What a shining light it is. I am full of expectations, but there will not be too many surprises. I am most excited to see Japan without the veneer of awe accompanying the first impression presented to all foreigners arriving at Narita airport. This is my second trip, but unlike my first traipse about Honshu, this trek is no two-week getaway. September 8th (Japan time is a day ahead) until July 30th; eleven months eating, breathing and sleeping Japanese. Fluency and cultural understandings are the goals to which I will strive, and I know I will be having the time of my life. Other emotions bubbling to the surface?.. I cannot begin to pick anything out from the pool of thoughts floating between my ears. Words do not often fail me, but realizing I am leaving behind everything I have ever known in exchange for so much I have never understood leaves me speechless. Now is not the time to talk about what I will do abroad, I have not done it yet, and the past seems so trivial before the colossal undertaking that is leaving America for almost a year.
For now, all I can do is bid my nation adieu. I will wander home soon, and when I do return it will be to the land of my childhood, my formative years. However, that is quite the stretch of time laying between me and that next bridge. Hello land of the rising sun, Godzilla’s birthplace.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Saturday, September 4, 2010
I have two more days in California, but I feel the real goodbye has already started. Today, Moe and I made the drive to Stinson Beach for some great food and a fun day in the sun. I do not think our trip could have gone any better. The fog loomed ominously all around us, a glowing shroud between the sun and our automobile. Throughout the drive along Highway 1 the vapor ghosted by as my car lumbered around the guardrail-less turns. By the time we could actually see the ocean, we were only about five minutes away from our destination. After a short walk from our parking spot, Moé and I were seated beside a toasty fire within the Parkside Diner eager to dig in to our Niman Ranch Burgers before heading out to the beach for some boogie boarding in the Pacific. Soon, the sun burst through the fog and revealed the full spectrum of blues in the waves and earthy tones of the California hills. Another few hours pass, and we meander home away from the sound of the waves; all the trees and foliage celebrate the rays of light nourishing their leaves. The world is at peace.
The bonds between my home and I will be forever strong, latching my soul to this land of space and life despite the parting that is soon to pass. I love California. Having driven away from two of the most beautiful places I know, Stinson and Tahoe, the reality of my 7:30 AM flight is ever more swiftly setting in. I’ve said before that I am anxious at the thought of losing all the emptiness that makes America great, but I know I am making a trade for a new world and experience that will be with me for the rest of my life. Tokyo is so different from San Francisco, a metropolis of secrets to be discovered and doors to be unlocked. Its neon lights illuminate the sky and every street is safe to walk even in the wee hours of the morning. The language is complex, a phonetic puzzle to work at every day and night. My host family will be two seventy year olds that live in the heart of the city, close enough for me to walk to my classes. Moé will be there. Leaving one of these places behind for the other is the origin of the stress I can feel running through even the tips of my fingers. I am choosing between my two favorite places, and I know that no matter which one I am enjoying at the moment, the grass will still be green but not greener on the other side of the fence.
The bonds between my home and I will be forever strong, latching my soul to this land of space and life despite the parting that is soon to pass. I love California. Having driven away from two of the most beautiful places I know, Stinson and Tahoe, the reality of my 7:30 AM flight is ever more swiftly setting in. I’ve said before that I am anxious at the thought of losing all the emptiness that makes America great, but I know I am making a trade for a new world and experience that will be with me for the rest of my life. Tokyo is so different from San Francisco, a metropolis of secrets to be discovered and doors to be unlocked. Its neon lights illuminate the sky and every street is safe to walk even in the wee hours of the morning. The language is complex, a phonetic puzzle to work at every day and night. My host family will be two seventy year olds that live in the heart of the city, close enough for me to walk to my classes. Moé will be there. Leaving one of these places behind for the other is the origin of the stress I can feel running through even the tips of my fingers. I am choosing between my two favorite places, and I know that no matter which one I am enjoying at the moment, the grass will still be green but not greener on the other side of the fence.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Stop Telling Me To Coexist If You Won't Do It First: Aug 27, 2010
So far in my writing for Fast Times, I have been spending the majority of my time focusing on the negative aspects of my life in Marin. Whether it was my lack of maturity or the blind acceptance of the judgments my father has been bestowing upon our sunny plot of California does not matter so much as the Marin I see now. The rich continue to rub elbows with the dusty poor despite the looks of disdain comically twisting the visages of the members of each of the opposing walks of life. I cannot argue with Mr. Bini who presents San Francisco and the surrounding area as overflowing with men and women desperately yearning to realize their visions of a utopia. Dreams being ever torn asunder by the violence and ineptitude marking just a couple of the many imperfections lancing through human nature. While the man who has spent the last twenty years instilling in me a strong sense of morality (which I must admit I sometimes wish I had never possessed) has passed many of these observations on in strings of select four letter words, the wisdom born from his experiences shines through: Marin County is its own peculiar institution of hybridized latent tolerance and class separation, the quintessential example of a society wanting to have its cake and eat it too.
Coexist, a simple command demanding universal acceptance and understanding, is one of the most ironic statements ever to make its way on to a bumper sticker due to the utopian ideals and impossibilities that make up its paradoxical nature. The concept of forging unanimity between all peoples regardless of race, sex or creed is both beautiful and dead on arrival. At the same time as a certain Marin based high school will preach diversity and love for fellow man, the same institution will jump through hoops to dissuade those of more exotic ideologies from even applying (I still remember Trevor), but this is mere hypocrisy amidst a far more subtle issue pervading the Bay Area. The Coexist movement, while grounded in tenets reaching for the greater good of mankind, is disappointingly synonymous with the lawless rule of absolute relativism where right and wrong are divined solely on the situation of the individual. Both concepts champion the shining light of living peacefully absent the verdicts placed by those of conflicting belief systems, yet simple philosophical thought swiftly betrays a common flaw. Coexist: tolerate everything, breathe harmony – absolute relativism: everything is relative to the individual, there is no all encompassing rule that applies to everybody. Do you see the crack marring what is an almost perfect rule of life?... The fact that they remain rules. Absolute relativism is an absolute rule that deigns to proclaim itself as something other than the very sin it rails against. In the same fashion, Coexist works for everyone except those for who believe coexistence is implicitly wrong not to mention others whose actions violate the inalienable rights of the vast majority of the population.
Perhaps there is a measure of cynicism to these observations, but there is an implicit flaw in the preaching of a concept whose most determined supporters will make comments following the same vein as those of the people they view as their most vehement enemies. To say these poor men and women are blind to their contradictory nature is a severe understatement as they manage to trap themselves in the mindset that everyone shares their newfound enlightenment. A friend who proudly displayed the blue and white of a freshly purchased Coexist bumper sticker was appalled when he learned that Marin Catholic High School required four years of theology classes stating he could not handle having “that stuff” shoved down his throat.
While he will remain nameless, this friend serves as a primary example of the controversial nature often overlooked in the most verbal of those petitioning for tolerance. That stuff specifically referred to teachings of my chosen religion at a school each student elected to attend over the public school system. In his assumptions that I did not want to learn about Catholicism and was being forced to study the sacraments and beatitudes he projected his personal beliefs on to me. In the same way, a superior, who will also remain anonymous for his or her own sake, told me of his or her refusal to shop at Forever 21 or eat at In-N-Out because they are cults shoving that same stuff down people’s throats. I must admit I have done zero research into either organization aside from the hours spent within their establishments; however, the eight characters on the bottom of their bags and cups: “John 3:16” direct the intellectually curious to a single verse from the Bible. Were these institutions secretly telling unsuspecting victims to drink the punch in the name of God I would happily boycott them, but demeaning them to the level of a cult is overkill. In my eyes, they are secular businesses being run by devout people not the spindly fingers of an invisible power seeking to dupe nonbelievers. I cannot escape the bias I experience in these situations due to my being a Catholic, yet at the same time as one of these people who will tolerate everybody will be repulsed by Christianity, they remain happily ignorant of the cheerful Buddha residing in any number of Chinese restaurants. For them, Coexist means living in harmony with everybody who thinks just like them, and because peace is so good, everybody must actually believe any bit of tripe that pours out of their mouths.
Again, the fact that Coexist is based in the firm belief that each member of humanity has every right to believe and think as they so choose is an ideology of exquisite beauty, yet the taint of the human ego muddies the waters of what was born in purity. Basking in the light of such utopian thought casts any and all opposition in darkness. To coexist is to live with people from all walks of life, excluding nobody and being a friend to anybody deserving of such attention. In the merchandizing of a truly noble concept, chivalry is murdered. The irony of defending the power of actions over that of words in a book is not lost upon me, but refraining from treating Coexist as a status symbol or novelty much like the countless T-shirts of the “Save Darfur” campaign, which seem to have found their way to the bottoms of dresser drawers everywhere, should be a higher priority. Wouldn’t the easiest way to spread tolerance and coexistence be to simply live one’s own life sans judgments and be at peace with one’s fellow man? Just do it. Stop being pretentious enough to think that everybody else needs your two cents and lead through your own deeds.
Marin County has given me everything I could possibly ask for. Living here opens up doors to every advantage a young adult can have. The deluge of diversity, precarious safety and boundless opportunities are a Godsend. Summer 2010 is speedily going into the history books as one of the best of my life because I have enjoyed Marin and California as much and as often as possible. I love my hometown, county and state deep to my core which is why the imperfections I observe garner such volatile responses. The utopia is an improbability but not an impossibility, and Marin is the forerunner in the rendering of that perfect world. The men and women who take their lives for granted and waste their time within the bubble are the bonds that shackle this place to its present state. Hypocrisy and demagoguery are a potent combination made even more subversive in their being blended with the ideals of honest causes.
Remember that I talk about the place that is responsible for who I am today. Recall I took my first steps here. Do not forget that Marin is my home. I pray we continue to move in the right direction. Let us step away from the mistake that is Coexist and coexist so that we may live together in a world of mutual respect and happy understanding.
Coexist, a simple command demanding universal acceptance and understanding, is one of the most ironic statements ever to make its way on to a bumper sticker due to the utopian ideals and impossibilities that make up its paradoxical nature. The concept of forging unanimity between all peoples regardless of race, sex or creed is both beautiful and dead on arrival. At the same time as a certain Marin based high school will preach diversity and love for fellow man, the same institution will jump through hoops to dissuade those of more exotic ideologies from even applying (I still remember Trevor), but this is mere hypocrisy amidst a far more subtle issue pervading the Bay Area. The Coexist movement, while grounded in tenets reaching for the greater good of mankind, is disappointingly synonymous with the lawless rule of absolute relativism where right and wrong are divined solely on the situation of the individual. Both concepts champion the shining light of living peacefully absent the verdicts placed by those of conflicting belief systems, yet simple philosophical thought swiftly betrays a common flaw. Coexist: tolerate everything, breathe harmony – absolute relativism: everything is relative to the individual, there is no all encompassing rule that applies to everybody. Do you see the crack marring what is an almost perfect rule of life?... The fact that they remain rules. Absolute relativism is an absolute rule that deigns to proclaim itself as something other than the very sin it rails against. In the same fashion, Coexist works for everyone except those for who believe coexistence is implicitly wrong not to mention others whose actions violate the inalienable rights of the vast majority of the population.
Perhaps there is a measure of cynicism to these observations, but there is an implicit flaw in the preaching of a concept whose most determined supporters will make comments following the same vein as those of the people they view as their most vehement enemies. To say these poor men and women are blind to their contradictory nature is a severe understatement as they manage to trap themselves in the mindset that everyone shares their newfound enlightenment. A friend who proudly displayed the blue and white of a freshly purchased Coexist bumper sticker was appalled when he learned that Marin Catholic High School required four years of theology classes stating he could not handle having “that stuff” shoved down his throat.
While he will remain nameless, this friend serves as a primary example of the controversial nature often overlooked in the most verbal of those petitioning for tolerance. That stuff specifically referred to teachings of my chosen religion at a school each student elected to attend over the public school system. In his assumptions that I did not want to learn about Catholicism and was being forced to study the sacraments and beatitudes he projected his personal beliefs on to me. In the same way, a superior, who will also remain anonymous for his or her own sake, told me of his or her refusal to shop at Forever 21 or eat at In-N-Out because they are cults shoving that same stuff down people’s throats. I must admit I have done zero research into either organization aside from the hours spent within their establishments; however, the eight characters on the bottom of their bags and cups: “John 3:16” direct the intellectually curious to a single verse from the Bible. Were these institutions secretly telling unsuspecting victims to drink the punch in the name of God I would happily boycott them, but demeaning them to the level of a cult is overkill. In my eyes, they are secular businesses being run by devout people not the spindly fingers of an invisible power seeking to dupe nonbelievers. I cannot escape the bias I experience in these situations due to my being a Catholic, yet at the same time as one of these people who will tolerate everybody will be repulsed by Christianity, they remain happily ignorant of the cheerful Buddha residing in any number of Chinese restaurants. For them, Coexist means living in harmony with everybody who thinks just like them, and because peace is so good, everybody must actually believe any bit of tripe that pours out of their mouths.
Again, the fact that Coexist is based in the firm belief that each member of humanity has every right to believe and think as they so choose is an ideology of exquisite beauty, yet the taint of the human ego muddies the waters of what was born in purity. Basking in the light of such utopian thought casts any and all opposition in darkness. To coexist is to live with people from all walks of life, excluding nobody and being a friend to anybody deserving of such attention. In the merchandizing of a truly noble concept, chivalry is murdered. The irony of defending the power of actions over that of words in a book is not lost upon me, but refraining from treating Coexist as a status symbol or novelty much like the countless T-shirts of the “Save Darfur” campaign, which seem to have found their way to the bottoms of dresser drawers everywhere, should be a higher priority. Wouldn’t the easiest way to spread tolerance and coexistence be to simply live one’s own life sans judgments and be at peace with one’s fellow man? Just do it. Stop being pretentious enough to think that everybody else needs your two cents and lead through your own deeds.
Marin County has given me everything I could possibly ask for. Living here opens up doors to every advantage a young adult can have. The deluge of diversity, precarious safety and boundless opportunities are a Godsend. Summer 2010 is speedily going into the history books as one of the best of my life because I have enjoyed Marin and California as much and as often as possible. I love my hometown, county and state deep to my core which is why the imperfections I observe garner such volatile responses. The utopia is an improbability but not an impossibility, and Marin is the forerunner in the rendering of that perfect world. The men and women who take their lives for granted and waste their time within the bubble are the bonds that shackle this place to its present state. Hypocrisy and demagoguery are a potent combination made even more subversive in their being blended with the ideals of honest causes.
Remember that I talk about the place that is responsible for who I am today. Recall I took my first steps here. Do not forget that Marin is my home. I pray we continue to move in the right direction. Let us step away from the mistake that is Coexist and coexist so that we may live together in a world of mutual respect and happy understanding.
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