Remember Remember

O My Brother, You Must Not Die (1904 by Akiko Yosano)

Dear my little brother,

I will cry for you. Please do not die.

Since you are the youngest child in my family,

you are the best child of your parents.

Did you parents teach you that take the gun and kill the others?

Did your parents bring you up until twenty four years old
 for kill the people and die in the war?

Did your parents teach that?

Since you are the inheritor of my family in this city,

please do not die in this war, my little brother.

It does not matter whether the enemy's city will be destroyed or not.

You do not know, but this has nothing to do with us merchants.

Oh my little brother, please do not die.

The emperor, never showing up in the battle field,

"Spread others' blood,"

"Die like the animals," or 

"Die in the battle field as your honor,"

He would not think such a thing,

as he is a truly compassionate person.

Oh my little brother, please do not die in the battle.

Your mother is in lament.

Having your father passing away, 

and having you taken to the war,

she is the sole protector of the house now.

Look at her hair,

though we were always told that our country was safe and in peace.

Oh my little brother, please do not forget your young wife.

She cries alone behind the curtain.

You only spent ten months together.

Did you forget about her or do you think of her?

You have a wife now, you are not alone.

Who can we rely on?

Oh my little brother, please do not die.

 Vimy Ridge 2011

The memorial statue at Vimy Ridge is not a celebration of war.

There are no depiction of soldiers or weapons, but the figures that grieve for her lost sons.

Neue Wache, Berlin 2012

Central Memorial of the Federal Republic of Germany for the victims of war and tyranny.

Did you know that Hitler ordered his SS to protect Vimy Ridge?

When it comes to war, there is no victim side or agressor side. 

We are all war victims and we are killing our fellow homo sapiens.

War never ends if we keep taking sides.

A hero on one side is probably a glorious bastard to the other side.

It is as simple as this:

War cannot be carried out if we had no weapons or soldiers.

I lost my grandfather to WWII.

My grandmother raised her children by herself.

My father grew up without a father.

Japan invaded neighbouring Asian nations.

What do I do now?

I am a war victim but I also accept my responsibility of being a Japanese descent.

What do I do now?

I refuse to glorify heroism of any form
so that no more people should become a victim of war.

I remember what I learnt in kindergarten.

"Do not hurt anybody."

Bonne fête national : 14 juillet

Today marks the 223rd anniversary of the Bastille Day in France. The revolution put an end to the royal authority and gave birth to the declaration of human rights.

Last year, I was on the road trip to Toulouse with Bob and Sheree. We went to see the fireworks held in Carcassonne, a fortified city in Aude Department. The fireworks that Mr. Ozaki puts together in Miyuki-no-hama in Odawara is amazing but this one in Carcassonne was superb. The entire cité looked like it was on fire. An unforgettable moment.

Nathan and I visited Carcassonne later in 2011 with Donna. It was a windy and delicious visit where we first tasted the dish called Cassoulet. The reproduction of it later at home turned out excellent and it was happily added to our family meal list. An unforgettable meal.

This year, we spent the eve of July 14th with Isabelle and Nicolas and their family, surrounded by 4 dogs and 6 puppies. Another unforgettable moment with super puppy actions.

Today, Nathan and I are packing instead of playing scrabble!

J'en ai marre !

I have always enjoyed packing and moving, looking for the new adventures ahead. Well, not this time apparently. The boxes in our living room are still in random "miscellaneous" status and I even started knitting instead of packing in this hot weather! This weekend, we were visiting our friends in Toulouse to pay a visit to their 7months old baby, and my knitting instinct kicked in. It was so good to see them again one last time before we leave France for good...

As they said Chana was welcome as well, we decided to drive instead of taking a train or a plane. It was a long drive but it was worth it. On the way, we simply took the toll road, but for our return trip we drove the  national road which took us through small towns and mountains. In fact, our dear friend from Oregon took me on this trip last year around the same time. So it was great to share that experience with Nathan this time. The conclusion is, France you won my heart.

Between Rodez and Mende, we stopped for a picture break in Chanac. Close enough, right Chana? Here is a great photo of Chana saying "J'en ai marre!" meaning I am fed up or I am sick of it. Our Namesake photo shoot continues. Live it up poochkin!

C'est parti !

It is June 30, 2012 and our living room is again filled with cardboard boxes. Sadly, our stay in Grenoble is finally coming to an end. I will miss every bit of it, from the beauty of nature and the depth of culture to the filthy side walk and the ruleless drivers. I think I can say that I lived this city, and I am glad that I feel linked to this place.

Starting September, we are starting our new life in Vancouver, where we first met as two master's students. We love Vancouver dearly, and it is another place to which I find a personal link. I am very much looking forward to rediscovering this old neighbourhood together with Nathan and this time with Chana.

The month of May and June were full of events. At the beginning of May, Nathan and I were very close to the top of the world at Mont Blanc, and then went very close to the heaven in Andalusia with my dearest friend Miranda. I dragged them to flamenco performances and she dragged us to delicious tapas bars. The Alhambra Palace took us with awe, where Nathan did his happy math tourism. I rediscovered travelling with friends enjoyable, and I hope she enjoyed it as much as I did.

In June, Nathan's brother came for a visit and then came Nathan's family. Thanks to them, we got to redo a lot of sightseeing in Grenoble and we were amazed how much this little city can offer. Chana kept us busy with two more agility trials, but she did not do so well due to lack of practices. We do not know if we get to do this much agility in Vancouver, so we are going to enjoy as much as we can in July.

We have a month left to go in France. We are trying to see as many friends as possible before we leave. The calendar is almost full and the time is running out! The only wish is that we had more money :D! Well, I guess this is the time we should become really French. Enjoy the moment and you think about tomorrow day after tomorrow. Or is it more Spanish? Que sera sera? Carpe diem? Who knows what is ahead of you, so make sure you don't regret not doing something :).

Happy Canada Day!

Chocolate overload

I am very sensitive to the word "THE BEST." I cannot remember how many times I have been disappointed after a great introduction such as, "Try this---! It is the BEST!" Sometime they add the regional boundary at the end of the sentence, but the regional boundary means nothing when that person has never left that geographical area. Or, it might be the best in town, but if that is the only one that exists, what can you say? Every time I hear the word, I cannot help but remember the scene from Elf. 

Having said that, Nathan and I are currently experiencing chocolate overload trying to find THE BEST chocolate in town. It is truly a chocolate season in France right now which started with the Poisson d'avril (April Fool's Day) to Pâques (Easter). Grenoble is a small town yet it offers many chocolatiers. La Caraque, Bonnat, Zugmeyer, L'amandine, Voisin, La Déesse, Bochard... This is just the north eastern part of Grenoble and if I added the boulangeries that sell chocolate, the list goes on. The verdict is that they are all SO GOOD!

Nathan was never a big chocolate fan, but this year he is actively participating in our hunt for good chocolate. Today he came home with a doggy shaped chocolate from Bourbon. He is THE BEST husband that I have ever had and will ever have! That is the correct usage of the term THE BEST. 

Bonnes vacances à tous !

The mighty five

Today was my last day at L'école complementaire des japonais. I feel very content and relieved, but at the same time I am sad to leave my students. I never felt this way before in my seventeen years of teaching career. I do not remember how many times I scolded them and yelled at them, but they were just so sweet and fun to hang out with!

I taught five second graders who spoke Japanese as a second language. At the complementary school, which is partially funded by the Japanese government, the curriculum used is the one prepared for Japanese kids in Japan. So you can imagine it was not an easy chore to keep the students interested in learning, not to mention the material, as their exposure to the language is limited.

Luckily, my students and their parents were all enthusiastic about learning. Thanks to their effort, the class finished in the positive tone where students are all willing to continue onto the next grade (as the new school year begins in April). I hope I was able to give them joy in learning and in succeeding. Even though it may be a bit painful now, they will one day appreciate so much that their parents let them attend the complementary school. In fact, I have faith in all of them, that they have the strength and courage to keep on learning whatever may come.

As I am quite possessive, I am reluctant to let my students go to someone else. I wish I could teach them until they graduate from the elementary school. However, as we are leaving France this year, I now have to take up a position as their life-long supporter. Work hard, the mighty five, and I wish you all the best in your future. Always remember that what you do is for your own sake and be responsible for your act! I love you guys dearly even though I usually do not like kids :D. You touched the special part of my heart and you will be remembered.

In honour of Dad: March 23rd, 2012

Nathan and I were back in Japan to attend Dad's Sankaiki memorial (counting 3rd year/two full year) which was held on March 18th. It happened to be Grandma's 10th memorial, so I am sure she was quite happy to see lots of familiar faces as well.

Mom and Dad were paying visits to the family tombstone every 18th day of the month after Grandma passed away, and now Mom does so on the 23rd for Dad. It is all symbolic and ancestry worshipping may sound quite bizzarre to some. However, comparing to the daily visits when Grandma was in the hospital, and to the 24hour care that Mom, my brother, and Nathan and I provided for Dad by staying in the hospital room with him for one month and a half, once a month visit to the tombstone is nothing.

As Mom serves three cups of green tea to the family alter at home every morning, Nathan and I serve coffee to Dad every morning together with incense. On Dad's anniversary, I am reminded once again to dedicate my life to those who gave so much to me.

Oingt (Beaujolais) March 3, 2012

As we were heading toward north of Lyon for Chana's agility trial, we decided to visit a small town called Oingt, in the heart of Beaujolais, recommended by our Lyonnaise friends.

The village is known for "pierre dorée," and as you can see (thanks iPhone), all the buildings are made of golden yellow stones. The village is surrounded by vineyards and I cannot wait to visit there again in the summer time.

France is full of beauty especially in the countryside.

Agility in France No. 5: Chana's 2nd agility trial

This past sunday, Nathan and I took Chana to the 2nd agility trial of the season in our region (Rhone-Alpes). We were blessed with a warm weather, and the first outdoor trial experience was nothing but positive.

Chana brought home two trophies this time, one for Jumping (1st place out of 9 dogs) and the other for Open (2nd place out of 9 dogs). She ended up on the 2nd because she committed a fault by touching the long jump. We should have trained with that more often! For the third run (GPF), I made a mistake by running to fast at the end of the dog walk. As a result, she missed the contact zone. Had it not been for this fault, she would have been the 3rd. 

As the weather gets better, I assume there would be more dogs in our category. I believe it was a good idea to register for the two early competitions to make Chana get gused to the environment.

You may be wondering why we are doing this? I think it all comes down to the fact that I love taking tests, exams, or any kind of evaluations. It helps me find the weakness and helps to improve. Although it is quite tiring, I will continue to aim higher with a hope to run like a ballerina one day :).

Jumping

Open

GPF

Agility in France No.4 : Chana's 1st agility trial

Despite the cold, the agility season in the region of Rhone-Alpes started this weekend (February 11 and 12)  in Annonay, 150km east of Grenoble. The trial was held inside the "boulorome," where the national sport of Petanque is usually enjoyed. We participated on Sunday, and there were close to 80 dogs entered. It was a full day event, and you gotta love dogs or you are not a happy camper. 

It was our first trial ever in our career of any dog sports, and we came back with a trophy and a bag of food! Not a bad start, eh?

In France, at the trial you can run 4 times:

1. Open/Open Plus : standard course with contact obstacles (A-frame, dog walk, teeter). More experienced dogs run in Open Plus.
2. Jumping/Jumping Plus : jumpers course without contact obstacles.
3. Grand Prix de France : If you accumulate 3 Excellents under 3 different judges in the region, you are entitled to participate in the Sélectif du Grand Prix de France. 
4. Degrés : If your dog has a LOF (Livre des origines français)/registered, you run in 1st (novice), 2nd (advanced), or 3rd (master) degree.

(All together, it costs 13 euros, and to participate in the trial, you have to be a member of a local dog club. See my post on Agility in France No. 2.)

So in our case, we ran the first three, as Chana is not a purebred dog with a paper. There were 11 dogs entered all together in Chana's jump height (Categorie B), and in the Open and Jumping, there were only 6 (as other 5 are in Plus). I must say it was truly an ideal trial to make our debut. 

In the morning, Chana ran the Open, and did excellent without a fault. In mid-afternoon, we ran GPF, and Chana was rather distracted and started refusing taking some of the jumps. In late afternoon, we ran Jumping, and she decided that it was too much and she left the course. Hence she ended up eliminated. After all, we really need to work on focus. My theory for Chana leaving the course is that she saw someone with food. My regret is that I did not call her name when she was in the tunnel.

Despite the elimination, we still ended up on the 3rd podium thanks to the small number of participants. A lot to think about, and a lot to work on, but I am glad our first trial ended up on a positive note. Again, never underestimate Chana. Good job earning your food doggie, but you still have to work for it :). Our next trial is March 4th. Stay tuned!

Must love winter

It has been soooooooo cold here in Grenoble. I even put my ski pants on to take Chana for a walk. Ugh. I hate being cold. If this was not France, what would I have done? Here are the tokens that France offer to compensate for the weather.

1: La galette des rois (January) : I made it twice this year, and it was easy and delicious. We will have to make this our family tradition wherever we live.

2: Les soldes (January 11-February 14) : There are only two sale seasons in France, so why miss it? However, as I hardly ever go shopping, it was painful to step inside crowded and perfume-y stores. 

3: Les crêpes (February) : Candlemas (February 2) is celebrated with crêpes. The easiest and fastest meal and dessert combo. 

4: Les bugnes (February) : February is a month of crispy donuts called bugnes. I have no intention of deep frying at home, so we thank our boulangeries for their excellent work.

5: Les vacances d'hiver (February 11-26) : Schools are on holiday! In France, on top of the long two months summer holiday, kids have 1.5 weeks at the end of October, 2 weeks for Christmas, 2 weeks for February, 2 weeks for Easter. This applies to my teaching schedule as well, so I am off for two Wednesdays!

6: Free French classes (January-March) : Yes, I am taking French classes again funded by the government. It is four afternoons a week. Thank you France!

Well, to tell you the truth, I have not been able to enjoy any of the above for the last few days as I am sick again! I hardly ever take medicine nor go see a doctor voluntarily, but today I took care of myself. This is the worst year of catching colds or getting ill in my life! I think what happened is that I laxed the cleanliness level from a OCPD level to a French level. Let's look at this as I am building a stronger immune system.

C'est le pôle nord!

Go Chana! Bite!

Although we live right in front of the entrance to the Bastille, we hardly ever take a stroll up unless there is absolutely nothing else to do. Today was one of those days, and Chana and I left happy-happy-joy-joy with very little in my pockets, without knowing how this beautiful afternoon turns into a thrilling one...

I was listening to music with my iPhone, which is very rare, and it probably meant that my voice talking to Chana was a bit louder than usual. So here is my advice for you. When you are in a wooded area by yourself, don't be so joyful talking to your dog or to yourself. Or you will attract a pervert. At least I managed to get one. This is the second pervert in France: the first one was in Arles in 1997, so I guess there has to be one every 15 years! In fact, I may have only seen them in France. Interesting.

At first when I saw him, Chana was going to check him out as she was off-leash. If she had not done that, I would have not noticed of his existence and I might have kept going up. I called her back and registered the situation, and I decided to go down the hill. Thankfully, I had iPhone to call the police, no Opinel but a small Victorinox, and a black plastic bag with Chana's present inside. Everything was planned in my head in case he got anywhere near me. I ran down the hill, but it is a switch back. He was coming down the stairs which led straight down, so I had to "see" him three times every time I came back to the right turn down. The scariest part was when he was looking down on me from above wooded area, but by then he was well dressed.

I reported this at the info desk at the Archaeological museum located at the foot of the mountain, and I made sure nobody was following me home. I even took out the extended lens on my SLR and checked the area I was flashed. Ha ha. This is what the book 1Q84 does to you.

And as I type to wind down, I start thinking, maybe he was not a flasher but he was going to the bathroom? Either way, really. Keep your pants up in public, please. I had never felt so strongly that I should have trained Chana to do Ring Français. Here is her practicing, massacring a rhinoceros.

Ça va? says OFII

In December, I received a letter from OFII inviting me to a compulsory meeting to do "le bilan de compétence = ability assessment." Shortly before that, I had sent in a request to take more free language lessons, so I naturally thought this would be the meeting where I could make a plea to take classes though my visa expires in less than six months.

The day before the meeting, the counsellor called me and asked for my CV. Well, it turns out that this meeting at VAR had nothing to do with my language classes but simply to inform me that I should look for jobs at Pole-Emploi, equivalent of Job Bank or Hello Work. The counsellor gave me some advice where I should look for jobs according to my background, but it is my responsibility to contact Pole-Emploi and register myself as a job-seeker. As curious as George, I am planning on making an appointment with Pole-Emploi. By doing so, I hope I am not raising the unemployment rate in France...

Senior dog!

Today is Chana's 6th birthday! Happy birthday Chana!

According to Pedigree Dog Age Calculator, six years old in Cocker Spaniel (ASCOB) years is equivalent to forty years old in human years, and she is considered "a senior dog" instead of "an adult dog." I wonder when people will stop asking me whether Chana is a puppy or not.

Thank you Paddy Ashdown

http://www.ted.com/talks/paddy_ashdown_the_global_power_shift.html

And are we --- especially the ones who are used to being in power consciously or subconsciously--- ready?

Symbiosis, co-existence, back to basic.

Chanagility December 2011

Here is the last agility training of the 2011 outside in the mud (the ground was covered with snow for some time) on December 29. After the first tunnel and a jump, I got lost and confused Chana. She was a good  girl not to take the jump in front of her. Chana missed the entry on the second weaves, but not bad all together for a our Chana pooch! After the training, we ate together in the club house to celebrate the end of the year.

So much has happened in the last quarter of 2011: our trip to Brussels and Vimy ridge, Carin, Ken and Hana's visit in Grenoble for a month, travelling with Donna down to Avignon, Toulouse, and Barcelona... As this blog is serving me as a form of diary, I should write about them before I forget or my memory gets crystallized.

We have also started doing a language exchange with our agility coach Isabelle. Every friday we host each other for an evening of communication. Together with Isabelle's husband and her five dogs, we spend some quality time together, quiet and rich. We were at their place for the "reveillons" on December 31st where some more excitement was added with a Chihuahua named Gusto :). I saved him from Chana when she turned into a gremlin.

Bonne année 2012!

It's the year of the dragon: a deliverer of good fortune and master of authority. Wishing you all a happy, healthy and prosperous 2012!

Senor salamander at Parc Güell, Barcelona.