a view from beyond

A world of blunders today. For starters the dupl room was getting a fresh coat of paint and I've been suffering the fumes. Not to worry, I'm fine... for the most part anyway.

Lately I've been reading this great book about sailing around the world. It got me dreaming again, which is a mistake, only because my dreams are usually bigger then my reality... mmm. things might change though who knows. I get criticized about it on a regular basis from my partner and girlfriend. She tells me basically to look forward and to not always look up or down which I constantly do with my faviorite game, "what to do after a lifetime of education."

Recently, as I've posted before, i've been looking at jobs elsewhere beyond the U.S.A. and have found promising jobs that pay decent wages in Countries like Japan, Korea, and China. Here's the catch though, my "world" or those in it see this as a bad sign and warn me that maybe the good 'ole U.S. of A is better then I give credit for. Here's the deal:

Ex pat is in me no matter what. When I went to Mexico on a band trip I wanted to move there and start a small business and live in Porta Vallarta for life. Me and this other guy already had our flat staked out and out business set. That was just one or two weeks in Mexico... That was a great trip....

I'm going to go live in Japan now, my fantasy for years, 7 or 8 to be exact. I can't recall when my Japan-drive for knowledge started or how it started, only that the history and culture attracted me! At first it was pop culture that drove me, but then the deep significant culture and writtings of an intelligent race, centuries ahead of it's time, deep into the 15th c. captivated me and now I'm dead set on meeting a group and asking questions about their life and how America and the 21st centure has revolutionized it. Perhaps a deep thought provoking thesis will be born out of this grand experience. Perhaps my view of everyday life in Japan will be warped. Whatever the case is, i'm excited. What do I expect from these people? nothing. No reactions or deep thoughts on their past. So what am I excited about? I'm excited to see a nation move, from a sociologist's perspective. I took an intro to sociology and i've been hooked on how people interact. Japan to me is an unique country that is , in one way all asia and in another not asia at all. Its an island that is protected from the ties of deep asian historical culture and poverty and it is an island that has developed its own everything. Peace and Politics are different and the Right Left argument will be interesting to hear. What is Japan's view of "America's war" and will it break the peace accord. All this and more, I plan to seek out. I feel that my duty as a college student is to explore, ask questions, and learn about a country that has a longer history then America with more traditions to boot, but yet, embraces modernity whole heartedly. Whatever the result of my trip, it'll affect my view of this world.

~J