The Earthquake!

The next day, we headed back to the train lines to head for Osaka. It was on these trains that the great earthquake hit: we felt nothing and had no idea that the disaster had happened. We arrived in Osaka a few hours later and started to explore. After Calvin received a couple texts and we found a television, we realized that an earthquake had occurred. However, it was just a street television, and we still did not glean the magnitude of the damage to the northern parts of Japan. As far as we could tell, everyone was calm and happy in Osaka. We finished up the day and spent the night in an internet café. I thought this experience was quite bizarre but very fun. You rent a little room with a computer for eight hours, and you can surf the ‘net, watch movies, or sleep. But, because we only had it for eight hours we had to wake up at 5 and head out of Osaka. On our way up we stopped at Nara for a quick peak at the infamous deer and giant Buddha.

We had planned on it taking all day to get to Tokyo on the trains due to the earthquake. But, we got to a point near Nagoya where we were informed that the JR trains would go no further north. We waited in a long line of anxious people for a bus only to be informed that buses to the Tokyo area had been filled up for the next two days. We felt very stuck. It seemed our options were taking a Shinkansen, a very expensive, fast train to Tokyo, or hitchhiking. Though we considered putting our thumbs out, we ultimately felt that this climate may not be the best time to embark on that adventure. We bit the bullet and took the speedy train into Tokyo.

Back at Calvin’s dorm, his friends were abuzz with stories of their adventures, and we got to hear about the rumbling and shaking that the buildings in Tokyo went through. To be clear, the damage in Tokyo and to the south was relatively minimal. Japan’s buildings were built very soundly and though objects were jumbled and some structural damage occurred, the citizens of this area, for the most part, stayed safe. The devastation occurred in an area north of Tokyo called Sendai. In this city and surrounding area, the tsunami waves proved once again humanity’s helplessness when faced with the raw power of nature. Calvin’s dorm mates, though safe, huddle around the television watching the news unfold about their country. We have felt a bit of rumbling and aftershocks. As we proceed forward cautiously, we pray for the families of the victims and the safety and recovery of Japan.

Miyajima and the Floating Arch

“Wow” is all that can be said about our trip to an island near Hiroshima called Miyajima. I have seen pictures of the orange Shinto arch out in the water, so I was very excited when I learned that we would be going to visit this location. In ancient times, this island was a sacred location of earthly paradise. I dare say it still is. There is an incredible temple built out on a dock on the beach that is completely above water or beach depending on the tide. This temple looks out on the arch built a hundred yards in the tide flat. The town has many more temples and shrines that contribute to the island’s sacred atmosphere. The village is situated at the foothills of Mt. Misen and several other peaks. The sharp, steep ridges covered with thick, exotic trees almost gave it the appearance of a tropical island, and Calvin and I couldn’t help ourselves from comparisons to Jurassic Park or the island from Lost. Needless to say, we were quite excited to start our hike.

Miyajima boasts to have one of the best views in all of Japan from the lookout at the top of Mt. Misen. The lookout can be reached by a gondola or by trails that lead through the forest. The hike up further revealed the religious character of the island. Amongst the beautiful trees and views, there were statues of gods and graves of ancestors. There was also a shrine deep in a rustic cave. The island being fairly small we were able to climb to the three highest peaks. From the tops, we could see a panoramic view of Hiroshima and the surrounding mainland and the several islands that scatter wonderfully across this southern bay. The ancients were not mistaken; there is something truly transcendent about this view. And we soaked it up for as long as we could until we had to make our way down to beat the sunset. Before leaving Miyajima, we watched the last sun fall behind the famous arch, now in the low tide. And, because the place was known for their culinary skills with oysters, we grabbed a couple of fried oysters before catching a ferry back.

The Castle and Hiroshima

To break up the day of travel from Kyoto to Hiroshima, Calvin planned a little detour for a day hike. The destination was Bitchu Matsuyama castle, the highest castle in Japan. We arrived at the station and, after a quick lunch, headed toward the foothills at the edge of town. The hike was relatively short but quite steep. With all our gear in tow, it almost felt like we were backpacking. Though the colorful trees were not yet blooming radiant colors of pink and red, the forest was lush and had a very different texture and tone than any hike I have ever done. At the top, we were rewarded with a cup of tea that they provide. Exploring the castle did not take long, but this humble fortress was a priceless treasure for Western travelers wanting to re-imagine and relive the days that the samurai ruled these hills.

The next day was packed with walking around Hiroshima. We visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and the Peace Park which contained several monuments to the victims of the atomic bomb dropped on the city during World War II. The museum and park ooze with pain, despair, and shame, yet the beautiful and vibrant city is a testament to the resilience of these citizens and the hope that they have to rid the world of humanities destructive tendencies. After a brief stop at the hostel to switch Calvin’s contacts to glasses and to revive myself with some coffee, we walked to a park that was on the map but not mentioned in the tour guides. It turned out to be a forest park with lookouts, and we showed up just in time to watch the sunset over the city. The park was also filled with wild cats, so Calvin and I obviously had some fun with that. To end an amazing day, we ate a competitive okonomimura place that served and excellent meal.

Journey to Kyoto

The next leg of my journey was to the ancient city of Kyoto. Our travel down there in trains took most of the day, however, we arrived at our hostile with enough time to get some food and hit the public bath before bed. The bath was quite an interesting experience. The pools were very hot and I could not stay in them long. One pool shocked me, literally. It had a section that had a very weak electrical current pulsing through the water, which tingled and massaged the muscles.

The next day we had roughly nine hours to take advantage of the open hours of Kyoto, and we used every one of them. Calvin, in his master planning, mapped out a set of essential temples, shrines, and castles among the multitudes that they have there. The first thing I noticed about Kyoto is that it has a very different culture than Tokyo. Bright, loud signs are abandoned here for more traditional architecture and decoration. There are far less people, and the pace of the city seems slower and more relaxed. The city rests in beautiful foothills that paint its elemental tone. We visited a famous shrine at the base of the mountains that houses great views of the city. Next, we went to the castle built by the shogun in ancient times to show the power of the warrior class. To end the tour, Calvin took me to the gold temple. It is a gold painted temple that lies in incredible scenery of water and plants. The view of it was honestly breathtaking. We checked out another market and ate a much needed meal and headed back to our comfortable hostel room.

...And wake up in Tokyo

On Friday, we started the day with a tour of the campus. There wasn't much activity in the morning, but it was a beautiful morning and a few trees even had some buds on them. We headed out to a famous market area on the East side of Tokyo and after a delicious lunch of ramen and pork we decided to head to Ueno Park. Like Seattlites, the people of Tokyo like to take advantage of the outdoors and have parks with shrines, gardens and museums. A walk around the lake gave me an even sharper feeling of a kinship between Tokyo and Seattle. Surrounding the lake are homeless men construction scavenged homes, elderly men playing a Japanese strategic game on a musty bench, joggers in the latest trend of running gear, and mothers giving their children much needed fresh air. We then headed to a museum of Asian artistic heritage. My favorite exhibit was the swords and the armor, artistic expressions of the ancient warrior class. To end the evening, we went to check out the electronics fervor in Akihabara. Stores and stores and floors and floors of every conceivable electronic gadget or part.

We woke up early the next day and zipped back to the water in order to catch the fish market in action. I saw enough fish goo and guts to make me think I would never eat another fish; but that was until I tasted the sushi. Calvin wasn't kidding when he told me that it is much better fresh from the Tokyo fish market. We then headed to Shibuya, a shopping district, where I got to see the energy for shopping that I have only witnessed on Christmas Eve and Black Fridays. Lights, music, piled merchandise all cater to the many patrons of these huge stores. We sought sanctuary from the buzz of the city in a lush walk to a temple in a green forest. We ended the day checking out the radiant and vibrant colors of the Shinjuku streets.

Well, I should have known I was in trouble when I got lost in the airport...in the States! LAX proved to be a little confusing as I had to leave security and the terminal building and walk outside to a new terminal and check in again and go through another security check (finally got a full body screening). My first new friend was a Korean woman on my flight who persisted in her broken English to tell me about her life, and she even gave me a "Korean" massage. Once landed I followed the directions and got to Shinjuku. However, once in Shinjuku I could not find the place to purchase tickets. I wandered around the busiest train station in the world wheeling an enormous suitcase and wearing a very confused, scared expression for about 30 minutes. I was finally able to communicate to employees what I was looking for and got on my train. By the time I got to Calvin's school I had been traveling for about 23 hours, so I was quite tired and went to sleep.

The next day, Calvin and I headed to the Imperial Palace where we hung out in the gardens. We then went to a famous war shrine and a museum that covered the war history of Japan. It was really interesting to walk through a museum that tells the story of World War II from the other point of view. We then went to a famous temple in Tokyo, and I got my first Japanese meal of noodles and fried pork. To end the evening, we headed to Kichijoji to meet up with some of Calvin's friends.

Blake and Black Swans

There’s been a lot of talk lately about the dark, new film Black Swan. The consensus seems to be that it is obviously artful but one wishes she had not watched it. Hmm… sounds like a Darren Aronofsky film all right. Last weekend I finally got a chance to see this much anticipated film. Be warned that, though I loved this movie, it contains very offensive sexual scenes. I do not believe that this movie is for everyone. Also, I spoil the ending ahead. At the beginning of the film, we immediately get a picture of innocence: a timid ballerina with devout discipline to the techniques of dance. From this point on I could not help but view the film through the lens of William Blake’s poetry (note: my Romantics professor never really agreed with my interpretation of Blake).

In the hot climate that this film has erupted, I am trying to find reasons that this film is valuable and significant outside of its artistic production. I believe that there is something spiritually significant in the film’s story. What we have here is Blake’s theme of innocence and its inevitable movement into experience, which ultimately leads to death. O.K. Too nerdy? Well, it is essentially the story of Eve. At the beginning of the story, the young dancer is a near perfect individual. She has a mastery of technique and a blameless personality that qualifies her to dance as the white swan. However, there is something missing that disqualifies her from embodying the black swan. The movie then chronicles her slow move into experience through sexual encounters, jealousy, and violence. She has eaten the apple, and it has changed her; this state of experience leads to her death. The movie asserts that while this transformation is inevitable, there is also something good, even perfect in it. Perfection is only achieved by first going through a state of experience. In my reading, Blake reaches this same conclusion. And this is what I believe most Christians will probably be offended by. Did we need to enter the state of sin or would it have been better to stay in Eden?

-Call of Duty: Black Ops (Xbox 360)
-The Waste Land by T.S. Eliot (or any book of his poetry)
-Pilgrim At Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard
-Scarf
-Wool Gloves
-Indoor Basketball
-Coffee Grinder
-Coffee Mugs

Stuff I need for my apartment:

-Shower Curtain
-Hand Towels
-Bath Towels
-Lazy Boy chair
-End Table
-basically any kitchen tools/supplies (cutting knife, silicone spatula, cutting board, anything really)

The Passion of Joan of Arc

The first movie on the Image's list that I decided to tackle was The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928). It is a silent film directed by Carl Dreyer. The first thing that I noticed about the movie is that there seems to be a good reason that people don't watch 1920s silent films anymore. Its hard to watch a movie in complete silence. It actually takes effort to stay focused and follow the action of the movie. In the absence of sound, the viewer must glean all emotion from the sense of sight. I immediately had a new appreciation for music and the power it has to move an audiences emotional connection and reaction to a film. To convey the intense emotion that this film is famous for, Dreyer used stunning photography. Long, almost awkward, shots are held on the main actresses face, so that the viewer can examine and begin to experience every painful gesture of her saintly countenance. By the time she is being burned at the stake, I found that the silent film is the perfect medium to tell the story of Saint Joan. It allows the viewer to experience just a hint of the patience and resolve required of a martyr.

We see it all the time: "Top 100 Films of All-Time". We get excited until we realize we don't recognize the titles of seventy-five percent of the list. A closer look at the years of release of the films usually tells us why we don't recognize the list. Our culture doesn't really like to watch old movies. Many would rather *gasp* read a book than trudge through a black and white film that is "supposed to be really good". After being recruited to help with compiling Image's top 100 films list, I thought it might be time to explore some of these "great", old films. The list is decided by the journal's online forum community. It is essentially decided by a small group of cinephiles who have an interest in creating a list with their faith's development in mind. As a result, the list does not have all the typical top movies, but includes a long list of foreign and old films. Of their 2010 top 100 films I had heard of seven and seen five...not a great percentage. So I've decided to give some of these films a chance.

Ever since my brother has moved to Japan to study linguistics, I have been mildly intrigued by Japanese art and language. Consequently, many of my poems (a sparse handful at best to keep up the illusion that I am artistic) have been haikus. It also seems like a fitting form for the Autumn season.

Gnarled branches fight leaves
the bloody petals drip down
October has won

One of my theological, philosophical, and political musings this quarter has been what is known as the Euthyphro question. It is a question of morality as Socrates asks Euthyphro "is something right because the gods (or God) command it, or do the gods (or God) command it because it is right?" In my philosophy classes, the consensus seems to be that there must be something that right is that is the reason that God makes his commandments. If not, then his commandments are arbitrary and random which is something I find hard to believe. But a view like this could also seem to put something in authority over God. Uh Oh. Anyway, in my imaginative writing class I was assigned to write a poem streaming three entries from my writing journal. This was the result of trying to weave three articles with the Euthyphro question in mind. If this poem seems too cynical or harsh on God, keep in mind that I've been reading 17th and 18th century poetry all quarter and am trying to imitate some of their doubt to represent my own struggle.

Morality lies under sands of a private beach.
Many are sure it flows from the Divine Castle built
on the shore. But this cannot be where it forms.
To make these laws not arbitrary wishes of Being,
even God must be measured in His good.
We all are looking for a way to make sense
of life. Smashing politics into pieces,
trying to make it work for you and
for me.
Opposition falls on man,
clothing him in confusion,
tripping him short of the divine.


Still a work in progress as my workshop group pointed out to me this week (the consensus there was that the poem did not make much sense :))

For my Christianity and World Politics class this week, I was assigned passages from some of Martin Luther's letters. Martin Luther being such an influential figure in the Protestant Reformation I assumed that most of his teachings would seem simple and familiar coming from a Protestant background. However, I found the readings to challenge this view to some degree. We read a letter that Martin Luther wrote to the Princes of Germany explaining how far Christian are to be obedient to secular authority. This letter came after Martin Luther has been excommunicated by Rome and already urged the German princes to help reform the Catholic church. Martin Luther explains in this letter that he has waited long enough for the princes to act against Rome and their oppression has caused him to decide to resist the German government. Here, one might question Luther with verses where Paul tells Christians to submit to all earthly authorities. Luther acknowledges this argument and gets around it in an interesting way.
Luther reveals that there are two types of people in the world: those of the kingdom of God and those of the kingdom of the World. Furthermore, there are two governments including the spiritual which strives to make people just (believers in Christ) and the secular government which creates outward peace and prevents evildoing. Luther then argues that the law and "Sword" (the Old Testament idea of "eye for and eye") are for the benefit of the unbelievers governed by the secular government. Luther seemed to contend that just Christians do not need the law or Sword and that is why Jesus taught so much against the Sword and violence. The reason then that Christians submit to their authorities of earth not because they need it but because they must serve their neighbors who still need this authority to help them avoid evil. Luther's position of resistance against the German government seems to be justified as a service to his unsaved Christians.
The part that really seemed strange to me was Luther's idea that the Old Testament laws of eye for an eye should still apply to non Christians and our dealings with them. Also, he seems to assert that Jesus' teachings of "turn the other cheek" is for Christians only who are already just and do not need the law for the correction. Perhaps I am alone in feeling that this is a new teaching, but I do not recall Pastor Edgecomb ever phrasing it quite like this. Well, it also could be that I am completely misinterpreting what Luther is saying here.

Garfield Minus Garfield

I was reading Rolling Stone magazine and came across this website. http://garfieldminusgarfield.tumblr.com/ Its a guy who takes Garfield comics and takes out Garfield. The result, to me, is a compelling and challenging comment on the loneliness and depression that pervades our individualistic society. It has now become a daily reminder for me about the importance of God's presence in our lives and the tragedy that the lack of this presence leads to.

Last tuesday I went up to Stevens Pass. The snow can only be described as epic or possibly legendary. It had dumped the whole night before and was coming down hard the whole time that Davis and I were there. In some spots the the powder was literally waist deep. This was a day that snowboarders dream for but some seasons rarely get. Already, this year, I've been blessed with two of these days. But, alas, the very next day I had to go and sprain my ankle in a game of intramural basketball. For the rest of the week I've been trying to engage in less arduous activities, like the school's musical (I had to go for my theatre class, I give the production 6/10). The ankle does seem to be healing faster than normally, and I hope to be back to full capacity in a week or two.

the flag over the loop

This is something I jotted down last quarter as I studied. With the 2008 campaign in full swing, I thought some of you may like to see a bit of my political struggles:

So many complaints and controversies
Heaping blame on the old eagle
Her own nest is filled with condemnation
The world is tired of her oppressive claws,
And greedy beak.
She always thought these were just protective.
To provide for her family.

And I can feel my own egg cracking,
My complaining beak is starting to move.

Then I look out my window.
Red, White, and Blue bleeding from the tallest tree.
Glistening in the sunlight promising me hope, liberty, and protection.
It begs me to trust and to help fix the nest,
not tear it down.

Old Testament War and Politics-Yikes!

My family has always been pretty conservative politically. I adopted as much of the GOP's dogma as I understood at a fairly young age. However, since my senior year of high school, my political preconceptions have been challenged by Social Studies classes, literature, and the University Foundations classes at SPU. More recently, I have even felt that a same questioning politically is going through my whole family- Gasp!! Not anything like my mom is going to jump on the Obama wagon for '08, but I feel like we are all kind of rethinking what it means to be conservative and how God does and should fit into our political thinking. I know I certainly am. Today I had a particular lecture in my scriptures class that challenged my typical thinking of war. We looked at some of the war in the Old Testament that is often used as partial justification for today's current war. Professor Lim first gave us several ways to understand war in the Old Testament. He revealed that the purpose of war for the Israelites was to receive the land promised in 'Redemptive History'. Also that God would attack nations according to their wickedness not because of the Israelites rightouesness. This righteousness sounds to me a lot like the "perfect government" that America seems to want to give to Iraq. Are we attacking Iraq because of our righteousness or their wickedness?

My professor went on to argue that God is always at war througout the Bible. Throughout Exodus and the conquest of the promised lands, God fights flesh of the enemies of Israel. As they break the covenant, God then has to fight Israel. Jesus then comes to fight the powers and authorities of earth and commands the church to do so. The last stage of war described in the Bible is the final one in Revalation. He almost got to the point of arguing that this speaks strongly against the war but then he charged that of course the Old Testament is still important and applicable today. Anyway, I hope no one thinks I'm being completely indoctrinated and brainwashed. I am of course approaching everything slowly for fear of becoming the stuck college know-it-all that thinks his eyes have been opened from the oppression of ignorance.

Back in School

After an awesome summer I am finally back at SPU. The first week flew by as I met my new Moyer Hall floormates and reestablished relationships with my friends that had moved out of the dorms. Many of the freshman on my floor seem really into sports and it looks to ba another exciting year for Moyer athletics. However, we still have our share of musicians and gamers (myself included, we beat Halo 3 in 7 straight hours on its release date last tuesday) that give Moyer a unique flavor. As for my studies, I am taking a Christian scriptures class, a logic class, and a beginning biology class. So far I am loving the scriptures and logic classes. This week I have felt an uneasiness over the future of my studies. I feel that God may be telling me that a time for a decision is near. I am praying hard that God will help in this decision as I really do not know what I am interested in most. I am as the traveler in Robert Frost's poem, "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,/ and sorry I could not travel both/ and be one traveler, long I stood".

The Grey Havens

Our last day in Norway was hard for all three of us to swallow. We were certainly not ready to leave yet, and were not looking forward to saying goodbye to our family and new friends. Luckily, we had a full day to keep our minds off our melancholic moods. We spent the afternoon on Uncle Mikal’s farm and got a tour of the pigs and cow that are raised and milked there. After attempting to get the pigs’ “special” smell off with a shower, we decided to head by train over to a mall near Stavanger. Mikal and Zac found a few things to take home to share with their families but I could not muster an impulse to buy anything. When we arrived back, we once again went over to Anders’ house and hung out for one last time. Our trip ended much like this last blog, abrupt and yet satisfying.

Land Of My Lineage

We woke up early this morning to help bring the tables and chairs from reunion at the school to another building. This caused us to have a little bit of a late start on our way to Ualand. Ualand is the home of the farm where my great-grandpa raised his family. The house where my grandpa and his siblings grew up is still standing and is in the care some of my relatives. Our visit included another terrific meal of Norwegian pancakes (sorry I still can’t get the real name right. I always say lempas but that is from Lord of the Rings). After this, we got a tour of the grounds including a look through the old house. Crossing the threshold into this place was a fantastic experience. We were given the opportunity to visualize the lives of our family from almost 100 years ago. For precious moments we were able to see our grandpa bossing around his younger siblings in their crowded upstairs bedroom. Able to see great grandma cooking in the kitchen while proudly watching great grandpa working on the farm. Able to see the entire family sit down at the table and dream about the great family that would one day spring from this small white house. After the tour, we were going to hike up the side of the hills and get some pictures of the whole farm, but it started to downpour and we left for Vigrestad. Later that evening, we drove down to Egersund to visit Marion, a friend of Alexander’s. On the way we stopped at the beach. After some volleyball and dune jumping we were on our way. At Marion’s house we hung out by a lake and sang worship songs and made S’mores on small disposable grill (apparently no bonfires in Norway). We then went into town and visited the harbor where the still, soothing waters were very conducive to conversation. Suddenly the cold night chill and body’s weariness told us it was time to head back to Vigrestad.