christmas in tokyo

Christmas is interesting here as the Japanese really go all out for things commercially, however, when you go to a restaurant (unless it is a foreign one or one that is specifically doing expensive "Xmas dinners"), then you won't find a single Christmas decoration! But if you walk around Ginza, Shibuya, or any other area, you are pounded with Christmas decorations, Christmas cakes, Christmas sales, anything Christmassy. It seems that it is just a commercialization of Christmas and really is only very superficial. It is kind of a shame as if they go this far out then at least they could add a bit of glitter to restaurants or to "globalised" traditional Japanese companies at least..

Has been a busy week though. Only time I have been home this week in the evenings was Wednesday. Thursday was out for dinner (as written previously), Friday met up with a good old friend to a very cool restaurant in Nishi Azabu. The concept is like a showroom with very causal interaction with the chefs. Kasahara is the name of the restaurant. Very cool and hip kind of joint. Saturday evening went out to La Baron in Aoyama, opening party which was pretty cool. Apparently Paris Hilton was meant to stroll on in, but left due to it being a bit mundane.. did a bit of dancing though! Then after that it was to the Vagina Denetete Nite at Aoiyuzu in Ebisu, which was rather funky. Some interesting people there, and some interesting costumes! However most of the people there were dressed pretty normal and the ones that were dressed up were obviously hired to set the theme. (about 4 girls with very revealing costumes). Did meet a very interesting guy who sold half a million yen vibrxxxxrs! Showed me photos of them too. Designed with the mother of pearl!

Sunday night (Xmas eve) was a home party at a very cool apartment in Aoyama. Enjoyed meeting a lot of down-to-earth people, well, a few exceptions... Was a great Xmas Eve party and good to be amongst a lot of people that were all pretty happy and friendly.

Today, I did have a good lunch though at Atago Hills with very good friend D. Eventhough it was a sushi restaurant, D enjoyed some great soba and I enjoyed a type of sushi bowl meal (see photo). Good to go somewhere a bit different and splash out a bit. The food was excellent and the view from the 42nd floor was great, overlooking the palace grounds from afar..

I wish everyone that reads my blog a very Merry Christmas and happy holidays, and to all the people in the world, much love, peace and happiness.


As for my own Christmas present this year, I haven't bought anything really for myself, I guess I will in the sales in NZ and Australia. Hearing from people also are like presents, especially from good friends that are so far away but so deep in your heart.


Merry Christmas and peace and joy to the world!

Let your smile show from the inside out.
Me

Osorezan - mountain of dread..

This isn't taken by me since I haven't been to Osorezan,

I thought it was a good representation of the area. Would be an interesting place to go to.

Not really relevant if you don't live in Japan, but is kind of interesting. I have heard about it and has intrigued me somewhat. If you have been here, let me know :-)

OSOREZAN Mountain of dread
By CHRIS BAMFORTH

The Hakkakudo (Octagonal Hall) is one of the most distinctive of Bodaiji temple's structures.

The stench of sulfur hits you long before you get off the bus. And when you do step off, it hits you all the stronger. Before you stretch the sickly, yellow-green waters of a caldera lake, whose acidity has expunged all fish life except for one hardy species (ugei or big-scaled redfin). Signs everywhere warn of the danger of poisonous mamushi pit vipers. Even at the height of the Japanese summer, the air is curiously silent, with none of the clamorous abundance of the insect life ubiquitous to Japan. The only sound is that of the raucous, ill-tempered crows that obviously have an affinity for the spot. Death seems to be built into the very fabric of things at Osorezan.
Some places have a peculiar, uneasy air about them. They provoke the sensation that things are not quite right. And that's certainly true of this place. Visitors wanting a taste of a Japan far removed from the genteel, familiar temples and festivals will not be disappointed by Osorezan and its unsettling lunar landscape.

Located at the end of hatchet-shaped Shimokita Peninsula, stretching north toward Hokkaido at the northern tip of Aomori Prefecture, Osorezan is a place that since ancient times has been venerated because of its mystical power. The lake -- Usoriyama -- still bears the Usori name by which the area was known to the Ainu. This was later phonetically altered to provide the Japanese pronunciation and etymology -- Osorezan, the mountain of dread. After Buddhism was introduced to Japan, the religion worked its way north, and when it came to Osorezan, the Buddhist cosmology was projected onto this desolate volcanic landscape of sulfur-stained rock.

Here, among the features marked on the map of Osorezan's temple, called Bodaiji, over an area of several hectares are such doleful-sounding spots as the Lake of Blood, half a dozen different hells, the Mountain of Swords and the Dry Bed of the River of Souls (Sai no Kawara) -- the desiccated river that divides the worlds of the living and dead. Slightly more cheery is the Beach of Pa-radise (Gokurakuhama) on the shores of Lake Usoriyama.

Souls of children
Statues of the protective bodhisattva Jizo are seen everywhere at Osorezan.
The names may sound like lurid attractions at some awful theme park, but there's no getting away from the dispiriting atmosphere that hangs over Osorezan. It is Sai no Kawara that gets perhaps the most visitor attention. With its boundary function, Sai no Kawara is often referred to as a Buddhist River Styx, but it also has the aspects of limbo. It is to this grim realm that children who predecease their parents -- and are thus unable to repay those parents for having giving birth to them -- are condemned. As penance, they are obliged to build up stone cairns, only to have foul demons with an attitude problem come along and smash them apart -- and, for good measure, tormenting the little souls with fond memories of the happiness they knew as living children. Sole protector of the children is the bodhisattva Jizo -- he of the red bib and cap and whose stone figures are seen everywhere around Japan -- driving the demons away.

Jizo images are a common sight at Osorezan, as are cairns built by visitors. Upon the cairns are often placed offerings of coins, which become blackened by the sulfurous vapors expelled by numerous volcanic vents. Many of the visitors who add to the cairns are the unfortunate ones who have lost their own young children. However one may feel about Buddhism and the afterlife, it is hard not to be moved by the presents left here -- the chocolates, plastic pinwheels, candy and small toys representing life's small pleasures, which these children will never know again. Many offerings are also made at Gokurakuhama. As well as the small cairns, along the lakeshore can be seen such items as flowers, pinwheels stuck into the soft sand and straw sandals, the latter being given to Jizo to protect his feet as he walks across the sharp rocks of Sai no Kawara. At Gokurakuhama, visitors come and perform their own small ceremonies, often done matter-of-factly. A typical one will have the visitors approach, burn incense, set flowers upon the sand, open the can of beer and onigiri they have brought along and set them by the lakeshore. They clasp their hands in prayer, call out to the departed across the lake and, the incense still burning, make their way back. What the dead can't manage of the onigiri, the crows gladly come and finish off.

Cairns built by visitors on the dry bed of the River of Souls
A couple of times a year during Osorezan festivals, the living who seek direct contact with the departed can do so through the blind mediums known as itako. Though often referred to as shamans, itako are not shamans in that they do not have any supernatural calling and do not experience any shamanistic possession. Instead, itako were traditionally born into the job through their visual impairment. Clutching and rubbing long black rosaries of soapberries, to which are often festooned such objects as old coins and the teeth, claws and bones of wild animals, the itako chant and deliver their messages from the spirit world to their paying customers. If you listen long enough, you do notice that the itako seem to work within a certain repertoire: The spirits of a grandfather or a child tend to say similar sorts of things to different people. But that is clearly no problem for the customers, many of whom queue for hours for the itako and afterward are quite visibly affected after their communications with the dead.

On the approach to Bodaiji stands one structure that, apparently, all of us will encounter sooner or later -- a small, arched, vermilion bridge that the newly deceased have to cross. For the person who has led a virtuous life, finding and crossing the bridge will be comparatively easy. But those who fail to observe Google's wise dictum of doing no evil will hardly be able to discern the bridge: It will appear to them as nothing but the slightest hint of mist.

To be, or not to be: that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them?
William Shakespeare

sunsets and special times..

Why do sunsets always look better than the photos?... I guess it is the moment that counts..

These days I have been taking time out between twilight and night, and the sun sure has been beautiful. It really becomes quite a deep red colour as it sets. I didn't know that Tokyo sunsets could be so beautiful. It's not only the sunsets on desert islands that look beautiful, but if you look out the window of a high rise building (at least with a view of the sky towards Mt. Fuji), then you may be pleasantly surprised. Really is quite pretty and never ceases to amaze me at how beautiful the light and the city can look. However, with sunsets, you can appreciate it them by yourself, but they are always so much more special when you share them with someone. Knowing that someone may be looking at it symoltaneously is even more special. It really can add to the moment and nice to think you are synchronised with the sun and the energy from it. This sometimes happens to me, although it really is rare...

Tonight, have an opening to go to a restaurant which should be interesting. An old friend of mine has invited me to their friend's restaurant and it seems that it is a really good fish restaurant, I can't seem to get enough fish at the moment, so am really happy to be dining out.

Last night I had a very nice night with Z and treated me to a very memorial Christmas dinner. Was really nice and we had the best service. Started off with Louis P champagne which set the night. Plenty of freshly cooked bread, a great Ceasar salad, wonderful mushroom soup, scampi risotto and Buri roasted with Yuzu fish. Luckily the portions were Japanese size so we could fit all the food in. The atmosphere was quite fit for Christmas as they had a real fire going in the background! Who said you couldn't have open fires in Tokyo?! Anyway, recommend Stellato in Shirogane if you want a special evening out. Thank you Z again for a wonderful night. It was quite unexpected as the restaurant that we were going to dine at was closed for a private function. Funny how things sometimes work out for the best?

Isn't this just the perfect moment for this cat?

complete bliss..

When you begin to touch your heart or let your heart be touched,

you begin to discover that it's bottomless, that it doesn't have any resolution,

that this heart is huge, vast, and limitless.

You begin to discover how much warmth and gentleness is there,

as well as how much space.
Pema Chodron

watering plants

The secret is watering plants every three days. When you water them make sure you pour enough water that it goes right through to the bottom (i.e. water coming out of the pot). Then leave them for three days and re-water them then. The flower shop guy told me this as this is what they do to their plants. So have been doing that and my weak-looking rosemary plant has come alive again and living to it's fullest. So thought I would share this small tip with you.. All my other plants have really grown as well. So I recommend this system for healthy and genki plants!

Not much longer to go till I leave. Before that though, so much to do, packing, xmas presents, sorting out what I am taking on holiday (summer back at home!) and xmas eve drinks and xmas dinner with friends. It's going to be a great end of year. Sharing with many of my closest friends, although very close friend Z won't be able to join. Will have a drink for you though sweetie!

Feels like today is Friday, and swore that it was this morning when I saw my friend in the elevator saying, yeah, it's Friday today.. she looked at me oddly and thought really? I thought it was Thursday..? Whoops, a day ahead of myself!

If you were all alone in the universe with no one to talk to,

no one with which to share the beauty of the stars,

to laugh with, to touch, what would be your purpose in life?

It is other life, it is love, which gives your life meaning.

This is harmony.

We must discover the joy of each other,

the joy of challenge, the joy of growth.

Mitsugi Saotomo

chilly days

Today my ears froze while I cycled to work. This is the first time it has happened, so it definitely has a winter feel in the air now. Almost time to bring out the cashmere coat?.....

Went to a great sushi restaurant which was very reasonably priced and tasty! Sushi is best when it is cold but sometimes you want to have hot food and sushi doesn't seem to be on the list for lunch. However it was really good and will go back there again! Good friend M was kind enough to show me the place. Lucky me!

Stayed at work till 7.15 last night. Latest I have been at work since I can remember! (at least over a year anyway). I had a few things to catch up on and it was nice and quiet in the office. Noone to disturb my concentration. The guy that sits to me has a rather loud voice, and hard to block out when you are working. Not to mention the decibel limit. Luckily he doesn't talk to me or that much, so it's ok. He keeps to himself which is great. Oh and one other thing, he doesn't smoke, which is a relief as some people can smell like ashtrays! (You can guess I'm not into smoking at all.) It's a shame that cigarettes in Japan are so cheap and you can buy them at any vending machine located pretty much anywhere over here. Drink vending machines are obviously a lot more common though.

The Norov virus seems to be doing quite well in Japan and more people have been becoming infected. I guess people's immunity is a lot weaken at this time of year and so it is very easy for them to pick it up, especially if the food contains shellfish and served at hotels where the food can be easily contaminated. Luckily I am not one for raw oysters. (Love them crumbed though!)

You must do the things you think you cannot do.
Eleanor Roosevelt

pizza..

Thought I would include a scene of NZ for you to feast your eyes upon. I will be around this area again soon. I just hope that the mountains aren't covered in snow! I would like it to be slightly hot over there. Well at least where I am heading. With global warming it seems that seasons are changing. Even here in Japan, the weather really could be a lot colder (since it is winter), however, there are still girls wearing sandals to work. Me, well, the sandals were all stored away as soon as the temperature hit 15 degrees here! Couldn't wait to wear my long black boots and get out my jackets and coats. I just want it to get a bit more colder so I can wear my long cashmere Theory coat!

Had an unexpected visit from Z last night and we shared a great Italian dinner from Salvatore.
Chef Makoto Onishi, made our pizza too! Was really good!! I can see how he is the best in Italy for making pizza! http://www.salvatore.jp/restaurant/index.html Definitely worth checking out if you haven't already experienced the taste sensation. The Caprese is awesome! Just the right amount of what you would make yourself if you could. Simple and quality. The ironic thing is, this is better than the pizza I had in Napoli (and I susposedly went to one of the best restaurants in Napoli for the pizza!)

Oh and a goodbye to wonderful and happy friend A. She left today back to start a new life in Europe. I will miss her, but if good friends stay in touch, then you will always stay in touch.
I wish A all the best!

Believe in yourself
and you can accomplish anything.
Me

soon to be christmas..

Good sunny weather makes you feel so much better. What would we do without the sunshine. I know I would probably become quite depressed and lethargic. Nothing better than waking up early to a morning of sunshine and a relaxing breakfast. Most days I have muesli with yoghurt (teamed with hemp oil, black seasame & soybean powder) and green kale powder. If not, then I can be found having some very good French bread with a dab or two of butter.. mmm :p

Was a bit disappointed in a very well-known Spanish restaurant in the weekend (Espeso), which is known for it's great Spanish food and has won numerous awards. I either ordered the wrong food or it just wasn't up to par. Even the usual polite waiters at Japanese restaurants had an air of arrogance on them (Spanish influenced??) and the food was hardly even worth taking a photo of to be remembered. I suggest go with no expectation and don't expect cheap quality food from there, not to mention great service. Very ho hum.

Did go to a pretty good Egyptian restaurant last night to say farewell to a very good friend A. Will be really sad to think she is leaving the country, but if good friends remain good friends, then one stays in touch forever, and now there is email, so even easier! Not to mention Skype.

Was treated to some homemade Italian bread by my good friend I. Very talented. Was good to catch up with her and check out her apartment. Very cosy and for the small space it occupied, it felt quite large. Well renovated. I love looking at apartments and how people have arranged their lifestyle and interior in them to suit themselves. Japanese apartments, while being small, are really great and it always inspires me to study interior design (or architecture in this case..)

There are so many things I want to do, it's just a matter of setting up a timetable. Still haven't got round to learning the piano yet. Next year perhaps? Will have to start thinking of my thesis topic too.

Christmas is almost upon us. Not that excited about it yet, but will be good to have some very good friends together to celebrate the day. Will be working on the day since I will be off back to NZ on Boxing day! Getting a bit more excited about it and just realised I really need to pack and sort out what I am going to take over. Not to mention, buying a suitcase very soon! Mama Mia!!

No sign of the bird flu this year, but there is a new virus called Noroi (no idea what it means) out. Seems they invent all sorts of things to boost the sales of drugs. Guess everyone is into buying presents and not drugs at the end of the year (therefore, invent scare tacits to increase sales). Don't be scared, and just be aware. Wash your hands thoroughly and keep your mouth closed. (oh and smile and laugh too! good for the immunity!)

Whoever is happy will make others happy, too.

Mark Twain

NZ soil quality and cancer

An article regarding NZ and Cancer and the soil quality...

Cancer - The New Frontier: Cancer defence comes in red, green and purple
Monday December 18, 2006

Professor Lynn Ferguson has devoted her career to studying the effect of diet on cancer. Photo / Richard Robinson
Mum was right - eating your greens is good for you. But so are your yellows, reds, browns and blues.
In the fight against cancer, fruits and vegetables are the first line of defence.
Lynn Ferguson, head of the Auckland University Centre for Mutagen Testing (mutagens are anti-cancer-causing properties), has devoted her career to studying the protective effects of diet against cancer.
The centre, part of the Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, was set up in 1988, but Professor Ferguson has been working with the Auckland Cancer Society since 1979.
She was invited to join by the former director the late Dr Bruce Cain.
"I was given a completely different brief. Everyone else was developing cancer drugs, I was taken in to look at [the] causes of cancer - to look at why New Zealand's got one of the highest rates of cancer in the world.
"We recognise that, okay, you can develop anti-cancer drugs, and that's great, but if you can stop people from getting cancer, that's the best of all. To do that, you've got to understand what's causing it."

And a good deal is already known about its causes. Tobacco smoke, excessive sun exposure and being obese all have strong links to cancer. But diet remains a major factor, accounting for up to a third of all cancers.
Professor Ferguson said people are simply not being as good with fruits and vegetables as they should be. While the recommendation is for five servings a day, the average New Zealander gets two to three.
And the statistics reflect that. Besides having one of the highest bowel cancer rates in the developed world, New Zealand also ranks in the top three countries for breast and prostate cancer prevalence. All three are linked to diet.
"What it means is that the New Zealand diet that we like to think of as healthy is possibly not as healthy as we would like to have it be."
Much of Professor Ferguson's research has focused on the cancer-protecting natural compounds of foods.
Kiwifruit, broccoli, green leafy vegetables and kumara, particularly the purple variety, are all foods she cites as being quite beneficial. Oily fish such as salmon and sardines are also useful.
But certain nutrients are simply lacking in the average New Zealand diet.
"You can have an incredibly healthy diet otherwise and still not get enough selenium."
Preliminary evidence from a major study being conducted by Professor Ferguson suggests that half the Auckland population is "somewhat" deficient in the mineral.
"Not enough to cause a chronic deficiency, but sufficient to increase the risk."
New Zealand soils are deficient in the mineral, so its crops reflect that. But just four brazil nuts a day is enough to meet most people's needs, said Professor Ferguson. Australian wheat is also a good source.
But there remains no cancer-preventing miracle food.
"People want a magic bullet, and I say something like 'broccoli is beneficial', but that doesn't mean you should eat a bucketload. It does mean two or three meals a week which include broccoli is probably a good idea."

a bit of history

Took this today at 4pm.

The other day, something rather unusual happened to my bike. Only parked it for about an hour outside Freshness Burger around 6pm, and what do you know, I have a whiskey bottle (mostly empty) in my basket. I guess they must have been celebrating Friday night perhaps? A student? A salaryman? The mind ponders.

I caught up with Z yesterday and had a relaxing day just mucking about. Good to have mental days off work, sure helps with life in general that is for sure.

Not long till Xmas. Haven't even started my Xmas shopping yet, but I know what I am getting people.. so that is a good start. Have even bought the New Year Greeting cards, so now just have to sit down and write them out in my best Japanese writing! This will be first time to send them out, so am looking forward to the reactions from my friends. I am sure they will be surprised to receive a traditional card from me.

Have been munching on a great souviner senbei from Kumomoto, my dear friend M gave me. Just the right amount of sweetness and a slight kick of paprika in it. Sounds like a weird combination, but I tell you what, it is good! I learnt from Z, that on the box, there is an ancient map and it tells us of the different areas that the prefectures of Japan were shifted to in Kumomoto. Tokugawa Ieyasu, made the most important (or influential) people in each prefecture move to Kumomoto, in order to sustain any rivary and to make communication difficult between their home towns. So when you look at the old map of Kumomoto, one can see that there is a section of Sado Island, Hiroshima, Nara, etc situated in different areas and they are calculated on the amount of rice produced (since that was the most important unit at the time of the era).

More info can be found on him by this link. http://www.samurai-archives.com/famousgenerals.html

Having said that, Hokkaido (land of the Ainu) wasn't even acknowldeged since it didn't produce any rice, and it wasn't until Meiji era that they became interested in Hokkaido, and developed a strain of rice that could grow up there and handle the coarse climate.

Another bit of history that Z also told me about (thanks Z for telling me about all this), was that before the world war, the land was governed by rich families and lords, and it was only after the world war that it was split up evenly among everyone. So the ones with the large farms couldn't do much at all, since it was the law. Guess that is what Democracy is about. This could have happened to England, however, it hasn't and the lords are still lords governing the land that they held from common people.

Life can be found only in the present moment. The past is gone, the future is not yet here, and if we do not go back to ourselves in the present moment, we cannot be in touch with life.

Thich Nhat Hanh

love..

This sometimes how I feel when I am trying to find the perfect job or love.

Climbing up a cliff vertically, at least with harnesses on! (A photo of a friend)

Sure could do with some inspiration today... Why is it that some days you feel so much energy for living, and other days, you feel sad and really there is no reason for you to feel down. I look inside myself and I do kind of know the reason, but part of me can't seem to fix it. Try to and yet it feels worse in a way. Just feeling down and no explanation, well, that is a different story, but if you really look into yourself, I think you will find the answer, whether it lies in work, friends, family or in a majority of cases, love. Ahh, love, what would we do without it? Love makes the world go around and if there wasn't any love, then heck, we would live in a pretty dismal world.

They say we should give love and not expect any of it back. Perhaps that is what I am not doing; giving love freely.. hmm.. am I charging for it then? Hmm.. how can one charge for true love. If we could buy it, sure, but I think true love is priceless. It is one of those special things in life that we cannot buy (like our health), and love comes to you when you least expect it. Then is love like luck?

I guess, we should never give up on love and always believe in love, as the power of love is so strong that it will come to you no matter how far or distant you may be. How and when it comes to you, is a different story, but the universe knows when and how and you just have to be recipient to it.

That's my three and a half cents for the day. Feel free to write any comments about love to enlighten me with. Always happy to hear stories of love and how it found you.

Free love? As if love is anything but free! Man has bought brains, but all the millions in the world have failed to buy love.

Man has subdued bodies, but all the power on earth has been unable to subdue love.

Man has conquered whole nations, but all his armies could not conquer love.

Man has chained and fettered the spirit, but he has been utterly helpless before love.

High on a throne, with all the splendor and pomp his gold can command, man is yet poor and desolate, if love passes him by.

And if it stays, the poorest hovel is radiant with warmth, with life and color.

Thus love has the magic power to make of a beggar a king. Yes, love is free; it can dwell in no other atmosphere.

Emma Goldman

and I just wanted to add another quote, since I found this one quite good too, and on the topic of love..

Infantile love follows the principle: "I love because I am loved.

"Mature love follows the principle: "I am loved because I love.

"Immature love says: "I love you because I need you.

"Mature love says: "I need you because I love you."

Erich Fromm

inspiration

Just took this photo from work. Thought the sky looked quite dramatic and powerful and wanted to share it with you. Sorry it can't be clearer, as the windows are quite dirty and only have my camera on my phone.. I am thinking of buying a decent digital camera, but there is so many to choose from I have no idea. I better get one soon though as I am going away on holiday to Australia and need to capture the moments and scenery over there! Any suggestions on which camera to buy? I am thinking of the Canon IXY (I have had before), but am open to suggestions..

Just a quick entry today, off to a free wine tasting of the best wines they have had a wine bar over 2006, then off to a family sale for underwear (family sale means a variety of brands sold from 30-80% off the retail price). Only the ones that have been invited can attend.. Then to Fujimama's for a catch up with some friends and enjoying live music. Don't normally go out on a Tuesday night, especially with the cold and wet upon me, however, have decided to try and make more of an effort and see my friends and support local events. A change in me? Perhaps. But do need to upgrade my skills and definitely learn how to use Photoshop properly as well as webdesign. Not to mention, decide on my thesis for next year! Good news though, I got an A for my paper & exam! I am sooooo happy about that. Talk about a great Xmas present (well an early one). Feels that my study and hard work has paid off. Not to mention it has given me motivation to hang in there and do my thesis next year. Just what on though and need to have enough to write 30,000 words.. (120 pages..?)

Thanks for tuning in and keep tuning in, until Xmas, after that will be out of the blogging world for a while..

To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.

Anatole France

time and knowledge

Oh dear, seems that the cat got stuck in the fridge again..!

(One of my funnies that I got sent to me a while ago..)

Have been having a bit of an interesting week. Decided to take a couple of mornings off from work and heck, it makes a difference. Don't get paid for not being at the office (even if I do work at home!), but it definitely puts the bounce back into your step when you have a bit more time up your sleeve and can enjoy a bit more leisurely time in the apartment or with your friends.) I recommend doing this if you are just feeling a bit fed up with work. Of course, not being paid is not the greatest thing, and the cheque can seem a bit less than normal, but for the well-being of your life and health, then I suggest to you, just take a morning off, or take an afternoon off. Sure puts a smile on your face and the day goes by so much more pleasant.

Still working on immunotherapy and cancer and it is getting a bit more interesting to what it first appeared to me. Obviously, I am not a rocket scientist and don't really have much more knowledge about cancer than college student, however, the more you read into something, you can become immersed into it. Even if you aren't that interested in it at first, I think you can find something in there that can act as a leverage, and as you know, knowledge is never wasted. Although, I have yet to find the use of algebra since leaving high school. Everything else has come up, including scattergrams and histograms from Biology. Who would have thought when I was studying at high school that I would find myself using the knowledge I learnt regarding genetics and the recombinant of DNA?! Certainly not me. So, I always contemplate that, eventhough I may not like what I am researching or learning, there will always be a time in the future that will help me in what I need to know. And if you are stuck to try and find something new to learn, I suggest talking to someone (you do or don't know), and find something that you can learn from them, or just observe what is around you..

And if you are wondering, my kidney is better. Must have just stretched a side of it or Something. Kind of weird..

Any piece of knowledge I acquire today has a value at this moment exactly proportioned to my skill to deal with it. Tomorrow, when I know more, I recall that piece of knowledge and use it better.
The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend.

Mark Van Doren

sore kidney and happiness

Quite a funny cartoon today.. I like Mike Adams work..

Yes, last night and this morning my kidney is quite sore (right hand side one), and not really sure why.. Too many teas? (I did drink quite a bit of chinese teas yesterday). Really not sure and hope that the pain goes away.

Last night was rather quiet and contemplated on life and how I am happy in the present. Didn't really get up to a lot of stuff, but did some sorting through a drawer that has been building up with stuff that needs to be sorted through. Always good to get rid of things and was quite pleased to take more unnecessary stuff down to the rubbish room.

So what did I contemplate on?... Where am I at the moment and am I happy in Tokyo, Japan? If I am not happy here, then would I be happier elsewhere in the world? Where in the world? Running away from being unhappy, doesn't necessarily mean that you will be happier on the other side of the fence. So have been sorting through my head to see if I am content being here. There are a couple of issues I have to get through, and I think once I am through them, I think I can clearly make a few choices. Definitely changing my life from the choices made. Just have to see which choice I choose. Is happiness really a state of mind or is it a state of being? I guess it is a mixture of both. A balance of what you have in your life and what comes into your life. How you handle it is important. Is happiness just the state of being and handling things calmly and peacefully. If it is so, then why are some of the happiest-seeming people sometimes not so happy. Therefore, the state of happiness must be in the mind and not just looking at what is presented to you as the being. I think if the mind reflects happiness, then this will reflect in the body naturally. I don't think it works the other way around, as people are never happy with the bodies and always want to change some part of themselves to make themselves feel happy. But if it comes from the inside, then it will naturally make you feel happy on the outside too. (Happy on the inside out.) However, there is nothing wrong in smiling, eventhough you may not feel that happy. Sometimes just smiling can make you feel happier and better. So just go ahead and smile. And hey, you might get a smile back from someone and it will make you feel better instantly!

Happiness cannot come from without. It must come from within. It is not what we see and touch or that which others do for us which makes us happy; it is that which we think and feel and do, first for the other fellow and then for ourselves.

Helen Keller

collodial silver (maybe banned...!!)

I found this most disturbing. Collodial silver really is the best thing out! Obviously, the pharmaceutical companies don't think so, especially when it means they are losing profits by this harmless substance..

EPA uses nanotech regulation ploy to target colloidal silver while ignoring all other nanotech particlesMonday, December 04, 2006 by: Ben Kage

http://www.newstarget.com/021231.html

Nanomaterials -- products and materials changed or created at the atomic and molecular level -- are quickly gaining popularity for their multitude of uses, and while the Environmental Protection Agency is preparing to regulate popular nanosilver antibacterial products, ostensibly to protect consumers, critics say the move is a thinly veiled attempt to solely regulate nanosilver as a health supplement.
Nanosilver is used to kill harmful bacteria in food storage containers, shoe liners, washing machines and even bandages. Particles of nanosilver and other nanomaterials can be as small as one-millionth the size of a pinhead. However, the EPA, citing pressure from silver industry workers and environmental groups such as Natural Resources Defense Council, is investigating whether silver ions could pose an environmental threat by killing beneficial bacteria in the environment, or even harming humans. The agency also received a letter from Chuck Weir, chairman of a California wastewater treatment plant advisory group known as Tri-TAC, which claimed "silver is highly toxic to aquatic life at low concentrations and also bioaccumulates in some aquatic organisms, such as clams."
Silver was brought under close EPA scrutiny when washing machine manufacturers began making models that were lined with silver ions or sprayed them onto the clothes as an antibacterial agent. Last year, the EPA decided that the machines should not be regulated under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, since they were considered devices rather than pesticides. Recently, however, the agency re-examined its decision and reversed it.
"We took a second look at the release of silver ions, and it was very clear that this is a pesticide and not a device," Jim Jones, director of the EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs, told the Washington Post. "Our original determination proved not to be a correct one."
Under the regulations, any silver product that claims it has antibacterial properties must prove the product is safe to be released into the environment. Mike Adams, a consumer health advocate and proponent of colloidal silver, suggested the regulations might work better were they aimed at antibiotics and pharmaceuticals.
"Isn't it interesting that the EPA chooses to completely ignore the environmental safety of all the millions of tons of pharmaceuticals flushed down toilets every year while selectively targeting silver products?" he said. "Why isn't the EPA concerned about the environmental toxicity of pharmaceuticals?"
A major point of contention for silver proponents is the fact that only products making antibacterial claims are subject to regulation. Jones' commented that, "Unless you're making a claim to kill a pest, you're not a pesticide." This decision has caused a severe backlash since it was announced Nov. 22, but not from washing machine manufacturers. Advocates of the use of silver in health have expressed outrage that the EPA has become involved and made this a safety issue, as their decision directly affects sellers whose silver products claim any antibacterial benefits.
"People have used silver flatware, and in the past silver coins, for thousands of years, releasing silver into the environment with no question of harm," said New Jersey lawyer Ralph Fucetola, who runs the Committee for the Responsible Use of Silver in Health (CRUSH) and the www.SilverFacts.com website. "The EPA will require proof of the safety of silver in the environment only if the companies make germ-killing claims," said Fucetola. "They are only concerned about safety if the public is being given information about benefits."
Fucetola, who is known as the Vitamin Lawyer for his work in the realm of dietary supplements, said CRUSH was developed to prevent irresponsible use of silver in health -- with special focus on ingested silver -- from both sides of the equation; both entities that would off-handedly disparage silver's benefits and those who would exaggerate them for profit.
"This is not a regulation designed to protect the environment from nanotechnology, it's a stealth ploy that selectively attempts to remove colloidal silver from the marketplace," Adams said. "Silver was gaining momentum in the marketplace as a safe, effective and natural antibacterial element. It cannot be patented and directly competes with antibiotics, antibacterial cleaners and other products from powerful corporations. That's why Big Business had to knock colloidal silver off track and regulate it out of the marketplace."
Fucetola noted there is a conflict between the EPA's decision and its own safety data on silver.
"EPA public records show that for ingested silver there is a safe level of use, known as the Reference Dose (RfD), determined by science as the safe daily amount for consumers," he said. "The guidelines make it clear that the only concern for the RfD is for the potential for the skin discoloration known as argyria. You would have to consume so much silver that it would discolor your skin before there would be any safety concerns."
Agyria, the most common health concern associated with silver, is a permanent yet medically benign conditioned marked by discoloration of the skin, usually brought on prolonged exposure to large amounts of the substance.
The EPA considers silver a water contaminant, but its Office of Drinking Water decided in the early 1990s that the effects of silver exposure in drinking water were cosmetic, and therefore downgraded the substance from a primary contaminant level to a secondary contaminant level. Additionally, the U.S. Centers for Disease control reports that spills of silver less than 1,000 pounds are not required to be reported to the EPA.
"If the EPA were to take the position that all nanosilver products had to qualify as 'safe and effective,' it would be acting contrary to its own long history of determining scientifically valid RfDs," Fucetola said. "Silver is spread throughout the environment already. Taking silver from the environment, using it and having some of it return to the environment is no different than the use of any other metal from the environment, whether iron, copper, or whatever."
Another factor that is drawing anger from silver proponents is the seeming focus of regulations on nanosilver to the exclusion of other nanomaterials. Indeed, the majority of nanomaterials will not be subject to EPA scrutiny, as they do not make any antibacterial claims.
"Consider this," said Adams. "Out of all the countless nanotechnology particles used in sun lotion, clothing and cookware, the EPA has decided to regulate only one -- colloidal silver, which is a naturally-occurring mineral. In doing so, the EPA ignores all the synthetic nanoparticles introduced into the environment through consumer products made by Big Business."
"'Nanosilver’ is the sexy new term for ionic silver," said Jay Newman, CRUSH member and president of supplement maker Invision International, in a press release. "Yet the imperative for an efficient delivery mechanism for human use is still the bottom line."
Newman said in a NewsTarget interview that free silver ions are needed to have an antimicrobial effect, but the ions will automatically bond with chlorine if they find their way into common drinking water, thereby rendering the ions inert.
"Our patented Silver100 is a perfect case in point, where it took many years of development and achieved patent protection because it has a specific molecular structure to control the release of silver ions in microbial forms," he said. "Once that occurs, the silver ions do not hang around. That's just the way the chemistry works.
"All appearances are that the EPA has been succumbing to corporate pressure of vested interests that do not want to see the word get out that silver has these benefits," Newman said. "I remain optimistic that the EPA will have the ethics and responsibility to let science prevail and that this will go away as quickly as it emerged."
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power of the thought...

You are in charge of your thoughts and it is the magnetism that can draw what you want or what you don't want into your life. I received this from a newsletter this morning and thought I would paste it on my blog for you. It makes you aware at just how powerful your thoughts can be and can manifest what you want in your life. Believe in your thoughts and try to concentrate on what you want in your life by your thoughts.

1. The magnetic pull of your judgments

"A human being is part of a whole, called by us the Universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separated from the rest. A kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circles of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty."
--Albert Einstein

Have you ever sat and wondered why some of your most important relationships can be so contentious? If so, you might want to consider how being judgmental can easily lead to serious breakdowns with others.

When engaged in challenging relationships, the more you're able to refrain from finding fault with and distancing yourself from others, the more likely you are to live an emotionally fulfilling life. Not always an easy task, but one that's well worth pursuing. Once you realize your own model of the world is flawed and riddled with numerous contradictions, you'll be much better able to forgive the shortcomings of others.

If you encounter certain kinds of problematic relationships over and over again, you'll do well to consider how you attract certain people to you, like a magnet attracts metal filings. You can begin to appreciate the strength of your magnet, by simply noticing who you attract and who you repel. The power of your judgments (even when not spoken out loud) can really be awesome!

When you're able to dissolve the judgment or opposition you have towards others, you'll usually find you spontaneously heighten your ability to engage in mutually fulfilling relationships. When you accept that to some extent you and your counterpart are BOTH right and wrong, you free yourself to learn and adapt, rather than dissipating your energy "fighting against". When you free yourself from finding fault and fighting, you're much better able to defend yourself and get what you rightfully deserve. This is a basic principle of Aikido.

When you place your focus on maintaining a cooperative relationship rather than attempting to determine who is "the most correct", you wind up becoming more solution oriented, and the challenging relationships in your life take on new meaning. When the meaning you attach to what transpires between you and others changes, so will your emotional state. When you're at peace with the world you slow down the pace and rhythm of your speech and actions, and breathe more freely and easily. When you do this you'll find the world is more at peace with you, and the people you interact with will feel accepted and respected, and respond in kind.

Life is not out to attack, punish, or take advantage of you. Life is out to supportively teach you what you need to learn, in order to fulfill your purpose for living. The same I believe is true with the vast majority of people you meet.

At times, some part of your self will call out imploring you to slow down and be more receptive to how you're attracting the people and experiences you don't want. This is much the same as a baby crying out because it's hungry. Rather than finding fault with the crying voice, please find a way to nourish yourself with loving compassion.

In the end, each person wants to feel loved, accepted and protected. Find a way to give others the gift you yourself so dearly desire, and you'll transform your relationships, and gain the sense of being truly appreciated by others.