michael lambe's scrapbook

Just time for one last post before the end of the year methinks. There’s a fresh post up on Deep Kyoto of my favorite Irish pub in Kyoto: Gnome. Now for the last message of the year from Hozouji Temple:

It reads: 反省と感謝でおくる除夜の鐘

反省　- hansei = self-reflection
感謝 – kansha = thanks
おくる – okuru = send or give?
除夜 – jyoya = the watch night on New Year’s Eve
鐘 – kane = bell

As the old year gives way to the new in Japan, temple bells throughout the country are rung exactly 108 times. In Buddhist tradition this is the number of earthly desires. As the bell peals we are released from the regrets of the old year so as to greet the new year afresh. I wonder if the lack of a kanji for the verb おくる is so as to deliberately blur the meaning between sending and bestowing. The night-watch bell sends out the old year and bestows on us the new? Here is a rough idea of what this poem means:

In reflection
and in thanks
send out the old year
with the night-watch bell

That’s all from me in 2008. I had a good year. Lots of nice students and friends and good experiences to give thanks for. Especially I would like to thank Udo Bartsch and Fumi Hirai for giving me the trip of a lifetime in South Africa and I would like to thank M.T. for being my rock. A Happy New Year and see you again in 2009!

Update January 4th: Here’s a note from Masaya on the above:

Happy New Year, Mike.
I just looked at the poem. おくる is tricky.
I think it’s like おくる in 見送る(see somebody off).
When you 見送る, you are there to see other people leaving.
So, おくる is like let someone/something leave/go/pass while you are there to see that happen.
In the poem, it is more like “listening to”.
The poet listened to the bell and thought about the year that was about to end, and his mind was filled with self-reflection and thanks.
除夜の鐘 signifies the end of the year, so it can be that おくる has the idea of seeing off the year.
Does it make sense?
Take care,
Masaya

Actually, I looked a little closer at my dictionary entry for おくる today and lo and behold, when I scrolled down just a little bit further I found that very meaning and an example sentence too: 旧年を送り新年を迎える　～　See the old year out and the new one in!
However, my translation seems to hit the mark anyway, so I think I’ll leave it as it is. Thanks Masaya!

September is here, summer is over and I’m back at work already. This time last week I was in an African desert, but tomorrow I’ll be standing in front of Japanese teenagers once again teaching the past tense of irregular verbs. I got back last Saturday and I’m still jet-lagged so forgive the late posting. I didn’t have much access to the internet while away. I’m going to post my pictures in two stints and give you some accounting of the trip while I’m at it.

It was brilliant. Udo was a great guide and storyteller (though his jokes leave a lot to be desired “Gerroff the stage!“) and South Africa is a fantastic country (leaving aside poverty and crime and lingering racism and that sort of thing…). On the first day I arrived, after a short nap, Udo said “A trip up Table Mountain would be a great start” and so up we went in a cable car full of Japanese tourists with one young chap saying “sugoiiiii! sugoiiii! sugoiiii!” all the way up. We mooched around up there admiring the scenery for a bit and taking lots of pictures. Then in the evening we had dinner at a swanky restaurant at the Waterfront. And then we did something silly – drinks at the corner bar till 3 in the morning. We had a good chat but we felt rough for it in the morning. Here’s the pics (hover your mouse over them for any extra info or right click for a closer look):

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The following day, feeling worse for wear, we took things easy, visiting the beautiful Cape Town Castle (the oldest building in South Africa) and the District 6 museum. District 6 was a cosmopolitan area right in the heart of Cape Town that the apartheid regime forcibly cleared of 60,000 residents during the 70s. Now they are slowly getting their land back but the museum stands as a memorial to their experiences. That night we ate at the Ritz Hotel (the restaurant rotates!) with its magnificent night views of the city and (oops! somebody’s silly suggestion!) another late night at a Korean karaoke bar. But it was a good laugh and Udo got his mojo back apparently, which is nice (even if he did steal all my songs). Pics below (hover your mouse over them for any extra info or right click for a closer look):

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On day 3 we went to Intyatyambo which I have mentioned on this blog before (link!) and spent some time with the wee kiddies. Check out the pictures to see just how cute they are. And then fork out some cash. Just kidding. Actually, I’m not – FORK OUT SOME CASH!!! Intyatyambo is in the township of Khayelitsha, and after visiting the orphanage we had a beer at one of the few houses in the neighborhood (most people living in shacks) getting some rather odd looks from the passers by and a lady from the orphanage keeping a watchful eye on us to keep us out of trouble. I overheard Udo saying something about the “murder capital of the world” and said “Where’s that then?” and he said “Here.” and I sipped my beer a little faster. After that we went to a winery in Stellenbsoch that had pretty little gardens that made me feel like I was in Italy. A country of extreme contrasts is South Africa. The sunset that night was particularly beautiful so I’ve included some pictures in the next set (hover your mouse over them for any extra info blah blah blah…):

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And on Day 4 we went to Aquila Game Reserve which to be honest I was a little dissapointed by. I was hoping for a real safari type experience, with all the animals wandering free, but Aquila is a little too small for that, so (for example) they have to keep the lions penned up to stop them from eating the other animals (and each other) which makes it a slightly less than natural experience, more like a very very large zoo. However, I shouldn’t complain too much as Aquila is doing its bit for conservation and the animals look a lot healthier and happy than the poor sods locked up in Kyoto Zoo. Also I wouldn’t have been able to see such glorious beasties otherwise due to the brevity of my trip and Kruger National park being on the other side of the country. I shall, as Udo said, just have to go back. At least 21 days he said. Very precise.

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More pictures in my next post!

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Independant left-wing media institution Zcommunications have a spiffy new site featuring writers such as Tariq Ali, Noam Chomsky, Robert Fisk, George Monbiot, Howard Zinn etc…

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LINK

Intyatyambo

When Udo visited the other day, he updated me on the level of progress made at the Intyatyambo community project. If you don’t remember, Intyatyambo is a South African community project for disadvantaged kids and Udo has volunteered his services as a builder, handy-man and fundraiser. Since becoming involved he has helped raise ￥4 million which has already been spent on fulfilling the children’s basic needs (food and clothing) and on buying three professionally converted shipping containers with a clean bathroom, hygienic playrooms and bedrooms to replace the tin shack that they spent their days in before. However, they are still very far from their goal of raising enough funds to build a new care centre. Here’s a short video about the people behind the project:

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Learn more at the Intyatyambo website and keep up-to-date at the Intyatyambo Blog.

Crisis in Kenya

And here’s a message from avaaz.org on the current crisis in Kenya:

It’s the New Year – but for the people of Kenya, a rigged election threatens genocide. There’s something we can do to help before it’s too late, so I thought you might be interested –

Last week, Kenya held a national election marred by vote-tampering. President Mwai Kibaki has claimed victory after pressuring the electoral commissioner and the challenger Raila Odinga has called for protests. Violence has broken out across the country, with gangs of machete-wielding youth terrorizing the population leaving hundreds dead. Suddenly, this hopeful country could be sliding toward genocide.

We mustn’t sit back and watch this nightmarish scenario unfold — but we need to act fast. Archbishop Desmond Tutu has flown into Nairobi, joining the African Union in an effort to broker a power-sharing agreement and review the election results. If talks are to succeed, governments around the world must avoid prematurely recognizing a fraudulently elected leadership and locking in their power. That’s where we come in.

You can click the following link below to send a note to the government, asking them to withhold recognition of a new Kenyan president until agreement is brokered and the election results are independently reviewed:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/kenya_free_and_fair/98.php?CLICK_TF_TRACK

It’s too early to tell how far the situation in Kenya could deteriorate — but we just can’t afford to wait and find out.

I had a visit from Udo and Fumi yesterday, which was nice, and we went to Shimogamo shrine and took some pictures. Hover your mouse over for extra info:

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Note the three-legged crows. I was curious about these and it seemed like a good excuse for a chat with one of the lovely shrine maidens so I asked. There is a story in the Nihongi, she said, that the first Emperor Jimmu, lost in the mountains with his army and not knowing what to do with himself, was visited in a dream by the sun-goddess Amaterasu who then sent a three legged crow Yatagarasu (八咫烏) to show him the way. Jimmu then went on to subjugate his enemies and found the Imperial line of Japan, and being very grateful set up Shimogamo Shrine to give thanks for the celestial assistance. Of course, said the shrine maiden, it’s not really true you know. It’s a myth. There aren’t really any three legged crows.

There’s an interview with Dan le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip up on BoingboingTV which is worth a look and if you don’t know who they are, they are the guys who did this:

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And you can hear more tracks up on their myspace page. Letter from God to Man being most brilliant.

Kageyama-san suggested taking the Katou sisters out for lunch yesterday, so we did. Here are the self-styled “Soul 兄弟”.

And the Katou sisters. Other than my own, I don’t think I’ve met a nicer bunch of sisters. Look how nice they look.

After which we had a pleasant stroll round Shokokuji (here’s an elephant):

And of course no day is complete without Karaoke. We even persuaded Kageyama to sing one of his (in)famous Queen renditions.

Now in between teaching English, deciphering classical Japanese poetry, carousing and hanging out with the Katou sisters (who have now sadly gone back to Tokyo) I’ve been reading this:

What is the What is a novel by David Eggers, written in the style of an autobiography and based on the true account of Valentino Achak Deng of his life as a refugee in the Sudanese civil war. Here’s a brief synopsis:

Back in the 1980s, thousands of child refugees were displaced from their homes and wandered hither-and-thither in search of security, all the while in danger of attack by big scary animals and even scarier people… They went first to Ethiopia and then when war broke out there too, to Kenya where many of them were settled in a refugee camp for at least a decade. Finally, about 4000 of these “Lost Boys” were resettled in the USA where they dreamed they would find work, get an education and save enough money to help their families and friends back in Africa. But even then, the challenges they faced were immense….

This is a wonderful book. If you read it you will be amazed by the spiritual strength of the Sudanese refugees, who suffer terribly from hunger, disease, war and atrocity upon atrocity only to keep struggling, to keep walking, to keep offering each other the hand of kindness. Valentino Achak Deng himself comes across as such a likeable guy that by the end of the book I felt kind of lonely… So sad to say goodbye. Yes, a wonderful, if heartbreaking book. Heartbreaking beyond belief in fact. Read it yourself and see. I definitely recommend it. Oh and money raised from sales will go to help Sudanese refugees in both Africa and America. Only available in hard-back now though. But dead good. Go on, buy it.

Now from another corner of the African continent, Udo Bartsch has sent me some pictures of the kids he’s trying to build an orphanage for. I wrote about this before but so far only one person has voiced any interest, and that was Val Chew, (Malaysia’s own answer to Mother Theresa – only better looking… and alive). So maybe these pictures of cute chislings will stir some sympathy in your cold cold stony hearts. As I said before, you can email me if you want to contribute some money, and I can send you the bank account details, or you can email Udo directly here: udobart@yahoo.co.ukAnd remember, these children have no other place to go, some have been abused, even raped and they don’t always have enough to eat either. No children should suffer so much and I’m going to keep hammering on about it till you cough up some loot!

In the aftermath of Lado Japan’s sad demise, there has been a flurry of contact between former Lado teachers and staff, and I’m pleased to say Udo Bartsch in Cape Town has also been in touch with the wonderful news that he and Humi finally got hitched last January. (Congratulations to you both!) Not only that but he has recently gotten involved in something very important. In his own words:

I want to tell you an exciting story about some little people that I’ve met who got a really really raw deal. I have just (last Wednesday) become uncle to about 40 of the cutest, wide eyed little kids with snot and other things running down their faces etc. What a rush! I got involved in an NPO (Non Profit Organisation) , called Intyatyambo. It’s a registered and fully above board NPO. “Intyatyambo” means “flowers” in Xhosa, the main language in the area. It’s an orphanage run by a truly amazing woman, Lindiwe, and about six other wonderful women who take care of the kids, aged 18 months to 6 years old. They’re basd in a run down shack in one of the
largest townships outside Cape Town, called Khayalitsha. 8 of the kids are HIV positive. Some of them were found abadoned under bushes, some have been badly abused (including rape). Others have parents who drop them off in the mornings, but they can’t afford a private facility for their kids. They are not government funded and need about R960 (Y18000) per week to feed all the kiddies. They don’t always raise the required amount and then the kids fast for a while. Very healthy!

My involvemnt since Wednesday:
I’ve commited some of my time in the future and my building skills to train some, as yet, unskilled and unemployed men and women in the area to become builders. Their first project will be to build our orphanage. Free.
I’m also trying get sponsors. I called the brick company where I did my brick laying course. They offered to do the training (Phew! Got out of that one) and supply all
the bricks for the new orphanage, which is going to be kickass! Free.
An architect has agreed to draw up the plans and walk them through until approved by the CT Municipality. Free.
My favourite internet cafe just down the road is designing the website which will be up and running very soon and in several languages, including Japanese. Free.
We’re looking around for two adjacent plots in the area, to buy. Not Free.

… Interested? Want to help? Here’s how:

Next time you go out on an Izakaya and Karaoke ( I can’t tell you how much I miss that) or club night, I want you to keep track of how much you spend. Then put the same amount in your other pocket. Then send it to Intyatyambo. We need to buy the plots asap and get the ball rolling.
Short term target : R60000 (Y1200000 – one point two mil Yen)to buy the plots, get some warm clothes and blankets, fill up the food kitty and other things.
We want to take in more kids – up to 150. There is an endless supply of abandoned and abused innocents here.
I need one individual to coordinate fund raising in Tokyo and send the funds when some has accumulated. This will require a few hours a week at most.
Most of all, we need exposure. So if this interests you, please talk about it. Ultimately we want corporate sponsors to cover food for the kids and a basic salary for the women on a permanent basis.
If we raise more than we need, we will donate the excess to similar NPOs and help them with what we’ve learned along the way.

Think about it please.

OK. So, if anyone wants to make a donation email me here: luain34@yahoo.co.uk
and I will send you the necessary bank details. And I’ll probably be posting more information about Intyatyambo later on, as I learn more about it from Udo.

Here’s a song from South African band Mafikizolo, a tribute to band member Tebogo Benedict Madingoane who was shot and killed in 2004. Even in the midst of pain and grief we can still make something beautiful. Enjoy!

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