Monday, April 16, 2007
Article
I have been thinking about China (and Taiwan) lately. One of Yukie's friend is from Taiwan, and I have a Tawainese Student. I just came across this articlethat gives a Japanese busineman's perspective on why, even if China's economy is so huge, it still has a ways to go before it becomes "The Factory of the World."
Labels: interesting links
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Amazing dance!
Student Answers to Math Problems
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Heroes--Zeroes
Wednesday, January 3, 2007
Do asians all look the same?
"Do asians all look the same?" asks this interesting website. You can take various "exams" that test one's ability to distinguish Chinese, Japanese, and Korean faces, art, architecture, food, et. al.. The test is purely for fun according to the website, without any pretense that these are "real" or "absolute" distinctions. Apparently, asians do fare slightly better in the tests, but only slightly so. A philosophy statement on the site explains more "in-depth" or "broadly" (sic...see below), what this is about. An excerpt (full entry "below the fold"):
[On asking my professor about similarities and differences] between...certain Western philosophers and Eastern philosophies...he agreed about the similarities, ... [but] he respected Eastern philosophies too much to speak of them “ignorantly.”... [To] do an “authoritative” job, he must have much “deeper” knowledge of the entire system of thought, as well as the ability to read the original texts in the original language.
I once wrote to a professor of philosophy, asking him why he never mentioned the similarities between the philosophies of certain Western philosophers and Eastern philosophies. In his response, although he agreed about the similarities, he said he could not write about them because he respected Eastern philosophies too much to speak of them “ignorantly.” He further explained that, to do an “authoritative” job, he must have much “deeper” knowledge of the entire system of thought, as well as the ability to read the original texts in the original language.
This little vignette captures a uniquely Western tendency of thought; the attempt to dig “deeper” into the essence of an object, as opposed to extending one’s knowledge wider to see the relationship of the object to the whole. To the scholar above, “ignorance” consisted of not knowing deeply enough, but to an Eastern philosopher, “ignorance” would be not knowing widely enough.
This difference is manifested clearly in medicine. Most traditional Eastern doctors fear that they would miss the bigger picture if they specialized too much. Many Western doctors are scared of treating a medical problem that lies outside of their specialties, because the Western society condemns any medical practice that does not carry the “badge of authority” that comes with specialization.
In 2001, I created a website called AllLookSame.com which featured 18 pictures of Pacific Asians (Chinese, Japanese, and Korean), and asked the visitors to identify their nationalities. This is one of the common fears that Westerners face about Asians. They ask themselves, “Can I ask him if he is Chinese, Japanese, or Korean? Or would that be offensive to him?” Out of the fear of appearing “ignorant,” they end up never asking. My quiz was not scientific, so I cannot claim this as an indisputable fact, but it is not easy for anyone, including Asians themselves, to make those distinctions. According to the data gathered from AllLookSame.com, those who live in Asian countries do slightly better than those who live in the West, but many Asians still struggle with the test. So no one should feel afraid of asking.
I believe that this fear of “ignorance” is partly responsible for hindering the Western understanding of the East. Many Westerners feel that they should either specialize and dig deep into Eastern culture, or stay out of it completely. As long as they don’t say anything about it, they feel safe from the accusation of “ignorance,” and ironically, they remain ignorant in that process.
This problem is seen less in the East where specialists are no more respected than generalists. This encourages everyone to learn about the West without fear, without feeling they need to specialize in it. Personally, I would like to see Westerners go beyond this fear, and share their thoughts about the East even if they are not specialists. Depth should not be assumed as superior to breadth. Generalists can offer something specialists cannot. I believe that calling specializing the only legitimate form of authority is a type of prejudice.
In his book The Geography of Thought, Richard E. Nisbett describes an experiment that shows how deeply ingrained this prejudice is:
The experimenters asked Canadian and Japanese students to take a bogus “creativity” test and then gave the students “feedback” indicating that they had done very well or very badly. The experimenters then secretly observed how long the participants worked on a similar task. The Canadians worked longer on the task if they had succeeded; the Japanese worked longer if they failed. The Japanese weren’t being masochistic. They simply saw an opportunity for self-improvement and took it. The study has intriguing implications for the skill development in both the East and the West. Westerners are likely to get very good at a few things they start out doing well to begin with. Easterners seem more likely to become Jacks and Jills of all trades. [p.56]
The traditional Eastern art is a tool for “self-improvement” as well. The significance of Eastern art lies not in the objects you create, but in how you improve yourself through creating them. To Easterners, art is a ladder you throw away after you have climbed up on it. Mandala sand paintings illustrate this philosophy very well.
In the West, art is used to define one’s own identity, uniqueness, and existence. In the East, art does the opposite; it is a method of eradicating one’s own ego. In many ways, it is a ritual to eventually realize that the self is an illusion. For this reason, originality or newness in art is not a concern for the traditional Eastern artist. Ultimately they see any kind of distinction as merely a mental construct. This is roughly what is meant by the Zen proverb: “All is one.”
In the above-mentioned book, Richard Nisbett writes:
When North Americans are surveyed about their attributes and preferences, they characteristically overestimate their distinctiveness. On question after question, North Americans report themselves to be more unique than they really are, whereas Asians are much less likely to make this error. [p.54]
In the West, the self is defined primarily by thoughts. (This is the reason why many people describe themselves as being trapped in their bodies.) The feeling of existence, therefore, is derived primarily from symbolic differences. This overestimation is an expression of a desire to exist. The more different a Westerner feels themselves to be, the stronger his sense of existence becomes. This is what motivates many people in the West to pursue art, and this is why they become preoccupied with originality, newness, and uniqueness. But, to be realistic, what you truly are may not actually be so unique, which means there is a tension between being true to who you are and yielding to something original or new. Unfortunately the Western art world systematically rewards originality over truthfulness. Many Western artists, therefore, alienate themselves by pursuing originality. History (time) and the art world (space), the dimensions required to define differences, are the great alienating forces in Western art.
The Western art world tends to see modern art in the East as lagging behind their own. This is probably due to the fact that most Westerners see life (and history) as a linear progression. Easterners tend to see life as a cycle, or a series of ups and downs. Their objective in art, therefore, is not to make linear advancement. Instead, they are concerned with being true to themselves. In many cases, what may appear as a shameless imitation of Western culture is itself an honest expression of who they are. After all, in today’s world, who could remain unaffected by the influences from either the West or the East? In this sense, between the East and the West, we are much more alike than we think we are.
This little vignette captures a uniquely Western tendency of thought; the attempt to dig “deeper” into the essence of an object, as opposed to extending one’s knowledge wider to see the relationship of the object to the whole. To the scholar above, “ignorance” consisted of not knowing deeply enough, but to an Eastern philosopher, “ignorance” would be not knowing widely enough.
This difference is manifested clearly in medicine. Most traditional Eastern doctors fear that they would miss the bigger picture if they specialized too much. Many Western doctors are scared of treating a medical problem that lies outside of their specialties, because the Western society condemns any medical practice that does not carry the “badge of authority” that comes with specialization.
In 2001, I created a website called AllLookSame.com which featured 18 pictures of Pacific Asians (Chinese, Japanese, and Korean), and asked the visitors to identify their nationalities. This is one of the common fears that Westerners face about Asians. They ask themselves, “Can I ask him if he is Chinese, Japanese, or Korean? Or would that be offensive to him?” Out of the fear of appearing “ignorant,” they end up never asking. My quiz was not scientific, so I cannot claim this as an indisputable fact, but it is not easy for anyone, including Asians themselves, to make those distinctions. According to the data gathered from AllLookSame.com, those who live in Asian countries do slightly better than those who live in the West, but many Asians still struggle with the test. So no one should feel afraid of asking.
Labels: interesting links, japanese culture
Friday, October 20, 2006
Internet Explorer on Steroids
This free web-browser is what little is good about Internet Explorer, married to many of the good things of other browsers like Firefox and Opera. I have just started using it, and so far I am very pleased. If you must use Explorer, I recomend using this way into it...
Labels: interesting links
Update on free phone
This NY Times article is an update on Futurephone, the free international phone service, with an explanation of why it is worth it to them to do this.
Also, if you call me, use 011 81 70 (no zero before the 70) not 011 81 070 as the beginning of the number (full number not posted here for security reasons..email me if you need it)
Also, if you call me, use 011 81 70 (no zero before the 70) not 011 81 070 as the beginning of the number (full number not posted here for security reasons..email me if you need it)
Labels: interesting links
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Time and Telephone
This page shows the current time in Kyoto and Portland, in case anyone needs to know, if you are calling me, for example.
Speaking of which, I just read in the NY Times about this way to make (probably) free phone calls to Japan (actually most of the world). It seems simple, though I know someone tried it and said it didn't seem to work, but it may be worth a shot. They may have ironed out the kinks by now.
I am passing it along to encourage people to call me (or nay other overseas friends you may have) anytime (I miss Maine...but things are good here. I just got a job!!!!! I mean a significant job more than the few hours I was working. It was the last piece I needed before feeling like I finally landed. Now I've really left Maine.)
The probably free part comes from the fact that the initial call is a toll number in the US, but many people have free US calling minutes, etc...so this works for them. the number to call first is 712 756 8813, though more numbers may be available on their website.
Before you smirk with disdain, this is absolutely true. I heard about it in the NY Times, and the Times never lies. Well, OK, you can smirk at that.
http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2006/10/09/09pogues-posts-4/
the link is:
http://www.futurephone.com/
The instructions are:
1. Dial one of the Gateway access numbers listed on their website ( 712 756 8813 is the only
number I found, but there may be more in the future, they say...)
2. When the gateway answers, enter 011 then the country code and number you want to reach This
means you dial 011 plus my number (I can't post it here online for security reasons, so email if you need it. Also, if the number you have has a 070 in it, make that 70, no leading zero. This is a general rule, by the way, when making international calls...omit leading zeros from area code if you are dialing from outside the country.) to reach my cell phone.
(mobile users, do not hit SEND - the call will go through on it's own). For Canada dial 1 plus the
area code and number.
3. Wait a few moments for your call to ring through and then enjoy your free call.
Futurephones FAQ:
Where can I call?
Use the drop down list from the home page (Available Country code and Prefix list) to access our
list of 54 countries.
Is it really FREE?
For callers that have unlimited long distance or nationwide long distance plan fs with their cell
or local service provider, yes it will be FREE. If you do not have one of those plans the
international long distance portion of the call is free, and you would just pay your normal rate
for a domestic long distance call.
What's the catch?
There is none. We do not require any information from you at all. We respect your privacy and want
you to utilize our services without concerns about confidentiality. We simply want you to use this
services, tell your friends about it and soon we will have some other
amazing offers for you on this site.
How do I use your services?
1. Call one of our domestic access numbers listed on our home page. As noted above, this is a
toll call so we recommend using your free mobile minutes or calling from a home/office phone with
an unlimited domestic long distance plan to make this portion of the call free as well.
2. You will be connected with our International Gateway and will hear a message instructing you to
dial your foreign destination.
3. Dial your number beginning with 011....
4. Wait for your call to be connected - it may take a few seconds. Mobile Users: DO NOT HIT SEND
AFTER DIALING YOUR FOREIGN PHONE NUMBER. Hitting SEND may disconnect you from our gateway and
your Mobilewill place your call on their network, at their rates, instead.
5. Enjoy your unlimited length FREE call!
Why are we giving away calls for free?
If we can gain your confidence in our company and services, we hope to introduce other products
and services to you in the future.
How long will it remain FREE?
Our plan is to keep this services free for the next three years, which will take us to 2010.
Do I need any special equipment, or do I need to call from my PC?
No special equipment is required. Simply call our gateway number
from any telephone you use today, including cell phones. If you want to use your PC based services
to call our access number, you are welcome to.
Speaking of which, I just read in the NY Times about this way to make (probably) free phone calls to Japan (actually most of the world). It seems simple, though I know someone tried it and said it didn't seem to work, but it may be worth a shot. They may have ironed out the kinks by now.
I am passing it along to encourage people to call me (or nay other overseas friends you may have) anytime (I miss Maine...but things are good here. I just got a job!!!!! I mean a significant job more than the few hours I was working. It was the last piece I needed before feeling like I finally landed. Now I've really left Maine.)
The probably free part comes from the fact that the initial call is a toll number in the US, but many people have free US calling minutes, etc...so this works for them. the number to call first is 712 756 8813, though more numbers may be available on their website.
Before you smirk with disdain, this is absolutely true. I heard about it in the NY Times, and the Times never lies. Well, OK, you can smirk at that.
http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2006/10/09/09pogues-posts-4/
the link is:
http://www.futurephone.com/
The instructions are:
1. Dial one of the Gateway access numbers listed on their website ( 712 756 8813 is the only
number I found, but there may be more in the future, they say...)
2. When the gateway answers, enter 011 then the country code and number you want to reach This
means you dial 011 plus my number (I can't post it here online for security reasons, so email if you need it. Also, if the number you have has a 070 in it, make that 70, no leading zero. This is a general rule, by the way, when making international calls...omit leading zeros from area code if you are dialing from outside the country.) to reach my cell phone.
(mobile users, do not hit SEND - the call will go through on it's own). For Canada dial 1 plus the
area code and number.
3. Wait a few moments for your call to ring through and then enjoy your free call.
Futurephones FAQ:
Where can I call?
Use the drop down list from the home page (Available Country code and Prefix list) to access our
list of 54 countries.
Is it really FREE?
For callers that have unlimited long distance or nationwide long distance plan fs with their cell
or local service provider, yes it will be FREE. If you do not have one of those plans the
international long distance portion of the call is free, and you would just pay your normal rate
for a domestic long distance call.
What's the catch?
There is none. We do not require any information from you at all. We respect your privacy and want
you to utilize our services without concerns about confidentiality. We simply want you to use this
services, tell your friends about it and soon we will have some other
amazing offers for you on this site.
How do I use your services?
1. Call one of our domestic access numbers listed on our home page. As noted above, this is a
toll call so we recommend using your free mobile minutes or calling from a home/office phone with
an unlimited domestic long distance plan to make this portion of the call free as well.
2. You will be connected with our International Gateway and will hear a message instructing you to
dial your foreign destination.
3. Dial your number beginning with 011....
4. Wait for your call to be connected - it may take a few seconds. Mobile Users: DO NOT HIT SEND
AFTER DIALING YOUR FOREIGN PHONE NUMBER. Hitting SEND may disconnect you from our gateway and
your Mobilewill place your call on their network, at their rates, instead.
5. Enjoy your unlimited length FREE call!
Why are we giving away calls for free?
If we can gain your confidence in our company and services, we hope to introduce other products
and services to you in the future.
How long will it remain FREE?
Our plan is to keep this services free for the next three years, which will take us to 2010.
Do I need any special equipment, or do I need to call from my PC?
No special equipment is required. Simply call our gateway number
from any telephone you use today, including cell phones. If you want to use your PC based services
to call our access number, you are welcome to.
Labels: interesting links
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
cool google stuff
some cool web toys from google.
this needs fixing
this needs fixing
| A mini web browser and search | this is the local time |
| my time in kyoto | wikipedia search |
| a joke 4 ewe | the weather in kyoto |
| currency converter | I dont know how secure this is, but try it if youd like. to email me use the email "scrubs.to.kyoto" (at @) "spamgourmet.com", or any other of my million email addresses... |
Labels: interesting links
Wednesday, October 4, 2006
some quick random links...
...that just intrigued me
First, a somewhat alarming description of how the US military is sinking to new lows (as in Age, via myspace, Morality, as in gangs, neonazis and criminals, and IQ, as in bipolar and autistic) in its recruiting standards.
The Pentagon's 12-Step Program to Create a Military of Misfits
the Military's Internet Recruiting War
The Militarization of MySpace
On the more uplifting side, why use the rather ungainly epithet "gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered" GLBT, when you can use the wonderfully felicitous term "two-spirited", with its interesting connotations? Another great reason to value indigenous people's view of the world...
On the news front, interviews coming up, Yukie's birthday coming up, and generally a great mood all around.
First, a somewhat alarming description of how the US military is sinking to new lows (as in Age, via myspace, Morality, as in gangs, neonazis and criminals, and IQ, as in bipolar and autistic) in its recruiting standards.
The Pentagon's 12-Step Program to Create a Military of Misfits
the Military's Internet Recruiting War
The Militarization of MySpace
On the more uplifting side, why use the rather ungainly epithet "gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered" GLBT, when you can use the wonderfully felicitous term "two-spirited", with its interesting connotations? Another great reason to value indigenous people's view of the world...
On the news front, interviews coming up, Yukie's birthday coming up, and generally a great mood all around.
Labels: interesting links, US politics
Friday, September 29, 2006
More IFILM Commercials, some japanese, etc.
Sunday, September 24, 2006
some silly commercials from Ifilm
Wednesday, July 5, 2006
I am listening to a podcast from The Japan Considered Project of the Department of Political Science at the University of South Carolina and really enjoying it. I highly recommend it. (Transcripts are available on the podcast page...The latest podcast link is here)
The discussion is really intelligently done. This week he discusses the visit of the Japanese Prime Minister to Graceland. You've probably heard about it in the press:
I just got interrupted while writing this entry...A call from a school wishing to set up an interview. YAY!
Anyway, it then goes on, in a more serious vein, to discuss the changing relationship between japan and the us, and the "daigatsu" phenomenon.
Then he goes on to explain the history of this important concept, and how it played out in this summit. It was really interesting. Do check it out.
The discussion is really intelligently done. This week he discusses the visit of the Japanese Prime Minister to Graceland. You've probably heard about it in the press:
Nearly all of the media coverage sounds as if were written by journalists who’d recently completed summer internships at People Magazine! So, it inevitably will be known to future generations as the “Elvis Summit.”
I just got interrupted while writing this entry...A call from a school wishing to set up an interview. YAY!
Anyway, it then goes on, in a more serious vein, to discuss the changing relationship between japan and the us, and the "daigatsu" phenomenon.
President Bush and Prime Minister Koizumi agreed to urge North Korea to reconsider its plans to test an intercontinental ballistic missile. In quite blunt terms. They agreed on the need for Mainland China to clarify the objectives of its growing military expenditures, and provide more transparent accounting. They weren’t sidetracked by concern over Yasukuni Shrine visits, or the like. President Bush sincerely thanked Prime Minister Koizumi for Japan’s support in Iraq specifically, and in the battle against terror in general. And while differences of opinion on the Iran problem and India’s nuclear future were apparent, they were handled comfortably and confidently by both sides.
So, there was much more to this bilateral summit meeting than mutual appreciation of the music and showmanship of rock and roll legend, Elvis Presley.
The Role of Gai-Atsu
Perhaps most important, this bilateral summit meeting diverged from the traditional post-World War Two pattern in that “gai-atsu” appears to have played virtually no role in the planning or conduct of the meetings.
“Gai-Atsu” is a Japanese word that simply means external -- or foreign -- pressure. I use it here not to display my Japanese linguistic abilities. But because it is commonly used in English when discussing the conduct of U.S.-Japan relations. Perhaps only “Sushi” is a more familiar Japanese term for folks in Washington involved with Japan. Everyone seems to know the word “gai-atsu,” and to use it in daily conversation. Though they may not fully understand all of its implications.
Then he goes on to explain the history of this important concept, and how it played out in this summit. It was really interesting. Do check it out.
Labels: interesting links
