I have spent significant time in both Japan and China. When people say that China will progress just like Japan, I find it startling. The two cultures are not even remotely close to each other. This NYT article Testing Is Key to Beating Coronavirus, Right? Japan Has Other Ideas highlights some of the unique characteristics of Japan. While it does not specifically outline the differences between Japan and China, if you have lived in China and think about it, some Japanese traits are simply mind boggling.
I have heard about wabi-sabi before but have not grasped the meaning. This article grasps the concepts.
Originating in Taoism during China’s Song dynasty (960-1279) before being passed onto Zen Buddhism, wabi-sabi was originally seen as an austere, restrained form of appreciation. Today it encapsulates a more relaxed acceptance of transience, nature and melancholy, favouring the imperfect and incomplete in everything, from architecture to pottery to flower arranging.
Wabi, which roughly means ‘the elegant beauty of humble simplicity’, and sabi, which means ‘the passing of time and subsequent deterioration’, were combined to form a sense unique to Japan and pivotal to Japanese culture. But just as Buddhist monks believed that words were the enemy of understanding, this description can only scratch the surface of the topic.
As I talk to people in China it is very useful to understand general level salary levels. These are average starting salaries for entry level university grads. These do vary depending on the cost of living.
These salaries are very variable. In all cases I used the highest average. None of these mean much comparing one country to another, as expenses such as housing vary greatly.
Tempo baritone ukelele, unknown origin or date, Toronto, Canada. Photo 1 by Don Tai
This Tempo baritone ukelele came to me very broken, with the back ripped off the sides, both top and bottom, and discarded. I had to do a somewhat significant glue-up in order to stabilize the neck and get the action back to normalcy.
Xie Yang, a Chinese Lawyer, tortured in Changsha, China, Jul 2015, is still in jail in the Changsha City Public Security No. 2 Detention Center. He has not been released.
Here I am, in Toronto, Canada, reading this translation about the torture of a Chinese lawyer, a human rights lawyer, Xie Yang 谢阳, in Changsha, China. I’m just not used to this kind of abuse on another human being. Yes, I’m soft. Under Canada’s legal system, torture in order to get a conviction would lead to the exclusion of all documents and evidence gained while under torture. This is just and fair. Evidence gained while using torture cannot be considered credible nor truthful. When someone fears for their life or the lives of their family and friends, they will admit to anything if pushed sufficiently hard. Truth is more important than just getting a conviction, as you may be convicting the wrong person.
Imperial Deluxe Zigzag sewing machine, front view, Powell River, BC, Canada
As the self-appointed custodian of Imperial sewing machine information on the Internet I have had the pleasure of meeting so many like minded nice people that would also like to help others. This is how the internet should work: To reach out and help others learn what you know. A reader has sent me his user manual for the Imperial DeLuxe Zig Zag sewing machine, and I thank him for his contribution. It is free for your download.
Yamato Tanooka, a 7 year old Japanese kid, was throwing rocks as people and cars, so his parents let him out of the car as punishment. He was lost in the woods of Hokkaido for almost a week.
Damned if you do and damned if you do not. Yamato Tanooka, a 7 year old Japanese kid, was throwing rocks as people and cars, so his parents let him out of the car as punishment. A few minutes later he ran off and was lost in the woods of Hokkaido for near a week. He was eventually found by the Japanese Army, dehydrated but unharmed.
Imperial sewing machine model 535, as illustrated in the user manual. May also be branded as New Home 535 or Janome 535.
Since I became the custodian of my Imperial 535 sewing machine I have been looking for a user manual. Many people have written in looking for the same. As luck would have it, Gord Bestwick of British Columbia, Canada happened upon my blog page and has kindly cleaned up and offered me an electronic version of his user manual, for free non-commercial distribution. This means no one need pay for this manual and all Imperial, New Home and Janome 535 owners can enjoy it. This manual is applicable to many Japanese sewing machines of similar era. Between us, the world is a better sewing place.
Mayor Kotaku Wamura of Fudai City in Japan built a 15.5M floodgate and seawall in the 1970s. It took 12 years to complete, and with a lot of skepticism. During the recent Mar 11 2011 Sendai earthquake and tsunami the floodgate was closed, saving all 3,000 residents and houses. Without this floodgate the city certainly would have been destroyed. Wamura died in 1987 at the age of 88. Twenty four years after his death he returns to save his town from certain annihilation. His tenacity and foresight should be applauded. Ganbatte.
Man vs Mother Nature, Mother Nature won: Japanese earthquake and Tsunami, Mar 2011. The Fukushima DaiIchi nuclear incident is a man made disaster.
Having taught English in Japan for a year, I have first hand experience with people from Japan. I was stationed in Kyushu, the largest southern island of Japan, about 100km away from a very large volcano. When you live in close proximity to a volcano that often blows its top, you become pretty nonchalant about tremors. Being Canadian, this never happened to me. The Japanese people love fresh food, especially vegetables. Having some of their food supply deemed unfit to eat is a big psychological blow. We can only hope that this nuclear disaster can be averted. Earthquake, tsunami, and now a nuclear incident: How much can they endure?
