Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Emotional Intelligence
Today the government programs that are administered by the University Relations arm of the University of Southern California got together for a group meeting. The guest speaker is Dr Joseph Dadourian, a clinical psychiatrist with the Keck University Hospital at USC.
His talk was on emotional intelligence. So many people believe it is IQ that helps determines one's successful but this proves to be far from the truth. In fact IQ may predict success in school and that's about it. Really one's emotional intelligence drives one towards success or nit.
This was meant for a successful communictations among staff members at each of the three federal untis in this department, but our unit is facing some new challenges in staffing as it meet the needs of the program. Trio programs at the U.S. Department of Education has been level funded for nearly a decade. And many programs have opted for drastic measures to continue servicing the high school students that needs the program for assistance that many of ud take for granted in reaching our goals towards a college education.
For many programs similar to our Upward Bound programs, this means cutting back On the summer residential programs. Our leaders decided that this is not satisfactory for our students in the inner city area of Los Angeles, so opted instead to cut back on staff.
Which makes this lecture on emotional intelligence timely. Well purposefully. The administeative staff was left out of the proposal so that means the directors of the programs will have to manage their own administrative activities. So there is some mixed feelings on our staff on this decision.
Friday, May 4, 2012
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Elizabeth Edwards
This is an excerpt that she wrote and her family posted on her Facebook page,
"The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered. We know that. And yes, there are certainly times when we aren't able to muster as much strength and patience as we would like. It's called being human. But I have found that in the simple act of living with hope, and in the daily effort to have a positive impact in the world, the days I do have are made all the more meaningful and precious. And for that I am grateful."
"The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered. We know that. And yes, there are certainly times when we aren't able to muster as much strength and patience as we would like. It's called being human. But I have found that in the simple act of living with hope, and in the daily effort to have a positive impact in the world, the days I do have are made all the more meaningful and precious. And for that I am grateful."
Friday, June 25, 2010
Michael Jackson & Farrah Fawcett
It has been exactly one year today that Michael Jackson passed. It being a weekend, of course, radio stations are doing Michael Jackson marathon tributes.
My first thought was who cares? At the end of his life, Michael has become practically a non-human iconic status bordering on the absurd and the unreal.
Listening to old Jackson-5 music up to and including "Thriller," there were a lot of good music, including "Captain EO" at Disneyland. After that, it got a little dicey, I think. Maybe it was the injuries suffered filming the Pepsi commercial, or the result of that living? He could not read music, I bet he could not write a check, either. A victim of his own commercialization, and probably led to his eventual death - since the only way he knew to deal with pain was more powerful pain relieving medication.
Sometimes you have to learn to cope with pain, no matter how much it hurts. It is part of growing up. But if you grow up surrounded by people that cater to you, you lose that opportunity to learn.
It also happens to be the same day that Farrah Fawcett passed too. To me, she is always Farrah Fawcett-Majors, but reading Wikipedia, apparently that marriage was maybe only 6 years long. She is characterized in being couragious at the end, fighting cancer, etc. It is true. But on the other hand, I remember reading reports that she was not accepting of it, and kept trying experimental drugs, etc, that consumed the rest of her life. That is when she should have enjoyed living. And taking care of her son, Redmond (?). He seemed neglected during that time - he was in jail when she died. Ryan O'Neil, who is no winner himself, said on recent interviews that his son is turning his life around after the death of his mother, but without those lessons in coping, his life may still slip again, when tragedy or heartbreaking moments happen again.
Our society wants us to not cope with the stress of life - the mourning of a loss, or other "sad" moments. But if we accept them, and learn how to deal with them, we should be able to enjoy life instead.
Just some thoughts.
My first thought was who cares? At the end of his life, Michael has become practically a non-human iconic status bordering on the absurd and the unreal.
Listening to old Jackson-5 music up to and including "Thriller," there were a lot of good music, including "Captain EO" at Disneyland. After that, it got a little dicey, I think. Maybe it was the injuries suffered filming the Pepsi commercial, or the result of that living? He could not read music, I bet he could not write a check, either. A victim of his own commercialization, and probably led to his eventual death - since the only way he knew to deal with pain was more powerful pain relieving medication.
Sometimes you have to learn to cope with pain, no matter how much it hurts. It is part of growing up. But if you grow up surrounded by people that cater to you, you lose that opportunity to learn.
It also happens to be the same day that Farrah Fawcett passed too. To me, she is always Farrah Fawcett-Majors, but reading Wikipedia, apparently that marriage was maybe only 6 years long. She is characterized in being couragious at the end, fighting cancer, etc. It is true. But on the other hand, I remember reading reports that she was not accepting of it, and kept trying experimental drugs, etc, that consumed the rest of her life. That is when she should have enjoyed living. And taking care of her son, Redmond (?). He seemed neglected during that time - he was in jail when she died. Ryan O'Neil, who is no winner himself, said on recent interviews that his son is turning his life around after the death of his mother, but without those lessons in coping, his life may still slip again, when tragedy or heartbreaking moments happen again.
Our society wants us to not cope with the stress of life - the mourning of a loss, or other "sad" moments. But if we accept them, and learn how to deal with them, we should be able to enjoy life instead.
Just some thoughts.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
The Grand Kabuki – Forging a National Identity in Wagner Themes
(one long essay. now that I read it again, it is not a very good one. but since there were some requests for it, here it is.)
The four operas that comprise “The Ring of Nibelung” by Richard Wagner were written at a time for great change in the Deutschland – the eventual unification of the German-speaking monarchies under one Republic. Wagner’s Ring Cycle operas convey a sense of creating a unifying German culture. Although there are many interpretations of the operas, I think that there is an underlying sense that Wagner tries to present in that the new order is simply returning to the primal order that began it all. So it is a rebirth of a cycle that is renewing. The old gods that built Valhalla is doomed from the beginning of the cycle – their fate was sealed by their own actions, or the lack of actions on their parts, at least for Wotan.
Can the new German republic forge ahead from a new beginning rooted in the primal world of Erde and the Rhine Maidens? In the accounts of Schopenhauer, Nietzsche and Freud, the world has become enlightened with the basic original order. In my opinion, this would be forging a single “new” German culture that is basic of all cultures of Germanic origins. This was an Age of Enlightenment for Europeans.
On the other side of the world, Japan at this time was engaged in a roughly peacefully shedding of the feudal government that had ruled Japan for nearly 300 years in which a world without wars were able to develop and pursue the cultural arts without disturbance. The new government is no longer based on a feudal society of aristocrats, warriors and commoners, but a new republic based on the commonality of all men, yet unified under a national symbolic son of heaven, Emperor Meiji. But this was not a revolutionary idea. The change was unnoticeable for most Japanese. At this early time, Emperor Meiji was still a figurehead as the change was engineered by groups of warlords no different than the warlords of the previous Tokugawa Shogunate.
The Grand Kabuki is now known as a national theatrical art. Its origins start with an aristocratic dramatic performing art known as Noh theatre in the 12th C. Kabuki dance goes back to the very beginning of Japan. In order to start a new world, the Sun Goddess had to be lured out of her cave by a dance. This dance eventually evolved to the dances in Kabuki today.
Unlike Noh, Kabuki began as an art for the common people. Eventually by the 14th C. and the start of the Tokugawa Shogunate, Kabuki developed into a fine art with the help of the patronage of a rising “class” of merchant families, who were thriving in society undisturbed by the threats of war and battles and by the political exploits by a feudal system of a family in power. In order to maintain such a peace, the Tokugawa Shoguns scattered opposing clans around the country and required the lords of each province to spend part of the year in the capital city of Edo (later to become Tokyo) and the other half in their homeland, alternating with their family, so that their families were, in essence, politi9cal prisoners in the capital and also spending vast amounts of their wealth in keeping two households and moving costs.
But since the ruling families and their retainers no longer needed to spend attention on the battlefields, they can now spend their leisure time (and money) in the theatre districts of Edo. Rich merchants, knowing the value of entertaining such men to get special treatment in commerce, entertained them in Kabuki theatre.
For nearly 300 years, Kabuki advanced to the state and soon actors musicians and playwrights were sought out by the theatre patrons
But because of the censorship controls, Kabuki, unlike the development of opera in Europe, could not address contemporary issues unless it was cleverly concealed in parody historic plays. In this way, Kabuki has a kinship with Elizabethan theatre, such as those of William Shakespeare.
Many of these plays and dances in them had their origins in the earlier Noh theatre and also of a puppet theatre that existed just prior to the start of the Kabuki theatre. The stylized dance has its origins in the movement of the puppets in the theatre. The cost of mounting such puppet theatre (it takes three puppeteers to move a puppet) that today only one such theatre company exists.
The influence of the music and the story from the puppet theatre can be seen in Kabuki theatre. In order not to upset the Tokugawa watch dogs, Kabuki kept to historical drama of events.
The association of Kabuki to that of the “Floating World” came from the very beginning of the theatrical art. Originally women played roles in the theatre and found to be troublesome to feudal authorities as the actresses became “close” to the samurai lords. Eventually they were outlawed from the theatre, although this had no affect on the geisha maidens in the geisha houses.
Dramatists then turned to boys to play women parts. Again the feudal authorities found the samurai to be enamored by the boys so this was also banned. Apparently gender was not a problem with the warrior class. Thus Kabuki companies came to be men only. The female roles, however, were played by men, who generally continue to live their lives as females and also had their fans as well. Aristocratic ladies often sought after even the male actors who played “manly” roles.
Does the sexuality continue in the plays? It has been said that the men who play women roles are the most feminine of all. They are praise for grasping the femininity that even some women cannot. Are the plays capitalizing on this? Yes, they are. The Kabuki plays are inundated with double entetres. This probably pleases the patrons for their continued interest.
So many other rules were places on Kabuki, including banning Kabuki theatre owners from selling food and beverages. However this void was soon filled by entrepreneurs who opened shops near theatres to provide patrons with food service in the theatre itself, often also acting as ticket brokers for the Kabuki theatre. The Tokugawa government places rules and regulations not only on the content of the plays but to also discourage interaction between the actors and the audience.
Another result of the strict control by the government on the theatre is that most Kabuki plays come from earlier eras, or contemporary playwrights would find their inspiration in depicting historical periods. Occasionally the drama writers were allowed to depict contemporary life in terms of the actions of the merchants in a comedic sense. Because the actors wielded a strong component in the success of the Kabuki theatre, lines were added to the script that the audience is aware that it is a self-appreciating commentary on the actor himself.
In the late 19th C, did Kabuki address the contemporary issues as it was taken place? Unfortunately not, as Western interest was aroused, interest in Western theatre became the outlet in presenting contemporary issues.
Many of the Kabuki plays were historical and depict heroic moments in Japan’s history. However, one fascinating component in Kabuki theatre is the use of ghosts. In a Buddhist society, ghosts are unheard of as in the Buddhist cycles of Birth and Rebirth does not spawn ghosts. But native Japanese culture is full of ghosts and ghosts sometimes are a way for the Japanese to uncover an inner psyche.
Ghosts can appear at any time, but usually when a decision has to be made, or a crime has been conducted. Ghosts can help discuss inner struggles. Since Japanese are not known to speak why they feel the way they do, the use of ghosts in the Kabuki drama can bring these inner feelings to the forefront.
Kabuki became institutionalized as an art form and could not keep up in contemporary Japanese society. The new plays were not attracting contemporary families. At the end of the Tokugawa period, there less interest in Kabuki as interest increased for Western style entertainment.
As Japan headed toward modernization, it was the military that wielded political power in the young government, appearing no different in the feudal system of the old. The national movement also renewed interest in Kabuki because of its library of historical plays, emphasizing feudal values.
The historical plays emphasize a Japanese non-Western culture. As attention in Japan turned to winning the war in World War II, the patronage of the Kabuki companies waned. At Japan’s defeat, the old ways were also defeated and Kabuki was on the verge or extinction.
If it weren’t for some American soldier scholars, such as Ernst Pyle and Faubion Bowers, who were fascinated by old Japan, Kabuki would not have survived in post-WWII Japan. Their writings created an interest in such cultural arts as Kabuki among the Americans and Europeans. And because of the penchant of Japanese to follow the non-Japanese occupiers, Kabuki and the other cultural performing arts had a resurgence of interest.
The Kabuki repertoire is full of tragedies, including suicides of the major characters. At the same time, within the structure of the Kabuki theatre, were scenes that were comedic interludes. The banter of the interludes are similar to that between Laurel and Hardy, C-3PO and R2D2, and other pairs.
The comedic pairs were probably a relief for the audience. It allows them to socialize, run to the restroom or even eat. The comedic interludes were contemporary in nature although set in the historical period of the play. It does represent the Apollo of the tragedy. They represent that life will continue and steady.
The tragic represents life. Life that is impermanent and its importance is only of that moment. Could the death be equated to love? Japanese in its theatre emphasizes duty and honor. Is “love” around? The representation of love is not a direct as in Western cultures. Love in Kabuki plays reminds me of the scene in “Fiddler on the Roof,” where Tevya and his wife are discussing love and Golde continues to define her love to her husband in terms of spousal duties.
Death in Kabuki comes at a point of awareness of the character. Without imminence of death, the character is not aware of the moment. In death, awareness is certain as if life made itself known to the dying and it starts making sense.
In Kabuki tragedy, the character is allowed to die after a life awareness takes place. Kabuki theatre, in its epoch moment, comes back to life as Japanese theatre-going public becomes aware of its importance.
Post World War and the support of the staff of the American occupiers created a resurgence of interest in Kabuki. Because of its repertoire of historical events, Kabuki represents a throwback to Japanese culture. Grand Kabuki started touring around the world, and is one of Japan’s cultural ambassadors. Kabuki actors once more are “patronized” by adoring fans. Even the female impersonators have its cadre of female and male fans.
Through the historical plays, Kabuki continues to present the Japanese psyche through its stories of death and love/duty. Wagner may have tried to organize a common identity of German cultures, Kanuki emphasize the values of old Japan and represent a cultural resurgence.
Formal Kabuki acting is hard to understand to today’s ears. But what it represents, it could be of New Japan.
REFERENCES:
Brandon, James R. Kabuki’s Forgotten War: 1931-1945. Honolulu: University of Hawai’I Press, 2009.
Brandon, James R., William P. Malm, and Donald H. Shively. Studies in Kabuki: Its Acting, Music, and Historical Context. Hawaii: The University Press, East-West Center; Center for Japanese Studies, The University of Michigan, 1978, Culture Learning Institute Monograph.
Ernst, Earle. The Kabuki Theatre. New York: Oxford University Press, 1956.
Freud, Sigmund. Three Essays on Theory of Sexuality. Trans. James Strachey. New York: Basic Books, Inc,; Harper-Colophon Books, 1975.
Kincaid, Zoë. Kabuki: The Popular Stage of Japan. 1925. New York: Benjamin Blom, 1965. Print.
Nietzsche, Friedrich. The Birth of Tragedy and The Case of Wagner. Trans. Walter Kaufmann. New York: Random House-Vintage Books, 1967.
Shaw, Bernard. The Perfect Wagnerite: A Commentary on the Niblung’s Ring. 1898. New York: Brentano’s, 1926. Print.
The four operas that comprise “The Ring of Nibelung” by Richard Wagner were written at a time for great change in the Deutschland – the eventual unification of the German-speaking monarchies under one Republic. Wagner’s Ring Cycle operas convey a sense of creating a unifying German culture. Although there are many interpretations of the operas, I think that there is an underlying sense that Wagner tries to present in that the new order is simply returning to the primal order that began it all. So it is a rebirth of a cycle that is renewing. The old gods that built Valhalla is doomed from the beginning of the cycle – their fate was sealed by their own actions, or the lack of actions on their parts, at least for Wotan.
Can the new German republic forge ahead from a new beginning rooted in the primal world of Erde and the Rhine Maidens? In the accounts of Schopenhauer, Nietzsche and Freud, the world has become enlightened with the basic original order. In my opinion, this would be forging a single “new” German culture that is basic of all cultures of Germanic origins. This was an Age of Enlightenment for Europeans.
On the other side of the world, Japan at this time was engaged in a roughly peacefully shedding of the feudal government that had ruled Japan for nearly 300 years in which a world without wars were able to develop and pursue the cultural arts without disturbance. The new government is no longer based on a feudal society of aristocrats, warriors and commoners, but a new republic based on the commonality of all men, yet unified under a national symbolic son of heaven, Emperor Meiji. But this was not a revolutionary idea. The change was unnoticeable for most Japanese. At this early time, Emperor Meiji was still a figurehead as the change was engineered by groups of warlords no different than the warlords of the previous Tokugawa Shogunate.
The Grand Kabuki is now known as a national theatrical art. Its origins start with an aristocratic dramatic performing art known as Noh theatre in the 12th C. Kabuki dance goes back to the very beginning of Japan. In order to start a new world, the Sun Goddess had to be lured out of her cave by a dance. This dance eventually evolved to the dances in Kabuki today.
Unlike Noh, Kabuki began as an art for the common people. Eventually by the 14th C. and the start of the Tokugawa Shogunate, Kabuki developed into a fine art with the help of the patronage of a rising “class” of merchant families, who were thriving in society undisturbed by the threats of war and battles and by the political exploits by a feudal system of a family in power. In order to maintain such a peace, the Tokugawa Shoguns scattered opposing clans around the country and required the lords of each province to spend part of the year in the capital city of Edo (later to become Tokyo) and the other half in their homeland, alternating with their family, so that their families were, in essence, politi9cal prisoners in the capital and also spending vast amounts of their wealth in keeping two households and moving costs.
But since the ruling families and their retainers no longer needed to spend attention on the battlefields, they can now spend their leisure time (and money) in the theatre districts of Edo. Rich merchants, knowing the value of entertaining such men to get special treatment in commerce, entertained them in Kabuki theatre.
For nearly 300 years, Kabuki advanced to the state and soon actors musicians and playwrights were sought out by the theatre patrons
But because of the censorship controls, Kabuki, unlike the development of opera in Europe, could not address contemporary issues unless it was cleverly concealed in parody historic plays. In this way, Kabuki has a kinship with Elizabethan theatre, such as those of William Shakespeare.
Many of these plays and dances in them had their origins in the earlier Noh theatre and also of a puppet theatre that existed just prior to the start of the Kabuki theatre. The stylized dance has its origins in the movement of the puppets in the theatre. The cost of mounting such puppet theatre (it takes three puppeteers to move a puppet) that today only one such theatre company exists.
The influence of the music and the story from the puppet theatre can be seen in Kabuki theatre. In order not to upset the Tokugawa watch dogs, Kabuki kept to historical drama of events.
The association of Kabuki to that of the “Floating World” came from the very beginning of the theatrical art. Originally women played roles in the theatre and found to be troublesome to feudal authorities as the actresses became “close” to the samurai lords. Eventually they were outlawed from the theatre, although this had no affect on the geisha maidens in the geisha houses.
Dramatists then turned to boys to play women parts. Again the feudal authorities found the samurai to be enamored by the boys so this was also banned. Apparently gender was not a problem with the warrior class. Thus Kabuki companies came to be men only. The female roles, however, were played by men, who generally continue to live their lives as females and also had their fans as well. Aristocratic ladies often sought after even the male actors who played “manly” roles.
Does the sexuality continue in the plays? It has been said that the men who play women roles are the most feminine of all. They are praise for grasping the femininity that even some women cannot. Are the plays capitalizing on this? Yes, they are. The Kabuki plays are inundated with double entetres. This probably pleases the patrons for their continued interest.
So many other rules were places on Kabuki, including banning Kabuki theatre owners from selling food and beverages. However this void was soon filled by entrepreneurs who opened shops near theatres to provide patrons with food service in the theatre itself, often also acting as ticket brokers for the Kabuki theatre. The Tokugawa government places rules and regulations not only on the content of the plays but to also discourage interaction between the actors and the audience.
Another result of the strict control by the government on the theatre is that most Kabuki plays come from earlier eras, or contemporary playwrights would find their inspiration in depicting historical periods. Occasionally the drama writers were allowed to depict contemporary life in terms of the actions of the merchants in a comedic sense. Because the actors wielded a strong component in the success of the Kabuki theatre, lines were added to the script that the audience is aware that it is a self-appreciating commentary on the actor himself.
In the late 19th C, did Kabuki address the contemporary issues as it was taken place? Unfortunately not, as Western interest was aroused, interest in Western theatre became the outlet in presenting contemporary issues.
Many of the Kabuki plays were historical and depict heroic moments in Japan’s history. However, one fascinating component in Kabuki theatre is the use of ghosts. In a Buddhist society, ghosts are unheard of as in the Buddhist cycles of Birth and Rebirth does not spawn ghosts. But native Japanese culture is full of ghosts and ghosts sometimes are a way for the Japanese to uncover an inner psyche.
Ghosts can appear at any time, but usually when a decision has to be made, or a crime has been conducted. Ghosts can help discuss inner struggles. Since Japanese are not known to speak why they feel the way they do, the use of ghosts in the Kabuki drama can bring these inner feelings to the forefront.
Kabuki became institutionalized as an art form and could not keep up in contemporary Japanese society. The new plays were not attracting contemporary families. At the end of the Tokugawa period, there less interest in Kabuki as interest increased for Western style entertainment.
As Japan headed toward modernization, it was the military that wielded political power in the young government, appearing no different in the feudal system of the old. The national movement also renewed interest in Kabuki because of its library of historical plays, emphasizing feudal values.
The historical plays emphasize a Japanese non-Western culture. As attention in Japan turned to winning the war in World War II, the patronage of the Kabuki companies waned. At Japan’s defeat, the old ways were also defeated and Kabuki was on the verge or extinction.
If it weren’t for some American soldier scholars, such as Ernst Pyle and Faubion Bowers, who were fascinated by old Japan, Kabuki would not have survived in post-WWII Japan. Their writings created an interest in such cultural arts as Kabuki among the Americans and Europeans. And because of the penchant of Japanese to follow the non-Japanese occupiers, Kabuki and the other cultural performing arts had a resurgence of interest.
The Kabuki repertoire is full of tragedies, including suicides of the major characters. At the same time, within the structure of the Kabuki theatre, were scenes that were comedic interludes. The banter of the interludes are similar to that between Laurel and Hardy, C-3PO and R2D2, and other pairs.
The comedic pairs were probably a relief for the audience. It allows them to socialize, run to the restroom or even eat. The comedic interludes were contemporary in nature although set in the historical period of the play. It does represent the Apollo of the tragedy. They represent that life will continue and steady.
The tragic represents life. Life that is impermanent and its importance is only of that moment. Could the death be equated to love? Japanese in its theatre emphasizes duty and honor. Is “love” around? The representation of love is not a direct as in Western cultures. Love in Kabuki plays reminds me of the scene in “Fiddler on the Roof,” where Tevya and his wife are discussing love and Golde continues to define her love to her husband in terms of spousal duties.
Death in Kabuki comes at a point of awareness of the character. Without imminence of death, the character is not aware of the moment. In death, awareness is certain as if life made itself known to the dying and it starts making sense.
In Kabuki tragedy, the character is allowed to die after a life awareness takes place. Kabuki theatre, in its epoch moment, comes back to life as Japanese theatre-going public becomes aware of its importance.
Post World War and the support of the staff of the American occupiers created a resurgence of interest in Kabuki. Because of its repertoire of historical events, Kabuki represents a throwback to Japanese culture. Grand Kabuki started touring around the world, and is one of Japan’s cultural ambassadors. Kabuki actors once more are “patronized” by adoring fans. Even the female impersonators have its cadre of female and male fans.
Through the historical plays, Kabuki continues to present the Japanese psyche through its stories of death and love/duty. Wagner may have tried to organize a common identity of German cultures, Kanuki emphasize the values of old Japan and represent a cultural resurgence.
Formal Kabuki acting is hard to understand to today’s ears. But what it represents, it could be of New Japan.
REFERENCES:
Brandon, James R. Kabuki’s Forgotten War: 1931-1945. Honolulu: University of Hawai’I Press, 2009.
Brandon, James R., William P. Malm, and Donald H. Shively. Studies in Kabuki: Its Acting, Music, and Historical Context. Hawaii: The University Press, East-West Center; Center for Japanese Studies, The University of Michigan, 1978, Culture Learning Institute Monograph.
Ernst, Earle. The Kabuki Theatre. New York: Oxford University Press, 1956.
Freud, Sigmund. Three Essays on Theory of Sexuality. Trans. James Strachey. New York: Basic Books, Inc,; Harper-Colophon Books, 1975.
Kincaid, Zoë. Kabuki: The Popular Stage of Japan. 1925. New York: Benjamin Blom, 1965. Print.
Nietzsche, Friedrich. The Birth of Tragedy and The Case of Wagner. Trans. Walter Kaufmann. New York: Random House-Vintage Books, 1967.
Shaw, Bernard. The Perfect Wagnerite: A Commentary on the Niblung’s Ring. 1898. New York: Brentano’s, 1926. Print.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Suetaka Hayase - July 31, 2009.
My cousin married a man who enjoyed life. He had a good job and made it better when he picked up his family and moved away from the country. He surfed and dived for shellfish. He ran around wearing USC jacket, when everyone else had UCLA. His daughter grew up to be a nurse, and his son plays collegiate baseball for one of the top colleges in Tokyo. And he had the most fun visiting us in the U.S. when he got married almost 30 years ago, and when we visited with them 13 years ago. He finished technical high school and he could barely read in his native language, yet he could make his way around Honolulu, and have no problems understanding my wife, who spoke no Japanese. He passed away yesterday from cancer. 5,571 miles and a whole world away yet he feels so close by. My family will miss him, and wishes to be with family there.
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