Copyright © 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 Greg Peterson. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 License.
In April new leaders take over and younger people move up in organizations throughout Japan. Older people retire or step aside. Me, too. I'm still a teacher, but until yesterday (31 March 2012) I also spent 12 years as a university administrator. Now we older people will, or should, encourage our new leaders as they bring new visions of the future.
One of my favorite poems is Arthur O'Shaughnessy's
Ode,
published in 1874
(http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Ode_%28O%27Shaughnessy%29).
The first two lines are famous:
We are the music makers, And we are the dreamers of dreams,
But it's not about us. The poem celebrates each new generation that comes with new songs and new dreams. Here's the final stanza:
Great hail! we cry to the comers From the dazzling unknown shore; Bring us hither your sun and your summers; And renew our world as of yore; You shall teach us your song's new numbers, And things that we dreamed not before: Yea, in spite of a dreamer who slumbers, And a singer who sings no more.
Some middle-aged and older teachers complain about young people, but I feel optimistic as I see each class grow up and contribute new dreams to society. In that sense I'm lucky. Several of my former students are now colleagues, and one of them now chairs an academic department.
As we begin a new academic and business year in Japan, I hope young people will be encouraged, and empowered, to make their own music and to dream their own dreams. History and traditions are important, but let's remember Arthur O'Shaughnessy's message to youth:
You shall teach us your song's new numbers, And things that we dreamed not before:
Hi. I'm Greg Peterson.
I've been teaching at Kyoto Notre Dame University since 1977. I teach English and interpersonal, intercultural, and Internet communication to undergraduate students in the Department of English Language and Literature. In the Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences I teach media studies and applied information technology.
I like to help students learn to communicate with confidence, empathy, and integrity, to get along with people from different cultures, and to use media creatively and wisely. I really enjoy teaching, advising, and interacting with young people by e-mail and social media.
Since the early 1990s students in my media classes have been using Unix, FreeBSD, or Linux to learn basic file management and text processing and to make simple, accessible Web pages with Emacs and other software. Command-line interfaces and source code editors give students a more critical understanding of computers, text, and the Web than they could get with only graphical interfaces.
I do applied research in Internet information services for cultural exchange. My current work focuses on digital collections of cultural and personal artifacts such as documents, images, and sounds. I think it's important to preserve and share these materials before we lose access to them. Also, I think we should follow professional standards and guidelines to be confident that our memories will remain accessible in the future.
In my free time I spend a lot of time working with computers, reading, or writing, but I really enjoy outdoor activities. When the weather is nice, I like to take long bicycle rides in Shiga Prefecture.
Thank you for listening.
I have several thousand old photographs that I took more than 40 years ago. I'd like to preserve some of those memories and share them with friends and family members. In order to do that I have to digitize them. In other words, I have scan each photograph and save it as a computer file. Then I have to put them together in a personal digital collection.
I know quite a bit about digital collections, but it's quite a challenge to actually work with such a large number of objects. I have to select a reasonable number of them for preservation. Also, I want to follow professional guidelines for digital collections, but that's going to be difficult.
I suppose a few hundred is reasonable, but which ones shall I save? Sometimes it's hard to decide, so I'm dividing them into groups. First, I'm throwing away photos that I know I don't want to keep. Photos that I want to save go into two groups: Those I want to digitize for sure and those that I want to keep and maybe digitize when I have enough free time. The method works okay, but it's a challenge to limit the number of photos to be digitized.
When we make digital collections, we need metadata, or information about each object in the collection. For example, metadata for a photograph might include a location, a date, a title, and a short description. My problem is that I can't remember where or when I took some of the photos in my collection. At that time I was a busy college student, and until recently I hadn't paid much attention to them. Now I wish that I'd sorted and labeled my photographs when they were fresh in my memory.
Now I understand digital collections much better than before. We should take good care of photographs and other artifacts that we want to save. It's a good idea to organize them and record some information about them before they fade from memory.
Well, it’s another year, and now I’m 62 years old. I checked my New Year’s resolutions for last year, and it looks like this year is about the same for work, outdoor life, and media activities.
At the university I’ve been very busy, with lots of teaching, administrative work, meetings, and events. Teaching, advising, and serving in the Academic Information Center are pretty heavy but very satisfying. Other jobs, especially meetings and events, took up a lot of time last year. Our university had it’s 50th anniversary in December, which added quite a few meetings and events. This year I hope I’ll have more time for advising and research.
Last year I didn’t get out as much as I’d hoped. Sometimes I had to work, sometimes the weather was bad, and sometimes I was just too lazy to leave the house. This year I hope to overcome weekend inertia and enjoy more time outdoors.
My media activities have been getting pretty haphazard. This year I want to organize my files and integrate my media content on the Web, so I’ve started a new blog at gpjp.me.
Last year I put a lot of time and effort into work, but the rest of my life was not as interesting as it could have been. This year I plan to keep working hard, especially in teaching and advising, but I also want to spend more time outdoors and do a better job with media.
Yesterday in Kyoto I got into a taxi that had a pink camellia flower (tsubaki) in a small water glass on the dashboard. The flower had been cut and mounted carefully with a branch and a couple of leaves. The driver appeared to be in his mid-sixties. I told him that I liked the flower. He thanked me, and then he told me a wonderful story.
He has been driving a taxi for many years. He used to keep a bottle of water in a holder on his dashboard. One day ten years ago his wife gave him a flower in a water glass. She told him that it would give him something to enjoy as he drove around the city all day.
He put the flower in his taxi mostly to please his wife, but he discovered that it changed the atmosphere in his car. It made him feel calm, and that day he had more conversions with customers than he had had the previous week. Everyone was more relaxed, and many people admired the flower.
Since that day ten years ago his taxi has had one fresh flower every day. It has not been easy for him. Flowers must be small enough for the water glass and young enough to keep their petals, and in summer it is hard to find good flowers. In the first few years he thought about quitting several times, but he has continued day after day.
He has learned to select and mount more than 100 kinds of flowers. He keeps notes on each one so he can talk about it with customers. His notes are on a small piece of paper just below the speedometer. He carries photo albums with pictures of his flowers. When we stopped at a red light, he showed me an album with about 20 photos of different flowers.
I have always enjoyed talking with taxi drivers, but this man inspired me. In his own unique way he has been making the world a little more beautiful with one flower every day for ten years.
My wife and I use bicycles for most of our local shopping and other activities. Every week or two I do a little maintenance to keep our bikes in good shape. Sometimes it's hard to find parts, including parts for tools.
This morning I was putting air in a bike tire when the tire pump hose broke. Fortunately, the break was near one end of the hose, so I just cut off that short end. The remaining hose works okay, but I decided to replace it. It won't last very long anyway.
I had to go to two shops to find a hose. First I went to a big bike shop. They had a lot of tire pumps but no hoses. Then I went to a hardware store. The only hose I could find was made for a different kind of pump. I bought it anyway, and then I cut off the end of the hose to adapt it to my pump.
It was a lot of running around just to fix a tire pump, but I had a nice chat with an old man at the hardware store, and I got some good exercise. Of course, I went by bicyle.
Every year in Spring Semester my third-year seminar students
struggle to find topics for academic research. They
ask themselves, What do I really want to study?
This question leads some of them to ask more profound
questions. One recently wondered, How can I
become a more powerful person?
A good liberal arts education helps learners ask and seek
answers to questions like that. It's quite a challenge,
especially when students are overwhelmed by commercialism in
popular culture and quite a bit of so-called career
education.
Contemporary society actively discourages
critical study and deep reflection, so educators have to
aggressively promote the quest for meaningful growth.
Of course, there are no easy answers, but often I point out the great diversity of our graduates, and I describe how some powerful people have challenged themselves.
Powerful people that I know are driven by something that transcends normal, everyday concerns. They have a burning desire to learn or to help other people or simply to excel at something. And their determination to succeed is greater than their fear of failure.
I think a key motivator is curiosity. Young people want to know themselves more deeply, and they develop inner strength as they combine their curiosity with determination and courage. They show their strength in various ways. Some develop deep empathy and compassion for others, some excel in academic achievement or in music, sports, or the arts, and some become strong leaders, even while they're very young.
Every powerful young person that I have known has shown curiosity about something and determination to succeed at some challenge that most people would not dare to attempt.
I have an account on Twitter (http://twitter.com/#!/glpjp), where I post a few updates each week. For the last year or so, I've been following students who follow me. Recently many of them have been tweeting dozens of times every day, and some are really prolific. Their messages are about many topics, including job hunting, food, entertainment, and daily life. A few messages are very thoughtful, but many are simple emotional responses to the ups and downs of life.
I learn a lot by reading students' messages, and I really appreciate their frankness, but sometimes I worry about how they spend their time. The other day I asked my seminar students how they can concentrate on anything when they tweet so much. Well, it turns out that they can't.
Many students have to struggle to keep up with academic work. They do enough to survive, but not much more than absolutely necessary, and they seem to spend a lot of time multitasking. When they get bored or frustrated or lonely, or when they want to share something with their friends, they tweet.
Some people say that Twitter, and social networking in general, is a revolutionary means of communication, but sometimes I think it's just another distraction in a long tradition of time killers. College students have always found ways of avoiding hard academic work, and Twitter works very well for that purpose.
There's no magic formula to get students to concentrate, but single-tasking may help. Multitasking doesn't work very well. I think students can be more productive and satisfied with their lives by concentrating on one thing at a time.
Each new year I make a resolution that helps me focus my attention for the year. This year I have no new resolution, so I'll recycle my 2009 New Year's resolution to enjoy work and play and my 2010 New Year's resolution to use media more creatively.
I don't think I succeeded in 2010. The academic year, which began last April, has kept me really busy with paperwork, meetings, and weekend activities. In 2010 it seemed to rain a lot on weekends when I was free. Then in November I caught two colds that lasted over a month. It was not a good year for personal achievement.
Fortunately, in 2010 I had some success as a team leader. In April I became Dean of our Academic Information Center. My position requires a lot of administrative and committee work, but it gives me a chance to work with some very smart and enthusiastic librarians, technical staff, and faculty committee members.
My most important duty is to guide the center into the future. We've been planning new facilities, and we're beginning to offer new services. For example, we've begun to digitize and catalog some old videotapes and other materials, and now we're planning a digital repository and preparing some virtual workshops for university faculty and staff.
I began 2010 with the goal of using media creatively, but actually I'm very happy to be leading others in creative projects. I really enjoy working with people who are so eager to try new ways of doing things.
I have no new resolutions for 2011, but I hope to enjoy life, get outdoors as often as I can, keep learning, and do creative and useful work.
Human Rights Day is celebrated by people around the world each year on the 10th of December. Sixty-two years ago on this day the General Assembly of the United Nations proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, one of the most important documents in the history of civilization.
This year the theme of
Human Rights Day is Speak Up, Stop Discrimination.
The
Human Rights Day 2010 website
celebrates the work of human rights defenders. We read:
Acting alone or in groups within their communities, every day human rights defenders work to end discrimination by campaigning for equitable and effective laws, reporting and investigating human rights violations and supporting victims.
While some human rights defenders are internationally renowned, many remain anonymous and undertake their work often at great personal risk to themselves and their families.
In response to the question, What is a human rights defender?
Navi Pillay, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights,
says,
Human rights defender is a title each and every one of us can earn. It is not a role that requires a professional qualification. What it depends on is regard for our fellow human beings, an understanding that we are all entitled to the full range of human rights and a commitment to seeing that ideal become a reality.
Some human rights defenders are very famous. A few have even won the Nobel Peace Prize. But most defenders of human rights are ordinary people with no special training. They believe strongly in the dignity and equality of all people, they pay attention to what's going on in society, and they're willing to speak up against discrimination, to promote and protect human rights. Anyone can be a human rights defender.
I've commuted to Kyoto from my home in Shiga Prefecture for more than 30 years. Until October I'd gone mostly by car—through Moriyama, across Lake Biwa, and over the mountains via Tochuu Pass and Ohara. In the morning it's a scenic drive of about an hour and ten minutes.
Now my university is building a new student dormitory that takes up most of our old parking lot. The new parking lot is a long walk from the campus, so in October I quit driving to work.
Now I commute by bicycle from my home in Ritto to Moriyama Station, and then by train to Kyoto, subway to Kitayama, and on foot to the university. It takes about an hour and a half, and it's really different from driving to work.
Car commuters and train commuters move in very different subcultures. Car drivers appear comfortable, but they have to stay alert and cooperate as they make decisions quickly. When drivers fail to coordinate their actions, car commuting becomes frustrating and dangerous.
Train commuters may appear uncomfortable, especially when they're packed together. But it's not bad when people relax and move smoothly with other passengers. When train passengers fail to coordinate their actions, movement becomes more awkward, but it's rarely dangerous.
I gave up driving with some reluctance, but I've discovered some advantages of commuting by train. Public transportation is better for the environment, of course, but it's also far more relaxing than driving on crowded roads. I don't have to watch where I'm going, so I can read, look around, or just close my eyes and rest.
It's more interesting, too. I like the scenery and the variety of people. Sometimes I meet students or colleagues on the way. Sometimes I even get a chance to talk with strangers. Every train ride is different, and that beats the boredom of driving the same car over the same road twice a day.
October 24th is United Nations Day [1]. The United Nations began in the violence of World War II [2]. Representatives of 50 countries signed the Charter of the United Nations on the 26th of June, 1945 [3]. As the Preamble states, they got together to make a forum in which they could discuss common issues and work together for world peace, human rights, justice, and social progress [4]. The number of member states became 51, and then, after more than half of them had ratified the Charter, the United Nations became an official world organization on the 24th of October, 1945.
Now there are 192 member states. Each state has one vote in the General Assembly. Decisions that are made in the General Assembly are resolutions that reflect the opinions of governments around the world. Of course, many countries ignore General Assembly resolutions, but I think we have gained a lot by having such a forum for debate and sometimes for action.
The UN can be a good source of inspiration and information for young people. For example, consider human rights. In 1948 the General Assembly proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a key document in the struggle for freedom [5]. Some governments continue to violate human rights today, but human right are defined clearly, and the Declaration is available on the Internet in 375 languages. When governments violate human rights today, they must face very strong public criticism and humiliation.
I hope young people will learn about the United Nations. You can begin by reading the Introduction to the United Nations [6] on the Cyberschoolbus website [7]. For more active participation, see UNICEF Voices of Youth. You can share experiences and opinions with other young people around the world [8].
A lot of world news is pretty depressing, and it's easy to just give up. But I think the existence of the United Nations can help us learn about the world and commit ourselves to freedom, justice, tolerance, and a healthier environment for all people everywhere.
Recently my wife's father died at the age of 87. He'd been living with us for many years. His death was natural, without pain, and it was no surprise.
A nearby funeral hall took care of all the arrangements. First, shortly after a doctor confirmed his death on a late afternoon, they came to our house, packed his body in dry ice, and left him lying in his bed, covered with a silver sheet.
The following morning my wife's brother and one of his two young adult daughters came from Tokyo and held a brief wake. Then the funeral hall people came to get his body. That night my other niece arrived.
Early the following morning we went to the funeral hall, where we placed flowers in the simple pine coffin. Then the coffin was loaded into an inconspicuous white hearse, which we followed to a nearby crematorium.
At the crematorium we viewed the body one last time, and then the coffin was closed and loaded into a furnace. My brother-in-law pushed a red button to begin cremation.
We waited about 90 minutes, and then we were ushered into a small room where my father-in-law's bones were lying on a stainless steel tray. The technician described various bones, beginning at the feet and working up to the top of the head. Each of us took a pair of large chopsticks, picked up a few bones, and put them in a large cup, which was then placed in an urn.
These events had quite an impact, especially on my nieces. They had talked with their grandfather just a couple of weeks before he died. After he died, they saw his dead body several times. Finally they saw the remains of his skeleton. As they picked up pieces of their grandfather's bones, they had to confront the reality of death and, I think, reflect on the value of life.
Today, 12 August 2010, is
International Youth Day.
Today the United Nations celebrates young peoples’ energy,
imagination, and initiatives
and recognizes their crucial
contributions to enhancing peace and development.
Today is also the first day of a whole year devoted to global dialog among young people: the International Year of Youth: Dialog and Mutual Understanding [Resolution A/RES/64/134, 18 December 2009 <http://www.un.org/ga/64/resolutions.shtml>].
The International Year of Youth comes at a crucial time. Young people almost everywhere are struggling to get educated, to find and keep decent jobs, to define their roles in society, and to express their aspirations and ideas. This is a good opportunity to support young people and to listen to them.
Unfortunately, it's easy to get negative impressions of young people, especially on the Internet, which is flooded with commercial entertainment and trivia. Most commercial Internet services do little or nothing to help young people think deeply and develop the empathy and skills that they need for global communication.
Fortunately, there are good opportunities for more thoughtful participation. For example, children can find a lot of interesting and useful information on the United Nations Cyberschoolbus. Teenagers and young adults can read high-quality blogs on Global Voices, and they can join discussions with other young people on Voices of Youth. Of course, face-to-face dialog is most helpful, and I'll be talking about that in the future.
Many young people around the world think deeply and have something to say that others should hear. I hope they'll have more opportunities to share their aspirations, experiences, and ideas during the International Year of Youth.
The other day a Web search showed one of my Getting Along podcast titles on an MP3 search engine site. When I visited that site, I could see many of my titles. When I downloaded some of my files from that site, they actually came from the server here at my university.
That site's disclaimer
states that MP3 files found on
the site actually come from remote servers; however, the true
locations of my files were all hidden. That's a problem
because it fails to show listeners the origins of files they
download via that site.
That site has a second problem, which is much more serious
than hidden URLs. Their disclaimer misrepresented the legal
status of my podcast. It said that users have no right to
assign, copy, transfer, share or transmit music files to any
third party.
That's not true for my podcast.
My Getting Along podcast recordings and transcripts are provided as a public service. They are Open Educational Resources, released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 License. You are free to share them with others. You are even free to quote from my transcripts and remix my recordings to use them in your own creative works. So copy them, use them, remix them, and share them. Just be sure to obey three easy restrictions. Tell people where you got them (attribution), don't try to make money from them (noncommercial use only), and share your remixes with others under the same license (share-alike).
The disclaimer on that MP3 search engine site included false statements about users' rights to my recordings. I complained to the webmaster, who responded with an offer to remove my titles from the site. The reasons for my complaint were never acknowledged, so I instructed the webmaster to remove all references to my recordings. That took some effort because I had to locate and send their URL for each of my Getting Along titles. After I sent the list of URLs, the webmaster reported that they had been removed.
Of course, on the Internet there are illegal copies of many copyrighted works that are not free. That's a serious problem for musicians and others who live by their creative work. People should respect the wishes of copyright holders.
My works are free, and if anyone tells you that you cannot share my podcast recordings, they're lying to you. Don't believe them. Check the license, and do not allow anyone to interfere with your rights.
Hi! I'm Greg Peterson.
I've been teaching at Kyoto Notre Dame University since 1977. I teach interpersonal, intercultural, and computer-mediated communication to undergraduate students in the Department of English Language and Literature. In the Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences I teach media studies and applied information technology.
I like to help students learn to communicate with confidence and integrity, to get along with people from different cultures, and to serve others wisely with information and communication technology.
My research focuses on practical uses of technology for education and cultural exchange. I'm especially interested in the accessibility of resources and tools. That includes patent-free, open technical standards, free and open-source software, and open access to digital resources.
Recently I've been studying technology for mobile reading,
including ebook
readers and standards. I think the
ePub standards hold great promise for the future of open
access to textbooks and research articles.
Besides teaching and research, I help with the planning and management of educational services. Currently I serve as Dean of the Academic Information Center. I'm also the faculty adviser to the students' English Speaking Society.
In my free time I enjoy cycling, fishing, and other outdoor activities. When the weather is nice, I like to take long cycling tours in Shiga Prefecture. I love to get on a bicycle and ride all day.
Thank you for listening.
In Japan some older adults complain about how young people these days are inconsiderate or rude in public. Many such complaints are related to appearance, for example, boys in baggy pants or girls in extremely short skirts. Some young women even put on makeup while riding trains or subways. When they do, many older people are surprised or curious, and some are offended.
Last week on a morning subway a young women sat down beside me, reached into her handbag, and took out her makeup kit. As she was working on her eye shadow, she noticed that quite a few older people were watching her. She looked angry, as if all of us were invading her privacy by looking at her in a very public place.
Some surprises are more pleasant. Last night I had to stand on a crowded commuter train. I didn't care, though, because I had something to read and plenty of space around me. A young woman in a black suit was sitting in a nearby seat, reading a book. She looked like a college student returning home from an exhausting day of job interviews.
After a few minutes, she looked up. When she saw my face, she bounded out of her seat. She didn't say anything, but she shyly gestured for me to sit. I declined, saying that I was fine, and I told her to take it easy. So she sat back down, and her face turned red with embarrassment. Later, as I got off the train, I thanked her for being so considerate. She didn't make eye contact with me, but I could see that she was smiling. There are many young Japanese women like her. Many are shy, but they're brave enough to show kindness to strangers.
When I got home, I looked at myself in a mirror. I'm only
60, and I feel middle-aged, but my beard is completely white.
I guess I look really old to young people. In fact, some of
my students jokingly call me Grandpa,
and I know they
respect my age and experience. But last night I was stunned
when a young person offered to give me her seat out of
respect for the elderly.
At my university here in Japan, we're finishing the academic year. We've finished exams and grading, and this week we determined who will be able to graduate in March. In my department this year is pretty good. Our students did well, and we didn't have any unpleasant surprises.
One of the ironies of university life is that academic work becomes a luxury in this season. We have a lot of paperwork, and some of us have to attend several meetings every week. It's nearly impossible for professors to find time for our primary work of education, research, and public service. Sometimes it gets pretty frustrating, especially during long meetings.
But in the midst of all this non-academic activity there are some bright spots. For example, the other day five colleagues presented summaries of their current research. We got to hear interesting talks about English language teaching, clinical psychology, ancient Buddhist texts, and new kinds of school libraries. It was great to sit in a meeting and learn something new.
After that meeting a small group of us gathered informally to share ideas for a new research and public service project. We were all enthusiastic about collaborating in creative and useful research.
On the same day my masters student submitted her thesis on how some urban middle school girls use mobile phones. Their patterns of mobile phone use differ greatly from the scary stories we get from the mass media. Her research makes a genuine contribution to our understanding of how young urban teenage girls use technology to maintain their social lives. The best news is that she's going to be a teacher. With more teachers like her, this country has a bright future.
I suppose I shouldn't complain. As much as I hate all the meetings, I have to admit that academic life can be very rewarding—as long as I can find time for it.
Each year I make a New Year's resolution that helps me focus my attention for the year. So far I've been pretty successful. In 2007 my New Year's resolution to promote information freedom motivated me to develop better materials and lectures for my students, and in 2008 my New Year's resolution to promote youth media helped me encourage students to express themselves with words and photos. I keep both of these resolutions in mind as I work with students on their research and independent study projects.
In 2009 my New Year's resolution to enjoy work and play helped me stay active. I rode my touring bike 2102 kilometers in 2009 and achieved my goal of 2000. Sometimes it was a bit hard to enjoy work, but I did okay.
In 2010 I want to build on my 2009 resolution to enjoy life. I don't know if I can ride 2000 kilometers again this year, but I want to make my life richer by doing something creative.
I've studied media and computer technology for many years. I teach information technology in some of my classes. Over the years I've created a few useful Web services, such as WordNet Vocabulary Helper. Recently I've been spending a lot of time just trying to keep up with technology news. I rarely learn anything really useful, so I think much of that time has been wasted.
In 2010 I want to spend less time reading about technology and more time using it for creative projects. I don't know what form my work will take, but I want to do more writing, and I hope to do something interesting with photography. And, of course, I'll keep podcasting.
The 1st of December is World AIDS Day. This year the focus of the World AIDS Campaign is on HIV and human rights, especially the right to universal access to AIDS treatment. Recently many people in wealthy countries seem to take it for granted that one can live with AIDS for a long time, but in developing countries many people don't have access to treatment. Two million people died from AIDS in 2008, and about 33 million are now living with HIV. That includes more than 15.5 million women and 2 million children. Most of them are in poor countries, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. Fewer than half of those who need treatment have been getting the drugs they need. [1]
Now most people are aware of infectious diseases, especially since the swine flu pandemic is spreading throughout the world. [2] HIV doesn't spread as easily as influenza, of course, but it's also a virus, and it's a global public health issue. We have to cooperate to prevent the spread of HIV, and we have to respect and take care of people who get it. Everyone can support medical research and universal access to proper health care.
The 16th of November is the
International Day for Tolerance.
Since the end of World War II in 1945, the idea of tolerance has been
at the center of international peace efforts. The Preamble to the
Charter of the United Nations includes the phrase,
to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one
another as good neighbours.
On the 16th of November, 1995, the General Conference of UNESCO adopted the
Declaration of Principles on Tolerance.
In today's podcast I want to read Article 1 of the Declaration,
about the meaning of tolerance. It has four parts:
1. Tolerance is respect, acceptance and appreciation of the rich diversity of our world's cultures, our forms of expression and ways of being human. It is fostered by knowledge, openness, communication and freedom of thought, conscience and belief. Tolerance is harmony in difference. It is not only a moral duty, it is also a political and legal requirement. Tolerance, the virtue that makes peace possible, contributes to the replacement of the culture of war by a culture of peace.
2. Tolerance is not concession, condescension or indulgence. Tolerance is, above all, an active attitude prompted by recognition of the universal human rights and fundamental freedoms of others. In no circumstance can it be used to justify infringements of these fundamental values. Tolerance is to be exercised by individuals, groups and States.
3. Tolerance is the responsibility that upholds human rights, pluralism (including cultural pluralism), democracy and the rule of law. It involves the rejection of dogmatism and absolutism and affirms the standards set out in international human rights instruments.
4. Consistent with respect for human rights, the practice of tolerance does not mean toleration of social injustice or the abandonment or weakening of one's convictions. It means that one is free to adhere to one's own convictions and accepts that others adhere to theirs. It means accepting the fact that human beings, naturally diverse in their appearance, situation, speech, behaviour and values, have the right to live in peace and to be as they are. It also means that one's views are not to be imposed on others.
UNESCO.Declaration of Principles on Tolerance.16 November 1995.
Some people mistake tolerance for weakness. They're wrong. Tolerance requires integrity, confidence, and courage.
A couple of weeks ago I got stranded while I was taking a long bicycle ride on brand new tires. I was way out in the countryside, more than 40 kilometers from home, when my rear tire went flat. At first I thought I was okay because I had a repair kit and a tire pump. I even had a spare tube. But then I discovered that the new tires and tubes didn't work well with the rims on my bike. Finally I realized that I couldn't fix it.
There was no way I could ride back home. The only solution was to leave my bike somewhere, go home by taxi and train, and then drive my car out to the countryside, pick up my bike, and carry it home. Fortunately, I was able to do just that because a couple of very kind people helped me.
I found a Friend Mart (a small supermarket) at the nearest intersection. The lady at the service counter heard my story and immediately called the manager. Without any hesitation the manager offered to keep my bike in a safe place. And then he even called for a taxi to take me to the nearest train station. When I picked up my bike that evening, I thanked him and we chatted a bit. He seemed very happy to have helped a stranger.
Last week I happened to be riding in that area again, so I stopped and bought food for lunch at that market. I didn't see the manager, but I spoke with the lady at the service counter. I let her know that all was well and that my bike was back on the road.
That experience of being stranded with a broken bicycle was pretty hard, but it was also very rewarding to meet such good people.
This summer I managed to do a lot of long-distance cycling, even though we had a lot of rain in July and early August. After the rainy season ended in August, I took several rides of about 100 kilometers each in Shiga and Mie Prefectures.
One nice thing about summer cycling is that I get to meet some interesting people. For example, in the mountains near Iga in Mie Prefecture I met a 62-year-old fellow cyclist from Yokkaiichi. I'd followed him up a fairly steep mountain pass. When we got to the top, we talked for a while, congratulating each other for having survived a long, non-stop climb at our ages [1].
One day as I was riding along Lake Biwa, I met a man who was flying a model glider. The glider had a wingspan of about 70 or 80 centimeters. The guy would spin and fling it into the wind and then grab his remote control. The glider would go out over the lake in a big circle, and then he'd fly it back and gently catch it by the tip of a wing [2].
A little later that same day I met a Canadian man in Hikone [3]. While we were chatting, I discovered that he was the father of a young woman who had worked for a while at my university. He lives in Toronto, and he was visiting relatives in Hikone that week. What a small world!
In summer it's really hot and humid here in Japan. It takes a lot of energy to ride a bicycle 100 kilometers in that kind of heat, but a day of cycling in August can be great fun as long as you get up early and drink a lot a water as you ride [4].
discus launch glider(DLG).
The 11th of July is World Population Day.
This year the theme is investing in girls and women, and
the slogan is Fight Poverty: Educate Girls.
The global economic crisis is becoming especially acute in
developing countries. Those who suffer the most in such hard
times are women and children. One of best ways to fight
poverty and improve health is to educate girls.
In his Message on World Population Day, Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, says:
In the midst of the worst global economic crisis in generations, we must find the most effective ways to continue progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals. There is no better path than the focus of this year's World Population Day: investing in women and girls.
This year my university held Open Campus on World Population Day. This all-day recruiting fair gives high school girls a chance to see the university, learn about our academic programs, and talk with some of our students.
I spent the afternoon at an information desk for my academic department. Two of our fourth-year students were there, and it was a great pleasure to work with them. I could clearly see profound differences between 17-year-old high school seniors and 21-year-old university seniors. Of course, natural growth in four years plays a big role, but the knowledge and poise of a well-educated college student is really impressive.
I've been teaching at a women's university for nearly 32 years, so I'm obviously a strong supporter of education for girls and women. This year's World Population Day theme, investing in girls and women, is vitally important, and I think we should expand it to include higher education and opportunities for productive employment.
Although college is not for everyone, we must give girls and women the best education we can. Over the years I've seen hundreds of young women transformed into productive and confident members of society, and many of them have become leaders. I'm confident that we can make the world a much better place by educating girls and women and by giving them good opportunities to contribute to society.
The 20th of June is World Refugee Day. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, there are now 11 million refugees and a total of nearly 32 million people of concern in Asia, Africa, Europe, the Americas, and Oceania (Protecting Refugees and the Role of UNHCR). People of concern include refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced persons, and returnees.
These people face many serious problems. First, many have basic survival needs. They need food, water, clothing, shelter, sanitation, and sometimes protection from people who might try to harm them or kill them. Second, they need education and means of employment so they can help themselves. Third, many need to be accepted by other countries in order to have somewhere to live permanently. Now many countries are very reluctant to take asylum seekers because of economic concerns, prejudices against foreigners, or worries about security.
Most of us will never work directly with refugees as volunteers, but everyone help in several ways. For example, you can do three things immediately.
Throughout history care for asylum seekers and refugees has been a sign of advanced human civilization. Generosity toward those who need our help should be perfectly normal for civilized people everywhere.
About a year ago I was cycling around Lake Biwa Museum, where I saw some people with kites in a large open area. One young guy was flying a kite with two control lines, one in each hand. That kite was darting all over the sky, climbing, diving, flying around in all directions like a swallow.
After a few minutes he landed his kite, and I got back on my bicycle. As I rode away, I thought I'd like fly a kite like that some day. A few months ago I decided to try it, so bought a Prism Snapshot 1.2 PowerFoil, a little parafoil kite for beginners.
I'd thought it would be easy to fly such a simple kite, but it was really frustrating at first. Launching it was harder than I'd expected. When I first pulled the control lines and ran backward, the kite would spin and crash instantly. I tried five or six times just to get it up in the air, and then I flew it straight into the ground several times. Fortunately, no other people were there. My failures were humbling enough without spectators.
For quite a while I thought I'd wasted my money, but a few days ago I finally succeeded. It still took a few tries to launch the kite without crashing it, but finally I was able to keep it aloft, and I gradually learned how to fly it in different directions. It wasn't as dramatic as that big delta kite I'd seen last year, but it flew pretty well as long as I handled it very gently. I'm still a novice, and I have no intention to advance very far, but I think I can call myself a kite flier.
Many Japanese young people are now seeking offers of full-time employment to begin in April, 2010. This year many college seniors say job hunting is hard, and some are beginning to get discouraged.
In these hard economic times it's easy to forget the needs of young people, especially young women, and the long-term contributions they can make to society. Maybe this is a good time to reflect on fundamental human rights.
The right to work is expressed clearly in Article 23 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:
This week the President of the United States proclaimed April 28, 2009, as National Equal Pay Day. In his proclamation, President Obama recognized that everyone must cooperate to end discrimination. He said:
The collective action of businesses, community organizations, and individuals is necessary to ensure that every woman receives just treatment and compensation.
There's no doubt that we're living in hard times. Many companies are struggling for survival, so we can't expect them to hire more young people than they need. But we can, and should, expect all employers to provide equal opportunities to men and women. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights still applies, even in hard times.
I have three bicycles. All of them are pretty old, but mechanically they're all in good condition. I ride pretty fast, so I try to keep them in good shape and properly adjusted, especially the brakes. My bicycle brakes have saved me quite a few times.
All of my bicycles have cantilever brakes. These brakes have little arms that stick out from the frame along each wheel. When the brakes are applied, the arms are pulled up and the brake pads swing inward toward the wheels and press against the sides of the wheel rims.
Maintenance looks simple, but good adjustment is harder than it looks. A bicycle has four brake pads, and each pad can be adjusted in several directions at the same time. It can slide up or down, tilt upward or downward, swivel head up or head down and toe in or out in relation to the wheel rim. It's a three-dimensional puzzle, and there's a huge difference between sloppy adjustment and getting each brake pad just right.
The work is a little tricky. It requires a lot of patience, but I suppose it's good for me. Maybe it builds character, especially since patience is not one of my virtues. The only way I can do it really well is to take my time and concentrate. Then when I ride I can be confident that my brakes will work well when I need to stop.
The last Wednesday of March is Document Freedom Day. I suppose the idea of document freedom means nothing to most people, but it's important. Computer software that processes documents must be programmed to use the formats of those documents. Open standards enable anyone, not just certain companies, to write software.
Unfortunately, the most commonly used office document formats are owned by one American company, Microsoft. This situation makes many electronic documents extremely fragile. Access to the contents of these documents is controlled by one company. People cannot freely choose office software that meets their needs, and there is no guarantee that they will even be able to read their old documents in the future.
We need not accept this situation. Now there is an open international standard for documents: Open Document Format for Office Applications (ODF) - ISO/IEC 26300:2006. ODF is supported by a strong community, and now several excellent software packages are available. For example, OpenOffice.org runs on many operating systems and includes all major office applications.
Not everyone needs office software with graphical interfaces. In many cases structured text markup is a much better solution. Standard text markup systems are ideal for academic life, and they have been used for many years. For nearly two decades one of my colleagues has used the LaTeX document preparation system. He can easily revise and print papers and class handouts that he wrote 15 or 20 years ago. For academic writing and teaching materials I prefer DocBook, an XML application for books, articles, manuals, and other prose documents. Many people in the humanities prefer Text Encoding Initiative (TEI) markup. TEI is the most common format of high-quality literary works in digital libraries around the world.
Software Freedom Day began in 2008. It is still unknown to most people; however, this day can remind us that we need not depend on closed document formats that are owned by companies. We can own our own data, and we're free to use formats that serve our needs best.
My mother was a very gentle person, but she was pretty strict. She hated profanity, and she always insisted that men, including her husband and three sons, should treat women with respect. She really hated bullies. One day when I was 17, she stood up to a bully with such intensity that I'll never forget it.
Our farm had an apple orchard. Near our house we had two cabins for migrant workers who came to pick our apples each year in September. One Saturday morning in 1967 an older man, Frank, had been staying in one of the cabins for about a month. A man and two women, George, Betty, and Sarah, had just moved into the other one. They'd worked only one day.
I couldn't work in the orchard that day because I'd hurt my
leg in a football game the previous night. I was in my room in
the basement of the house when Frank came running in all excited.
He shouted, George beat up Sarah, and your Mom's going out
there with a rifle!
No way,
I thought. My mother hated guns. She wouldn't
even touch the rifle I kept in the closet near the kitchen. But
Frank insisted, and he told me to bring a gun. So I got a
revolver, loaded it, and followed him outside.
Mom was near one of the cabins, aiming my rifle at George. He was standing very still, glaring at her. The two women were carrying stuff from the cabin to their car. Mom was talking in a hard voice that I'd never heard before. She called George a bully and a coward, and she told him that he was fired. She also told the women that they were welcome to stay.
When she saw that I was armed, Mom ordered me to shoot George if he moved. Then she handed Frank the rifle and went into the house. Very soon she came back and paid the three people for their work the day before. Then George and the two women got into their car. Mom repeated her offer to the women, but they all drove away together. We never saw them again, but later we learned that George had been arrested that same night. He'd pulled out a concealed knife and cut someone in a bar fight.
Every year the 8th of March is
International Women's Day.
The United Nations theme for
International Women's Day 2009 is
Women and men united to end violence against women and girls.
In his message
the Secretary-General included these remarks:
In some countries, as many as one in three women will be beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused in her lifetime. Women and girls are also systematically and deliberately subject to rape and sexual violence in war. ...
Death, injury, medical costs and lost employment are but the tip of an iceberg. The impact on women and girls, their families, their communities and their societies in terms of shattered lives and livelihoods is beyond calculation. Far too often, crimes go unpunished, and perpetrators walk free. No country, no culture, no woman, young or old, is immune.
International Women's Day reminds all of us, both women and men, to study and confront the abuse of women and girls. Every day, all around the world, women and girls are exploited, beaten, mutilated, raped, and even killed. Women cannot solve these problems alone. We men have to gather the courage to cooperate.
Perhaps we can begin by learning. Public campaigns like the White Ribbon Campaign and V-Day raise awareness among men and boys, and they encourage us to join the struggle to end violence against women and girls. As they seek to educate men and boys, they remind us that real men don't hurt women.
My university starts the academic year at the beginning of April and finishes with Commencement the following March. In January and February teachers are really busy. Along with entrance examinations, we have many activities that take a lot of time.
The most difficult work is wrapping up the academic year. We have to conduct thesis defenses and final exams, read students' reports and portfolios, and submit a grade for every student in every class. It's quite a job to get everything done on time, and this year was really hard.
Final grades require integrity and careful judgment. In Fall Semester I had 142 students in three elective classes. I failed 22 of them. It's easy to fail students who drop out or who don't submit final reports, but every term I face a few difficult cases in which students just haven't learned enough. I want to be a nice guy and show mercy, but that would violate my academic principles. Fortunately, most of those who fail return to take the same course again, and nearly all of them succeed the second time. It's painful to fail them, but I know that they learn from their experiences.
This year the last big job was to help graduate students finish their Masters theses. We try hard to maintain a high standard, and this year we put a lot of pressure on students to do their best work as they finished their final drafts. It was a hard and sometimes dramatic struggle, but everyone survived.
March is here, so we can relax a bit and get ready for April. I'm really tired but happy, and I'm almost ready to do it again.
As each year passes, I become more aware of my age and my mortality. New Year's Day is a good time to be grateful for life, to reflect on the past year, and to set some goals for the future.
In 2008 my New Year's resolution to promote youth media was partly successful. Students did not produce audio programs, but their essays and Web pages show increasing awareness and knowledge of important issues. A few students have made very interesting and creative Web sites. These changes follow naturally from my 2007 New Year's resolution to promote information freedom.
Sometimes I became frustrated with students' behavior in 2008, but they've taught me an important lesson about enthusiasm for life. It's a real pleasure to know these young people, and their exuberance inspires my New Year's resolution for 2009:
I resolve to enjoy both work and play in 2009.
I'll continue to promote freedom of information and youth media, but I resolve to work with more joy and to show a more positive attitude to students and colleagues.
I'll also keep reminding myself that work isn't everything. I've always enjoyed outdoor activities, but for quite a few years I was not very active except in summer. Last year I got back into cycling, and it's been very good for me. In the last ten months, since early March, I've put more than 1500 kilometers on my touring bike. Now I'm in pretty good shape. This year I'd like to pedal at least 2000 kilometers and continue to enjoy life.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights will be 60 years old on the 10th of December, 2008. It was written shortly after World War II and adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on the 10th of December, 1948.
Some people have objected to the Declaration, saying that it was written from a Western cultural perspective. Some political leaders have said that sometimes we must suspend human rights for certain people, such as suspected terrorists. Those people are wrong. Politicians and others often violate people's rights, but human rights belong to all people everywhere. Violations of human rights are crimes against all of humanity.
Recently UNESCO published an interview of Stéphane Hessel, a French-German diplomat and writer who participated in the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In response to criticisms of cultural bias, Hessel waid:
Human rights are inalienable and indivisible. We must absolutely resist relativism. We cannot plead cultural differences to deny them. Moreover, western countries can be just as guilty, look at the prisons in Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib. It isn’t because they’re western that they’re any less responsible. We have to remain faithful to the principle of universality – it is fundamental.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is one of the most important documents in human history, certainly the most significant statement by world leaders in the 20th century. The Declaration is avilable in over 337 languages. It should be taught in every school in every country. I urge teachers everywhere to read it and think about how you can present it to your students. The world will be a better place if we promote human rights for everyone on Earth.
Every year the Asia/Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU) in Nara, Japan, conducts the ACCU International Exchange Programme for a small group of young people from UNESCO member countries. Participants from about ten Asia/Pacific countries are mostly experts in fields related to the preservation of cultural heritage. They get two weeks of intensive training and cross-cultural exchange experiences.
On Friday, the 14th of November, 2008, our university worked with
ACCU to give ten UNESCO participants a full day of discussion
and sight-seeing with students in Kyoto
[1]. In the morning I moderated a 90-minute
discussion. One of my colleagues first spoke about Learning
in an Ancient City,
and then nine of our students spoke
about their personal encounters with traditional Japanese
culture
[2].
UNESCO participants asked questions and shared their
ideas following each presentation.
This was our third time to collaborate with ACCU, and, like the previous times, I think it was really successful [3]. The UNESCO participants and our students spent a whole day talking with enthusiasm as they shared experiences and ideas.
Cross-cultural dialog seems most meaningful to young people when they focus on personal experience. Our students didn't present a standard introduction to Kyoto for tourists. Instead, they spoke from the heart about their experiences and their ideas and feelings about their cultural identities in the context of Japan's rich cultural heritage. They freely admitted their lack of knowledge and spoke of their narrow interests in particular aspects of culture.
Their frank self-disclosure impressed the UNESCO participants. Everyone spoke freely, and sometimes critically. Participants noted that Japanese people lack geographical knowledge of the Asia/Pacific region, and we all shared ideas on the development of cultural identity, the preservation of cultural heritage, the transfer of cultural knowledge, and the appreciation of cultural diversity through the study of geography, literature, and traditional arts and crafts.
When young people get together in sincere dialog on serious topics, good things happen.
A couple of weeks ago I was visited by a couple who appeared to be in their early forties. I saw that the man was carrying a magazine produced by a well-known religious cult. They seemed to be nice people, but I sent them away immediately. I have no time for cult propaganda.
About fifteen years ago a friend of mine joined that cult. He'd been an active member of a small Protestant Christian church, but he'd become unhappy. I think he wanted to reduce the great mysteries of life and death to a simple formula for personal salvation.
After my friend joined the cult, he quit a very good job and devoted all of his time to cult affairs. Before long his wife and children began to suffer. They had to live in poverty, and they were cut off from their former friends.
Over a period of several years we had a few long talks. Gradually he became more single-minded. At first he came as a friend, but later his only purpose was to persuade me to join his cult. I finally realized that he had been so thoroughly brainwashed that we couldn't even have a normal conversation. Thanks to that cult, my old friend no longer existed.
Having watched my friend change from a normal person into a cult fanatic, I think I can understand the attraction of cults. They offer warm companionship, and in a way they make life very easy. In a cult you don't have to think for yourself. You only need to follow the cult leaders, and you'll be rewarded if you do so with great enthusiasm.
Some people sacrifice everything for their cults. They will happily hurt or even kill people as long as they believe that they have found the true path to paradise. For some reason ordinary society, including religious communities, cannot satisfy their needs.
When young people ask me about cults or superstitions,
I give them one piece of advice:
Think for yourself.
But that's easy to say. I don't have a good answer, but I think we can work harder to make human relationships more deeply satisfying than cults.
The other day I visited a high school, where I conducted two lessons, 50 minutes each. These model lessons were designed to introduce first-year high school students to college classes. I was one of 19 teachers from various universities. Each of us taught a different subject. Each student attended lessons in two subjects.
It's interesting to teach high school students, but it's pretty hard to give them a real university level experience. The students are three years younger than college freshmen, so they don't know as much as college students. Also, their interests are very different. They can't understand materials that college students read, and it's hard to find topics that interest them.
The hardest part of giving model lessons is that the students and I don't know each other. A 50-minute model lesson doesn't give us a chance to establish relationships. I have only a few minutes to introduce myself and teach them something new.
Often I'm pleased by the openness of these young strangers, and I think they learn something useful. But a one-time model lesson cannot convey what it's like to build the kinds of close, trusting relationships we develop in college. In a 50-minute period students cannot begin to experience the richness of a good liberal arts college education.
Although model lessons are really limited, I hope the
students can get a little inspiration. Maybe some will even
think, That's a cool subject and an interesting professor.
Maybe I'll go to that university and study English.
The 20th of September is Software Freedom Day. Hundreds of groups in more than 90 countries celebrate the benefits of free software. These events don't get much media attention, but they should remind us that transparent, sustainable technology is important to everyone. [1]
Software Freedom Day began in 2004, but the free software
movement began much earlier. In September, 1983, Richard
Stallman announced his plan to write a free software system
that he called GNU,
spelled G-N-U. In 1985 he proclaimed
The GNU Manifesto,
which remains a key
statement of the ideology of software freedom.
Free software is not about cost. It's about liberty. According to The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, everyone has the right to freedom of expression and participation in society. The expression of these rights entails software freedom: the freedom to study and modify source code, the freedom to share software with other people, and the freedom to store and exchange data in open formats.
The concept of software freedom may seem alien to many people. It took me 20 years to fully embrace it. I wrote my first computer program in 1971 and then developed proprietary software in the 1980s. I made a little money from my software, but I began to realize that my activities somehow violated my value system.
In the late 1980s events in China and eastern Europe made me think seriously about human rights, especially freedom of expression. At that time I was studying the Unix operating system and communicating with others around the world on Usenet. I could see that the Internet might someday enable people to freely share experiences and ideas. Along with others, I realized that global participation would require open data formats and that people would need freedom to develop, modify, and share software in order to make the Internet work.
By 1992 all of these ideas had come together. I was able to run a free operating system on my personal computers [2] and to use free software as a major part of a new computer network at my university. Since then I've done most of my computing with free software, and I've taught more than a thousand university students how to use the GNU Emacs text editor and other excellent free software. [3]
Software freedom gets little media attention these days, but I still have a lot of hope. I'm a member of the Free Software Foundation (Associate Member #4748), and I'm very happy that many people are showing their respect for human rights on Software Freedom Day.
Violent language is pretty common in everyday English. For
example, the word killer
has appeared in popular
computer magazines for at least 20 years, usually in phrases
like killer applications.
Several months ago I read
an article about killer digital libraries.
I've never understood why pop technology writers use such
violent language. It seems irresponsible and childish. Maybe
those writers have never seen someone kill another person
in real life. Maybe they use words like kill
lightly
because they can't even imagine the gut-wrenching shock and
tragedy of violent death.
I've seen violent death, and the word killer
brings
back powerful memories of tragic events that I'd rather
forget. For example, many years ago, in the mid-1970s, I saw
a young man die violently at the University of Benghazi in Libya.
As my colleagues and I watched from the Faculty of Arts building a few meters away, several hundred students gathered in a small parking lot and prepared to march from the campus into Benghazi. Two police officers in plain clothes tried to stop the students at the parking lot exit. One of them drew his revolver and pointed it at the students. As the mass of young people pressed forward, the policeman panicked and fired into the face of one the students. The student collapsed as blood sprayed from his head, and there was a pause as several of his friends began to carry his body away toward the Faculty of Medicine building. Then other students began to shout in rage, and some of them rushed forward to attack the cops. Fortunately, the two policemen ran away without any more killing, and the students eventually marched into the city.
Was that policeman a killer? No. I saw him kill, but I
would not call him a killer. That would be too simple. Nobody
came forward to mediate, and he made a bad decision under
great pressure. It's easy to give someone a label like
killer,
but that only allows everyone else to avoid
responsibility. To call that cop a killer would be to escape
from the fact that everyone there, all of us, played a part in
that killing. Over the years I've often regretted that my
colleagues and I did nothing to help make that confrontation
more peaceful.
The childish abuse of violent words shows disregard for
language and for people who suffer from real violence.
Words like killer
distract us from reality and seem to
imply that we're just innocent spectators. In fact, we share
responsibility for the welfare of others. That responsibility
includes using language carefully, with consideration for other
people and their experiences.
Yesterday I had two conversations in which I was asked to give advice. One was a practical academic matter. A student wanted some advice on her thesis project. First I learned what she'd read and what she wanted to know, and then I gave her some suggestions. It was a quick and easy chat.
My other conversation was much more complicated. The mother of one of our students was concerned about her daughter's lifestyle, especially her eating habits. Obviously, I'm no expert on the eating habits of college women, but I have struggled with my own weight. Recently I've been fairly successful in controlling my diet, so I was able to share my experiences and give some practical advice.
But that advice was superficial. At a deeper level our conversation was not about a young woman's diet. It was really about two middle-aged adults sharing personal stories of loss and grief. At the very least our talk gave us deeper mutual understanding and respect. I think we also found some ways to encourage her daughter to deal with her challenges and gain confidence in herself.
My experiences yesterday reminded me that advice without understanding can be superficial. Often it takes a lot of deep listening. Fortunately, the student's mother was very open and articulate, but still I worked hard to listen carefully to a long story. It was well worth the effort.
At the end of each semester I ask students to evaluate my courses. We have official course evaluation forms, but I like to ask students for very specific feedback on texts, lectures, and course activities.
Three of my lecture courses include textbooks that I've written. Feedback from students helps me revise all my texts every year.
Several years ago I began to ask questions about the
best
and worst
chapters in my textbooks. That
helps avoid answers like, It's okay.
Now almost
everyone writes something critical.
Sometimes the criticism is pretty humbling. For example, for my course in interpersonal communication I'd worked hard to explain game theory and apply it to conflict resolution. I'd thought my writing was clear, but several students said that was the most confusing section in the text.
Of course, it's not all bad news. Students also tell me what they appreciate most. They're pretty enthusiastic about what they like, and a few explain in detail why they like certain lessons. That kind of feedback encourages me to work harder.
Students' evaluations reveal a lot about their interests and needs. For example, my interpersonal communication text has a very practical lesson on socializing. Most of it is common-sense advice on how to be more friendly. I think that lesson is too simple. A few students agree with me, but most younger students love it. It's by far the most popular chapter in the text.
Detailed course evaluations by students may be a source of chagrin, but they're really helpful and interesting.
Every summer my colleagues and I have an annual health checkup. Our health insurance carrier dispatches a team to the university for two days. They check all the women one day and all the men the other day.
Groups of men go through the checkup together. We carry charts that show our results from the two previous years, and many of us compare our charts and show each other our weaknesses. We form a weird sort of brotherhood as we share a series of unpleasant experiences. We get chest X-rays, and they check our urine, weight, blood pressure, hearing, and eyesight. They measure our waists and check our hearts with an EKG machine. Then we each have a chat with a physician and a final meeting with a nurse who interviews us and then draws blood.
The blood drawing is the last stage. I don't know how women react when their blood is drawn, but for some men it's pretty traumatic. Many of us older guys don't mind needles, but all of us are very relieved to get the little round bandaids the nurses stick on our arms after drawing our blood. A bandaid signals the end of the process.
I dread going through the annual health checkup, even though I know it's a good thing to do. Of course, it's wise to get regular checkups, but it also seems to build solidarity among colleagues. After we're done, we men greet each other in the hallways, showing off our little bandaids like badges of courage.
Like many other college professors, I have great hopes for my students, but often I'm dismayed by how little they seem to know. As I begin to plan future courses, I'm tempted to add more content in a vain attempt to cram more knowledge into their heads. But I think it's wise to resist that temptation to focus too much on knowledge. As I review students' work this term, I realize that people often gain profound insights from experiences that may seem trivial.
Each semester I teach two large lecture classes, several smaller classes in a computer lab, and I guide individual research projects. My students do a lot of writing.
Weekly writing for lecture classes often shows more insight from everyday encounters than from knowledge that I've tried to impart. Students gain wisdom from general ideas and the process of reflecting on ideas and writing about their experiences.
In my computer classes I teach students how to make Web pages with source code for XHTML and CSS stylesheets. They use a text editor and software to validate their work and check for accessibility. Students write every week, and they write whatever they want. Their content often seems trivial, and sometimes I wonder if they learn anything. But students always rate these classes very highly, and many report profound learning experiences.
What makes these classes work so well? For one thing, students learn that they can create something of value from nothing but their own imagination and effort, and for many that's a big deal. Many gain a lot of confidence, and some become much more interested in writing and photography.
Also, the idea that empathy leads to action, such as making Web pages more accessible, is an enormous insight that surprises many students. When they learn that low-contrast color schemes or lack of alternate text for images can make their work inaccessible to some people, they realize that not all people perceive the world as they do.
As I think about what and how to teach next term, it's good to remember that college education is not just about knowledge. It's also about attitudes and ideas that help people understand themselves and approach life with confidence and wisdom.
The other day I got into a Kyoto taxi driven by a man about my age. We began talking, and I learned that he'd moved from Tokyo two years ago, after retiring from his previous career.
This guy had a great story. He'd spent many years flying high-performance aircraft as a test pilot. In the last decade of his career he tested electronic equipment in Japanese versions of F-16 fighter jets. He told me about flying at twice the speed of sound and what it felt like to fly up as high as 20,000 meters, where he could see the curvature of the earth. While we were stopped at a red light, he illustrated the arc of the earth's horizon with both hands.
He retired in his mid-fifties and spent a little while wondering what to do with the rest of his life. Then he decided to become a taxi driver. He chose Kyoto for its beauty and history, even though he has to live away from his home in Tokyo. I was a little surprised, but he said it wasn't such a big change from his previous job.
I asked him how he felt about driving a taxi after so many years as a test pilot. His answer made me realize that every career has its challenges and rewards. Driving in a crowded city is a lot more frightening than flying alone high in the sky, even at Mach 2. He's especially nervous about people dashing in front of his taxi. But he also enjoys his new job. He gets to meet a lot of different people, and he has interesting conversations every day.
I've been recovering from my bicycle accident on the 20th of May. There are many things to do after an accident! I've had accidents before, so I should not be surprised, but still I've been pretty busy.
My body is healing, especially the cuts and bruises, but it will take a while to recover the full use of my sprained left hand. For a while I had to spend quite a bit of time replacing gauze and bandages every morning. Now I just have to replace one band-aid and tape my fingers together to prevent another sprain.
I got new eyeglasses within a week after the accident, so I can see well again. My new glasses are very nice, and finally I've adjusted to them. My old clip-on sunglasses didn't fit my new glasses, so today I bought new clip-ons at a fishing tackle shop.
Yesterday I repaired my bicycle and got it ready to ride again. The front wheel rim was badly bent, so I rebuilt the wheel with a new rim. I also replaced both tires, adjusted the brakes, and checked everything on the bike. Today I checked it out with a gentle test ride. I didn't ride very far, and I took it very easy because my left hand still isn't strong enough to do hard braking.
I'm really glad that I was the only person hurt in that accident and that my injuries weren't very serious. But even in this relatively minor case, in the aftermath I've had to do a lot of little jobs to get my body and my bicycle back to normal.
On Tuesday night, May 20th, 2008, I was riding my bicycle home from the train station as usual when I was hit head-on by another bicycle. A high school girl was riding on the right side, which is against traffic here in Japan.
She was blinded by car lights, and she swerved right into me without even slowing down. I have two bright headlamps (one even blinks!), but she didn't see me. As I saw her curving toward me, I slowed to a crawl and shouted to warn her. But she kept pedaling quickly until she hit me straight on, wheel-to-wheel.
Just as we collided, I dived forward and off to my right, away from her. It probably sounds crazy, but a forward flip is actually a good way to dive from a bicycle like mine with dropped, racing style handlebars.
Unfortunately, I hit the girl's bicycle basket, and my glasses smashed into my face, making deep cuts over my left cheeckbone and above my left eye. An ambulance took me to a hospital, where I got some stitches and X-rays. Luckily, my eyes are fine and no bones were broken.
Fortunately, I hit the sidewalk just right. My head was covered with both hands, and I was rolling when I landed. My left hand was sprained and lacerated, and my right hand was scratched. Otherwise, I suffered no damage from hitting the sidewalk. That's not bad.
The best part was that the girl was not injured at all. Since I dived away from her, she didn't hit anything heavy. She didn't even fall down. Our bicycles absorbed the impact. Our front wheels were both twisted, and her bike needs a new basket. I'm really happy to know that she wasn't hurt and that I probably saved her from injury by diving off my bike.
At the accident scene my bloody injuries shocked her, and she began to cry. I think she's a kind-hearted person, and I hope she learned an important lesson about bicycle safety.
Riding against traffic is illegal and extremely dangerous. The closing speed with cars is really fast, and at night you can't see. Always ride in the same direction as car traffic. In Japan, ride on the left side. Remember: never ride a bicycle against traffic!
Recently I met one of my students on a Kyoto City bus. We both sat down and began to chat. After a while the bus got crowded. When a couple of elderly ladies began to board, the student suddenly jumped up out of her seat and tugged on my shirt sleeve, urging me stand.
I was pleased by her good manners, and the speed of her
response was incredible. She didn't have time to think; she
just acted on impulse. Traditionally, altruistic behavior
could be expected of any young person, but today it's so
unusual that I call it impulsive volunteering.
How does a young person become so alert and so responsive to the needs of others? Our university is part of a Catholic school organization that includes a coeducational elementary school and a secondary school for girls. The student on the bus is a graduate of our secondary school. Last week at a workshop on education and volunteering, I reported my experience on the bus. School teachers at the workshop were pleased but not surprised. They work hard to instill a spirit of autonomous volunteering in their pupils.
Parents and school teachers can help young people learn to act without hesitation. For example, they can provide opportunities for children to visit hospitals or institutions for the elderly or to interact closely with people who have various disabilities.
Good manners and acts of kindness are learned, and the courage and impulse to act become automatic if they are learned through experience in childhood. By closely communicating with people in different situations, young people can become impulsive volunteers.
The 3rd of May is World Press Freedom Day. This day celebrates one of the most fundamental human rights: freedom of expression. The United Nations made this right very clear in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Article 19 says:
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
World Press Freedom Day not only celebrates freedom. For me it's also a day of anger and resolve. Some governments, political and paramilitary groups, and criminal organizations depend on people's ignorance. They don't want some of their activities to be exposed, so they are afraid of reporters. Every year many journalists, media workers, and bloggers around the world are threatened, injured, imprisoned, tortured, and even killed for trying to report events accurately. Government officials and others who commit such crimes almost never face justice.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, between January 1st, 1992, and April 4th, 2008, 685 journalists have been killed while doing their jobs. More than 72% of them were murdered. In 88% of those cases, the killers got away with complete impunity: they were never punished at all.
Many journalists are harassed or imprisoned. Twenty-four countries are holding 127 journalists in prison. The worst country is China, where at least 29 journalists are in prison. Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, and Azerbaijan also jail many journalists. Other countries, including the United States, are also guilty. Some even hold journalists in prison without bringing criminal charges.
It's hard for ordinary people to punish government officials of any country, but at least we can express our outrage at such cowardly, dishonorable behavior, and we can continue to insist on justice. Officials who are responsible for harassing and imprisoning journalists should be tried for criminal violations of human rights.
Freedom of expression is not a vague, abstract ideal. Three decades ago I knew a Libyan professor who was beaten and tortured for talking about freedom of the press in a university class. His friends and colleagues could not help him. We could only admire his courage to speak. He knew that he might be punished for talking about freedom, but he was too proud to be stopped by fear. Weeks later he returned from a military prison. He was weak and scarred by cigarette burns in sensitive parts of his body, but he seemed happy that everyone understood what he had been trying to teach. He'd been an arrogant man, and I hadn't liked him very much, but he inspired me and taught me a great lesson.
People remain free only by expressing their freedom. Sometimes expressions of freedom require great courage and sacrifice by people who value truth. Many of those people are journalists, and they deserve our gratitude.
The most important purpose of journalism is to give citizens accurate information that they need in order to govern themselves. If journalists become afraid to report events accurately, abuse of power will increase, and democratic society will wither and die. I hope World Press Freedom Day will remind people everywhere to celebrate freedom of expression and denounce those who try to prevent journalists from doing their valuable work.
Today I went cycling in Shiga Prefecture, Japan, where I live. I rode from my home in Ritto to Nagahama and back: 115 kilometers. A one-day ride of 100 kilometers is called a metric century. Serious long-distance cyclists and, of course, road racers, can do a metric century easily, but for a 58-year-old casual weekend cyclist like me, it's not bad. My touring bike worked perfectly, and nothing hurts. I'm satisfied.
This morning I met some young road racers near Hikone. We played "hare and tortoise" for a while. I was the tortoise, of course. They rode together in several single-file groups. When cyclists ride very close together in groups or four or more, they can go really fast. Several times they flew past me like I was standing still. When they stopped to rest and gather their groups, I passed them. That happened several times.
I had a brief chat with several of them, and they said they were training. They looked like very serious racers. They rode with great speed and skill, and most of them rode very expensive racing bikes. I felt honored to share the road with those young riders and enjoy the beauty of their bikes, their strong muscular bodies, and their skillful, high-speed teamwork.
The ride home from Nagahama was easy and fast. I had a good tailwind, so I didn't have to work very hard. By three o'clock in the afternoon I was back home, cleaning my bike and oiling its chain for my next ride. Today was a very good day.
Hi! I'm Greg Peterson.
I've been teaching at Kyoto Notre Dame University since 1977. I teach interpersonal, intercultural, and computer-mediated communication to undergraduate students in the Department of English Language and Literature. In the Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences I teach applied English information technology and information services. I like to help students learn to communicate with confidence and integrity, to use information technology wisely, and to get along with people from different cultures.
My research focuses on practical uses of information and communication technology. I'm especially interested in Internet information services for language learning and cultural exchange, and I love to produce audio programs. Recently I've been introducing students to the world of audio production, and I hope some of them will make their own audio documentaries.
Besides teaching and research, I'm on several faculty committees, and I help with the planning and management of educational services. From 2000 to 2004 I was Dean of the Academic Information Center, and from 2004 to 2008 I was Dean of the Center for International Programs. In April, 2008, I began to serve as Dean of the Language Learning Center. I'm also the faculty adviser to the students' English Speaking Society.
In my free time I enjoy cycling, fishing, and other outdoor activities. When the weather is nice, I like to take long, one-day cycling tours in Shiga Prefecture. I love to get on a bicycle and ride all day.
Thank you for listening.
I do nearly all of my computer work with free and open source software. I use very few non-free, proprietary applications.
Software represents ideas, like mathematics, philosophy, and science. As an engineering discipline, software development can apply ideas in ways that help people. Like scientific discoveries, computer algorithms should belong to everyone, not to individuals or corporations. Free software licenses maintain the scientific integrity of algorithms by giving everyone the liberty to use, critique, modify, and share discoveries and creative work.
In the United States authors and inventors are granted
limited rights concerning their creative work. In the
Constitution, Article I, Section 8, Clause 8 says that The
Congress shall have the Power ...
To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;
The purpose of patents and copyrights is to promote progress, not to give people or companies unlimited control of ideas.
Exclusive short-term rights motivate creative work for
the benefit of everyone, not to guarantee long-term ownership.
Eventually all so-called intellectual property
belongs
to everyone.
Unfortunately, some governments allow software patents and
very long-term copyright. That might make some people richer,
but it slows down social, technical, and cultural development.
But there is also another, more healthy, trend. Along with open content and open technical standards, free and open source software is now very popular. When everyone has the freedom to use, share, and modify computer software, technical development can be very rapid, and people don't need a lot of money to use it. That helps people everywhere. Much of the best computer software is free. Without free software and open standards, the Internet and the Web could not exist.
The Internet and other new communication technologies have enabled the rapid distribution of creative work. Hopefully, more and more people will come to appreciate the many advantages of using and developing free software.
The 21st of March used to be celebrated as the beginning of Spring. This year Vernal Equinox was on the 20th of March, but the 21st is an important day for the United Nations. March 21st is both World Poetry Day and the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
On the same day the world celebrates poetry and recognizes the need to struggle against racial discrimination. That makes sense.
Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General, says:
Racist practices hurt their victims, but they also limit the promise of entire societies where they are tolerated. They prevent individuals from realizing their potential and stop them from contributing fully to national progress.
The Secretary-General's words are also true for the general development of culture and human creativity. If we wish to celebrate life in poetry and other creative expression, we need to protect the rights of all people. We need to affirm the equal rights of all people everywhere, including the right to express oneself freely.
Perhaps poetry has a role in ridding the world of racial discrimination. As people struggle against the vicious evil of racism, poetry and other creative arts remind us of the beautiful diversity of human experience and expression.
Since 1975 March 8th has been recognized by the United Nations as International Women's Day. Actually, women in many countries have celebrated a special day since early in the 20th century.
International Women's Day serves to remind people everywhere of serious problems that women face in many countries. Still there is a lot of violence against women, and women often suffer much more than men from poverty, crime, and HIV/AIDS. A special day provides opportunities to teach valuable lessons about sexism and discrimination.
Even though the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights proclaim the equality of all people everywhere, women have a long way to go before they achieve political and economic equality with men. Even in so-called developed countries, many women are expected to fit into certain well-defined, restricted roles.
For more than thirty years I've been teaching full-time at a women's university. Over the years I've seen young women struggle with their roles as they've grown into adulthood. Each young person has her own unique aspirations and talents, and sometimes it saddens me to know that many people in adult society are not ready to accept people as they are.
I have mixed feelings about International Women's Day. March 8th is a good day to consider the needs of all people everywhere, but I hope a day will come when International Women's Day is no longer necessary.
Cycling lost one of its greatest heroes when Sheldon Brown died on February 3rd, 2008. In cycling communities around the world Sheldon was famous for his knowledge and his warm sense of humor. He seemed to know everything about bicycles, and he freely shared his vast knowledge with everyone.
Sheldon remained active until the end of his life. Very shortly before he died of a heart attack, his last message on an Internet bicycle forum was an answer to a technical question. As usual, he gave good advice with authority and encouragement. I think he made cycling more enjoyable for many riders and mechanics. He certainly inspired me to enjoy riding at my own pace and to take good care of all of my family's bicycles.
I think Sheldon inspired many of us in other ways, too. He wrote with authority and confidence, but there was always something joyful about his Web pages and his comments on Internet forums. His positive regard for people set the tone of many discussions. As far as I know, Sheldon never once expressed hostility in his writing. This gentle and sometimes funny bicycle guru became a legend long before his death as his wise advice promoted the wholesome pleasures of cycling. He will be missed.
I suppose few people outside of the cycling world have ever heard of Sheldon Brown, but he inspired me along with a whole generation of bicycle lovers. May he rest in peace.
Recently I found an important idea in a cycling magazine.
In the
Winter 2008 issue of
the Practical Pedal
the editor, Wiley Davis, poses an interesting question:
If our bikes get better, do we?
He makes two comments that I appreciate. First,
I think the machines that we humans interact with should retain elements that are difficult to use.
And later,
There's something inspiring, even sexy, about competent people. And competent people don't become competent by doing things that are easy.
Davis likes bicycles with downtube friction shifters. They're old-fashioned and difficult to use, but they're easy to maintain and very reliable. I've been using them on one of my bikes for 28 years with no trouble. Newer index shifters don't require much competence because they're easier to use.
The same is true in the computer world. For example, college students can make documents with word processors or simple Web authoring tools. These tools are easy to use, but students don't become competent. They learn nothing about typography, and many Web pages fail to meet minimum technical standards.
Even some Web designers
don't know how to write
XHTML
source code with a professional text editor like
Vim
or GNU Emacs.
They may be competent as artists, but as not as computer professionals.
Plain text editing is the most fundamental skill for computer system administration, programming, and many kinds of writing. Anyone can use a graphical interface, but competent people can edit source code.
Like downtube friction shifters on bicycles, computer text editors are difficult tools for beginners, but that difficulty forces people to understand what they're trying to do. Students who master difficult tools become more competent people.
I just spent most of a day replacing the rim on a bicycle wheel. Rebuilding a bicycle wheel with 36 spokes is quite a challenge, but after a lot of trial and error I got all the spokes tight, and the wheel is fine.
When I started to inflate the tire, I found a leak in the tire pump hose. So I removed the hose from the tire pump and went to a nearby hardware store, hoping to find a new hose. I'd bought that pump eight months ago at the same store. It was really cheap.
When I got to the store, I found hoses, but they didn't fit my pump. The weird thing, though, was that the store was still selling the same cheap pump that I had, and the price was the same as a replacement hose for a better pump. They refused to sell me just a hose from one of the cheap pumps, so I was stuck.
Finally I bought the best tire pump in the store. It was four times as expensive as the cheapest one, but even then it was still less than two thousand yen, about twenty U.S. dollars. This one has some extra attachments and an air pressure gauge, parts seem to be available, and it works really well. I think this pump is well worth the money.
My only regret is that I'd tried to save money by buying a cheap pump eight months ago. I should have known that cheap stuff, especially tools, can become pretty expensive.
This afternoon I went out for a ride on my mountain bike. I rode along the Yasu River, which is about 600 meters from my house. The river is small and shallow, but the banks are deep and wide because it becomes huge after heavy rains. Every spring and summer the river changes its course a little. It's the same river within the same banks, but every year it takes a slightly different course. About ten kilometers downstream from my house the river empties into Lake Biwa.
When I ride or walk along the river, I often stop and sit on a big, flat boulder about a kilometer from my house. It's right at the edge of the water on the south bank, about halfway between National Route 8 and the Shinkansen tracks. You'd think it would be noisy, but except when a train goes by it's very peaceful. I can sit there a long time, just watching the flow of the river.
I grew up next to the Okanogan River, which flows along the my father's farm. When I was a boy, I could run from the back steps of the house and be in the river in about 30 seconds. In five minutes I could walk down to the nearest good fishing hole, when I used to catch carp and small-mouth bass. Often I walked along the riverbank, sometimes hunting, sometimes fishing, but mostly just enjoying the scenery.
Rivers have always brought me great pleasure. I don't know what it is that appeals to me so much, but when I'm along a river where there are no other people, I always feel at peace, and often I'm awed by the greatness of nature. There is something humbling, yet reassuring, about the constant flow of water that began long before I was born and will continue long after I die.
At the beginning of 2007 I resolved to promote information freedom.
I think I did a pretty good job in my university classes. Now many students are much more aware of information control and information freedom. Quite a few have also become more critical of news from mass media and the Internet. They think young people are poorly represented. A few want to study and present the views of young people on several important topics. My conversations with them have inspired my New Year's resolution for 2008.
I resolve to promote youth media by helping young people create multimedia documentary works.
I have already started to act on my resolution. For example, I teach students how to write for the World Wide Web. Many student Web pages include photos, so they are gaining experience in visual communication on the Internet.
Some of my undergraduate and graduate seminar students are doing research projects that include the views and lifestyles of young people. I've introduced several inspiring youth media programs to them, for example, UNICEF Voices of Youth.
Several youth media handbooks are available on the Web, and all of them are free. I'll select the best ones and perhaps make a simple handbook for my students.
I'm really interested in audio. Youth radio, or now youth audio, enables young people to tell their stories and express their ideas in their own words with their own voices.
I'm assembling an audio reporter's kit during winter vacation. The kit includes a small audio recorder, a pair of compact headphones, a short shotgun mic, and a pair of very small stereo mics. The whole kit fits into a small bag that students can easily carry.
I hope my New Year's resolution for 2008 will bear fruit. Young people have a lot to say, and I want to help them say it.
This year my wife and I are spending Christmas quietly. December has been a hectic month, so it's nice to stay home and reflect on what's really important in our lives.
Here in Japan it's easy to ignore the meaning of Christmas. Businesses take advantage of Christmas traditions, and we can see beautiful illumination on buildings, trees, and city streets.
But Christmas is not about luxury and beautiful scenes. It celebrates the birth of a child under miserable conditions. Jesus was born in a barn—a cold, dark, and probably dirty shelter for animals. He grew up to teach such a radical message of redemption that he was executed. The powerful and wealthy people of his day could not accept the Christian message that superficial, worldly power and wealth have no spiritual value.
To me the message of Christmas is clear. Christians are called to rejoice; to renew their faith, hope, and love; and to share their blessings with those who suffer from poverty, from persecution, and from the anxiety and emptiness of their lives. The message of Christmas is not about luxury; it's about true joy at the deepest levels of human experience.
December 9th, 2007, is the
International Children's Day of Broadcasting (ICDB).
The theme for 2007 is The World We Want.
Many organizations around the world now recognize that
children and youth can contribute much to society through
broadcasting and Internet media.
Rather than being mere consumers and recipients of so-called
content,
young people can have active voices in
their communities and around the world.
On the UNICEF ICDB Web page, they say:
UNICEF appeals to broadcasters to engage youth in the media-making process not just on the International Children’s Day of Broadcasting but throughout the year. Children have the right to voice their opinions and the empowering aspect of participation in radio and television encourages them to develop ideas and inspires them to take action.
Young people already use media as consumers, and many socialize online. Unfortunately, very few produce programs on serious topics, even though many now have access to sophisticated information and communication technology.
Youth media is an exciting trend. Many adults already know that we don't need to settle for commercial media entertainment that's produced simply for profit. Now it's time for us to help young people learn that they can produce high-quality programs on issues that are vital to their future and to the future of humanity itself.
At my university seniors do Graduation Research,
which includes a formal thesis. They begin to prepare in
junior seminars, and their seminar teachers then become their
senior thesis advisers. This year I'm advising 14 seniors,
all of whom are writing formal theses in English.
The final deadline this year is Monday, December 3rd. Seniors who fail to submit theses by 5 o'clock cannot graduate this academic year.
Graduation Research is a big deal, and for faculty advisers the end of November is exhausting. Most seniors are still working in the last week of November, so it's really hard to help them do their best possible work.
A few students are really slow. Every year quite a few seniors submit their theses on the last day, some within minutes of the deadline. I can't imagine why anyone would procrastinate so long and take such a big risk, but it's been like this for as long as I can remember.
This year I wanted to finish advising by Friday, November 30th, at the latest. Most of my 14 students finished with plenty of time to spare, and they did good work. Only three of them were unable to submit their theses by Friday. I met two of those three, and I think they'll be fine.
One has not shown up, although I've seen most of her work. I think she'll be okay, but still I worry about her. I suppose she'll appear on Monday morning.
Graduation Research is really good for students. The experience of doing a major research project with a firm deadline helps them learn a lot about doing big, important tasks. Nearly all of them gain confidence and pride. Their success means something because without considerable effort they will certainly fail to graduate. The very real possibility of failure is a nerve-wracking experience for all of us, but I think it teaches valuable lessons.
In Autumn my favorite outdoor activity is cycling. It's a really busy season, but sometimes the weather is perfect on a Sunday when I have some free time.
I have three bicycles. My commuting bike is a 27-year-old touring bike that I've overhauled many times. It's great for running around near home. When I want to ride along the Yasu River or other off-road places, I use my 15-year-old mountain bike. For longer rides I ride a Trek 520 road touring bike. It's getting old, too, but it's in very good condition. I keep it indoors and ride it only on weekends.
Today the weather was perfect, so I went for a short, easy ride of about 20 kilometers. About 5 kilometers from my house there's a big, beautiful park, Kibougaoka Bunka Koen (希望が丘文化公園). A wide road passes through the park, and there is also a very nice bike path. There are no motor vehicles in the park, so it's safe and quiet.
Today it was so warm that quite a few young families were having picnics in the park. There were lot of children, and it reminded me of when my wife and I took our boys there more than 20 years ago.
I hope we get more nice weather on Sundays this Autumn. It's really a nice season to spend a few hours on a bicycle.
In Japan it's customary to send a short telegram when we're unable to attend a wedding party. Here is a telegram that I'm sending to a young woman who graduated a couple of years ago.
Dear Beautiful Young Bride,
Congratulations! Today is a wonderful, fresh day as you and your husband begin your married life.
In the years ahead you will have both happy times and hard times. I hope that you will continue to love and care for each other, no matter what the future brings.
Best wishes for long and happy life together.
Gregory PetersonProfessor, Department of English Language and LiteratureKyoto Notre Dame University
That's it. In the telegram I used her real name, of course.
Telegrams have to be short, so it's hard to include everything I'd like to tell a young woman on her wedding day.
If I could use more words, I suppose I'd write something about how people change and how couples have to keep adjusting to each other. Marriage requires far more adjustment than most people can imagine. As couples get older, they have to keep adjusting to each other, even after many years of marriage. People change, sometimes a lot, and I think successful marriages change, too, in many ways.
Recently our unversity students held their annual festival. They organized events, sold food and other stuff, and had a good time for two days. The university staff and faculty helped, but the students themselves did most of the organizing. They put a lot of work into their festival.
Student clubs are great for leadership training. Students have to organize events, deal with money, and cooperate by taking responsibility for different jobs. Sometimes there are serious conflicts between club members, and occasionally members suddenly quit for various reasons. Club life can become pretty dramatic, and sometimes club leaders feel great pressure.
Each club has a faculty adviser. I've been the adviser to our English Speaking Society (E.S.S.) for well over two decades. Years ago there were E.S.S. clubs throughout Japan. Students held speech and debate contests, and in Kyoto they performed one or two large-scale musicals every year. Those days are long gone, and now the E.S.S. is a small group of students who want to practice using English in a variety of situations. For the past six or seven years the club has been so small that it's been very difficult to do large-scale activities.
Nowadays very few students show any interest in E.S.S., and even fewer are willing to take leadership roles. The current leader, a sophomore, has done a wonderful job, but she's been frustrated by a lack of commitment among younger students. She and her friend, another sophomore, are responsible and dedicated, but they've been unable to maintain club membership.
I don't know what the future holds for the E.S.S. club, but I think it's especially valulable for leadership training. Student leadership really builds character, especially when leaders begin with so many good qualities. The most mature and responsible members suffer when their fellow students desert them, but even that suffering can make a good person stronger. For her sake, and for the sake of future leaders, I hope we can find a way to keep the E.S.S. club alive.
Last week I came down with a bad cold. I had a fever and a runny nose, and my head felt really heavy. Finally, I lost my voice. I could talk, but my voice sounded weird, and everytime I spoke loudly I started to cough.
This weekend I've been taking it very easy by staying home and reading. I'm still weak, but my body is recovering and I'm gradually regaining my voice.
When I lose my voice, I become keenly aware of what it means to be able to speak.
Twenty years ago, Lee Thayer, a great teacher of communication, said:
The pervasive evil of the modern age is that men do not think greatly of themselves. This meanness of spirit is reflected not only in our contemporary art, music, and literature, but in our everyday conversation. Small minds and hearts diminish all that they apprehend. A petty tongue is a petty life. (141)
I think it's wise to remember Thayer's words. Sometimes I feel sorry for myself when I catch a cold, but then I realize that losing my voice may not be as bad as having nothing of importance to say.
Thayer, Lee. On Communication. Essays in Understanding. Norwood, Ablex: 1987.
After a summer break of seven weeks, students are coming back for second semester. On Monday all of our freshman and sophomores and most upperclassmen and graduate students will be on campus.
Monday is October 1st, 2007. I began working at this university on October 1st, 1977. There have been many changes in thirty years, of course, but the back-to-school feeling of this season has changed little in three decades.
At the beginning of each summer vacation it seems quiet and peaceful. But after a while the empty hallways feel pretty lonely. Just before the students return I feel ambivalent: Fall Semester brings a lot of hassles that I dread, but, at the same time, I look forward to being around young people again.
Yesterday I could feel a burst of youthful energy as the hallways filled with noisy young women and students greeted me or dropped in to chat. Fall Semester is going to be pretty hard, but it's nice to have the students back and I'm looking forward to going to work on Monday morning.
I envy people who stay slim no matter how much they eat. I'm not overweight, but that's only because I'm very careful about what I eat. About half a year ago, I was a little overweight, so I became even more careful about my diet. With a little discipline, I lost several kilos. Now my weight is fine and it's staying that way.
The world of advertising is full of weight control products. On satellite TV, for example, we often see long commercials for expensive diet foods and beverages, dance-along videos, and various machines for indoor exercise. There is even a vibrator that supposedly shakes the fat right out of your body!
The commercials show very happy people eating or drinking, dancing, exercising, or getting jiggled by a machine. Of course, they all promise to help us reduce weight and feel good about ourselves.
Lots of people waste a lot of money on commercial weight loss products. Maybe they actually work for some people, but I've never met such a person.
As far as I know, for ordinary people, the best way to control weight is keep physically active and to eat and drink sensibly. It doesn't take strenuous exercise or special diet products. It only takes a healthy, nutritious diet and a bit of self-control.
A good diet has to be maintained, and for me that's the hard part. The best way, of course, is to stay a little hungry, but sometimes at night I need a little help. I keep a bottle of water in the refrigerator, and when I get desperate I have a couple of carrot sticks or slices of ginger. Some people may need more help, but this seems to work pretty well for me.
Many of my colleagues are scholars in the humanities: art, communication, cultural studies, history, language, literature, media studies, music, and philosophy. Most of our discussions are about everyday work, but now and then I'm reminded of the lasting value of their interests.
The other day we interviewed graduate school applicants. I joined two literature professors. My role was to help assess the candidate's English language skills and general readiness for graduate studies. My colleagues spoke with candidates about their plans for studies in English literature. I was humbled by their knowledge as they shared their passion for deep academic research and creative insight.
On the same day I met a graduate who'd come to the university to meet her former professor of art history. Some years ago she was a student in the English Department, and I've always admired her creativity and her passion for music and art. After she graduated, she came back for a second Bachelor of Arts degree in the humanities, majoring in art history. That took two years. Then she continued for two more years and got her Master of Arts this spring. Now she is in a Ph.D. program at a large university.
As long as I have known her, she has worked part-time nearly every day of the week. She has always worked early morning shifts. She is equally at home in the reading room of an academic library and behind the front desk of a famous hotel.
This young woman reminds me very much of my elder son, who is also fascinated by art history. They both work outside of academia, and they both study with great passion and curiosity. Neither of them has much time for current popular fads, and I think that makes them such interesting people. They can both communicate in detail about beautiful and creative work in the history of western civilization.
Nowadays many people confuse higher education with vocational training, and that's too bad. The humanities are not very popular, but a good humanities education can make a person's life rich and rewarding and valuable to everyone.
Yesterday my university had Open Campus to introduce high school students to our facilities, programs, staff, and students. From our viewpoint Open Campus helps with recruitment, but Open Campus also gives high school kids a chance to learn about alternative futures for themselves.
Yesterday our English Department and our Center for International Programs had quite a few visitors. We were pretty busy from early in the morning until about 4:30 in the afteroon. We spoke with high school students and parents, and some of our students gave campus tours.
Seven English Department juniors and seniors worked all day as part-time helpers. I was especially pleased to watch two juniors as they confidently guided people and described campus facilities and programs. When they were freshmen, they were pretty quiet, and now after just two years they can guide total strangers with confidence and pride.
Two high school girls were interested in our semester abroad program, so I introduced them to one of our students who'd recently spent a semester at a large American university. As she told them about her experiences, I sat in amazement at her dramatic and honest storytelling. I'd never imagined that such a quiet person could become such an engaging storyteller in just a couple of years. For a few minutes those high school girls were in California.
Thanks in great part to our students, yesterday some high school girls began to consider alternative futures for themselves. I think our students showed some of them that they, too, can find new interests and have exciting adventures when they go to college.
It's been a dry summer, but we finally got some rain, along with lots of thunder and lightening. The lightening reminded of a summer many years ago.
I graduated from high school in 1968. Before I went away to college, I worked all summer as a surveyor and firefighter in the Okanogan National Forest. Every day our four-man crew would hike deep into the mountains. As one of the young guys, I did a lot of the heavy work, like clearing brush and cutting down trees with a chainsaw.
Even with all the hard work, it was a great job. I liked
my coworkers, and we got to see a lot of wildlife every day.
Of course, every fawn was
Bambi
and every bear was
Smokey Bear.
Lightening sometimes hit trees in the forest, causing wildfires. Surveyors and other outdoor workers with proper training were always on standby to help the full-time firefighters. When we got called, we'd hurry to the Tonasket Ranger District Headquarters and join firefighting crews.
Firefighting was extremely dangerous, but we had good training and good leaders. We were paid really well. I got my normal salary, plus overtime, plus hazard pay. It was a huge salary for an 18-year-old farm boy, but I earned every penny of it. I learned a lot, too. Older men taught me how to read a fire, how to act decisively, and how to communicate clearly for everyone's safety. Also, I learned that heroic actions are nothing special. When someone saves your life, you just say "Thanks!" and get back to work.
I'm really grateful for my education in the Okanogan National Forest. When I started college after that hard summer of '68, I wasn't afraid of anything, and I still like Smokey Bear.
Every year in August and September nearly a hundred of our students go abroad on university-sponsored study tours. We send groups with chaperones to China, Europe, and North America, and individual students join programs in Australia, Britain, Korea, and New Zealand.
I'm the Dean of International Programs at my university, so I'm responsible for the welfare of all of these students. Every year at this time I get a little nervous, hoping that everyone will be all right.
There are always problems, of course. The Administrative Director of our Center for International Programs spends a lot of time on the telephone, solving minor problems. Most of these involve transportation, accomodations, and sometimes insurance claims for minor injuries or illnesses. She and her staff and I do what we can for the welfare of our students, but we can't control everything.
For most of our students who join study tours, this is their first trip overseas. It's a great adventure for them. In fact, we hope that they'll face some challenges. If all goes well from our point of view, they'll have to talk with people in other countries in order to get by, and then they'll have to use a foreign language, Chinese or English or Korean, for real communication. Encounters with people who speak foreign languages really motivate some students and change the way they think about communication.
As I wait for our students to return safely, I look forward to meeting them in Fall Semester. Everyone will have a story to tell, and it will be a great pleasure to learn about how they gained new perspectives from their overseas adventures.
This summer it's been been far too hot to go outdoors in the daytime, so I've been preparing classes for Fall Semester. It may seem weird to be working during vacation, but actually I like it. During the school term I get really busy, so in summer it's nice to work at a leisurely pace. Also, I like to prepare early, while the experience of Spring Semester is still fresh in my memory.
As I prepare classes, I read students' evaluations of my Spring Semester courses. Fortunately, they seem to like my classes, but they're also pretty blunt about stuff they don't understand, and sometimes they give me new ideas to make activities more interesting and meaningful.
Textbooks, which I write myself, are already prepared, but each class has supplementary activities and resources. Each of my courses has a Web site, and Web sites need quite a bit of maintenance. Links to resources need to be updated, and there are always little improvements that can make materials more attractive and usable. My big lecture courses include weekly audio recordings, which I put on the Web as podcasts. Last week I wrote a few little computer programs to further automate the maintenance of my podcast Web sites. That should save a lot of time.
Of course, the most important part of class preparation is reading and thinking. I teach several different areas of communication, and I always feel a little behind. Every summer I do some reading and then think about what I really want students to learn.
I suppose a lot of people would say that my way of spending Summer Vacation is boring, but I'm satisfied. Of course, I get a little bored sometimes, but I think my summer preparation makes me a better teacher. That's good enough for me.
Yesterday I went to a large hardware store near my house. As usual, I went by bicycle. I wore a small fanny pack to carry things back from the store.
At the store I found the stuff I needed, and then I spent some time looking at tools. Like many guys who like to work with their hands, I love tools. In the store there were six or seven other foreigners. When I heard them speaking to each other, I guessed that they were from Brazil. The guys were nearby, also looking at tools. Of course.
Later, just outside the entrance, I sat down on a small bench beside one of the young foreign men I'd seen in the store. He was holding a nice little tool set that he'd bought. As I tried to get everything I'd bought into my fanny pack, he and I both chuckled. It was obviously futile.
We tried to talk to each other, but we couldn't find a common language. He tried his native language, which I think was Portuguese, but that didn't work. I tried Japanese, but that didn't work, either. Finally, I tried English. I pointed to his tool set and said, "Nice tools." He nodded and repeated, "Mmm, tools," but we weren't able to find any other words that we both knew. Finally, as I left, I said, "Thank you." He waved, smiled again, and replied, "Thank you." We waved to each other one more time as I rode away on my bicycle.
That young man seemed to be a really nice guy, and I'm sure we could have had a good conversation if we'd had a common language or an interpreter. As it was, we were stuck with facial expressions and gestures, and that wasn't enough. It's impossible to have a conversation without a common language.
This weekend I attended the wedding of a former graduate student, who was also a fellow teacher at my university. Miki did her Masters thesis under my guidance, and she's one of my favorite people.
Miki is the oldest of three children in her family. Her mother died when she was a teenager, and she helped her father raise her two younger brothers. When she was a graduate student, she told me about her family, especially her father. For several years I have wanted to meet the man who struggled to raise his children without his wife and who did such a great job.
At Miki's wedding I finally got to speak with her father and her maternal grandparents. Now I understand where she got her best qualities as a person. Some people strive for wealth or fame, but Miki's parents obviously put their energy into raising their children to be good, independent adults. And after Miki's mom died, her dad continued to be a strong, loving father.
I felt honored to meet this good man who raised his children to be such wonderful young people. He thanked me for teaching his daughter and for giving a speech at the wedding reception, but I was grateful that I finally had a chance to thank him for being Miki's dad.
Recently an older professor suddenly passed away. We teachers and staff are deeply saddened by his loss, but we're not especially surprised. Private university teachers in Japan can have very long careers, so over the years we've lost quite a few colleagues.
In fact, many of us feel that there is something honorable about dying in service. We even talk among ourselves about good ways to die while teaching! Some years ago a colleague dropped dead of a massive heart attack at the end of an overnight orientation program. Everyone was really shocked, but we all agreed that his was a great way to go. He died well!
But the loss of a teacher can be a really traumatic experience for a young person. For many students, the very idea that one of their teachers could die is unthinkable. When a teacher gets ill or has an accident, it's often a major event for students. Even joking about mortality can cause anxiety.
Like many professors, I believe that a good humanities education requires a philosophical confrontation with the realities of human life, including suffering and death. Part of every teacher's job is to help young people learn to face life with respect for human weaknesses, including our mortality. If we do our work well, students gain attitudes and insights that will help them live rich, productive lives with confidence, humility, and integrity.
Of course, few students willingly confront the big issues of life, and that makes good humanities education pretty hard. Ironically, the death of a teacher provides an opportunity. Suddenly human mortality is very real to students, and they want to make sense of their shock. As they face the fact that people really die, they also learn that any good-bye could be the last one.
Teachers leave a little of themselves in the hearts and minds of their students. And when teachers die, they motivate their students to think deeply about how they will live.
I'm not an office worker, but I spend quite a bit of time in my research room at the university. It's actually a small office on the east side of our campus. It has a very nice view of Mount Hiei, but usually I keep the curtains closed to block the strong morning sunlight.
My office has a bookcase, a filing cabinet, a work desk, several chairs, and a computer stand. The computer stand is only five years old, but, like me, everything else has been in that room for more than 25 years.
Like many offices in Japan, my office is very small and cramped. There's just enough room for four of five students to squeeze into my office for a group meeting. I never have enough space for books, and I'm always struggling with the mountains of papers that wind up on my desk.
Recently I've been thinking about improving my work space. I have to admit that I really enjoy looking at catalogs for office supplies and furniture. Some companies have great ideas and products for people who work in tight spaces. Little pieces of furniture, like stands and cases, can make office space much more organized.
Small changes can make a work environment much more efficient and satisfying, so I'll keep looking at catalogs and dreaming of ways to reorganize my little office.
This weekend Typhoon #4 is sweeping across Japan from west to east. Typhoons cause quite a lot of damage, and this one hit the Pacific side of Japan pretty hard.
As of noon on Sunday, July 15th, 3 people have have reported killed and dozens have been injured. Quite a few houses have been flooded, some trees have been uprooted, and there have been several landslides. Many activities like travel, construction, and summer festivals were put on hold yesterday.
I have great respect for typhoons, especially for the strong winds that we sometimes get. Many years ago a typhoon knocked the TV antenna from the roof of my house. It was hanging by one cable, swinging wildly against the side of my house, so I went outside to cut the cable and secure the antenna on the ground. I got up on a small step-ladder and braced myself against the powerful wind.
Just as I cut the last piece of cable, the wind suddenly died down. Since I had been struggling hard against the wind, I stumbled off the ladder. As I fell something caught one of my fingernails and ripped it off almost completely. I'd thought I could work outdoors in any weather, but instead I found myself lying out in the wind and rain, screaming in agony. My wife called an ambulance, and I was taken to a hospital emergency room. That night I became a statistic, one of many people treated for injuries from a typhoon.
My fingernail still looks weird. It will never heal properly, even after 20 years, but that's okay. One mangled fingernail is a tiny price to pay for humility and a constant reminder that I must respect nature.
Last night I had dinner at a tiny restaurant in the middle of downtown Kyoto. It's on a wide pedestrian street where a lot of young people hang out. The sliding glass door is right on the street, one step down.
An elderly couple have run the place for many years. The man cooks and the woman takes care of customers. They offer a very basic menu of coffee or tea, sandwiches, and curry rice. I've enjoyed their curry rice and the quiet atmosphere for as long as I can remember. Often I'm the only customer.
Last night, while I was eating, a man appeared just outside the door. He looked fairly young, maybe in his forties, and his clothes looked quite old and a little dirty. He had four or five plastic bags of various sizes and colors.
The woman went to the door and asked him what he wanted. He mumbled something that I couldn't hear. She told him that they didn't need anything, and then she came back and stood behind the counter. She said that he'd offered to sell her some used newspapers and other stuff.
The man stayed in front of the door for at least another five minutes. Finally a young guy came along and spoke with the man, pointing down the street. The man picked up his bags and shuffled away. The young guy came into the restaurant, chatted with the couple for few minutes, and then left.
About ten minutes later the man appeared again. This time
he marched into the restaurant, right up to the counter. He
pulled a well-used pencil from his shirt pocket and placed it
in the money tray beside the cash register. With a quiet
voice he said to the woman, roughly translated, I'm sorry
about earlier. Please take my pencil.
And then he bowed lightly and walked out.
Yesterday I discovered that my favorite coffee shop in downtown Kyoto no longer exists. The building is still there, but now it's a yakiniku, or grilled meat, restaurant. I went to that old coffee shop for 28 or 29 years, so I felt shock and disappointment as I stood in front of the door yesterday.
I know quite a few other places that serve good coffee, so it's not such a big deal. But already I miss the comfortable chairs, the classical music, and the relaxed atmosphere of that old shop. Actually, I never went there more often than about once a month, but I guess it was a kind of refuge for me. I'd been going there to get away from the noise and the crowds for so many years that I just assumed it would always be there. Now I need to accept the fact that it's gone.
I think Kyoto changes a lot less than many other cities,
and yet even here people have to adjust. Businesses come and
go as we all get older. Sometimes we look back on the
good old days
with nostalgia, but in the end we have to
adapt if we want to get along.
Changes bring opportunities, too. Now instead of just going to the same old coffee shop every time, I can try new places as I look for the best cup of coffee in downtown Kyoto.
It's raining today. I like rain now and then, but Rainy Season in Japan has always been a hard season for me. Often it's hot and humid and gloomy, and most people seem to become irritable, especially on crowded trains and subways. When it rains hard, like today, I can't enjoy my favorite outdoor activities. Sometimes I go out anyway, though, because I feel like a prisoner when I stay indoors too long.
Commuting by bicycle and train is a challenge when it rains, but I manage pretty well with a good rain suit, a small backpack, and a waterproof backpack cover. The secret to comfort is to get very good, lightweight rain gear and to take good care of it. I never use an umbrella when I ride a bicycle. Many people do it, but riding a bicycle with an umbrella is really dangerous. Cycling in the rain is bad enough, but with an umbrella it's suicidal.
Actually, I commute mostly by car, regardless of the weather. Rain doesn't make much difference, except that it takes longer and it's a little more dangerous. But driving in rain is no problem if you just take it easy.
I suppose I'll survive this Rainy Season, as I've survived many in past years. I'd like to be able to get outdoors more, but I know rain is necessary. Rain makes life inconvenient, but it also make life possible.
The 17th of June is World Day to Combat
Desertification. This year the theme is
Desertification and Climate Change - One Global
Challenge.
What is desertification, and why should we care about it? On the official Web site for the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification they say:
Desertification is a process of land degradation, partly due to human-induced factors. Activities such as over-cultivation, over-grazing, deforestation and poor irrigation practices are turning once-fertile soils into barren patches of land. It has enormous economic and social costs and can lead to poverty, forced migration and conflict.
Another major contributing factor, however, is climate change. Extreme climatic events such as floods and droughts are becoming more frequent and more drastic in their effects. Severe drought is compounding the existing problem of desertification in the drylands. Two thirds of the world's poor live in these areas and it is they who are suffering most from the double blow of desertification and climate change as they struggle to eke out a living from the land. (June 17: World Day 2007)
For people who live here in Japan, it may be hard to imagine the seriousness of desertification and climate change. But even here we sometimes experience water shortages, and in recent years we've suffered from dust in the air, carried from deserts in northern China. Imagine what it is like for two-thirds of the poor people in the world who have to struggle for existence in places with barren land and not enough water.
For many people in the world, desertification and climate change are life-or-death issues. We all depend on clean air and water and healthy, fertile land, so desertification matters to everyone on our planet.
In the mid-1970s my wife and I lived in Benghazi, Libya [1], near Garyounis University, where I taught English. Our neighborhood was very close to the Mediterranean coast highway. There were many high-speed car accidents, especially at night. Whenever we heard a crash, men in my neighborhood would run to the scene and try to help the victims. Usually someone driving a station wagon would stop. We'd put the victims in the backs of their cars, and they would dash to the nearest hospital. Some victims died at the scene, of course. That was hard to take, especially when they were very young. My neighbors and I cried together several times.
I also saw several miracles. A Pepsi-Cola truck overturned once, spilling a trail of broken glass bottles for several hundred meters. The crash was really loud, so we assumed that someone had been killed. But there were no injuries at all. After we found that the truck driver was okay, we all marveled at the beauty of the glass as it sparkled in the moonlight.
Once an oil well drilling pipe fell from a truck and bounced up into the cab of the truck behind it. The front wheels were lifted off the ground and the cab was mostly destroyed, but the two men in the truck were unhurt. The big, heavy pipe had passed between their heads, missing them each by a few centimeters. When we got to the scene, they were crying and laughing as they crawled down from their truck. We all celebrated the miracle of their escape. Several men knelt in prayer right there on the highway.
I have many memories of life in Libya, and I'll never forget the generosity of Libyan people. They were always willing to help others, including total strangers. But I was most impressed by their appreciation of life, and it was a great pleasure to share their joy and gratitude when people survived miraculous accidents.
On May 30th, 2007, Sister Helen Prejean gave a lecture to several hundred of our students. Sister Helen is famous as the author of the book Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in the United States. She spoke of justice, mercy, and the death penalty, and she described the growth of her compassion and convictions with blunt clarity. For example, she said that when she first met a convicted killer face to face on Death Row,
I found myself in tremendous tension at the horror of the crime and trying to find the humanness of the person who had done this crime.
She spoke at length about the families of murder victims and about her failure to meet them at first. She said that families experience great isolation because people don't know what to do with their suffering.
Sister Helen quoted two fathers whose children had been murdered. One of them remained bitter even after he witnessed the execution of the convicted murderer. He said,
He died too quick. I hope he burns in Hell for all eternity.
The other father prayed to keep his integrity as a man of mercy. He said,
I don't experience forgiveness as weakness. They killed my son, but I'm not going to let them kill me.
Sister Helen said that societies have tried to solve social problems by violence, but violence, including the death penalty, only causes more suffering. She said,
We are family. We must not cut brothers and sisters out of the family. Forgiveness of enemies is the only way to peace.
As Sister Helen related her experiences, hundreds of young women sat in silence. I think many realized that they, too, could choose to face the hard realities of human suffering, justice, and mercy.
Last Thursday I took an early morning train to Kyoto. At about a quarter after 7 I got off the train at JR Kyoto Station and began walking toward the subway line. About a dozen people were going in the same direction, all walking quickly.
A few people were hurrying in the opposite direction. One of them, a young woman, was running quickly. Suddenly, as she approached, she ran right out of her shoes. She took three or four more steps and then ran back to retrieve her shoes. She must have been in a great hurry. She picked up both shoes with her right hand and then continued on her way at full speed in her bare feet.
Nobody said anything, but several of us slowed down and smiled as we continued toward the subway. Several people were chuckling. That young woman might have been a little embarrassed, but she gave some early morning commuters a moment of light entertainment. Nobody had been hurt, and nothing very exciting had happened, but it was really funny to see someone in such a hurry that she outran her own shoes.
I'm definitely not a city guy, but I appreciate little incidents like that. They add bit of humor to the rush of urban life.
In front of JR Yamashina Station there's a small open area with some benches. The other day I sat on one of those benches to rest for a few minutes. Beside me a middle-aged man was feeding pieces of rice crackers to a single pigeon.
The man would bite off a tiny piece of cracker and then toss it to the ground near the pigeon. The pigeon walked slowly with a bad limp. Its left foot was misshapen, probably the result of an injury. Each time it ate, the man said something to encourage it, like one might speak to a very small child. Several times after it ate, the pigeon hobbled toward the man and stood very close to his leg.
The man seemed to know a lot about pigeons, and he obviously cared for the one that he was feeding. He said that he always carried rice crackers wherever he went. He explained that he'd grown up in the countryside, and as a boy he'd kept about 20 pigeons as pets. As he spoke of his memories, especially about his pigeons, I saw a faraway look in his eyes. For a brief moment he was back in his boyhood. I'm sure I could have learned much more of his life story if I'd been able to spend more time with him.
I've always believed that everyone has a story, and I know from experience that a lot of people are happy to tell their stories to total strangers. My brief encounter with a nice man feeding an injured pigeon proved again that we can find interesting stories behind very ordinary activities.
Over the years I've attended a lot of meetings in which groups of people have tried to generate new ideas. This kind of group activity is called brainstorming. Sometimes it's pretty slow and sometimes its very productive.
I use brainstorming in small classes. Often it's a slow process. Many students hesitate to throw ideas into the group, so I have to ask a lot of questions and encourage people to talk freely.
Last week, for example, I asked a group of students to share ideas for news stories. At first everyone was very quiet. The 90-minute period got off to a slow start, but gradually they became more talkative. Finally one student told us a very dramatic story about a medical emergency that she'd witnessed on a train. That was a slow class, but what a great story!
Some groups become productive immediately. I recently joined a group of professional people who wanted to use computer network services to make their organization more effective. Most of the members were there to listen, but interesting ideas began to emerge immediately. During a 90-minute discussion I recorded at least 15 different ideas, many of which were excellent practical suggestions. Some of the most creative ideas came from people who had come only to listen. Everyone felt encouraged to speak freely, and that meeting was extremely productive from beginning to end.
Brainstorming works well when people are willing to share their ideas and stories without hesitation.
A couple of days ago I washed and waxed my car, a big, old Toyota Land Cruiser. Many people in Japan wash their cars every week, but I do it only once a month or so. My car often looks a little grubby because I'm pretty lazy about keeping it shiny.
On the other hand, I'm very careful about important maintenance. For example, I check the oil, coolant, and brake fluid levels very often. I even make sure that bolts are tight and that everything is in good working order. My old Land Cruiser has gone a lot of kilometers, but mechanically it's in very good condition.
Some people say that we live in a throw-away society. Commercial advertisements encourage us to buy things, use them for a little while, and then replace them with things that are new and improved. Many products quickly become obsolete. Sometimes it's hard to find parts for electronic devices or electrical appliances that are only a few years old. In some cases it's cheaper to replace something than to repair it.
Maybe I'm just stingy, but that seems really wasteful. I think we should take care of things and make them last. I know that I'm a little extreme. I keep things until they completely fall apart. I've been riding the same bicycle for over 26 years, and I still wear a suit that's quite a bit older than my students. I don't expect other people to share my old-fashioned ways of keeping things forever, but I think it's just good stewardship to take care of stuff.
Recently I bought a new portable audio recorder. In addition to ordinary AA batteries, this recorder can use more powerful 7.2 volt batteries that are made for radio-controlled race cars.
I knew nothing about RC car batteries, so I went to a hobby shop near my university. The little shop was full of models, especially model race cars, parts, and accessories. I showed the shopkeeper some technical information about my audio recorder, and he sold me the battery that I needed, along with a small battery charger.
The shopkeeper, a middle-aged man about my age, was very
friendly. He asked about my interest in audio recording and
told me a lot about RC car racing. As we were chatting, he
said, roughly translated, Yep. Men really need hobbies!
That remark led to a long and deep conversation about work, the accumulation and use of money, and the satisfaction that people find in daily life. We talked for about 45 minutes, sharing our interests, experiences, and ideas. Finally a couple of other customers entered the shop, so we thanked each other and I left.
That brief encounter with a total stranger was one of the most interesting and rewarding conversations that I've had in a long time. I didn't agree with everything he'd said, but we'd connected almost instantly.
A few minutes after I'd left the hobby shop I found myself humming in pleasure as I was waiting for a bus. I don't know exactly why I was so happy, but after such a friendly chat with a total stranger it felt great to be alive.
When I was riding home on my bicycle the other day, I nearly collided head-on with with another bicycle. A high school boy and I had been traveling in opposite directions on opposite sides of a street, but he gradually swerved across the street as he manipulated his mobile phone. His friend, another boy who had continued to ride in a straight line, shouted at him, but he didn't hear. I also shouted, but he was oblivious to the situation.
He was wearing ear buds for a portable media player. With his hearing impaired by his media player and his visual attention distracted by his mobile phone, he was out of touch with his environment. That is no way to ride a bicycle!
Fortunately, he recovered just in time. He swerved back away from me, and we passed each other with our shoulders nearly touching. He apologized as we passed, and he was obviously shaken by our near miss.
Nowadays many people that I see in public seem unaware of other people and things that are happening around them. All of their attention seems to be focused on virtual experiences as they manipulate their personal communication and entertainment devices. Some people even forget to watch where they're going!
I wonder why they intentionally disable themselves. Are their songs and text messages that much more interesting than the reality of the present situation? As a person who enjoys the real sights and sounds of daily life, it's hard for me to appreciate the overwhelming attraction of virtual experiences.
I've just finished my first week of classes for this academic year. What an exhausting week! There is a lot of confusion. Many students drop in for advice, and there are hundreds of little problems. Suddenly the hallways fill with students, teachers, and administrative staff. Everyone dashes around in a great hurry.
At the same time, nearly everyone here is very friendly. Many of us greet each other and even have quick micro-conversations as we rush by each other in opposite directions.
First class meetings are challenging. As we meet our students in class for the first time, they are busy trying to get adjusted. Freshmen are a little nervous, but other students are excited about meeting their friends again. Lecture rooms are filled with the sounds of happy young people greeting each other and swapping stories about Spring Vacation.
This year the weather has been nice, and two big cherry trees at our main gate are in full bloom. Many students pause to take photos of each other under the cherry blossoms.
Urban life changes in April. Trains, subways, and buses once again become crowded with students, and young people are everywhere. Teachers and staff become conspicuous in public. Anywhere in the Kansai area a young woman may smile and nod her head in a little bow. It's nice to be recognized, but there is little privacy. Last night I stopped to grab a quick hamburger on my way home, and three students greeted me as I entered the MacDonald's near the university.
The beginning of each new school year always reminds me that I chose my profession well. It's confusing and sometimes frustrating, but the friendly, positive atmosphere on campus is wonderful. Every time I walk into a classroom I feel a surge of energy when I see so many smiling faces.
At the end of the first week I'm too tired to think. But after a weekend to recover, I'll be ready for more on Monday morning.
On the 2nd of April I sat in a large auditorium with my
colleagues, our guests, and 490 new graduate and undergraduate
students, including 451 18-year-old girls. Our new freshman
wore business suits, mostly black. Our university entrance
ceremony is a formal affair that begins with our college song
and ends with a Catholic Mass. We finish with a thousand
voices singing in English, Make Me a Channel of Your
Peace.
With the combination of Japanese and Catholic
traditions, our ceremonies are impressive.
Many years ago, when I first began teaching in Japan, I didn't like formal ceremonies. I thought it was weird that everyone felt compelled to dress in black and act so formally. But over the years I learned an important lesson: formal ceremonies can bring people together and bind communities in solidarity.
And conformity of dress and behavior makes it easy to participate. Now I know exactly how to dress for formal occasions. When I attend a wake or a funeral, I wear a black suit and a black tie. For graduation or a wedding party I wear the same black suit with a white tie. I'm at ease because I know what to wear and how to act. Nearly all adults in Japan know the same rules, so formal events tend to be well-coordinated, subdued performances. Everyone shares the same restraints, so just the hint of a smile or a single tear can express powerful emotions with great clarity.
The next time these students all gather in black will be in March, 2011, when they graduate. They'll wear black caps and gowns, and they won't be girls any more. After four years of transformation, they'll assemble as well-educated adult women, and we'll have a very formal ceremony for them. We'll all dress in black, and we'll sit very quietly. Here and there someone will struggle to hold back her tears, and we'll all know that it's a very good day.
Today is April 1st. It's the first day of a new year. April 1st marks the beginning of new experiences for many people in Japan, when our academic year begins. Students move up a grade or enter new schools, and many people begin their new jobs. April also brings cherry blossoms and other beauties of nature.
I've been a teacher for more than three decades, but I still get restless in anticipation as I prepare for the new year. I'm ready to teach, of course, but even as I try to relax at home, questions flood into my mind.
What kinds of challenges will I face this year? What will the new freshmen be like? Am I ready to teach my classes? What about graduate school? Have I studied enough to guide graduate students?
For weeks I've worked very hard to prepare lesson plans, create teaching materials, and locate resources for students. Soon I'll begin to carry out my plans, use my materials, and share resources that I have discovered.
Every academic year brings new experiences and new challenges. Even though I'm ready to teach, there is no way to prepare for many of the events that lie ahead. Certainly I'll face difficult situations, maybe even big ones, but experience tells me that there will be many pleasant surprises and many happy occasions.
I'm a little nervous, as I am every year at this time. but I'm really looking forward to starting the new year as young people return to the campus and as the cherry trees at the main gate come into full bloom.
The other night I had to wait more than half an hour to catch a train back home from Kyoto, and the train that I took was packed. JR train service had been interrupted because there had been an accident at Tachibana Station between Kobe and Osaka.
Actually, it was not an accident—it was a suicide. At Tachibana Station a man had jumped in front of a JR Express commuter train. He killed himself instantly, of course, as body parts and blood splattered all over the place. Fortunately, nobody else was hurt, even though that train was carrying about 700 passengers.
Suicide by train is an exceptionally selfish and violent act that distresses tens of thousands of people. The other night at least 90,000 people had trouble getting home because of the desperate selfishness of one man, and he conveniently avoided responsibility by murdering himself. I have no sympathy or respect for a person who would escape from his troubles by throwing himself in front of a train full of passengers.
But I do feel sorry for the man's family. Now they face the sorrow of having lost a loved one tragically, and they have to pay JR for repairs and cleaning. Beyond the sorrow and the expenses, though, they have to live with the stigma of being related to a man whose violent selfishness distressed nearly a hundred thousand innocent people. That might be hard to take.
On the 14th of March our university held Commencement exercises in the morning. In the afternoon some of us gathered for lunch, and in the evening the university staff and faculty joined the new graduates for a big party at a hotel in downtown Kyoto.
I really enjoyed Commencement. The ceremonies were typical of our university, but this time I had a front-row seat. Our special guests included a young American Catholic priest who is visiting Japan. I sat with him and served as his Japanese-English interpreter. We had time to talk about Christianity and Zen Buddhism, and our short conversation was one of them most rewarding dialogues that I've had in a long time. I wish there were more religious leaders like him.
After Commencement we gathered outdoors to greet the new
graduates and their families. When I met the mother of one of
my seminar graduates, she said, I remember you.
She
graduated from this university during my first year. I know
that I've taught some of my students' mothers, but to meet two
generations of graduates together was a new experience that
gave me great satisfaction. I have a rewarding career as
a teacher, and I'm very happy that I've been able to work at
the same university for nearly three decades.
Graduation day always brings complicated emotions. I felt proud and happy for my former students, of course, but as they shared their memories of college life I began to feel a loss — a little empty space inside. I've known most of these people for four years — and some of the Master of Arts graduates I've known for six years. I know they need to take the next big step in their lives, and I wish them well, but already I miss them.
In The rise of technology addiction,
David Reid writes
about addiction to mobile phones, which blur the lines
between work and private
life[1].
Although some people seem to adapt well to such technology,
many experts worry about technology addiction, information
overload, and impaired judgement.
The Internet brought my work into my home in the late 1980s. At night and on weekends I do a lot of work-related communication by e-mail. Sometimes the work load gets heavy, but I can get away from the pressure when I go outdoors. I don't have a mobile phone.
Mobile phones are great for some people. Many working people need to take care of family matters or contact coworkers when they're in the field. Also, if I were young and single, I'd want to stay in touch with my friends and take advantage of opportunities to socialize.
I think a mobile phone would just complicate my life. If I had one, I might worry about missing calls or messages. Maybe I'd quickly become addicted.
I really like digital gadgets, especially audio
recorders, cameras, and my Palm
PDA[2].
But I'm happy without a mobile phone, even though I'm out
of touch
unless I'm home or at the university.
Sometimes it's inconvenient, but I see no reason to make
myself available to everyone all the time. I really
appreciate the freedom to be left alone.
[1] Reid based this BBC News >Click article on a panel discussion at the LIFT 07 conference.
[2] My personal data assistant (PDA) is a Palm Tungsten T3. I use it to keep my schedule and contact information, and it makes a nice portable library. It's SD card has quite a few novels and nonfiction works, which I can read when I commute by train and subway. I can also write notes with it, but I prefer an A5 spiral notebook as my portable writing medium.
The "natto scandal" on Japanese TV is now a world-wide scandal. A recent article in the science magazine, Nature, describes how the producers of a program on Kansai Telecasting Corporation (KTV) misrepresented the words of scientists and lied about the results of experimental research. David Cyranoski, the author of the Nature article, sums it up:
For scientists who speak to the mass media about their research, a scandal surrounding a Japanese television show demonstrates just how badly things can go wrong. Kansai Telecasting Corporation (KTV) has admitted that it faked scientific results in one of its programmes, and used dubbing to put false words into the mouths of foreign researchers. After an outcry from the Japanese media, the company has cancelled the series and is reviewing all 520 episodes.
The KTV case is not unique by any means, but it illustrates how the desire to entertain audiences can lead people to lie about the work of scientists and scholars. Everyone becomes a victim of when such dishonesty is practiced. The same seems true for infotainment programs about social and political issues. Clarence Page, a Pulitzer Prize winning commentator for the Chicago Tribune, wrote in 2004:
If thorough consideration of an opposing view is the beginning of intellectual growth, much of today’s infotainment sounds brain dead.
As Matt Nisbet wrote in 2001, economic pressure to reduce professional staff and entertain audiences has reduced the quality of news reporting by commercial media. That's a sad state of affairs in a democratic society.
I hope media producers will learn from the natto scandal and strive to tell the truth about science and scholarship as they try to entertain their audiences. Lying and oversimplifying hurts everyone.
As the natto scandal demonstrates, there is very little information in infotainment.
Hi! I'm Greg Peterson.
I've been teaching at Kyoto Notre Dame University since 1977. I teach interpersonal, intercultural, and computer network communication to undergraduate students in the Department of English Language and Literature. In the Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences I teach applied English information technology and information services. I like to help students learn to communicate with confidence and integrity, to use information technology wisely, and to get along with people from different cultures.
My research focuses on practical uses of information and communication technology. I'm especially interested in Internet information services for language learning and cultural exchange, and I love to produce audio programs.
Besides teaching and research, I serve as the Director of the Center for International Programs. I'm also the faculty advisor to the English Speaking Society.
Thank you for listening.
February is by far my least favorite month. Here in Japan our academic year ends in February, so I have to submit final grades for all of my classes, prepare materials for the next academic year, and do a lot of paperwork.
Grading is no pleasure at all. I enjoy reading students' final reports and creative work, but every year someone fails to submit a report on time or otherwise requires special treatment. As I acknowledge students' accomplishments, I also have to deal with little disappointments and dilemmas. I try to keep high standards, but sometimes I'm torn between justice and mercy. Fortunately, it's easy to consult with my colleagues, so it doesn't become unbearable.
There's a lot of business in February, and most of it involves paperwork. I know I'll get through it all okay, but it's a hard month every year. I can't wait until April, when I can get back into a classroom.
I used to like TV dramas about police officers or other professionals, but recently many lead characters have emotional problems. Many have family problems, some have difficulty in interpersonal relationships, and in many cases their job performance suffers because of their inability to concentrate or to get along with other people at work. Many TV dramas celebrate immaturity and inept job performance. Of course, drama is supposed to be exciting, but I think they give young people false impressions about professional behavior.
In the early 1970s I worked in the criminal justice system in San Francisco, California. When I began, I was 22 years old, just out of college. I had to deal with people who were sometimes distraught or angry, and I quickly learned to concentrate, to stay calm, and to communicate clearly.
Unlike the characters in many TV dramas, nobody brought their emotional issues to work. Sometimes people shared personal problems at lunchtime, but most of the talk was about work, and we listened carefully when old-timers shared their experiences.
Professional work requires clear thinking and accurate, objective communication, especially in delicate situations. Of course, everyone has human weaknesses, but many TV drama characters are not mature enough to keep professional jobs.
The other day in one of my classes sixty-six students wrote essays about current issues in Japanese society.
Twenty-one people wrote about bullying and suicide among children. Some had been bullied when they were younger, and all of them were very critical of simplistic solutions proposed by adults.
Fifteen students wrote about food and trust related to recent media reports. Twelve of them were outraged by the discovery that Fujiya, a large confectionary company, had been using old materials in their products, and three were surprised by the impact of a fictitious TV report on natto, fermented soy beans, as a diet food.
Nine students wrote about environmental dilemmas, eight wrote about crime and punishment, and five discussed women's issues, including abortion, surrogate motherhood, support for working mothers, and the lack of adequate maternity care at hospitals.
Eight people wrote on various topics, including personal privacy, the illusion of equality in schooling, the fact that mass media cannot be trusted, and the need for more consideration of others in general.
I'm pleased to know that these young women keep up with current affairs and that most of them think seriously about their opinions and their roles in society. (198 words)
Bullying among Japanese children is in the news again. Recently the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology reexamined the suicides of a number of children between April, 1999, and March, 2005. The Ministry admitted that some of the children died because they had been bullied.
I don't know how many children are bullied, but quite a few of my students say they were bullied when they were children. Many of these young adults still carry emotional scars from the cruelty of their childhood classmates and the indifference of some of their teachers. It's really hard for some of them to maintain their self-esteem.
There are many causes of bullying, but the importance of conformity in Japanese society contributes a lot. Bullying is natural when adults fail to teach children to respect people who are different. We would do well to remember Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
Before we can reduce bullying among children, adults need to change their attitudes toward other people. We must learn to respect the dignity of each person. And then we can work to free children from the tyranny of conformity. Perhaps then more children will replace cruelty with empathy as they learn to enjoy human diversity and appreciate the uniqueness of each individual. (242 words)
January 15th is a national holiday in the United States. On the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service we celebrate a great leader of the American Civil Rights Movement. In nonviolent resistance to injustice, poverty, and war, he wrote books and articles, gave sermons and speeches, and led marches and other nonviolent actions from 1955 until he was murdered by a white racist assassin on April 4th, 1968.
A Christian pastor, Dr. King insisted that every person is
somebody worthy of respect, and he struggled with compassion,
courage, and faith. His most famous address, I have a
Dream,
is one of the most beautiful and inspiring
speeches in the English language.
Martin Luther King, Jr. inspired a generation of Americans. He taught us that patriotism means to love one's country not for what it is but for what it can become. He demonstrated that we can transform society if we can imagine a brighter future and if we have the courage and discipline to engage in direct action to create that future ourselves. And in one of his last sermons he reminded us of the meaning of true greatness:
If you want to be great, wonderful! But recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. . . . Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.
January 15th is not only a day to remember Dr. King. It's a day to share his legacy with others and to continue to struggle against poverty, racism, and violence.
Journalists serve the public by gathering, verifying, and reporting information that people need in order to control their own lives. Freedom to seek and report true information is essential to liberty and democracy. It's so important, in fact, that in many places journalism is very dangerous. Many journalists have made great sacrifices to gather and report news. Quite a few have even given their lives to make information available to the public.
Reporters Without Borders
is a nonprofit organization that promotes freedom of the press
throughout the world. In their free publication, Press
Freedom in 2006,
they report some depressing facts.
In 2006, 81 journalists and 32 media assistants were killed,
at least 871 were arrested, 1,472 were physically attacked or
threatened, 56 were kidnapped, and 912 media outlets were
censored. Obviously, some governments, political groups,
companies, and criminals don't want people to know the
truth.
In some places it's dangerous to merely suggest that people have the right to be informed. Many years ago I knew a professor of journalism who talked about freedom of the press in one of his classes. Shortly after that soldiers came and took him away. He hadn't broken any laws, but they detained him for several weeks, and they tortured him with cigarette burns on sensitive parts of his body. After that incident he showed me his scars, but he didn't say very much. His rich voice had become weak, and he had lost much of his vitality. Nevertheless, he seemed to be satisfied. He had risked his life by teaching his students about freedom, and in the eyes of those who knew him he became a true hero. (276 words)
The other day my daughter-in-law made me think deeply when she
asked about my plans for the holidays and the new year. She
asked, Any resolutions?
Yes.
I resolve to promote information freedom in my teaching, writing, and public speaking.
I believe strongly in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Article 19 says:
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
These rights are denied to many people in the world. They are being eroded by governments and other organizations, even in many democratic societies. And even without repression, many people unwittingly deny themselves and others their information rights through ignorance, selfishness, or stupidity.
I can act on my resolution in my Internet classes. I can help young people access and use information with skill; think about their choices and their values as they consider ethical, legal, and technical issues in communication; and make Web sites that are accessible, interesting, and meaningful.
I have had these goals for many years, but this year I resolve to become a stronger promoter and defender of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. I promise to study hard and to teach with the hope that my students will more fully appreciate information freedom and that they will use the Internet with confidence, wisdom, and compassion. (245 words)
Recently two groups of students gave public speeches to members of our university community. First, international students from China, Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam presented their research on various aspects of Japanese society, which they had studied in a Japanese language class. Second, a class of Japanese seniors gave research presentations and persuasive speeches in English.
I've been teaching and giving public speeches for so many years that I'd forgotten how terrifying it can be to address a live audience. But as I met many of the students in the days before their presentations, I gained a deeper appreciation of the challenges that they faced. Most were looking forward to speaking, but at the same time they were very nervous.
Speeches varied in quality, of course, but I was impressed by the students' poise. Some made errors in Japanese or English, and some became quite nervous, but every one of them showed strength and dignity, including some who had been extremely shy when they first entered our university. They and their teachers can be very proud of their achievements. I was reminded again that some academic challenges, such as public speaking, can help young people overcome their fears and face the future with skill and confidence. (207 words)
The other day on a crowded commuter train I was standing and reading a paperback novel. Nearby three young women in their late teens were standing and chatting. The one standing beside me was wearing fairly heavy makeup, hot pants, and spiked high heels.
Suddenly the train lurched sideways, and everyone standing had to struggle for balance. The girl beside me fell against my right side, and she stepped down hard on my right foot. Her spiked heel hit my little toe, and it hurt like crazy!
As she regained her balance, she lifted her heel off my shoe and looked at me. Then she apologized in a quiet voice and bowed her head in embarrassment. She was obviously concerned that she had hurt me. My toe still hurt, but I told her I was okay.
I hadn't paid her much attention, but I had noticed her appearance, and I think my first impression of her had been negative. Like many middle-aged people, I sometimes assume that girls who dress like that are shallow and self-centered.
Of course, some people are shallow and self-centered, but the girl who stepped on my toe and then apologized was actually very polite and modest, regardless of how she dressed. First impressions are not reliable, and I owe that girl an apology for my hasty judgment. (222 words)
Recently my wife and I had our house checked for resistance to earthquakes. Inspectors discovered some weak points in the structure, and we had those weaknesses fixed. Now our house is stronger, but no house is safe in a major earthquake. It's a little unnerving to know that where we live a very large earthquake could happen at any time.
On January 17th, 1995, at 5:46 a.m. the Great Hanshin Earthquake destroyed parts of the city of Kobe. After the disaster I saw the ruined city with my own eyes. When public transportation into Kobe was still impossible, I was one of many volunteers who carried supplies into the city by backpack.
After more ten years I'm still haunted by memories of fallen buildings and thousands of dazed and exhausted survivors camping out in parks and playgrounds. On the other hand, after that earthquake more than a million people volunteered to help. I saw many young people who were delivering supplies by motorcycle or cooking, babysitting, and giving free haircuts to survivors.
People in Japan know that a natural disaster can strike any part of the country at any time. When we consider the devastation that an earthquake can cause, we stand in awe of the power of nature and we realize how helpless we are. We can prepare a little, but the only real comfort is in our confidence that after the next disaster people will help each other again. (241 words)
In a recent intercultural cultural communication class I presented several perspectives on intercultural adjustment, including the classic "W-curve," the development of behaviors and insights, and personal growth. After the lecture students wrote short essays. One third-year student emphasized the importance of personal experience for the development of empathy and compassion. Here's her essay:
I learned by many experiences, and I've grown up. Many experiences can get us to grow up, I think. I think that to experience things is very important for us. People who have unhappy experiences are very kind because they can understand the pain of other people.
So we should not avoid pain, sadness, and fear. We need a little more effort. We must advance step by step. Then, I think that we can get real growth. I want to know many things that I don't know more and more, and to spread up my own knowledge, ways of thinking, ideas, and thoughts to become a person who can understand the pain of other people.
That's wonderful. Many adults criticize the attitudes of youth, but I prefer to be optimistic. We can be inspired by the wisdom and compassion of some young people. (169 words)
Not long ago some of my students wrote short essays about intercultural encounters. The most common topic was anxiety. Many described awkwardness with cultural differences, but those differences seemed less important than anxiety about language, nonverbal communication, and knowledge. Nearly everyone experienced tension, but those who overcame their anxiety were delighted by their experiences.
How can we cope with anxiety? Of course, preparation helps a lot. Studying foreign languages and cultures is important, and knowledge of geography and history can make a huge difference.
When we talk with strangers, the best way to control anxiety is to stay alert and to pay attention. It's easier to act appropriately when you're aware of what's happening.
Small talk is a wonderful way to relieve tension, but sometimes people don't even know if they speak a common language. For example, Japanese taxi drivers often get nervous when they see me because they don't know that I speak Japanese. When I get into a taxi, I search for something to talk about. The weather, the traffic, music or news on the car radio—just about anything can be a good topic. And then I speak politely but informally and quickly, trying to engage them in small talk.
Nearly all of them relax immediately. A few drivers remain quiet, but most become very talkative when they realize that we can communicate smoothly. Even a short ride in a taxi can be a very pleasant intercultural encounter. (246 words)
I've been the advisor to our university English Speaking Society (E.S.S.) since 1987. In the past E.S.S. clubs were very active, but at the end of the 20th century English Speaking Society membership declined rapidly at universities throughout Japan. Speech contests, debates, and dramatic performances in English, which were once very popular, are now only memories.
At many universities E.S.S. clubs disappeared entirely, but here at Kyoto Notre Dame University our English Speaking Society is alive and very healthy. E.S.S. members have replaced public competitions and performances with more personal, face-to-face activities. Now they help each other study English, talk about movies, music, and current events, and participate in activities with people from other countries.
I am very proud of our graduates and students, who have transformed the KNDU English Speaking Society into a warm, supportive club. I think the E.S.S. helps young people meet the challenges of communicating across cultures in the 21st century. (155 words)
I have hairy arms. To most Japanese people my arms probably look unusual, and some people become really curious about that hair, especially in the summer when I wear short-sleeve shirts. Many years ago I sometimes came home by train very late at night, and now and then a drunken older man on the train would lean toward me and touch my arm.
Now it's college students. This year, for the first time that I can remember, several students have come up to me and stroked the hair on my forearm. When it happened the first time, I just assumed that she was a little childish, but several students have done exactly the same thing. They're always gentle, so it doesn't bother me, but I wish they wouldn't stroke my hair backwards, against the grain!
I don't know why some students have recently become so curious that they feel compelled to touch my hairy arms. Maybe it's becoming natural for young people to touch others, or maybe their curiosity just gives them a lot of courage. (177 words)
When I was a boy growing up on a farm, every summer I slept outdoors. Sometimes my cousins joined me. We would lie on our backs, gazing at the Northern Lights and the stars, and an occasional satellite. We often wondered how the stars got there, who made them, and if there was life out there somewhere. As young country boys, we were awed by the big picture of the cosmos.
Recently I was reminded of those summer nights of my boyhood. The November, 2006, Scientific American has an article, "The Dark Ages of the Universe," by Abraham Loeb (295.5:22-29). In the first paragraph, Loeb writes:
When I look up into the sky at night, I often wonder whether we humans are too preoccupied with ourselves. There is much more to the universe than meets the eye on earth. As an astrophysicist I have the priviledge of being paid to think about it, and it puts things in perspective for me. There are things that I would otherwise be bothered by—my own death, for example. Everyone will die sometime, but when I see the universe as a whole, it gives me a sense of longevity. I do not care so much about myself as I would otherwise, because of the big picture.
Recently one of my fellow teachers had a tooth pulled out by his dentist. He came back to the university holding his painful, swollen jaw. Later, at the end of a long day of classes and meetings, several of us older guys gathered in a hallway near our offices and shared some of our most painful and embarrassing experiences.
Someone who has never felt severe pain might wonder why a group of middle-aged men would stand around after work, swapping stories of accidents, ambulances, dentists, doctors, nurses, and operations. They might even question our sanity if they saw us laughing about our misfortunes and our embarrassing encounters with doctors and nurses.
Pain is no fun, but surviving it somehow makes us feel more alive. We're all vulnerable, and sometimes we're even terrified of pain, but we've all endured suffering and embarrassment. And sharing some of our most painful experiences with old friends reminds us that we're not alone. We're all aging men in our 50s, working in a profession that shows little respect for masculinity, but we share a common bond of experience—and we know that we're a bunch of pretty tough guys. (195 words)
According to Victor Frankl, the most powerful human motivation is to find meaning in life. Frankl was a psychotherapist who survived terrible experiences during World War II. The Nazis put him and millions of other Jews in concentration camps, where most of them died. Frankl survived and wrote many books, including Man's Search for Meaning[1].
Frankl believed that each person is responsible for his own search for meaning. He wrote:
Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life to carry out a concrete assignment which demands fulfillment. Therein he cannot be replaced, nor can his life be repeated. Thus, everyone's task is as unique as his specific opportunity to implement it. (131)
Frankl wrote that meaning can be found only in something, or someone, other than oneself. He believed that we can find meaning in the world in three ways: in activity and creative work; in experience and appreciation, including love and religious devotion; or, if necessary, even in suffering.
Even in the most hopeless situation, a person can, in Frankl's words:
...bear witness to the uniquely human potential at its best, which is to transform a personal tragedy into a triumph, to turn one's predicament into a human achievement. (135)
Frankl's words remind me that I am responsible for my search for meaning.
One of my sons recently moved to Prague in the Czech Republic. He uses all of his sense as he describes his experiences. For example, recently he wrote these words.
It must be part of my learning style, or maybe it's that way with everyone: understanding gets deeper when one learns with the whole body and not just in the head.
There's a certain smell to Prague, a faint indescribable scent to the city, that smells of autumn now but also seems to evoke unique correspondences of feelings and vague imagery. This kind of visceral reaction is hard to put into words, but on several occasions I've wandered along evening streets thinking how Franz Kafka or Frederic Chopin used to walk these same streets, and I imagined I felt the same ancient perfumery of the night air that they must have felt, a mixture of the exudation of local plants and flowers after rain, the sweat of human beings, the smell of soil and dirt, cobblestones and buildings, maybe a little salty air from the Mediterranean or dry dust from Russia, whichever way the wind comes from... Of course now there is the exhaust from automobiles, smell of asphalt, distant coal power plants and such, modern smells, but I think it's very possible that I've caught a waft of the Prague air that's distinct from anywhere else. (230 words)
On Sunday, October 8th, 2006, The Daily
Yomiuri newspaper had two stories of murder. The first
was about Melson Bacos, a 21-year-old U.S. Navy Petty
Officer, who was sentenced to prison for helping seven
U.S. Marines kidnap and murder Hashim Ibrahim Awad, a
52-year-old retired Iraqi police officer. When asked why he
had gone along with the group, he said, I wanted to be part
of the team. I wanted to be loyal.
The second story was about Marian Fisher, a 13-year-old girl who, along with some of her classmates, was murdered in a one-room Amish schoolhouse in Pennsylvania. As the killer prepared to shoot the children, she asked him to kill her first, probably in an attempt to save the other children.
Both Melson and Marian were loyal to their groups, but their choices were really different. Melson chose to follow his leader even though he knew it was wrong. Marian chose to follow her principles to the end. She sacrificed her life in an act of great personal integrity. (171 words)
Each Fall semester I teach intercultural communication to a class of about 120 students. Every year on the first day I ask students to write about how they have changed. They describe various situations in college, living away from home, visiting other countries, developing close relationships, and working at part-time jobs. Some students express disappointment, frustration, or confusion as they struggle with growing up, but I'm always impressed by the variety and the depth of positive change that I see in their essays.
Students gain awareness of society and culture, they learn to appreciate diversity among people, they become more confident, poised, and independent, and they develop empathy and skill in communication. They find new interests, they develop critical thinking and ethical principles that guide their actions, and many resolve to improve themselves in some way.
We can learn a lot about ourselves by reflecting on how we have changed or how we have failed to change in various situations. How have you changed? (166 words)
Recently I attended a meeting and a dinner party with two colleagues and three guests from a university in Korea. My colleagues and I really like the people who visited us, and our universities have very close relations. Our time together reminded me of the importance of goodwill and mutual respect between people who represent their organizations.
Our university has good relations with many other universities around the world. We build these relationships by communication between administrators, by student exchanges or other activities, and sometimes by official visits.
It's always a great pleasure to meet people from other universities, especially from other countries. I suppose this is intercultural or international communication, but it really seems interpersonal as we build mutual respect, trust, and even friendship. (125 words)
After summer vacation many teachers like to hear about
their students' adventures. To be friendly we often ask,
How was your summer?
We easily forget that some
experiences may be really hard to describe in short answers to
friendly questions!
This year during summer vacation one of my students lost
her father. As this young woman struggles with the pain and
confusion of her grief, she faces a long, hard emotional and
spiritual journey. There is no way for her to reply casually
to a question like, How was your summer?
Each person has her own way of sharing life-altering experiences, whether happy or tragic. People need time to adapt to big changes in their lives, and many don't want to talk about their experiences until they're ready.
Before we ask, How was your summer?
we might want to
remember that for some people it may be a really hard, serious
question.