Seaflower

Well folks it has been awhile.

I am staying in Japan for another year. I can not believe how fast a year can pass by. School starts on Monday...

But before I have to return to perfect teacher mode, I am about to go out and party.

There is a beach party a few towns over that is starting at 9 tonight. There are going to be a ton of Japanese, Brazilian and English bands and over a hundred people on the beach.

I am totally looking forward to dancing on the beach and looking up at the stars.

How possible you
made my life when
you finally
finally...
drove away
leaving coffee stains
and jazz refrains

Yet
if I was,
an honest dame
I would say;
you spent
each guilt-lace day
Away,
in another place
with another lay

the high school
sweetheart
who never went
away

Could
starry eyes on a
tight built rack away?
when all of yesterday
all of yesterday
Never pestering

How I hate
that whore,
that Babylonian tramp
who never
never had to ask
for movies and
candle light

For years,
she never left
when you talked
through the night

Her laughter haunted
the wedding hall
Her touch our home

She was and remains
the undefinable height

You who drives through
the night

And for that reason
and for my spite
I've pack away old yearbooks
to hide away my former
face of golden... fame

Finally
"I can move away".

Why do I continue to become attracted to emotionally remote men? Why is the stoic exterior so attractive?

I am feeling sleepy...So just to let those who were worried know. I have returned to Japan well and still in good condition...Feeling sleepy...Love ya...

How evil are you?

Hey Guys,

Just to let you know, my father had a heart attack recently and hurt his head as a result a couple of days ago. As a result I am now currently in Toronto. So if you need to contact me I can not promise to be on msn or reachable on phone. To those in Toronto....I am currently in the middle of understanding what happen so I am tied up and not really avaliable for now.

Kristin and Dawn

I know we are planning things for Japan but right now I am tied up. I have a plane ticket to go back on the 21 if things look up, will let you know.

Later loves

Tomorrow morning I will be on a flight taking me to my dream location, Okinawa. I been wanting to go to this tropical area of Japan for a long time now. It is the birth place of Karate and was the site of the last battle between the United States and Japan. It is known for its beaches and the vibrant beat of its music. Gackt and Orange Range both call Okinawa home.

But what a lot of people might not know is that Okinawa used to be known as its own kingdom, separate from both China and Japan. It got annex to Japan in the late 1800s. There are still debates if Okinawans are Japanese, Okinawan or something of both and distinct within the middle. It was called the Ryūkyū Kingdom.

Here is a link to learn some fast facts about it, if you are interested in more plese consult your local library for a more reliable source.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ry%C5%ABky%C5%AB_Kingdom

I plan to be in Okinawa from Wed to Mon. I hope to meet up with my friend Asato.
And I hope that it might be possible to spend a night on the beach, weather premitting. I have always wanted to watch the sun rise from a tropical climate while looking at the waves.

Anyhow. At the moment I am in Nagoya. My plane for Okinawa leaves at 8 in the morning and I do not trust myself to get my lazy ass out of bed. So I am currently at an 24hr internet cafe. For 15 bucks I get a cubicle for 7 hours with internet, free drinks, a TV, a lazy boy chair, use of a shower stall, a locker and slippers. It is a nice place to sleep in I must say for my cash. No worries there is a lock on my door and cameras everywhere so no one will jump me.

Actually what you might not know, is that in Japan many travellers and semi/unemployed young people use these internet cafes as housing. It is the cheapest alternative to a hostel or a hotel. On the web there are blogs maintain by Japanese people in their 20s and 30s talking about their struggles to find employment and their misadventures living in internet cafes every night. As you can assume this happens mostly in the big cities. Many of these people use the net at night to look for employment in the big city and hope that once this employment is secure to find more stable housing.

As a traveller I find internet cafes to be an excellent resource but I can not imagine how hard it must be to have to call this place home every night, hoping each night that I will eventually get my break. But quite a few people who do this also support each other morally through the use of blogs, it almost feels like a community of sorts.

I promise to post pictures of Okinawa in my facebook when I return to my humble home in Tsu.

Peace out lovers and fellow strangers!

Where does one go
when there is no destination
road maps to the centre of one's heart of gold?
When the world seems like it will explore
from over population, little experience and vapid intelligence
what can all this wandering mean
if it does not get me to the centre of
what it means to be?

is being nothingness
a rambling existence within
a Kafka menagerie
glasses walls flanked with movie stars
and a soul depraved universe
buying to regain some understanding from
still objects
who lose their luster
much too soon
after purchase
deepening the wounds of a
disinterested audience

How can one mine
a heart of gold
when it
disappears
morning dew
fading
much too soon

Johnny**
in that moment
of closed eyes
did you find?
a heart of gold

*Just auto writing ...writing what comes to mind...Thinking about the song "Heart of Gold" By Neil Young
**Outsiders by: E.S Hinton

Happy Valentines Day everyone!

This is for anyone who ever loved 80s cartoons. I present to you, Jem. The humanitarian, foster mother, business manger, singer and activist.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20BZID081Vk

It is kind of sick that I still remember this song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yc2R2AchBdo&mode=related&search=

Hope you enjoy the role model of my youth.

It is a birthday of a very special person...Kristin! Happy B-Day love. Wish I could hug you at the moment.

*Big Fat Kiss*

I bought one of you mags...and something I am sure you will like...

Miss you tons.

I have been a lazy MFO when it comes to posting about my adventures in Japan. I would like to let you all know that I have finally posted half of my pictures up on FACEBOOK. I will not be sending them by emailing, because I do not have the time to resize over 600 pictures. Facebook is a great site that allows you to post an unlimited amount of pictures.

A few of my pictures have commentary on them.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=510759536

If you have problems viewing this link, you might have to sign up with facebook. If you do not want to use it, you do not have to. You can merely sign up to view my pictures. Probably can make up an alias. After this, merely look up Naomi Dylan


Enjoy.

Sometimes dreamers want to crash
not violently
just enough
to help one focus
on the sun.

You are The Star

Hope, expectation, Bright promises.

The Star is one of the great cards of faith, dreams realised

The Star is a card that looks to the future. It does not predict any immediate or powerful change, but it does predict hope and healing. This card suggests clarity of vision, spiritual insight. And, most importantly, that unexpected help will be coming, with water to quench your thirst, with a guiding light to the future. They might say you're a dreamer, but you're not the only one.

What Tarot Card are You?
<a href="http://www.flarn.com/~warlock/tarot"

For reasons I am still pondering, I had been a little anti social as of late. Thus the lack of communication...But I am happy to say I am feeling a bit better now.I have begun emailing people again...Sweetness...

I am also happy to note, I have a bastardized version of msn working on my computer...So I have rejoined civilization once again. Woohoo!

This weekend I will write more about my past adventures, but for now...

Today I worked a crazy long day, but I had fun freaky the kids out with my spider stockings and weird chicken dance in the hall walls. I heard a rumor today from Sayaka sensei, Sayaka is Nishykyunai's (the junior high school I am working at)third year science teacher. For the past month, the two of us have tried to eat dinner together once a week for language exchange and just general girl bonding. She told me that some of the teachers want me to sing a Japanese song at the upcoming school festival...rises eyebrow...I am hoping I am not expected to sing it by myself...supposely I will find out more tomorrow. Weirdness.

For all you J-pop fans, biggest song on the radio at the moment is "Natsuoto" by Glay. I swear I hear this song at least once a day, In stores,school ect eta. I have to say that I should be sick of this song, but the reverse seems to be true. I love it to death. There is something about it that touches me deeply. I figure I should spread my new found love with my fellow Kanada-jin.

WOOSH here is the link to the music video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7Jzp1Go1Qc

The song Natsuoto is a song about a man looking up into the summer sky with hate in his heart. The soft blue sky reminds him of a special girl he knew when he was younger. Slowly they fell in love. But like summer, their love is short.

The song does not really say why they are separated. There are hints that she may have died. The only thing the listener knows for certain, is that before she closes her eyes, she tells him "please do not ever forget".

He goes on to sing about the conflict he currently lives in. At one hand, having to remember her is a burden, yet he fears forgetting her. Time is a thief who will eventually rip her away from his memory. And he will lose the last bits of her warmth.

I like the imagery of how this pain helps to transform him to another stage in life. While he is with her, they are both childlike. Living together, having the comfort of knowing the other person will be there at their side. Thinking their current struggles were overwhelming.

But physical and emotional separation, reveals him a deeper world of pain, one beyond his childhood ideas.

I think the point of this song, is that we become adults when we have to encounter the gaping void of real loneliness. Having to live life, worried time will make us numb to our own memories of that person, thus having them stolen away a second time. So we engage in activities to try to keep their spirit alive within us. But if one decides to fight,to hold onto their memories, then they have willing or unwillingly open themselves to something new. Longing. Regret. Secret deover wishes.

Living in internal conflict with the pain of remembrance and the need to never forget.

What prevents this song from reaching the level of teen angst, is the fact, that the protagonist in the song, realizes his internal conflict is something he has to live with, that it is our internal conflictions and longings that make us adults.

I have often heard people say that they want to "live a life without any regrets".I can respect the idea of a person trying to live their life to
the fullest, but I do not think there is anything wrong with having a few regrets in life.

I think these regrets can help us to live a fuller lives if we allow ourselves to listen to them.

To quote the film, The Big Kahuna

"I'm saying you've already done plenty of things to regret, you just don't know what they are. It's when you discover them, when you see the folly in something you've done, and you wish that you had it do over, but you know you can't, because it's too late. So you pick that thing up, and carry it with you to remind you that life goes on, the world will spin without you, you really don't matter in the end. Then you will gain character, because honesty will reach out from inside and tattoo itself across your face."

For those of you who read all that, sorry, my thoughts just kept coming.

Ja Ne Minna-san

Hello Livejournal

It has been awhile since I have had the opportunity to write in here. Just to let you all know, I am alive and well in Japan. Currently working hard to corrupt the minds of junior high Japanese students. Hopefully under my influence they will discover the pleasure of planning world domination.

I finally have internet access at home…but for reason I not in the mood to get in to , I can not use MSN, bittorent or skype…But luckily livejournal isn’t on that list.

When I left Toronto in August, I was excited, sleep deprived and slightly melancholy at the thought of leaving my family and friends. I spent one wicked second last night at Future’s Bakery with a group of close friends, which ended in an awesome night of Karaoke.

Fast forward to now. The JET orientation in Tokyo was a jam packed affaire that only helped to extended my sleep deprived state which helped to make my first couple of nights in Japan seem like one long drug infused haze. I think there were over a thousand JETS at the conference at the Keio Plaza hotel. Man that hotel was sweet, I doubt I will stay in a nicer hotel for the entire length of my stay in Japan… Sadly due to the massive meetings and jet lag, I didn’t get to explore as much of Tokyo as I would have liked. I KNOW THIS IS SCARILIEGE TO SOME OF YOU, I PROMISE I WILL MAKE A BETTER HOMAGE TO IT AT ANOTHER TIME. Tokyo is one wild and crazy place. When I looked at Tokyo from the high tower in the hotel, I swore that it felt like my eyes were stretching just to capture an almost ocean like city.

After a couple of days of being buzzed out of my mind, I jumped on the bullet train with the other Mie Ken JETS and headed for the calm yet loving city known as Tsu, my current stomping grounds and the base of my operations.

During my first day in Tsu I got to meet my fellow Tsu ALTs esp those who live in my apartment building. For those of you how don’t know this,

I , Seaflower, double entendre Queen, am living in a place called the “Kinki Mansion”. It almost seems like fate had a hand in this.

There are about six JETs living in my building in total. You would think with so many of us living in one building that we would spend an insane amount of time clinging together and creating an english vacuum within our corner of Japan. But I am happy to say this hasn’t happen. Most of us in the building try to maintain a healthy balance of hanging out together while trying carefully not to spend most of our time together and not getting to know any Japanese people. Actually Luke is basically fluent in Japanese and Alicia and Brian are pretty decent.

On my first night in Tsu, I got to attend an Obon festival. Obon is a special Buddhist holiday in Japan during the summer time, where Japanese people celebrate the departed spirits of their ancestors. Many family reunions are planned and people clean their family graves during this time. If you are interested in learning about Japanese folk dancing this is probably the best time to get yourself involved in the community and enjoy the fun of communal dancing. My first night in Tsu also allowed me to accomplish something I have always wanted to do.

Fire walking

The night the local Buddhist temple was alive with activity. Many people came to listen to the sutra uttered by the priest and to give their wishes to their ancestors. I huge bonfire created with wooden prayers, incense and several of things was made, after a period of time; the priest raked the fire so it became a huge walkway. At this point some people gathered together in a line and processed to walk across the fires by stepping on wood coals with flames sipping between them. I had read in the past that some people have observed that fire walking was an effective way to help people to think past their fears. It has often been used as a purifying rite. Some people also walk across the fire with the wish to ask for fortune, good health or the well being of their loved ones. While looking into the extremely intense orange flame, I calmly decided that this was how I wanted to start this new chapter in my life. Renew myself to my inner most core and to try to begin my adventures in Japan with a more hearten soul.

Some people think the trick of firewalking is to walk over the fire quickly. But this can be extremely foolish, since by going to quickly one can end up almost falling into the fire. Trust me, I have seen more than a couple people do this, including a 5 year old child. Neither can one walk too slowly or you end up getting burned. The trick seems to be to find your own middle speed, one that fits your body and your own state of mind as you walk across. If you are too aware of your body and what you are doing, you can become paralysis by the reality of flame being around you. I can not adequately explain how it feels to walk across. But I can say this, you will be amazed how calm you feel and how fast the ceremony takes. Before your foot steps on the coals, you worry if you can make it to the other side without freaking. But by the time you are done, you realize your mind didn’t have the time to freak out. Actually there was a small moment when my mind slowed down so much that caused me to almost walk too slowly across the flames. I am happy to say that I did not get burnt.

I have more experiences to tell but for the moment I am very sleepy so I will try to post more sometime this week.

Must make this quick...while boss and teachers aren`t around...

I been told I should get internet on Oct 11...Wooohooo


Please look forward to a blogpost coming to livejournals near you...

The Seaflower

I made my first major goodbye today. My sister's Sarah and Mouna (tech. half sisters on my mom's side), their dad, Big Naomi (their stepmom) and my little bro Issa (my sister's half brother) just left ten minutes ago to pick up Hannah (Little sis, same deal as Issa) in the U.S.

They aren't able to come back till after I am gone.

It surprising... I miss them and cried a little but a major part of me feels like they are just leaving for Ontario Place for the afternoon. Funny how the mind takes goodbye. Grabbing hold of a famaliar daily experience to blunt the reality of the situation.

Amazing how your love for people booms into view just minutes before they go away.

Oh well. I will see them five month in the future when they come to visit Japan.

Your results:
You are Green Lantern

Green Lantern 100% Spider-Man 80% Supergirl 65% Wonder Woman 65% Catwoman 65% Batman 60% Hulk 60% The Flash 60% Superman 55% Robin 40% Iron Man 25%

Hot-headed. You have strong will power and a good imagination.

Click here to take the "Which Superhero are you?" quiz...