Something oriental

[CIMA]

Cherry blossoms everywhere!

[MikeK]

Very nice. We have those here too.

We also have many apple blossom and lilacs. We have a whole festival in my city for lilacs. I'll try to see if I can take some pictures this year.

Nothing is blooming yet in the lowlands. It's all brown and wet right now. End of April should be starting though.

[connyro]

Cool photos CIMA! Up here, we JUST got a foot of heavy wet snow and blossom season is a month or more away!

[CIMA]

Thanks for your comments.
I'd like to upload sometimes photos which are not biased by stereotypic point of views of Japanese culture.

[MikeK]

I'm not sure I understand what you are saying CIMA. Aren't these photos biased showing Japanese culture?

I used to hang out with quite a few Japanese students when I was in college. They were definitely culturally different (not in a bad way, just different) - many of them didn't even speak English very well.

I think the US was quite uplifting for them. They seemed to report that life was much more rigid in Japan. Also I think they were amazed by the open space (they were in the Adirondacks were I go to ski). They happened to plant themselves at one of the hardest partying schools in NY, and amazingly enough most of them drank and smoked pot over here. They said in Japan that they would never do stuff like that - well drink a little, but never smoke marijuana.

I think a lot of them missed their culture over here but it was a good vacation for them. Our cultures, as far as I can tell, are vastly different. I very much enjoyed their viewpoints on American life though. They were also keen to share parts of their culture with us (language, food, music, etc...).

The things that I have learned or picked up about Japanese culture I did like, but if I lived there, I'm sure I'd see some of things that are not the greatest. You get the same when you live here. It looks great from a distance, but like everything, we have our problems.

[CIMA]

I'm not so serious about what to upload here, Mike.
Though most of stuff would be collections around my place, there will be the mixture of antiques and moderns seen in Japan of today.
There will not many photos of sushi or geisha girls. Neither will be there samurai stuff like this. Those are the stereotypes that I meant.

[MikeK]

I guess those stereotypes of Japan died a long time ago for me... probably when I met people from Japan, but I don't think I ever really thought like that.

I think you do a good job of showing us what life is like in Japan. Modern life. And skiing.

I told a Japanese friend at work I was watching some Japanese skiers, he didn't seem to think the skiing in Japan was great. I told him it looked pretty good to me. Where are you guys skiing BTW? On Hokkaido? Or Norther Honshu? I'm assuming he is from Tokyo but I never asked. He is enjoying the skiing here in NY!

[CIMA]

I guess those stereotypes of Japan died a long time ago for me... probably when I met people from Japan, but I don't think I ever really thought like that.

I hope so.
Thanks to current Internet Age, more and more people would learn what is going on really in foreign countries. Whether or not ones have strongly biased images toward foreign cultures may depend on their education levels or their experiences of going abroad. Since I haven't been to the US or Canada for more than ten years, I don't know much about their perspectives of today toward foreign cultures. However, I wonder if there are still many conservatives who believe that their homelands are the best in the world in any points of view without having any firsthand knowledge.

I told a Japanese friend at work I was watching some Japanese skiers, he didn't seem to think the skiing in Japan was great. I told him it looked pretty good to me. Where are you guys skiing BTW? On Hokkaido? Or Norther Honshu? I'm assuming he is from Tokyo but I never asked. He is enjoying the skiing here in NY!

They are skiing mainly in Northern Honshu, and we see many Australians, Americans and Canadians visiting ski resorts over there nowadays.
Like you don't know everything about skiing in the US, the opinions of your Japanese friend may not stand for skiing in Japan well. It's true that there're not so many ski-nuts like me over here. Yes, actually it's not easy to go for skiing every weekend from Tokyo area. Accessibility may affect one's liking for skiing very much.

[MikeK]

Most Americans are assholes toward foreign culture. But ironically enough we have little of our own, it's mostly just a mishmash of other cultures and our own 'corporate' culture.

I never went to Japan myself, I only know what visitors told me and what I've read or watched in documentaries.

US hasn't changed much in the past 10 years culturally. Marijuana legalization is starting to become more widespread, but it doesn't change the culture IMO. Music has changed marginally. Fashion a little. I don't really keep up with that though, my look is timeless


As far as my co-worker friend, I'm pretty sure his opinion would change if he went skiing with you. He knew that Hokkaido had good skiing, but apparently never went.

[CIMA]

Driving through coastal area on the way home after skiing.

Coastline of Japan Sea


Crab market


Boiled crabs ready to go. Yummy...