Update: I just went outside and made a snow angel.

Christmas and our first snow in Tsuchiyama

Last night I turned to Joe and told him "I want to make a snow angel." I began to motion on the floor like if I was making snow angels. Then Joe turned to me and said, "Did you take your medication today?"

Then this morning Joe woke up before me and opened the window in the bathroom because it seemed unusually bright. All of a sudden I hear "Wake up wake up... It's snowing." Here are a few pictures of our first snow in Tsuchiyama and our Christmas pictures.

One step forward two steps back.

I am extremely upset over Obama’s choice of Rick Warren as the spiritual leader during the inauguration. The "reaching across the aisle” argument doesn’t fly. Being pro-gay is not the same as being pro-life or pro-choice. Gay people believe (as do I) that they are born this way. Being gay is not a lifestyle choice they’ve made. It’s biological to them. Being pro-choice or pro-life is something you choose based on your religion. And having a religion is also a choice you make. As a straight woman, I did not make that choice as a teen or an adult. How can anyone tell a gay person that this is a matter of choice? It is the same thing as telling a black person that they chose to be Black. Being pro-gay is the same as being for Black, White, Latino, Asian or Indigenous rights. Rick Warren has equated homosexuality to pedophilia and incest. Some people think Black people are inferior to White people. If Obama would have had a Klan member as a key speaker at his inauguration no one would say “Obama is just reaching across the aisle.” But Obama would never do that.
If I was Obama I would also reach across the aisle and work with people I didn't agree with 100%. But I wouldn't "pal around" with bigots. This is his day of celebration. It celebrates the occasion when the nation got together and elected a president that would unify the nation and the world, and this is who he picks? He could have chosen a spiritual leader who saw all of God’s children equally. Instead he picks Rick Warren. I ask myself, “Was he the only person available?” Then I ask myself, “Who did Obama make this choice for, himself, the nation or the far right?”
I am not happy with all of Obama’s appointments, but I give him the benefit of a doubt.
I just say "he knows what he is doing… I am sure he has a plan.” I just don’t know what the benefit of having Rick Warren would be, if not just to please the far right. I need someone to talk me down.

PS. I am also tired of this BS about redefining the word marriage. We've been redefining it for centuries. Why stop now? Plus they don't want to get married in your church. So leave your religion out of their lives. I think people like Britney Spears and Rush Limbaugh have been redefining marriage. So why listen to him about this issue? He doesn't take his vows seriously.

Shameful

I am the type of person that tends to say what's on her mind. It's not hard for me to tell a person they are being racist, sexist or xenophobic. I would even tell my close friends, coworkers or my own family members that their way of thinking is backwards and hateful. I wont spare their feelings by sugar coating it and the consequences of my actions wont even cross my mind. After the situation I come out questioning where this person's upbringing failed them and feel proud that I am not like them. I think to myself "If I let it go, they will never learn that it's not right to think that way". People rarely say negative things about Mexicans or women to me so it's not a personal attack that I am arguing against. I always think of the poem First they Came.

When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I was not a Jew.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.

I thought I was doing good just speaking out. This is something I can do in my day to day life to make a little difference in the world. If everyone spoke out against hate, the world could be a better place. Then the other day it hit me. I am not brave at all by speaking out. I have the luxury to speak out. Many women around the world don't have that luxury. They pay the price for voicing their opinion. Many women in the Middle East are getting acid poured on them for simply going to school. Women are getting assassinated for speaking about rights for women. Women are the most oppressed group in the world. So many admirable women are risking their lives for the hope of gaining knowledge, working, feeding their families or ending rape. Of course there are people who say nothing against hatred when they have absolutely NOTHING to lose.

I am feeling so furious and helpless knowing that women are in danger with no protection from their husbands, families, communities and government. It's the same with children around the world. Female children are getting raped daily in the Congo. Ages ranging from 4-80 this absolutely breaks my heart. I can't imagine living in those conditions seeing my children and elders get treated in such a manner. I am also furious that people chose to not speak out against hate when they have that luxury of speaking without repercussions.

The links below are to two articles about what women face in other parts of the world.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/30/opinion/30kristof.html
http://www.worldpress.org/Africa/1561.cfm

Our trip to Nara

Cute things Part 1

Once upon a time... from Capucha on Vimeo.

I HAD TO SHARE.

Never been prouder in my life.

For the first time I feel that our nation is headed on the right direction. I feel so proud to have voted for Barack Obama. His story, his passion and his views for the nation and the world brings tears of joy to my eyes. I feel that he speaks from the heart and for the first time I feel that anything is possible.

Women I admire

Lately I've been really upset with the political climate in the United States. All this poison (hate) is being spoon fed to people of America through the media. I hate how dirty the campaigns are getting. Another concern of mine was the purging of many voters from the voter rolls. I think every citizen should have the right to vote. I think they shouldn't register, they should just be admitted in to the voter rosters once they turn 18. I was becoming very disillusioned to see the country divided. I came across a video about a document written by one of my heroes, Eleanor Roosevelt and it made me at ease. Even though there are a lot of negative, sleazy, and corrupt people out there, people like Eleanor Roosevelt are still born into this world. This is dedicate to a few women I admire... there are a lot... but here are a few of my personal favorite admirable women.
Amy Goodman

Arundhati Roy

Audrey Hepburn

Fannie Lou Hamer

Eleanor Roosevelt


Here is the video

Joe's elementary school visits.

Joe's been to two elementary school visits so far. The kids love him. A couple of kids were holding his arm and dragging him from place to place. A little girl called him handsome (grrr). I think bringing Joe to my elementary schools reflected positively upon me. The kids think I have good taste :).

VOTING

Joe and I received our overseas ballots today... as soon as we got them we looked up the ballot measures and filled out our ballot. This election is too important not to vote. We do not want to miss any deadlines and we are making sure our votes count. California is not a battleground state but we still want our vote counted. We were surprised to find out about some of the California ballot initiatives. There was one to ban gay marriage, (why?) it bothers me when people try to enforce their religious views on a whole group of people. If you aren't gay... you don't marry a person of the same sex. Why does it bother you if two consenting adults enter into a union to express their love? I hate the idea that if you limit their civil rights you will somehow change them. I am also really scared about having a person in office who would cut medicare, privatize education and health care and someone who thinks Americans are stupid and shallow enough to vote for a female candidate because of her gender and not her qualifications. I voted for Obama.

Things that sadden me. #2

I found out today that Peter Camejo died on September 13. A great man died and sadder than his death is that very few people got to know who he was. Peter Camejo was a great American who dedicated his life to inform other Americans about their rights and the rights of others. I had the pleasure of meeting Peter Camejo on two occasions. The first time I met him was at a Green party even when he was running for Governor of California. He was a very intelligent, funny and charismatic man. The second time I ran into him was in 2002 at an anti-war protest in San Francisco. If you ever got a chance to hear any of his speeches you could tell right away that he was a selfless man who cared dearly about the well being of the world. He was a very eloquent politician, loved by the left and feared by the right. Ronald Reagan deemed him a very dangerous person because of his participation in the anti-Vietnam war protests. He also marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma, Alabama. America has lost a great person and he will be missed.

Things that sadden me. #1

I am not saying all Republicans are racist. Most are ill informed voters who do not have access to balanced news. They believe all the lies that are spread by their party. Democrats are also guilty of blindly following their political party. But there has to come a time when certain things become transparent. I am appalled by the Republican/anti-Obama campaign adds and the big racist (gags) they are selling. As a person of color I am offended and as a human being I am sadden. Not only are republicans lying to the American people about Obama's record, they are treating the American people like idiots by repeating these lies in public outlets after the lies have been proven to be false. If the lying isn't bad enough the McCain supporters are getting away with A LOT of racist "gags". If it isn't bad enough that they call Obama a terrorist, they keep saying that he is a Muslim (like if its a bad thing), when it was his father's religion not his. Obama is a very cultured man and lucky to be so. He has a better understanding of the world and is not ethnocentric like the people who oppose him. It sickens me how the McCain supporters have made outright racist remarks about Obama and yet they have not been called out as what they are Racist. Some are making money out of racism. They sell buttons tying Obama to terrorist, dolls of Obama as a monkey and even selling waffle mix with a picture of Obama as a racist black stereotype on the front and a picture of Obama wearing a Muslim headdress on the top of the box. You can like McCain, but if you honestly believe he is someone who will protect the interests of the American people you are clearly ill informed. McCain can't even call out the racists in his own party. Boy what a Maverick. If I was running for office and someone who supported me said anything racist towards any group, rest assure that I will not hesitate in calling them out. I will NEVER let anyone get away with dehumanizing another person. I have compassion for people of different cultures, I am not afraid to speak out for those who do not have outlets to speak out for themselves, and I know that violence begets violence. If i know this why doesn't a man 45 years my senior know this? As a woman who will have biracial children one day, I do not want to live in a country where they treat an intelligent self made man with such disrespect only because of his cultural background and the color of his skin. I find it extremely disgusting that this is still allowed in the United States. For a party who claims to hold high Christian values they are being hypocritical by turning their backs on Jesus teachings of compassion and loving thy neighbor. What about thou shalt not lie? It's sickening how they use Christianity for political gain, and easily forget it in their own lives. If only God would come down from the heavens and say "STOP SPREADING HATE IN MY NAME!" I am not a perfect person but I know this, I would never treat anyone as if they were below me. I am not a religious person but I am a person of faith in a greater power who embodies goodness. I cannot claim my beliefs are better than others because I am not all knowing. I believe if you live a good life, help people, accept them as they are and defend their rights, then you are a good person and you are okay with me. It doesn't matter to me what god you believe in because you obviously believe in a higher power that makes you want to be a good person. I am lucky to be open minded and I thank my parents for showing me a life of compassion. I was raised Catholic and I was taught that God expects us to love each other, help each other and respect each other.

New friends and Sports Day

I’ve been Internet deprived for a few days but that does not mean nothing has happened here in Japan. I’ve visited my second Elementary school and I’ve taught more classes at the Jr. High. Finally I am getting the hang of Jr. High students. Some are really sweet and talk to me while others just plain ignore me and try to avoid eye contact. Two little girls made a really good impression on me and are the reason that I am not as discouraged as I was before about being accepted by the Jr. High students. The two girls came up to me one day while I was sitting on my desk and they introduced themselves to me. One said, “Hello, I can’t speak English well” and I told her “But, that was great”. She said, “Oh thank you, my name is ______” (I really can’t write about my students in detail). Then after her friend said “my name is ______, nice to meet you”. Three days later while we were preparing for the sports festival the two girls came up to me again and said, “Remember us? We introduced ourselves last time”. I said, “Oh yes I remember but I don’t remember your names”. They told me their names once more Ten minutes had passed and they came back and said, “What are our names?” I got one correct and I missed the other one by two letters. They left then they came back and said, “Third time, what are our names”. I got both of them and I will not forget this time. Those girls were so sweet they didn’t give up on me. Then 20 minutes passed and they came back with two other friends and introduced them. I still haven’t forgotten the names of all four girls and I will try to memorize more students’ names. Sports Day was unlike anything I’ve experienced or seen in the United States. The children were responsible for setting up all of the equipment for their Sports Day celebration. They set up all the tents, chairs, bleachers, and decorations. They even made all of the pom-poms, and posters. The days before the celebration they were preparing all their cheers, rehearsing the events and setting up all the equipment. Sports Day consisted of various relay races, competitions among classes (grades and homerooms). They also involved the community in a conga line. It was a lot of fun to watch. In a school of 200 students two were sent to the hospital for serious “Sports Day” injuries, and many suffered minor scrapes and bruises (that made me squirm). The students were really brave and after they got bandaged they rejoined the activities. After sports day was over the students took down all the equipment and put it back in storage. Joe and I were both impressed with how involved the students were in the set up and clean up of their Sports Day event. After the event was over Joe and I also helped in the clean up and the students were constantly thanking us.