Being A Broad, May 2009

Being A Broad May 2009 #44

The monthly magazine for international women living in Japan

our cover girl: ASIAN TIGERS’ MARY SAPHIN

SURFING into MARRIAGE Cirque du Soleil’s FEMALE CARPENTER exercise on your NINTENDO WII

help do your bit to FIND LINDSAY ANN HAWKER’S KILLER with our pullout poster

Okinawa’s AMERASIAN School help yourself to AVOID KNEE INJURY what you should KNOW about HIV/AIDS in JAPAN

www.being-a-broad.com

GUIDE TO INTERNATIONAL

SCHOOLS

IN JAPAN “Offers the most in-depth account of Japanese international schools available.”

— American father living in Japan

By number-one bestselling author Caroline Pover, the guide features six pages of detailed research on over a hundred schools, complemented by photographs. This is an essential resource for expatriate parents, bicultural families, internationally-minded Japanese parents, teachers in Japan, and those thinking of setting up their own school here. 692 pages retailing at ¥5,000. Read about: age, gender mix, student nationality • class & school size • history, goals, ethos, curriculum • facilities, hours, semesters, vacations • key staff backgrounds & qualifications • awards & recognitions • languages taught & language of instruction • services for bicultural children • special needs & gifted child programs • level & placement tests held • religious affiliations • lunch policies • disciplinary procedures • sex education • school buses & parking • security • homework • trips & special events • extracurricular, after-school, & summer programs • expected parental involvement • alumni activities • fees, discounts, & scholarships • application procedures & acceptance criteria

http://www.internationalschoolsguidebook.com

IN THIS

ISSUE 4

6 I’m very excited this month as my second book is being released! I’ve been working on my Guide to International Schools in Japan for the past eleven months, and you can read all about it on the opposite page. I hope to meet those of you making that difficult decision of where to send your children to school at a variety of book events in the coming few months, but do feel free to contact me at caroline@carolinepover.com.

In this issue of Being A Broad, you can find out about our Shonan BAB rep, Kelsey—she’d love to hear from other foreign women in her area and you can contact her at kelsey@ being-a-broad.com. Read about our cover girl Mary Saphin of Asian Tigers, who’s been coming back and forth since 1979! Angie shares her spring adventures with her mother visiting Tokyo, and we find out about Cirque du Soleil’s carpenter, Anna, and her work in Japan. Aiko features a very special school in Okinawa, and we have our usual columns and lots, lots more!

7

8

9

being a broad news BAB events, BAB Rep Shonan: Kelsey

our cover girl Asian Tigers’ Mary Saphin

women of the world news from around the globe

things we love small but significant—things we love in Japan

Tokyo girl

rocking out at karaoke

10 sports & fitness

• does Nintendo’s WiiFit really work?

• preventing knee injuries in women

12 real-life story

14

exploring Tokyo with mum—and how you can too!

working Anna Younghans of Cirque du Soleil

15 pullout poster

BAB supports Lindsay Ann Hawker’s family

where does Japan stand on North Korea?

healthy steps you can take to detox

19 political broad-cast 20 feature 14 working

mothers

24

learning

humour S.Z. Cairney on gokiburi hunting

3

23

22

image: Dave Rastovich

Publishers Caroline Pover & Emily Downey Editor & Designer Danielle Tate-Stratton Marketing Consultant Amy Dose Advertisement Designer Chris May Contributors S.Z. Cairney, Tina Burrett, Gabbi Bradshaw, Alena Eckelmann, Aiko Miyamoto, Angie Takanami, Aurora Bonaiuto, Miki Noguchi, Karin Ling, Anna Younghans, Vanessa Colless, Kelsey Aguirre Cover Model Mary Saphin Cover Photographer Kerry Raftis, www.keyshots.com Cover Makeup Naomi Saito, Sin Den Cover Hairstyling Gold Salon Tokyo produced by Howard Lee Regner Printing Mojo Print Opinions expressed by BAB contributors are not necessarily those of the Publishers.

6 our cover girl

image: Ginger Griep-Ruiz

Enjoy!

Caroline Pover BAB Founder

the broads (and boys!)

image: Kerry Raftis/www.keyshots.com

image: David Stetson

message from the founder

Okinawa’s AmerAsian School what if someone you know thinks about suicide?

25 women’s health

HIV/AIDS in Japan: the facts you need

the cleansing green tea fields of Shizuoka

surfing into marriage

26 a broad in the boonies 27 she found love in Japan Correction: In the April 2009 issue of Being A Broad, the mothers article on page 23 incorrectly stated the distance between TMISIJ and the station; the school is just one minute from west exit of the station.

In addition, the names of the children mentioned should have read Ayuka and Kousuke as opposed to Akuya and Kosuke. We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused by the initial misprinting.

27 she found love in Japan

Being A Broad magazine, editor@being-a-broad.com www.being-a-broad.com tel. 03-5879-6825, fax: 03-6368-6191 Being A Broad May 2009

BAB NEWS

BAB supports Lindsay Ann Hawker A quote from the BAB book: Alternative health practitioners and treatments:

My name is Lindsay Ann Hawker I was murdered in March 2007 and buried in a bath of sand on the balcony of Tatsuya Ichihashi’s apartment in Tokyo.

Ichihashi escaped from the police and still has not been found. If you have any information that may lead to his arrest, please call the Japanese police on 047-397-0110.

Please help my family find peace.

Subscriptions

Being A Broad April 2009 #43

The monthly magazine for international women living in Japan

our cover girl: TOKYO INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS’ LOU McLEOD

Tokyo’s ARTISTIC preschool SKINCARE tips for SPRING the boonies of SHIZUOKA

4

help do your bit to FIND LINDSAY ANN HAWKER’S KILLER with our pullout poster

s.z. cairney on TURNING 40 Meet the WOMEN of OLIVER! CARING for AGING PARENTS

www.being-a-broad.com Thanks for picking up this issue of Being A Broad magazine. Like what you see? Then why not subscribe today? For just ¥4,500 you’ll get one year (12 issues) of Being A Broad delivered to your door. Email: editor@being-abroad.com to subscribe today!

You can pick BAB up at the following locations: Shibuya-ku: • British School Tokyo • Boudoir • Tower Records • Sin Den • Furla Yoga

Minato-ku: • Suji’s • Nakashima Dentist • TELL • Nishimachi International School • Gymboree • Global Kids Academy • Mitsubishi UFJ Azabujuban • Tokyo Surgical and Medical Clinic • National Azabu • Segafredo • Tokyo American Club • Nissin World Delicatessen • Crown Relocations • Temple University • Hulabootie

In October 2008, we saw various reports in the media that Tatsuya Ichihashi—the man upon whose balcony Lindsay Ann Hawker’s body was found in March 2007—was believed to have killed himself. Lindsay’s family responded with concern, believing that if people suspected this rumour to be true, the police and general public may lessen efforts to find Ichihashi. Lindsay’s parents urge us all not to stop looking out for him, and not to forget their daughter.

As we go to print, Lindsay’s family has not been presented with any evidence showing that Ichihashi is dead. They have no reason to believe that he is anything but alive and well, and can only assume that he is hiding somewhere. Based in the UK, it is so difficult for her family to maintain public awareness of the fact that Ichihashi is still missing—let those of us who live here try to do our best to help them.

There are many alternative health practitioners throughout Japan. Whether the practitioner speaks English or not, you will probably find their approach more personal, thorough, and enjoyable when compared with conventional doctors in Japan. There are a wide variety of treatments to choose from including yoga, shiatsu, reiki, acupuncture, tai chi, and moxabustion. Some treatments are better than others for certain problems and, unlike conventional doctors, the practitioner will spend time discussing your specific problem. Many health practitioners have private practices at their homes, some even come to yours.

Prices tend to vary and in some cases can seem rather expensive. Expect to pay in the region of ¥10,000 for an hour’s treatment, but bear in mind that a two-hour wait followed by a five-minute consultation with a conventional doctor could cost the same and leave you feeling dissatisfied. Most alternative health practitioners do not accept health insurance, so check beforehand.

Please help support the Hawker family in finding Lindsay Ann’s killer with our pullout poster on pages 15–18.

Kichijoji: • Shinzen Yoga Koto-ku: • Toho Women’s Clinic Chofu-shi: • American School in Japan Tsukuba: Through BAB Rep Shaney (shaney@beinga-broad.com)

Shonan: Through BAB Rep Kelsey (kelsey@being-abroad.com)

Okinawa: Through BAB Rep Aiko (aiko@being-abroad.com)

Please note that the BAB book is currently being reprinted so please do email info@being-abroad.com to reserve a copy when they are released this June.

INTRODUCING BAB REP

KELSEY AGUIRRE (SHONAN) Kelsey hanging out in a bamboo garden in Kamakura. image: provided by Kelsey Aguirre

BAB Reps are women around Japan who have been invited to join the BAB team and lend help, provide support, distribute the magazine, and generally promote the BAB network.

Here we introduce our Shonan Rep: Kelsey.

For more information, email: caroline@ carolinepover.com.

What made you want to become a BAB rep?

Before the BAB reps were started, a lot of events were being held in the Tokyo area. The Shonan area, which includes Hayama, Zushi, Kamakura, Chigasaki, and Fujisawa, is pretty far from Tokyo, so I was really excited when Caroline asked me to be a rep for this area. From water sports to live music and awesome cafes, there’s so much this area has to offer and I’m really looking forward to exploring it with other unique foreign women living here!

What are some of the events you would like to run in 2009?

I’d like to have a get together for the first event this coming May. I hope all of us ‘Shonan Girls’ can meet up in Kamakura and have a yummy lunch and learn a little about each other. At this time, I can also get a better idea of what the ladies out here are interested in. There are a lot of activities we can all participate in, from hiking to Hawaiian crafts and culture.

I’m also an avid bookworm and music lover.

If some of the ladies in my area are interested, I think a book swap or taking in one of the many live shows out here in Shonan would be fun!

How does it feel to help out foreign women who are working and living in your area?

I think it’s pretty cool. I had some pretty amazing women help me when I first moved to Japan, so I hope I can do the same and make some new friends in the process.

I’m always on the lookout for other foreign women in my area. I’m an English teacher as well,

How do you help other women living in your area?

While my Japanese is far from perfect, I try to make up for that by familiarising myself with my area. I love driving and exploring new places in the Shonan area. I’m always available for a ride to the beach or simply a lunch in a cool Fujisawa cafe. I definitely don’t know the answers to everything but I hope I can help other women here by pointing them in the right direction. We can all learn something new together!

mistakes or sound like an idiot. Everyone has to start somewhere and you will be surprised at how many Japanese people are just excited that you try to use their language.

Sometimes living in Japan can be frustrating and overwhelming. The best thing to do is take a step back, exhale, and relax. Get away to the countryside (or Shonan area) if you’re feeling like the city is driving you crazy. Find a network of friends who can understand what you’re going through. Don’t let the little things get to you and break you down. Enjoy your time in Japan, whether it be a few months or years...make some memories and friends to last forever, even after you head back home.

What advice would you give to women who are struggling with adjusting to life in Japan?

I definitely think learning Japanese is important.

Even if you don’t become fluent, at least learn enough for daily life. Don’t be afraid to make

How can members contact you?

Feel free to hit me up with an email via BAB at: kelsey@being-a-broad.com. If you catch me in my local Hayama Starbucks or at Kua’aina in Kamakura on the weekends, don’t be scared BAB to come up and say “hi!”

ity dedicated solely to women’s education and leadership development. It will be international in outlook and staff but rooted in the contexts and aspirations of people across Asia. Over half of the students will be scholarship students coming from families who have lived in great poverty and hardship yet who demonstrate tremendous potential for leadership and academics.

May 28, 6pm, at the Sogetsu Hall, Akasaka.

More information: auwjapan@gmail.com, www.asian-university.org.

AUFW students sitting together.

image: provided by AUWJ

Film screening; Lifting of the Veil With comments to follow by filmmaker and journalist, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy.The ¥5,000 yen entry fee will help fund a four-year scholarship for a young woman to attend the Asian University for Women in Bangladesh. The Asian University for Women is an international education initiative with a mission to establish a leading institution of higher learning for women from across Asia. The university aims to be the first regional institution of the highest qual-

so for all of the ladies out there teaching—we have lots in common. I love to talk and if you see me out and about, please don’t be afraid to approach me!

Being A Broad May 2009

5

our cover girl

OF ASIAN TIGERS Cover photography by Kerry Raftis Full name: Mary Patricia Joy Saphin Age: 52 Nationality: Australian Grew up in: Carlingford, in the northern suburbs of Sydney, NSW Australia.

Time in Japan: I first came in 1979 as a postgrad student for a six-week holiday to practice my language skills. The first time I came to live was with my family (husband Craig, daughter Alana, and son Tarrant) was in 1991–1994, plus a few short trips back and forth. We returned in July 2000 for two years and stayed! Both our children are now adults and living in Sydney.

Japanese level: Was once not too bad as we lived out in Nishi-Funabashi when we first came to Japan in 1991. There we lived a totally immersed lifestyle with the children attending the local Japanese school and only Japanese was spoken in our local community. Nowadays, it’s deteriorating as even my Japanese friends speak English! However, once out of Tokyo it seems to rapidly improve as necessity requires greater effort.

Works at: Asian Tigers Premier Worldwide Movers in Toranomon as the customer relations coordinator, assisting the many newcomers with settling into Tokyo as well as in sales, PR, and marketing. I also ‘work’ on two boards: the British School in Tokyo and the Tokyo American Club, which account for a fair block of time each week.

Why did you come to Japan? The first visit to Japan was to explore and practice my language! I was a teacher in NSW and used the summer vacation to travel around Japan for six weeks using a rail pass and youth hostels.

This whetted my appetite so, in 1991 when my husband was given the chance to work in Japan we jumped at the opportunity. We returned in 2000, again for Craig’s work. However, the life of a trailing spouse lost its appeal quickly so I started working part-time as well as volunteering with various organisations in Tokyo, including the Women’s Group at the Tokyo American Club, College Women’s Association of Japan, and the Japan Australia New Zealand Society...and as they say, the rest is history!

Why do you stay in Japan? We remain living in Japan for the foreseeable future as I am busy enjoying my work at Asian Tigers and my various roles in the community, plus Craig is the sales director of Wall Street Associates and is well established in his career. We have now been living here for nearly twelve years in total and have many friends and an interesting life in Japan.

How do you manage to balance everything in your life? I enjoy my work as well as my other commitments! Meeting

image: Kerry Raftis/www.keyshots.com

6

MARY SAPHIN

A Day in the Life: 6am: I am woken with coffee delivered by my husband and then it’s breakfast while checking emails from the family and reading the Australian news online.

7:30am: Time for a swim before heading to the office.

9:30am: At the Asian Tigers office I check emails, prepare the welcome packs that I send or personally deliver to our new inbound clients, and then head out to visit one of these newcomers on the day their sea shipment is delivered. noon: I am at the office completing a new ad people and making a small contribution in the community is a source of satisfaction; however, time management is critical and my diary is well-used. Swimming gives me a much needed ‘time-out’ as all I do is concentrate on the techniques taught by my coach, Edwin Tan. My husband always provides much needed balance and perspective when the hats I juggle become a little overwhelming.

What do you do to relax? I love to ski in winter, hike in the spring and fall, and swim all year round. Being outside is my favourite way to relax, and if this means ending the day with an onsen, even better! Luckily my husband agrees, although he prefers biking to hiking! We

campaign or attending a meeting at one of the organisations to which I belong.

2:30pm: Back at work to complete any outstanding tasks, visit one of our clients, or work on planning the next ‘Tokyo Premier Connections’ event for our newcomers.

6:30pm: Attend a networking event or meeting. My husband and I then meet up to enjoy a meal at one of our favourite izakayas near home.

10:30pm: Sleep comes easily so I am ready to start the next day fresh and prepared for any new challenges. also love to travel in Japan or overseas when we can. Currently we are enjoying the spring skiing of Gunma plus exploring the trails of Izu. Best thing about being a foreign woman in Japan?

The possibilities are endless. Working at Asian Tigers has opened many doors as well as given me the opportunity to learn new skills and hone existing ones. Meeting talented women in business is always a great encouragement and I have been fortunate to meet many through work and the many business and community networks available in Tokyo. I am also enjoying the quality of services here in Japan and the BAB quality of life that goes with that.

WOMEN OF THE WORLD

Some 300 women in Kabul, Afghanistan, protested throughout the streets in mid April, many of them from the Hazara minority, fighting a new law—applicable only to Shiites—that would have forced women to sleep with their husbands on demand and forbade them from leaving the house without their husband’s permission. The women faced derogatory taunts from many men who also broke the tail lights of at least one bus some of the women were riding in at the time.

Following the protests, President Hamid Karzai announced he would look into revising the bill, stating that all articles not keeping with the Afghan constitution or Islamic Sharia must be taken out.

Researchers at Emory University in Atlanta found that women with epilepsy who took a drug called Valporate while pregnant gave birth to children who were, at age three, shown to have an IQ that measured on average up to nine points lower than children exposed to other epilepsy drugs and some eight points below the average of 100.

Zambia’s first lady, Thandiwe Banda, opened the All-Africa conference of the Girls Brigade in April by calling for women to empower themselves to stand up against trafficking of women, as well as recommitting to work with the Girls Brigade to help change Zambia and empower women to their full potential.

Lesbian couples will now be able to wed in New York after that state passed a bill legalising same-sex marriage on April 16, by a vote of 32–30.

A study involving over 5,000 women with an average age of 63 and heart disease (a major risk factor for macular degeneration), showed that taking regular doses of Vitamins B6 and B12 may help reduce a woman’s risk of developing the disease. Those who took the vitamins (as opposed to a placebo) were 35 percent less likely to develop the condition.

image: iStockphoto/zoranm

A study of 90,297 women conducted between 1976 and 2004, looked at the development of rheumatoid arthritis, which affects about one percent of the population, and found that, after accounting for risk factors such as smoking and oral contraceptive use, women who lived fewer than 55 metres away from a large road or highway were 31 percent more likely to develop the disease compared to those living more than 220 metres away.

image: iStockphoto/ Typogigo

image: clix

A group of 10 girls and young women aged 12–21 have gone to the US from Pakistan to train in and play soccer. All part of the Young Rising Stars Female Football Club, the girls come from a country where girls are not encouraged to play sports and face obstacles in terms of infrastructure and societal pressures.

While things are slowly evolving in Pakistan, change is slow; for instance at the first ever women’s nationals, played in 2005, women were required to wear long-sleeved shirts and baggy pants to play and men were only allowed in the stadium to watch if they were coaches. Many of the girls on the trip to the US hope to play internationally and encourage other women in Pakistan to join sports.

Researchers at Texas A&M University found that women who are taking oral contraceptives may not gain as much benefit from a weighttraining program as those who are not taking the Pill. The ten-week study of just over seventy healthy women showed a lean-muscle increase of 3.5 percent for those not on the Pill compared to just 2.1 percent for those who were.

image: Gastonmag

compiled by Danielle Tate-Stratton

While the Beijing 2008 Olympic games were the last in which women’s softball was included as a sport—the dominance of a select few countries being one reason cited for its elimination—The International Baseball Federation has pledged to support a bid for the inclusion of women’s baseball in the 2016 Olympic Games. While 30 of the Federation’s 128 member states have a full women’s program, they expect the inclusion of the sport in the Olympics would at least double this number, and do so in a very short amount of time.

The so-called Guerrilla Girls, a group of anonymous activists who protest discrimination against women and other minorities in the art world, have recently sold a collection of letters and documents to the Getty Museum, in a somewhat ironic action given their protests against the museum since 1985. The group became famous for saying things such as: “Does a woman have to get naked to get into the Met?” and wearing gorilla costumes to gain attention.

Chiefs, community members, and women who perform the act of genital cutting in Kambia, a northern district of Sierra Leone, have signed an agreement to halt this practice in all girls under the age of 18. Typically, girls (94 percent of them in the country) are initiated into ‘Bondo,’ or the Sande Secret Society, at puberty. The initiation typically involves the aforementioned genital cutting as well as training in bush skills and other ceremonies. The agreement targets only the surgery, with no plans to alter the rest of the traditional initiation.

On April 11, a Russian-language version of Eve Ensler’s play The Vagina Monologues opened in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, hoping to raise awareness of women’s rights in the region as well as funds for several women’s organisations.

There has been controversy around its opening and some of the 22 actors, most of them from the BAB region, have received death threats.

Being A Broad May 2009

7

THE LITTLE THINGS

WE LOVE IN JAPAN a. I love Pita the Great in Akasaka! This tiny, tucked away shop is open from ‘sometime’ to ‘when they run out’ (think peak lunch hours on weekdays) and is staffed solely by one friendly man who seemingly dedicates his life to crafting the most delicious pita and falafel I have ever tasted! This ‘slow fast food,’ as he dubs it, is well worth the wait and it’s the only restaurant I have ever taken a train to during my lunch break!

With sets including fries or croquets made in front of you, expect to be satisfied for hours to come. Best of all, every ingredient is vegan, making this a healthy and environmentally-friendly meal.—NW

a.

b. I love the unique selection of stuffed toys by Idealist. There is really no place like Japan where you can find an endless array of adorable, sugar-sweet stuffed animals, but for me, finding these more avant-garde versions has allowed me to have teddy bears in my room without compromising my latetwenties style and…integrity! Each one is handcrafted, too, making them a perfect one-of-a-kind gift for a friend of any age! You can order them here in Japan by contacting info@graphik-movements.com.—UN

c. I love supporting the work that Refugees International Japan does, which is why I’m excited to hear about the Rhythm and Hope event they are holding on June 6 to raise money for refugees and internationallydisplaced peoples as part of an event coinciding with World Refugee Day in late June. The event, which takes place from 1–9pm at New Pier Hall in Tokyo (¥3,000 advance, ¥3,500 at the door), will feature multimedia art installations, workshops on CSR, and a screening of Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars, a performance by Latyr Sy and Africa Sunu Xelcom, as well as informative booths and a mottainai ‘eco doggy bag.’ For more information and tickets: www.rijrhythmandhope.org.—DTS

8

b.

d. I love the Natural House grocery store chain. It’s no surprise that there are a couple of great, accessible locations in my favourite neighbourhoods, Kichijoji and Shimokitazawa, known for their relaxed, ‘happening,’ atmospheres and people. I love their ever-changing selection of organic or pesticide-free produce--the last bunch of organic spinach I had was the sweetest most fragrant I have ever tasted! And their selection of breads from local bakeries alone is well worth a visit! www.naturalhouse.co.jp (Japanese only)—UN d.

e. Even though I’m not a mother, I love learning about other people and reading about their stories, which is what instantly drew me to the collection of personal essays and stories about women who are mothering in a bicultural manner. Collected by foreign woman (in Japan) and author Suzanne Kamata, the essays, printed in Call me Okaasan, Adventures in Multicultural Parenting, include stories by fellow mums in Japan such as Leza Lowitz and Holly Thompson, as well as essays drawn from around the world—a Brit in Kyrgyzstan or an American raising her children in German while living in Oregon—for instance.—LW

Do you have a ‘little thing you love in Japan?’ If the answer is yes, email 50–150 words about it plus a picture to: editor@being-a-broad.com so we can share it with all the other broads reading BAB. c.

e.

GIRL

by Gabbi Bradshaw

image: iStockphoto/ Simon Podgorsek

Tokyo Girl

MATERIAL

crowd exploded and roared with delight.

The

“

I know a great place to karaoke in Shinjuku.

It’s at a bar and only costs ¥100 a song. Are you in?” Asked Jenni.

“Does that mean it’s not a private room? I usually sing in private,” Bindi replied.

“Yep.” “I’m in,” I chimed. “When I was in college we used to karaoke to Heard It Through the Grapevine at our local dive bar. Our competition was a girl who would only sing Angel in the Morning. We usually came in second.”

Jenni smiled. Bindi hailed a cab. In our stilettos, we stepped into the cab gingerly. It

remembered singing La Isla Bonita pretty well in front of the mirror in high school, but the audience wouldn’t know the Spanish. I wasn’t sober enough to wonder if they would know the English.

I found Material Girl but hesitated. It’s a soprano song and although I loved the video, Madonna’s pink satin dress and white long gloves, and its sense of fun and empowerment, I didn’t ever remember actually singing it.

But encouraged by Bindi and four beers, I gave my ¥100 coin and requested Material Girl. In the meantime, I drank another putrid,

dropped us off near the train station and we wandered the streets of Shinjuku until Jenni recognised the lighted pathway to the smoky bar where fame would be ours.

We pushed our way into the crowded local establishment. It consisted of the bar. Only.

Everybody was crowded at the bar, the edges of the bar, or the wall across from the bar. A real dive. I loved it.

Jenni grabbed the English book of songs and started flipping ¥100 coins at the bartender.

Bindi and I ordered beers. The only formal singing experience I had was fifth grade choir.

I could sing a mean Rose by Bette Midler. I still remembered that there were eight beats on the piano before we started singing. I thought about cross referencing it in the English titles but ordered my third beer and forgot.

While Jenni was at the bar ordering her songs, I stole a glance through the book for Gloria Gaynor’s I Will Survive. Nope. Then Stevie Nicks’s Landslide. Dreams was listed but I couldn’t recall if I liked that song or not. I found Madonna and her slew of songs. I vaguely

greenish beer. Was it the lighting or is all draft beer green in dive bars?

“Will you sing a Jefferson Starship duo with me?” Asked Bindi.

“Sure,” five beers replied.

Jenni’s first request came up. I don’t remember what she sang, but I realised then that she did karaoke for a whole other reason than me. She was a ‘professional.’ I drank another beer and didn’t fret.

then that she did karaoke for a whole Irealised other reason than me. She was a ‘professional.’

home. Jenni’s song, Bonnie Tyler’s Waiting for a Hero, came up. This song was made for her. She had a routine. She had the voice. The crowd went wild. A 9.4 popped up on the screen. It was then I realised it was a score after all.

I congratulated Jenni on the performance and slurred gracefully, “I feel sorry for the sucker following you.”

And then, a microphone was in my hand.

I was the sucker who followed Jenni. “Some boys kiss me, some boys hug me. I think they’re OK...”

I realised, even though I was six beers under, that I sucked. “Why did I choose a soprano song?” I thought.

I wanted to hand off the mic to Bindi or Jenni, but they were smarter than me and only chose songs in their alto range. I continued and did what I do best. Shook my hips, smiled, and played up my failure. The crowd went wild.

They joined in. They clapped. They hooted.

And they enjoyed my ¥100 disaster.

The song ended. A 5.4 flashed on the screen.

The crowd exploded and roared with delight. They appreciated my good choice in music or maybe my courage or perhaps my six

congratulated Jenni on the performance and Ifollowing slurred gracefully, “I feel sorry for the sucker you.” [...] I was the sucker...

Then, Bindi and I were up. After we finished singing, I saw a 7.5 flash on the screen. “Is that our score?” I asked.

“No,” she assured me. “It is the difficulty level.” Made sense. It was a hard song, especially considering I hadn’t heard it in about 20 years and I wasn’t sure if she wanted me to sing the boy or girl’s part.

I ordered another beer. It was getting late and soon we would have to catch the last train

beers under. Or maybe they understood my secret desire to be a pop diva like Madonna.

“Remind me never to sing soprano again,” I told Jenni and Bindi as we grabbed our designer handbags.

“You were a real crowd pleaser,” Jenni retorted. We giggled and dashed out of the dive bar into the city night of Shinjuku in our fashion-plate clothes and wallets full of ¥100 BAB yen coins. Material Girls.

Being A Broad May 2009

9

sports & fitness

WiiFIT WORKOUT

by Aiko Miyamoto

V

T 10

than twenty to thirty minutes each day working out (including travel time!).

When Kelsey (the BAB Shonan Rep) was searching for a convenient way to exercise in the midst of her busy schedule, seeing commercials for the WiiFit on TV made her want to try it out—“it looked like a great way to exercise at home.” For women like my friend Shoko, who have relatively sedentary lifestyles but want to gain some strength and muscle definition with a light workout here and there, the WiiFit’s muscle training exercises such as push-ups, sit-ups, and lunges are just right. “I was never motivated to do any exercise on my own before,” she says, “but the virtual trainer and the fact that I’m getting scored encourage me to finish the set.”

Other women, including my coworker Ayano, purchase the game to relax with some yoga and balance exercises after a tiring day at work. As a bonus, listening to the trainer’s clear, soothing voice while reading the words on the screen can also be a great daily Japanese lesson for those who’d like to brush up on their language skills.

Of her first time playing WiiFit in Japanese, Kelsey says: “I kept getting lost trying to do something really easy—all because I couldn’t understand one kanji!” However, she says that she was able to “easily figure it out after a few times.”

he Wii has become more popular among women in particular than any of its predecessors...

convenient way to get exercise at home anytime, even for those who don’t consider themselves gamers or especially coordinated. What’s unique about the Wii as opposed to the older Dance Dance Revolution games for GameCube, Xbox, and Playstation 2 is that games like WiiFit require you to use your entire body (you exercise on a balance board, which senses your movement) rather than just move your feet in a complicated pattern. DDR was great for breaking a sweat if you could master the combinations, but WiiFit includes easy-to-do yoga, muscle training, and balance games in addition to faster-paced cardio choices like virtual boxing and hula-hooping.

Especially for foreign women in Japan, who often feel more pressure to stay in shape than we might back home but have trouble fitting physical activity into our already packed schedules, the WiiFit can be an easy and fun way to get a miniworkout in here and there. It might not be quite enough for people whose idea of exercise is to be positively drenched in sweat and panting—I usually find myself having to go back to DDR for a real sweatfest after a short warm-up with Wii hooping and yoga—but it’s perfect for a girl who just wants to tone up slightly and spend no more

With the recent yoga boom among women in Japan, it’s not surprising that the yoga-at-home feature is one of the game’s most attractive selling points—and for our readers who were intrigued by BAB’s recent features on hoop dancing and yoga but may not have the time or the stamina to keep up with regular classes in either, WiiFit might just be the perfect alternative.

It’s the next best thing to an actual class: a virtual trainer exercises on the screen along with you, gently letting you know whether you’re doing a particular exercise well or not and commenting on what areas of the body the exercise benefits.

There’s also a feature called karada sokutei— physical evaluation—where you can ask the WiiFit board (he talks to you too) to calculate your weight and tell you whether you are within a healthy range for your height. I must warn that this feature is not for the easily discouraged or offended because the WiiFit board can be pretty strict for a battery-powered piece of plastic just big enough to stand on. Based on the target weight you set for yourself, he will either praise you for having gotten a few tenths of a kilogram closer to your goal or scold you and ask you to choose from a list of reasons why you might have

Aiko on her Wii Fit.

image provided by: Aiko Miyamoto

ideo games have been a window to Japanese pop culture all over the globe since the year I was born, when the very first Nintendo console and that catchy Super Mario Bros. tune took the world by storm. I’m sure my fellow gamers will fondly recall the days when parents busted in to interrupt an important battle or race with some downer like: “It has been an hour already—get off your butt and go play outside!” Maybe that’s why Nintendo finally realised that it might have better luck appealing to the mothers of its young customers if the “get off your butt” part could be taken care of without having to give up video games, and that’s how the Wii, along with a new generation of active gamers, was born.

I finally picked up a Wii of my own last summer, not just for the latest Harvest Moon game (in which you can do your daily farming chores by waving your arms around rather than by simply pressing buttons) but also for the home gym game WiiFit. The Wii has become more popular among women in particular than any of its predecessors largely due to the availability of titles like WiiFit; for women who always lament that they’d like to get more exercise if only they had the time in between taking care of a family, hanging out with friends, and managing a career, Wii games provide a

backtracked a tad. When prompted to explain my having gained a whopping 0.5 kilos since the previous day (note the sarcasm), ‘constipation,’ ‘overeating,’ and ‘lack of exercise’ were among the eight or so reasons I felt were already obvious enough without having them shown to me on a screen. Some women, like Kelsey, appreciate this chance to reflect upon their progress, but if it gets to you, you can always skip it and go straight to the training room (although the WiiFit board will sometimes give you a gentle reminder not to forget your daily karada sokutei when you turn the game on).

As something of a prototype in its genre, WiiFit might be improved in a number of ways before future versions are released. A multiplayer option would solve the problem of husbands, boyfriends, and kids complaining that the TV is being hogged while getting the whole family fit together. Also, WiiFit exhibits two problems that are often the case with new-concept games: the loading time between stages (exercises, in WiiFit’s case) is a bit long and the game can be cleared fairly quickly—if there were more exercises to unlock, the game might better hold the interest of players who prefer to play for more than 30 minutes per day.

But as one of the first in what I hope will be a long line of “get off your butt” Wii games, WiiFit is quite revolutionary. I can’t wait to see what Nintendo BAB will come up with next!

MORE KNEE INJURIESbyTHAN MEN Vanessa Colless of Tokyo Physio

Figure A: a wider pelvis results in a greater Q angle. Figure B: Anatomical differences between men’s and women’s legs. narrower pelvis wider pelvis less muscular thigh development Q angle

increased flexibility/ hyperextension

more developed thigh musculature femoral anteversion

midpoint of patella

narrow notch

tibial tubercle

external tibial torsion

Figure A nee injuries, especially tears of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), are more common in females than they are in men. Studies show that while playing sports, women are nearly four times more likely in basketball, three times in gymnastics, and two-and-a-half times more likely in soccer to rupture their ACL. Slightly scary statistics indeed! There have been many theories put forward as to the reasons for this disparity. With recent increases in the female participation in sports, the specific needs of female athletes and the appreciation of health and medical issues specific to the female athlete have been the subject of increased research. Why are women more susceptible to knee injuries than men?

First of all, women have a narrower space at the bottom of the femur (thigh bone) through which the ACL runs (femoral notch). This tight fit can cause a shearing effect on the ACL by the femur and increase the tension on it. Secondly, women have a wider pelvis, which causes a larger ‘Q’ angle. The ‘Q’ angle is a measure of the angle between the quadriceps muscle (muscle at the front of the thigh) and the patella tendon at the knee. See figures A and B, above.

This angle becomes larger when you have a wider pelvis, thus women’s knees are made with a greater angle between the femur and the tibia, putting the knee under greater stress.This can create alignment problems of the kneecap. This greater Q angle can cause a more over-pronated or flattened foot, which can aggravate knee problems. Women in general have less muscle around the knee and they tend to use the quadriceps, the muscle at the front of the thigh, more than the strong hamstrings (muscle behind the thigh), to stabilise the knee instead. This imbalance and weakness results in a greater vulnerability to ligament injuries.

Recent research has shown that the different levels of hormones in women predispose them to more knee injuries than men. It appears women are more vulnerable to ACL injuries near the time of ovulation (mid-cycle). Interestingly

wider notch

less flexibility

Women

K

sports & fitness

WOMEN EXPERIENCE

internal or neutral tibial torsion

Men Figure B

females on oral contraceptives seemed to have a lower incidence of ACL tears. The high oestrogen levels are thought to cause ligaments and other supporting structures to be more lax, and thus the knee becomes less stable. The ACL connects the tibia (shin bone) and femur (thigh bone), providing anterior stability to the knee for activities requiring running, jumping, and twisting.

Injuries to the ACL commonly occur during sports that require twisting, such as basketball, netball, soccer, volleyball, gymnastics, cheerleading, and skiing, which are amongst the highest risk. In Japan we tend to diagnose quite a few ACL injuries due to the ease and popularity of skiing. In this past winter at Niseko Physio (a branch of Tokyo Physio) we diagnosed over 40 ACL ruptures, almost all of whom were skiers and around 70 percent female.

Individuals who experience an ACL tear usually describe a feeling of the joint ‘giving way’ or buckling and hear or feel a ‘pop.’ Other signs and symptoms are an inability to continue to play after the injury, a large amount of knee swelling in the first 12 hours, an inability to straighten or bend the knee, and repeated episodes of ‘giving way.’

Injury to the ACL is usually complete and requires surgical reconstruction. This is then followed by six to eight months of physiotherapy, which is crucial to the success of the operation.

Physiotherapy aims to regain the knee’s range of movement, strength, agility, and balance. Over the eight years of Tokyo Physio, at any one time we usually have at least two women participating in the rehabilitation of their ACLs. Prevention of ACL tears is difficult. However, it is likely that you can help lessen the likelihood by doing some physical training. Maximising and balancing the strength of your hamstring and quadriceps will improve knee function and reduce injury to the ACL. Training your balance and agility will also provide a more responsive and stable knee and prevent stress on the ACL. The other, more frequent, cause of knee pain in women is patella femoral mal-tracking (or pain caused by the under-side of the knee cap).

When your knee is working properly your patella (kneecap) should glide straight up and down as you extend your leg. Sometimes your patella slides sightly off track and rubs against the bone and cartilage out of its track. This can lead to pain in various locations around the knee. Most frequently one will feel pain while jogging or walking down stairs.This injury/pain can be particularly noticeable in Japan as there are a lot of stairs to be taken at the train stations, apartments, and shops. This more chronic condition develops more frequently in women due to the wider pelvis (the previously mentioned ‘Q’ angle). This causes more loading on the Iliotibial band (ITB or the outside thigh muscle), which results in tightness of this muscle. As this muscle attaches to the side of the knee cap, when it is tight it pulls the knee cap off to the side as the knee moves, causing mal-tracking.

Another predisposing factor is women having less muscle around the knee, particularly the inner quadriceps muscle (or VMO), that can counteract the pull that the ITB has on the patella.

Patella femoral mal-tracking is usually treated conservatively. The biomechanical abnormality can be diagnosed and corrected by your physiotherapist. Strengthening the quadriceps or stretching the ITB is part of the management.

Taping the knee, bracing, ultrasound, and deep tissue massage can also help.

To prevent knee injuries, one-legged squats and lunges are great. Some agility and balance work can be helpful. For example: running in figure eights, hopping in different directions, running downhill, skipping with a rope, or balancing on a balance board or folded up pillow whilst throwing a ball up and down on the spot will help. So, the take-home message is to keep playing your sports; just try and keep your knee BAB strong, stable, and flexible!

Should you find yourself with a knee injury or other physical concern requiring physio, Vanessa offers fully-qualified, English-language physiotherapy at Tokyo Physio. For more information: www.tokyophysio.com.

Being A Broad May 2009

11

MUM IN TOKYO!

by Angie Takanami

Kamakura’s big Buddah.

In honour of Mother’s Day (which was on May 10 in North America) and in celebration of mothers all over the world, no matter the date, Angie Takanami shares with BAB her experiences showing her mum around Tokyo on a week-long visit to Japan, plus provides information for fellow broads planning a similar visit, no matter the Mum. Plus, even if your mom won’t be visiting you in Japan any time soon, there are plenty of great locations mentioned to visit with your girlfriends, either from out of town or for a tourist in your own town day out!

M

um arrived en-route from China. She’d been working there for three weeks and wanted to make a two week stop-over to visit me for the first time since I’d moved to Japan.

After being patted down in customs due to being suspected of importing illegal DVDs, our two year-overdue reunion was dampened with Mum in tears from exhaustion and unnecessary questioning about porn.

We jumped onboard the Narita Express bound for Tokyo and Mum’s mood soon turned

(Japanese style hotel) to stay in for our first couple of nights; Ryokan Kangestu. It’s a quaint, well-priced, modern ryokan, just a little out of the main city centre, which meant it was quiet enough for Mum to get some rest but still not too far away, so we didn’t have to rush to get the train if we decided to go out. We changed trains in Shinjuku and then again in Gotanda, and made our way out to Chidori-cho and the ryokan. Mum was very impressed with the cute little Japanese garden path, gate, and lantern lights that lined the entrance to the lobby. “They are so cute, I want to do this with our garden back home,” she doted. We checked into our Japanese-style tatami double room and then I took mum up to the roof-top for her inaugural sentou (shared bath), which she was brave in embracing and ended up loving!

Day Two: The sun was shining high in the sky today, so our first stop was Shinjuku and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office Buildings. From the observation deck we had a great round-view of Tokyo and could even see out to Mt. Fuji. Mum

has something to see and do for every Tokyo type of mum. around. She loved the train ride and was so excited to be in Japan.The view from the carriage was perfect; she could take in the rice fields and old housing that surround the edges of Narita, and juxtapose it with the sky-high apartment blocks and door-to-door housing developments as we grew closer to Tokyo. It was late April and the weather was perfect, providing optimal viewing pleasure.

We arrived at Shinjuku station in the late afternoon and, needless to say, the station was busy (when is it ever not?). Mum was so impressed with the little men walking the platforms with dustpans and brooms in hand.

“This is much cleaner than China,” she smiled.

I had booked my favourite Tokyo ryokan

image: provided by Angie Takanami

12

went over a cliff in a bus during her travels in her 20s to the Andes, and since then has been hesitant with heights, but the spectacular views from the Shinjuku buildings today even had her forget her fears for a while and she happily snapped away from safely behind the thick-paned glass.

Stopping in at a cafe in the station for a quick snack, we continued on to Harajuku. Mum is a big fan of the Lonely Planet guidebooks and had insisted on making a stop in Harajuku to take photographs of the Harajuku Girls, do some shopping down Takeshita street, and eat one of the famous crepes.

After a couple of hours chasing around the ‘Little Bo Peeps’—Mum’s label for the Harajuku Girls—we bought some lunch from the nearby

Angie’s mum enjoying some of Japan’s lush green space.

image: Danielle Tate-Stratton

real-life story

ENJOY SPRING WITH

bakery and headed into Yoyogi Park to picnic on the grass and rest.Yoyogi Park is 132 acres of lush gardens and grasses; often busy with Tokyoites walking their precious pups, banging away on bongo drums, and practising their dance moves.

Mum was surprised by how easy it was to relax in the park despite how much was going on.

We moved on to visit Meiji Jingu Shrine.

Located next door to Yoyogi Park, Meiji Jingu Shrine was built in the early 1900s in memory of Emperor Meiji and his wife Shoken. Set in the middle of a tranquil forest covering more than 175 acres, mum soon forgot she was in one of the busiest cities in the world. “This is absolutely beautiful;” Mum is always straight to the point.

Day three: Exhausted from the previous day’s excursions, I let mum have a little sleep-in before we cruised out to Ginza just before noon.We had lunch in an up-market cafe and then embarked on a windowshopping spree for most of the afternoon, stopping by some of the galleries hidden away in the back-alleys. Ginza was another one of the Lonely Planet must-see recommendations that mum had wanted to follow up on. Although the high-end stores were out of her budget, she really enjoyed checking out the latest fashions, people watching, and playing around with the latest-release gadgets at the Sony building.

After a lovely dinner at one of my favourite Thai restaurants near Shibuya station, we jumped on a train bound for Akabanebashi station and Tokyo Tower. Providing spectacular views on a clear day, visiting Tokyo Tower at night is like taking a trip to never-never land. The amazing luminance of the city comes alive in a brilliant display of dazzling lights. On the first floor of the main observatory is Club 33, providing live jazz, R&B, and bossa nova every Wednesday and Thursday night. It was a Wednesday night and we

image: Hipnos

image: Danielle Tate-Stratton

For more detailed information on travel and sightseeing in Tokyo and beyond, check out some of these great resourceful websites: Outdoor Japan: www.outdoorjapan.com Japan-i: www.japan-i.jp Yokoso Japan: www.visitjapan.jp Japan National Tourist Organization: www.jnto.go.jp Interested in the locations mentioned in the article? Try these resources: Ryokan Kangestu: 1-2-20 Chidori Ota-ku Tokyo Japan. Email: info@kangetsu.com, tel. 03-3751-0007, fax: 03-3751-0046, www. kangetsu.com Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office Buildings: www.metro.tokyo.jp/ENGLISH/ TMG/outline.htm Harajuku, Yoyogi Park, Meji Jingu Shrine: • www.meijijingu.or.jp • www.jnto.go.jp Ginza: •www.shochiku.co.jp/play/ kabukiza/theater •www.japan-guide.com/e/e3005.html •www.tokyoessentials.com/ginza.html Tokyo Tower Club 33: www.tokyotower.co.jp Kamakura: www.city.kamakura.kanagawa.jp/ foreign01_english/index.html Powers Bar: www.powersbar.com Tokyo Great Cycling Tour: www.tokyocycling.jp Tokyo Bay Cruises: •www.jicoofloatingbar.com • w w w. ko u w a n . m e t ro . t o k y o . j p / english/odaiba/eng/access/ship.html •www.vantean.co.jp

Upcoming Exhibitions: Tokyo is thriving with a plethora of modern and historical art, craft, design, and photographic galleries and museums. Spend a day visiting some of the upcoming exhibitions in and around Tokyo: Wako Works of Art: In My Mother’s Footsteps, Yishay Garbasz’s photography exhibtion. Until May 16, Tuesday–Saturday 11am–7pm. The gallery is a five minute-stroll from Hatsudai station (East exit) on Keio New Line. www.wako-art.jp Suntory Museum of Art: A glittering interlude: Visions of Satsuma-Kiriko cut glass exhibition. Until May 17, Wednesday–Saturday 10am–8pm, Sunday–Monday 10am–6pm. An underground walkway connects the museum with Roppongi Station (exit 8) on the Toei Oedo and Tokyo Metro Hibiya lines. www. suntory.com/culture-sports/sma The National Museum of Modern Art: What Lurks in Wood sculpture exhibition.

Until June 7. Hours: 10am–5pm (Fridays: 10am– 8pm). Closed on Mondays. The museum is a three-minute walk from Takebashi Station (exit 1B), on the Tokyo Metro Tozai Line. www. momat.go.jp The University Art Museum—Tokyo University of the Arts Amamonzeki—A Hidden Heritage: Treasures of the Japanese Imperial Convents exhibition. Until June 14. 10am–6pm.

Closed on Mondays.The museum is a ten-minute walk from Ueno Station on the JR Yamanote line or Nezu Station on the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda line. www.geidai.ac.jp/museum Sompo Japan Museum of Art Toward the Internal Portrait: Ryusei Kishida. Until July 7. Tuesday–Sunday 10am–6pm. Closed on Mondays. The museum is a five-minute walk from JR Shinjuku station (west exit). www. sompo-japan.co.jp/museum

Being A Broad May 2009

real-life story

Tokyo Tower and Meiji Jingu Shrine are just two of Tokyo’s must-see spots. were in for a treat; cocktails and live jazz. Truly a night neither of us will ever forget.

Day Four: Up and out of the ryokan early, we grabbed snacks from the combini and took the hour-long train ride out to Kamakura in Kanagawa prefecture.

Mum bought a 14-day JR rail pass in Australia before coming out, so she had unlimited use of all JR trains and planned to take the shinkansen out to Kyoto and Hiroshima after our week together in Tokyo was up. But today I wanted to show her the outskirts of Tokyo and take her to the beach.

Mum loved the daibutsu (giant statue of Buddah) and nibbled on the delicious senbei (rice snacks) we bought from the quaint little shops that lined narrow streets. We took a ride on the Endoen (old electric tram) and visited some of the temples hidden away in the mountainside.

Finally, we strolled along the beach watching the sunset behind us.

A friend of mine was hosting a live event at Powers Bar that night, so I took mum along for some great Hawaiian-style food and entertainment.

It was a great finish to a perfect day.

Day Five: I had great plans to take mum on a cycling tour of Tokyo today, but rain hindered that plan and instead we decided to go gallery and museum hopping. Tokyo is always housing great local and international art, photography, and cultural exhibitions. One day is not nearly enough but we did manage to visit a good variety of shows. (See the sidebar for a selection of exhibitions in the coming months).

Day six: For Mum’s final day with me in Tokyo before heading off down south by herself, we hit the streets of Shibuya and Shinjuku to stock-up on presents for the family waiting back in Oz. For her final night, I organised a surprise boat-trip dinner on Tokyo Bay with a bunch of friends; we chartered the boat for a few hours and enjoyed the dazzling display of Tokyo lights illuminating the harbour. Unfortunately, Mum doesn’t usually drink and had a few too many of the all-you-can-drink champagnes, resulting in us disembarking with a rather tipsy middleaged Aussie woman who could not wait to hit a late-night sentou back at the hotel. Luckily, we had moved from the ryokan to the Keio Plaza in Shinjuku so we returned to the hotel unnoticed by any of the Tokyo-night partygoers.

Tokyo and its surrounds are full of great sightseeing destinations and no doubt you will not be able to show your mum enough of them in just a week.With such rich culture, history, and a fantastic blend of the old and new, Tokyo has something to BAB see and do for every type of mum.

13

working

WORK PROFILE:

ANNA YOUNGHANS of Cirque du Soleil’s ZED

Japanese. New languages are not one of my many talents and very few of the carpentry crew members understand English. But, not only do I need to learn Japanese but they need to learn English and also possibly French. So far, Cirque du Soleil, a French-Canadian company, does most of their international technical documentation and support in English and French. So there are many communication barriers and obstacles to overcome for the future of the show. But I am trying to bridge language, cultural, artistic, and technical differences.

General conditions: Dark, busy, noisy, sweaty, and fun. Unlike other shows, I have very few breaks working at ZED. I am currently working on about five different projects and have been given the duty of re-working all the carpentry cue-tracks backstage and in the basement of the theatre. Plus, I have to build replacement props and organise the props shop as it would be on a non-touring Cirque du Soleil show. It’s a constant balance between shop work, paper

Anna with two of the artists she works with. image: Ginger Griep-Ruiz

Name: Anna Younghans Nationality: American (Californian) Qualifications: I’ve worked for Cirque du Soleil since 2004, worked at the original Disneyland, and on various show and maintenance crews for live productions in Las Vegas. I am also a puppet creator and performer.

Job title: Carpentry technician specialising in props construction and maintenance, show documentation, and general specialist on how Cirque du Soleil departments should operate.

Employer: ZED, the new show by Cirque du Soleil, at the Tokyo Disneyland Resort.

Time in this job: Three months here in Tokyo, but I’ve worked in entertainment all my life.

Job description: I was hired to join the local crew and to support them with the specifics of working on a Cirque du Soleil show, which is unlike Japanese opera, Kabuki theatre, or even Broadway productions. I help with running show cues, documentation, ongoing maintenance, and creation of props. I work backstage during the

arpentry is usually a man’s job, no matter C what country you are in. But I keep a light attitude about it all and just enjoy my work.

14

show, moving set pieces around in the dark, running up and down stairs, handing off props to performers, lighting fire effects, keeping the show safe, and making quick decisions if there are changes during the show. I am also in charge of keeping documentation on how to build and maintain the props. The best part of my job is knowing what an amazing show I help create. Of all the shows I’ve been a part of, this is the most moving, beautiful piece of human artwork.

General requirements: You need to be physically fit, experienced in the theatre and live entertainment business, good with power tools, electronics, painting, sewing, and an overall creative person. Also, my entire wardrobe consists of black clothing. (On my days off I wear white!) In live theatre, things always change at a minute’s notice, so crew members need to have quick problem solving abilities, an excellent memory to learn multiple cue-tracks, excellent balance for climbing above and around the expansive set, a good sense of humour, be enthusiastic and up-beat, sociable, and yet willing to work long and anti-social hours. I work all weekends and extra shows on holidays. My family does not appreciate this aspect of my wonderful life in the Cirque. My husband and I rarely get to see our families. But the close relationships we’ve built with our friends at ZED make them like our own special, dysfunctional, crazy Cirque family.

Japanese requirement: I am the only expat in my department and I am slowly learning

work and emails, and running the show. The communication with the crew is always difficult.

And my former translator is now serving as a carpenter and is not helping me as much with translations. But I love the show, love my job, and work very hard (60 hours a week) to make the show the best it can be.

How she found this job: My husband moved to Tokyo in July 2008 to serve as the head of the audio department for ZED. We decided, if it was possible, that I should transfer from my Cirque show in Las Vegas, The Beatles LOVE, to work on ZED. So I applied, interviewed, and was hired as a member of their carpentry department.

Best thing: Is working with my husband again on an amazing Cirque du Soleil show. We always end up working on the same shows and that is so wonderful. With our busy schedules we can still see each other around the theatre. And I really love working for Cirque du Soleil: the shows, the people, the community, the beautiful creations, and the creative energy are second to none.

Interesting stories: Two new technical aspects I’ve learned about since starting at ZED are the basics of indoor pyrotechnics and using a safety harness so I can safely climb around the theatre at great heights. Both are very challenging and exciting.

Issues affecting her as a woman: There is a marked cultural difference in all aspects of the interaction between men and women in the work place here in Japan compared to in the US or in

the UK. I work very hard to gain my colleagues and management’s respect, and it’s difficult. Carpentry is usually a man’s job, no matter what country you are in. But I keep a light attitude about it all and just enjoy my work. It also helps that I am the tallest person on my crew.

Advice: • Keep a positive attitude.

• Never get too emotional about anything work related; excessive emotion blocks logic and creativity.

• Always ask for other’s opinions, perspectives, and opposing views but then come to your own conclusion and stick to it.

• Admit when you’ve made a mistake and apologise.

• Take responsibility for your actions.

• God’s bigger than it all.

• Like it says on SKYPE: “Take a deep breath.”

Recommended resources: www.zed.co.jp www.cirquedusoleil.com w w w. i m d b . c o m / t i t l e / t t 0 0 8 7 3 3 2 / quotes http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cirque_ du_Soleil http://tinyurl.com/c3hmhu (Cirque du Soleil on Amazon.com) Other jobs done in Japan: This is my first time in Japan. I am enjoying the extensive public transportation and the cherry blossoms are BAB beautiful! Ganbatte kudasai!

Please help my family find peace.

My name is Lindsay Ann Hawker

I was murdered in March 2007 and buried in a bath of sand on the balcony of  Tatsuya Ichihashi’s apartment in Tokyo.

Ichihashi escaped from the police and still has not been found. If you have any information that may lead to his arrest, please call the Japanese police on 047-397-0110.

by Tina Burrett

photo: yeowatzup

A rare glimpse into the elusive North Korea.

C

oming amid economic woes and renewed threats emanating from the Korean peninsula, the blooming of the sakura this year took on added poignancy. For many Japanese, alcohol-fuelled hanami parties provided a welcome respite from concerns over the North Korean missile launch that has raised tensions in the Asia Pacific region and beyond.

According to Pyongyang, the missile launch was nothing more than the peaceful testing of an experimental communications satellite. Most of the rest of the world, however, suspects motives far more sinister than the broadcasting of revolutionary folk songs and military marching music. North Korea has long sought to expand its military capabilities, including the development of an intermediate-range missile with the ability to reach Japan. The missile test on April 5 of this year was the third such launch by the pariah state since 1998 and, significantly, the first since North Korea successfully detonated a nuclear device in October 2006. North Korea’s inclusion in the nuclear club raises the stakes for its neighbours and potential adversaries. Unlike on the previous two occasions, prior to the latest launch South Korea, Japan, and the United States all deployed Aegis destroyers to the Sea of Japan. Pyongyang’s actions have clearly escalated hostilities in the region to the worst levels in years. Such provocative behaviour begs the question of ‘why now?’ What does North Korea hope to achieve, and how should the world in general, and the US and Japan in particular, respond to this latest challenge posed by North Korea?

The extreme isolation and secrecy of the North Korean regime makes it difficult for outsiders to untangle the internal wrangling of the Pyongyang elite. Although it is known that North Korea’s ‘Dear Leader’ Kim Jong Il has recently suffered a stroke, it is not clear to what extent this has affected his ability to govern.

With rumours rife over his mortality and likely succession, a display of military strength is to Kim’s benefit. It was no coincidence that the missile launch came just days before the gathering of North Korea’s rubber-stamp parliament,

the Supreme People’s Assembly. The message to delegates was loud and clear; Kim Jong Il is still firmly in control at home and capable of commanding attention abroad.

By launching a missile at this juncture, North Korea aims to test the mettle and engage the attention of newly-elected US President Barack Obama. Relations between Pyongyang and Washington soured under the previous administration when President George W. Bush designated North Korea—along with Iraq and Iran—as the ‘Axis of Evil’ during his 2002 State of the Union Address. In response to Bush’s rhetoric, North Korea withdrew from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and threw out International Atomic Energy (IAEA) inspectors. Unless the US agreed to bilateral talks, Kim fumed, his country would continue to pursue its nuclear programme. The White House, however, refused Kim’s demands for oneon-one talks, preferring to make North Korea’s nuclear ambitions a multilateral issue.To this end, in August 2003 South Korea, China, Japan, and Russia were brought on board for the first round of negotiations that have become known as the six-party talks.

Like his predecessor, Barack Obama prefers a multilateral approach to dealing with Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons programme. To protect himself from accusations of appeasement from his Republican detractors in Congress, it is politically expedient for Obama to frame any compromise with Kim’s regime as the product of multilateral negotiations. Indeed, during his campaign for the presidency, reinvigorating the six-party talks was an oft repeated Obama policy.

Yet, having recently inherited a global economic meltdown, two wars, and impending environmental disaster, as president, Obama has had little opportunity to focus on North Korea. Employing his usual brand of twisted logic, Kim hopes that his latest missile launch will re-engage the US in negotiations that will, in turn, deliver the food and energy assistance he desperately needs for his regime to survive.

Restarting the six-party talks is equally important for the United States. If Obama is to achieve his admirable aim of a world free of nuclear weapons—ironically unveiled in a speech in Prague the very day of the missile launch— he must start by putting an end to Pyongyang’s weapons programme. North Korea is widely known to be sharing its missile technology with fellow nuclear aspirants Iran and Syria, making a mockery of international rules to prevent weapons proliferation.

Along with getting the attention of the Obama administration, Kim Jong Il also seeks to

create discord among North Korea’s partners in the six-party talks and, in so doing, strengthen his own bargaining position. Kim’s tactic of divide and rule has met with some success.

While the US and Japan claim the launch violated UN Security Council resolution 1718, which calls on North Korea to ‘suspend all activities related to its ballistic missile programme,’ China and Russia supported Pyongyang’s assertion that the missile was peaceful and thus not in breach of UN rules. Although neither Moscow nor Beijing desires North Korea’s nuclearisation, as its nearest neighbours, China, Russia, and also South Korea fear that stringent sanctions may result in the sudden collapse of the Kim regime and a major influx of refugees.

China is also anxious to avoid a repeat of the embarrassment it suffered in October 2006, when North Korea went ahead with its nuclear tests even after Beijing publically warned of ‘serious consequences.’ Furthermore, North Korea serves Beijing as a welcome buffer zone between China and US troops in South Korea.

While Russia and China advocate a ‘softly, softly’ approach to dealing with the North Korean missile launch, the Japanese establishment and public alike demanded a vigorous international response. Prime Minister Taro Aso’s pledge for tougher sanctions against North Korea in the immediate aftermath of the missile test gave a much-needed boost to his approval ratings.

Yet, despite his initial rhetoric and the obvious political advantages, on April 10 Aso announced that his government would not impose a total ban on exports to North Korea. By acting the statesman rather than the politician, Aso is aiming for a bigger political prize.

More significant to Japanese voters than Pyongyang’s missile tests is the fate of their compatriots abducted by North Korean spies in the ‘70s and ‘80s. If Kim can be brought back to the negotiating table, there is a chance that the question of the abductees can be put back on the agenda. For the abductions to be part of the sixparty talks, Japan will need the support of Obama, who is reluctant to bloat negotiations that are essentially aimed at denuclearising North Korea with too many secondary issues. To this end, Aso has been keen to demonstrate his worth to the US president. On April 17, Japan hosted a donors’ conference that raised $5 billion to stabilise Pakistan and to fight the spread of terrorism in the Islamic nation and neighbouring Afghanistan; an issue at the top of Obama’s crowded agenda. If Aso can score a big win in foreign policy, he might yet distract voters from troubles at home just long enough to beat the DPJ in the Lower House elections that must be held by September. BAB Being A Broad May 2009

political broad-cast

NORTH KOREA: O F F TA R G E T ?

19

PART 2

by Karin Ling

Kombu, dried shitake mushrooms, and daikon are all healthy, tasty Japanese foods to add to your diet.

I

n the January 2009 issue of Being A Broad, I chronicled my attempt at a detox diet. Inspired by hype, I went into the week-long cleanse expecting to emerge radiant and reformed, with all bad eating habits left behind.

Instead, the all-out ban on sugar, caffeine, alcohol, gluten, and animal products left me physically bloated and psychologically traumatised.

That was when I turned to US-based nutritionist Bridgette Fischer for help.

Her thoughts on detox were straightforward, though a bit of a downer. “There is no magic cleanse, just like there is no magic pill.” As a matter of fact, unsupervised detox diets such as mine are a recipe for disaster. The restrictions on food intake mean a reduction of nutrients for the body. The little nutrients that are consumed are not well absorbed due to the lack of food variety and balance in the diet. Meanwhile, dramatically reducing the amount of calories eaten sends the body into starvation mode, slowing down the metabolism.

While an extreme food ban may not be the healthiest option for the body, it raises a few questions about nutrition that can point us in a better direction. With Fischer as our guide, here are a few lessons learned from detox, served up as brainfood.

Check yourself for allergies: A successful detox story often sounds like this: girl stops eating bread (or pasta/rice/potatoes),

all images this page: Darko RadanovicJ.

feautre

DETOX

irritation.” Other factors such as hydration and fiber intake could affect your body’s reactions. If you’re concerned about a possible allergy, make sure you get properly tested by a specialist.

Identify the real toxins in your food: Thinking back to the rules of my cleanse, I couldn’t help wondering: what’s wrong with a nice grilled chicken breast or lean ground beef? Apparently, this is where we address the ‘toxic’ in detox. Fischer wants us to think back to how animals are raised. “Hormones, drugs, and antibiotics are often added to livestock to increase growth before slaughter. Factory-farmed livestock live in very close quarters that could contribute to transmission of chronic diseases.”

nstead, the all-out ban on sugar, caffeine, alcoIbloated hol, gluten, and animal products left me physically and psychologically traumatised.

20

girl undergoes transformation and soon flaunts a newly toned body. It’s a story made more appealing by svelte celebrities swearing by the protein-focused Atkins diet.

This simple story is not the full story; other reasons may exist for the individual’s body transformation. “Many people have a slight intolerance to gluten or dairy that they don’t even know about,” says Fischer. “Many of my clients never knew they had an issue digesting these items until I took gluten and dairy out of their meal plan one by one and then added them back in.”

If you suspect that a particular food might be causing you to suffer allergic reactions, Fischer would recommend removing the suspected food (or food group) from your diet and seeing how your body reacts. “Depending on the severity of an allergy, toxin, or food intolerance, effects such as upset stomach, headache reduction, or energy drops may be noticed as soon as one to three days after. However, it may take up to seven to ten days to notice a difference in skin

In your supermarket fridges, non-organic meat is commonly treated with chemicals such as nitrate to give it a nice colour. “These contaminates cannot all be killed before humans consume the meat and eggs.” These chemicals end up in our bodies and leave us with the long term potential for disease and illness.

To take the toxic out of your meat (and indeed, out of all sorts of food), investigating organic options is a good start. Going the organic route and seeking out alternative sources of protein may be more expensive and time consuming than you’re used to but it’s taking a stance for more humane, less harmful ways of producing food and feeding your body.

Wean off your addictions: There were many rough moments during my week of cleanse but the lowest moment came toward the end of the week when the lack of sleep caught up with me. I longed for a café mocha; for the caffeine to shake the cobwebs out of my head, and for the sugar to put the smile back on my face. Why was the urge so strong?

“People are often addicted to sugar, caffeine, or alcohol without even knowing it,” reveals Fischer. I admit to a habit of turning to outside help when I feel down, craving something sweet and rich to lift me out of those hectic moments during the day. Fischer says these cravings are not about willpower but are due to physiological changes in the body. “Consuming sugar makes you crave more sugar because of the burst of serotonin that is released. The short increase in hormone levels makes you feel good for a short period of time until your body returns to the low state of serotonin.”

To get off the serotonin roller coaster, Fischer would recommend cutting back on possible sources of your addiction, but to do so gradually.

Aim for a balanced, not perfect, diet: What makes a detox so simple in theory is the black and white, good and bad categorisation of food. But the truth is, most of what we eat falls into a grey category. For instance, dried fruit contains a concentration of vitamins but also added sugar. Fish is good source of lean protein and omega 3 fatty acids for your brain, heart, and even your nails, but contains mercury. Even a pure diet of organic vegetables will wreck havoc on your colon because your body isn’t made to process high volumes of fiber.

Fischer adds a factor often not mentioned in detox: processed foods. “I don’t consider raw, whole foods ‘toxic’ when they are balanced. The problem comes when the foods are stripped of their nutrients and then fortified with nutrients during food processing.” If you spend any time in the supermarket, you will know that banning processed foods (not to mention dried fruit, fish, etc…) from your shopping cart without a nutritious back up plan is unrealistic. The best you can do? Think balance. While a healthy body doesn’t require abstaining from chocolate and ice cream, it would benefit from a diet that incorporates a wider variety of food.

mage: JapanThings

feature photo: provided by TEN SPEED PRESS

Be open to a lifestyle shift: A few weeks ago I was introduced to Christophe, who happened to work at an organic food store.

After my stressful week of meal planning and deprivation, I had a heap of questions for him.

“What do you eat when you don’t eat meat?

How do you do breakfast without bread or wheat or sugar? Can you really afford to pay organic prices for all your groceries?”

He was not into the vegetarian, organic movement when he started working at the food store, but took on a healthier and more conscientious diet over time. He explained, “The truth is, when you go organic you cook differently and eat differently.” For breakfast, he eats dark bread, so dense and full of flavour that he eats a lot less and without having to add jam. After work, he thinks nothing of having to soak his beans for an hour before cooking them for dinner. I was in awe, impressed, and a little bit disheartened. Yet Christophe reminded me that all these changes in his diet were made gradually, with no pressures of weight loss or a deadline on his back.

So the final lesson in all of this? It’s that if you educate and pace yourself in equal portions, you might find healthy living to be worth more than a week-long challenge. It just might be worth a lifestyle change.

Bridgette Fischer is a nutrition and exercise consultant with Total Health & Fitness, a program that uses scientifically proven methods to help clients reach their health and fitness goals.

Fischer provides her clients with personalised and detailed nutrition and fitness plans adapted to their lifestyles and needs. Fischer is able to work with long distance clients through phone and email consultations, and by providing access to the program’s website.

To set up a free Health Evaluation and Goal Assessment appointment, contact Bridgette Fischer at bridgette.fischer@thfonline.

BAB com or at 1-801-478-2785.

Japan-specific food tips: Adopting a balanced, healthy diet is challenging enough, but in Japan you might have the added obstacle of language and cultural barriers.

Discovering the wealth of nutrients hiding in local ingredients might be the motivation you need to broaden your cooking repertoire. Maybe you’re already impressed by the variety of tofu (an excellent source of protein) and fish (omega 3 fatty acid) on your supermarket shelves. But have you given thought to iron-rich leafy greens or the calcium in seaweed, sesame seeds, and okara (soybean pulp)? Yet that’s just the beginning…

Elizabeth Andoh, the English-speaking authourity on Japanese culinary arts, knows that jumping into a foreign cuisine can be intimidating.

In introducing Japanese cooking to a Western kitchen, she recommends, “Start by buying one or two ingredients that interest you. Incorporate them little by little into your cooking.”

For BAB readers, she suggests exploring the world of dried food stuff known as kambutsu.

It’s one of the most ancient Japanese foods and will sit patiently in your cupboard for you to incorporate into your cooking at your own pace. Look to naturally dried kambutsu as a

glutamic acid, a known flavour enhancer. It is best to soak the kombu in a pot of fresh, cold water for ten minutes, or longer if you have the time, before heating it over low heat. Remove the kelp before the water boils. The resulting broth is the vegetarian version of dashi that is frequently called for in Japanese cookbooks.

Resources: • www.tasteofculture.com Packed with articles and links, Elizabeth Andoh’s website is a good starting point for furthering

the wealth of nutrients hiding in local Discovering ingredients might be the motivation you need... concentrated source of nutrients, with flavours completely distinct and full of depth. Here are a few ideas to get you started with kambutsu: Shitake mushroom (椎茸) (A good source of iron, dietary fiber, and Vitamin C.): Andoh shares a simple technique that calls for filling a clean glass jar with a few dried shitake mushrooms and fresh cold water. After a few hours on the countertop or in the refrigerator, you will have rehydrated mushrooms ready to be cooked (remove the stem first) and a liquid that makes a flavourful base for soups, risotto, or braised dishes (nimono).

Kiriboshi daikon (切り干し大根) (Rich in fiber, calcium, and iron.):The sun-dried, shredded daikon radish should be soaked for 15–30 minutes, then strained. The liquid becomes a flavourful broth while rehydrated kiriboshi daikon can be used in soups or stews or in a veggie sauté. The vegetable has a crispy-chewy texture and easily absorbs other flavours.

Kombu (昆布) (Full of calcium, iron, iodine, and vitamin A.): You’ll typically come across kombu, or kelp, as thick, wide strips of seaweed. Before using the kombu, give it a wipe but don’t remove the chalky looking substance on the surface; it is

your education in Japanese cuisine. You’ll be able to get information on Andoh’s book, Washoku: Recipes from the Japanese Home Kitchen, learn about market tours and cooking workshops, and sign up for her e-newsletter.

• A Guide to Food Buying in Japan by Carolyn R. Krouse This book is indispensable for navigating the local markets. Use the photos, drawings, and kanji translations for identifying ingredients, both local and from back home.

The vocabulary list in the back of the book is a useful reference for deciphering food labels. (i.e. additives=tenkabutsu, msg=kagaku chomiryo).

• The Konohana Family Farm in Fujinomiya provides brown boxes with either five (¥1,025) or ten (¥2,000) types of organic produce as well as offering rice, free-range eggs, and other goodies delivered to your door (¥570 for delivery in Tokyo). They speak a variety of languages and payment is simple through bank transfer. (www.konohana-family.org) • Tengu Natural Foods is another mail order company with organic, natural, and vegan foods and products. They have a great English website and catalogue: www.alishan.jp/ shop/nfoscomm/catalog.

Being A Broad May 2009

21

humour

GOKIBURI HUNTING

by S.Z. Cairney

he moon hovered centre stage, framed majestically by the luxuriant Acoma foliage blowing gently in the night breeze. Feeling my left leg about to give up the ghost, I slowly started to change position, putting my weight onto my other leg. Bones and cartilage sighed with relief at the respite. A sudden rustling to my left sent my hand over my shoulder to the long baton tied there. Fighting back the urge to just launch an attack, my patience—and control—was paid off as a gekko lizard ran up a nearby tree. How long had I been here? Barely moving. Barely breathing. Seconds, minutes, hours? A honed killing machine...a calculating predator...one who, without one iota of compunction or contrition, would gladly take its prey’s fragile life source, savaging it heartily.

Even laughing as the tortured screams of the dying rose up to meet the stars peering down from their lofty heights somewhat unconcerned by it all.

I once read that to stalk and successfully kill your quarry, you have to think like your prey.

So here I am. Forget Terminator, Claude Van Dame, or even Steven Segal. In fact, forget even S. Z. Cairney. That being has ceased to exist for the moment. For the time being, please call me Fanny the Fumigator, for this is my new persona; for now. What do you reckon? I think it has got an elegant slant to it with an underlying hint of smouldering sexuality. This Fanny has a bone to pick. War has been declared. I dug my trench and now I’m just biding my time. Just a mere 24 hours

image: yenhoon

T

with shiny bodies and armour Things plating...are sooo not cute.

I really hate wasting a good wine. Suddenly, it started downwards and just the mere thought of that black-hearted fiend running amok over my bare feet set me off into a screaming frenzy and I caught it—thwack—right on its back. Momentarily stunned but still alive, it lay on its back; squirming, waving all its digits and antenna thingies around, giving me time to race into the next room, still screaming: “Die you bastard” over and over hysterically; awaken, rather rudely, the hoover from its deep slumber in the cupboard, plug it in, and make the final attack just as ‘it’ was recovering.

The beastie tried to make a valiant final dash across the lino, no doubt with severe back injury, before I sucked it up into a dark oblivion from which it should have known no return. Collapsing on the floor beside the hoover, throat hoarse, head pounding from all

n a move that would have made Jackie Chan Iwhile proud, I leaped up, kicked the hoover’s on button swivelling eyeballs around the room frantically searching for the spray...

22

ago I thought it was just my vision acting up after slurping on the wine last night. I kept seeing an insidious black splodge moving, right on the edge of my peripheral vision. No matter how quickly I turned to look—nothing. Later, tidying up in the kitchen, one of the demons raced across the wall and suddenly went motionless right in the centre.

I saw it in the mirror in front of me, reflected on the back wall so as to be in a strategic position.

They sense movement of any kind, which is why the little, or rather bloody big—built like tanks here in Japan—black devils always manage to out move us slothish humanoids.

Making slow, subtle movements, I picked up the futon beater thingy and managed to manoeuvre within one foot of the said wall.

The monstrosity’s antenna were waving about in the air, no joke about four centimetres long; I swear I could hear it communicating to others nearby about an abundant food source big enough to keep at least a million other souls going...I had to stop myself from gagging.

the screaming, I heard a strange noise, barely audible at first but, with all my senses already on high alert after the adrenaline surge, detectable.

Cocking my head to listen...what was that noise? Where was it coming from? The hoover?

Or more exactly the hose...up the hose...In a move that would have made Jackie Chan proud, I leaped up, kicked the hoover’s on button while swivelling eyeballs around the room frantically searching for the spray. Found spray and grabbed it. I rammed the nozzle down the hose and pressed. I must have suffered some kind of post-stress-type disorder or psychotic break because my finger wouldn’t let up until that can was empty, and even then I just kept on pressing. Pressing until the hissing air brought me back to my senses. At the very least in a court of law it would be classed as diminished responsibility. Sitting panting and five kilograms lighter, I heard the same scratchity noise again.

No...no friggin’ way. Now I am hearing things.

There is no way it survived. I must be hearing

things. Maybe I should call someone tomorrow and find out about some counselling.

The noise got louder and nearer. The hoover went back on at warp speed and was unceremoniously ditched outside on the patio with nearly a full roll of duct tape stuck over the nozzle. I swear if NK actually managed to launch a missile that hit Tokyo, only cockroaches—and my MIL—would survive. Just as I was doing my wee little victory dance, singing a rendition of Queen’s We are the Champions, pointing at the hoover at the “Those are the losers” part, something flew in through the open door. Something black with wings. Doesn’t mean anything...Might be a bat.

Bats are cool. Bats are furry with these little piggie faces. Furry things are cute. Things with shiny bodies and armour plating, antenna thingies spinning all over, and legs well are sooo not cute.

Could be a black butterfly...A yet undiscovered species blown over here on some Asian current from a yet unmapped island surrounded by an eerie fog somewhere. Maybe it’ll be named after me...the FannyWanny-itis or something equally as elegant.

Oh...I didn’t know that butterflies could run... and up walls onto the ceiling with such dexterity.

Where’s that screaming noise coming from?

Oh, it’s me. We’re out of spray...I am a hunter...a predator. To stalk your prey, you must think like your prey. Cold-blooded doggedness. I will not think about the whole family of little cockroaches who wait in vain with mummy in their little cockroach house for Daddy Cockroach to return.

Will the little cockroach village declare him a hero, his name to be spoken about for many years to come around little cockroach camp fires and in the ministries of a cockroach government? Will they blame it on NK? Oh, who turned the lights on? It’s too bright—turn them off. Oh...hubby’s home. What are you looking at? No, I’m not using your Shiseido Charcoal Pore Refining mask cream. It’s face paint...For camouflage of course!

I’m laying on the floor because the book said I had to get down to my prey’s habitat and think like the prey...Have you ever seen a cockroach BAB wearing clothes…?

SCHOOL IN OKINAWA

by Aiko Miyamoto

to meet me. I recognised them right away—it was January and they were walking around the airport wearing bright yellow kariyushi (traditional Okinawan) wear! When I called out to them, they were actually surprised that I had been able to pick them out of the crowd—they didn’t see anything out of the ordinary about the way they were dressed. That was when I knew Okinawa must be a very different place from what I was used to in Kyoto. Luckily, I got the job and the chance to find out.”

So I guess it isn’t just us foreigners who experience culture shock coming here. It was somehow comforting to hear that. “Was there anything you had a difficult time adjusting to?”

“Well, in Kyoto, people are very by-the-book.

There is a proper way to do everything, even something as simple as having your classmate over to play at your house.You can’t just bring her over; you have to report to your family first, not to ask if it’s all right, but to give your mother the heads-up to have freshly prepared tea and a snack ready for her when she arrives. In Okinawa, though, people drop by whenever they feel like it and the host just shares whatever it is he or she is eating at the time; ‘want some?’ That sounded about right to me. It’s part of the 助け合い [tasukeai; helping each other] culture that is so important on the island—when you live on such a small island, your neighbours become almost like family.”

From time to time, though, she does wish people would be a little more reserved when expressing their negative thoughts. “It’s frustrating when someone hears about what I do and says to my face, ‘Why would anyone want to send their kids to the AmerAsian School? It costs ¥30,000 per month and isn’t it better to push children into the public school system and assimilate them into Japanese society sooner [rather] than later anyway?’ I have to be diplomatic and smile as it’s part of my job, but I find these kinds of comments rather rude. They don’t try to understand the pressure our kids face being bullied at school for looking different and, in the cases of kids who grew up in the US, for not being able to speak Japanese as well as their peers. At such a young age it’s just not something they should have to deal with. Our school provides them the support they need to transition smoothly into the Japanese public school system and into society.”

It isn’t easy being the director of an NPO for which not everyone admits there is a need.

The school is confined to a small budget, much of which comes from generous volunteers since school fees are kept low to help out the large number of single mothers and they are constantly looking for volunteers and staff members who are willing to stay long-term but work for less than

Naomi standing outside her school. image: provided by Naomi Noiri

I

have to admit I was apprehensive about meeting Naomi Noiri as I sat in the hall of the AmerAsian School listening to the cheerful voices of children chattering loudly in English leaking out from nearby classrooms. I expected someone older and with a demanding presence—after all, she has an impressive profile as an associate professor of sociology at the University of the Ryukyus and director of an independent school.

So I was a bit surprised when a friendly-looking woman who appeared not much older than myself stepped out into the hall, greeting me in the usual Japanese manner with a bow but also with a warm Hawaiian smile and an “Aloha” that made me feel at ease instantly.

She invited me into a small, Japanese-style room with books stacked high against the wall, explaining that this was officially the hoken-shitsu (school nurse’s office) but was used as a sort of multipurpose room when needed. We sat down on the tatami and began to chat.

Living in Okinawa, where if you have a face that looks a little different you are asked by a thousand well-meaning but nosy folk to relate your ethnic background and entire family history each day, the question “So, are you half...?” isn’t always favourably received—even being hapa myself I’ve gotten glares for posing that question to someone who has lighter hair or a bigger nose than most Japanese. However, given that Naomi is the director of a school for hapa kids (mainly those with Okinawan mothers and American fathers, sometimes living apart from the family) and since much of her research concerns descendants of Okinawans in Hawaii, I figured it would not be inappropriate to ask if her own international background had influenced her career choice.

“People are always asking me if I’m mixed,” she laughed, “but no, I’m 100 percent Japanese, from Kyoto.” She explained that she has darker looks because her family is from Kyushu, but she is often mistaken for half-Filipina and always assumed to be local when she goes to Hawaii for her research. Her name, one of the most popular among hapa girls, is simply coincidence.

So what brought her to Okinawa? “I lived in Kyoto until I was 27—my elementary, junior high, high school, and university were all within biking distance from each other,” she explained. “By the time I graduated, I was aching to get out and experience living in a new place. When I saw an ad for a job opening in the sociology department at Ryukyu University, I jumped at the opportunity— even though I had only published two papers by that time and wasn’t confident in my qualifications, I figured I could at least go for an interview and see Okinawa. But as it turned out,” she lamented, “the hiring committee arranged to come to Kyoto

mothers

THE AMERASIAN

they might elsewhere. But the school is Naomi’s passion: anyone can see the sparkle in her eyes as she talks about her school and her students. For someone without any experience living abroad as a child herself, I had thought her rather gutsy to take on a job as director of a school for children of international backgrounds. But after chatting with her, I realised she did in fact understand just what her students were going through as ‘fish out of water.’ Her experience moving from the mainland to Okinawa and diving headfirst into a new culture, even within the same country, has given her a sense of compassion and tolerance of differences. Now that she has adjusted, it is her turn to give back by BAB sharing her wisdom to help others.

The AmerAsian School in Okinawa (AASO) was established in June 1998 as an alternative educational institution for children with one Japanese parent and one American parent living in Okinawa. Since the school is not recognised as an official elementary or junior high school, students may register with their local public school and have their attendance and progress at AASO recognised by the public school. For ¥30,000 per month, children from kindergarten to grade nine may receive a bilingual education (with most classes conducted in English, especially in the lower grades) and then matriculate into a public or private high school along with their Japanese peers. Sixteen out of twenty graduates of the AmerAsian School entered Japanese high school. Some of them entered college and university in Okinawa or the US after graduation from Japanese high school.

AASO is always appreciative of support from generous donors and volunteers to help their students receive the best education possible.

To learn more about the school, please visit their website: www.amerasianschool. com, tel. 098-896-1966, or email: aaschool@ guitar.ocn.ne.jp.

Being A Broad May 2009

23

learning

STAYING

ALIVE

by Alena Eckelmann

ow do you react when a friend tells you that she wants to end her life?

During my last Christmas holiday back home in Germany, I invited a Japanese friend to join my family for the festive celebrations. She was in the lucky position of being able to study in Holland on a Japanese government scholarship. However, she had not yet made friends in her host country and did not want to spend Christmas by herself.

My parents were happy to have me back home and, on top of it, have an interesting guest from the Far East.

Everyone was in a jolly mood but my friend.

She seemed somehow upset and I could not pin down her sadness. In the late hours of Christmas Day we were alone and started talking. I told her about my life in Japan and she told me about her life in Holland. Everything she said seemed gloomy and depressing. Soon it became clear to me that she was not happy at all. First, I sympathised. Then I played down all negative aspects and tried to cheer her up. I said that starting out was always difficult and that:“Things will get better. Just hang in there.” Next, I encouraged some positive thinking by focusing on the good things I could think of about Holland. Her mood did not improve but I soon exhausted my repertoire. This weighed as a difficult conversation for a joyful occasion.

Suddenly tears welled up in her eyes and she told me that she was really fed up with

soon after by another friend of mine, a Chinese woman who studied at Tokyo University. Again, I considered her privileged to be able to study at Todai. At the time, she was working hard to pass a certain test that would allow her to continue her studies. We sat in a cafe and talked about our current life, and she told me that she was studying around the clock and did not get enough time to sleep. In fact, she looked exhausted and I was wondering how she could be concentrating on her studies at all. Suddenly, my friend handed over a leaflet by the Career Support Group of The University of Tokyo on preventing suicide. She told me that she had had suicidal thoughts herself but had got some counselling and was now on her way to feeling better. This experience had prompted her to get involved in the preparation of this leaflet in order to help others in a similar situation.

Tokyo University, Japan’s most prestigious academic powerhouse, is an extraordinarily demanding place. Students study past midnight to ensure that they keep up with all academic demands and do not fall behind their peer group.

The university’s large foreign student population, in particular, is under high pressure to pass examinations. Only if they pass are they allowed to continue their studies and stay in Japan. This leaflet targets, first and foremost, the students by stating some facts that are meant to help them

everything and her life did not make sense.

The talk seemed to have taken a turn for the worse. Ah, it was not just Holland then. Now, did I really want to hear all that? Why was she whinging? Why on Christmas Day and why here in my parents place? She shouldn’t be doing that.

I was about to get angry when she told me, still crying quietly, that as a teenager she had tried to commit suicide once and now she felt the same.

My alarm bells started ringing.

We are so conditioned to remain in a happy mood that we find it difficult to deal with negative feelings. Indeed, we often don’t really want to know, pretending that if we don’t know then the dark side does not exist. Staying on the bright side of life is our normal ideal and we will do whatever it takes to remain there. Anyone who is walking on a less fortunate path is considered to be unlucky. Hopefully, it is them and not us.

However, what if it is your friend, your colleague, your student, or even your child or partner?

What do you do when someone close to you expresses suicidal thoughts?

Unexpectedly, some answers were delivered

recognise the vicious circle of overwork, lack of sleep, mental exhaustion, alcohol abuse, and isolation. These are all part of a downward spiral that can first lead to depression and eventually, even lead to suicidal thoughts.

Although this particular leaflet is aimed at students, the mechanism that leads to suicidal thoughts is the same whether the pressure comes from studying, your job, a lack of money, an unhappy relationship, or health-related issues.

To me, the advice given really seems to state the obvious. However, what seems clear to an outsider might be difficult to see once your mind is trapped in this cycle.This leaflet, entitled: If you find yourself thinking about suicide includes the following advice: • Go to bed and make sure you get enough sleep. Staying up all night prevents you from thinking straight.

• Wait until 9am tomorrow morning.

Emotions are most unstable and most negative at night and in the early morning.

• Don’t drink any alcohol. Even a small amount of alcohol can make you anxious and unstable.

his is real and it might be you listening to them T and helping them to get professional advice that keeps them alive.

24

image: Naoko Kawakubo

H

“...There is more than one way to live your life.

Something good is certain to happen...”

• Don’t pay attention to negative thoughts and voices. Ignore any thoughts about dying.

• There is no deadline for accomplishing certain things.You can always try again.

• Many opportunities only come later in life.

Parents, friends, and members of staff are also encouraged to pay attention.We think we know the people around us well so that often we don’t see or don’t want to see any signs of trouble. For instance, what do you do if your friend reveals suicidal thoughts or your son or daughter looks depressed these days, or if you are worried about your student or co-worker as she/he is often absent without reason? The following advice was given: • Don’t criticise or scold them and don’t think of their suicidal thoughts as a joke.

• Listen carefully to what they are telling you and then tactfully recommend that they visit a counsellor as soon as possible.

• Convey the message that even if they cannot pass the exam or cannot get a job or whatever it is that pressures them, it does not matter but you want them to stay alive.

Anyone who finds him or herself thinking about suicide or anyone who notices someone else expressing such thoughts can get advice and further help from TELL: • Tokyo English Life Line—TELL (Tel. 035774-0992; 9am to 11pm; Japanese and English.)

I was shocked when my two friends came out with their thoughts about suicide. It was not what I had expected from two strong women whom I considered quite fortunate. However, I am glad that they told me as telling someone; sending out an SOS, is the first step on the road to recovery. Please don’t look away or ignore it if someone close to you is expressing suicidal feelings. This is real and it might be you listening to them and helping them to get professional advice that keeps them alive.

Note: This article includes quotes taken from the University of Tokyo’s Career Support Group leaflet. Re-printed with permission. BAB

KNOW ABOUT HIV IN JAPAN

by Miki S. Noguchi I

f you hail from the West, chances are you’ve been made well aware of the HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) / AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) epidemic in your respective country or in the world. Certainly, the scourge that has entrenched itself in Africa is not news to anyone.

However, if you’ve heard anything about HIV/AIDS in Japan (an unlikely occurrence in itself), it’s probably that HIV isn’t a problem or that you don’t need to worry about it here. This, unfortunately, is a very inaccurate statement as HIV/AIDS can affect anyone.

Getting reliable information in English or another language about this sensitive topic can be difficult and intimidating when trying to overcome a language barrier. A quick Google search for “HIV in Japan” turned up many academic studies but not very many resources for finding out basic HIV statistics or about where one can get an HIV test with English support. In an effort to provide BAB readers with this important information, I sat down with Dr. Ikumi Genka, an internist and infectious disease specialist affiliated with the Tokyo Midtown Medical Center, and Dr. Yuriko Yanaga, a clinical psychologist and director of the planning section of the Japan Foundation for AIDS Prevention (JFAP).

While HIV prevalence (i.e., the number of people in a population diagnosed with HIV/AIDS) is very, very low in Japan as compared with other countries, unlike the downward trend for HIV infection (i.e., new cases of HIV infection in a population) that is found in all other developed countries, Japan’s infection rate is increasing. The reported total number of new HIV cases has increased every year from 1997 (250) to 2007 (1082), with the cumulative number of people living with HIV or AIDS at 15,625. However, Dr. Genka and Dr. Yanaga point out that the estimated actual number of HIV/AIDS cases could be as much as three to four times higher due to the low number of people who get tested. The increase in the number of new HIV cases could be accounted for by an increase in the number of infections as well as an increase in the number of people actually getting tested, thus increasing the likelihood of finding more people who were previously unaware of their HIV-positive status. Men who have sex with men account for more than half of new infection cases; however, the rates for other men and for women are also increasing, though at much lower rates.

The important thing to remember is that it only takes one encounter without the right protection to change your HIV status forever.

Prevention is the best tool against infection.

It’s clear that the only fail-safe measure against infection is abstinence, but, let’s be honest, that’s not very realistic for many of us.The next best option is to always use a latex condom within the context of a monogamous relationship in which both people

have tested negative for HIV. Unfortunately,because of the relatively low prevalence rate in Japan, the emphasis in education (what little there is) has not been on prevention (e.g., using a condom every time), but on testing, which is great for preventing further spread of the disease but does not do much for preventing oneself from contracting the disease in the first place. In fact, most students in Japan do not receive any kind of thorough education on HIV/AIDS transmission and prevention, which may go some way to explaining why people in their 20s and 30s account for most new HIV cases and are considered a high-risk group.

If you are sexually active in Japan, you may have noticed that condom use is relatively low here. Dr. Genka explains that in Japan condoms are thought of mainly as a contraceptive method, not as a means for preventing disease transmission. Several studies have suggested that the sense of powerlessness that many women feel in Japanese society, (which may prevent them from insisting that protection be used) and the relatively high rate of abortions among teenagers are both linked to condom usage (or lack thereof) in Japan. Furthermore, as is the usual case, transmission of sexually-transmitted infections (in the case of Japan: chlamydia and syphilis) are on the rise along with HIV infection rates.

Dr. Yanaga points out that though progress has been made in increasing the general population’s awareness of the spread of HIV in Japan, there is still a common belief among many Japanese that this disease is not a problem for Japan but only exists and is worrisome in other countries. Aside from a tainted blood-products scandal in the ‘80s in which an estimated 1,500 haemophiliacs were infected, the Japanese can be described as relatively indifferent to the risks and necessary precautions for preventing transmission of HIV. This indifference and complacency about prevention and testing has been perhaps passed on to the foreign population as well, as many foreigners who might have been adamant about protection in their home country become lax about using latex condoms every time in Japan.

The first step in being a responsible, sexually active person is to know your current HIV status.

If you’ve participated in any high-risk behaviour, it’s best to wait for three months before you get tested so as to avoid the risk of a false negative.

The test that one usually gets actually tests for the antibodies that form as a reaction to the HIV infection, a process that takes about three months to fully form and appear in the test. There are several methods of testing available in Japan: • Regular, confidential testing is available from private clinics and public and private hospitals around the country. The test is usually not covered by Japanese national health insurance

and costs between ¥5,000 and ¥10,000. Some of these places have English support and sometimes even offer support in other foreign languages. It usually takes about one week to get the results.

• Rapid testing is not as readily available nationwide, but large cities probably have some clinics that offer this. Costs vary, but expect to pay at least ¥5,000. English-support may or may not be available depending on the clinic. Results are available in under two hours.

• Free, anonymous testing is available at most public health centres across the country. Testing at these centres is often not convenient in terms of opening hours, though there are an increasing number that have evening and weekend appointments available. English support varies greatly from centre to centre, though there are several centres with extensive English support available in Tokyo (see info box below), so it is important to phone ahead if possible. Appointments are usually necessary.

Results usually take one week.

The next step is to have an open and honest conversation about your HIV status with every new sexual partner. If your partner hasn’t been tested, make an appointment to go together to get tested—it can never hurt to be 100 percent sure of your status. Dr. Genka says that a good tactic is to just be direct and suggests using a phrase like, “It has been a while since I was last tested; why don’t we go together?” or: “I recently read an article about HIV and I want to go get tested; why don’t we go together?”

Some people may be concerned about how a partner might react about being asked to wear a condom or to get tested (especially in Japan, where these are perhaps not common requests), but the bottom line is that not asking the question could be a life-altering decision in itself.

To find testing sites all over Japan, visit www. hivkensa.com. (Japanese only.) For free, anonymous, regular testing, Dr. Genka and Dr.Yanaga recommend making an appointment at the MinamiShinjuku (tel. 03-3377-0811) or Nishi-Shinjuku (tel.

03-3369-7110) testing and counselling centres. These clinics offer testing and counselling in English, have interpreters for several languages on hand, and most of the receptionists speak English. Appointments are strongly recommended. For rapid testing, the JFAP-affiliated Misakicho clinic in Suidobashi is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5pm–8pm (Saturdays from 9am–1pm), (tel. 03-5259-1821) and the doctors speak English. This clinic will close at the end of June. For confidential regular testing, Dr. Genka is available at the Tokyo Midtown Medical Center (www.tokyomidtown-mc.jp/enl, tel. 03-5413-7911).The Primary Care Tokyo clinic in Shimokitazawa also offers testing in English (www.

BAB pctclinic.com/engindex.html).

Being A Broad May 2009

women’s health

WHAT YOU SHOULD

25

by Aurora Bonaiuto-Davi

Our hearts tell us it’s the boonies all the way.

reen tea must be a mental diuretic as G well, because after a few whiffs of my clean, pure air, all the big city stress slips out of my body.

W

26

ait! There they are! Quick! Break out the cameras! Then come the giggles. Then come the keitai. Snap. Snap. The attack of the cell phone camera!

I swear I saw eyeballs peaking out from around that corner. A hint of black, more black, and…yup. I was right.Two sets of eyes stare back at me.

I slump my shoulders and force a smile.

Instinctively, I let go of my husband’s hand and offer a small wave with a big ‘Hellooo!’ like I do everyday in the hallways.

Just to clarify: this extreme, paparazzi-like red carpet reception is not for the illustrious Brangelina couple. No, it pains me to say I am not the gorgeous, tomb-raiding Angelina Jolie and my husband is not the hunk from heaven, Brad Pitt.

No, no. It’s just little ‘ole me: Aurora, ESL teacher, and not famous. My husband, on the other hand, is quite the George Clooney lookalike, without the fame or the fortune.

Our paparazzi are in the form of Japanese junior high school students, Japanese elementary school students, and, of course, their mothers.

This is our daily reception the moment we step out of our home in our tiny little town.

That’s not to say it’s all bad.

Sure, it gets tiring making sure you’re always dressed well and have makeup and a smile on your face as a permanent fixture before you leave the house.

It gets tiring going to work on Monday and having someone who lives seven cities over tell you all about your weekend. The nice little barbecue you had outside of your house with some friends. “Or were they family?”

It gets tiring having to drive to a completely different city in order to buy certain products from the pharmacy just to ensure your privacy.

Must my students know everything about me?

It gets irritating when you just need a break from it all—to call in a vacation day—but can’t leave your house because the entire town knows you’re not where you’re supposed to be: at school.

I must admit it’s quite funny seeing my shy

image: Alessandro Davi

a broad in the bonies

RED CARPET OR MAGIC CARPET?

husband squirm in front of so many admirers or walk in the house from a day out, frazzled and red in the face as he tells me he was spied on, followed, and almost accosted by some of my students. I just laugh as I remind him that with or without me, he is a marked man by association.

In saying all that, living in this little town does have some perks, I must admit.

Being who I am, I get top service everywhere I go. Turns out I’m the foreigner that teaches someone’s son or daughter, grandson or granddaughter, niece or nephew, cousin, aunt, or uncle, and the list goes on.

Being the only English teacher in this town, I pretty much ‘touch’ every household in existence that has children under the age of 16 or adults between 20 and 65.

For the few lost souls that have no clue who this short, green-eyed brunette is, they’re quickly enlightened to not make the mistake again, and not from me.

I cannot count the number of times I’ve had to sit or stand back quietly while the lost one received an explanation as to who I am or was subjected to listening to an infantile dialogue as the enlightened one takes the spotlight to show they know how to speak English. Albeit English in its very basic form, but nevertheless English it is.

The other week we had a visit from the local police officer at the koban on my corner. He was a couple of feet taller than me and quite the robust gentleman, but very friendly from how I’ve seen they can be. He took down our information as he was making his rounds to all the houses in the area.

Apart from my birth date and age, he filled in the rest himself. My home country, how long I was here, where I worked, and on what days were all things he didn’t need to ask me, which was great considering he saved me the humiliation of showing my poor Japanese skills. He offered his services for anything we may need and left with a slight ‘cheerio’ lightness to his step that made my husband and I smile.

The next day I discovered I’d actually spoken to a family member of one of my adopted kin;

otherwise known as one of my students.

I admit I miss the ‘finer things in life’ that you can’t find in a small town and envy my girlfriends who live in big cities. They always look much fresher than me. Their hair is better taken care of and their skin is radiant. It pays to have service in English, products from the West, and people who know how to care for foreigners.

In saying that, I honestly don’t think I’d trade places with them.

When I come back from a trip to a big city, I look like Odie when he’s terrified of Garfield: eyes wide, hair on end, and I swear my fingernails grow a centimetre, ready to lash out at someone in self-defense. I am high-strung, feel overwhelmed, backed into a corner, and very stressed, causing my husband to keep his distance.

When that bullet train opens its doors to let me off the platform in the Land of Green Tea here in Shizuoka-ken, the air is different. Green tea must be a mental diuretic as well, because after a few whiffs of my clean, pure air, all the big city stress slips out of my body. My fingernails retract, my eyes go back to normal, and my shoulders relax when I see my cute, flirty Toyota Vitz waiting for me to rev her engine.

My husband relaxes as he sees the transformation from high-strung ‘loca’ back to his calm, affectionate wife. The distance between us disappears and he takes my hand in his when we walk, the first physical contact since leaving our town for the ‘city trip.’

I cannot deny the landscape here is beautiful.

Mountains, green tea fields, and the goldmine of gorgeous, historic temples surround you for miles. The serenity and safety I feel here is priceless. We actually debated buying a home and making our life here. Yes, it is that cosy and home-like.

Being the Brangelina of these boonies can get tiring and irritating, especially when we don’t have their millions as a bonus, but our little tiny town offers other bonuses that we’re completely happy with. Our hearts tell us it’s the boonies BAB all the way.

M A R R I AG E

by Angie Takanami

images: Dustin Elliston

Angie and Kuni taking surf photography and at their wedding.

images: Dave Rastovich

I

t was a hot Sunday afternoon in the middle of summer. I had only recently broken up with my love of five years and had moved from Gunma to a small surfing village in Chiba to retreat back to my surfing roots. My new Japanese wetsuit sponsor was holding a BBQ for some clients and invited my then-Japanese boyfriend of three months and I along. Things weren’t going well with us; totally incompatible and better off as friends.We both knew the end was coming, but being team riders for the same surf brand we had to keep up appearances.

Being the gentlemen that he was, he left me on my own for the entire day at the BBQ, when I could hardly speak any Japanese and didn’t know anyone.

The one good thing he did for me that day was introduce me to Kuni, his surfing photographer friend. Kuni and I hit it off right away. He had lived in Australia for a year when he was 18 and was excited to learn I was from Oz and that I also shared a keen interest in surfing and photography.

Despite the language barrier—my Japanese was pretty average and his English was nonexistent—I found it so easy to communicate with Kuni (with a little help from shots of tequila); he had a real sense of warmth and friendliness, not to mention drop-dead good looks that I would remember for weeks afterwards.

A couple of weeks later I was single again, vowing to take some time out from men to concentrate on my own life. I had been in Japan for over a year by then but knew I wasn’t ready

share with others, in Japanese and English, what I experienced. We swapped editions so I could read the English.

A few weeks later, my neighbour informed me he had leant my copy of the book to Kuni, his surf photographer friend. “I know Kuni!” I said excitedly. “We met at a BBQ in the summer.” My neighbour exclaimed that he had shown Kuni the book and Kuni had gotten excited, saying that one day he wished to publish something similar.

“You guys should work together,” he said to me, “Kuni is single at the moment, by the way…”

I got up the nerve to contact Kuni by keitai mail—I still didn’t have the guts to call outright— and used the book as an excuse to get together for some beers. Seeing as our apartments were on the same street and we had both just bought puppies around the same age, we agreed to drinks at his house. We talked all night until

found the person I will be with for the rest “Iofhave my life. Only I’m not sure he knows it yet.” to take off yet, despite my initial plan of only staying for a year. I needed to be on my own, get out of English teaching, and start thinking about what I wanted out of life. I wanted to travel the world and write, but I had no connections with magazines and no money to fund my own trip.

A Japanese friend and I had started a small translation business together and I decided the time was right to start focussing on putting all my energy into that and working at getting connected with some international travel publications.

The summer ended and I focussed on my business and personal goals and, of course, catching up on a lot of surfing. One night I was having a beer with my next door neighbour, who showed me a photo essay book called World Trip Journey by Japanese writer/photographer/ designer Ayumu Takahashi. I was stunned to see it was the bilingual version of the same Japanese book I had bought a year earlier. We talked for hours about how it was my dream to travel the world and document not only surfing but also the different cultures and lifestyles.

I had been to Africa previously and wanted to

she found love in Japan

SURFING INTO

4am, covering our laps with national geographic photo annuals, magazines, world maps, and sharing our passions and goals. Kuni had become a photographer five years prior with the goal of creating an ‘endless summer’ life. I told him I had dreamed of that since I was in primary school and that I wanted to get into writing and travel around the world putting out photo essay books; in particular I wanted to visit third world countries with great surf in an attempt to help the local kids use surfing as a means to enjoy life and hopefully increase their living standards.

I thought that through the media I could get surf companies to donate surfboards and other products to these kids, seeing as pro surfers from around the world get more free stuff then they need in a lifetime…

By early morning, we had agreed to save up and go on a shoot trip together and put out a book. I went home to bed in my own apartment, and emailed my mum the next day. “Mum, I have found the person I will be with for the rest of my life. Only I’m not sure he knows it yet.” I’d never met anyone who shared the same passions and

dreams as me and who was determined to see them through. I started to fall in love and couldn’t get Kuni out of my mind.

Eventually, after countless surf sessions and more beers, we started dating and sure enough fell in love. There were no trips to the cinema or holding hands going shopping in Daiba or Harajuku; instead we both had busy schedules so would make time to surf before work in the mornings, walk the dogs, or if we could both take a few days off we would go on surfing and camping trips to Ibaraki or Fukushima. We got along so well and being together felt so natural.

Being freelance, Kuni is always busy and often out of the country. Shortly after I had moved into his slightly bigger apartment, he was off to Bali to shoot the Japan Pro Surfing Tour. He would be back in two weeks and then we were flying back to Australia to surprise my family, who I hadn’t seen in nearly two years. On the way to the airport, Kuni called me. “When we go back to Australia, I think I should ask your parents if you can marry me. What do you think?” I was a little confused, not sure if he was proposing or not, but replied: “Sure…that sounds good.” We said our goodbyes and I wished him a safe trip.

As soon as I hung up the phone I called my best friend. “I think I just got engaged!” We just burst out laughing.

Since then we had a lovely wedding with our close family and friends in Kauai, Hawaii, and are now expecting our first child this September. My translation business is growing, I also work as a freelance writer and Kuni still jets in and out of the country for photo shoots, but now we get to do a lot of work together. Our dreams are coming true; we just returned from a one month trip to India in search of surf for BLUE magazine, where we spent time surfing with local street kids and experienced a myriad of different landscapes and cultures. We are now launching our own project: Surfer’s Eyes: a book series and web-based media project to share our travels with the world. I guess it just goes to show that if you follow your own dreams, it’s only inevitable you will find someone BAB who is willing to share them with you.

Being A Broad May 2009

27

Being A Broad Resources

HEALTH AND FITNESS:

DINING:

BEAUTY:

Being A Broad Resources

FAMILIES:

Being A Broad Resources BUSINESS:

RELOCATION: