Little Bits of Everything

From Japan, 2011

2011-06-08T23:06:00.000-07:00

I'm currently in Japan, living at my parents' place. I brought back not only my luggage, but even bigger things namely my husband and daughter this time. My parents are delighted to see their first grandchild, and our living arrangement has settled into a nice routine.

I've started my new blog 今日から始めよう. As you've probably guessed from the title, it's written in Japanese. I feel a bit ashamed that I haven't kept up this old blog of mine, but well, you can always start from today which is a sort of the title of my new blog. Well, I might concentrate on my new blog from now on, but I'll come back to this blog when I want to write some random (but maybe important) things in English.

Two big incidents in 2009

2009-06-23T21:05:00.000-07:00

There are two big incidents that happened this year, 2009.
The first one is my pregnancy, which was planned but came as a nice
surprise nonetheless.
The second one is William's gallbladder surgery. It was a key hole surgery,
but the four punctures on his tummy and a big cut just below his tummy
button looked pretty painful to even look at. Something was apparently
inserted through his belly button, which I'll spare you with the details
(to be honest, I don't know what was done down there, but we don't want
to know, do we?).

Anyhow, I'm going to become a full-time Mum from the end of
September onwards. Gosh, how am going to do it? Just hope that so-called
"mother instinct" kicks in when I see my baby.

Our baby has got a name: Sachi Jerika Lucas. Sachi comes from a Japanese
word, meaning bliss and happiness. Jerika is a made-up name created by
William's eldest daughter Albany, and it is based on William's parents' names .
At the moment, I'm working on my PhD thesis that I'm determined to finish
before Sachi arrives. People call their PhD thesis as their babies.
Well, in my case, I feel I'm having a hard labour already!

Serious talk

2007-03-11T19:37:00.000-07:00

Wow, I've been away from writing my blog for several months. Now, it will take some time to get back into this blogging:-)

But let me get into what I've been doing recently. I've been reading Eckhart Tolle's books and thinking about quality of "consciousness" a lot. The books taught me to disidentify self from my mind (current thoughts and emotions) that can be pretty negative at times. The space between mind and Being (an observer of your mind) was a new concept to me, but I started experiencing quiet moments when I can observe what is going on in my mind without attaching my sense of self. It is such a revelation, as I don't need to condemn myself whenever some negative thoughts pop up. Also, perceiving the gap between my mind and being provides me a sense of peace and serenity I yearned for. Being in the present and experience the Here and Now. This is such a simple message, but it's not so easy to put into practice on the daily basis. Let me know if you know a good way to practice this.

Nabe

2006-10-03T14:26:00.000-07:00

Martin & Mizuki invited us to a NABE party the other day. It is a Japanese pot dish in which you put some stock (water and a seaweed "conbu") and throw anything (vegetables, seafood, meat, mushrooms, etc.) you fancy. It is cooked on a table gas cooker. All the juice from different ingredients makes the dish extremely special. Once you get full with all the ingredients, it is time to throw the last banquet of noodles or rice to finish it. The noodles and rice absorbs the delicious taste of the soup, whose flavour is indescribable. The first bite brings you to heaven, the second bite to Nirvana, the third bite to... you don't know where you are anymore. The technique to enjoy Nabe is that you have to find a fine balance between being selfish and being considerate of others' well-being. Obviously, you have to take turns to get your share and you do it yourself. When your turn comes, you have to be considerate enough to leave some for others, but you have to be bold enough to get some goodies for yourself. Also, there is an element of treasure hunting, too. Quite often, nice things are sunk in bottom, and you have to know how to find them without appearing to be too greedy! It may sound a bit technical and difficult for beginners, but don't worry, you'll get the hang of it very soon.

Hanami

2006-09-26T18:26:00.000-07:00

This is a cherry tree in our garden. Although the tree is still small, those cherry blossoms make me happy all the same.

A Personal Best

2006-09-10T13:37:00.000-07:00

I did it! I ran a half marathon at 1 hour 39 minutes 13 seconds. This is a great achievement, as my aim was to run under 1 hour 45 minutes. Next year, I'd love to set a personal best of 1 hour 30 minutes. It'll be a big challenge, but they say 'If you can dream it, you can do it." I'll take a word for it! Although my whole legs, especially my calf muscles, are still sore and I'm walking like an old lady, I'm already looking forward to a next fun run (10km), which is held in Outram at the end of this month. The course is very flat and straight without much variety or scenery to speak of, but the afternoon tea they provide is just fantastic. It's worth taking part in for the sake of enjoying good food with all the other runners. What else would you need after a good workout?

Never-finished art

2006-09-06T21:50:00.000-07:00

I thought I'm sick of writing, but here I am, still getting pleasure from putting words down on the computer. I set my foot in the Art School for the first time yesterday. Ryoko, who studies there, took me to a tour around the school. Its atmosphere and environment were so different from that of the Otago University. We walked around different classrooms where all sorts of art materials and heavy machineries occupied the space. I saw students' works that were casually displayed inside and outside of the building. I realized that art students interact with various mediums to express themselves, through painting, printmaking, jewelry making, metalsmithing, photography, textile, etc. I was somewhat envious of them who appeared to be freely and liberally expressing themselves and having fun! But, in spite of their outward appearance, I bet that they also face a lot of difficulties and agony during the process. I think the following words are true for all creating activities "Art is never finished, it's just abandoned."

The Meanest Chocolate Cake Recipe

2006-09-03T20:37:00.000-07:00

This is the best, but the meanest chocolate cake. A friend of mine, Ryoko, gave me the recipe. Since then, I've made this for several pot luck occasions, and everyone who tried this has been asking me a recipe. So here you go, I've finally got around to it.

Flourless Chocolate Cake (The Meanest Chocolate Cake)

Melter butter, for greasing
125g blanched almonds
200g good-quality dark cooking chocolate (chopped)
150g butter, cubed
35g (1/3 cup) cocoa powder
2tbs strong black coffee
160g (2/3 cup) caster sugar
5 eggs, at room temperature, separated
Cocoa powder, for dusting
Double cream, to serve

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush a 23cm springform pan with the melted butter to grease. Line the base with non-stick baking paper.
2. Spread the almonds over a baking tray and cook in preheated oven for 6-8 minutes or until lightly toasted. Set aside for 10 minutes. Transfer to the bowl of a food processor and process until finely chopped. Reduce oven temperature to 160°C.
3. Meantime, place the chocolate, butter, cocoa, and coffee in a medium heavy-based saucepan. Stir over low heat for 3-4minutes or until the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat and set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly.
4. Stir the sugar, egg yolks, and almonds into chocolate mixture. Use clean electric beaters to whisk the egg whites in a large, clean dry bowl until soft peaks form. Use a large metal spoon to fold a large spoonful of the egg whites into chocolate mixture until well combined. Gently fold in remaining egg whites until just combined.
5. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and use a spatula to smooth the surface. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes or until clumbs cling to a skewer inserted into centre of the cake. Cool the cake completely in the pan.
6. To serve, dust with cocoa, cut into wedges and serve with double cream.

Japanese Mums

2006-08-29T17:55:00.000-07:00

In the last couple of years, we had a baby rush in Dunedin, particularly of Japanese Mums. Most babies are half Japanese and half Kiwis, Australians, English, Dutch, etc. Thus, their apperance is quite unique; some of them have Asain features, but with pale complexion, light brown hair (natural, not dyed!), and light eye colour, whilst some have more European features, but with some Asian touch. The end results, in bose cases, are very handsome kids. These little ones are thriving and so are their Mums. Now, there are a few Japanese Mums' groups in which members not only excahnge information about child rearing, but also they give each other mutual support . Looking at those babies and their Mums, I'm very much encouraged to have my own in the (hopefully) near future.

Beautiful Sunset

2006-08-28T21:18:00.000-07:00

This is the view from our backyard. Does this tempt you to come and visit us in New Zealand?

Feltmaking - first experience

2006-08-28T20:47:00.000-07:00

"What is this?" My husband, asks me holding a felt pouch I made at my first feltmaking class. Without a handle and decoration, the pouch looks like an oval-shaped helmet. It's gray outside and pink inside. I chose salmon pink wool to contrast gray wool. However, the pink wool fibers have tangled with some of the gray ones, and that once-beautiful salmon pink has turned into 'dirty' pink. The process of felt-making itself was great fun. It was more physical than you think. You have to rub, squeeze, kneed, push, roll, etc. My back was pretty sore after the first class (about three hours). I'm wondering what happens at the last class in which we are going to make a jacket.

Artist's window

2006-08-23T19:40:00.000-07:00

This is the view from our back door. Isn't it lovely? The words around the edge of the window is a poem (I don't know who put it there, though).

OOS (Occupational Overuse Syndrome)

2006-08-23T13:29:00.000-07:00

I've developed OOS, also called repetitive strain injury (RSI), recently by doing data entry. My current experiment involves paper and pencil questionnaires, and I have to enter hundreds of thousands of data by hand. The uncomfortable sensation started from my palm, wrist and spread into my lower and then upper arm. It's happened so quickly.

An occupational safety officer at my department checked my workstation. He adjusted the height of my desk and chair, and he attached a rotating armrest to the desk. I thought this will fix the problem! No. He then told me a scary story about a woman who ignored the sign of OOS. Now, 10 years later, she can't even write a word!! That was enough for me to heed his advice to stop doing data entry right then and there. However, I can't do without a computer. Every work (well 99.5%) revolves around a computer. I do all my writing on it, as it's not only easy to edit, but also the computer has a referencing software Endnote in which all of my references live.

A doctor told me that I just need to be aware how I work, and take micro breaks (every 5 minutes) to stretch different parts of my body. It sounds so straightforward, but it's not so in reality. You sit in front of a computer. Your eyes are glued to the screen; your fingers are permanently hovering on the keyboard or mouse. In the meantime, time flies really fast, and before you know it, you've been working for more than one hour without any break, Ahhhh....

Anyway, I have to stick to the stretch regime as much as I can, because my survival as a PhD student depends on it. If you have any other good ideas to avoid OOS, please let me know.

2006-08-22T18:36:00.000-07:00

Now, you see how I work. Doesn't I look like a ghost?

Six Thinking Hats might save me (I hope)

2006-08-17T13:41:00.000-07:00

As you've guessed by now, I'm using my blog as "ikinuki" (a short break) to detach myself from my PhD. It's amazing how freely one sentence follows the other when I work on my blog. With my PhD, however, writing is really hard like hell! It's just that with academic writing, almost every thought and idea need to be backed up with citations. This not only hinders the writing process, but it restricts the thinking process as well. I've been trained in this scientific discipline for years (meager 5 years, to be precise); I feel as if my imagination and creativity are all shrunk within that limited framework. I want to think outside the square, but how?

I was grumbling this to my husband, Then, he put the book "How to Have a Beautiful Mind" by Edward de Bono in front of me, which I had borrowed more than two weeks ago, but haven’t read. When I read a chapter about six hats, I felt enlightened. To start with, I liked the way he puts simple, short, and clear sentences, which aren't interrupted by any citations. But, his suggestions for how to think, how to approach an issue with parallel thinking really struck the cord. The mixture of logical and intuitive (even including emotion) into the thinking process is very unusual, but I can see how beneficial it is. It's a way of tapping all areas of your brain to get the optimal outcome.

For the last few weeks, I felt I was estranged in stagnated water. Now, I desperately need a flow of fresh water in my brain. I’ll see how De Bono’s strategy will help me to get out of this murky water.

Jane Eyre

2006-08-16T13:50:00.000-07:00

Have you read the classic novel, Jane Eyre? I'm at the middle of it. I came across the title in another book "Eyre Affair" and I had been interested in getting my hand on it. This is the oldest English I've read so far. Hence, some phrases and words sound a bit strange, but the characters and the narrative completely grip my attention and I could keep reading it for hours at one sitting (if I'm allowed). The descriptions of scenes, psychology of the characters, the speed with which the story moves, etc.. everything is just right to stimulate and expand my imagination. It's no wonder that so many people love this book. I wasn't a big classic novel fan, but I change my mind!

Twin sisters

2006-08-14T23:13:00.000-07:00

Twin sisters
Originally uploaded by hadashi05.

Here is a shot with my identical twin sister. She came all the way to see my husband, William, and me twice during our Japan trip.

Journey's end

2006-08-14T23:06:00.000-07:00

Journey's end
Originally uploaded by hadashi05.

This was the end of our trip in Wakkanai. After 3,200 km of cycling over two and half months, we were happy to call it a day.

Learning by teaching, teaching by learning

2006-08-14T21:52:00.000-07:00

I took up a demonstrating job at the same time as I started my PhD this year. Teaching itself is very new to me. I love the element of teaching, namely standing up in front of people and taking the central stage (just kidding). Public speaking is said to be the worst fear for most people (worse than death sometimes). The challenge for me, however, lies not in standing in front of people but in explaining, commanding, and entertaining in English which makes sense for everyone.

In the lab, I have to explain concepts and terms which are fundamental knowledge in psychology. Students are to get taste of different areas of psychology and decide which area they want to go into or even whether they want to keep psychology as their major or minor. Hence, the future of the psychology department is on our demonstrators' shoulders (well, a portion of it). Anyway, I take this job very seriously, partly because I don't want to disadvantage or discourage my students to study a fascinating subject, and partly because teaching teaches me a lot of things I haven't fully understood myself.

I'm experiencing first hand that knowing a subject (or thinking that you know it well) is one thing, but explaining it in a concise and comprehensible manner is entirely another thing. After living in an English-speaking country for over 7 years, I don't have much difficulty in conversing in daily life, but teaching a lab requires a different kind of communication skill. I sit at an experienced demonstrator’s lab every week. Although it's not compulsory, it's a vital lesson for me as we don't get other means of training. The demonstrator is a superb teacher in my eyes. His wide use of vocabulary amazes me each time. He is really good at capturing students' attention and creating a lively atmosphere. His explanation is clear and to the point. I have to tell myself the usual mantra "I have two more years to catch up with him, since he's been teaching for three years." This is the sort of mantra I tell myself whenever I fall into a trap of comparing myself with someone who is superior (this is called upward social comparison in psychology term, by the way). This always works for me. If you know some other magic wands, let me know.

PhD beginner

2006-08-12T19:07:00.000-07:00

I haven't introduced myself properly to you, have I? I'm a Japanese who is doing PhD in psychology at the University of Otago in New Zealand. I came to NZ in 1999 and have been here since then. My husband is a Dutch-Kiwi, who isn't a typical Kiwi who loves rugby and beers. Instead, he is into sumo and Haiku, and knows some aspects of Japanese culture better than me. We cycled the length of Japan last year, which was broadcast on local Kumamoto TV, RKK. For those who missed our footage and for our own sake, my husband set up a blog about the trip.

I've just submitted my 6-month self report review to my supervisor, which was the first substantial writing I did since I've started my PhD. My interest is in happiness (well-being in psychology term), and I'm looking at the relationship between life goals and various types of well-being (yes, there is more than one type of well-being!). You might ask why I chose this theme for my PhD? It occurred to me, one day, that everyone seems to be ultimately pursuing happiness, no matter what activities or work they choose to engage in. However, the pursuit has proven to be elusive, as not so many people are full heartedly content with their lives.

From the evolutionary perspective, we humans are not designed to be happy, but to keep on reproducing even in the state of misery. Also, some researchers argue that there is a biological set point of happiness which is rather stable across one's life span. In contrast, some argue that we are endowed with the capacity to experience happiness (positive affects), because that helps us to build our personal resources and thus a greater chance for survival. In modern society, we are bombarded with so much information and images every day, which portrait happy people who appear to be on top of the world. It's likely that the gap between the escalated expectation and reality makes people dissatisfied. However, that dissatisfaction does not put people off, but spurs people to try harder.

I can keep on going talking about happiness, but I'll leave you with the following quote for now.
"If you win a rat race, you are still a rat".

Pilates lessons

2006-08-11T20:08:00.000-07:00

I started Pilates about 6 weeks ago. I went through a pretty intense first 5 sessions that taught me the fundamental basics of Pilates, such as breathing, alignment, balance, posture, etc. Now, even walking down the street, my mind suddenly brings back those lessons and checks up on my walking style. It is indeed a good thing, but I've lost a sense of freedom somehow. It's as if my mind has taken over the control, enjoying a role of a commander to discipline my lazy body. Mind and body are supposedly connected, or so many believe. At the moment, however, I'm torn in between. I guess with time and practice, this dilemma will disappear.