Confessions of a Bad Blogger

I don't know how they do it.

You know, the blogging authors who chat online every day and churn out books like (insert cliche here.) They write, they blog, they update their myspace/facebook/bebo every day, and I assume they have lives outside the writing realm as well. I am in awe of them all.

Me, I am an inconsistent blogger. I know and I apologize. Thanks to those of you who have asked where the updates are. Here's what's going on with my life right now...

We are settled in our new house for the most part. I know where the mall is and we've got the pizza place on speed dial - what more could we need? Oh, yeah. Furniture. Soon. I hope.

I'm finishing up the final edits on Death By Bikini. I got a peek at the preliminary cover art and even though I can't share it online yet, I have to tell you - it's perfect! Just wait 'till you see it. You'll have to have it on your bookshelf, it's that cool.

And that's about it. Lots to keep me busy, not much exciting enough to write about. But I promise, I'll update more often, especially as we start getting closer to the Finnish Line release (October.) Believe me, I have a lot to say about the future of women's ski jumping. Once I get started, you may not be able to get me to stop.

Oh, and now that I am kind of caught up, I'm leaving you again. My Dear Husband and I are going on a cruise to Alaska for our anniversary (awwwww....) I promise to post pictures!

Meanwhile, thanks for your notes!

Ciao for now,

Gerb

Class of 2007!

The school year is drawing to a close. Saturday is graduation. It's exciting, but kind of sad at the same time.

We've lived near ASIJ, where my kids attend school, the past several years. I've subbed and volunteered on campus. Spent hours at sporting events, plays, concerts and special events. In that time, I've gotten to know a many of this year's graduating class, and become familiar with many more. I get teary thinking of how I won't be seeing them any longer. (Of course, since we're moving, we won't get to see any of the other kids, either, but it seems to be especially poignant with the graduating Seniors because they, too, are off to bigger and better things.)

The students at ASIJ hail from all over the world. After graduation, the Class of 2007 will literally scatter across the globe. Most of them will attend university. Some of them will travel. All of them will be taking a piece of my heart with them.

Congratulations, Class of 2007! Gambatte!

A Culture of Beauty

On May 28th, Japan's Riyo Mori was crowned Miss Universe in Mexico City. No, I didn't watch the pageant, but the fact that Miss Japan won has been a topic of some discussion here in the Land of the Rising Sun the past few days - the perfect lead-in to my assignment for this week - to write about beauty.

Actually the elusive question of beauty has been something I've been mulling over for some time, since reading Scott Westerfield's UGLIES. (I highly recommend his books in this series: UGLIES, PRETTIES and SPECIALS.) In Westerfield's futuristic world, children are raised to think of themselves as ugly until which time as they can undergo an extensive operation that will make them beautiful. The books give rise to the question: exactly what is beauty?

In Prettytown, beauty is defined as having clear skin, symmetrical features, silky hair and perfect, nubile bodies. This ideal is drilled into the heads of pre-operation children ('uglies') so much so that they willingly submit to giving up their individuality in order to become pretty.

Though the technology in Westerfield's world is more advanced and the emphasis on beauty taken to an extreme level, I couldn't help but draw parallels as I was reading to the very real pressures our societies place on being beautiful and the artificial lengths we will go to to achieve that beauty.

We may think we have come a long way from the old Chinese hobbling of women to achieve a dainty, small foot, or the Victorian corsets that displayed an abnormally-small waistline, but we still pander to our societies' definition of what Beauty is. In the Western world, we paint our faces and lacquer our nails, poke holes in various parts of our bodies to display jewelry, prick dye into our skin to adorn ourselves with art, inject toxins into our muscles to eliminate wrinkles and even submit to the knife to change our appearance.

What does this have to do with Ms. Mori?

Interestingly, when she was awarded the crown in the largest beauty pageant in the world, reactions here in Japan were diverse. Naturally, many are proud to see Asian beauty on display. Others question whether Ms. Mori, who attended school in B.C., Canada, is simply an Asian version of a Western ideal.

The latter I find very interesting because exactly what the ideal for beauty is in Japan these days is very confusing. Gaijin (foreign) models are often used in commercials and advertisements. Dolls and posters feature children with round, light-colored eyes. Many younger women bleach their hair. My daughter, who has blonde hair and blue eyes, was the darling of her Japanese elementary school. "Big eyes" are considered beautiful - eyes very unlike the traditional Japanese almond-shaped eyes. To what Asian ideal was Ms. Mori to aspire?

What differences in what is considered beautiful have you noticed in various societies/parts of the world?

What do you consider beautiful?

Does it even have to do with looks?




*(AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

Nearing the End

Another sleepless night...

Ever tried to sleep, but there's so much going on inside your head that you can't shut it off? That's been my weekend.

I'm wrapping up the anthology piece and having way too much fun reading all the warrior references. I keep getting sidetracked or caught up in figuring out how I can fit a certain bit of information in the piece. As soon as I finish that, it's back to the Death by Bikini revisions, also fun, but completely consuming.

Had a sad realization this morning while helping the second grade class with a research project at school. Mr. Laleman (librarian extraordinaire) mentioned that it would be the class's last research day this year.

Another last.

There's been a lot of those lately - the last trip to Oriental Bazaar, the last vocal jazz/choir concert, the last tutoring session. Before long, we will have run out of lasts and we'll be on the plane, bound for the States.

*sigh*

Meanwhile, the thoughts keep churning as I try to forget the mounting list of lasts and chip away at writing deadlines, end-of-year activities and moving tasks one by one.

Maybe in July I'll sleep.

Home, Sweet Home

The move is steadily approaching. In preparation, the DH and I flew to Ohio last week on a house-hunting trip. Believe me when I tell you, five jet-lagged days is not a lot to find and secure a new home. Especially when the photos you see on the online Realtor sites don't always look the same as viewing ahouse in person...

But we were successful! We found a great house in a quiet neighborhood, close to the schools and work. After the tight quarters in Japan, it seems huge. And it's surrounded by Trees! Trees! Trees! (Did I mention that I love trees?)

Aaah. Welcome to Ohio.

Empty Rooms

The movers took the final load yesterday, leaving each room looking like an Edward Hopper painting. Stark, sad, empty.

Rental furniture arrived later in the afternoon - we'll be here for another month - but it just isn't the same.

I console myself with the knowledge that somewhere in Ohio, a house is waiting for us, its empty rooms waiting to be filled.

If only we could bring Japan with us.

*sigh*

Idol Surprise?

Thanks to the magic of Slingbox, we were able to watch the American Idol final three results show last night. Sadly, we watched Melinda Doolittle take her final bow - which she predictably handled with class and with grace.

Do I think Melinda was consistently the best vocalist this season? Absolutely. Was I surprised to see her eliminated? Truly? No.

All over the internet we're seeing articles referring to her ouster as "shocking." However (IMO) the result show - much like the entire season - lacked the kind of suspense that would render anything "shocking." Not only was this season just not that exciting, but by now we should all know that it isn't necessarily about who's best, it's about who gets the most votes. And Melinda's camp just wasn't as large as Jordin's and Blake's.

The good news is that Melinda should have a stellar career, with or without the Idol nod. She's just that good (And look at Chris Daughtry. His elimination last year really was a shocker, but he's far surpassed either Katherine or, um, whatsisname in the year since.)

So who do you want to win next week? Blake, with his beat boxing and awesome performance style or Jordin, with her pipes and likability?

Neither one would be a surprise.

Movin' On

The movers come tomorrow to take our boat shipment. This means that we sort out the bare essentials that we really need with us for the next month and a half, and they are going to take everything else. We'll have rental furniture delivered when our things are cleared out. Simple, yes?

Not even.

We are learning how complicated a move from Japan can be. For one thing, the roads in the neighborhood are so narrow that a regular sized moving truck is an impossibility. Instead, our movers will load up a small truck, drive it down to the dock, load it on the crate and then come back for another load. This will stretch the move across THREE DAYS.

Meanwhile, we are not allowed to throw the stuff we no longer want away. We have to buy stickers from the city for those items that they will recycle. For other things, we need to flag down the little man who drives through the neighborhood every so often, collecting cast offs. Glass and ceramics can be disposed of in once location, wood and clothing in another etc., etc.. It's a real adventure.

During this process, I have been amazed to discover the amount of STUFF that we have accumulated over the past four years. And you know what? I don't want to take it all with me! Someone once said that our possessions take up room in our psyche as well as in our homes. The more we have, the more we have to keep track of, and we are burdened. Boy, are we burdened.

I wonder if we have any of those recycle stickers left over...

A Long Goodbye

Yes, it's been a very long time since I posted on my blog - and not for lack of anything to say, either. Life has been, as life tends to be, very busy.

Sadly, our time in Japan is drawing to a close. My husband's company has decided that his talents are needed in the States and so we will be moving in June to Dublin, Ohio.

Some of you who have read NOW AND ZEN may recognize Dublin as Atsushi's home while his Dad worked for Honda. Little did I know that I would be following in Atsushi's footsteps! My family and I did live in Ohio years ago, so we are looking forward to being back in the Buckeye state. If only we didn't have to leave Japan to do so!

The exciting news is that I will be in the States this fall when S.A.S.S. - THE FINNISH LINE comes out. Watch this space for celebratory plans and contests!

Now, a word about THE FINNISH LINE... The main character in the book is Maureen (Mo) Clark, a Nordic Ski Jumper from Park City, Utah. During her stay in Finland, she confronts prejudice both in and out of her sport. While Mo's adventures are fiction, real world women ski jumpers are facing blatant discrimination right now as they continued to be barred from competing in the Olympics. Please stay tuned for updates on these phenomenal athletes' progress as they fight for the right to be included in what should be an open and politic-free event, and to see how you can show your support for Women's Ski Jumping!

Meanwhile, life is calling, and it's telling me to pack!

Wings to fly?

The Women's Ski Jumping team is in Sapporo this week! Go USA!

Did you know that the US team features some of the top Nordic Ski Jumpers IN THE WORLD?! I have seen them compete. These women are truly amazing.

And yet...

The IOC still holds to their misguided notion that Women's Ski Jumping is not "ready" for the Olympics. Are they insane??? The idea that the sport is too 'young' and that the committee has to 'watch' it is ridiculous. Nordic Ski Jumping has been an Olympic sport for nearly a century. For men, that is. Not for women.

Discriminate much?

The Olympic Committee is not just watching to see how the sport progresses, they are watching to see what kind of ratings women can draw. Ratings = money = the bottom line. No ratings, no event. Shame on them.

Women deserve an opportunity to compete in the Olympics, just like the men. It's time for the IOC to step into the new millenium and give women equal opportunities in ALL sports.