The place where Broadway and musicals are located.
The place where I will begin the next chapter of my nomadic life.
The place where I turn into an eccentric academic out of sync with normality.
NEW YORK.
Welcome.
The place where Broadway and musicals are located.
The place where I will begin the next chapter of my nomadic life.
The place where I turn into an eccentric academic out of sync with normality.
New York.
An aspiring hikikomori/ gomiyashiki owner who will get 3 dogs, 1 cat and a herb
garden when she is in her 40s.
Currently a second year Phd student in East Asian Studies, NYU; a self-proclaimed OTAKU; a
clumsy but avid snowboarder; and absent oneechama of Variel.
8 Sept 2010: West Side Story, WICKED
19 Sept 2010: Chicago
8 Oct 2010: Promises Promises
29 Oct 2010: Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake
14 Nov 2010: American Idiot
18 Jan 2011: Billy Elliot
8 Feb 2011: La Cage Aux Folles
6 Mar 2011: Paul Taylor Dance Group
5 Apr 2011: Catch Me If You Can (Broadway preview)
2 Dec 2011: La Boheme
9 Jan 2012: Rent
22 Mar 2012: Phantom of the Opera
23 May 2012: Avenue Q
26 Sep 2012: Newsies
2 Oct 2012: Turandot
4 Oct 2012: Once
15 Oct 2012: Sleep No More
28 Nov 2012: Lion King
7 Feb 2013: Book of Mormons
14 Mar 2013: Jersey Boys
25 Mar 2013: Sleep No More
21 May 2013: Kinky Boots
26 Sep 2013: Big Fish
Monday, June 02, 2008
10:32 PM
Ainori in Republic of Benin
Just happened to catch ainori today. For those who don't know about Ainori, read it up at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ainori. Basically, it's a reality program with 7 young men and women riding a pink bus on a trip around the world. Today's episode really shows how ignorant young Japanese are nowadays and at the same time, it shows the voice of one of the people in Africa and the legacy of slavery. Their guide happens to be a native of that country and he could speak really fluent japanese.
Benin houses one of the ports that ships slaves out to America. So the guide gave them a simplified version of slavery with all the horrors those slaves had to experience, plus how Europe and America got to become a 'first world country' due to all the exploitation of the people and resource in Africa.
So after all these history lessons, the guide asked them for their opinions. They laughingly said that they are not familiar with history and don't know how to answer him. Worse, they couldn't answer the guide when he started asking them about Japan's history! The guide got really pissed off at them, though I must say that I wasn't really surprised. Oh, but I was quite surprised at their lack of knowledge on their own history. Cos I have always felt that most (not all!) Japanese are very inward looking, facing only their present and immediate problems. After the tongue-lashing they got from the guide and after the guide left for the night, one guy actually had the nerve to say that there is no need to learn about history to become a better person. What a silly thing to say. You only become wiser if you learn from the mistakes of the past.
But think about it! One of the problems for Africa's poverty is slavery. However, Blacks (African-American, if I want to be politically correct, but I don't want to hide behind euphemisms) are doing much better in USA than people in Africa. I bet that they don't even feel a remote sense of familiarity with Africa. Just like us 'overseas Chinese' and the coolie system. One of the nicest difference that separates us from the rest of the overseas Chinese around the world is the fact that we get to have our own country and BE the majority in power it in. Hmm.. I guess in a way, we are a little better off than blacks in America.
Btw, another group of people who suffered this kind of forced 'immigration' are the Zainichis (Korean-Japanese?) in Japan. But this is another set of dynamics where they could easily pass of as a Japanese if they so wish at the expense of deleting their identity. For a brief overwiew, check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koreans_in_Japan
