tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25292781560197432522023-11-16T19:52:38.471+09:00stratiSphereLiving and working as a designer / teacher in Japan and around the world.Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838353944891046238noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2529278156019743252.post-2603413495144380182016-01-20T18:43:00.004+09:002016-01-21T02:39:50.818+09:00Symbols and their Historic and Practical Contexts<h4>
Important changes for understanding.</h4>
Hypothetically, you've been placed on the lucky team of Graphic Designers who are charged with designing maps for the 2020 Olympics that is being held in Tokyo. Sentimental or Practical?<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEi_G-AO_H11OCXEgjyrIprNKkkM6MaWTXZKX0q-z_TdpUUQosMxEgr2-VtJwbTHjadmIXaT9cWJgvJS5YAdkPoDLUwj_agOeXj016stbxPS3UWm6tsHmCLCj-Y-QFg9CSZpQ8OLd3vj35bgUe7kU5sNynxW1wdFrD69FvKQCqQNZbWGtj1E2KFwP-igMyJKV8_82kk6" /><br />
<a name='more'></a>A friend of mine shared this <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35349619">link to a BBC article</a> and comment with me today:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"I think they should leave them the way they are."</blockquote>
And this got me thinking...<br />
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A small part of me agrees with my friend. I suspect it's the part of me that turned Japanese, out of necessity, in order to empathetically understand and function in Japan. (I consider myself lucky and honored to have the experience of living and working in Japan.)<br />
<h4>
Preface</h4>
IF you arent familiar with this issue and haven't read the article, it basically talks about map/cultural symbols used to aid visitors in navigating areas around Tokyo for the Olympic games. I'll stick to the swastika in this post. To also be clear thre are only plans (that I know of) to change the tourist symbols and probably only in areas related to the Olympic games.<br />
<b>Culture is perpetually evolving. And to some degree, so are symbols.</b><br />
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<h4>
Sentimental Perspective</h4>
From the perspective of a historian or Buddhist the swastika shouldn't have to change to be politically correct; that is to say that, just because some people may not know the history of the swastika means that the symbol should not be replaced for them. History happens in a specific way but there are many perspectives included which are created by the people involved and its our responsibility to understand history from the contextually relevant perspectives.<br />
Symbols are reused and variations are created over time, but any one variation should not be allowed to taint and augment our modern perception, most of us who think about this have probably gotten to this point where the symbol should be stronger and last longer than the taint of misinformation and how modern society has come to understand a particular symbol. All that said, I believe its important to educate people (in a contextually appropriate way) to know the difference between the ancient use of this symbol and the modern altered version as well as it's limited uses.<br />
<h4>
Practical Perspective</h4>
How much effort is needed to understand a symbol? Controversy and abstract meanings are avoided as much as possible. Get to the core of the meaning is the main job of a symbol. Keep it simple.<br />
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For example, a tourist is visiting Tokyo for the first time and finds themselves at a public map outside a subway station, is the context here and the relevant perspective is that they have to interpret said map and understand what they are looking at and where it is in relation to their location. <br />
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That same small part of me that agrees that the symbol should be unaltered, is also confused by double standards. They only plan to change the tourist maps, presumably that they will provide visitors at information desks/kiosks/police boxes/etc.. Natives get one version, non-natives get a altered version.<br />
<h4>
A decision is pending</h4>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"The proposed new symbols would be, for now, used only in maps for foreign tourists"</blockquote>
The end result of my thoughts which lead me to say that symbols should be redesigned from time to time, but religious symbols are not the same as a hospital sign. The strictly religious symbols should weigh more than the others like a hospital sign or whatever. If any changes are to be made they should be made across the board, from now on, on new maps/signs. <br />
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From a designer's point of view, on why its a such a heavy issue... is that a symbol, as we know is the foundation of purity and should be immediately obvious to all, in contextual proximity. We (as a society) can no longer plead ignorance and should have global standards in terms of international relations. So dont change the religious symbol (minor alterations/revisions are cool though, of course.) but practical things like police/emergency/stuff should be standardized every so often.<br />
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In a perfect world every country would share the same or similar symbols for important things if nothing but out of simple respect.
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<a name='more'></a><br />
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"Two and a Half Oyajis" is a kind of weekly discussion between some of the leaders/popular people in the community. If you have some free time and don't mind the usual banter in tight communities then I recommend having a look at the link below.<br />
<a href="http://2halfoyajis.blogspot.jp/">http://2halfoyajis.blogspot.jp/</a><br />
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Generally they talk about personal experiences concerning living in Japan.Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838353944891046238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2529278156019743252.post-51993597313709250872014-10-15T03:18:00.003+09:002014-10-15T03:33:35.739+09:00Japan's FutureIn 1950 Japan started down a new path to enter the world on a global scale. I believe that about 75 years after that new beginning, Japan will be ready. That's in 2025. <br />
<a name='more'></a>Twelve years from now. Many of but not most of the people who experienced that change will no longer be around. But to be honest it really takes 100 years or two generations for enough change to take place and enough life and death to run its course, to really see any significant change in society.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixmoCeLSKIfCxlTVSPznZ0qAS6uzz9xlCyT412y8aDqthhExdIfgI39aAj9yB5h94-qZECQ4Q_CpLva-ati8_v4Qjn5Vj_o-umEfa2HE0D08m1ATo6Op7TevG_oGDT1QydXr6ehZ6D_ck/s1600/Japan+Population+Estimate_decline_graph_benzinga.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixmoCeLSKIfCxlTVSPznZ0qAS6uzz9xlCyT412y8aDqthhExdIfgI39aAj9yB5h94-qZECQ4Q_CpLva-ati8_v4Qjn5Vj_o-umEfa2HE0D08m1ATo6Op7TevG_oGDT1QydXr6ehZ6D_ck/s1600/Japan+Population+Estimate_decline_graph_benzinga.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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As it i s now, many of the people who lived through the war or were raised by people who were affected by the war are in power. Either they are the majority voting or they are running companies. See in Japan seniority is valued in a company and regardless of talent people who have more experience get the higher positions.<br />
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<a href="http://canthotv.vn/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/dansogia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://canthotv.vn/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/dansogia.jpg" /></a></div>
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Here are some other articles on this topic:
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/nathanlewis/2014/09/11/japans-graying-population-needs-new-solutions-not-old-failures/" target="_blank">forbes - Japan's Greying - new solutions not old failiers</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn24822-japans-ageing-population-could-actually-be-good-news.html#.VD1oyrDLdxU" target="_blank">newScientist - Japan's ageing population could actually be good news</a></li>
</ul>
Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838353944891046238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2529278156019743252.post-11999408156483139772014-10-15T02:02:00.003+09:002014-10-15T03:33:19.934+09:00Dreams and their Purpose<h3>
Why do we dream?</h3>
For years now I've thought that dreams are the minds way of processing our worries and fears and problems that we have.<br />
<a name='more'></a> I personally do not recall my dreams in a conscious way and therefore do not consciously learn from them. But I am sure there are people who can remember their dreams and could potentially learn from them.<br />
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What is the difference between people like myself who cannot recall their dreams and those that can? </blockquote>
Well I recently came accross some information in various formats that talks about this in depth. For now I will leave this video here to better talk detail what I am talking about. Basically Dr. Kaku mentions dreams are scientifically proven to be valuable. He talks about the different parts of the brain and the parts they play in dreaming. If you have any thoughts/comments/questions feel free to comment on this post.<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/h7eYt4ZmkR8" width="640"></iframe>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838353944891046238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2529278156019743252.post-59881293696646089562013-10-14T23:45:00.000+09:002013-10-14T23:45:02.578+09:00Japan Photos 2013<div id="fb-root">
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Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838353944891046238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2529278156019743252.post-31236511770986691522013-06-29T02:04:00.002+09:002014-10-15T03:33:54.429+09:00Immigration and the Writing Perspective<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 17px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">How immersion can cloud the waters of writing.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-3a03d562-8bb9-fdd9-8578-95b16b2ce841"><span style="font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">By Alex Stratis 06.28.13</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.dream-wallpaper.com/free-wallpaper/nature-wallpaper/clear-water-and-blue-sky-1-wallpaper/1440x900/free-wallpaper-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.dream-wallpaper.com/free-wallpaper/nature-wallpaper/clear-water-and-blue-sky-1-wallpaper/1440x900/free-wallpaper-11.jpg" height="250" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Perspective and writing about being an immigrant is like swimming in the ocean or lake. </span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At first everything is clear, you enter the water and are at the surface. At first you have a clear concept of being in air and as you swim down and water surrounds you, you begin to lose perspective on what its like to be surrounded by air. Then as you touch the bottom of the ocean/lake you begin to get used to being there. After a while you notice that you are kicking up stuff from the ground and the water becomes less clear and even more unclear is the memory of what its like to be above water.</span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-18f2f04a-8bb8-73e1-6620-295212be40fe" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s very much like moving to a new country. At first you have a clear idea of both places and gradually you get so immersed that your new perspective clouds you memories of your old home.</span></div>
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<a href="http://images.all-free-download.com/images/graphiclarge/muddy_sea_water_191586.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://images.all-free-download.com/images/graphiclarge/muddy_sea_water_191586.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Writing is directly tied to this phenomenon and so when everything is normal and nothing is new and interesting like it used to be, without context its hard to find new stuff to write about.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How to solve this? Get out of your comfort zone, explore more, if you can visit other countries, constantly compare mundane stuff and eventually topics will be obvious.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Koichi can gather topics from the US about Japan because he is swimming around at the surface and doesn't have a clouded perspective.</span>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838353944891046238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2529278156019743252.post-60489547192260812662013-03-13T00:17:00.003+09:002014-10-15T03:34:28.075+09:00Save the Planet<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" mozallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="http://embed.ted.com/talks/allan_savory_how_to_green_the_world_s_deserts_and_reverse_climate_change.html" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe>
“Desertification is a fancy word for land that is turning to desert,” begins Allan Savory in this quietly powerful talk. <br />
<a name='more'></a>And it's happening to about two-thirds of the world’s grasslands, accelerating climate change and causing traditional grazing societies to descend into social chaos. Savory has devoted his life to stopping it. He now believes -- and his work so far shows -- that a surprising factor can protect grasslands and even reclaim degraded land that was once desert.Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838353944891046238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2529278156019743252.post-20024074535719600682013-02-15T12:57:00.001+09:002014-10-11T21:15:32.511+09:00What is love?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; float: left; text-align: center;">
Love is a sea of dreams. </div>
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When we go swimming in this sea, sometimes we just paddle around in the shallow parts and the Shores of Friendship are so close that it's hard to tell that we are indeed in (the sea of) Love.<br />
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Love is the comfort of a combination of atmosphere and personality. We choose our atmosphere and our personalities are our experiences up until now.<br />
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The result of time and place are the feelings of the waves that can be gentle or crashing.<br />
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If you've found yourself deep in (the sea of) love sometimes it's disorienting, which way is up? When do we come up for air? (take a breather)<br />
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Love takes patience, responsibility, time, effort, risk, luck, and trust.<br />
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Love gives us an insight to the core of humanity and really life in general as all things understand love. Because we all go for a swim in some way during our short lives. <br />
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We can only find love if we know where the shore of friendship is in relation to the deserts of being alone.<br />
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Love is a sea of different emotions. <br />
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Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838353944891046238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2529278156019743252.post-44231558719683910982013-01-11T20:21:00.001+09:002013-01-11T20:21:28.959+09:00Livewire - Fading Light<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/JvuHMaeyGJY" width="480"></iframe>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838353944891046238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2529278156019743252.post-5576624058689881302012-12-17T22:43:00.001+09:002014-10-15T03:34:08.178+09:00The Strict Social Code of Japan: Answers!The following is some insight from my own personal experiences working in a large Japanese corporation in Chubu, Japan. <br />
<a name='more'></a>Please take what I say with a grain of salt as its only meant to give you a general idea of what you can experience in Japan.<br />
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When a society, like Japan, follows a strict social code, anyone who isn't aware of how to read the code and provide a sign that you understand the code, will notice some differences in how one is treated.<br />
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Don't worry though! I've had some time to learn some of this code and will share some of my insight with you in a series of entries so please subscribe and stay tuned for more.<br />
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I'll keep an index of the different topics related to this subject on a page called Social Japan.Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838353944891046238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2529278156019743252.post-39119613123504184042012-10-18T18:54:00.001+09:002012-10-18T18:57:34.415+09:00Old Japan 1<iframe width="480" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/iVcAbsiSwaw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
I spend a lot of time every day looking for a worthy shot, sometimes i focus on my iphone and sometimes on a better quality shot on my D7000. This slideshow is a collection of timeless images shown in a simple fashion to some quirky traditional music. The music is about a lone traveler. Most of the photos were taken in Aichi ken where I now live. Dont forget to like the video if you fond it interesting! :)Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838353944891046238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2529278156019743252.post-17147188115187308372012-10-01T23:28:00.000+09:002014-03-27T23:04:28.501+09:00S.P.Y. What The Future Holds<h3>
The music I listen to</h3>
The genre is called Drum and Bass and just as the name implies its full of percussion. But its more than that as (if you don't already know) you will find in this post. This music is run at a quick tempo of around 160-180bpm which is on a whole different rhythm level compared to most other music. I aim to share some great resources for quality Drum and Bass here in this post.<br />
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<td valign="top">Every so often I invest in the audio pleasure I get from the people I tune in to, over at bassdrive.com (which is an internet radio station for some of the best drum and bass around the world)
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"Hospital Records is an independent record label based in South London. Primarily releasing Drum and bass, the label was started in 1996 by Tony Colman and Chris Goss, and has grown in recent years to become one of the most well known labels within UK dance music. The label is home to artists such as High Contrast, Netsky, London Elektricity, Danny Byrd, Camo & Krooked, B-complex, Mistabishi, Logistics, Nu:Tone, S.P.Y., and Cyantific to list a few artists. " -wikipedia</blockquote>
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I subscribe to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/HospitalRecords">Hospital Records Youtube Channel</a> which provides some timely updates of music videos to their releases! What else could you want from a record company right? Recently (as of this post) they released a video (below) for the track by S.P.Y. entitled "You" which was the catalyst for me to invest in this album. Check some of the track on this albom below:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-X079aEWKlw?list=UUw49uOTAJjGUdoAeUcp7tOg&hl=en_US" width="640"></iframe>
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ZNee8GwuufQ?list=UUw49uOTAJjGUdoAeUcp7tOg&hl=en_US" width="640"></iframe>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/O6m22UChVHQ" width="640"></iframe>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/dmCNMsA0cOc" width="640"></iframe>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/aDVBR42twnQ" width="640"></iframe>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ABIopB_9HOU" width="640"></iframe>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/EQxRkNhyZAs" width="640"></iframe>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-6TrETi9KgA" width="640"></iframe>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/zjHrvQVUnHM" width="640"></iframe>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/UyjLOPU-YMc?list=UUw49uOTAJjGUdoAeUcp7tOg&hl=en_US" width="640"></iframe>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/O6m22UChVHQ?list=UUw49uOTAJjGUdoAeUcp7tOg&hl=en_US" width="640"></iframe>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/3UZtKNRjsbY" width="640"></iframe>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/2H7smcpT7no" width="640"></iframe>
If liked what you heard, check out the rest of the album at <a href="http://shop.hospitalrecords.com/product/NHS219/">their store</a> either on their website or on <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/gb/preorder/what-future-holds-special/id558853529">itunes</a>.Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838353944891046238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2529278156019743252.post-82070282588896794592012-09-30T20:57:00.002+09:002012-09-30T20:57:20.780+09:00Beautiful Japan<h3>
Nature in Japan</h3>
I really like these videos. All made by the same Japanese man. He also makes video about his cats but After I watch these nature videos I feel so at peace. Take a few minutes to enjoy the beauty of Japan!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/MA-jscMsS2g?list=PLDnqnuhR81VKf8Qnl3-Ps5g9vwhVjchMC&hl=en_US" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/z6lBn4tk45Y?list=PLDnqnuhR81VKf8Qnl3-Ps5g9vwhVjchMC&hl=en_US" width="640"></iframe><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/cSmvfKqgWeQ?list=PLB892CA8AD472114D&hl=en_US" width="640"></iframe><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/MA-jscMsS2g?list=PLDnqnuhR81VKf8Qnl3-Ps5g9vwhVjchMC&hl=en_US" width="640"></iframe><br />
<br />
Check out his youtube channel: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/Nyanta8355" target="_blank">Nyanta8355</a><br />
If you want to see more of my nature videos, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLB892CA8AD472114D" target="_blank">check out my nature playlist</a>.<br />
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Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838353944891046238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2529278156019743252.post-21301943909931371622012-09-17T22:48:00.001+09:002013-06-16T21:22:13.546+09:00Free English Teaching Material<h3>
Learning to use the English language</h3>
<div>
When anyone is learning to use a new language its good for them to use the new alphabet/collection of characters in various ways outside of writing or reading. For me this means creating little 'cards' of each character so that words can be explored in a hands on way outside of writing.</div>
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Writing in English</h3>
<div>
While writing in English can be very beneficial to learning the language there are different parts of the brain that understand its creation (motor memory) and another part that aids in understanding what the letter means. This is my theory anyway. I don't know the science behind this. So be cause a lot of people get caught up in what style to use or where the letters are placed I've decided to add a different way to learn spelling/reading.</div>
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Writing in Japanese</h3>
<div>
Japanese language doesn't use spaces or capitals or lowercase and therefore when kids are learning to read and write in both languages at the same time they will often forget to put spaces between words when they write in English. They can also completely miss out on punctuation and capitalization.<br />
<h3>
Spelling Without Writing</h3>
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I've decided to share this in case anyone can use it too! Save this photo below, print it out on some nice paper. Then cut along the grey lines and laminate it.</div>
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Once your kids have learned their ABCs, its time to make sure that they don't have to chant it every time to single out letters. This will aid in that process. It will also help in getting them to think about both capital letter and lowercase as you can have them match big and small. You can also have them recreate the alphabet or even spell out words.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BzmujJSuseb1UkdBajhkYXJsSnM/edit?usp=sharing" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www-03.ibm.com/software/lotus/symphony/gallery.nsf/GalleryClipArtAll/8CE0CE18AB15F52185257596003225D4/$File/Icon-Document03-Blue.png" width="140" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://stratisphere-design.com/spelling_letters_stratiSphere.jpg" style="font-size: medium;" target="_blank">Download: Spelling Letters - right click and 'save link as</a><span style="font-size: small;">'</span> </td></tr>
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Let me know of you use this and if you have any ideas for other teaching materials!</div>
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Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838353944891046238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2529278156019743252.post-48986222191766611652012-08-02T16:30:00.001+09:002012-08-08T10:48:57.130+09:00Leaving Hamamatsu<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnTh-qt1NkZrHCpypn6o42DtxS44LoK6tHjGmeyGTd_a5vhI4xQQb5XJgp-0a6YTQiJrxYoqHTEXnrlI5mE4weLh0z_-ZXjJL1QBBqSMQCodf78y0b9zqrf28mKptxYJl6F3ahecmxPw/s640/blogger-image-869966683.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnTh-qt1NkZrHCpypn6o42DtxS44LoK6tHjGmeyGTd_a5vhI4xQQb5XJgp-0a6YTQiJrxYoqHTEXnrlI5mE4weLh0z_-ZXjJL1QBBqSMQCodf78y0b9zqrf28mKptxYJl6F3ahecmxPw/s640/blogger-image-869966683.jpg" /></a></div>
I arrived in Hamamatsu on November 2nd, 2011. For the past nine months I have called Shizuoka-ken my home away from home. Some of things I love about Hamamatsu are as follows: The best thing about Hamamatsu is the climate. While I might have been lucky that it has been relatively mild, temperature wise, I feel like by default, the climate in Hama is drier and cooler than most places in Japan that I've had the privilege to visit. That alone makes it a special place.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPPQLHC07Q3SKHJD2g6qnF2n7ytqAsX1LET0PMrZ2hUKFn5WqEfDf9fkdQ-3ATjRI0ZOGwF1YJOgsMvthCnP0hm8O7zw8Yq45u1IoDet_8WIsymlYUIcsBnPib24uZucFqA0qvIwNNVA/s640/blogger-image--2032874120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPPQLHC07Q3SKHJD2g6qnF2n7ytqAsX1LET0PMrZ2hUKFn5WqEfDf9fkdQ-3ATjRI0ZOGwF1YJOgsMvthCnP0hm8O7zw8Yq45u1IoDet_8WIsymlYUIcsBnPib24uZucFqA0qvIwNNVA/s400/blogger-image--2032874120.jpg" width="298" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMCUUVVgusN4rAuVKU54dBe7R9GuP_-bfLlBtP5hyphenhyphenPjXUAf1X-VnQWHB-IbWlUtw7Z6YMwigBB2l52C1cbjoi74qe8SaGfsuOhWcGFNKSUquY7VGCg1agOARmzGmzgKXC9FDrXoHmuew/s640/blogger-image--1627545789.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMCUUVVgusN4rAuVKU54dBe7R9GuP_-bfLlBtP5hyphenhyphenPjXUAf1X-VnQWHB-IbWlUtw7Z6YMwigBB2l52C1cbjoi74qe8SaGfsuOhWcGFNKSUquY7VGCg1agOARmzGmzgKXC9FDrXoHmuew/s400/blogger-image--1627545789.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
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I was lucky to meet some wonderful folks too! In particular there are a few people who have shown mind-blowing support and kindness. I will miss weekend bike rides to the beautiful pine tree coast that Hamamatsu gets its name from. From the mountains, to the ocean, to the rivers, and the Hamanako lake; the natural majesty and diversity has been a true pleasure to experience. While I look forward to a different experience elsewhere I will never forget Hamamatsu, it's people or it's natural surroundings!<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR2yvC40ejUfcyB-IdoJ39uJka-bJQIpDwiUh0pyY4D9wl6YVK3KUlJ2_KcbQiY9uL9JvlyuRa_qOfO6zeT34YHrM6RtczjA-aq_yBFjHBVA_QnJKedXSYpGbRserJb0nnkkF4Kdwvfw/s640/blogger-image--1413075925.jpg" /></div>
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Hamamatsu will always be my second home, my first real home away from home. Perhaps someday I will find myself guided by the strong Hamamatsu wind once more.<br />
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Thank you Hamamatsu :)Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838353944891046238noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2529278156019743252.post-77245840515141783762012-07-31T02:15:00.003+09:002012-08-14T01:37:58.512+09:00Geography is everything<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">This really resonates with me, all the wars we fight and all the people that die from violence for example are all a victim of the struggle of geography. Food water all a result of geography. It needs to be more important in education. Good video/message, hope you find a chance to watch it.</span><br />
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</span>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838353944891046238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2529278156019743252.post-41828400623236243222012-07-10T20:40:00.000+09:002012-07-10T20:40:51.791+09:00Learning the Japanese LanguageLanguage has always been important to me.<br />
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I have been listening to Japanese for 12 years. I took a class in Japanese in my second year of high school. <br />
But I've had mixed spats of study in the realm of grammar and verb conjugation , ect. I've taken a few university courses and went to Japan while in Art school. Long story short Japan and its language has always been a part of my life in some way. <br />
Now I live there and am feverishly trying to improve what little I do know of the language.<br />
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What I lack most is practice in speaking. But this is also complicated by my weak grasp on taking what I know and adding grammar and new vocabulary to the right situations in a timely manner.<br />
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So while my speaking confidence is low, my listening confidence is much better and I can generally listen to someone talk in their native speed and manage to provide the right combinations of responses so that they can continue trusting that I understand what they have said. In reality, I maybe understand 40-50% of what they have said depending on the topic. Having been living here for the last nine months I have picked up a lot but not nearly enough as I would have liked.<br />
I have heard from people who have gone on before me that it generally takes three years to get to conversation level. But they studied hard everyday. I'll talk more about this another time.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixBIdn_0OvSiZ2_seDQ0QWCzAsz-M9hV_u6YWStp5r3_c9sZQizX7Ga6BeEkGma1b-y8-6P2RtXUTgTn0b4JDkOqzHF_iM6coqhBdvTGCAxkzbg6wnYINnMfoRHZIZk7a0xv-Xu8eAmg/s640/blogger-image-595423640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixBIdn_0OvSiZ2_seDQ0QWCzAsz-M9hV_u6YWStp5r3_c9sZQizX7Ga6BeEkGma1b-y8-6P2RtXUTgTn0b4JDkOqzHF_iM6coqhBdvTGCAxkzbg6wnYINnMfoRHZIZk7a0xv-Xu8eAmg/s400/blogger-image-595423640.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A strong bridge between two people (or more) is the language they speak. This is a metaphoric bridge (located in Toyokawa, Toyohashi-shi, Aichi-ken, Japan.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838353944891046238noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2529278156019743252.post-25931001836634784052012-05-04T23:22:00.000+09:002012-05-04T23:55:06.526+09:00What I see<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMJ-_Lyl3d-Ryzbj9z-x9AcVWfP-AItFIC8x4-p7aCIUPlYQrErc4vIrU8zfUtFT4xJARYKTCoCNkuQYj6i7WKSqyDS9qWQTJQjJ_gg00FMxs3pMtrbPM6m3uo8i5ztGWChVldlj155g/s1600/stratisSphere-9625.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMJ-_Lyl3d-Ryzbj9z-x9AcVWfP-AItFIC8x4-p7aCIUPlYQrErc4vIrU8zfUtFT4xJARYKTCoCNkuQYj6i7WKSqyDS9qWQTJQjJ_gg00FMxs3pMtrbPM6m3uo8i5ztGWChVldlj155g/s640/stratisSphere-9625.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Osaka Donjon</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ7GBS5yXDht802-UWjSu7FP5RR2qS2XOHfxVZAafYBO5TXqp2U_EQfZNETQMOnoeVq2jhjyV58WkCdU7rsbbw4A_iJJohtIyCPIGVwEWAOaAdaC1Xe4iNwtwNl7ZDU5NZNelDaBQJow/s1600/stratisSphere-0154.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ7GBS5yXDht802-UWjSu7FP5RR2qS2XOHfxVZAafYBO5TXqp2U_EQfZNETQMOnoeVq2jhjyV58WkCdU7rsbbw4A_iJJohtIyCPIGVwEWAOaAdaC1Xe4iNwtwNl7ZDU5NZNelDaBQJow/s640/stratisSphere-0154.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hamamatsu Station</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjiYP8KQMZhNLbjPw6ACfJyQzDqh2s41-TD3Wv2bG4jE0agFWIiE2EeCtSuNt2YLNmNrol-L0sjp7oOVf6pJnoYW82ODipubGluETByRUOs6x1ak2Jsph_Vf0ml7OgZxXRhDfnf8eNxw/s1600/stratisSphere-0151.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjiYP8KQMZhNLbjPw6ACfJyQzDqh2s41-TD3Wv2bG4jE0agFWIiE2EeCtSuNt2YLNmNrol-L0sjp7oOVf6pJnoYW82ODipubGluETByRUOs6x1ak2Jsph_Vf0ml7OgZxXRhDfnf8eNxw/s640/stratisSphere-0151.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Toyohashi City at Night</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE-OhcF-1S3rYTDUwPjS9IN6sAfisTtFD4fhsonbBKksZ3k0KrcS5zrk7lY-xCf7i0y6aJmNWxfDelwL84vzD1kJoH5HT62vG33BMdEL1RZwwCNgTd4vAkXCzGLHZc-FcIzcpIUacbdw/s1600/stratisSphere-0164.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE-OhcF-1S3rYTDUwPjS9IN6sAfisTtFD4fhsonbBKksZ3k0KrcS5zrk7lY-xCf7i0y6aJmNWxfDelwL84vzD1kJoH5HT62vG33BMdEL1RZwwCNgTd4vAkXCzGLHZc-FcIzcpIUacbdw/s640/stratisSphere-0164.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnOwaTMK79ufg7VMn0gcT14N91D25TKCDep_7mrYNssImzzD4LrptMeIsn9GdPdgeaN9ooO9KHCfeRFLeqIt-qgyhO0ulyAtNYZ9AMZBYiq9uJU6NndGJO1_B9zdZMIFA66z9_sv0mKw/s1600/stratisSphere-0165.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnOwaTMK79ufg7VMn0gcT14N91D25TKCDep_7mrYNssImzzD4LrptMeIsn9GdPdgeaN9ooO9KHCfeRFLeqIt-qgyhO0ulyAtNYZ9AMZBYiq9uJU6NndGJO1_B9zdZMIFA66z9_sv0mKw/s640/stratisSphere-0165.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perfect Flower</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEQ6AO-o3xuX0_yP4wglZPuBBEAWRMwa67ORnsdq7y76QVvsA38una9t3n0N7TpIIARXkq0jkJ5qjHAieImii-ODsacJ51WC4HK6IHve1UHqWGMCOojrr1rZffzGxRLH39C-kjDB2Gpw/s1600/stratisSphere-0168.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEQ6AO-o3xuX0_yP4wglZPuBBEAWRMwa67ORnsdq7y76QVvsA38una9t3n0N7TpIIARXkq0jkJ5qjHAieImii-ODsacJ51WC4HK6IHve1UHqWGMCOojrr1rZffzGxRLH39C-kjDB2Gpw/s640/stratisSphere-0168.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuD2M4WRFn7-uN5z3C90vLhJtftEG4YGb-hrXTPij9EebuXXGXIlX7sajzedLZnEDMM6f05Qla31GCsJlcs0JuNbgej24WC8__AlZpH8Wd8w_s7IAgk8ycswRWIfAFqa7vF8eDtcuWSA/s1600/stratisSphere-0169.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuD2M4WRFn7-uN5z3C90vLhJtftEG4YGb-hrXTPij9EebuXXGXIlX7sajzedLZnEDMM6f05Qla31GCsJlcs0JuNbgej24WC8__AlZpH8Wd8w_s7IAgk8ycswRWIfAFqa7vF8eDtcuWSA/s640/stratisSphere-0169.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGzX53pPvIJC5DXWUW2SxPsRrAepnhulJd5j75yIChhu6JVLLqeucT33BM491q4i0eWGUGp-jKHZ_fU__xBl8zgw4IRlwEEPh5Ph4Ze_pQMiYC0lNwMiTatO8x_tdG8oDFLNN5qe3rug/s1600/stratisSphere-0178.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGzX53pPvIJC5DXWUW2SxPsRrAepnhulJd5j75yIChhu6JVLLqeucT33BM491q4i0eWGUGp-jKHZ_fU__xBl8zgw4IRlwEEPh5Ph4Ze_pQMiYC0lNwMiTatO8x_tdG8oDFLNN5qe3rug/s640/stratisSphere-0178.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exploring a Planet</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNVht_93YvO1UbeT6-6fkc_A7lrS2bM_unlvqUlsSUHKVabWssjlAp10NA2_eSKtq5yD2z-tQ1yZ5nFh0xQxH69X8hILyAfbQ7oWq7nq0phmlFx6YDNxLmcA5k6cYHoCrwTjdvyWkXoA/s1600/stratisSphere-0189.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNVht_93YvO1UbeT6-6fkc_A7lrS2bM_unlvqUlsSUHKVabWssjlAp10NA2_eSKtq5yD2z-tQ1yZ5nFh0xQxH69X8hILyAfbQ7oWq7nq0phmlFx6YDNxLmcA5k6cYHoCrwTjdvyWkXoA/s640/stratisSphere-0189.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Family Outing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjnuP-0lC7qo_mdwNte3W-ZP1CHPwxvJkS33TO3b2RGqDXFhc_D58pNKjJqJQOy_zwL-rGY3mbkV5KG7jnOwmP-g6o1ehXBYF89ZH2MELVL5ynSkya0yOOIzxo5alR9ub5BB5GD6ItUQ/s1600/stratisSphere-0191.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjnuP-0lC7qo_mdwNte3W-ZP1CHPwxvJkS33TO3b2RGqDXFhc_D58pNKjJqJQOy_zwL-rGY3mbkV5KG7jnOwmP-g6o1ehXBYF89ZH2MELVL5ynSkya0yOOIzxo5alR9ub5BB5GD6ItUQ/s640/stratisSphere-0191.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs16ACQWJ70atBMnQW6gKGEWTfVv3h6OI_P6ovH2Xp8mCgUIfHXDNfmco8I9S1q0HvbgSnVCZqlfFAKznrq7WeuTBqbrj2zhfixIzNTPDvwQyoLnseIDuu5uGG4KwB7UG8APvWwzmrgw/s1600/stratisSphere-0192.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs16ACQWJ70atBMnQW6gKGEWTfVv3h6OI_P6ovH2Xp8mCgUIfHXDNfmco8I9S1q0HvbgSnVCZqlfFAKznrq7WeuTBqbrj2zhfixIzNTPDvwQyoLnseIDuu5uGG4KwB7UG8APvWwzmrgw/s640/stratisSphere-0192.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Textures in Nature</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPNVbHIEldpYLI5MoDVaYV69rGglwrLJEZ4XG7UloZHbTmv-t82zdAReDiRqEaoHAZ5ApWhrDyl0xZ3IqcIK8SWRGIuOLJ3xh9eRbI89B-tP_PZCINIpPe4kX5swCJLCV5iqgToi8VNg/s1600/stratisSphere-0195.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPNVbHIEldpYLI5MoDVaYV69rGglwrLJEZ4XG7UloZHbTmv-t82zdAReDiRqEaoHAZ5ApWhrDyl0xZ3IqcIK8SWRGIuOLJ3xh9eRbI89B-tP_PZCINIpPe4kX5swCJLCV5iqgToi8VNg/s640/stratisSphere-0195.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Railroad bed-wood</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0c2UYAG7qzJ3Nq-YwpyLuuwWwbAtX5vIHfROtu-cAsiH1GgSK0e0-hz_JH7QjnkmCnPeh0XKqgFjqDrT3irTLy3HOOlz3gl2SlvJM2B0QxNLS7W3Khyl9615sTe5t-j7VdOkKCrENSA/s1600/stratisSphere-0199.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0c2UYAG7qzJ3Nq-YwpyLuuwWwbAtX5vIHfROtu-cAsiH1GgSK0e0-hz_JH7QjnkmCnPeh0XKqgFjqDrT3irTLy3HOOlz3gl2SlvJM2B0QxNLS7W3Khyl9615sTe5t-j7VdOkKCrENSA/s640/stratisSphere-0199.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lincoln Log Castle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhemiX4JaYR-oQvKuSl_wnzrIIIHEYPOQcl_jtSXVXKbW7zHPlzN8aEru0esbNL4MKt4oLMIz2AhPziaLV8rLim5Rx-vaw94V2f_Swt7q5cldisL39G6ZSeFX_jAmcJuaDKHc5EQE4VwQ/s1600/stratisSphere-0206.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhemiX4JaYR-oQvKuSl_wnzrIIIHEYPOQcl_jtSXVXKbW7zHPlzN8aEru0esbNL4MKt4oLMIz2AhPziaLV8rLim5Rx-vaw94V2f_Swt7q5cldisL39G6ZSeFX_jAmcJuaDKHc5EQE4VwQ/s640/stratisSphere-0206.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2NMQpQKU__d64xQsMySOHwsRWRUAHb2VL8-5DkpaLUklVStEB5tCO3iRBmUNjUkchVXo6Aa2Ba_tXtMiz6-SZC2fL-4Ur8vZbTDyNq56TFgE2lkzwOTw6wC-FqdsG3PtvfGpmkTBtwQ/s1600/stratisSphere-0226.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2NMQpQKU__d64xQsMySOHwsRWRUAHb2VL8-5DkpaLUklVStEB5tCO3iRBmUNjUkchVXo6Aa2Ba_tXtMiz6-SZC2fL-4Ur8vZbTDyNq56TFgE2lkzwOTw6wC-FqdsG3PtvfGpmkTBtwQ/s640/stratisSphere-0226.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In Flight</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaqFcYkZBJ69vNe8LYrr1ZPtEteDG0Q_Iy9uV9pWMDF8nPm71WJWrT4oa-Qzt523dJ4IrhUAdvVFEbj3U14qcI2aZLdkDh1WU6TdVXgBX1mQrQmkKRdi2A_NEIA7bUMH-whtTElNFIRw/s1600/stratisSphere-0262.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaqFcYkZBJ69vNe8LYrr1ZPtEteDG0Q_Iy9uV9pWMDF8nPm71WJWrT4oa-Qzt523dJ4IrhUAdvVFEbj3U14qcI2aZLdkDh1WU6TdVXgBX1mQrQmkKRdi2A_NEIA7bUMH-whtTElNFIRw/s640/stratisSphere-0262.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue Tail Lizard</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixvfaVb8_usZQ4nI9eOYOuqiEARCS2wTWBFj4XP9o8dNYLAW7abTYiVe-ZMVN3VV0OhLpjzHDr-M2K0qaiVwG_SOqVRTcZSSaD9s2JvS7oGcSrsuShSGYo0zvE6s6KBfngV7b6EzR30w/s1600/stratisSphere-0276.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixvfaVb8_usZQ4nI9eOYOuqiEARCS2wTWBFj4XP9o8dNYLAW7abTYiVe-ZMVN3VV0OhLpjzHDr-M2K0qaiVwG_SOqVRTcZSSaD9s2JvS7oGcSrsuShSGYo0zvE6s6KBfngV7b6EzR30w/s640/stratisSphere-0276.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nabe</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Mno1LHe3bOzn2gnpn-0FVL7PgF8kAEfrebNVzPATgamA2PbEU-FSLjgkt4WYMw7h-ptGyxr-k-NuhLypzGkWOK3PiGhrRKZuoBLY_UnUcraCeaqmtQd5WGudte0SP3SgAwL-NXBM_w/s1600/stratisSphere-0264.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Mno1LHe3bOzn2gnpn-0FVL7PgF8kAEfrebNVzPATgamA2PbEU-FSLjgkt4WYMw7h-ptGyxr-k-NuhLypzGkWOK3PiGhrRKZuoBLY_UnUcraCeaqmtQd5WGudte0SP3SgAwL-NXBM_w/s400/stratisSphere-0264.jpg" width="263" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghpoRAmmAuXtNk1LfaoVar4HYdlSYEfWBvfm-Ozfi7ibc9xT0PZfvQtgWe-msqBXoAd6fNp07kVcfjlYUUkFJS591lETyGL0D0aGycMWG_bD_Z-BpVyM4v-suVPy8LvMrUPwE7qwHl5g/s1600/stratisSphere-0321.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghpoRAmmAuXtNk1LfaoVar4HYdlSYEfWBvfm-Ozfi7ibc9xT0PZfvQtgWe-msqBXoAd6fNp07kVcfjlYUUkFJS591lETyGL0D0aGycMWG_bD_Z-BpVyM4v-suVPy8LvMrUPwE7qwHl5g/s400/stratisSphere-0321.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6RCyXTlKGDhgdgXcq2w1ulUz2pwVH1lB8ezjj0Ne5uCsE88pd2e2LkGE2JEQC7O4tMqRASl99ugpFQsrTwX9rpcKIiaV0BK803puUgtdHLQW0X2vjSsccc-YJIkZ8QAknU2U_aShxSg/s1600/stratisSphere-0284.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6RCyXTlKGDhgdgXcq2w1ulUz2pwVH1lB8ezjj0Ne5uCsE88pd2e2LkGE2JEQC7O4tMqRASl99ugpFQsrTwX9rpcKIiaV0BK803puUgtdHLQW0X2vjSsccc-YJIkZ8QAknU2U_aShxSg/s640/stratisSphere-0284.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This scene has some kind of deep meaning, try and guess what it is. Let me know what you think in the comments.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNoQmA5h1txcOOZRTNKyBQfhyIxwsKeyoDvS7fEiPxSJllGhYnp3T_Y0sIniGUAMyC9hO6q_sRmJN9RB5hbN8Zl2mGOP12CCD9i2V6XuSLd1oG1nkjCH21RKKd0GbOyaQslj5L_WAHRg/s1600/stratisSphere-0301.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNoQmA5h1txcOOZRTNKyBQfhyIxwsKeyoDvS7fEiPxSJllGhYnp3T_Y0sIniGUAMyC9hO6q_sRmJN9RB5hbN8Zl2mGOP12CCD9i2V6XuSLd1oG1nkjCH21RKKd0GbOyaQslj5L_WAHRg/s640/stratisSphere-0301.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clam Hunting at Gamagori</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcG_7_QIlVhZGvdF4egdvUJLbY7LONW6JsqIrY5M4pKoVrl31a5U0l35ct7trgfz_ucxxUyzthPgduqxiBGpJ9mC6C2SYBc63uGX5WczfhA_O3skXlKDhU6Rj1veRNzPrJi52kYmBA-A/s1600/stratisSphere-0303.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcG_7_QIlVhZGvdF4egdvUJLbY7LONW6JsqIrY5M4pKoVrl31a5U0l35ct7trgfz_ucxxUyzthPgduqxiBGpJ9mC6C2SYBc63uGX5WczfhA_O3skXlKDhU6Rj1veRNzPrJi52kYmBA-A/s640/stratisSphere-0303.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clam Hunting at Gamagori</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGFZIJxxyHbtHjaP23tch8WpSILUvsg9hoN4A5MRFsfwAP0g_jqhCHh2QicNHymmVIeAum4IMiiewdWyqSKep_BCVLwO5hopqlhbxlfStKZRJO4Wl4VS17kLku0oAr3Lmqaob7k7ebAQ/s1600/stratisSphere-0304.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGFZIJxxyHbtHjaP23tch8WpSILUvsg9hoN4A5MRFsfwAP0g_jqhCHh2QicNHymmVIeAum4IMiiewdWyqSKep_BCVLwO5hopqlhbxlfStKZRJO4Wl4VS17kLku0oAr3Lmqaob7k7ebAQ/s640/stratisSphere-0304.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clam Hunting at Gamagori</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivZnkzXFSXoK_q9YakNDe2zuHJdwXTeBlKMF0JUoREXEjzK8gOvKSJJho8h7LQFw5lNStNtTyG0BWkQI3C03jhsfYTfAQfEKocKfzwAUXBP9vXSJHOiddZCaZhLuZ2FXI9StYPSgF6nw/s1600/stratisSphere-0310.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivZnkzXFSXoK_q9YakNDe2zuHJdwXTeBlKMF0JUoREXEjzK8gOvKSJJho8h7LQFw5lNStNtTyG0BWkQI3C03jhsfYTfAQfEKocKfzwAUXBP9vXSJHOiddZCaZhLuZ2FXI9StYPSgF6nw/s640/stratisSphere-0310.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lazy Island Tree</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid4jYQjPmcvakffr0kM9wDiKZtLbCmXUaSULdjrSh3T37XvZ82jSWCnB-uXQB7HpzsW4k-1Gn02_DxrHjzznOP6dGfnEZOpUKXxIigm8ypRp33Xb_p4VJ2uFt1trHhOSUH9vJDhAZ5aw/s1600/stratisSphere-0330.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid4jYQjPmcvakffr0kM9wDiKZtLbCmXUaSULdjrSh3T37XvZ82jSWCnB-uXQB7HpzsW4k-1Gn02_DxrHjzznOP6dGfnEZOpUKXxIigm8ypRp33Xb_p4VJ2uFt1trHhOSUH9vJDhAZ5aw/s640/stratisSphere-0330.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Curious Visitor</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFVYr7Dbl6cM3PfdIsUT-Sz8q502IJx6WrEhG3HLGtjsSREKDYXSsqEATkqZdxf3tfuNWsiO87qXD8iEGHydXu-JmHLUnCoko38no_Klm1RLDhrNl85yNaTGy6B0PtgSLe_BiI5heZ4Q/s1600/stratisSphere-0338.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFVYr7Dbl6cM3PfdIsUT-Sz8q502IJx6WrEhG3HLGtjsSREKDYXSsqEATkqZdxf3tfuNWsiO87qXD8iEGHydXu-JmHLUnCoko38no_Klm1RLDhrNl85yNaTGy6B0PtgSLe_BiI5heZ4Q/s640/stratisSphere-0338.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flower</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6s-uUvGEBE3eI3nGVs7SJ-2nIcJPK7xJ9DZLvEarEdnXmckrBXdO_1Ty4r1U3srgY9V9YFs9hggyouKgYm7_dJEMMZpA6Aqdh1xAG6W6C2OJXsqJPjSuehhyphenhyphenivayn7MaId03h5HQC2g/s1600/stratisSphere-0389.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6s-uUvGEBE3eI3nGVs7SJ-2nIcJPK7xJ9DZLvEarEdnXmckrBXdO_1Ty4r1U3srgY9V9YFs9hggyouKgYm7_dJEMMZpA6Aqdh1xAG6W6C2OJXsqJPjSuehhyphenhyphenivayn7MaId03h5HQC2g/s640/stratisSphere-0389.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seeking Flowers</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0TUaZAPaS41kOBmEjEhrDh5h8UvSTov0I3f1_NtHtDmIaKsbHdybj9xY2PY0uUobqspvtBjpoAmAeRxx98ADnLY3JHXmw1HQtvgTl7W6QSG1rSQFU0ngeVzMMCMWfkVBS0yn4S8HH5Q/s1600/stratisSphere-0368.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0TUaZAPaS41kOBmEjEhrDh5h8UvSTov0I3f1_NtHtDmIaKsbHdybj9xY2PY0uUobqspvtBjpoAmAeRxx98ADnLY3JHXmw1HQtvgTl7W6QSG1rSQFU0ngeVzMMCMWfkVBS0yn4S8HH5Q/s640/stratisSphere-0368.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Next Meal</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCXrAzg8IosBx1A9CgCYAaPDoABLRR_dg1MsHVo7yBfkMbJyJ7WtU9hcbT-PJ-0dptSC84S99QpB1dZgPYJPUco8j44U1r_bwTzURSP_oOu48ixR1XLW9B8VPhaoQJClOZmJKs1g3YuA/s1600/stratisSphere-0376.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCXrAzg8IosBx1A9CgCYAaPDoABLRR_dg1MsHVo7yBfkMbJyJ7WtU9hcbT-PJ-0dptSC84S99QpB1dZgPYJPUco8j44U1r_bwTzURSP_oOu48ixR1XLW9B8VPhaoQJClOZmJKs1g3YuA/s640/stratisSphere-0376.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">OM NOM NOM!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQeSiFTktKeP-0MEH8Nl32_NkUjrzpwpPeVIGAu13zLvI_uwy_gq8rM0YpFve9ajRwVYzTIgG_wYYyT84Pxtom-x5qsC1U7uRbMRWKb0GodXBxvIQI-yh9Xe14889chLFqlRPbjcZGxQ/s1600/stratisSphere-0398.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQeSiFTktKeP-0MEH8Nl32_NkUjrzpwpPeVIGAu13zLvI_uwy_gq8rM0YpFve9ajRwVYzTIgG_wYYyT84Pxtom-x5qsC1U7uRbMRWKb0GodXBxvIQI-yh9Xe14889chLFqlRPbjcZGxQ/s640/stratisSphere-0398.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Noon Conversation</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvkCX7JX5xpbvPnk1JQy6qEjifXyIwQbRMmE6tRjOaJW78OzAm3oBBIrDtnRVwKR2KkBvHKrBID50Sc_a-eluM-YSEDVs-RALeiImRzFvK9D4cz9bw5hScdFqPI09C7IbWMJrEQepPwg/s1600/stratisSphere-0402.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvkCX7JX5xpbvPnk1JQy6qEjifXyIwQbRMmE6tRjOaJW78OzAm3oBBIrDtnRVwKR2KkBvHKrBID50Sc_a-eluM-YSEDVs-RALeiImRzFvK9D4cz9bw5hScdFqPI09C7IbWMJrEQepPwg/s640/stratisSphere-0402.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Park Paths</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjdJlwvlLgzt6pdzGO_AdiWy2tTcl7KBuekjGf8WCYPT0HcBJ_T7NwxoxZa5rl2TMaKnIoawwq0aKtXbwmbcV6jq1cl-bUDEJyIhqV_ATyn_jCAGOk9_iIG1exYLsCOUWY4l0iRhzPIw/s1600/stratisSphere-0406.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjdJlwvlLgzt6pdzGO_AdiWy2tTcl7KBuekjGf8WCYPT0HcBJ_T7NwxoxZa5rl2TMaKnIoawwq0aKtXbwmbcV6jq1cl-bUDEJyIhqV_ATyn_jCAGOk9_iIG1exYLsCOUWY4l0iRhzPIw/s640/stratisSphere-0406.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Giant at Iwata Station</td></tr>
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<br />Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838353944891046238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2529278156019743252.post-44901274213302161792012-03-26T19:57:00.002+09:002012-03-26T20:28:38.820+09:00Konnichiwa Nikon D7000!<span style="font-size: large;">Sayonara days of limited quality and control! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">A new adventure begins.</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="http://a.img-dpreview.com/reviews/sonycd1000/images/frontview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="300" src="http://a.img-dpreview.com/reviews/sonycd1000/images/frontview.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Check out a review of this camera on <a href="http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sonycd1000" target="_blank">DPreview.com</a></td></tr>
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When I first got into photography it was a SLR Pentax that my dad got me for my birthday. I was pretty young, I don't recall the age I was, but it was pretty cool. Later I got to use the family's Sony Mavica on some vacation, I don't recall the details but digital cameras were cool. In the early years of the new millennium I got a Sony Mavica CD1000 which used mini CDs as the medium to record to. It has an amazing zoom! And a whopping (at the time) 5 mega pixels!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://a.img-dpreview.com/reviews/NikonCP8800/Images/frontview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://a.img-dpreview.com/reviews/NikonCP8800/Images/frontview.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Check out a review of this camera on <a href="http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/NikonCP8800" rel="" target="_blank">DPreview.com</a> </td></tr>
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Then in 2005 I got a Nikon E8800 (aka Coolpix 8800) I got this camera specifically because I was going to Japan, while in Art School, and wanted to record the experience. For the past 7 years this camera has been my little window into capturing time and all its glory and sharing it with others. With its amazing zoom and (at the time) massive 8 mega pixels the E8800 was great until it broke. Well it didn't really break in that it didn't stop working... completely. I was sweating in humidity and exploring a park in central Tokyo when suddenly i got an "error 2". So I turned it off and then on again and could take another photo and was happy, "Oh, it's not broken!" I told myself, for lack of anyone else to share the news with.<br />
But, to my dismay, I was greeted on completion of writing to the CF card that same error. This was to be my curse from then on. click-->error-->turn off-->turn on--> repeat. In 2010 I took it to a Nikon Service Center in Ginza and found that it would cost about $250 to repair it. Over the years it's taken longer to write to the card. Ever since I have felt the need to get something better. At the end of 2011, in September, Nikon announced the answer to the question I had been asking, "what next?"<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">The Nikon D7000.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://a.img-dpreview.com/reviews/NikonD7000/images/intro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://a.img-dpreview.com/reviews/NikonD7000/images/intro.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Check out a review of this camera on <a href="http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond7000" rel="" target="_blank">DPreview.com</a></td></tr>
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I had to get a lens too, of course so I went with a friend's advice and got the Sigma 17-70mm F2.8-4 DC Macro OS HSM. The adventure to get this this was a kind of blur. I may blog about it sometime. <span style="text-align: left;">Where to go from here, is only up. To be continued...</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v329/melganelo/sigma17-70OSMacroHSMcanon1-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v329/melganelo/sigma17-70OSMacroHSMcanon1-4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Check out a review of this lens on <a href="http://www.dpreview.com/products/sigma/lenses/sigma_17-70_2p8-4_os" rel="" target="_blank">DPreview.com</a> </td></tr>
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<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838353944891046238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2529278156019743252.post-82479985984293694832012-03-26T19:12:00.000+09:002012-03-26T20:38:28.058+09:00Perspective: Natural “Disasters”<span style="font-size: large;">Why and how we react to the Earthly events that we cannot control.</span><br />
<b>By Alex Stratis 03/17/2011</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://mercedesbenzblogphotodb.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/japan-after-2011-earthquake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="226" src="http://mercedesbenzblogphotodb.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/japan-after-2011-earthquake.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image used from <a href="http://htekidsnews.com/earthquake-in-japan/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HTE</a></td></tr>
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When earthquake, flood, fire, etc., occur in an area that is not inhabited by humans, it does not generally get any notice by the media, and therefore is not really a disaster. What I am saying is that disaster is relative to what it affects. Imagine now, if you will, a Japan/Hati/NZ-like island, void of any people. The best way to do this is to go back in time before humans existed. Why do this? Well, for perspective, what was the coast of Japan like back then? For thousands of years landscapes were formed by volcanoes and earthquakes. Why is this relative?<br />
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Humans by default are fairly arrogant, in that we feel like we own the Earth, it is ours because we are the dominant species of animal that control more, change more, inhabit more, than anything else. Or do we? As it happens we are just starting to realize that we do not own the Earth and it is not ours. Like a child in a sandbox who spends everyday at recess smoothing the sand out making it as flat as possible, until one day it rains and the imperfections turn into puddles which gradually dries and a temper-tantrum ensues.<br />
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What makes it difficult, is emotion. The proverbial ball and chain of humanity. Of all the social animals, emotion for humans is a continuous struggle between our ability to reason and and ability to express our feelings. This is of course arguable, because we do not fully understand all the other animals we live with.<br />
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How do the birds and insects feel about their lack of control of Earthly cycles and events?<br />
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You could say, ‘It doesn’t matter what other animals think or feel because they don’t speak our language.’ Obviously this is not a progressive line of thinking because, well... again, we are arrogant and disregard, experience and the reversal of perspective. If you are, say, in a different country and the locals there say, “Your feelings and thoughts don’t matter cause you don’t speak our language.” It wouldn’t be entirely true, of course, because all humans cry and laugh, yell and whisper, etc. But it doesn’t make it right to assume we alone carry the burden of dealing with the Earth’s events like they were targeted intentionally to destroy our homes and take our lives.<br />
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If you live by the ocean AND in a region affected by earthquakes, just because it does not constantly interrupt your daily life, does not mean that it couldn’t happen at any time. Most of which is tied directly to education and the awareness that it could and likely will happen.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Note: (3/26/2012 I found this in my Google notepad and felt like I should post here it.)</span><br />
That said, it obviously doesn't make the loss or pain and suffering feel any better. Nothing likes to lose it's home. My main point with this, is that, we should be better educated so that when disaster does strike we can be better prepared. I don't want to seem unsympathetic. <u>People who live in dangerous places should be ready, on some level, for danger to occur.</u>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838353944891046238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2529278156019743252.post-61233372693239441162012-03-16T23:52:00.002+09:002012-03-26T20:40:15.764+09:00Photography<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7004/6535315291_43dd164606_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7004/6535315291_43dd164606_b.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/-stratisphere-/6535315291/in/photostream" target="_blank">Exploring the Moss</a></td></tr>
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This post is an attempt to draw a picture, through words, of my perspective on photography and specifically it's meant to give a friend, who recently asked me for some advice on getting into photography. I am no expert, in fact my cameras are way below par (as of the date I post this). But I have a serious passion for capturing what I see, vision is a wonderful gift and sharing that gift with others can be a lot of fun.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: large;">Subject?</span><br />
Some things to consider before getting into photography, these aren't tests to pass, just something to think about, look through Flickr.com or 500px.com sometime and see what kind of images you like the look of, what is something you could see yourself capturing?<br />
anything, everything?<br />
people? landscapes? architecture? interior? nature? what aspects of the photograph interest you the most? contrast, color, shape, texture, etc<br />
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design_elements_and_principles">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design_elements_and_principles</a> </li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photography">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photography</a> </li>
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<span style="font-size: large;">What do I like?</span><br />
light and texture interest me<br />
I care less about color than about composition... color is usually emotive I think right, sometimes its important for information other than emotion<br />
I like Architecture, Landscapes, Macro (close ups), Cityscapes, Nature... Almost anything really, if I see value in a shot I will try for it. I also like abstract images.<br />
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<a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/117305110688047582993/albums/posts" target="_blank">These photos</a> all done with my <a href="http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikoncp8800" target="_blank">Nikon E8800</a> well mostly...<br />
...a friend let me use his <a href="http://www.dpreview.com/news/2008/8/7/nikonp6000" target="_blank">Nikon P6000</a><br />
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So for me the focus, until now, has been the composition, everything in the frame, and then, in the hierarchy of elements, is light, then color, then detail, and lastly focus.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">DSLR or Digital?</span><br />
A camera is a tool like any other, it's used in creating something. But a camera is a extremely powerful tool right, more than a hammer for example. Capturing time, emotion, light, shadow, etc. Isn't a light subject. If you are serious about sharing your vision of the world/reality with people and want to spend the time to learn the art form of Photography, then invest in a DSLR. What kind? It's doesn't really matter. Depending on how comfortable you are with the process, start cheap, you can always get more serious later.<br />
<b>A DSLR really gives control over everything.</b><br />
I learned about photography via digital cameras, which gives less control over everything, but its more convinient and practical for using in any situation.<br />
I've heard people say that a DSLR is kinda intimidating and bold, when you are walking around holding that, people know what you are doing. if you have a digital camera its not so obvious.<br />
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Many of the newer digital cameras are rediculously powerful<br />
zoom, metering, focus, etc., its pretty amazing.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">In a nutshell</span><br />
A DSLR is the kind of tool you can calibrate, tune, customize, and spend a LOT of time learning how to use. A digital camera is meant to be easy to use, practical in any situation without all the complicated and time consuming options. There are some digital cameras that provide some serious power and those will cost a pretty penny but they are pretty cool for what they are.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">What I am going for in my own photographic journey?</span><br />
<b>I only do Nikon.</b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.bjp-online.com/british-journal-of-photography/test/2024912/test-nikon-d7000-baby-d3s" target="_blank">bjp-online.com</a></td></tr>
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The <a href="http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond7000" target="_blank">Nikon D7000</a> is amazing. It's basically a temporary replacement for an earlier camera called the <a href="http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond90" target="_blank">D90</a>. It has a lot of the same features you will find in professional levels cameras like the <a href="http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond300" target="_blank">D300</a><br />
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<br />Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838353944891046238noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2529278156019743252.post-40312945942971361002012-02-19T10:03:00.000+09:002012-03-26T20:51:58.886+09:00Japanese Architecture I<div style="text-align: center;">
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I found this video interesting, though a little dramatic. His example of the inn that displays traditional architecture is a unnecessary but certainly a logical dramatic jump. Sometime shortly after the 3:30 mark, Alain says that you can't find a theme of precision and tradition anywhere in Tokyo, which is obviously an exaggeration. He later goes into some examples of modern designs that adhere to traditional rules. This is actually prevalent throughout most if not all things in Japan, if only in some kind of basic elements. Though, like everywhere else I've been I see a lot of cheaply made stuff from China. But concerning architecture, the Japanese are efficient with their space, more so than most other places, that's the biggest lesson I have learned from studying the buildings here.<br />
The Japanese, by no means lose touch with their culture. Concerning historically sensitive things, his answer of getting out of Tokyo is like saying that every single inch/cm of Tokyo is ultra modern, he just hasn't seen the ancient buildings in Tokyo. This video is a an unnecessary dramatic exaggeration of the real Japan. While controversial it does get people thinking and I can appreciate that. Japan is more traditional than any palce i've been, their architecture is put on a practical level and always has been. On an island where wood is the main source, you make houses of wood, when technology offers more options you move on.Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838353944891046238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2529278156019743252.post-65113713436438596132012-01-19T22:05:00.000+09:002012-03-26T20:18:47.119+09:00Teaching English to Children<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/chuff/" style="background-color: #fefefe; color: #0063cd; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 14px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><img align="absmiddle" alt="" class="buddyicon personmenu-trigger" data-menu-id="photo-owner-icon" height="24" src="http://farm1.staticflickr.com/16/buddyicons/25579250@N00.jpg?1119653171#25579250@N00" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px;" width="24" /></a><span style="background-color: #fefefe; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 14px; text-align: left;"></span><strong class="username" id="yui_3_4_0_3_1327312044824_1983" style="background-color: #fefefe; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 13px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">photo By <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/chuff/22699791/in/set-701735" style="background-color: transparent; color: #0063dc; text-decoration: none;">grumpyoldscotsman</a></strong></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I</span> work for a private English Academy for kids ages 0-13.<br />
Usually I go to a different school everyday. By train or bus sometimes I travel for up two hours and sometimes just 30 minutes, one way. I work from 10am to 7pm, daily and currently my days off are on Monday; The school doesn't operate (in the areas I work) on Sundays.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">T</span>he youngest classes are done with little babies, who can't even stand, to 3 year old toddlers. These classes are done with their parents (usually the Mother, though rarely the Father) there are multiple ways to get babies interactive with learning, even if they cannot really speak or do anything but drool and squeal. In these classes, especially with the younger babies, its mostly the parent doing all the work and the its just a matter of being interactive through their senses of touch and hearing. The toddlers are more interactive of course, as things naturally go... They all get involved via something referred to as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Total_Physical_Response">TPR</a> and obviously when they can talk they say easy things like "Sunny". With the youngest groups we mainly focus on getting them used to hearing and the different rhythms of the lessons. The idea being the sooner you interact with something the better, even if they can't follow whats happening coherently, they still learn. -edit- very few of the kids I teach come in in uniform.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">W</span>e follow a series of books that are consistent in their topics. We cover basics like feelings, actions, and our environment. (i.e., weather, objects, colors, etc.)<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">L</span>essons center on the books, but, as teachers we are encouraged to make fun and exciting games for them to learn with. This is probably the most difficult thing about this job. (bedsides the commuting and living in Japan as a foreigner, I might go into more detail about that another time) Easy English is easy to teach but thinking like a child, remembering what it is like to be a child, what is fun and what isn't fun for a child, takes a special shift in perspective. I expect some people can do this more readily than others.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">M</span>y first month was spent, learning where schools are and what is expected of me, on a basic level; It was also December so the theme is xmas (in a superficial way, without explanations of what an 'angel' is exactly or, how 'reindeer', 'santa claus', and a 'chimney' are related, etc) so mostly just games centered on the topic of xmas.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">J</span>anuary is my first chance at really getting into teaching relevant topics. Some of the aspects of teaching that take time to get used to and get into, are as follows:<br />
<ul>
<li>Thinking like a child--what is fun?</li>
<li>Pace and tone of voice.</li>
<li>Lesson Plans, specifically games that involve learning the topics.</li>
<li>Timing of individual activities.</li>
<li>Respect, what kind of things to kids look up to? What can I do to gain/lose their respect/attention.</li>
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I am sure there are more aspects, might edit this later as they come to mind.<br />
Anyway, thats all I have to say about teaching for now. Until next time... :)Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838353944891046238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2529278156019743252.post-85539101934447932462012-01-02T15:10:00.000+09:002012-03-26T20:19:11.988+09:00See a New Year Sea<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Since November 1st I have been walking to get around outside of taking trains or buses. It's always fascinating how one's perspective changes when one's mode of transportation changes. A train, car, or bus are such stark contrasts to walking that I feel like its easier to switch perspectives. But when on a bicycle you get all the same elements of walking but it all happens much quicker. The temperatures are relatively similar and you work to move, you are vulnerable to the weather and bigger vehicles so spending two months walking to suddenly having the ability to see more and do more in less time is really fun. Yesterday, January 1st I rode my bike along the big river I live next to. I live about 2.5 miles (as the bird flies) from the coast but the river doesn't go in a straight line so I rode much more than that.<br />
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Memories of my first two months in Shizuoka.</div>
Happy New Year!!<br />
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So much bad and good happens every year, no matter how bad or how good it gets we have to stay positive while respecting those who's lives are imbalanced by bad times. May 2012 be better than 2011.<br />
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I get 3 days of actual vacation days, not including weekends. I have one scheduled day off in January outside of National Holidays or Sundays. Next month as a Children's English teacher involves tests for the kids which should be interesting to administer since from what I hear there have been problems in the past. February will be my first month of receiving full payment due to various reasons which should be interesting.Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838353944891046238noreply@blogger.com0Japan, Shizuoka Prefecture, Hamamatsu, Minami Ward, Nakatajimacho, 165634.661008496098084 137.7369046211242734.654478496098086 137.72703412112426 34.667538496098082 137.74677512112427tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2529278156019743252.post-52456445073942645322011-12-19T11:58:00.000+09:002012-01-23T18:51:44.786+09:00Winter ComesIt is now December and more than half way though the month. I have been teaching English 5 days a week to children and have had a lot of fun in the process. This month we have a Xmas theme which means lots of special Xmas parties, which means lots of special planning of games and crafts for parties.<br />
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I finally got my Alien Registration Card today, two weeks after I applied and was approved to get it. Not sure why it took so long but anyway, yet another hurdle overtaken! As many hurdles as I have overtaken in my race towards my eventual goals, which I may talk about another time, it seems like they never end! I now need to get a "Hanko" basically a signature stamp. This will allow me to finally get a bank account or do other important financial activities.<br />
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There are parties and events to attend this month, which I am excited about. I have met many many people, all of which (besides the other foreigners I work with, but rarely see) are Japanese, which is what I want really, as I need to learn the language and eventually do business here for myself. There are many different groups of Japanese that I have met, mostly through one friend, I made, who has shown me what seems like almost limitless kindness and generosity. Besides the artists/designers/coders/photographers I work with Japanese women daily.<br />
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I may blog again before next month but I am excited to see what next month brings! <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/117305110688047582993/albums/5691771130187403089">Check out my photos on Google+</a> as I spend more time taking photos than putting my thoughts into words in the form of this blog.<br />
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Happy Holidays!Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838353944891046238noreply@blogger.com0