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01 .21Antique Watch BargainsOne of the joys of living in Japan is the amount of antique shops that are around. Quite often I will take my trusty eye glass with me and see what’s around. As you can tell by the picture, I have a thing for antique watches. However, I don’t like to pay a lot of money for them. That’s not a problem. In Japan, if you are patient, take time and have a little good luck, you’ll come across the bargain here and there. For example, last weekend I was walking around Uji, Kyoto and I came across a small jewellery shop. As I quite often do, I popped in to have a look. Amongst all the wares was a gold watch that caught my attention. It was a 1975 Seiko quartz watch (2nd from the right in the picture). On closer inspection I realised that it had the initials “VFA” (very finely adjusted) stamped on the dial. That means the watch was hand built by two people with one person checking the other. When the watch was new it was the same price as a new Toyota car. You have to remember that quartz was new technology in 1975. “How much is this?”, I inquired. “5000yen, okay?” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing as I quickly handed over the money.Admittedly, you’re not going to run into such a find every day; however, there are plenty of bargains to be had. For example, the watch on the far left of the picture is a “Skaagen” from Denmark. While not a Japanese antique, it is nonetheless made out of titanium. It was found in a junk box at an antique fair for 600yen! The green watch at the top of the picture is a 1974 Seiko “Elnix”. This watch is famous because it has a mechanical movement that also runs on a battery. It was the crossover watch before quartz watches. It is quite popular with overseas collectors and in Japan I only paid a few thousand yen for it. And I bought the light blue Orient and others just for fun.Quite often my wife will offer to buy me a new “retro” watch like a “Paul Smith” or “Nixon” for my birthday or Christmas. Are you kidding? Why would I want that when I can have the original instead at a fraction of the cost? In my opinion, antique Japanese watches from this period with their style, grace and build quality are certainly the better buying option.Of course, there are a few things to take care. It’s important that you do your research before you buy. There are many online auction sites to check models and prices; however, you should refrain from buying from these sites. While I have had no troubles, there have been a few reported cases of fraud or fake watches being sold. It’s best to go to a watch shop, 2nd hand store or antique market. That way you can take it back if there are any problems. Also, remember it is an antique, so they sometimes need a little care or “TLC”. But hey, you only paid a couple of thousand yen, right? So, no problem.Another tip is to make sure you take a small eye glass or loupe with you. That way you can check for scratches and more importantly it identifies you as a serious collector and guarantees a better discount.So, next time before you spend money on a “pretty” foreign made fashion brand watch please consider a Japanese antique instead. Your friends and especially older relatives will be certainly impressed with your style choice!Photo credit: Mark WrightMark Wright
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12 .20Do you sleep well?Do you have a sufficient amount of sleep every night? I did not usually have problems sleeping, but I began to suffer from unbalanced sleep due to changes in my lifestyle; I struggled to sleep when I was in bed and then could not wake up in the morning. The change in my sleep cycle was triggered by a change in my work.When I began my post-graduate study, I had been working for eight years following the completion of my undergraduate degree. At that time, I had a normal nine-to-five job, and a regular cycle of sleep and waking. However, once I became a post-graduate student, I did not have to wake up at the same time every morning because my classes began in the afternoons or sometimes in the evenings. Some people are strong willed and never deviate from their regular schedules despite changes in their lifestyles; however, I was lazy and adapted to the new schedule. I woke up mid-morning and had a late breakfast. I sometimes stayed up until two or three am because I had a deadline or was forced on working on an assignment. After leading such an unhealthy lifestyle for some months, I had a problem with sleep. I could not sleep at night or wake up early in the morning even if I had an important appointment.Eventually, I realised that the situation was not good because I was not able to control my sleep patterns; it also meant that I had lost control of my time during the day due to feeling sleepy. I am sure that this has also happened to you on occasion, particularly during long vacations. Therefore, I tried some tips in order to fall asleep easily, when I was struggling to do so. I would like to share these tips; however, they are based on my experience and do not guarantee that you will have good sleep. In addition, if your sleep problem lasts for several months, I suggest that you see a doctor or counselor because sleep deprivation may cause a mental or physical illness.For refreshing sleep: 1. Wake up early and try not to have a long nap during the day; this will help you to reset the sleep cycle. 2. Do not drink coffee or tea after six pm, as these beverages contain caffeine; I often drink decaffeinated coffee after that time. 3. Do some form of exercise after work (or study). it does not have to be strenuous exercise, something such as a short jog or some stretching is sufficient. 4. Do not watch TV, or look at a computer, or smart phone screen before going to bed; if you are watching important or interesting news, you may not be able to sleep at all. 5. Use aromatherapy to relax; lavender oil is a good option.(Photo credit: Kha Ruxury@Pexels.com)The BBP Staff
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12 .10Aloha Shirts
Some people call them ‘Hawaiian shirts’ but the correct name is Aloha Shirt.
They are considered formal wear in Hawaii and many people wear them to work every day. There are many kinds of styles and materials used to make them. Actually, the first Aloha shirts were made of silk. Now, they are made of cotton, polyester, rayon, and silk. One signature feature of many of the ‘Aloha Shirts’ is that the main printed side of the material is not facing outside like most shirts but facing the inside to give a more subtle, relaxed look.
The designs on the Aloha shirts reflect the scenes and the aspects of Hawaii that make it a tropical paradise. Patterns in the fabrics range from various themes and motifs, and the colors range the gamut of all the colors on a palette. Popular styles include the famous landmarks in Hawaii, such as Diamond Head, Waikiki, or beautiful mountain ranges to ocean vistas. Others display natural beauty famous in Hawaii, such as pineapples, palm trees, surfers on waves, fish, flowers, and other flora or fauna. Also, prints from ‘tapa’ cloth, or the traditional Hawaiian clothes, are popular along with prints of the royal family of Hawaii, the Kamehameha monarchy.
In the US, there is a business trend called ‘Casual Friday’. Have you heard of it before? It is where, the company allows its workers to wear more ‘casual’ clothes like jeans or relaxed collared shirts to work on Fridays. Actually, ‘Casual Friday’ or ‘Aloha Friday’ in Hawaii, was started in Hawaii. Aloha shirt makers lobbied politicians and business leaders to allow aloha shirts to be worn to work on Fridays, which better matched the tropical weather of Hawaii compared to suits and ties.
I like Aloha Shirts because I like the relaxed designs and I feel I can bring a piece of Hawaii to the students I meet. Did you know that in Hawaiian, Aloha has many meanings? It can mean, “Hello” or “Good-bye” or “Welcome” or “Love/I love you.” If you break the word down, the literal meaning is ‘Alo’ means ‘facing or the presence of’ and ‘ha’ means ‘breath’. So, having the Aloha Spirit means having a care for oneself and sharing that warmth from your insides with others, without expecting anything in return. Please talk to me about Aloha shirts more the next time you see me and I will be happy to share more about what it means to have the Aloha Spirit.
Scot Matsuo -
12 .06Living a Zero Waste LifeHow many clamshells have you seen today? You’re probably thinking about the last time you bought seafood at the market, but did you know that the term is also used in English to refer to products designed to open and close by a hinge along one side. That includes the plastic containers found in convenience stores and supermarkets that are used to package take-out food. They are generally used once and then discarded. A lot of people think these types of plastic can be recycled, but, in Japan, once they have been separated from recyclable products, they are incinerated in a process that produces highly toxic waste. In the U.S, where the average person generates about 2 kilos of trash per day, they often end up in landfills; large, deep holes in which trash is buried.Single use disposable plastic has become one of the biggest sources of plastic pollution. Even though it’s clear to many people that plastic waste has created a global problem, the amount of plastic produced each year continues to increase. How much are we willing to sacrifice for the sake of our convenience? Clearly, it’s time to end our relationship with single-use plastic.Lauren Singer did just that. In her TED Talk [Why I live a zero waste life (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pF72px2R3Hg)] She explains how she had been able to live a “zero waste lifestyle” for the past three years. During those three years, she produced almost no waste. One of her key points is that zero waste is not about recycling more. It’s about buying less. When she realized that all the cosmetic and cleaning products she was buying came in plastic, she learned how to make her own products from bulk materials that could be purchased in reusable containers. She stopped buying packaged food. Instead, she purchased only fresh fruit and vegetables and food that could be bought in bulk. This eliminated all the plastic packaging that was going into her trash. Instead of buying new clothes, she bought only second-hand (used) clothes. Finally, one of the most important things she did was downsize: she got rid of all the unnecessary stuff she owned and focused on taking care of the essential stuff.For me, the best part of her talk is when she describes the benefits that she has experienced from transitioning to a zero waste lifestyle. These benefits included being healthier because she has stopped eating packaged processed foods. She saves a lot of money, too. Most importantly, she is happier because she is living a lifestyle that reflects her values. When I ask my students if they could stop using plastic in their lives, they sadly shake their heads. I’ve come to the conclusion that the reason they think plastic is necessary is that they simple can’t imagine an alternative lifestyle. My hope is that watching this video will move some of them to imagine the value of living more sustainably.(Photo credit: The author)John Kuzel
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11 .26Being in the momentThis is a picture taken at BKC one morning in the summer. I was really lucky to be there and the rainbow inspired me to take the time to feel something.I like to take and look at pictures. Probably, almost all college students at Ritsumeikan University have smartphones. But do you have a jumble of photo data in your smartphone? I tried to reduce my data, but in the end I could not decide which photos to keep and which to delete. I have often seen people like me. Until recently, I hadn’t considered taking pictures with anything but my smartphone. I changed my idea though and now try to take pictures with my eyes!The action of taking pictures with our smartphones prevents us from trying to enjoy and appreciate the actual moment. What is most important cannot be captured by your camera. Consider the moment when you fall in love with someone. In my decades-old experience, I have fallen in love in the moment when someone shows a really good smile. That shows the person’s true self. It explains and symbolizes the essence of your “future” beloved partner, but it appears in an instant. In our busy lives, we have become unaware of the essence of our friends and family. They, however, show their true selves through their facial expressions which provide you the opportunity to forget your busy life temporarily.Do you know your real self? This question is enormously difficult to answer but the closest I ever came to my real self was 4 years ago. I couldn't resist smiling a happy smile when my research was praised by two famous linguists. This was the real me, I believe. It is abundantly clear that facial expressions are one of a handful of keys to revealing your true self. I am sure you value your photo albums, though your most important photo is in your brain.(Photo credit: The Author)The BBP Staff
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11 .11A Sad Day, and a New DiscoveryLast year a very expensive accident happened at my home. My youngest daughter accidentally spilled “mugicha” all over the Apple laptop computer I used for work...and I wasn’t quick enough to save it. Nor was I successful in trying to repair it afterward. Although it was a sad time, I put on a brave face and told my daughter not to worry as I knew I would be able to find a good laptop to replace it.I didn’t want to spend too much money as I only needed a laptop for basic office work. My challenge was to find one that was cheap yet good enough to accomplish all my work tasks: prepare for my classes, write academic papers etc... I first looked at Apple and Windows laptops but I quickly found them to be too expensive.Then, by chance, I found laptops similar in power to the Windows and Apple ones but these were much cheaper. These laptops were Chromebooks, laptops supported by Google, and they were much cheaper in part because they have a very simple OS (Operating System). Moreover, I was happy to find that the Chromebook I wanted was only 60000 yen with shipping on amazon.com (USA) versus 80000 yen with shipping on amazon.co.jp (Japan), which meant 20000 yen in savings for me.When I received it after two weeks or so, I was happy… but I couldn’t do everything I wanted because of google’s simple OS. I couldn’t install software to do professional sound/video recording/editing.After reading online, I found the answer to my problem. The answer was to include Linux OS on my Chromebook. Linux OS is a completely free OS made by volunteer programmers that can be installed on any computer, even Chromebooks. Now I have two operating systems on my work laptop. If I only want to do simple tasks like email and web browsing, I use Chrome. If I want to do video/sound editing or install new software, I use Linux.One of the greatest advantages of Linux is that it’s very lightweight. In comparison to bigger operating systems like Windows 10 and MacOS, it doesn’t use much of your computer’s resources. I was surprised to see that my cheaper Chromebook with Linux could operate at the same speed as laptops which are much more expensive. All in all, although losing my old laptop to “mugicha” was a sad day, I wouldn’t change that day as it made me discover another good yet cheap product in Chromebooks, and a free yet very good operating system in Linux.(Photo: pexels.com@burst)Louis Lafleur