Travel Journal

Reading Prompts 6

noreply@blogger.com (Matie Kay) — Sat, 06 Jan 2007 00:33:00 +0000

Confucianism and the Shaping of Chinese Culture [Prompt 14]
1. The movie showed the struggles of a family in semi-rural china during and post Chinese civil war. Before and after the war, and onset of communism the father was always the head of the family. Before they enjoyed a leisurely life, sorta, were they had a name and respect because of the name. After Mao took power they were still respected but because they earned it, because they had to earn this respect form their peers and government the importance of saving face was amplified. Along with this there was the need to work harder as well.
2. The Chinese life philosophy is take it as it come and keep going, make it through and you will have succeeded. the title is the most direct expression of the philosophy
3. The philosophy is that the whole point of life is to live.
4. I think that yin and yang is very much related to movements in life, and i think the movie shows it. When ever something terrible happened in the movie they family sort of waited, or found the good counter part. For example even though the daughter was mute, she still got married. Or that they lost a son, and not only was the dept of a guilty friend repaid, but they gained a son-in-law who respected them.

Excursion to Chinatown [Prompt 15]
Chinatown was like a bubble of sorts, it was like walking in to a Chinese neighborhood that was transplanted to Oahu. I can see how when the Chinese immigrants came to Hawaii, being completely unfamiliar with the society or it language, would choose to surround themselves with like minded people. At the same time I find it amazing and odd that it still remains that way today, and not just in Hawaii. I grew up near Chinatown in Houston, and it is just as 'bubble-ish'. In Chinatown the street signs are in Chinese and English, the people speak Chinese with English as a second language, etc. the most important difference between Chinatown and the rest of and US state is that they sell things there that no one but the occupants need. In this I'm referring to odd poultry, we have all seen it, and the apothecaries that sell herbal remedies.

Food and Meals as a Cultural Experience [Prompt 16]
the Chinese restaurant was less scary than I anticipated, and i was sort of let down in that respect. I was glad to to be surprised with some strange bug in my food instead of chicken. Most of the people at my table ordered what i would consider safe dishes, meaning ones that we had heard of or eaten before in the Americanized Chinese restaurants that exist on the mainland. the food was served 'family style' on large plates set int he middle of the table for everyone to share. We were given only chopsticks, with no hope of metal utensils for the chopstick impaired (pour Paul!).

Reading Prompt 5

noreply@blogger.com (Matie Kay) — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 00:30:00 +0000

Perspectives on the Pacific War [Prompt 11]
1. Dower called the pacific war a race war because that what it was. Americans used propaganda extensively during the all of WW2. In the case against the Japanese they depicted them as buck-toothed, bespectacled inferiors.
2. I have read a lot about the two world wars, and thought I knew what to expect; I was so wrong. It is solemn reminder of the what happened, and just how serious war is. The video that they showed before you take the ship to the memorial was so poignant. All I could think of was my family members that fought in that war. I had at least six relatives in that fought in parts of the armed forces, so the family part of the memorial got to me. The video said that something like 3 or 4 sets of brothers were on the Arizona, and one father-son pair. Wow.
3. I saw a wide variety of people and ages. there were babies to senior citizens. Every type of people were there, i remember hearing a french couple and what I can only assume was German. There were mostly "Americans" or English seekers, and Asians (which made sense, being the two involved parties and what not)
4. I think people go to war memorials to better understand what happened there, in that war, at that time. Pearl Harbor is sort of above most war memorials, to me at least, in significance. We are thought in grade school that it was this horrible unprovoked attack, so that makes you get that pang of hurt for those who died when you are there; not to mention a soaring sense of patriotism. For non-Americans i think its still an important battle memorial, after all the Americans did a considerable amount to turn the tide of WW2 and in winning it.
5. The memorial focused on the pacific fleat, and just the pacific theater of the war. It didn't cover other battles that we were involved in, or even the "retaliation" per say for the events o that fateful day in December.

Paradiso Perduto

noreply@blogger.com (Matie Kay) — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 21:16:00 +0000

Its crazy, you read about what happened at Pearl Harbor so many times as a history major, but until you are standing there you never get it. I didn't expect to be so emotionally moved by a place. I have quite a few family members who fought in WW2 (thanks granny for all the brothers!) and at least one was in the navy, so it hit home. I'm not ashamed to say that i got teary-eyed during the movie that they showed before we took the ferry-thing to the USS Arizona Memorial. Hearing what happened, the men who died, and especially that ones that were related(especially that there was a father-son pair that died on the Arizona)... wow, i can even imagine! All i can say is thanks to those men and that generation.

This is from the Arizona Memorial, looking out to the USS Missouri, where the Japanese signed the treaty ending WW2. I guess its sort of a Pandora's box thing, for me at least. After all that these two(USA, and Japan) did to each other in this war, this is sort of the hope left in the box, that they came to a treaty in the end(all-be-it a one sided treaty).

Reading Prompts 4

noreply@blogger.com (Matie Kay) — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 00:25:00 +0000

The Japanese in Hawaii: The Family Game [Prompt 9]
1. I think it portrays the family as a very serious group, or at least about education. I fairly sure that the movie is making fun of the strained relationships between the members of this family. It portrays education as being of the utmost importance, as it should be for any school kid, but with an unhealthy reliance on strict standard testing accompanied by having to decide you school and profession by what your parents deem best for you and not what you really want. It also shows that what you want is sidelined for what is best for your family and what other peoples perception of your family's success is.
2. It is very evident that knowing a classmates "weakness" and in this case exploiting them is very important. The movie portrays the educational system as very competitive and based solely on rank, even more so than here. So knowing a competitor's weakness would be a great key to your personal success.
3. The purpose of the young wife was to show, and mock, another social practice. They apparently are not big on showing emotions, so she is there to represent a flawed person who does show her emotions, and is not well liked (or I'm sure respected) because of this.
4. I took the ending to be the true un-satyrical statement of the movie, that this sort of controlled, self minded bashing family structure is killing families.

The Japanese in Hawaii: Rhapsody in August [Prompt 10]
1. I found it so baffling that they would think they had to keep quite, respect us and our sensibilities on the Issue of Nagasaki. Even to this day we as Americans look at Pearl Harbor and think of those(meaning the ones involved back then, and not modern, current members)Japanese as the bad guy, the 'how dare they' mentality. I just sort of assumed that a Japanese person my age, especially a person who lived through the bombing would harbor similar thoughts about the US people involved. In my mind they are allowed to harbor a few fleeting ill wills about us in that even, and the American(s) would need to be the one on pins and needles, not vise-versa.
2. The views are generally speaking the same between the generations, in particular in regards to the American family members. I think that as you go from the views of the grandmother to those of the grand kids there is a lack of understanding of what exactly one generation went through to make them who they are. As the movie progresses i think they younger generation gains an understanding, and if nothing else a respect, for the elder generation.
3. I have the feeling, just from what i have talked to my Japanese friend about anything in World War 2, that they are told that it was an act of was that was necessary. The same way we feel about the Battle of the Bulge or US bombing in German supply hubs. Though I do think based on the movie they assume we still hold a grudge of some sort about their actions that day.

Japanese Religious Sites [Prompt 12]
1. They are sort of the same thing. Their aesthetic sensibilities are driven by religious teachings and beliefs, much more so than our own.
2. Honor seems to be very big there. Honor for me, you, and above all for those who came before us. this sense of honor goes hand in hand with the need to respect the subject of this honor. This to me is shown in the fact that you bow to those you meet, before the western handshake even, and that you take off your shoes when going into temples and houses alike.
3. Japanese religious beliefs and practices and intertwined with everyday life. Its not just something they uphold on Sundays, their beliefs seem so much more like practical lesson for everyday life, than the rigid traditions of western Christianity.

Japanese Culture and Aesthetics [Prompt 13]
1.
2.
3.

Where is Kristie when I need her?

noreply@blogger.com (Matie Kay) — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 10:23:00 +0000

Today was our Japanese Culture day. After class we went to a Shinto Temple, which was different than I imagined, though I cant put my finger on what I imagined it to be. Shinto is not a religion in our westernized sense of the word. It is, in a nutshell, the belief and practice of honoring one's ancestors. There are no weekly services, just a building that is open to you when you need to do your stuff. The white arch thingy is a "Tora"(I'm not sure how you spell it but it sounds like that) which signifies that it is a spiritual place, and the little white papers represent individual spirits of family members that people have put up.

The Buddha and the Byodo-In Temple. This is a full scale replica of a thousand year old temple in Japan. All Buddhist temples are built in accordance with Fung Shui, so that is why there is a stream running nearby, as well as a clump a bamboo. The pond between Buddha and the temple is a Koi pond which is for good fortune among many other things.

We ended the day with a film called Rhapsody in August which I was blown away by. The film is in Japanese, but it is about The affects of the atomic bomb on Nagasaki. I recommend everyone see it, really!

Reading Prompts 3

noreply@blogger.com (Matie Kay) — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 00:20:00 +0000

Captain James Cook and Hawaii [Prompt 7]
1. He was a captain in the Royal Navy, which was an uncommon feat for a commoner. He was also a surveyor for the Navy,, informally, and is credited not only mapping most of the pacific regions he traveled to, but doing so with surprising accuracy considering the tools of the day. In his travels through the Pacific he proved the inaccuracy of the "Great Southern Continent Idea". He also brought plausibility to the idea of a North-west Passage.
2. Cook and Hawaii are historically linked because his is the first European to set foot on the Hawaiian islands. He later died on the Big Island.
3. Gary was an island native that Horowitz's group found at the Cook monument. When they found him at the monument they thought be was besmirching the monument. Gary was actually cleaning the monument off, as part of his job.Gary and the Clergyman agree that James Cook objectified women and, like many European explorers of his day, spread syphilis. in his story, Horowitz show both sides view of the myth left behind of James Cook on the Island.
4. Shalin believe that the Hawaiians did not really believe Cook was a God, or they figured out quickly that he wasn't, but they act that way. Obeyesekere believe, as well, that they didn't think Cook was a God, but he thinks it because they couldn't feasibly think a pale/white man who didn't speak their language could be one of their Gods. I think that the history of such events is written by the winner, so since generally speaking Cooks men, the English and other white historian write the history of James Cooks voyage of course he is portrait as a god, like Cortes; even if it not the most reasonable answer.
5. Horowitz describes the events of February 14 (1779), chronologically, based on journals and memoirs that have survived since then. In doing so he find a few ironies, like the fact that Cook advised his men not to use any violence against the indigenous people, but he took ten marines with him to reclaim a boat. Other irony is that Cook, a Quaker, allegedly died with a musket in his hands. Again as a Quaker, he commissioned the natives to make Iron spikes, that would later kill him. And finally that the people who killed him were not know to be violent, or war-like.

American Missions and Business in Native Hawaii [Prompt 8]
1. The Sugar industry in Hawaii started around 1852.
2. the Sugar and Pineapple Industries, like cotton in the US South, created a need for a strong Labor force, and thus increased the islands migration.
3. People migrated from Asian nations like China, Japan and Korea, as well as Portugal. They new work force lived in terrible conditions and work more than twelve hour workdays.
4. Stanford Dole's dad was a Missionary.
5. Dole, politically, promoted the ideals of democracy instead of the Monarchy system for Hawaii.
6. The Bayonet Constitution was a document that took away all of the Kings power over his subject and transferred most of that power to the Whites.
7. Thurston was an attorney who helped Hawaii become a Democratic territory of the US, rather than a monarchical nation.
8. The Committee of Safety was a group of White business men that in 1893, over through Queen Lili'uokalani (who was very anti-white).
9. Stanford Dole ascended to the Presidency of the Republic of Hawaii in 1894.
10. President McKinley annexed Hawaii in 1898.
11. Stanford Dole was the first Governor of the Territory after it annexation, which is no surprise since the annexation was due largely to his actions.
12. James and Standford Dole were cousins.
13. James purchase Lana'i and transformed it in to a huge Pineapple Plantation.
14. The Missions wanted the natives to be treated as equal, and obviously to become Christians. The businessmen didn't care what happened to the native as long as their crop earned money, but they needed a labor force. Both side influenced Hawaiians enough, religiously of financially to aid the Americanization.

Fun and Fruit

noreply@blogger.com (Matie Kay) — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 10:03:00 +0000

Today we went to the Dole Plantation. It wasn't really all that fun because there wasn't really anything to do. The pineapple ice cream was amazing!!!! I did, however, learned that there is no such thing as a Pineapple tree. Apparently they grow on bushes... can you find the baby pineapple???

North Shore was crazy. Its soooo beautiful and powerful, by sunset the ways were at 20 feet!

This is Waimea Falls... it was so gorgeous. Its part of a park and just the walk through the park was so amazing; simple and unaffected by modern technology. The park is also a nature and wildlife preserve, so there were all sorts of weird trees and animals.

Reading Prompt 2

noreply@blogger.com (Matie Kay) — Sun, 31 Dec 2006 00:09:00 +0000

Early Hawaiians and Hawaiian Identity Sites Feildtrip to Heiaus [Prompt 5]
I'm sure the westerner thought the native Hawaiians to be very odd indeed religiously. They had multiple gods which were some how represented in wooden idols, but after ceremonies the idols were given away or other wise discarded, making them seem oddly worthless. Not to mention the sacrifices must have come across as particularly barbarous. The Kahunas I'm sure were clearly seen as religious, and most likely pseudo political leaders; which is not wholly inaccurate.
Though this is not to say that there aren't similarities, Christians give away religious symbols like crosses and bibles to new non-Christians in an attempt to spread the faith. Further more Christianity is no stranger to sacrifice, just not for our godhead.

The Polynesian Cultural Center [Prompt 6]
In choosing a term to describe what the center does i think Interpret is the most applicable. Even though I come from a LDS (Mormon) background i though that the LDS involvement in the center, how ever good natured, was oddly contradictory, and i could see it. When i think of natives of any ancient realm, especially tropic areas, i don't picture them completely, modestly, covered from wrist to wrist, neck to knee; though knowing the Mormon doctrine and western societal beliefs i would expect this of them. I though it was thus an interpretation of what these societies were, filter and interpreted though the views and beliefs of the people now relaying the story. I did think considering the interpretation that the did go to lengths to be as accurate as they could consciously allow.

The rest of December 30

noreply@blogger.com (Matie Kay) — Sat, 30 Dec 2006 20:08:00 +0000

This is a Heiau, or native Hawaiian sacred site used for rituals. This specific one was for agriculture. The village people would prepare the rock pile by putting sand on the top and smoothing it out. They would also carve elaborate representations of the Gods. It was believed that gods would resided in the wooden during the ceremonies once the Kahuna called them, and then leave when the were cast off at the end of the ritual. Since this is an agricultural Heiau there were no human sacrifices, though many fruits and veggies lost their lives here.

These are the Pali Mountains that cross the southwestern-ish part of the island. I took this at an amazing look out that was a part of Kamehameha's battle to unite the islands. He fought a back and forth battle between the native on this the windward side of the island. Once he got the upper hand he drove them back to this spot on the mountains. Since losing in battle makes you a prime candidate for sacrifices the soldiers jumped.

And now I give you the Mormon Temple...

This is the "King" from the Polynesian Cultural Center during the Parade of Canoes. The Center was neat, but it seemed fake and touristy, especially when we found out that it was owned, not by locals but, by Brigham young University in Hawaii(not that this is at all bad). Oh well...

I still had fun at the Cultural Center, it just wasn't something they offer as part of their array of activities. A friend and i were talking to two native women in a shop about the class we are taking. All four of us decided that we should adopt Hawaiian names for the rest of the trip. Then the women started explaining that names here are picked based on the individual. After getting to know our personalities a bit, they named us!!! so I'm Pua Lilinoe, which means lily flower, because lilies are a hardy flower but also beautiful with a bold distinct smell [hardy because I'm a tomboy, beautiful is sort of self explanatory, and distinct because i know who i am at such a "young age"]. :))

Sorry, I Know you missed me...

noreply@blogger.com (Matie Kay) — Sat, 30 Dec 2006 18:12:00 +0000

I'm sorry I sort of fell off the plant for a few days, its been busy. So to catch you up... this is my morning adventures on December 31. I have to go to class, but I will completely finish updating to night.
PS. they go back wards in order that I saw them sorry, I will work on that too.

This is one of the missionary homes for the stone church. The funny story behind these homes is they built them in New England. Then they dis-assembled the houses and shipped them around cape horn(i.e. the longest way possible) just to reassembled the houses here.

This (below) is stone church, the first missionary church on the islands. Its a Congregational church and was set up during the Second Great Awakening in the 1830's. On a less historical note its made completely of coral.

This is the Iolani Palace and the statue of Kamehameha, the first king of the Hawaiian Kingdom. He was only able to unite the island after Westerners, James Cook, arrival to this islands in 1777.

Reading Prompts

noreply@blogger.com (Matie Kay) — Sat, 30 Dec 2006 06:09:00 +0000

The Evolution, Migration, and Diversification of Human Cultures [Prompt 1]
1. Pangaea was a supper continent composed of all the (our) current continents connected as one big one. It existed 200-250 million years ago. The most important concept to understand about Pangaea is that it proves the theory that interrelation among modern species that do not live on the same continent, and haven't since Pangaea. The super continent began breaking apart around 180-200 million years ago. Pangaea is significant because it show that species are interrelated, or rather evolved from shared ancestors.
2. Hominids, or Homo Erectus, showed up around 4 million-750 thousand years ago. Homo Sapiens appeared about 40-100 thousand years ago, originally in Africa and they migrated from there. The ability to adapt to their changing environment it was set Homo Sapiens apart.
3. According to Crosby culture is a means or system of storing and altering patterns of behavior in brain cells, not in genetics. This is what humans are, essentially, the pattern in which we behave.
4. Humans Migrated to Europe around fifty thousand years ago, Australia forty thousand, and the Americas thirteen thousand years ago.
5. When the people migrated to the Americas it was over a land bridge that later became submerged. So the American Populations was then isolated by an ocean.
6. The Neolithic Revolution began when man stopped chipping stone into weapons and began to grin a polish them. This age ended when they learned to smelt metals, thus beginning the bronze age.
7. In the Neolithic Revolution humans learned many new skills like written language, how to construct things, and agriculture as a means of producing food. These skills allowed then to settle in one place, no longer needing to be nomadic to follow their food source.

Debating Cultural Differences: The Last 13,000 Years [Prompt 2]
1. Mr. Diamonds main point is that the reason mankind thrived in Eurasia was that it is roughly on the same latitude. This meant that the whole of the giant land mass was generally the same climate and temperance, so a crop abundant in Spain would with nurturing thrive in say the Balkans or Thailand. Geographically and metaphorically speaking it is easier to move sideways than it is up and down, especially so in agriculture.
2. Diamond believes that the ultimate factor driving history was the urge to settle, or cease needing to follow the food source, and set up and agricultural base. Thus ones who were successful in this endeavor became highly esteemed, and those who failed were looked down on, creating a hierarchy of sort which lead to class structure. A need for protection from rivals and cure for sickness lead to the formation of an military body and science of sorts, respectively.
3. Blaut criticize Diamond with what I thought was the first logical flaw to his theory, that China (specifically) developed very differently and at dissimilar rates.
4. After considering both authors writings, I think that they both have theories and that mine is somewhere in between the two. The climatic similarities had to help, but there are decided difference culturally; in the end I'm left thinking that they are theories, and nothing more.

Understanding Cultural Interactions [Prompt 3]
1. Culture is the qualities inside each person, and collectively in a society, that create interest in intellectual pursuits, religious doctrines, political ideologies, etc. and from that generate a belief system. In relation to the other demarcations of humans, culture is the only one that is learned or otherwise developed through life. All the demarcations of humans, excluding culture, are dependant on genetics or the region in which the subject is raised. American culture is the culture of those people who reside in the American where as, conversely the US culture is on countries culture, and a subset of American.
2. It be part of a culture, truly and not just a passing fancy of the time, one only needs four generations.
3. Cultural beliefs change due to a great many variant, in modern times technology has been the most likely to due so. I think that cultures naturally, and with assistance develop, hopefully for the better. Progress of a culture is less agreeable, only because to say a culture has progressed insinuates that it changed for the better, which is not always the case.
4. I most definitely think that the nationalized or rather regional cultures of the globe are becoming more globalized in mindset. I cant see how they are individually ever really going to be completely globalized, at least not in my life time. There are too many grudges and differences of opinion at the moment to be completely globalized. Though I do like the global economies and globalized politics, i think some difference in culture will always be a good thing; otherwise we as a population would be like minded and always in agreement, never to think outside the box or have a difference of opinion.
5. I think a pursuit of an understanding and appreciation of the literature, fine arts, history, political ideologies, and religious doctrines of not only your culture but many others will provide the necessary skills for cross cultural competency; and a knowledge of languages couldn't hurt. I admittedly hold very high standards.Though I suppose one could get by with nothing more than curiosity, manners and an open mind, after all these three are the keys to any interaction with something new.

Analyzing Cultural Interactions [Prompt 4]
I read the Delay, and was left just as perplexed as I'm sure the lovebirds in the story were. I profess to only know a marginal amount about Japanese culture. After this class and talk to a Japanese coworker, I have concluded i just don't get it. In the story there is a seemingly normal chance encounter that leads to romance, and a potential proposal. Nothing odd about that, except that the girl in this parable is from a rural Japanese town, and thus needs family consent to marry, among I'm told countless other things. as a girl who grew up in a preponderantly feminist friendly society it bothers me that Junko needed permission to marry the man she loves, oh well. I suppose that a delay on her parents behalf is not so odd, but the explanations all left me wanting further information. Option A was the the parents were running some informal background check, which is fine by me to a degree. Though a three week delay seems like plenty time to do so and have a decision. So to explanation B, that is her parents and their rural community have poor telephone connection. Not to sound rude, narrow minded, or to stereotype but last time i checked japan creates the most cutting edge technology, i would think that in three weeks they could find a means to relay and answer. Not to mention that even if they had to use "snail nail" (i.e. a letter) it could have got there in the allotted weeks. Explanation C and D fall in to the culture gap between me and the Japanese culture. Yes Junko was in Tokyo without a formal Chaperon, and this could lead to trepidation on her parents behalf. But to me that where the "what are your intentions with/for my daughter" comes in to play. On the subject of an unmarried older sister preventing her union, its a plausible reason, personally it makes me think of 17th century English society. All in all i think that the last two explanations are the most likely reason for the delay because they are based in the Japanese culture.

Pre-accident Beauty

noreply@blogger.com (Matie Kay) — Fri, 29 Dec 2006 09:02:00 +0000

This is Hanauma Beach, our field trip today! It was this gorgeous collapsed volcano. I went snorkeling and sun bathing...ahh this truly is the life!

This is another view of Hanauma Beach. After this we went to Sandy Beach which is a great body surfing beach but also dangerous, as we learned. Jennifer, my trip buddy, blew out her knee, and we had to go to the Hospital. She is fine but will be on crutches for the rest of the trip. C'est la vie. :(

My View!

noreply@blogger.com (Matie Kay) — Fri, 29 Dec 2006 07:21:00 +0000

So this the view from our balcony!

Mahalo for following my trip journal, its makes it more fun knowing that people care enough to look!

another in stalment on the way, and it will be for class! :)

Hawaii Here I Come!

noreply@blogger.com (Matie Kay) — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 05:09:00 +0000

Well it’s the day before the big trip and I finally have time to get excited about it. I have never been to Hawaii in all my travels, so I can’t wait to see my 37th state. Though the idea that, after two weeks of sleeping 'till noon, I have to be bright-eyed-and-bushy-tailed tomorrow at seven is sort of a buzz-kill. Its the price I have to pay, I guess.