April 28 - Watashi no Aozora
So my favorite daily morning Japanese soap opera "Honmamon" ended on Monday. I was so sad that it ended. I've been watching it faithfully for the last 7 or 8 months, and loved it. Yesterday, a new show started called "Watashi no Aozora." It starts as Kento leaves Narumi at the altar in the middle of their wedding, when a woman in a red dress comes to take him away. It turns out that Narumi was secretly pregnant, and is going to wait for Kento to return. It also turns out that Kento, who had promised to become a tuna fisherman with Narumi's father, really wants to follow his life dream of being a boxer, and doesn't plan to ever go back. The daughter of Kento's former trainer, who is in love with him, takes him to America to have eye surgery so he can box again. It's on at 7:30 every morning for 20 minutes on NHK (Channel 18 - KSCI International Channel). I was determined not to like the new show, but after 2 mornings, I'm hooked. Wednesday - Click here to comment:
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April 27 - Enough
I got back from Manzanar on Sunday. We got a big picture on the front page of Sunday's LA Times, which reported over 2000 people in attendance. The Washington Post also ran a story, along with others that I haven't uploaded yet. After all the drama in the last 6 months, things turned out pretty good. I am working on an article about my fight with a Hollywood producer at the MAD (Manzanar After Dark) program. She was the rudest person I have ever met. She tried to power trip me, guilt me, played for sympathy, liberalism and just out and out bully me. For the first time I've ever gotten into a verbal fight with anyone, I stood up to her and I held my own. I'll write more about it later.
I heard on the news that 115 Americans have died in Iraq this month. That's just awful. Then, I heard that 115 is the number of Americans killed in the 3 week war last year. And as horrible and tragic as those numbers are, 1200 Iraqis have been killed this month. Enough is enough. We need to stop the killing, this occupation is a nightmare. We need a regime change in this country. Peace. Out. Tuesday - Click here to comment:
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April 23 - All About the MAD-ness!
Me with Dad, Uncle Jiggs, running around with my clipboard last year
MAD-ness folks from 2003
It's 4 am. I leave for Manzanar in a few hours. Driving 200 miles into the Mojave Desert to remember the racial injustices of WW2 and to celebrate the 35th annual pilgrimage to Manzanar. We have about 7 buses coming (that I know of), and we expect maybe 1000 people. There are about 7 different events happening this weekend, starting from Friday afternoon through Sunday morning. We expect sunny 80-85 degree temperatures. Just think, 35 years from now, will be 100 years since 100,000 Japanese Americans were incarcerated in camps throughout the US.
This is my 8th year being involved with the Manzanar Committee and my 11th pilgrimage. Long-time readers of my blog will hear me whine and complain about it throughout the year, monthly meetings, disorganized organizers (myself included), late grant reports I gotta do, press releases and articles I need to write, working with differing personalities, dealing with the NPS, the 'zine that took forever, the website that needs constant updating (uh, I still have about 300 photos from last year that I never uploaded), responding to countless emails, did I mention that there's no script for Saturday's 45-minute program? blah blah blah. But, the reality is, that I love it. I love being part of this group, and I love getting in and getting things done, and it's work that I truly believe in.
But 8 years, gah, it has worn me out. This will be my last pilgrimage as part of the organizing committee, the last hurrah of sorts. What I do know is this, that I look forward to the MAD-ness, the Manzanar After Dark evening program that I started 7 years ago (Tony's idea), hoping to engage young people in learning about the camp experience, bobbing our heads to the beat of spoken word and poetry from my young sistahs and bruthas, participating in cross-generational discussions about racial profiling, the relevance of camp today, and really, why they came and spent their weekend at Manzanar. I'm also looking forward to debuting our new 47-page 'zine that I helped edit, "Keep it Going... Pass it On: Poetry Inspired by the Manzanar Pilgrimage" and selling lots of books. It's time for me to pass it on to the next generation, so that I can keep myself going. Friday - Click here to comment:
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April 21 - Finding Your Purpose
I just came home from a corporate grantee reception. It was a pretty amazing evening, with the most incredible keynote speaker, Bertice Berry. She's an African American sociologist, comedian, motivational speaker and singer, who is raising 5 foster children (3 are her sister's kids). Tonight she spoke to about 300 non-profit organizations about how we are all connected in the work we do. She talked about walking in purpose. "We are born with purpose and when we walk in purpose... we collide with destiny." She is about educating, uplifting and entertaining. They gave us her book/CD, "It's Time to Change: The Art of Transformation. Becoming all that you are!" which I am listening to right now. She also has a novel, "Redemption Song," which she told us about. I totally want to read the book. And she closed her speech by singing a Holly Near song a capella. It was such a wonderful treat. Wednesday - Click here to comment:
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April 19 - Early B-Day
Saturday, I spent the entire day, 12 hours in front of the computer, working on the Manzanar grant report... along with much procrastination, some laundry, a little SIMS, but mostly, the grant report. I'm maybe 2/3 done. Yesterday, was my nephew Kieth's 3rd birthday party, a month early, since my sister Gayle is expecting a baby some time in the next 3 weeks, possibly sooner than later. I have to say I am so impressed with my sister. She organized lots of fun activities for the kids, watercolors, pizza, homemade playdough, Blue's Clues hunt for cupcake decorating supplies, decorating cupcakes, and two homemade cakes. So here are some shots from the party. He was so excited about his new scooter, helmet, elbow & knee pads, and his new Hot Wheels backpack. Oh, and an observation: the reason why kids' birthday parties start at 11am, is because by 2pm or 3pm, all kids under 5 without naps will have some kind of meltdown.
Monday - Click here to comment:
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April 14 - Busy day, exciting hoops
It's been a very productive day in terms of GL's upcoming To All Relations residency. Got a lot of work done. Made a flyer. Fedexed a grant report. Wrote a press release/promo. Negotiated a theater rental. Set production schedule. Organized my files. Carpooled with Lily. Also, just finished enough of my taxes to estimate and file the extension. Now I really gotta get that Manzanar grant report done - the funder gave us till 5/1 or we lose the money. The 2nd bus to Manzanar is almost full. Oh. And may I say, the Lakers are great. I watched the 4th quarter and the game went into double overtime. It was the final game of the season. That Kobe, he sure can play. Two awesome 3 pointers - one to go into overtime with 1.1 second left, and another with less than half a second left. It sure was an exciting game. I yelled so loud, I woke up Tony sleeping on the couch at the end of the 4th quarter. Playoffs here we come. Wednesday - Click here to comment:
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Sorry I didn't blog this week. I've been preoccupied with things going on in my life. Been in and out of the office for meetings and appointments, and I've not been able to get into the computer room to update. Tony's birthday was yesterday. I took the day off. I bought him a board game from the 70s he wanted from the internet called, "Social Security" with the tagline "getting along with people." There are no winners and no losers. So we played that in the morning. Lazed around in the afternoon watching "School of Rock" on DVD with the ever hilarious and over-the-top Jack Black. For dinner, we had a quiet dinner at a kushiyaki place near our house. It's the Japanese place with little sticks of grilled food.
Did you catch Condoleeza Rice's testimony for the 9/11 Commission? I did. It's good that this stuff is coming out, and finally the media (and now the people) are starting to question Dubya & Company's actions or lack thereof. But I have been reading Michael Moore's "Dude, Where's My Country?" this week and I feel like they're not really asking the hard questions. Like what is the Bush family's 25 year connection to the Bin Laden family in Texas? Why were members of Bin Laden's family the only ones to fly in the days after 9/11? Then I have some more. Tell us about the Carlyle Group, the missing weapons of mass destruction, Afganistan, Enron and Bechtel. Who is getting rich from the occupation and reconstruction in Iraq? So, my vote is to add Michael Moore to the commission, so we can start getting the right questions asked. (For answers read the book!) Saturday - Click here to comment:
Comment April 5 - Behind on Life
I'm behind on everything. Unfocused at work. Things still crazy. But I've got to constantly tell myself that I can't do everything. I totally forgot that my column was due last weekend. Still haven't vaccuumed. The taxes can wait till August. Haven't archived the March website, or thought of a new quote, photo of the month and poll of the month. Anyone have any poll ideas? Something they'd like me to put up? I was happy about the number of responses to the last two polls. But, sometimes there are more important things to deal with besides getting through my To Do List.
Lily's wedding in 2000
This weekend was very busy--worked at home on Saturday morning, cleaned the kitchen floor, did some laundry and the dishes. Also updated the Manzanar website. Went to our friend Naomi's booksigning for her first novel in Ventura County. Then, went to my parent's house to celebrate birthdays for Tony and my sister Gayle. We ate Chinese food. Played with my nephews Kieth and Kyle. Sao & Auntie Keiko helped me figure out what was wrong with my crocheting problem, and I definitely had to pull it all out. Yesterday, Lily & I went to my friend Kaz' baby shower. It was chaos in motion - with maybe 80-90 people (more?), lots of kids and babies and some crazy dogs jumping in the pool and spraying everyone. Played with Kieth and chatted with Gayle. Kaz looked great, so did my friend Lisa, who is also pregnant and due the same week as Kaz. Hopefully someone will send a photo so I can put one up. Kaz? Sao? Meantime, here's a picture with Kaz, Mary, Lisa, Lily, Sao and I (and hubbies) at Lily's wedding 4 years ago. So while I'm behind on life, that's just life. Monday - Click here to comment:
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