挫折

挫折ってもっとこうガツン！と来るものかと思ってたけど、

もしかして後からじわじわくるものなのかもしれない。

ガツンと来てくれれば一瞬で終わるのにね。

どこで間違ったんだろう。

とにかく、what doesn't kill you makes you stronger を信じよう。

２０１２の目標（１）New Year Resolution

目標というか、叶えたいこと。

全部一気にリストアップするのは大変なので、

思いついたときにぱぱっと書いてくことにした。

In stead of listing them all up at once, I'm gonna make a post one by one whenever I get a chance-to make it easier.

1-　桜の時期にお父さんと弘前へ行く。

（Go to Hirosaki with my dad in the cherry blossom season.)

お父さんは還暦も数年前に済ませたにもかかわらず、

いまだに「青春１８切符」のヘビーユーザー。

一年中アクティブに日本各地へ飛び回っています。

特に桜の時期となると、南から北まで、

自称「さくらストーカー」を名乗り桜前線を追いかける。

そんなお父さんを追って、今年は青森県弘前にぜひ行きたいです。

弘前と桜・・・あまりにも有名なこの組み合わせ。

もちろん写真を撮りに行きたいというのはあるんだけども、

一番のモチベーションとして、

親友、真理に会いに行く！！というのがあります。

もう私、この娘なしには生きてけない。

本当に、この娘と会うと、生きるエネルギーみたいなのを貰うんです！

1.お父さんとの鉄道の旅 2.真理 4.桜 3.写真

私の好きなモノが詰まったこの旅行計画。絶対叶えるぞ。

This trip will have many things I love-

1. Traveling on the train with my dad

    -My dad is an expert in traveling using the local trains all over Japan. 

2. My best friend Mari

    -She is a charger for my life.

3. Cherry blossoms

    -The most beautiful existence in Japan.

4. Taking pictures

    -Needless to say. 

So I must make it happen! 

No Impact Man

My first movie of the year was the American documentary, "No Impact Man"(2009).

The documentary is about a family living in NYC trying to live without harming the environment for a year. No disposable products, no chemicals, no transportation including elevators, no trash, no electricity,..so forth. 

Collin, who started this project, wanted to go extreme so that he would know what's actually possible and what's not after trying himself. 

(His Blog:No Impact Man)

Getting food locally and no getting food thats been transported by vehicles turned out to be great. They now know who actually grow what they eat. They've visited the farm and they've spend time with the cows that give milk which they drink everyday. 

Also no laundry machine brought a fun time to the family. They put water, natural detergent, and the dirty clothes in the tub and the family all walked on them! The daughter seemed to be having such fun!

I think No TV and having their own plot was a great idea for their daughter too. The parents started having much better time with their daughter by taking her out to the plot, letting her play with the dirt and learn how things grow. 

I was moved by his comment he made after having his own plot for a year. He said something like this. 

"Now we are back to eating the same thing we ate when the project started, like root vegetables and squash. It's not like turning the calender and know a year has past. Before, we were disconnected in the city from the natural rhythm. And I didn't know how much it feels good to be connected."

Of course, there are things thats very hard to keep doing like no electricity.Food get spoiled with no fridge in summer, it gets freezing in NY in the winter, living only with candle lights looked very inconvenient. 

But they tried all these for a while and they have learned what they really need and what they can live without. I think thats what's very inspiring and cool about them. 

And it's not just for the environment but it's for themselves. Like Collin has lost I think 20 pounds without going to the gym once and his wife is no longer at risk of becoming diabetic. 

I've read an article in a Japanese magazine about what it is to live "organic" and I really liked this comment.

To live organic is to live with the "originals" - things that are not processed, things that are as they are. 

I totally agree. "Organic" isn't anything new or trend, or a cool thing. It's just how humans have lived for many many centuries - not adding artificial stuff to everything. 

Soon in the future when I start living on my own there are many things I'd like to change in my current life style. It's hard when I'm not in charge of the house right now.. 

Anyway that was a good movie. I have many things to learn from them!