My friends at the Kaikan (international residence)

These are friends of mine that live at the Kaikan with me (I'm having a little trouble controling the pictures, but there are only 2 pictures this time). On the first photo (on the left side of the screen) starting on the left is Fousht (I don't think that is the correct spelling) from Brazil. He is a big guy and very humorous. Next, on the right in the first photo is Whyle (sounds like one is saying Y L). He is from Pallestine (a country that is not actually recognized by most of the world, but they claim to be a country so I am going to call it a country). He is a crraaazzzzzyyyy guy, but it helps when we are tring to meet girls if he is there (because he is not shy at all, infact he is the main reason that we have several Japanese girls come over to the Kaikan to watch movies with us and speak in Japanese every Saturday->next week, all of us and the Japanese girls that we have befriended will be going either bowling, to a movie or to Karaoke. So, that's good.). Maybe I will take pictures when we go bowling, karaoke or to the movies and post them to my blog.

Now, the bottom picture... Starting on the left and working our way to the right is Paul from Ecuador. I think that out of all the non-native English speakers that I have met, Paul speaks English the best. It is sometimes difficult to pick up on his accent. He is a computer programmer and a good cook it seems (and it should be noted that he really likes apples->it's an inside joke). Next, standing with confidence and authority is Cecil from Brazil. He is part Japanese and he is a really funny guy. You should see his impressions of famous movie sceens (we have them recorded on a digital camera). He usually wears soccer shirts and he is a huge soccer fan (of Brazil ofcourse). Finally, on the right is Marni from the Phillipeans. He is working on his Doctorial in Medicine (although, the exact decipline I do not really know). He is an interesting guy. I know a lot about the Phillipeans that I did not know before (because I talk to him often, he is easy to get along with). With few exceptions, all the people I have met here just seem like normal people that I would meet in America, they don't act differently or anything(I did say with few exceptions). You cannot see it in this picture, but we are standing right next to my room at the Kaikan (this converstation went on for a while, but it is fun talking with them because they are interesting people). One of the things that I enjoy the most here is getting to know other people from around the world. I am learning a lot.
Other than that, today I had language exchange and tomorrow I have research group meetings (and it is saturday). This Friday we don't have classes because of the summer festival. I think I will go to that and to the Nagoya castle and post pictures from the trips to this blog so don't stay away for to long. I recieved an e-mail from my youngest sister today wishing me a happy birthday(which is odd, because the e-mails that I sent to my younger sister and my mother have continued to be unanswered). So, if you are reading this Ducky, you should look at the pictures that I have posted to the other articles below this one (your in there). Well, it is really later here (1:10am) and I have to get up in the morning so I better go. Just wanted to introduce some of the people I have me. So, to end with is the quote of the day (there are actually 3 because I couldn't decide which one to use).

Quote of the Day:

"Each problem that I solved became a rule which served afterwards to solve other problems."

- Rene Descartes (1596-1650), "Discours de la Methode"

(I could tell you some stories about old Rene->I like his quote 'I think therefore I am' a bit more, but it is for another day. Unfortunately, I am to tired to go into a description of his impact on Math and Physics, but trust me, you have or will use the things that he created during your life for many years)

"Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe."

- H. G. Wells (1866-1946)

"Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth."

- Sherlock Holmes (by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, 1859-1930)

Well, that's it. Check with me in a week or so and I will have more (or less) to say.
AstaLavista.

Updates

I'm in the lab right now just studying Japanese. Not much is going on at the moment and I probably will not be doing anything anytime soon (other than prehaps a trip to Tokyo for a day or two). I was told that I need to start learning the machines for my research (which I think they want me to start in a couple weeks). Since I have to start my research soon, things are about to become very busy. During my free time I have made lots of friends, but I will not have time to talk to them anymore (except for chance meetings in the halls of my residence and other places). I have to start a X-Ray class soon. I am already taking a seminar every Friday from 3-5. So I will have 3 Japanese classes everyday (including a lot of homework and preperation for them -> they start at 8:45 and end at 2:45, with an hour for lunch). Then I will have one class (which will conflict with my Japanese class) every Monday and Tuesday (for 3 hours). Finally, I have a seminar for 2 hours on Friday (the seminar is easy, its just that I have to translate the handouts and that is difficult). I have to read a ton of research papers before I will be prepaired enough to do my research. All of these things will take a long long time. Did I forget to mention that after class everyday I am expected to come to the lab and spend all day here. Doing my experiment in Physics will take more than a year I think (unless I have spare time on my hands). I like being busy, but some times I need a little rest before I can continue. However, I think I will have to start taking my Japanese classes more seriously. I can easily coast through them, but since I am planning on being here for some years I would rather learn the language in the 6 month language class (the best that I can) and then learn as much as I can after that by self study and language exchange. The style that they use to teach us does not work very well with me. I do much better in self study, but since I have to get the assigned work done, I have not time for self study (which is a shame, because I would be way ahead of the class other wise). Other than that, not much is going on. I don't think that people want to hear about the adventure of "Ben on His Way to Class and to the Lab" everyday so I will try and do some interesting things along the way.

Now that is aside, I recieved a letter from my host family that I stayed with at Mieken (during golden week->they are the one's in the pictures that I recently posted). I think that they have invited me back to stay for a week when I have sometime (I have summer break soon, but I am taking an intensive Japanese class through most of it, however I will have 2 or 3 weeks off completely). I will have to go back and visit them sometime I think. I think what surprised me the most when I stayed with my host family is the way that Japanese people raise children (it is completely different from the way I was raised->I'm a bit jealous). I know what you are thinking---"Maybe it was just the people you stayed with."--- No, I've seen it from every family with children here in Japan. I am kind of jealous I think. They are not strick at all (It should be noted that I have never met a baddly behaved Japanese person). Even if the children don't listen there is no punishment that I have seen. For example, at the Sayonara party (the party they threw for all the students who did the Homestay Program in Mieken) a child, after being told not to, went up on stage during a preformance. Instead of everyone making a big deal about it (or even a comment), it was completely ignored (they were in the middle of the preformance). Instead of punishment, from what I understand, the parents try to make the child consider the other persons feelings. I know that if I ever interupted my mother (especially continuously) at the very least I would be yelled at (perhaps not my father, but I don't really remember interupting him when I was a child). I just find it interesting. Also, Americans are taught to be independent from everyone. But in Japan it is a type of interdependence on each other. I know that when I do things, so I don't have to listen to what other people think or try and do things in a way that is different from mine, I often prefer to do it alone. Hence, I am independent of everyone in that matter (financially, atleast in the past I relied on others as little as I possibly could). I just find these things interesting I guess.

I was thinking about returing to Texas for the 2-3 week break for summer, but I don't think I will have the money. I have to save up enough money to move into an apartment, preferably close to campus since it takes more than half an hour to get to the university from my home. Moving to another apartment in Japan can be very expensive. It requires about 6-7 months rent in advance. But, if I plan on being at the same place for more than 2 years, they will give a pretty good discount I am told (but I have to sign a contract I think). Well, I should probably go. It is real late here. So, later. And as alway, I will leave you with the quote of the day and week.

Not to toot my own horn, but this is the quote of the day (I don't know anything about the guy who wrote it-sorry):
(By the way, this was liberated from some web-site, but since it's a quote it does not matter I don't think.)
“I think physicists are the Peter Pans of the human race. They never grow up and they keep their curiosity.”
Isidor Isaac Rabi

Now, the quote of the week:
(sorry, I don't know this Physicist either-also a liberated quote)

"Physics is becoming so unbelievably complex that it is taking longer and longer to train a physicist. It is taking so long, in fact, to train a physicist to the place where he understands the nature of physical problems that he is already too old to solve them."
Eugene Wigner