Greetings and salutations!

Well I figure it's about time for an actual update! I've been living in Numazu for a week now and things are going well. I haven't visited all my schools yet but at least home feels like home. I am planning a trip to Tokyo in a couple weeks to visit Takako and Keishiro. I am very much looking forward to it. I hope to stay in a capsule hotel just for the experience. In a capsule hotel you basically get a coffin sized space to sleep in...good times *S* That reminds me...they have these cool parking lots here...but they're actually these large towers with rotating lifts that hold parked cars...all to make up for such little available space...its pretty neat to watch the cars load onto the devices...but yeah...moving on...

I have met two other persons of the faith amongst the other teachers. The one I met most recently is a fabulous person whom unfortunately will only be here until December. I have atteneded one service...which was Lutheran and therefore dull and uncomfortable. My search for a house of worship here continues. As a side note, to those persons uncomfortable with teaching the children "bless you," remember that gezuntheiht(sp) is simply German for the same thing! From religion to politics...read about the Liberal minority...sounds like Canada is in for even more fun. Well at least Albertan's can enjoy the Calgary Stampede!

I've been trying to get internet access, which has proven to be an expensive and frustrating affair. Hopefully it will all be done by next week. At least I'll have an IP phone which tickles my fancy...I do hate phones but an IP phone is very convenient for calling Canada (12 cents/minute) and I'm even getting used to my cell phone...a pitty it will be useless if I ever leave. The internet problem is complex in that you have to buy or rent a phone line, then you have to get an account with an ISP as well as with NTT, the national telecom company....ah the good times never end.

Ran into some marines the other day. The Americans were happy to find another English speaker. They're training up at a base near Mt. Fuji (which I should be climbing very soon). Of course, the main American military presence is in Okinawa, where I will be visiting at some point. Speaking of military, it took me a little while to get used to all the swastikas....yeah you read right...swastikas..they're everywhere here. It's actually a religious symbol of peace and appears at any holy site. But still...kinda creepy. Other things of note...the other day I'm commuting as normal when this woman walks onto the train carrying the largest bow (weapon type) I'd ever seen, and a full quiver of arrows...don't know what the story there is but it was cool!

As far as work goes, November retraining has been cancelled which blows because we don't get to meet up with everyone from training and meet all the teachers across the country, but hopefully we'll be compensated with some vacation time. Summer School is also about to start which is nuts because it's a whole new cirriculum with more classes of more students...and we work 8 days straight...sick.

Anyway...now to the real meat of this post...an interesting series of thoughts that I've recently been focused on...pay attention because this gets a little interesting...

Modern psychology/sociology tells us that human behaviour is essentially based on a series of causual determinations, these being Genetic Determinism (we are the combination of our parents' genes), Psychic Determinism (we are the result of what we are taught), and Environmental/Social determinism. The core of these systems is they exist in a Stimulus/Response framework. The general ideas is that, in a given situation, there is an initiating action (stimulus) to which a subject responds - subconsciously for the most part. Of course, even animals operate according to these principles, and evolutionists take comfort in that. What comes into consideration however, is the issue of choice. Aside from issues of power (brought up in the Matrix trilogy for example), choice is the first thing that separates us from animals who operate on instinct. Granted, humans are creatures of instinct as well, and no one honestly knows the way animal behavior is truly governed, but we'll leave those questions aside for now.

A human being is capable of taking an opportunity, in any given situation and for proportionate amounts of time, to CHOOSE how to respond to a given stimulus. Though they may feel a certain instinct, humans can choose how they will respond, choose to supress or embrace the instinctive response. So many stories chronicle how people in tragic situations chose to respond in amazing and contrary ways to redefine their realities. So first there is choice. But there is also rationality...which is closely tied with choice, as emotion is tied to instinct, and the unique ability to exercise exterior self awareness, that is, to be able to look at yourself from outside your body in your mind as well as consider your future and be have the power to shape it. These qualities are key indicators of our humanity and allow us to govern our behavior.

I would argue though, that there is another determinism to consider, that of Spiritual Determinism. I would further argue that if a person has a connection to the God, he or she has access to expanded powers of discernment and comprehension, and thereby has the ability to see alternatives and choices that others may not, that ultimately, the power of God, infused in a person, expands the power of choice that person has. This results in a potentially radically different worldview and offers up new debates and possibilities that I won't bother getting into at this time as it's already midnight and I'm certain this rambling is fragmented at best *S* Nonetheless...something to consider.

With Hope,
Joseph