I myself am having trouble sacrificing Coca-Cola, but dang, its like the only cold drink available here at a reasonable price :) and look at the size of that can!
Did you know that the statue of liberty is called the "freedom goddess" in Japanese? This one greeted me at the airport.
Views of a small shrine in town.
This is a view of the ocean inlet that boarders the town. The water is not very good for swimming, but I may try wake boarding...
This is a pic I took during the typhoon in Tokyo.
Japanese satellite TV!My tiny kitchen complete with tacky statues my predecessor left behind... You will notice more in the bathroom pic...
There are about 13 spiders in this bush. Pests are omnipresent.
Toilets in this country often have a sink that runs when you flush. Is this water clean?! You ask yourself the first time you try it.
This girl was not supposed to be in the picture; I was looking at the mountains behind her as I rode the train. So here you see a high school girl freaking out because the baka gaijin is taking her pic.
This rice field is about as big as they get in my so-called rural area. About one acre.
This diagram says, "You would not fart with out looking would you? So why not blow your smoke?" Yeah, the next time I'm on the train I'm gonna take a better pic and send that one to Engrish.com
It's one of those big-balled good luck raccoons that Laura requested to see. They are indeed everywhere. This one at least had the good sense to hide behind a bush ;)
For a good many people, the idea that God cares what you eat or drink seems silly today. Jewish and Islamic (Old Testament) dietary restrictions are usually regarded as throwbacks to a time when the restricted foods were unsafe due to poor sanitation practices, and the Protestant restriction on alcohol seems odd when the bible is so filled with references to wine. Also, there is the argument that we don't enforce all the other restrictions (like mixing fibers, for example) so why enforce these?
ReplyDeleteCouple these issues with the uniqe theology that the LDS church espouses and the fact that many people find the whole origin of the Mormon church suspect, and you have a recipe for ridicule.
As for the purification element, a lot of people can't handle being told that they aren't perfect - it offends the modern, "feel good about yourself" mentality.
Personally, I think what's in your heart and how you treat others is far more important than what's in your blood stream. I can't see God really caring much unless your habits are making you into a rotten bastard. Along with drugs and alcohol, we could easily add sugar, television, sex, video games, and a host of other things that spiritual people might want to avoid, but I think it should be a matter of balance and personal judgement, not a hard and fast rule. Unfortunately, few people are actually honest with themselves where their own vices are concerned.
(Sorry to take over the comments)
I am very jealous of that raccoon...
ReplyDeletea rant for a rant, eh, Linus? Well, people get hung up on the little things.
ReplyDeleteChristianity itself has suspect origins. What your creed is is not as important as what it espouses in my opinion.
The stuff about sugar and such are indirectly part of the Word of Wisdom, it has far more dos than don'ts. I think its our responsibilty to to treat our bodies as temples.
don't be jealous of the racoons; they have huge berrys but their figs... meh.
ReplyDeleteAWESOMERAD pictures and commentary!!
ReplyDeleteHey Clayton!!
ReplyDeleteThis is kim - remember, from the post-slam evenings at tessa and mark's?? I just wanted to tell you how much I'm enjoying reading about your adventures in Japan. I hope you don't mind that I found the address you gave me and added it to my lists. Your pictures are amazing!! Thank you for sharing them!!
Kim I am delighted to have you reading
ReplyDelete