We’re headed to Tokyo for the next few days with my parents. There we’ll see the sights and cherry blossoms. We’ll be away from the blog for about a week, but here’s a good video about thinking different. Enjoy!
Day Place
Here is our list:
We are really excited about experiencing Japan with family!!!
It’s so strange to read and hear about America going through the Daylight Savings Time rituals. The worst part of DST is in the Spring when you’re forced out of bed an hour early. Fortunately, we will get up at the same time we always do and don’t have to change our clocks at all.
Japan only used DST for three years between 1948 and 1951, and has never gone back to using it. There have been a few attempts to bring it back but each once has failed like student trying to get up on time. In 1998 and 1999 Hokkaido (Japan’s northern most island) tried to get DST back on the clocks. Because the island is so far North sunrise can be as early as 3:45A.M. in the summer. More recently Shinzo Abe, the former Prime Minister, tried to get DST back. Just like in America, there were claims that it would save more energy and, in turn, reduce green house gas emissions.
After living in a country that does not use it, DST seems a bit strange and annoying. I always enjoyed the Fall part of DST, but “Springing Forward” is just awful.
Do you like Daylight Savings? Or would you rather just get rid of it altogether?
Here’s a map of the world’s use of Daylight Savings Time:
Blue = Counties using DST, Orange = Countries that once, but no longer use DST, Red = Countries that have never used DST
{We’re starting a new “series” of posts (maybe one a month) about people I/we don’t know that make me/us happy. The subject of this series is summed up in the title. We’re starting it off with a bang. This person makes me very happy}
The first time Christoph Niemann made me happy was July 6, 2008.
Anyone who knows me (Tyler) knows that when it comes to the NY Times I am like a 5 year old with a box of Trix cereal with a toy at the bottom. It’s the best part of my day, but the toy isn’t in every box. Sure there is sugary and colorful goodness in every bite. Occasionally, you find a new fruit shape (maybe Kaladeschope Kiwi?) and that’s exciting. When you do get the toy, the gem, that shiny new thingamajogger everything else seems boring.
So it is with the blog NY Times’ blog written by Christoph Niemann “Abstract City”—if anything can save the newspaper industry it is this blog and this man. Each blog entry makes other blogs (those that primarily use words…like this one) look incredibly weak. He might be the most original/artistic man in this century. If you don’t believe me check this out:
Christoph is a Genius. If you too would like to be made happy, click on any of Christoph's pictures to be taken away from this lifeless blog full of words.
For those of you who have lived in NYC you know exactly what the picture above is because you’ve done it. Christoph made/drew (not wrote) a blog post about tricks to living in NYC. This made me and Alyssa very happy, and we suspect many others who have/do live in the City. (For those who don’t know what exactly is going on click on the picture.)
In another post, Christoph took the most basic element in the world, Legos, to demonstrate the greatest city in the world (once again NYC). It’s like God taking dirt and making Adam…almost.
Mr. Niemann knows about things outside of NYC too. Despite his artistic ability, he too has to find time to sleep.
The best part of his post about sleep is dear to my heart and a personal philosophy of mine; see below:
Doesn’t this make you happy? It makes me grin because he puts life/reality into a simple little picture. I don’t even need to explain it because it’s like nirvana. Mmm…feels good. Now Mr. Niemann knows that too much happiness would keep me and others away from doing what we must…so he decided only to make posts every two months or so. This means reading his blog is like going through the stages of life:
Step 1) Birth. Everything is so white and shiny when you first come across “Abstract City”. All else pales in comparison…perhaps you cry. (There is no spanking doctor in this analogy; although perhaps a spanking doctor could serve as Christoph himself awakening us to a new way of seeing things.)
Step 2) Discovery. You learn to crawl, taking your first steps, scrolling down the page carefully looking at each picture. Each small bit of newness makes you smile from ear to ear as a new world unfolds.
Step 3) Education. You learn that estimating your ability to jump over puddles in inaccurate. You fail and learn. The complexity of legos increases as you realize just how hard it is to make something original out of legos without actually connecting them.
Step 4) Work. Soon you realize there is only one post every two months. Someone has to pay the bills. You stop reading because you have too.
Step 5) Retirement. You give up because you know their isn’t anything new coming, you’ve seen it all, smiled as much as you can and the rest is down hll form here (except for those grand kids that are old blog posts).
Step 6) Death…Heaven/Reincarnation. You really give up because the posts doesn’t come out on time. You remember all the memories, smile one more time and…Your heart gives out and its over. Until that bright white light appears again and there is a new post… Return to Step 1.
Seriously don’t read Christoph’s blog otherwise you too will have to experience this painful process (and analogy) over and over.
But…if you would like to experience it for the first time (or again)…continue to the most recent blog post below. Mr. Niemann made me very happy with his new post!
Google Maps is as much a staple of life as rice is in Japan (we know, we eat it all the time here). So in his artistic fashion the one who makes me happy took something common (Google Maps) and made it truly wonderful. Enjoy!
The long, white, squiggly road says "Mail-in Rebate"
I don’t know Christoph Niemann, but he makes me happy!
{To visit Christoph’s blog click on any of the pictures here or visit it at http://niemann.blogs.nytimes.com/ }
As the weather gets warmer we’ve been getting out more and trying new things. Although Winter still rears its ugly head a couple days a week, Spring is making more and more appearances. In the past couple of weeks we’ve (1) played our first game of ping pong in Japan, (2) gone bowling, (3) joined a tennis club, (4) found an old tennis court that we’re trying to clean up, (5) been walking almost every day around our neighborhood, (6) rode our bikes in pouring rain for fun to Minokamo (almost a two hour round trip), (7) and started making our own flour tortillas.
A few weeks ago we were supposed to go on a hike with a teacher-friend of Alyssa’s but a day of solid rain changed our plans. Instead of a hike we played ping pong at the city community center and then went to a bowling alley. It had been years since we had done either. The last time we played ping pong was in the Empire State Building when we were dating!
Alyssa Playing Ping Pong
It feels so good to get out and be active. We spent much of the winter in one room using a little kerosene heater. Being able to stretch our legs and swing our arms feels great! The tennis club we joined is a blast too! There are between 15 and 20 people from ages 25 to 65. The best part of our first day was getting a twenty minute lesson in Japanese about volleying by a cute, old and little Japanese man. What he lacked in communication (English) he made up for in enthusiasm (swinging arms, animated strokes, and a loud voice). We practiced with everyone for about 2 hours, and then played games. Even though most of the members only play once a week they play incredibly well and hit the ball hard! There are only four women in the club (excluding Alyssa) and they played exceptionally well. They held their own with the men. We’re looking forward to playing more with the club!
This last Sunday we rode our bikes 5o minutes to Minokamo (the next city over) in POURING RAIN! We were soaked! Then we rode back for another 50 minutes! Alyssa really wanted to know how long it would take to ride to her second school in Minokamo. It turned out to be fun, but we won’t be jumping on our bikes in the rain anytime soon.
What have YOU been doing with your Spring days?
~T&A~
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