Kuzumaki のあなたのすべてへの幸せなHalloween 。私達は非常に逃す。暖かい滞在。たくわえの微笑。

Happy Halloween

Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849)
THE RAVEN.


ONCE upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore— While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door. "'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door— Only this, and nothing more."
Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December, And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor. Eagerly I wished the morrow;—vainly I had sought to borrow From my books surcease of sorrow—sorrow for the lost Lenore— For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore— Nameless here for evermore.
And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain Thrilled me- filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before; So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating, "'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door— Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door; This it is and nothing more."
Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer, "Sir," said I, "or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore; But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping, And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door, That I scarce was sure I heard you"—here I opened wide the door;— Darkness there, and nothing more.
Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing, Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortals ever dared to dream before; But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token, And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, "Lenore!" This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, "Lenore!"— Merely this, and nothing more.
Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning, Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before. "Surely," said I, "surely that is something at my window lattice; Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore— Let my heart be still a moment, and this mystery explore;— 'Tis the wind and nothing more."
Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter, In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore. Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he; But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door— Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door— Perched, and sat, and nothing more.
Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling, By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore, "Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou," I said, "art sure no craven, Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the Nightly shore— Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!" Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."
Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly, Though its answer little meaning—little relevancy bore; For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being Ever yet was blest with seeing bird above his chamber door— Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door, With such name as "Nevermore."
But the Raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour. Nothing further then he uttered; not a feather then he fluttered— Till I scarcely more than muttered, "Other friends have flown before— On the morrow he will leave me, as my Hopes have flown before." Then the bird said, "Nevermore."
Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken, "Doubtless," said I, "what it utters is its only stock and store, Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore— Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore Of 'Never—nevermore.'"
But the Raven still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling, Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird and bust and door; Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore— What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt and ominous bird of yore Meant in croaking "Nevermore."
This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core; This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o'er, But whose velvet violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o'er She shall press, ah, nevermore!
Then methought the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor. "Wretch," I cried, "thy God hath lent thee-by these angels he hath sent thee Respite—respite and nepenthe, from thy memories of Lenore! Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!" Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."
"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil!—prophet still, if bird or devil!— Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore, Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted— On this home by Horror haunted—tell me truly, I implore— Is there—is there balm in Gilead?—tell me—tell me, I implore!" Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."
"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil—prophet still, if bird or devil! By that Heaven that bends above us—by that God we both adore— Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn, It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the Angels name Lenore— Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore." Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."
"Be that word our sign in parting, bird or fiend," I shrieked, upstarting— "Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore! Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken! Leave my loneliness unbroken!—quit the bust above my door! Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!" Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."
And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door; And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming, And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor; And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor Shall be lifted—nevermore!

Thank you all for your sympathy and condolences during my Grandmothers death. We were happy that she is no longer in pain.
In lue of Halloween and my grandmothers fondness for practical jokes, I thought I would share this with you.
After we received word of her passing, we arrived to the Nursing home to see her one last time and meet with the Funeral directors. The Meddows in Cooperstown New York is a very large building that has several wings to the complex. When you arrive there is a sign in sheet. My father was signing in when he noticed that there was someone who signed in as Ellen Wilber (my Grandmothers name) directly above his name. The signature was identical to my grandmothers. They signed in to go to her Ward of the Complex. This is odd because what are the odds of having the same name as well as visiting the exact ward? Slim to none. Not to mention my grandmother passed at 1:40 and that person signed out at 1:50. We asked if there were any visitors to my grandmother or any other person in that Ward that morning and the answer was No. I know my grandmother could not get up and walk by her self nor could she hold a pen. We all believe she had one last laugh before she left this earth…..and we all miss her very much.

Two days after her death, we took her cat Miss Dixie to the Vet to get its shots. We were giving her to another family member. This cat meant the world to my grandmother after her husband died. She had her for 11 years. She never went outside. She also never went to the vet. My mother needed to get her shots as well as ask the vet why she vomited every time she ate. My mother called us from the vet and told us that the Vet looked her over and concluded that she had a number of diseases. She was dying. We had to make the hard decision to put her down, 2 days after her mother passed away. That was very sad. So in honor of my Grandmothers love for her Miss Dixie, we had a photo of my grandmother with her cat and a candle burn for her at her Wake. We also had the cat Cremated, just like my grandmother, and they will burry her along side my Grandmother in the Cemetery. She would have wanted it so.

I have just added 6 New Photos to the Flicker Page, so eat them up!
As of tomorrow, i can post more of the photos of Japan......
hope you all like them-
Happy Halloween...

I think that I need share what it was like living in Japan while seeing and hearing about the endless tragedies that befell NOLA and the South from hurricane Katrina. I am sure everyone has voiced their personal opinions, but sometimes statements from the news have a harsher reality that really stuck to my mind while I sat in disbelief.


Reports from the convention center;
Dead bodies all over the convention center, two dead babies, dead people in wheelchairs.

9/5/2005:
From other countries, their reaction-
The Government had no evacuation plan, it is incredible that the first power of the world that is so involved in Iraq…and left its own population adrift.

“That man, the king of vacations…the king of vacations in his ranch said nothing but, you have to flee, and didn’t say how…that Cowboy, the Cowboy mentality.” –Chavez Venezuela.

FEMA officials in Hattieburg, Miss instructed the Red Cross Shelter to post fliers for anyone needing disaster assistance need to call an 800 number. Why? These people lost everything, their home, their phones, and all of their money, how could they call FEMA when they have no money to call and no phones to call from?

VIEUX CARRE
Set up Emergency towns for people to go, get Cruise ships out here immediately for shelter. Just get us help. Help Us!

“Im a survivor” she said triumphantly, rising from the shade of a garbage bin. Miss Maddox from Gonzales.

9/6/2005
“Push Came to Waters Mighty Shove” All morning, they kept arriving, walking as if through a morbid dream.

Today they started letting people back to their homes to get personal belongings. But, they needed proof of residency. How many actually have that?

9/7/2005
Bureaucracy needs to stand trial!
Bureaucracy has murdered people in NOLA and Bureaucracy needs to stand trail before congress today.
“So I am asking Congress, please investigate this now. Take what ever idiot they have at the top of what ever agency and give me a better idiot, give me a caring idiot, give me a sensitive idiot, just don’t give me the same idiot!” Aaron Broussard, President of Jefferson Parish.

We’ve got 28 miles of coastline that is absolutely destroyed and the Federal Government., their not here.

Brown – Head of FEMA said;
Emergency Aid workers needed two days training before going in also urged fire and rescue workers outside Louisiana not to send trucks or workers with out explicit request for help from State and Local Governments.


Bush didn’t request help from Airline industry to evacuate the storm victims until late Thursday.

Jessey Jackson and his great debate over the word “Refugee”. ( I think he needs to shut up and help, he is wasting is energy where it is needed most)

NOLA Police: two shot themselves and 700 quite. They are working 24 hours a day with no home to return to. They are homeless.

Political Cartoon:
How to get George Bush off his backside to get some troops into NOLA:
A guy on the News over the TV pointing to New Orleans, saying: “Look! …Its Osama Bin Laden!

Bill Harris of Slidell and Miss Kittie. He was reunited with his cat a month after Katrina flooded his second story bedroom. He held the cat for 3 days while he stood waste deep on a chair, waiting to be rescued. When he was finally found, he had to leave the cat behind. Because of his tragic story, the cat was found and later brought to him.

9/12/2005
Katrina pushes issue of race, poverty, at Bush.
The White house has been scrambling to quill perceptions that race was a factor in the slow Federal response to Katrina and its policies have contributed to the festering poverty propelled into public view by the disaster.

9/15/2005
Death toll rises as water recedes. From 426 to 711. nursing home owners arrested and held accountable for 34 deaths because they did not evacuate when told to do so.

In the conference Center people had guns, people were raped and robbed. They went 3 days without food and water.
Linda Cash, 26. She noticed a little boy having difficulty breathing. She figured he was having an asthma attack or an anxiety attack. She and the others nearby spotted a too seldom seen police officer. The officer came over, his gun drawn. Cash said she pointed to the young boy. The officer checked the boy, cash remembered. “then, turned to us and said there was nothing he could do.” The officer vanished. The boy was dead- a death confirmed by 3 others interviewed for this story. Another officer came over, never removed boys body. He was checking for guns.

People have given up on the Red Cross. Their Buck stops there, and we got a helluva mess. You would think the people in charge of disaster relief would focus their efforts on the hardest hit.

She stalked the food banks as well, but to no avail. Finally last week she spotted a Red Cross truck in town. But when she saw it wasn’t going to stop, she jumped in her car and chased the aid down, screaming at the driver to stop and unload. Some of the towns people gathered around and started clapping. “I literally hijacked the Red Cross truck. I was so desperate for my community. –Miss Gibbs.

FEMA- Forget Everyone, mentality association.

How will Bush pull out of Iraq, how can Bush regain trust in people when he showed American our government showed little response to our own devastation.

Its strikingly similar with Vietnam and Watergate- war in Iraq and Hurricane Katrina. The Governments lack of response. Failed Government Policies.

9/21/2005
Death toll now at 1036.

Bush; Ideology and incompetence.
Like Prometheus, Bush is chained to the rock with the vulture gnawing at his liver. His presidency is riding as much on Iraq as LBJ’s was on Vietnam. As for the GOP, it would be facing a Category 5 election in 2006, if the opposition were not a portrait of mediocrity.
Like Nixon and the Watergate; we heard the tapes and it didn’t matter that he said” im not a crook.” No speech could undo the damage. Just like Bush’s speech. The Bush administration promised to bring democracy to Baghdad and succeeded in bringing Baghdad to New Orleans.

9/22/2005
Hurricane Rita approaches from the Gulf. Upgraded to Category 5 heading towards Huston, possibly NOLA. Evacuation ordered.

I don’t know if I could stay for another hurricane, said Keith Price a nurse at NOLA University hospital. Who waded several miles through the flood waters to reach her apartment.” Until you are in that water, you really don’t know how frightening it really is.”
Déjà vu Club opens in the Quarter, 1st strip club opened after hurricane. They are entertaining crowds of police, firefighters, and the national guard instead of the usual audience of drunken conventioneers and tourists on Burbon street.

Crude Oil Profiteering. Mark up on gas is .85~.90 cents a Gal. At the average $3.00 a gallon nation wide. $95.00 a barrel if this (3.00) is correct. But was selling for $65.00 a barrel.

Jazz Benefit points fingers;
When the Hurricane struck, it did not turn the region into a third world country, it revealed one, said Danny Glover.

Moving into the APARTMENT
I move into my apartment on the first (Thursday). The BOE cleaned the apartment yesterday and it was a mess. The guy before me was a complete slob. There was a lot of garbage, and junk. They filled up the back of a truck (smaller than in America) but still a great deal of stuff. They cleaned it spotless. He had an American style bed. I got rid of it, when in Rome do as the Romans do. The floor have tatami mats (Japanese carpets) when you come into a house you take your shoes off and put slippers on. The floors are very soft and cushiony. I will be sleeping on Futons, so this is going to be great. The apartment is big. There are two large rooms, one for the living room and one for the dinning room, I got my Japanese style table. There is a bedroom as well. It is large for one person, they said that it is a four person house. not the same as America though. I plan to start a garden also in the spring, its too late now. also i plan to put flowers all over the sides of the house. it is going to be great. i have a traditional bathroom. You sit on a bench and scrub your body with soap, then rinse off. you then get into a small very deep scalding tub and relax your muscles. believe me - after the days i have endured here in Kuzumaki, it is perfect. I wake in the morning without sore muscles. I will have internet. I have electricity and heaters, not the same as America, they are space heaters. I also have electric rugs. You just plug them in and sit on them. The winters are very cold, so don’t plan to come then. You wont like it- or the amount of heat you have. For breakfast fish and rice, a lot of vegetables, fresh melon, eggplant, cucumber and miso, egg and Japanese style ham, fresh milk and coffee, the list goes on................ I have a real toilet, western style. I have come accustom to the Japanese style toilet though because my host family has one. Try going to the bathroom in that thing.... yesterday afternoon I met all the English teachers from the 11 schools I will be teaching at, they are close together. I also went to a high school to take part in an English speaking contest. The kids were great and I had a great time. the two teachers speak very good English, so we had a great time together. the kids are very excited to meet an American (especially from NYC), so they sneak out of the class rooms and watch you. they are cute. when i went to one school and saw the children swimming at the school pool this little 7 year old boy ran up to touch me, he smiled and told me i was very cute in Japanese. I couldnft stop laughing, it was so cute! he is going to be a problem I am sure. in the mornings i go outside and look over the hillside and jagged mountains. there are hundreds of fire flies flying all over the place. nice......... EATING ON SCHOOL GROUNDS
I have been slacking. i have something new to report, rather funny as a matter of fact and i don’t think i told anyone except for Sasha, so here is what i hear about Japanese schools; There is a general rule at all schools....No eating on school grounds. this is strongly enforced. One of the ALT’s (assistant teachers) told me a story at the convention about how strict they really are. This is what he said; he was sitting at his desk at the BOE (board of education) in the morning. At 8:15 every morning work starts with the brief meeting with the Principal and the teachers. They go over daily tasks and announcements. One of the teachers held up his hand (like he was saluting Hitler himself) and with his arm stretched high, in his hand he held a gum wrapper. With this look of disgust he said in a low angered tone, “I found this in the Boys Bathroom!” And I THINK that someone ate the Gum as well. The whole room let out a gasp!!!! Then another time when the ALT was driving with some of the Teachers past the school on a Saturday, they saw a group of 7 year olds walking through the parking lot. The children saw the Teachers, got Nervous and quickly put something in their pocket. The Teachers slammed on the breaks, jumped out of the car and told the kids to empty their pockets. One of the kids had a Rice ball wrapped in Saran Wrap. The Teachers scolded the child, then returned to the car. This is so typical here. We obviously have a problem in the States with kids bringing weapons and drugs into the schools. Japan on the other hand is Hilarious! So what I propose is that Japanese kids should camouflage their food with Pot. It will be well hidden and a good deterrent against the Teachers!
MORIOKA
i went to Morioka city on Thursday and Friday. It’s the size of Brooklyn. i met with the other ALT’s in the area for two days. we had a great time and i made some new friends. we went out to dinner and it was all you can drink. one of the girls got sick and threw up under the table, we left there in a hurry. its so cool to see women still walking around in Kimonos on the streets. while we met i learned some new things about the Japanese culture....maybe not good. for women they told us to watch out for the Drunken Businessman. they do their best to pick up American girls. they are a pain in the ass and persistent about it.... for the guys, (this was hilarious) guys have to watch out for little boys in school. they come up behind you and put their palms together and point their two index fingers at your asshole. they try to ram their fingers in you butt. one ALT got a direct hit from one of the boys. he turned around and smacked him hard. they said they are always trying to block them with their hands. i would handle the drunken businessman any day- that’s ruff. it was also funny walking around town. everyone was starring at us. it was the most people(Americans)they have ever seen. One girl told me that when she got to the bus station she needed directions to where we were meeting.. she went up to a woman who was looking down. when she asked for directions the lady looked up at this 5 foot 8 black girl and ran away in fright...THAT was too funny. i finally got the house in order over the weekend. it now looks like home. i put up some screens that divide the rooms in half. i moved the kitchen around. it looks much better.

UNDERWEAR here is an e-mail that I received from my friend. She is Japanese and she wanted to warn me about this issue that plagues Japan and woman from out of the country and also in the country; Hi Melanie, actually I'm at the office trying to write some lines to you before I leave. It is crazy the amount of work I have.... anyway, I thought I ought tell you before it is too late because I think I forgot to tell you here. In Japan it is VERY COMMON practice for many men to steal women's underwear from washing clothes line from your balcony. When I first came to Japan I didn't know and I thought I was misplacing them. Your underwear does not have to be sexy or cute. If you don't want to loose them, make sure to hung them indoor under a lock!!! I have heard stories about this, even though it is rather funny, I will make sure not to dry them outside.

Now that I finally have access to my Blogger account I would love to post the old Daily E-mails that were sent to everyone while I was in Japan.......no spacific order

PEEBREAK thought I would give you a smile today..... This happened yesterday. I went to the apartment with my coworkers from my department. I needed to get out of the office anyway and going over there to help with the screens sounded great. In Japan they have sliding screen doors on all the windows and also doors. They have rice paper on them. we were going to strip the old paper and put up clean ones. The apartment was not fully clean and also not inhabited yet. There are no slippers for the house or the bathroom (yes you have to change into Toilet slippers when you use the bathroom). This brings me to my point. We just finished gluing the last screen and my legs were stiff, so I went out side. I was smoking and then one of the guys I work with came around from the side of the apartment with his belt undone while he was zipping up his pants. He gave me a queer look then bowed. Hummmm, I thought about it for a second, then realized that I didn’t have any bathroom slippers. in stead of using the toilet without (which is unheard of) he pissed on my lawn. I laughed about it- it was too funny.

More Photos to come....
i Ran out of Upload space and i am over my limit for the month. More Temples and Pagotas to follow soon...................

Ladies and Gentleman…
Without further ado,
Here are the photos
Of My Japan.

please go to the bottom of this page and click on My Flicker page-