It has been one year sine the March 11th triple disasters of earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown.  So many lives have, including my own, have forever been changed.

I could tell you those changes point by point in all of the technical details, but I won’t.  I much rather put some sound-image-power energies into the world.  For many of Japan’s inhabitants the emotions of March 11, 2011 haven’t settled.

I invite all of lucid communication to give thanks for each moment we allowed to spend in connection with the world and more importantly our loved ones.  These precious moments with loved ones should be reflected upon.

My heart goes out to my very extended Japanese community.  The land where I lay my head to rest.  The land that I walk. The inspiration for my photography.

Miami Loves Japan Too !

I was thinking about what to write in today’s post, when I realized I was not going to write what I had planed to do.  I was going to go through my images and post up the 10 most important images for me over the past year.  I kind of visual journey thought the ups and downs of 2011.

We, especially in Japan, have been though so much.  Every disaster imaginable has happened to this country and we are still dealing with the after effects of the March 11 triple disasters.  We are still dealing with the daily stress of not knowing what the future holds for our communities.

I thought deeply on this matter.  I even had begun to map out which images I would use in the post.  I have decided to change my focus from the past to the future.  It is important to revaluate one’s life in order to create a better future.  Those that are in tune with their spirit take the time to review their actions, and take steps to redirect our lives to be on the path that we want to travel.  In some cases, the path that we need to travel on.

I have chosen on the end of the Gregorian calendar to look forward.  To put the past behind us, and to forward to the year to come.  To look upwards into the endless skies and see the possibilities for what the future can bring.  To forge ahead down the roads that we need to travel.  To find ourselves in the bluest blues of the universe.

As many revel in the end of the year, I choose to look froward to the next.  Where will my artistic explorations take me?  I do not know, but I am excited about the freedom that lies ahead.

2011 into 2012

The day was beautiful out.  The skies were so clear it felt as if I could see clear across the ocean all the way to San Francisco.  It is one of the amazing things about being in Tokyo in the winter time, is that the air becomes so clear that the skies are boundless.  On a day like today I had to just get out on my mountain bike and just pedal around to see what could be seen.  I needed to get out and breathe in the cool dry air, and fill my heart with better tomorrows.

Eventually I made it all the way to the edge of Tokyo bay.  The end of the road in Urayasu, and just gazed off into the curve of Chiba peninsula as it makes its way down to Tateyama.  I could even see bits of Kanegawa that borders on Tokyo, that is just how clear it was.

Now, if only I could make my mind as clear as the skies.  At times it seems like all the clouds flood my brain and heart.  I try hard to stay focused on what really matters in this crazy world.  There is so much nonsense we all have to go through that distracts us from what really matters.  It is times like this that I am so thankful to have family that I can reason with, and for the Creator to watch over us all.

I have faith that tomorrow will be better.  That tomorrow might be far off, but it might not.  I prepare for the worst, and pray for the best.  I know that the path I am on is the right one, and if it isn’t that I will be wise in my choices to keep on the path that I am suppose to be on.

Stare off into the boundless horizon.  Follow those curves.  Breathe deeply and let that brain fog clear away.

The day is here.  The day that seemed so far away from me.  It has now been 10 years since the September 11th attacks.  A day that forever change my life along with countless others in America and the world.  I remember thinking during my visit to New York City in November, 2001, and again on September 11th in 2002 that I wanted to be in New York City on the 10 year anniversary.  Ten years is a good whole number.  It is a decade.  It seemed to be a fitting time frame to come to some conclusions on what happened that day and the events that have happened since September 11th.  As things have happened I was not able to make a physical appearance in New York; therefore, I will have to explore these concepts in absentia.

In my trip to New York in 2001 the city was gripped in fear and many were clinging to nationalism as a means to escape the pain.  The collapsed twin towers fell upon the hearts and shoulders of my fellow Americans.  I wandered the city in a daze.  I really did not have time to react with my consciousness.  I was just able to point my camera and push the shutter.  Everywhere I turned my lens I saw the red white and blue of the American flag.  Around every concrete corner I stepped there were reminders of the city had been changed.  The twin towers stood no more.  What does that mean to me?  What does that mean to my fellow Americans?  How would this event change myself as an artist?  More importantly how will it change my view as a member of the human race?

I have never been overly patriotic.  I truly believe in the relishing of  cultural differences make a people stronger.  I do not want to single out people who are not like me and label them as other.  It allows too much room for hate.  If we relate to each other as “other” it becomes an escape to having to interact with people who may be very different from ourselves.  As I walked the streets of NYC, I saw the fear in peoples’ eyes.  I saw the middle eastern men in their kebab carts displaying the flag as readily as the old immigrants.  I thought to myself when will America grow up and accept all immigrants as Americans.

All Americans, except for the Native Americans, have come from the farthest reaches of the world.  We all came in order to have a better life in the United States.  I am amazed at how quickly my fellow Americans have forgotten that at one point in their family’s history that they too were the outsider.  They were oppressed.  They were not allowed to seek certain employment opportunities. The Private clubs were closed to them as well.  The were despised by the Americans who had immigrated at an early time.

Now we fast forward to 2011.  There is an African American in the oval office.  Something in my short life I thought that I would never see.  Yet, still people question his loyalty to his country.  The fact is that America’s racial and cultural composition has drastically been altered by immigration patterns over the last 50 years.  The day is fast approaching where white skinned Americans will be the minority and dark skinned Americans will be the majority.  Unfortunately instead of embracing our various cultural identities some of my fellow Americans are running scared from what the coming future.

When will Americans, regardless of cultural, release their hate from their lives and fill that void with love?  To love one another.  To seek truth over lies and deceit.  To venture forth and find real change.  Not the fleeting change that comes from politics, but the real change that lifts up humans hearts as we grow closer to one another through the Creator.  Like the hand written piece of fabric left at St. Paul’s Chapel that read, “God Bless the World.”  The world needs to be blessed by the Creator.  Not hate, but to allow love to flourish.

This 10 year anniversary should be a time to reflect as a people where have we journeyed over the past years.  For I, as an artist, the experience of September 11th has forever changed how I communicate to the world.  Our time here on earth is so limited.  I do not want to fill what little time I have been allotted with hate.  I want to go out to the world with an open heart with camera, brush, or word to bring more light into the world.  September 11th taught me to embrace by voice.  To go out into the world and use expression as my weapon to reveal slices of my soul.  It taught me not to be afraid of the unknown.  I am able to step with confidence out into a troubled world with the knowledge of love in my heart, and righteousness in my works.

Take the time this September 11th to take stock in yourself.  How do you want to spend the valuable life force we have been granted.  Let us take these energies to seek out good, justice, and beauty.  Do not let the hate and fear control your life.  Life is short to be filled with negative emotions.  Go out and livicate yourselves to each other.  Make the conscious choice to live in the light.

below follow some previously published images from 2001 and 2002 in New York City

The purple evening skies of yesterday continued over to today.  The clouds hung low, and the colors were allowed to develop into such rich hues.

I have been wearing a surgical mask when I go into Shin Urayasu for two reasons.  Firstly, my hay fever has been atrocious, a secondly the dust just blows around with no place to go.  I kind of hate when I am wearing the mask, and my glasses fog up, but I guess it is better than being all full of sniffles and sneezes.  However, today the pollen was so strong the mask didn’t make any difference.

I am amazed at some of the pathways and sidewalks in Shin Urayasu.  Because of the liquefaction on some parts they just became piles of bricks, and others, they rhythmically all tilted by 15 degrees.  It was by watching the paths that led me to a Cherry Blossom tree at an entrance to a townhouse like development.  The voluptuous pink blossoms were such a contrast to the dirt filled sidewalk along the main street.  It was so tranquil and seemed so far removed from all the construction going on just meters from this tree.

It again reminded me of the dual nature of the society we are living in.  We are so desperately wanting to return to a stable home life, but the constant aftershocks, the construction, and the Fukusshima nuclear power plant are all there like a fog that wont break up in the morning sun.  Yet, here there was this tree.  It paid no difference to the dust, construction or other worries.  All the tree knew was that it was spring and it was time to bring forth it’s blossoms.

As I continued to make my way home, I caught another flower.  This time it was just a weed.  It was growingly  singularly in some space between a wall and the sidewalk I was on.  The flower just appeared to be shinning.  It was radiating warm light that filled my lens to with warmth.  This images just sandwiched my day.  The tranquil to the mundane.  All full of beauty and full of such promise.

Other than the 4 a.m. aftershock this morning the day went by pretty smoothly.  The air was damp and it rained on and off all night.  The skies were gray when I hopped on the train to make my way into Chiba.  The lights are still off on the trains in a massive effort to save electricity.

On my way back to the station the air was chilled, but the sun was out.  I paused in front of a house to stare at this enormous orange flower.  It was there reaching up towards the warm sun.  Strong in spirit.  Bending little in the breeze.  It is my orange wonder.  A strong warrior among the concrete, and potted plants of Ichikawa.

As people all over the world ready and prepare to observe the feast of passover I decided that I would make matzoh from scratch for the first time.  Sometimes I truly am a stranger in a strange land, and I remember that my people were also strangers in a strange land.

With the earth continuing to shake, it has become even more important to me that I observe passover to the absolute best of my ability this year.  The desire to make some homemade matozh grew out of my own identity as a Jew of the tribe of Judah.

As the mixed multitude left Egypt under the leadership of Moses, I too wanted to remember those days, and to be a reminded of the many though out the world who are still in bondage.  Whether the bondage is physical or mental, I pray that all my brothers and sisters throughout the world too can taste real freedom.  And for those of us who are free, let us eat the matzoh, the bitter herbs and the roast lamb as a reminder to all the sacrifices that have been made, and the sacrifices to be made.

I wish all out there from the bottom of my heart a beautiful passover.  I also pray that all by brothers and sisters throughout the world that wish to be in Jerusalem may you be able to make the journey.

פסח שמח

Chag Pesach Same’ach

Stepping into the Tokyo American Club (TAC)  is like stepping into the Ritz Carlton.  I went to hear a lecture sponsored by the American Embassy on the radiation situation in Fukushima, and it’s effect on Tokyo.  As I waited in the second floor basement of the TAC there were probably over 200 people in attendance at the 1 p.m. lecture.

There were three large projection screens, and I having arrived just before the start took my seat in the second row in the middle of the auditorium.  There were people of all sorts filling up the seats.  Men dressed in fine business suits, mothers with infants in tow, and people like myself dressed in jeans and simple olive hoody.

The air was filled with a quiet cacophony of English that I hadn’t heard since leaving the sunshine state of Florida.  As the first speaker took the podium all eyes focused ahead and listened to what Janet from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) had to say.  She introduced the panel and gave a very brief power point presentation that she made a joke saying, “They never let us leave without one.”    She stressed that the situation in Japan in unprecedented and that the Japanese are the first society to have to face a triple disaster.

The first speaker was Dr. Norman Coleman of the National Cancer Institute.  I will write a brief summary of what he said.  First, that radiation is all around us.  There are three types of radiation: Alpha (which can be blocked by a sheet of paper), Beta (which can be blocked by clothing), and Gamma (which takes lead, or several feet of concrete).  He continued that cells have a built in mechanism for dealing with radiation and that cells communicate with each other when they are bombarded with radiation. Also talked briefly about how Potassium Iodine can block harmful radiation from collecting in a persons thyroid.

The next speaker was Captain Mike Noska of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  He talked first about background radiation that most humans experience  about 6 mSvs (600 micro rems) of radiation a year.  Different locations in the world have various levels of background radiation.  His main point was stressing by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards the Japanese tap water is safe to drink for all.

The last speaker was Dr. Steven L. Simon a specialist in Radiation therapy and it’s effect on humans.  He stressed that frequency of exposure to risk was a large determiner of outcome.  He started off his lecture talking about other risky behavior, such as driving a car, mountain climbing, and smoking.  He said that there is no line in the sand for a level that becomes a guarantee that someone will get cancer from exposure.

He said that in this room 25% of us would get cancer without any exposure to radiation.  In an odd twist of fate the researchers who have studied radiation have learned the most about it from the after effects of Nagasaki and Hiroshima.  He continued to say that in the studies of those that developed cancer after Atomic bomb they were only an additional 800 cases above the baseline 25%.  The amount of radiation that is being experienced in Tokyo at this point (< 0.1 mSv) in time would increase the baseline rate of 25% cancer by 0.0008% which he stated as a scientist is statistically insignificant.  He, as a scientist could not distinguish the increase from the baseline.  In the Q&A segment a gentleman asked him what amount of radiation would it take to increase the 0.0008 to 1%.  After jotting down some computations on his notes he answered about 2000 times the levels that Tokyo is experiencing today.

After Dr. Simon finished the floor was opened for about 1 hour of Questions and Answers.  I will put some of the ones that impressed me the most in note form.

As far as a worst case scenario, which they were rather reluctant to discuss they said the farther away from the initial incident the less likely for a worst case happening.  Dr. Coleman did make a point of stressing that this is an unique event and that the models are changing because of the data being collected.  He said that you cannot model your way out of this situation, but you have to measure your way out.

A young mother asked about some things people could do to make things worse.  He did say in some circumstances evacuating could be more dangerous than staying put.  The mother said that the press and Parent Teacher Associations (PTA) were saying that children should were polarized leaded sunglasses and rain ponchos to keep the radiation off the children.  Captain Noska said that they would have no needed affect, and the leaded sunglasses are only used for very special applications in the nuclear sciences.

Another question asked was there any difference between background radiation and radiation from the power plant. They clearly stated that “radiation is RADIATION”  The body knows no difference between them.

One lady said she lived through the Three Mile Island nuclear accident and asked to compare the Fukushima one to Three Mile Island.  They said they are rather similar and that the studies that have been conducted after the incident found little to no increase of cancer.

Radioactive Iodine and Radioactive Cesium attach themselves to dust, and water in the atmosphere and that is how they are spread, and or ingested.

Someone asked could a Brita Water Filter remove the radiation from the tap water.  The answer was yes it could help in removing some of the radioactive particles from the water.

One husband asked a question from his 7 month pregnant wife if she should leave Kanto (Tokyo) and head for Kansai (Western Honshu) to escape the radiation.  Dr. Simon’s reply was that the anxiety of separation could be much worse  than the actual exposure to radiation.

Now my thoughts.

I was rather impressed with the lectures, and in the end I feel good that I took the time to attend.  The overall feeling that I walked away from the lectures are to be prepared for more earthquakes, but at this point in time the radiation being found in Tokyo is so negligible that it should not worry about it.  That does not mean to ignore the situation, but to be kept up to date on changes and make informed decisions on what to do.

We as human beings take risks everyday.  There are often risks that we take that we have no control over the situation.  This is unfortunately one of those situations.  I for one plan on staying put.  I will keep up to date on all the information, and if God forbid things get worse, I will make changes.  We are all under a lot of stress whether it is acknowledged or not.  Japan and its people have not have the time to mourn.

We need to all breathe deeply and be thankful that we are alive.  We need to reach out to those in the northern areas that are suffering from the earthquake, tsunami and the radiation in the evacuation area.

So in conclusion after listening to the lecture and mulling it over on the train ride home.  The key things are:  Japan is removing the dangerous food from the market place, the tap water in Tokyo is safe and I probably learned more about the situation as it effects us in Tokyo from the two hours of discussion than from the countless hours of TV and internet news.

for good up to date information

http://japan.usembassy.gov/

health information from the US Tokyo Embassy

http://japan2.usembassy.gov/e/acs/tacs-health.html

Stay informed.

Don’t Panic

feel free to comment or ask me any questions.  I will do my best to answer.

I spent three hours yesterday wondering around Shin Urayasu trying to take in what my neighbors across the river from have been going through.  The first thing that I have to say is that although the damage is quite extensive, it can not even be compared to what the people in the Tohoku area have been going through.

As my sneakered feet wandered in between the houses, and apartment complexes that fill the reclaimed land of Urayasu, I couldn’t help but notice that for as much damage that had been done, there was as construction crews all over the city.  The dusty air filed my nose and the rattling of jack hammers hit my eardrums.  I was surprised to see housewives sweeping up dust into white drawstring bags and placing them in front of their homes.

A sign at a local kindergarden gives the people words of encouragement in their times of trouble.  I was warmed to see people working as a community to help get the city back to normal as quickly as possible.

Walking along recently graveled filed sidewalks I would stop and stare at a portion of a wall that had collapsed or to watch a construction crew to repair streets.  The amount of activity was mind boggling.

I have great hope for the future of Japan.  Japan has an opportunity to come together to face the triple disaster and emerge on the other side stronger and connected with each other.  Spring is here.  The flowers are reaching for the sun.  I pray that all the love and cooperation will continue long after all the dust has been cleaned from the streets.

As many of you know my adoptive home is Japan.  I have been a bit overwhelmed being in Miami while my family is in Tokyo.  I really haven’t had the urge to keep my blog up to date; however, I will livicate this post and image to all the people I know still in Japan, and all those that I don’t.

Taken on the way to snorkeling in John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park.

As usual this is just a taste, more to come.

Took this image not too far from my old neighborhood in Kendall.  Perfect light on a lovely end of a day.

Sorry it has been so long since I have given any update with me being in Miami.  My computer promptly crashed the second night I was here, and I was without my own laptop for a few days.

I got the chance on a warm February day to journey out to the Everglades with my family.  It was great to breathe in the clean air and soak up the clouds, sawgrass, and alligators.

It reminded me so much of my youth being out in the tall grass.

lovely day, lovely people, and lovely nature.