Up in the Sky
01 Aug 2009 3 Comments
in Detroit, Neutral Zone Tags: Detroit, Japan
I’m flyin’ coach class, up in the sky
Sippin’ cola, livin’ the life
^o^
In a few hours, I will be getting on a plane to start this latest journey, working in Japan. It may be a while before I get internet access, so don’t expect much here until September. In the meantime, there’s plenty of amusing things in the old posts, (especially in the post right before this one, rraowww!) so enjoy!
Take care of Detroit while I’m away! Please don’t litter or pee in the new Rosa Parks Transit Center! Or anywhere else!!!
<–(((^_^)))–>
Gateway Project at 90%!
26 Jul 2009 Leave a Comment
in Detroit Tags: Detroit, Gateway Project
Taken from the corner of Vernor and (what was) the Northbound I-75 Service Drive.
Viewed from Bagley & Southbound I-75 Service Drive
The new, wider I-75. More lanes = more air pollution per minute! : )
19 Days Left in the D
13 Jul 2009 Leave a Comment
in Detroit, Serious Side Tags: Detroit, Japan
19 Days Left in the D (or, “On the Way to a Bittersweet Smile”)
Virtual Cookies to whoever gets the joke! Anyway…
It’s hard to believe: I’ve only got 19 days left in Detroit. A careful reader of the Broken Ankle Log would know that I got a job overseas, but that’s all to the left (technically to the right but, we don’t say that do we?) and who really reads that? Anyway, it all began over 5 years ago…*ripply flashback music*
A presenter from the Consul General of Japan in Detroit came to my Japanese class to talk about the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program (JET). In JET, you go work in Japan for a year, generally as an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) for English in middle and high schools, but there are other positions. I asked if one had to be an American citizen to join, and was informed that one had to be a citizen of a participating country. I was still an Honduran citizen at the time, and of course, poor little Honduras is not a participating country.
In 2004 I vowed to become an American citizen if John Kerry won. I did not want to naturalize during Dubya’s presidency. When Bush won reelection, I kicked myself for not naturalizing precisely to help vote him out of office. Oh well. Instead, I spent nearly a year looking for a job, got a part time job, and then joined City Year. During my second year in City Year, I started the naturalization process, and became an American in July 2008. I could finally VOTE!
With the scholarship I earned in City Year, I went back to college to finish the second degree I unwittingly started years before. I planned to graduate again in two semesters, earning a second Bachelor’s in Asian Studies concentrating in Japanese. (It ended up taking 3 semesters, but close enough.) In December 2008, finally able to, I submitted my application to the JET Program and crossed my fingers.
In late January I was overjoyed to see that I’d made it to the interview stage of the application process. I would have my interview on the 18th of February. I could think of little else. Then, a mere 9 days before the interview, I had that fateful encounter with a patch of black ice. I went to my interview, the one I had been waiting on for so long, on crutches, hopped up on Vicodin, without much preparation.
Luckily, when it was “game time,” I was able to focus on the task at hand. It’s like on America’s Next Top Model: they’ll put the girls in crazy costumes that they have to “model beyond.” I felt I had to interview beyond my temporary disability, and certainly, beyond the side effects of the Vicodin, which at the time I still had to take in relatively large doses. In mid-April or so, I received an email saying I’d made it to the short list, meaning my place in the JET Program was almost secured. I was happy, but physical therapy was the first thing on my mind. I later learned I would be going to Fukuoka Prefecture. A little later still, I heard from my predecessor (Hi, if you’re reading this!) and learned that I would be at a high school in Dazaifu, the second largest city in the prefecture. I was so happy!
When I first had the accident, the second thing I asked the orthopedist was “will I be able to travel overseas in August?” He said yes and I was greatly relieved. But, he said that some of the screws I would be getting should be removed within a year. I worried about having surgery in Japan. I’d read that even in the United States, some surgeons might use different tools for the same procedure. What if I went to a surgeon that didn’t have the right tools to remove my hardware? I brought it up again at my May checkup, and my orthopedist said that if my ankle’s lateral motion was still severely limited in June, he could take some of my screws out in July; that would greatly help me regain motion, plus, I wouldn’t have to worry about getting it done in Japan. He said it could be done outpatient in the office, as it only involved making a small cut above the screw head and unscrewing it out.
Unfortunately, at the June checkup, the x-rays revealed one of the screws had broken. This is normal according to the orthopedist (though my physical trainer and therapist were thoroughly surprised: “those things are made out of titanium!”). Since the broken part would have to be dug out, it had to be done in the operating room. More all-out surgery. Oh Dear Diety. Now, it wasn’t urgent to take them out. But the orthopedist reassured me that it would not cost nearly as much as the first surgery, that the extraction would only take 15 minutes. I got an estimate from the hospital: 10 grand, “more or less.” That’s a lot, but if it was just 10K or a little more, I could set up a payment plan and live with it.
A few days after the surgery, I went to view my hospital account…and saw that the surgery plus recovery time had been over $17,000. I couldn’t even be angry. Maybe it’s just me, but while technically the phrase “ten thousand more or less” can mean anything from a penny to a million, since it was an estimate, I figured the upper limit would be some 15 grand, but given the quickness of this procedure, I didn’t think it would go up that high. Ha!
So here I am, back in the present. What should have been a really happy time is bittersweet. Now, I will go on JET not just to fulfill a dream, but to pay off a debt (unless Detroit Receiving Hospital has some more mercy on my soul). Nearly all the money I had saved up to pay for my move overseas went to paying for physical therapy.
As I walk about Detroit, and now notice how many people are walking with limps, I don’t mind the $1500 I still owe the Rehabilitation Institute; without therapy, I would doubtless still be “walking all crazy.” Before my second surgery I met a woman who was about to have the same first surgery I did, just that on her left foot. She had recently lost her job at an auto parts supplier so she had no insurance. She frowned when I told her the discounted price of physical therapy for those paying out of pocket, saying even that was too much for her. I wonder, will she be one of those walking around with limps for not being able to afford even to take on the debt of therapy? Likewise, that $17K surgery, well, I can’t say I don’t feel better without those two screws, because I most certainly do. It’s a noticeable difference. My ankle used to be terribly stiff in the morning, but now, the first step on it is enough to get the stiffness out. And I feel better knowing there aren’t broken pieces of metal inside me.
So, that’s how it is. I’m happy about JET, but too worried about the debts incurred to heal this injury to be freaked out about moving to another country for a year, as a sane person should be. Perhaps it’s a good thing that way.
Well, I made a blog that will be just for my JET experience. There isn’t much there now, but I’ll put it in the Blogroll. If anyone is interested, it’s Lucky Hill. I named it that because that’s what Fukuoka (福岡) literally means. I don’t plan on abandonning Scales of Libra, it will continue to be what it is now: a place where I blog about the Two Sides of Life, erratically as usual, for the amusement and/or edification of whoever wanders by. ^_^
Gateway Project at 75-80%!
09 May 2009 1 Comment
in Detroit, Neutral Zone Tags: Detroit, Gateway Project, Mexicantown
I think when I got to catch a glimpse of the progress board on-site it said 80%, but MDOT’s site says the Project is 75% complete. I’m still not walking long distances, but luckily the light turned red so I was able to snap a couple pics from the car.
The Bagley Pedestrian Bridge, viewed from the Vernor overpass.
View from the corner of W. Vernor & Southbound 75 service drive
Final Fantasy Concerts Return to Detroit!
22 Apr 2009 Leave a Comment
in Detroit, Final Fantasy, Light-Hearted Side Tags: Detroit, Final Fantasy, video game concert
Yes! My hope came true! “Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy,” the latest FF concert, will come to Detroit on June 18th! I didn’t think they’d come through the D since they performed in Grand Rapids (and Uematsu was even at that one), but at the same time, I thought, they can’t diss the Detroit Symphony Orchestra by not coming here!
The DSO’s event page for this concert is found here.
For the Detroit page of the Distant Worlds site, click here.
I’m so excited! Waaa! ^___^
Get your tickets before Seph buys them all to scalp them!
Don’t Bash Detroit, Help It!
03 Apr 2009 3 Comments
in Detroit, Serious Side Tags: Detroit
Get the defibrillators out because I’m about to say something that might stop some hearts!
Not everyone in Detroit gets killed!
Are you still alive? Maybe this one will do ya in:
Detroit has buildings that are still standing! What’s more, some of them have people inside!!
*Gasp!*
As the NCAA gets set to come to Michigan, I’m already starting to see more Detroit-bashing on the blogosphere. Sure, some of it is done without thinking, some bloggers probably think making fun of Detroit is “good clean fun” and they don’t mean anything by it. But the fact that it is so pervasive shows that people really have these views of Detroit. What’s more, that someone doesn’t intend for something to come across a certain way, doesn’t mean that it won’t come across in a bad way.
It bothers me when people make jokes about Detroit by citing crime statistics. Why is it funny to say things like “you better lock your doors in Detroit because the murder rate is so high!” We’re talking about human lives being taken! Wouldn’t it be much more productive to sit down and say, “why is something so horrible happening? What can I do about it?” And if it’s too much to ask that people be productive and a part of the solution, why can’t they at least not be part of the problem? Words absolutely have power. If you keep telling someone they’re dumb and ugly, and many other people join in on that harassment, the harassed person will probably start believing it, and what follows will probably not be good (for example, a self-destructive lack of self-worth or a homicidal rage against the abusers). Likewise, the bad press Detroit gets does not help Detroiters see themselves in a good light. I have unfortunately met and seen Detroiters who do not care about their city. You can see it in how they litter, vandalize property, and generally, carry on as if other people don’t exist. Such douchy behavior would not be as common if the social expectation that people care about Detroit was more widely spread. In general, you put on nicer clothes to go to places you expect to be “high class.” If you expect somewhere to be of little consequence, you are more likely to act in an inconsiderate manner once you get there.
Please, if you feel inclined to engage in Detroit-bashing, please think about your actions. Such actions make you a part of the problem, not the solution. Jokes about Detroit are cheap shots; it’s kicking us when we’re down. I’m not asking anyone to pretend Detroit is paradise. I just want them to quit their bashing or their bitching if they’re not going to do anything to help turn it into as close to a paradise as humanly possible. And that goes for all cities across the US, and across the world, that are in Detroit’s situation.
You may say, what can I do to help change something as serious as a high murder rate? Well, there’s plenty! And it starts with having goodwill in your actions. It can be something as simple as not littering. Then, take it to the next level: pick up litter, especially litter that has freshly been dropped by some thoughtless person. Statistically, the cleaner the neighborhood, the less crime it will have. You may go so far as to volunteer to be a mentor to a young person. Maybe some young person in your own family is on the road to becoming a jerk. Be the one who sets them straight! Don’t be ashamed to proclaim that you care.
I think it’s obvious from the beginning of this post that I was writing in anger. But I calmed down because I believe I don’t help Detroit by merely being angry (again, the complaining without taking action thing). So I will end this with links to 4 organizations that I think (because I have personal experience with them) are doing a good job of helping Detroit. I hope this inspires someone out there to do something about the problems we face, rather than just complain about them or worse, make mean-spirited jokes.
The Greening of Detroit Dedicated to adding trees and other greenery to the concrete jungle since 1989.
RecycleHere Bringing recycling within city limits.
Detroit RiverFront Conservancy Responsible for the new River Walk. Once the Dequindre Cut is completed, the Conservancy will also be involved in its maintenance.
City Year Detroit Part of AmeriCorps, this is a full-time volunteer commitment. There are City Year sites in 18 other US cities (as well as one in South Africa, but Americans can’t join that one). I was a Corps Member in CYD for two years, and even though my second year was, to be brutally honest, one of the most stressful and exasperating of my life, I still recommend it to people that are truly dedicated to serving their communities. Even if I think, “I went through Hell,” I also know, “I did my best to turn the flames into something positive, and in many instances, succeeded in doing so.”
Fighting the “It’s just–” Attitude, Part II
21 Jan 2009 2 Comments
in Detroit, Serious Side Tags: Detroit, Wayne State University
Lemonade for your Brain?
Regardless of where you live, and regardless of grade level, there is a hierarchy of schools. Some are looked up to, others are looked down on, and others escape notice altogether. Some colleges are so highly regarded it verges on awe, others are ignored, and others are made fun of. But going to a school of note doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll come out any better than someone who went to a lesser known school, because whether or not you learn is largely up to you, especially at the high school and college level.
Last semester in one of my classes we had to write a 15-20 page research paper. An older gentleman was particularly concerned about being able to reach the minimum number of pages required and having good content, was asking the professor various “what if” questions, and then, as if to ease the man’s worries, another student said to him, “Don’t worry, it’s just Wayne State.”
?!?!
I turned and said to that person, “Hey, education is what you make of it.” He then snickered something that I didn’t catch.
Another incident that really bugged me was when recently everyone except myself and a handful of other students were “unable” to access some readings the professor had posted on our school’s Blackboard system. When we clicked the link she provided, we all got a message from NetLibrary saying “You are not currently viewing any items.” But rather than do the (I think) obvious thing and clicking the “Search” tab, they just decided the system was being “dumb” because “nothing works at Wayne State.” (Ignoring all the times they’ve used Wayne’s network to do everything from registering for classes, renewing library books, checking account balances, etc etc etc.)
To give some background, Wayne State is a public, 4-year university in Detroit, Michigan. As far as the domestic reputation of Michigan’s public universities goes, (speaking generally, as opposed to the reputation of specific colleges within a university) WSU is not high on the totem pole for various reasons, the most obvious being that it’s in the same state as the University of Michigan. But is that any excuse for allowing yourself to achieve less than what you’re capable of? If Wayne State is a school that is considered academically inferior, yet is the school you’ll be earning your diploma from, doesn’t it make a helluva lot more sense to strive for excellence to try to make your school be better regarded? After all, if people from U of M have the advantage of their school’s reputation working for them, why would you not try to do what you can to better your school for your own sake? Perhaps it’s hard for some students to feel they’re connected to the university because it is, even after the addition of three dorms, still a predominantly commuter school. But the entity that is the “university” is ranked according to the quality of its students. It does not exist separate from them, the students are the university.
<Opposite over Adjacent (Math joke!)>: It’s especially vexing to me when some WSU students say stuff like that because they don’t realize that it is a great university. Sure, we don’t have as much money, as many resources as some other schools. People from other states don’t know us because our football team tends not to win too much (though at least they’re not as bad as the Lions!) and the sports we do excel at (fencing and women’s basketball) aren’t followed as closely. But do they realize how well regarded we are internationally, to the extent we have the second highest number of international students in Michigan? How well regarded the schools of Nursing, Law, and Social Work are? That we have not one, but two buildings designed by Minoru Yamasaki (McGregor Memorial and the College of Education a.k.a. “The Wedding Cake”)? But I know there are other WSU lovers like me out there, I’ve met some and I live with some. Marco? </tangent>
ANYWAY, this is about more than just Wayne State. It’s about any student, at any school, saying “It’s just–” to justify doing less than what they’re perfectly capable of. (Or conversely, riding on their school’s reputation.) It’s never “just” anything. It is what you make it. Will you make it crappy, or will you make it better?
The first line of this post is in reference to this tanka by poet Noriko Ibaragi (Translation by Nobuko Adachi and James Stanlaw):
The mind is getting very dry, but
Do not blame this on someone else.
You yourself have forgotten to give it water.
You should protect your own sensibilities
Yourself,
Stupid!
ぱさぱさに乾いてゆく心を
ひとのせいにはするな
みずから水やりを怠っておいて
自分の感受性くらい
自分で守れ
ばかものよ
I keep hearing on TV how people are saying that Barack Obama makes them want to be better. I’m very happy to hear that, because some anti-Obamaists were saying things like “all of you who think Obama’s going to save you, well, he’s not!” and I thought to myself, they’re right, but for the wrong reason. I’ve said it on this blog before: I personally don’t believe any politician will ever “save” us. But I do believe that a great leader has the power to inspire us to action, and it seems like that’s the effect Obama is having.
Let’s be better and fight the “it’s just–” attitude wherever it rears its ugly head!
Fighting the “It’s just—” Attitude, Part I
17 Jan 2009 7 Comments
in Detroit, Serious Side Tags: Detroit, Mexicantown
Let’s say you’re in Downtown Detroit, perhaps on your way to the Auto Show at Cobo Hall, and you’ve just finished eating a candy bar. What do you do with the wrapper?
A. Keep it in your coat pocket until you can throw it away at home.
B. Keep it in your coat pocket until you find a garbage can somewhere.
C. Throw it on the street–it’s just Detroit, after all.
D. Eat it–it’s got chocolate on it!
I hope most people would pick ‘A’ or ‘B’. I assume ‘D’ isn’t a good idea, but I’m not a doctor. (ハハハ) It’s ‘C’ that bothers me. Litter bugs the crap out of me because it makes places look dreadful, yet is so easy to prevent. Litter Downtown really bugs me because there is at least one garbage can per block on Woodward and the other major streets that radiate out from Downtown. There are probably different reasons why people litter, but the “It’s just Detroit” attitude is, I think, one of the major ones. And it really, really irks me, because the people littering are the same ones who live and/or work here, or live nearby in the suburbs.
Here’s why I hate the “It’s just–” attitude: if something, someplace, or someone is looked down on, and you have the power to change things for the better, why not use that power, rather than say “It’s just–” and go along with a crappy situation? If you live in Detroit, how can you disrespect yourself like that? And if you live in the less famous suburbs, why are you willing to let outsiders look down on you simply because you can turn a blind eye to Detroit’s condition? You may say to yourself, “Not littering or picking up litter isn’t going to change the massive economic and social problems Detroit has.” But I’d say you’re wrong. Because when people see a dirty, litter choked area, they think, “these people don’t deserve to be helped.” When residents think that nobody cares, they feel powerless to change things, even when they do have power. Even abandoned lots don’t look nearly as bad when there’s no litter on them.
There’s a small park near my house, recently built, that I walk through as a shortcut. It has a community garden. It’s a really nice place, and the only park in this neighborhood (until about 10 years ago, this wasn’t a residential area). It made me angry when people graffitied the playscape with their idiotic “Pookie loves JJ” or “F*** Joe” nonsense. About two years ago gang signs appeared, and that made me even angrier. Thankfully, someone in the community must’ve had some QuikCrete or something, because the gang signs on the sidewalk were quickly covered over with it. But, I can understand the gangbanger’s ill-conceived desire to tag stuff. It’s not excusable, but it is understandable. The following, however, is not.
One day in 2006 as I walked through the park I noticed that the garden’s sitting area was particularly trashed. There were beer bottles everywhere, the boxes they had come in where there, plastic plates, cups, forks, knives and cups strewn about, specialty napkins, and a birthday cake box. Someone had had a birthday party in the park and left the mess there! Unbelievable! The park’s single garbage can was overflowing, and the people had brought a big garbage bag which was likewise overflowing, but more importantly, it was still there! They had come to enjoy the clean park, but had left a mess, preventing others from doing the same. I even found the receipt for the birthday cake! It was purchased at the supermarket a couple blocks from the park, so I think it’s likely that whoever left that mess lives in the neighborhood.
I’m not one to bitch without doing anything. I was so angry I went home and got a bunch of plastic bags. I tied them on my hands like gloves, went back to the park, and picked all that shit up. (I’m getting angry just thinking about it!) I didn’t like having to put all that mess in my house’s waste bin, but the thought of having my neighborhood park in such a disgraceful state was even more odious. My neighbors happened to drive by, and waved, but had a funny look on their faces. Perhaps they thought I was doing court-ordered community service. (Which is another thing that bugs me. Why do we use bettering the community as punishment? What kind of message does that send?) But I didn’t care. I had the power to change things for the better and I used it. I even taped a sign to a post to the effect of, “This is our park, it is our only park, it’s up to us to keep it clean.”
The part not covered by tape was torn off within two days. That ticked me off, but I would’ve done it again. I felt like I had made a ripple of positivity. And, maybe it was just a coincidence, but a month or two after that, permanent signs were installed that said pretty much the same thing my sign had said. I still pick up random pieces of trash. Even if it’s just one. If people see me, maybe they’ll be inspired to do the same, and even better, to stop littering.
It’s not “just Detroit.” It’s my city. It’s my home. It’s your city and your home, too. It’s your metro area, your region.
Who has the right to complain about the way things are that does nothing to change them?
Of Gyoza and the Gateway Project
11 Jan 2009 1 Comment
in Detroit, Neutral Zone Tags: Detroit, Gateway Project, Mexicantown, Restaurants
Who can resist the urge to alliterate when gyoza is involved? ^_^
Ever since I was introduced to gyoza (Japanese-style Chinese dumplings) in 2004, I went on a search around the City of Detroit to find a restaurant that served them. Alas, back then there were no Japanese restaurants within city limits, so 20-30 minutes (on a good day) of being on the freeway stood between me and those succulent little pockets of soy-sauce dipped joy. The closest I could get were the dumplings served at Chinese restaurants. Don’t get me wrong, those are good too (especially the ones from Great Wall on Michigan Ave. near Trumbull) but they weren’t the delicately crisp sensation I longed for. Then back in December I heard one student remark to another that there was a Japanese & Korean restaurant on Woodward across from the Main Library and my heart jumped! Could it be? Could I finally have gyoza within walking distance?!
And indeed! There is now a Korean & Japanese (the order matters) restaurant on Woodward kitty-corner from the Main Library inside of the Park Shelton. It’s called Wasabi. I was a bit intimidated because it says it’s a “luxury” restaurant, but it has a laid-back atmosphere that’s classy without being classist. There’s a decent price range, so even frugal college students like me can go treat themselves every once in a while (but watch out for the ‘tea for two’…$4 is a bit much, thinks I). My middle brother loves their sushi. I really like their Tofu Yakisoba, however, it does seem to have what I assume is a Korean slant; it’s got a huge variety of vegetables in it unlike any yakisoba I’ve had at Japanese restaurants. Not that it bothers me. Delicious is as delicious does. And yes! They have gyoza! It’s still not quite what I expected. You could say Wasabi’s gyoza is the missing link between the dumplings at Chinese restaurants and the gyoza at Japanese restaurants. Makes sense, geographically speaking.
As for the second half of the title…I’m very happy to report that the Gateway Project is at 70% complete! I didn’t have my camera when I went by it, so I took the liberty of doodling on the photo I took at 60%:
Dramatization. Bridge not actually red.
Ah, I love being a dork. ^_^ I can’t exactly tell what part of the bridge this is, I think it’s the base of the west parapet. I was so happy when I saw that something was spanning the width of the freeway. So exciting! When that bridge is complete, I’ll be able to walk straight down Bagley to my favorite bakery (La Gloria) and my favorite Mexican restaurant (Lupita’s…virtual shout out to the Travelers! Even if you don’t see this I’m sending you all positive cyber-chi!) without having to snake around on Vernor and the service drive. I can’t wait to see what artist will get to make a piece of public art for the bridge. *Giddy!*
Why Detroit Doesn’t Seem Much Worse Now
27 Dec 2008 1 Comment
in Detroit, Serious Side Tags: Detroit
Detroit Lions notwithstanding, all the talk about the trouble the Big 3 are in, and how Detroit is generally going to hell in a hand basket, seems really exaggerated to me. But I guess that’s because when the media says “Detroit” they really mean the metro area (Detroit + its suburbs). Honestly, as I look about me, from within the City of Detroit proper, I really don’t see things getting much worse. Why?
Because the auto industry left the City of Detroit a long, long time ago. Sure, General Motors has had their world headquarters in Detroit for decades now. And I think there’s one plant still open within city limits, but I could be wrong (the one on the east side near Jefferson?) Recent news coverage only showed plants in the suburbs. And I thought to myself, did anyone care about what would become of Detroit back when it was white people running away to the suburbs? No. But now that the suburbs’ collective fan is getting hit with a big ol’ turd it’s a national outcry.
I know it doesn’t help Detroit when the suburbs fail. At least, I think it doesn’t. Considering Detroit’s condition when the suburbs were flourishing, I have to think it doesn’t make that big a difference. Plus, when you’re already down pretty low, stuff like this doesn’t really get you much lower. The people nearer the bottom don’t take it as hard as those near the middle when they sink a little lower.
A recent Associated Press article (that I see has been making the rounds copied & pasted into various blogs…what’s up with that?) showed the extent of Detroit’s plight by saying crime was down because there was nothing to steal and home prices were just over $18,000. And I thought to myself, Good! Now I can be a little less paranoid and maybe I can buy a house.
Happy New Year!
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