Musings 9.9.21: The Matrix, The Gorillaz, and Math Rock… – (or, Is That You 1999?)

Here’s something you don’t see everyday. A Resource for the uncanny. An alternative for the humdrum scuzz of your everyday Buzz.

Feed the beast no more.

Here’s the thing. And it yours. A syncopated heartbeat meant to delight and please. This is not the news. Not the media. There’s nothing social about it. I’m not here to spread with ease the sorrows of our world but celebrate* that which makes our world so delicious – and yes, I mean that in every sense of the word.

Welcome to the inaugural blast of Musings. A one-stop where you may harvest a little social currency while jamming to unfamiliar sounds. Who knows what we’ll uncover when our minds begin to wonder. Who knows, perhaps we’ll reap a little cultural literacy. while we’re at it.

Dig in: A veritable roundup of music, news, events, and thoughts on our world.

Expect every WW to feature:

• Pod of the Week
• Recipes
• Things that which inspire
• Things about which to inquire

This is the pulse of my week. A flood of things that inspire, and things about which to inquire.

Reflections of the world in retrospect. Emergent movements.

Inspiration

• Eat: Ramen Egg (味付け玉子)
• Listen: Ongoing History of New Music.
  A tremendous resource coursing the annals of music you know and love.
• Listen: Japanese Math Rock – Because you don’t know what you’re missing. Told you this would go full-on syncopatic.

Inquisition:

• Watch: The Matrix 4? I haven’t seen the First…
• Read: The Antifa Super-Soldier Cookbook. Because the world needs your cookin’
• Blogs I’m Reading? Here’s the thing, I’m two days late on a report for my East Asian Philosophies course. So for sake of brevity I’m sending you to the delightfully prosaic Namiko-san for a tour through her favorite Japanese films. 12 Beloved Japanese Films

Well. That about sums up my life this week. How about you? Feel free to text-bomb your life’s story below and I look forward to knowing you better.

Until then I’ll leave you with this message from my sponsor:
“We live in unprecedented times” blah-blah-blah, you know the drill. Not gonna bore you with details. But this is true. Now more than ever. MORE THAN EVER. We must band together as non-Canadians and fight the good fight. CAN Imperialism must be. But down that curling stick and invest in less moose.*

*nor am I here to spread toxic positivity: aiming instead for something in-between reality and emergent elation

*who am I kidding, If it were 1966, Canada would be the first place on my mind.

This is Happening! Creating Folklore, Mythology, & Literary Translations from East Asia + Gilman Announcement

Greetings & ようこそ

It is my immense pleasure to welcome you to the airy, the eerie, the all-at-once sensual, hysterical, and downright phenomenal Floating World of East Asian literature

Oh, but that’s not all we’re doing, we’ll venture across the foothills of Southern China, encountering wandering monks, greedy children, and blushing princes.

We’ll see just how lethal poetry can be – you thought Romeo and Juliet had it bad! We’ll dodge monsters in the mountains of Korea and learn about the travels of curry (is it a dish, a spice, a state of mind?) and how that mysterious food got its name as a myriad of dishes from thousands of hearths across India.

We’ll dance through fairytales with spirits and sprites up the Himalayas, across the shores of Polynesia, and maybe even walk the sands of San Francisco (you’ll see).

Legends and lore. And yes, anime. I’m interested in the way pop culture inherits content from the past, likewise influences our own understanding of that past. How does Shinto manifest in modern art? How do the old sages such as Laozi fit into our technocratic spirituality? And so on. Please, if there is a topic you’d like researched let’s hear it!

Slow and low… that’s the tempo:
This is a joint passion project as scratch through the final draft of my thesis. So please bear with me. This semester is sure to be… Challenging? Demanding?

While the official launch of my new site may not be until mid-Fall 2021 I’d love for you to introduce yourself.

Become a Patron!
Your patronage relieves the pressures of student debt, part-time gigs, and angry take-out diners (am I right!), enabling me to balance academic and outside research while sharing my passion with you, the world. Thank you for your time and support. 

2021年秋に来る。それまで

Cheers,
Nicholas

P.S. For those of you that have stuck around since from the early days of my meandering essays: thank you, thank you, thank you. Your support fuels my craft. Feeding me the inspiration and drive to continue writing. So thank you. Truly. I wanted to let you know that as of Fall 2022 I am a recipient of the Gilman Foundation, essentially meaning that I’ve received sponsorship from the United States government to continue my research in Japan… Unfortunately due to the risk of COVID I may need to forgo my studies. BUT, I am thrilled to share this with you and wanted to extend my thanks.

9 Short Stories by Egyptian Women, in Translation

In 1993, University of Texas Press brought out a collection of short stories by Egyptian women, in translation, edited by Marilyn Booth, called My …

9 Short Stories by Egyptian Women, in Translation

An Open Letter On the Road Less Traveled : A Personal Essay on the Path of Most Resistance and the Adventure That is Life.

As our world grows increasingly smaller it’s easier than ever to seek refuge in the comfort of familiar places. Yet, we live in a time when thoughts and ideas manifest in flashes of delight, th blink of an eye and round-the-world travel is at the fingertips of risk-takers and adventurers alike. I see Marco Polo and Gertrude Bell in the men and women I met abroad. Sharing the road, sharing tales of individual split-second experiences worth more than time itself.

I started blogging back in 2012, shortly after moving to Jordan — not only to share my story and to learn from others, but to inspire, to instill the momentum it takes to lace up ones boots and hit the road. It wasn’t until I found myself alone in a most foreign country that I felt the hot passion of life. Where my native tongue was about as useful as the moo! of a cow and most the time, I had no idea what the hell I was putting in my mouth… but it tasted good and I wanted more! And that is why you must hit the “road”. The proverbial road, for there is nowhere to go that you haven’t already been. Embrace the self. Sure, you can move and dance and mingle about the planet but everything you need you have, and everything you have is now.

Don’t be victimized by the culture of fear. Our planet is waiting to be explored, to reveal it’s secrets to you, to me, to any who dare ask, it will expose you to the raw truths of life. To the quarks of distant cultures and alien tongues. To disgusting foods and delicious cuisines, to dangerous and countless blessings.

Let’s take control of 2021, hell own your ’22. It’s all a roundabout anyway. Metrical dancing of the cosmic surf. Don’t be afraid to leap without the look. I encourage you to take off the training wheels and take on the road less traveled.

Ikimashou!

The Brilliant Naja Ferjan on the importance and the art of developing a bilingual mind.

Among my all-time favorite Tedx Talks, Ramirez translates the value maintaining your presence in the world while staying abreast of cultural transitions. The world is ever changing, and so are we. Why not work in tandem with those around us?

Disarming and motivating. I’d love your feedback on Ramirez’ talk.

Wishing you well,
Cheers,
-Nicholas

Scribes and Sake: Kasa-Jizo (かなじぞ)

Reading fairytales within the origin language. Contextual agreements between time and place, emotions and aesthetics. We might localize our hearts out but truth be told we humans are too complex to translate.

#japanese #japaneselanguage #folklore #fable