Belly Wriggles at 20 weeks

About a week ago I was lying in bed - awake at around 6am wondering whether I might be starting to feel the baby move. (all the websites say you'll probably start to feeling something between 18 - 20 weeks if it's your first one so I'd been hanging out for the big day).

But as I lay there, I convinced myself that it was more likely that I was simply hungry -- given my rather voracious appetite and desire to eat every few hours.

But within a day or two, there was no mistaking it. Friends had described the first foetal movements to me like a "pop", a "shudder", "butterfly wings" or even a similar feeling to when you poke your tongue against your cheek...but it was really none of these. More like a wee wriggly thing inside me. Alien-esque! But at the same time, very comforting and nice to finally feel the little banana-sized bubba -- after months of not being able to feel anything (except nausea)!

Thankfully, I've been sleeping like a log. That is, when I'm not otherwise up and about for middle-of-the-night trips to the loo (anywhere between 2 and 5 times). I've never been partial to a Nanna-Nap, not like Benjamin who adores the post-lunch siesta. So if I get around 8 to 9 (!) hours of sleep a night, then I'm pretty charged for the rest of the day. After all those seemingly endless weeks of nausea, I'm really grateful that this middle trimester really is proving to be a vibrant and active one.

Swam at the pool again last night -- though having taken a break for 2 weeks, I was ridiculously slow and felt like a bit of a barrel in the water -- and kept getting overtaken by two little brothers around 8 and 10 years old.

Still riding my bike to and from work, and around the neighbourhood. I'm probably the only pregnant woman in Tokyo riding a bike given what a big No-No it is. I'm wonder if I'll start receiving some disapproving frowns once my belly gets even bigger -- but at the moment I feel pretty well-balanced, confident and alert. Not to mention that I'm not riding on the roads at all...just through the park, and on the footpath.

16 weeks and counting

It's been a pretty exciting ride so far...being pregnant that is.

After the double positive pharmacy-bought tests on 18 May, followed by an ultrasound confirmation a few days later (at 5 weeks, 4 days) and then roughly 2 months of seeing my dinner at least twice each night ie. "evening sickness" made better by an abundance of rice cakes or vita-weets with promite, I've finally arrived at the so-called Honeymoon trimester. And what a relief that is!

I've got my Genki back. Swimming at the pool a few times a week - albeit much more slowly & cautiously than ever before. But I LOVE IT!! Just the sound of breathing and bubble blowing puts me into a slightly meditative state. It's kind of irrational but I have this remote fear that anyone doing breaststroke poses a threat to my tummy lest they KICK me there by accident -- something that's highly unlikely, I know, but it makes me swim double Skinnily whenever I cross a breast-stroker. Why more pregnant women don't swim in this country I'll never know. I've hardly got a belly yet, so I don't think anyone really suspects I'm preggaz (probably just a bit porky) but once I do, I wonder whether I'll attract much attention from people at the pool....who probably think it's unusual to swim while pregnant.

The first Japanese obstetrician I went to see back in May, told me "No bicycles. No sex." These were her only 2 pieces of advice, upon confirming that I was pregnant. Codswallup I say. I've been riding my bike (slowly like an elderly woman) through the park and down the footpath. Not on the road. Everyone I meet and every book I consult demands that I don't ride a (moving) bike, but I can't stand having to take 2 trains, spend $40 a week on transport and double the time to get to work...when it could be free & a chance to exercise & think! Is this reckless? I don't think so. Even when I listen to my ipod while cycling? Ahhh...but I'm going SOOOO slowly.

My darling friend and Kundalini yoga instructing buddy Aleta recommended a prenatal yoga DVD which arrived in the post from the US last week. I gave it a crack on Sunday and it was amazing. Besides the fact that I'm about as limber as an old piece of wood -- at least that's what my hamstrings feel like -- I really enjoyed the session. It was not only a lesson in physical movement, but also spiritual and emotional ideas and thoughts. And enabled me to start to feel a new and somewhat profound connection with the little living one inside me....

Towards the end, this beautiful song was sung. It's an old Irish blessing, but performed by the Kundalini musician & peace activist Snatam Kaur. So moving my eyes started welling up with tears --- a feeling of Intimacy and Joy and recognition that something very Special is happening now. Or was it just my hormones making me cry at the drop of a hat?

Our wedding ceremony video

On May 15th 2008, Greenpeace Japan used undercover investigators and the testimony of informers to expose that large amounts of prime cut whale meat were being smuggled from the whaling ship Nisshin Maru disguised as personal baggage, labeled "cardboard" or "salted stuff" and addressed to the private homes of crewmembers. Greenpeace activists Junichi Sato and Toru Suzuki intercepted one box out of four sent to one address, discovered it contained whale meat valued at up to US$3,000, and took it to the Tokyo public prosecutor.

Their public press conference drew national attention in Japan, and a promise by the public prosecutor to "fully investigate" the charges.

Instead, Junich Sato and Toru Suzuki were arrested for stealing the box of whale meat, and the scandal investigation was dropped by the Tokyo public prosecutor's office the same day; it was clear that the two events were connected, just as it is clear that both were politically motivated. Although Junichi and Toru had provided full cooperation to the police, it took some five weeks to make the arrests, and when they did, more than 40 officers raided the Greenpeace Japan office, with the media tipped off by police beforehand. The Greenpeace activists learned of their imminent arrest from the TV news the same day the embezzlement case was dropped.

Source: http://www.greenpeace.org/international/campaigns/oceans/whaling/ending-japanese-whaling/arrest-me-japan

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/09/japan-whale-hunting

If defending whales is a crime, arrest me

If Junichi Sato and Toru Suzuki have committed a crime by opposing the scandal and corruption of the Japanese whaling programme, you must arrest me for assisting them.

All of us who have supported efforts to save the whales with time, money, or by lending our name to letter writing campaigns, petitions, virtual marches, or e-cards are complicit in Junichi and Toru's actions.

If you are going to start rounding up political prisoners for the crime of defending whales, you will need to arrest a great many people around the world.

Your full name

Country of residence

Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2008

End the violence against women and girls

By JOHANNA STRATTON

NEW YORK — The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women was commemorated Nov. 25, and U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon is spearheading a global campaign, "UNiTE to end violence against women."

In tandem with this, celebrity Nicole Kidman, in her role as Goodwill Ambassador for the U.N. Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), has been promoting an Internet-based global advocacy campaign for the past year with the slogan "Say NO to violence against women." A week ago she presented more than 5 million signatures to the secretary general, reaffirming the need to treat this issue as a global priority.

There is no denying the gravity of the problem of violence against women, or VAW, as it has come to be known. Global statistics tell us that at least one of every three women, whether they live in Japan, Peru or Mozambique, is likely to be beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused in her lifetime.

According to World Bank data, women aged 15 to 44 are more at risk from rape and domestic violence than from cancer, motor accidents, war and malaria.

And in situations of armed conflict, rape and sexual abuse are no longer documented as simply byproducts, but as intentional military tactics used to humiliate, dominate and create fear in civilian communities.

Irrespective of country, religion or culture, violence against women continues to rear its ugly head with undiminished force around the world.

Forging a way forward to deal with this pervasive form of terror is not simple, but here are three points worth passing on: Let's recognize violence against women as more than a human rights issue or a criminal justice issue. It impacts health, family stability, and the well-being of children. It affects income generation and local economies; and it breeds hatred, distrust and long-lasting divisions between communities.

The unresolved legacy of Japan's military sexual slavery during the Pacific War is a case in point, as it remains a thorn in Japan's side with respect to its East Asian neighbors. For 18 years and counting, the former "comfort women" and their supporters have turned out for their weekly Wednesday Demonstrations in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul in the expectation of achieving justice for past wrongdoings. Time is not necessarily a great healer.

The cooperation and leadership of men is absolutely essential to preventing and reducing acts of violence against women. This should not surprise, given that men occupy the vast majority of positions of power and influence in public, corporate and religious life worldwide.

Even if all the females on Earth — some 3.3 billion — were to hypothetically sign on to the U.N. petition, it would signal that we were only halfway there numerically speaking, and much further behind in a practical sense.

Encouraging discussions within families, and awareness-raising in schools for young boys and girls, are key steps to help lift the taboo against talking about the abuse of women. Developing more widespread, culturally sensitive strategies that engage men "to end men's violence against women" such as The White Ribbon Campaign, is another practical measure.

There is an urgent need to strengthen data collection to inform policy. If we want our leaders to commit the kind of political will that this problem demands, resources should be better allocated to produce more comprehensive research and statistical capacity. It is crucial we create a supportive environment so that leaders make good on policy commitments.

Today, the silent war on women and girls is being covered up and tacitly condoned. This is another kind of inconvenient truth about human existence in the 21st century. We should all take responsibility and act to make sure that both men and women have the right to live free of violence and fear.

Johanna Stratton is academic program associate at the Peace & Governance Program in United Nations University.

E-mail: Stratton@hq.unu.edu
For related information go to:
endviolence.un.org
www.saynotoviolence.org
www.whiteribbon.ca

The Japan Times: Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2008

Furry Facts

We've been thinking seriously about owning a pet for a good 6 months now. On weekends we can be seen hanging over the fence of Yoyogi Park's leash-free zone, except the only ones salivating are us...because we're so desperate for our own pooch. We're kind of pathetic...a childless, dogless couple in their 30s with more than a tad of "cluckiness". haha!

Well, we've come to realise that it wouldn't be fair to have a dog, given we haven't got an outdoor space, just 2 puny little balconies...so we've been investigating the possibility of getting a cat from an animal refuge, such as ARK . I've been reading their website and learning about the ugly underworld of pet breeding . One of the most disturbing trends in Japan, and one that is encouraged by some pet stores, is the idea of trading your old, hagged-looking dog or cat in for a nice, fresh-faced one, as is mentioned in the article under Animal Welfare/Background/The Pet Shop business. Mottainai desho. Or more like HIDOIIIIIIII.

huh? As if pets were disposable, like...chopsticks. Well here's some news! Not even chopsticks should be disposable, dammit. I'm calling for all round, lower consumption. Disposible is dead okay. Sustainable and lifelong is the new in.

Fact:

Over 400,000 dogs and 300,000 cats are gassed in the hokensho (animal pound run by Dept of Health) of Japan every year.
Over 73,000 pet dogs and 13,500 pet cats are used in laboratory experiments.

"The pet shop business [in Japan] operates on a 10-20 % turnover, that is to say, they make a profit from selling about 10-20% while the remaining 80-90% [of animals] that are unsellable are 'disposed of' (gassed or used for experimentation).

Source: ARK

"Hardcore Sitting" - Extreme Wheelchair

This 16 year old guy with spina bifida has to be one of the most impressive people coming out of Las Vegas that I've ever heard of. And he's a far cry from anything to do with casinos.

I like his tenacity and boldness. At the end, he says "When other kids in wheelchairs see me doing what I do, I'd just like to be able to inspire them to ...just get out of the house, because those video games are death."

Watching him pull those kind of stunts makes it kind of strange to call him "disabled"... if anything he's got amazing athletic ability and talent.

Karaoke Creatures of the Night

Karaoke Loving from Johanna Stratton on Vimeo.

Five of us crammed into Shibuya's tiniest Karaoke booth for a Friday night sweaty session of karaoke Tokyo style -- we relived the 80s, and even a bit of the 70s and 90s. There was a sprinkling of Tagalog tunes and Japanese melodies but the theme of the night seemed to be tragically soppy love songs, like this one...

I'm so glad (and the rest of the world probably is too) that my goddamn awful voice was not captured on video -;)

Ben and Mark -- on the other hand -- they're absolute karaoke beasts. Get a load of those facial expressions, that heart and soul. And you can see that we were only drinking water to fire us up. Who would have thought that Ben was allegedly allergic to karaoke until fairly recently!

Ethiopian Dance Fever

Ethiopian Dance Fever from Johanna Stratton on Vimeo.

It was looking to be a pretty quiet Saturday night at home when we suddenly remembered that we'd been given free tickets to the Annual Ethiopia-Japan Friendship Night. Mm mmmmmh -- free food and exciting "exotic" entertainment. Woo hoo! We jumped on our bikes around 7.30pm, first time to put on the woollies and gloves b/c it's getting down to a chilly 12 degrees now, and haphazardly made our way to Hiro via a ridiculously crowded Hachiko Square in Shibuya in about 45 minutes.

We were running a bit late, and all the yummy Injera and traditional food of Ethiopia had already been devoured by the 400+ people jammed into the room...just a bunch of boiled eggs & spicy rice left. But we hadn't really come for the eggs, so we checked out the dance moves, the costumes, and the band. They were smokin hot and the audience was loving it!

Don't try these dance moves at home kiddies. Looks like it takes a lot of neck stretching and years of practice to perfect these kinds of moves.

Chinlon チンロン

Director / Editor: Megumi Nishikura

"Chinlon" is a combination of sport and dance, a team sport with no opposing team. In essence chinlon is non-competitive, yet it’s as demanding as the most competitive ball games. The focus is not on winning or losing, but how beautifully one plays the game. (Wikipedia -- you guessed it)

Following the dramatic crackdown of anti-government protestors in October 2007, I had the idea of wanting to use something visually interesting and unusual to draw people's attention to the issue of Burma. Not in a dogmatic or preachy way (eg. some lectures or editorials), and certainly not in an annoying or brash way (eg. some public protests)...I wanted a use a non-confrontaional but fun & engaging way to interact with people on the street.

My idea: streetsport + politics

So another Burmaphile friend and I met with Burmese community members here in Tokyo and got together a small group of people who could play the traditional Burmese sport of Chinlon. Using that as our visual / physical hook, we combined it with a random public photo-taking session that was inspired by the web movement of www.dontforgetburma.org and the chance to chat one-on-one with those who were interested in learning more, and hit the well-trod pavements just beside Harajuku station on a sunny Sunday.

Thanks to the talents of photographer friend Zare and filmmaker friend Megumi, we've got the above images to share with you.

The Egg of the Sun

What the heck?! A mango for 30,000 yen ?? ($285)....yes, and in my local food center too (Lon Lon のデパチカ in Kichijoji).

Ah-hah! But not just any ole mango. This is a Miyazaki Mango --- otherwise known by their producers as "the egg of the sun" 太陽のタマゴ-- for better or worse. I guess this sounds more appealing in Japanese.

I thought that such fruity prices were urban myths these days, and that such kudamono extravagance ended with the bubble bursting in the late 1980s but NO! Even after all these years in Japan, I am shocked to find a piece of fruit from Miyazaki prefecture that surely has a shelf life of no more than a few days, for the same amount of money that some people earn in a year? Insane.

My disbelief (okay, maybe I've had my head stuck in the proverbial fruitarian sand) led me to google "miyazaki mango" and as half-expected, I found even more exorbitantly priced fruitiness. Last month, a pair of miyazaki mangoes sold for 200,000 yen ($1902).

Obviously if someone served it up infront of me, I'd relish the chance to try it but goddamn, it definitely makes me think...Only in Japan [are people so accepting of these kinds of prices, and view them as something amazing and special, rather than craaaaazy and bizarre].

I'm going to keep my eye out for more pricey produce...stay tuned. Wait till I find those fancy musk melons that everyone talks about...

Talent Night

It's coming up... my next event to raise funds and awareness about the situation in Burma.

Next Monday 2 June, we're holding the first ever REAL PEOPLE'S TALENT CONTEST in Tokyo -- at least the first one I've ever heard of since I've been in Japan.

18 acts -- just 5 minutes each.

Show us your talent

Sing / Dance / Improvise / Act / Paint / Magic / Comedy / Talk / Juggle / Yoga / Capoeria / Poetry / Dodgy party tricks involving alcohol, matchsticks, cucumbers...whatever!

Anyone with a bit of TALENT is welcome to come and have their moment of fame onstage. And all for a very good cause.

Hosted by the highly entertaining Mr Joel "Fukutani" Challender and Mr Scott "Noo Noo" Lawson.

Ring 090-6133-2366 or johanna@benkemp.co.nz
to enter or get more details.

1st Prize : Lumix digital camera valued at 30,000 Yen.
Other great prizes too !

All funds raised go to relief aid in Burma via SAVE THE CHILDREN
www.savethechildren.org

DOORS OPEN: 6pm
START: 7pm

Door charge: 1500 Yen (1 drink)

BBQ & Parties 4 Peace Fundraiser for Burma

P4P - Parties 4 Peace & S.O.S
Presents: Sounds On Sunday S.O.S.
5.25 SUNDAY
@ Oath in Shibuya [ 4 pm - 11pm ] 1000 YEN

Techno / Minimal / Electro Beats

FEATURING DJs
Anthony Mansfield (Hector Works - San Francisco)
Groove Patrol [Two Dogs]
Radarboy (Radarpop)
Tazzy [Rhythm Odyssey]
Keisho Kikuchi [Kamui Recordings]
Jasmine Jordan [ABCDGCDB]

PARTIES 4 PEACE is organizing a vegetarian and organic BBQ at the Sounds on Sunday party this weekend - May 25th! Come show your support for Burma and make your own veggie kebab! We will be cooking out from 4 - 11 pm at Oath in Aoyama.

BBQ Provided by Alishan Foods & Second Harvest
*all Organic and Vegetarian Foods*
www.alishan-organic-center.com
www.2hj.org

PARTIES 4 PEACE "Kitchen"
* all funds go to support aid relief in Burma
www.savethechildren.org

Save the Children currently operates programs in all five of the most-affected regions and has worked in Burma / Myanmar since 1995. They have over 500 staff on location in 35 offices, and are one of the largest nongovernmental organizations at work in Burma. The agency implements programs focused on early childhood care and development, child survival and child protection.

"To date, Save the Children has reached 160,632 people in Myanmar (including more than 50,000 children) with food, water, shelter materials, household supplies and oral-rehydration salts to treat diarrhea. Survivors receiving assistance include nearly 90,000 people in the Yangon area, more than 56,000 in the western Delta and more than 15,000 in the country's eastern Delta region. Save the Children, which has been working in Myanmar for 13 years, has programs in the five most devastated districts.

While assistance is reaching many children and families in need, thousands of lives are still at risk. The cyclone has left more than 1 million people homeless and destroyed thousands of homes and schools. Humanitarian agencies are expressing concern about an impending hungry season, as the rice planting that normally begins in June may be hampered by lack of tools and supplies, as well as by land made less arable by an influx of salt water from the storm surge. Even before the disaster, an estimated 30 percent of children in the region suffered from chronic malnutrition, according to health experts. " per Save the Children website 23 May 2008

ACCESS:
Oath in Aoyama
MAP: www.aoyama-oath.com/map.html

What if this woman were your mother?

Reporter witnesses survivor dying from lack of help

Breaking News: A DVB journalist witnessed a cyclone victim on the roadside in the delta region on 7 May 2008 who was close to death due to a lack of immediate assistance.

She hasn't eaten any food, and has only drunk some water given to her by people passin

g through the area. She was seen on the roadside between Kawhmu and Kongyangon Township, about 50 miles north-west of Rangoon. The woman came from a seaside village near Kongyangon and survived the deadly cyclone, but all her family members were believed to be dead. Her neighbours carried her this far but could not take her all the way to a safe place as they were also weak and sick, according to people around the woman at that time. It should not be difficult for the government to get help here, just one and half hour’s drive from Rangoon.

Yet our journalist has met dozens of cyclone survivors in the delta region from Kongyangon, Dedaye, Pyapon, Ohnbin and Bogale but none of them have received any assistance from the government or from aid agencies. One man from Kongyangon told him, "We can survive now by sharing food with each other but we won't be able to hold on for many more days." This was said on 6 May.

Reporting by Aye Chan Naing

Shocking reality

I know that these sorts of photos will really upset some people...

But the way I see it, it is better to see the grim reality (or even this tiny snippet of it) in order to try and understand what's going on in another part of the world...than live in a censored comfort zone. That's why I give full credit to magazines like DAYS JAPAN because they consciously work to show people an alternative reality...even if it makes viewers uncomfortable.

The below photos were probably taken yesterday (Thu 7 May) and show the bodies of victims from Cyclone Nargis in southern Burma, around the Irrawaddy River delta area. I was sent them by Burmese friends today.

Fundraiser # 1

Charity Dinner with grad school friends next week...hopefully we'll collect a few hundred bucks from this event.

Desperation

This video has such a big impact on me...these scenes of desperation, of villages in the Irrawaddy delta area that have been flattened by the cyclone, make me want to drop everything and get on a plan to Burma. It makes me wish I worked in humanitarian and disaster relief, or that I had medical skills. For the time being, the best thing I can do is help maintain people's concern here in Japan, and amongst my own networks. We're planning 3 fundraising events in the next 3 weeks...and hopefully we'll raise lots of funds to buy emergency supplies and support grassroots aid workers.

I remember taking the long, bumpy bus ride with Mum in May 2003 to visit our relatives who live in Kyailatt, one of the small Irrawaddy delta villages. We haven't heard how they are because noone can make contact with them...we can only hope and pray that they managed to survive, and will now survive the next stretch of horrible deprivation until supplies reach them.

The irony now is that even though I feel so ANGRY with the military junta's intransigence and utter mismanagement ...I'm trying to write a thesis which adopts an objective and analytical approach to political dialogue in Burma...and that means giving the SPDC the benefit of the doubt. hah - Impossible!

Cyclone devastates Burma

Here is a news article that I sent to my relatives the night before the cyclone hit...
Apparently it had been raining for days before the cyclone and flooding was already pretty bad.

May 1, 2008 (DVB)

The Tropical Storm Risk group has forecast a severe cyclonic storm to hit Burma on 2 May, bringing with it strong winds and the possibility of flooding on coastal roads and further inland. The state-run New Light of Myanmar said today the storm had moved north-east from Southwest Bay and West Central Bay and was now centred around 520 miles west-south-west of Pathein and predicted to continue to move north-eastwards. Reporting by Naw Say Phaw

Music for Peace

Exploring the Connections Between Music and Peace

Workshop of the A9 Conference

Monday May 5 12:20 – 13:50

Makuhari Messe, Chiba

Organizer: Peace Not War Japan (www.pnwj.org )

Please join us for a live show featuring a lineup of several internationally acclaimed musicians. The artists will then be asked to share their views and personal experiences regarding the contribution of music as both a political and a spiritual tool toward the goal of encouraging peace, and to consider the role that music can play to help protect Japan's Constitutional Article 9. The discussion will be emceed by radio personality Peter Barakan, who has a deeply nuanced understanding of music and peace-related issues.

Performers:

Aska Kaneko (Multi-genre violinist and vocalist)

Ben Kemp & Uminari (Polynesian and Japanese acoustic fusion ensemble)

Likkle Mai & The K (Reggae vocalist/ guitarist)

Emcee: Peter Barakan (broadcaster)

For more info and full conference schedule, see the official website: www.whynot9.jp

Learning from Little Momo

Ben and I have been living with an adorable little baby girl called Momo 桃　(which means Peach in Japanese), and her すてきな gorgeous parents (our close friends), Ai and Daigo Ito for the past year, or close to two years now.

Infact, we have known Momo since she was just a tiny bean in her Mama's belly...way back in September 2006 when we all moved in together. The four of us thought we'd be really Tokyo-21st century savvy and rent out a "family sized house" together (share-housing is almost taboo over here!) and before we knew it, Ai discovered she was pregnant and 9 months later, a little family was born.

And in the blink of an eye... Momo is about to turn 1 year old next week.

It's been a really amazing education / insight / confidence-builder into parenthood for Ben and I. Both of us having been pretty baby-phobic + inexperienced prior to living with Momo.

But looks like we'll be parting ways this June...only 6 weeks left living together :-(

johanna kemp stratton