Responsible living style

I took an earth conservation plan today and has made the following pledges. I wish everyone can do the same. My score of ECP and carbon are respectively 169 and 3.8.

earthlab.com

My new pledges from 2011:
• Not dump my used cooking oil down the drain
• Place a filled water bottle in my toilet tank
• Buy and use vegetable-based dishwashing detergent
• Use the least amount of energy when drying my dishes
• Use biodegradable, “green" cleaning products
• Use natural hair products
• Replace on hour of television or one hour of computer use per week with something not requiring electricity, like playing with the kids"
• Wrap presents creatively without using wrapping paper
• Purchase and begin brewing with reusable filters with my next trip to the store
• Replace one meat-based meal a week with a non-meat alternative
• Ask my local chopstick-supplying restaurants to use reusable ones
• Use solar powered lamp and charger
• Decrease the amount of junk & frozen foods and carton drinks
• Don’t buy from vending machine
• Bring you own handkerchief, don’t use the restaurant paper
• Use rechargeable heater instead of the disposable pocket warmer
• Recycle kitchen waste
• Use tube-free toilet papers
• Save the bathtub water for watering and washing
• Take shorter showers and install a low-flow / low pressure shower head
• Buy organic food
• Grow some of my own food
• Buy fresh and prepare myself instead of buying prepackaged and processed foods
• Plant a tree
• Seal my home. Caulk and weather strip my doorways and windows.
• Switch to double pane windows that keep more heat inside my home
• Don’t use electronic hot water pot
• Pack light, natural and environmentally friendly products when travel

My responsible and environmental friendly living style
• Use technology to save energy and resources, not vice verse
• Advise housekeeping to not wash my towels and linens during my stay at hotels
• Turn off the lights in my hotel room
• Take mass/rapid transit when I travel outside of my home town
• Pay the little extra for minimal stops rather than the multiple lay-over route
• Use public transit
• Have my kids ride their bikes to school
• Buy second-hand furniture and goods
• Support the use of recycled products and buy outdoor furniture made from it
• Involve my family in my responsible-living plan
• Do my part to further the renewable energy movement
• Use rechargeable batteries in my remote control and other battery operated items
• Use responsibly harvested wood products
• Dispose of my old paint responsibly
• Don’t buy new phone/computer if the old one still works
• Don’t burn to CD/DVD if you can send it over by email, network or transfer it over by USB flash drive
• Don’t print unless it is really necessary
• Don’t buy anything if you believe you gonna throw away in less than 1 year
• Use environmentally friendly ways to entertain my kids; buy toys that don’t use batteries
• Choose outdoor toys that are good for my kids and the planet
• Reduce the amount of new toys and clothes for kids
• Reduce number of shopping trips
• Only order amount of food that you can finish
• Don’t use disposable utensils
• Use my blinds in an energy efficient way
• Use sunlight instead of powered lights
• Always turn off the lights and exhaust fans of the house
• Use fewer light bulbs to light up the house
• Replace standard light bulbs only with energy efficient ones
• Close doors to areas when they are not being used and keep the heat/air conditioning off in them
• Don’t use heater if you can wear more clothes instead
• Use linen cloth towels instead of paper towels
• Use less oil to cook
• Decrease the usage of garbage bags
• Close the shower/warmer toilet cover at all time

Reduce (carbon dioxide and waste)
• Send emails instead and posted mails
• Covert to paperless statements for all my bills
• Call to stop all mail advertisements of pre-approval offers
• Do my laundry using an energy star washing machine
• Run you dishwasher and laundry with a full load
• Conserve energy when doing laundry; air dry my clothes
• Use my clothes dryer conservatively
• Unplug chargers when not in use
• Turn off my computer when not in use
• Set my computer and electronics to a lower energy use mode
• Don’t use stand by mode for any all household’s products
• Bring cloth bags to the market, don’t take plastic bags or even paper bags
• Use left-over plastic bags as trash bags
• Use recycled paper
• Use LED and cost efficient bulbs
• Buy products locally
• Buy energy efficient / eco electronic products and home appliances
• Buy minimally packaged goods
• Buy a hybrid car or electric cars
• Carpool when you can
• Purchase my next vehicle responsibly and consider a hybrid vehicle or smart car
• Check my car’s air filter monthly
• Inflate my tires
• Get a bike or walk instead of drive
• Adjust you heater no higher than 24°C
• Adjust my AC no lower than 28°C
• Change the AC filter frequently
• Put on a sweater instead of turning up the heat in my home
• Switch to a tank-less water heater
• Insulate my home and water heater
• Keep my water heater thermostat no higher than 120°F
• Use the lowest settings reasonable for my refrigerator (38°F) /freeze (5°F)
• Limit the number of times and length of the refrigerator’s door opening
• Decrease the amount of detergent usage
• Use my muscles instead of fossil fuels mower
• Reduce garbage
• Don’t use plastic bottle at home or at all
• Remove and throw my bottle cap away before I recycle my plastic bottle
• Recycle my newspaper, and encourage others to do so
• Always recycle

Recycle
• Plastic bottles
• Plastic containers
• Steel and Aluminum
• Glass
• Cardboard and paper
• Batteries
• Computers
• Mobiles
• Printer cartridges
• Home and electronic appliances
• Furniture
• Light bulbs
• Paints
• Books
• Clothes

I want you to know

Son, daughter,

I want you to know there are hungers everywhere all over the world and every 3.6 seconds someone dies of hunger (thinkquest.org 2011). I want you not to waste food and think twice before you throw away any food waste. I want you to try to farm and cook on your own and try not to be picky for food. I want you to not to take everything for grant because everything has to pay for it. The question is by whom. I want you to know there are always better to give than to receive. I want you to know there are other creatures in this planet. Earth is not for mankind only. I want you to know that we have been living under varieties of switches for decades that we no longer evolve on our survival skills. Just imagine someday there are no more oil, electricity, water supply and gas for fire. I want you to know that we might think that we are smarter than 100 years ago, but we are not. The modern civilization has brought us nothing but more illnesses, hungers, severe weathers, crimes, conflicts, wars and closest to our own extinction. I want you to know everything has a start will also has an end. I want you to know that the best way to learn is to share. I want you to know that we don't own anything in this world. Everything we just borrow it for a life only. I want you to know that even I can fish for you, but I whether to teach you how to fish instead. At last, I want to share is what one of my professor told me once and I had never forgotten. “You need knowledge to survive and intelligence to be rich, but only wisdom can give you happiness.”

Sincerely,

Papa
2011.2.4

パパ

子とも：パパ。。。

ぼけてる
気のせいよ
がいい
が大好き
大好きなんだも
やだ
嫌い
狡い
抱っこ
負んぶして
これ買って
これ欲しい
行こう
のせい
仕事に行かないで
仕事に言っちゃ駄目
仕事を頑張ってね
嘘をつかないで
嘘をついたらピノッキオよなの鼻になるよ
馬鹿言ったら河馬になるよ
寝ないで一緒に遊ぼう
起きて
と
も
お願いだから
あかんべ、ベロベロベー
日本語がわからない
絵本を読んで

パパ：言葉を教えてもらったありがとう。

3 級の日本語能力試験だけど

ついに日本に仕事が見つかった。今でも信じられなかった。毎日どきどきしたり、一生懸命働く。お客に英語の対応だけど、同僚にはいつも日本語だ。これからも頑張る。是非1級の日本語能力試験を取りたいなあ。マキちゃん、ありがとう。

Working in Shinjuku

It took me 1 and a half year, 100 online jobsite accounts, and 600 resumes to work in Shinjuku. It doesn't proof I am done here. In Japan, you have to work up from part time to haken (temporary employee); contract to permanent, semi full-time to full-time. The fun part is this was actually my last chance that I gave myself that if I couldn't find any job by the end of August. I would be heading back to Hong Kong. What are choices?

There are choices in life won't matter, like should I have Italian or Japanese tonight? Should I have PC or MAC? should I pay for her? should I borrow to him? should I throw this away? there are choices that matter significant in life, like running through a red light, breaking up with her, firing your boss, feeling ashamed to tell them you love them even you wanted to (that is fine if you don't want to), feeling too late to tell them you love them even you wanted to (mean you can only do it in front of their graves), taking the wrong train or flight, asking them not to leave, staying with them instead of taking off, going to college, applying for that loan, saying such a terrible thing, hiring and firing someone inappropriately, not going to vote...etc. So let think twice before you do any of those above.

How to Survive a Flu Pandemic?

It is better to be jittery than unprepared.

Source Unknown Reprint:
Take positive steps to boost your health and your immune system right now.
The swine flu can wreak havoc on those with compromised immune systems. Eat a healthy diet, drink plenty of water and exercise daily to increase muscle mass and strengthen your cardiac and respiratory systems. Avoid junk food, cigarette smoking and alcoholic drinks, all of which can lower your immunity. Vitamin C. Most mainstream medical professionals will tell you that taking Vitamin C will not prevent swine flu. No one seriously disagrees with that. Homeopathic and alternative medicine types, however, claim that taking massive amounts of Vitamin C may help your immune system combat the flu. Health consultant Jonathan Campbell recommends that you start taking 1000 mgs of Vitamin C immediately, and increasing your dosage from there. Unfortunately, this amount of Vitamin C poses its own health risks, possibly leading to diarrhea and dehydration

Wash hands frequently with antibacterial soap.
Concentrate on keeping the house spotless, especially the kitchen clean. Stock up on antibacterial hand soap and disinfectant sprays. Wash dishes as soon as the meal is over and use plenty of hot soapy water or (preferably) a dishwasher. Dry counter tops and supply paper towels for family members to dry their hands.

Stock extra food
Stock up on essential food items before a flu pandemic keeps you inside your home. Save plastic milk jugs and fill them with fresh water. Purchase additional canned food items, dry beans, flour, sugar and other staple foods and store them in a pantry or under the beds. Don't forget to stock up on pet food.
Avoid crowds.
Shop very early in the morning and bring anti-bacterial towelettes to the grocery store. Wipe off the grocery cart push bar and any place on the cart a baby might touch when sitting in the cart. Avoid using public bathrooms. Do not go anywhere near individuals known to be infected. Avoid places, such as hospitals, where those who believe they are infected are likely to go. Unless necessary, do not travel any place where swine flu has become highly concentrated. You should also consider avoiding sporting events, concerts or any other place where massive amounts of people will gather.

At last, face Masks May Help

• , At First. Those surgical face masks you see people wearing in Mexico will not prevent transmission if you come in close contact with swine flu. The virus is small enough that it easily passes through the mask. If they work at all, they work to prevent the already infected from expelling the virus through their own sneezes. Ironically, people will probably shy away from you if you are an early adoptef of face mask wearing. This extra personal space may help you avoid swine flu. But once masks become widespread, this benefit will no longer apply.
• Anti-Viral Drugs. There are two main anti-viral drugs that may be somewhat effective against swine flu, Tamiflu and Relenza. Tamiflu is a pill, while Relenza is an inhalant. Unfortunately, the effectiveness of these drugs against this strain of flu virus is yet known. Drugs developed specifically for this strain will take several months to come online. There is some danger of a negative reaction to the drugs. Perhaps the biggest problem is that these need to be taken within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms, which means that if you plan to take anti-virals you should not try to ride out illness to see if it becomes severe. If you have a fever and want to use anti-virals, seek them immediately.
• .
• Vaccines. There is no existing vaccine for this strain of swine flu. A vaccine may be available when the second or third wave of swine flu hits this fall and winter. However, previous vaccines against swine flu turned out to be more dangerous than the disease. The 1976 infected 200 people, hospitalising 12 people and killing one. But 40 million people were been vaccinated, resulting in 25 deaths and at least 500 cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome, which can be fatal. Until the risks of a new vaccine are known, you should avoid being vaccinated and refuse any vaccination you are offered.
• Have food and water ready. In any crisis, from a bad storm to a deadly viral outbreak, it is a good idea to have at least a few days of food and water ready. There's no need to panic about the food supply, but you shouldn't be shy about buying some soup. Your water supply probably won't be interuppted but having a couple of gallons of water in a cabinet won't hurt you.

between the Macdonald Bacon, Egg & Cheese McGriddles and the home-made congee

Mac is
tasty, costly, high caloric, good because I have to walk there for exercise, a cool place to have breakfast in summer, the cause of my big belly, accelerate the global warming, helping the economy,

home-made congee is
tasteless, cost only 10 cents for most, high energy and carbohydrate, bad because I don’t do exercise if I eat at home, even hotter to have that in summer, the cleanser of my stomach, increasing the chance of the farmer to survive, still helping the economy,

I am very enjoy these 5 months. Thank you kids.

It is 4 pm now. I took them shower, then trimmed their nails, feed them earlier than usual, washed all the dirty clothes, prepared rice for tonight, watered the shiso plant outdoor and slightly organized the house. It has 6 months since I moved to Japan. This is just one of the other days. But I feel this was a moment I need to remember. I went to the tsukuba-shi of Ibaraki-ken with kids today. It was far and we walked a lot. I felt distress that we can’t make it to the uchuu senta-. I can only afford to go there with them because of the admission was free and I didn’t even make it because the walking distance while I have to hold my daughter and my son was so tired to walk anymore in the half way. We had walked more than 30 minutes already. How disappointed it was? Then, we stopped at a game center; however, I only had 500 yen (yes $5 dollars only) in my pocket and my son was keep asking me that he wanted to play. I felt so pain to say no because actually I didn’t have enough cash.

It has been more than 5 months since my last blog. And why this is the moment I need to remember. Next week this time, I might be heading to my new and first arubaito in Japan. I recalled how many time I had asked my son to wait for me to finish my work before playing block with him; how many time I whether searched the internet instead of taking nap with them; how many time I hit him because of those tiny little things; how many time I put him down after just couples minutes of kata kuroma and pretending I was tried and actually I wasn’t; how many time my son asked me to go to kouen with him and I whether reviewed my Japanese and said no and how many time I slept late to work on my resume or even watch movie. In our life, there is absolutely something more important than anything else, anything- your kids. I am so happy to stay with them in these 5 months and I feel so treasure that those time might end soon since I have found this part time. I have lost 20 months of my daughter childhood and I will never trade their childhoods with anything else, not even…

I will soon be able to post a Japanese version of blog for the first time. I am so exciting to see my first draft.

My Japan’s life is full of energy again. First is the menkyosho and the second one is this arubaito. Ganbarou!.

Tokyo new comer

This is the forth times I came Japan. Finally, I decided to stay here with family. In fact, I had decided that a year ago. I now wake up 6:30am, then having breakfast with family. By 8:20am, I will prepare to send kids to daycare center by bike. In between, I will cook, wash clothes, clean house, study Japanese, go interview, search language school and totally away form my American style life. By 4:15pm. I will go to pick kids up. I will bring them to park or MacDonald if the weather is allowed. At 6:15pm, I will start to prepare dinner for my wife to come back. We go to bed as early as 8:30pm on Weekend, and as late as 10:00pm.

I honestly don't know how to shop in convenient stores, let alone going to the restaurant or taking a bus. The past Monday, I want to print out some letters and send back to New York to my formal employee. After 2 unsuccessfully tried, I found a store. I walked in and I spoke broken Japanese and fortunately I was able to print one of each those documents from USB flash drive. I at least leaned the word 全部 zebu and 枚 mai. It is no doubt that I can read and understanding those Chinese characters meaning, but the hard part is I have to memorize all its pronunciation in the Japanese Style kanji. The story had not ended. I was happy and thought I could do it by myself. On Tuesday, I went back to the store and try to print the other document. While I was riding my bike to the store, I was practicing how to say "one piece please" in Japanese ichi mai kudasai. When I got there, a different clerk was there. I spoke up boldly, but she gave me a cross hand gesture, in guessing; it meant the printer is not working or we don’t offer printing service. How come? I was asking myself. I wanted to say “I did it yesterday.” or “Can I show you”. Unfortunately, my Japanese level won’t allow me to further communicate with her. I left the store sadly. I decided I would go back to the store only on Monday since that clerk helped me before. This is part of my life and story for a new Japan new comer. I will remember forever even after 10 years of living in Japan. It was just like the moment when I has arrived Vermont in 1998.

I will go to a second interview. I wish I could get this job. Please wish me luck, Fuji Yama.

Brain Break

Long before my professor Jack Wu told me that taking break out of your life is vital for your well being, but how? Does sleep works? Does vacation works? Do what you like most work? Not at all! Take 5 minutes break from your body and brain are the best. But when you force your brain not to think, you are actually thinking not to think. I am talking about here is 5 minutes of blank and relaxation of your life, let say one a week is a luxury and the best medication in the world. Since I realize the importance of that, I have never able to do that. When you sleep, you are dreaming, thinking about what you did today and the exciting about what you have tomorrow. When can I really take a REAL 5 minutes break to my brain, no thinking, no dreaming, no stressing, no pressure, simply nothing? As he always say, knowledge brings you food, intelligence brings you wealth; wisdom beings you happiness. Someone might never achieve the last phrase, Have you?