Nitchi mo Satchi mo (92/06/01)
You probably know the Japanese sayings, 'nuki-sashi naranu' and 'nitchi mo satchi mo'. They are used to describe the situation of a person in a pinch, in a fix or in a dilemma. Such a person may feel like being stuck in the mud, unable to go either forward or backward. In some cases, these expressions may have meanings similar to a couple of English sayings about wild animals. "To hold a wolf by the ears" pictures the predicament of a person who cannot continue hanging on indefinitely but dares not let go. Likewise, "He who rides a tiger is afraid to dismount" is also used when both of two alternatives are undesirable. Even though continuing to ride a tiger is uncomfortable, to dismount would be dangerous. When people are confronted with such dilemmas, they may realize the limitations of their ability and wisdom and the need to rely upon a higher power. --Clark Offner (3961)
Surveyor 1 (92/06/02)
The basic meaning of the word "survey", derived from a Latin word meaning to look over, is to examine or look at in a comprehensive way. In a more particular sense, it means to measure a tract of land to determine its exact boundaries. Those engaged in surveying, called surveyors, make use of special instruments along with maps, diagrams and mathematical computations to accurately survey a certain area. Twenty-six years ago today, on June 6, 1966, an American space probe, Surveyor 1, made a soft landing on the moon, following a flight of 372,500 kilometers that required 63 hours and 36 minutes. After landing, it immediately began its work of surveying the moon's surface. By July 14, when its batteries went dead, it had transmitted more than 11,000 pictures back to earth. Of particular interest were the pictures of the indentations made by the spacecraft's legs which showed that the surface was strong enough to support an astronaut. Human beings seek to survey planets by means of spacecraft sent from earth, but according to Psalm 33:13-15, the Lord, from heaven, surveys the whole earth and all its inhabitants and observes all they do. --Clark Offner (3962)
Ceremonial Formalities (92/06/03)
When I began this "Daily Word" telephone service about twelve years ago, the aim was to provide an interesting, informative, meaningful message by a native speaker of English so listeners could improve their hearing ability. At that time, I composed the messages daily for the following day. A year later, I began providing typewritten copies of the messages for those who requested them. The messages were sent out each week following their oral transmission so those who taped the messages could compare the taped voice with the manuscript. When listeners asked to have the written messages prior to the spoken ones, I began making messages earlier and mailing them each week before they were transmitted by telephone. Now that the written messages are available on NTT's CAPTAIN system, I must prepare them three weeks in advance. As a result of my oversight, I neglected to suggest the theme for essays in yesterday's message, which is the same as that of our meeting last Sunday: Ceremonies and Rituals in Japanese Society. Ceremonial formalities seem to permeate Japanese society--helping or hindering human relationships. What are your thoughts on this subject? I will correct essays sent to me and include them in the next issue of "Daily Word" Echoes. This is: "Daily Word", Post Office Box 30, Moriyama Post Office, Nagoya 463. --Clark Offner (3963)
Kingdom of Tonga (92/06/04)
As you know, Japan's national flag has only two colors: red and white, but it is not unique in this respect. Thirteen other countries have flags consisting of the same two colors. One of them is completely red, except for a square of white in the upper hoist corner in which there is a red cross. This is the flag of the Kingdom of Tonga, which became independent 22 years ago today, on June 4, 1970. Do you know where this kingdom is located? Actually, it is an archipelago of over 150 islands south of the equator, some 3000 kilometers east of Australia. Most of the islands are coral, but a few are volcanic with active craters. Less than forty of the islands are inhabited. Monarchs have been ruling these islands for many centuries, but the present dynasty was established in 1831. The current king was enthroned in 1965, following his mother who had reigned for 46 years. Most of the 110,000 inhabitants are engaged in farming. Their major exports are copra and bananas. When the islands were discovered by the English explorer, Captain James Cook, they were called the Friendly Islands because of the attitude of the people living there. Do you think "friendly" is the adjective foreigners from Asian countries would apply to these Japanese islands? --Clark Offner (3964)
Ruth Benedict (92/06/05)
Protestant worship services usually end with a "benediction", a short prayer of blessing. Benedict, meaning blessed, may be either a given name for a man or a surname. Do you know anyone with this name? One of the most important books to help Westerners understand Japanese ways of thinking in the years following the Pacific War was written by a lady with this surname. The name of the book was 'The Chrysanthemum and the Sword' and the author was Ruth Benedict, who was born in New York City 105 years ago today, on June 5, 1887. At Columbia University, she became a student and later a colleague of the eminent anthropologist, Franz Boas. She did field work among American Indians and spent years in Europe, living with Swiss, German, Italian and English families. While living in California, she became interested in the Japanese, Chinese and Koreans. As an anthropologist, she emphasized the role of culture in the formation of personality. A sensitive, broadminded scholar, she consistently attacked racism and ethnocentrism. Although she never visited Japan, her writings related to Japanese culture strongly influenced American policy toward this country following the war. She died on September 17, 1948. -- Clark Offner(3695)
Tokyo Home (92/06/06)
When my wife and I arrived in Japan over forty years ago, our first problem was to find a place to live, for we could stay in the home of our seminary friend only temporarily. We had planned to attend a Japanese language school in Tokyo, but found out that classes were full and we could not be admitted. We were advised to apply to a language school in Kyoto. Telephone communication at that time was very irregular and unsatisfactory, even within Tokyo itself. Long-distance calls, which were a special problem, were made from post offices in those days, but even after waiting for over an hour after requesting the call to be made, satisfactory communication with the language school in Kyoto was not achieved. We decided to look for a place to rent in Tokyo in the hope that we could get into the language school there. We found an ad of a real estate agent in the 'Nippon Times' (the name 'The Japan Times' had been forced to adopt during the war). Among the possibilities he suggested, our first two choices could not be viewed at that time, so he took us to our third choice, located in the Denenchofu area of Ota Ward. We decided to rent the second-floor rooms of that home, believing that God had led us there. The landlord and his wife, who lived downstairs, were a Christian couple who were especially kind to us during our two-year stay in their home. -- Clark Offner (3966)
Thankfulness (92/06/07)
One of the New Testament letters of the Apostle Paul was written to the church in Collosae, in what is now Turkey. The only mention of this town in the Bible is in the introduction to this letter, so we know little about the church there and how it was founded. In his Letter to the Colossians, Paul seeks to oppose certain false teachings which had been introduced into that church. In the third chapter of this letter, he emphasized that one's faith in Christ should result in a definite difference in the attitudes of believers. Immorality, lust, greed, anger and hatred will be replaced by compassion, kindness, humility, patience and love. At the end of this list he adds, "And be thankful". He further encourages the believers to "sing to God with thanksgiving in your hearts." In fact, he concludes that, "Everything you do or say should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, as you give thanks through him to God the Father." Thankfulness should be an evident characteristic of a Christian. Personally, I am impressed with the traditional emphasis on expressing gratitude to others in Japanese society. Such phrases as 'arigatō gozaimasu' and 'okagesama de' are quite common expressions, but how often do we express our thanks to God, the ultimate Source of all our blessings? -- Clark Offner (3967)
Suntetsu (92/06/08)
In the old Japanese system of measurement, a 'sun' was the shortest unit, so this word is used to denote something small. Literally, a 'suntetsu' is a small iron weapon, but it is also used to mean a pithy saying, or an aphorism. The Japanese proverb that even a small weapon can kill a person, 'suntetsu hito o korosu', means that a terse, well-aimed word can wound or even kill. An English saying derived from Greek teaches the same truth: "Words cut more than swords". Another, less familiar saying is: "The tongue is not steel, yet it cuts". People who often make use of sarcasm may be said to have a cutting tongue or to make cutting remarks. In chapter 2 of the New Testament book of James, the tongue is compared to a spark that can cause a great fire and to poison which can cause death. It is important for people to keep their tongues under control. --Clark Offner (3968)
Prayer (92/06/09)
On June 9, 1549, 443 years ago today, the Book of Common Prayer was adopted by the Church of England. Though it has been revised over the years, this book continues to be used in worship by Anglican churches throughout the world, including the 'Seikōkai' in Japan. In a narrow sense, the word "prayer" may denote simply a request of some divine being, in other words, a petition, supplication or entreaty. This is a common meaning of 'inori' in Japanese, but 'inoru' is also used in a non-religious sense to simply express a desire or hope. In Christianity, Prayer is considered communion with God, our Creator, Provider and Protector. It involves "listening" as well as speaking with our mouths or in our hearts, and includes praise, thanksgiving, confession of sin and intercession for others as well as petitions for ourselves. "Prayer" is the suggested theme for an essay this week. What do you think about prayer? Do you ever pray? If so, when and to whom do you pray? What do you think is the purpose of prayer? Essays on this theme sent to me will be corrected and printed in "Daily Word" Echoes. My address is: "Daily Word", Post Office Box 30, Moriyama Post Office, Nagoya 463. --Clark Offner (3969)
Ball-Point Pens (92/06/10)
The earliest writing instrument is said to have been the human finger which was dipped into a colored liquid. The first pen-like devices were made of twigs or reeds. From the 6th century B.C., in the West, feathers, or quills, plucked from large birds became the preferred writing implement for over a thousand years and the English word "pen" is derived from the Latin word for "feather". The steel-point pens, originating in England in the 18th century, still had to be dipped repeatedly into inkwells, but fountain pens which appeared in the 19th century required only a periodic filling with ink. These handy devices, called "ten-thousand year writing brushes" in Japanese, are still used by some people today, but ball-point pens, in which a small ball bearing transfers ink stored in a cartridge onto a writing surface, are more popular. The first crude ballpoint pen was produced over a hundred years ago, but on June 10, 1943, 49 years ago today, a U.S. patent was granted to Hungarianborn Lazlo Biro for the kind of pens commonly used today. According to Henry Ward Beecher, an American clergyman, "The pen is the tongue of the hand--a silent utterer of words for the eye." --Clark Offner (3970)
Island for Sale (92/06/11)
Have you ever dreamed of having an island of your own where you could escape the hustle and bustle of daily life? A recent news item reports that a rugged island is up for sale. It may be just the kind of retreat you are looking for. The size was not stated, but it is reported to have a school, a shop, a post office, two churches and a population of 70 including a doctor, postman and schoolteacher. For affluent Japanese, the price of 1 million pounds(about ¥234 million) may not be unreasonable, but the location is not so convenient. Eigge, spelled E-i-g-g-e, is one of 500 islands in the Hebrides off the western coast of Scotland. It was inhabited in the Stone Age and was a center of the Viking occupation. In the 16th century, it had a population of 400 but a clan feud resulted in their massacre. The present owner of the island has been ordered to sell it by a Scottish court as part of a divorce settlement following a long legal battle. At times, we may wish to escape to our own little island, but we must recognize our responsibility to the community in which we live. As the English poet, John Donne, has written, "No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent." --Clark Offner (3971)
Telegrams (92/06/12)
As you may know, this "Daily Word" telephone service is actually a service of NTT, available not only in spoken form by telephone but also in written form on NTT monitors found in public places throughout the country. NTT, of course, stands for Nippon Telegraph and Telephone. Before telephones became so popular, telegrams were a major part of its business. It handled 95 million telegrams in 1963, but since then the number has decreased year by year, falling to 45 million in 1986 when NTT was privatized, resulting in huge losses for the company. To encourage the use of telegrams, it has been introducing new services. Its "Melody Telegram" is a telegram version of a birthday card with a built-in chip that plays music. It also sends messages accompanied by bouquets of flowers as well as telegrams featuring pressed flowers on their front covers. Now, telegram cards with embroidered covers are available and the company is seeking to motivate people to send congratulatory telegrams to friends, relatives and associates winning promotions, etc. As a result, during the last fiscal year, the number of telegrams handled had risen to 47 million. In the old days, telegrams were primarily used in emergencies or to convey sad news, but times have changed! Maybe you'd like to send a telegram to someone today. -- Clark Offner (3972)
Language School (92/06/13)
The reason the Japanese language school in Tokyo first told us that we could not enroll there was because of a lack of space due to a great influx of students, including many new missionaries like ourselves, in that year of 1951. After it found additional space in the Tokyo YMCA, however, my wife and I were accepted as students. Our classes were held in rented rooms of the Misaki-cho Church, near Suidobashi Station on the Chuo Line. For five months, we went on crowded trains from our home in Denenchofu to that church for our classes every morning for five days a week. Subsequently, the school moved to its own facility not far from Shibuya Station, which made travel more convenient. The school put husbands and wives into separate classes, which was probably a wise policy, avoiding the ill effects of marital competition in the classroom and promoting domestic harmony at home. Our Japanese teachers spoke no English but taught us spoken phrases before we were permitted to read them in printed form. Thus, our first classes consisted of such phrases as 'ikore wa hon desu, sore wa empitsu desu, are wa mado desu/i' and so on. In my first class at that school there were two French-speaking Canadian men, a Swedish lady, a second-generation Norwegian girl and men from Texas, Mississippi and Illinois in the United States, so you can imagine the interesting accents we gave to those Japanese phrases. -- Clark Offner (3973)
Spiritual Blindness (92/06/14)
The human eye is a marvelous organ. A healthy eye is always in focus, naturally adjusts to light or darkness, and perceives both color and motion. How unfortunate are those who are totally blind or unable to see well! Chapter 9 of the Gospel according to John contains the story of a man who had been born blind. Jesus' disciples believed that such an unfortunate event must be the result of sin. They asked Jesus who was at fault, the blind man or his parents. Jesus replied that the man's physical blindness had nothing to do with sin and he healed the poor beggar. Because this healing occurred on the Sabbath, the Jewish holy day on which all kinds of work were forbidden, conservative religious leaders, known as the Pharisees, launched an investigation into the matter. They called both the man who was healed and his parents as witnesses and condemned Jesus for breaking the Sabbath law. The chapter ends, however, with Jesus' judgment that the Pharisees were guilty of spiritual blindness because of their confident assertion that they were able to see. His words should be a warning to all of us not to be overconfident in our assertions. None of us has perfect spiritual vision and we should all recognize our need for greater clarity in our perception of truth. -- Clark Offner (3974)
Wives (92/06/15)
In my book of Japanese proverbs, there are a number about wives, or 'nyōbo'. One asserts that wives and 'tatami' are better when new, 'nyōobo to tatami wa atarashii ho ga yoi'. Another states that wives and egg plants, or 'nasubi', are better when young. But a third has quite an opposite implication. It affirms that wives and kitchen utensils, or 'nabegama', are better when old. Although there are such English sayings as "Everything new is fine", "Any young thing is pretty" and "The old is better", none of them mention wives along with things. Instead of concern about the newness or age of a wife, the English proverb that "A good husband makes a good wife" is appropriate at all times. This proverb implies that the quality of a wife also depends on the attitude of the husband. Both husbands and wives have responsibilities in making a happy family. -- Clark Offner (3975)
Noise (92/06/16)
The word "nausea", spelled n-a-u-s-e-a, is rooted in a Greek word meaning seasickness. In modern English, its primary meaning is a stomach disorder accompanied by an impulse to vomit. A secondary meaning is "disgust". The word "noise" was derived from "nausea" and, to some people, noise causes nausea. "Noise" signifies sound, especially unpleasant, unexpected or undesired sound. A small organization in Japan called the Anti-Loudspeaker Noise Movement Group is seeking to curb the noisy advertisements and announcements that disturb citizens who desire tranquility, but it has met with little success. Although many prefectural governments have regulations on loudspeaker noise, they are rarely enforced. What do you think about the noise problem in Japan? Are you bothered by excessive noise? What can or should be done about this problem? Do you think Japanese find noise less objectionable than Westerners do? Richard Steele, an English essayist and editor, has written, "I have often lamented that we cannot close our ears with as much ease as we can our eyes." I will correct essays sent to me on this theme and print them in the next issue of "Daily Word" Echoes. This is "Daily Word", Post Office Box 30, Moriyama Post Office, Nagoya 463. --Clark Offner (3976)
Population Profile (92/06/17)
Demography is the study of the characteristics of human populations. Recently demographers presented a new population profile of the United States to a subcommittee of the House of Representatives. It indicated that over 46 percent of the population now live in the suburbs of cities, compared to less than 14 percent in 1930. Thirty-one percent of the 249 million Americans live in central cities. The remaining 22 percent live outside of metropolitan areas. The report also disclosed that minorities in the United States are continuing to increase at a more rapid rate than the predominant white majority. In the past ten years, Hispanic-Americans grew by 53 percent and African-Americans by 13 percent compared to an 8 percent increase of so-called white Americans. Percentage-wise, African-Americans now total 12 percent of the population while Hispanic-Americans have reached 9 percent. This ethnic diversity along with the movement away from cities and into the suburbs has created many problems requiring serious consideration. The U.S.A. has been called a "melting pot", where immigrants of different cultures or races form an integrated society, but continuing social tensions make clear that this ideal has not yet been achieved. --Clark Offner (3977)
Quality of Life Committee (92/06/18)
I presume that all listeners to or readers of these "Daily Word" messages have had some experience in translating, either from English to Japanese or vice versa and thus know the difficulty of finding a word or expression with exactly the same meaning or a very similar meaning in the other language. Take the English word "life", for example. In my English-Japanese dictionary, this one word is given 17 different meanings and in each meaning a number of different Japanese words are suggested. The word "quality" has 10 different meanings, each of which have a number of Japanese translations. Thus, when I read in an English-language newspaper about a Quality of Life Committee which recently submitted a report to the government, I wondered about the name of that committee in Japanese. In a Japanese newspaper, I was surprised to find it called the 'Seikatsu Taikoku Bukai'. In this case, it seems that 'taikoku' means something more than a large or strong country. In any case, the Committee recommended a five-year plan to achieve a better quality of life by shortening working hours. increasing leisure time, involving women, the elderly, the physically handicapped and foreigners in society and reducing the price of land. All of these aims are admirable and I hope that genuine efforts are made to achieve them. --Clark Offner (3978)
The Cold War (92/06/19)
Looking back over the years of the so-called Cold War, many memories bring sadness to sensitive people. Among them are the money spent on armaments which could have been used for better purposes, the lives lost in purges, wars and executions, the injustice and suffering endured by people in both related and unrelated countries along with the suspicions and tensions which were stimulated. In the United States, there was a witch-hunt for suspected "Communists" and 39 years ago today, on June 19, 1953, a shameful event occurred in a New York Prison which caused protests throughout the world. On that day, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were executed for providing top-secret data on nuclear weapons to the Soviet Union. In the political climate of the Cold War, it is questionable whether they received a fair trial and certainly the death penalty was unreasonable. According to recent documents released by Russia, the Rosenbergs were not spies for the USSR, which suggests one of many reasons for opposing capital punishment: the possibility of innocent people being executed. These were only two of the innumerable deaths which resulted from the Cold War and we must take care not to permit events to slip into such a situation again. -- Clark Offner (3979)
A Sorrowful Experience (92/06/20)
During our first year in Japan, we had many novel and happy experiences--and also the saddest event in our lives that far. When we arrived, we were filled with anticipation, not only regarding the new life we ourselves would experience but also the new life which was developing in the body of my wife. Regular visits to a hospital having an American doctor indicated that the fetus was developing normally, but because of her swollen feet the doctor suggested that she be hospitalized. He then decided the baby was large enough to be born and induced labor. Forceps were used during the birth process, but since the umbilical cord was wrapped three times around his neck, the baby suffocated while being born. We wondered whether my wife's backward somersault during the storm at sea brought about that result. Needless to say, it was a sorrowful experience to us newcomers in a foreign land, but we were comforted by our faith in God and in his merciful purpose. We found new meaning in the words of II Corinthians 1:3-7 and believed that our suffering would make us better able to sympathize with and help others. A little over a year later, that same doctor delivered our overdue second son by Caesarean section. -- Clark Offner (3980)
Never in Despair (92/06/21)
Over half of the New Testament book 'The Acts of the Apostles' is related to the experiences of the first great Christian missionary, the Apostle Paul. Most of the New Testament letters were also written by him so we know quite a bit about him and his activities. An enthusiastic evangelist, he often encountered persecution by both Jews and Gentiles during his missionary travels. At times, he was driven out of communities, whipped and put into jail. In the 11th chapter of his Second Letter to the Corinthians, he lists many of the sufferings he experienced. Unbelievers may be surprised that he kept such a strong faith despite the troubles it caused him. In chapter 4, verse 8 of that same letter, he confesses that he is "often troubled" and "sometimes in doubt, but never in despair". Today also, we may be troubled and have doubts, but the secret of not falling into despair is found in his words in verse 18: "For we fix our attention, not on things that are seen, but on things that are unseen. What can be seen lasts for only a time, but what cannot be seen lasts for ever." Faith in truths, Truth, or God, which is more basic than temporary physical circumstances provides the strength to endure in the face of misfortunes. -- Clark Offner (3981)
Sumeba Miyako (92/06/22)
Nowadays, many people travel and visit many different places. We may gain a poor first impression of a certain place, viewing it with very critical eyes, but if we were to settle down there, we might find it is not such a bad place after all--in keeping with the Japanese proverb, 'sumeba miyako', literally meaning, the capital is where one lives--even though it may be in the country. For those who live there, even a little town may be considered the center of the world. English sayings also emphasize the emotional attachment to one's home: "East or west, home is best"; "There's no place like home" and "An Englishman's house is his castle". This last proverb emphasizes the privacy one may enjoy in his own residence. The Bible teaches that the true home of God's children is in heaven with him, so we should not become too attached to this world. --Clark Offner (3982)
'Kunsho' (92/06/23)
Ninety years ago today, on June 23, 1902, Britain's King Edward VII established a new award to be granted to worthy citizens who had performed meritorious service. Called the "Order of Merit", those who may receive this decoration are limited in number to 24 at any one time. The Japanese government also awards decorations called 'kunsho', to those deemed worthy. Included in these decorations are insignia of the chrysanthemum, the rising sun, the sacred treasure and the sacred crown. Those who have made outstanding contributions to the development of culture may be given an Order of Cultural Merit and some people themselves are recognized as living cultural assets. What do you think of this system of awarding 'kunsho', decorations, medals, insignia or cultural prizes? What is the difference between the various orders? On what basis are such awards granted? Do you think it is a fair system and that those so honored are genuinely worthy of such honors? Do you think this system should be continued, abolished or changed? Do you have any suggestions to improve the system or make it more effective? Essays on this theme sent to me will be corrected and printed in the next issue of "Daily Word", Echoes. My address is: "Daily Word", Post Office Box 30, Moriyama Post Office, Nagoya 463. --Clark Offner (3983)
Sun-Worship (92/06/24)
These days, preceding and following the summer solstice, are the longest days of the year. (Incidentally, "day" may denote an exact time period of 24 hours or the period of light between sunrise and sunset. In the preceding sentence, the word is used in the latter sense.) In some north European countries, this 24th day of June, known as Midsummer Day, is a day of merriment and festivity, celebrating the beginning of summer. This tradition is rooted in pre-Christian rites related to worship of the sun. In some South American countries, today is celebrated as the Day of the Indian, aimed at preserving and enjoying native customs. In the Peruvian city of Cuzco, the capital of the ancient Inca empire, a Feast of the Sun pageant is observed, centering on old Inca ceremonies of sun-worship. Worshipping the sun was common in many cultures prior to the introduction of Christianity which teaches that the sun, along with all other natural phenomena, is the creation of the one, true and living God, who alone is worthy of worship in the deep sense. In the vision of heaven, recorded in the last chapters of the last book of the Bible, there is no need of the sun because God's glory will light that city which has no darkness. --Clark Offner (3984)
Lacrosse (92/06/25)
An American city along the Mississippi River in the state of Wisconsin is named La Crosse. Its name comes from a French word denoting a stick or staff with a cross or hook on the end. Such a crosier is sometimes carried by a religious official as a symbol of his office. The name was given to this city, however, because it was a popular site for a game native Americans used to play there using a stick with a hook on one end. The game is similar to soccer, except that the small rubber ball is carried in and thrown from the netted pocket on the end of the stick. About 150 years ago, this game became popular among the European settlers in Canada and was given the name of lacrosse. Lacrosse has now become an international sport and Japan also is developing lacrosse teams. A few weeks ago, an international game was held in Kyoto between a Japanese team made up of coeds from Kanto and Kansai universities and a team from Wales. The World Cup Lacrosse Championship is held every four years and next year's tournament in Scotland will be the first one in which Japan will compete. The World Cup games will be held in Japan in 1997, however, so Japanese teams hope to increase the number of players and improve their ability before that time. --Clark Offner (3985)
Weeds (92/06/26)
Cuba, one of the few remaining Communist countries in the world, is facing great difficulties now that its trade with the former Soviet Union has been sharply reduced. Cuban cooks, facing shortages of meat and rice, must prepare meals with raw materials locally available. To help them in this effort, a new cookbook has been prepared showing them how to turn weeds and other native plants into edible dishes. Recipes will instruct them how to make salads of a wild-growing weed generally eaten by cattle and how to use a root vegetable as a substitute for corn. As I read this news, I wondered how one distinguishes "weeds" from other grasses or flowers. A dictionary defines "weed" as "a plant considered undesirable, unattractive, or troublesome". Obviously the distinction between weeds and flowers or vegetables is a subjective one. Who determines whether a plant is "undesirable, unattractive, or troublesome"? Also, when we look at people, whether or not we consider them desirable, attractive, or pleasing depends on our minds or faith. The Bible teaches that all people are valuable and deserve respect. As the American poet, James Russell Lowell, has written, "A weed is no more than a flower in disguise, / Which is seen through at once, if love give a man eyes." -- Clark Offner (3986)
Barber Shop, Telephone Booth (92/06/27)
I presume these Saturday messages consisting of this foreigner's initial impressions of Japan forty years ago may stimulate nostalgia on the part of some older listeners/readers and amuse or surprise some younger ones. Upon my first visit to a Japanese barber shop, I was surprised to be able to get a haircut, plus a shave, plus a shampoo for only ¥100. In my homeland, I shaved myself and washed my hair at home since the barber would charge extra for that service. In addition, the Japanese barber shaved my forehead, cleaned my ears and pounded my shoulders, something that American barbers would never do. I got a different kind of surprise when I entered a public telephone booth to make a local phone call. Of course, there were no dial phones. The old-fashioned telephone receivers were connected by a wire to the main unit containing the mouthpiece. But what amazed me was to find an open box into which paper money, including many ¥1 bills, were placed when phone calls were made. Calls would be completed whether or not the money was deposited in the box, but the honest Japanese callers would deposit their money. Dishonest people could easily enter these booths and steal the money. I could not imagine such an honor system in the United States. Nor can I imagine such a system in present-day Japan for that matter. -- Clark Offner (3987)
Surveyor 1 (92/06/02)
Ceremonial Formalities (92/06/03)
Kingdom of Tonga (92/06/04)
Ruth Benedict (92/06/05)
Tokyo Home (92/06/06)
Thankfulness (92/06/07)
Suntetsu (92/06/08)
Prayer (92/06/09)
Ball-Point Pens (92/06/10)
Island for Sale (92/06/11)
Telegrams (92/06/12)
Language School (92/06/13)
Spiritual Blindness (92/06/14)
Wives (92/06/15)
Noise (92/06/16)
Population Profile (92/06/17)
Quality of Life Committee (92/06/18)
The Cold War (92/06/19)
A Sorrowful Experience (92/06/20)
Never in Despair (92/06/21)
Sumeba Miyako (92/06/22)
'Kunsho' (92/06/23)
Sun-Worship (92/06/24)
Lacrosse (92/06/25)
Weeds (92/06/26)
Barber Shop, Telephone Booth (92/06/27)
Filled with the Spirit (92/06/28)
Bridges (92/06/30)
Nitchi mo Satchi mo (92/06/01)