Started the day with intense studying for my midterm, but after it was over, I got to enjoy my birthday. The cards and well wishes were much appreciated. Shiva took me to Cuchi Cuchi, which was excellent--probably the best meal I've had in Massachusetts actually. The aesthetics were well executed--the interior design and waitress outfits were 20s style, which was fun.

Last night and this morning were shaky, but I rebounded. It was the first time in weeks I got off track. I worked in the Everglades studio for several hours, rapidly completing the employment data mapping but running into hurdles with the soils. I came home and skated, ate dinner, took care of some administrative things, and worked on assignments for simulating sustainable futures.
I'm trying to set up a collaborative project for thesis that extends beyond the planning department. It is my belief that big problems that planners have traditionally tried to tackle on their own will require interdisciplinary work in the future. In my case, I'm looking at south and central Florida's hydrological challenges--providing drinking water, flood control, and habitat conservation. The current system is not working well, and it's about to get worse with climate change. I want to assemble a team that would consist, at a minimum, of an ecologist specializing in wetland habitat, engineer specializing in water infrastructure, an economist specializing in infrastructure financing, an architect, a climate scientist, and possibly a hydrologist. It might be impossible to coordinate all the moving pieces, but that's one of the key jobs of a planner, right?

Thursday-Tuesday: 4

I've been disciplined for several days now. Even if I've felt tired, I've willed myself to "power up", as Juan Carlos says. I've substantially cut down my sugar intake as one of my new resolutions. I've tried to do this before, and after about a week I start to get heavy cravings. I cave each time--I'm trying again, and so far so good. It's been about a week, if not more, and though I felt small cravings today, it was manageable.
It's semi-stressful seeing all the new people around and being in the vicinity of the orientation buzz, but it's also enjoyable in a sense. I'm happy to be a returning student, as opposed to a new student, because I already feel at home and within a schedule.

Scores for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday: 4, 4, 3

The trip continues to be excellent. We switched to Hearthside B&B, which is as lovely as the last one. We explored the "downtown area", went on a boat ride around the harbor, spent a while on one of the smaller islands--Little Cranberry Island--and yesterday did a moderate hike up to Penobscot mountain and watched the sun set from Cadillac. The reason yesterday got a 3 was that I was a little relaxed with my discipline regarding diet and hygiene.
The overall environment is so refreshing that it's the only experience I've had in several years that makes me wonder about city living. In many ways the quality of life is higher here than a city, and it has many of the virtues that make city life appealing, chiefly that there are several good restaurants and shops within walking distance, and that there seems to be a real community living around the town area. Maybe a cosmopolitan town (not a suburb!) surrounded by natural beauty is the best way to go? I had many flashbacks to Santa Fe, between the sunset, the freshness of the air, the Juniper trees, and the wildflowers. I was reminded how pleasant my life was back then, though of course the sweetness of my recollection is linked with the pleasures of being at school. In any case, nothing is decided, but it makes me wonder.

Score for Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 4

Shiva and I arrived in Bar Harbor for our vacation. We took Route 1 instead of 95 for its reputed scenic quality, and though we were underwhelmed up until Rockport, after that point it was beautiful. The landscape featured rolling hills, colorful wildflowers, the ocean coast on one side (sometimes below a cliff, sometimes not), patches of trees (particularly evergreens), and large rocks scattered on agricultural fields.
The harbor and park themselves are even more beautiful. Yesterday we drove the majority of the park loop road, stopping to visit various features. The coastal side gave dramatic views of crashing ocean waves and sand beaches, and the western side offered equally majestic views of glacial lakes and mountains. The drive to the top of Mount Cadillac reminded me of the drive up to St. John's College in Santa Fe.
It was bizarre to tour a national forest by car, surrounded by hordes of other people. Twice I had to parallel park, in a NATIONAL FOREST, to see a site. I do not automatically condemn this designed auto-access, not to mention that its not universally an issue as the majority of the park is not accessible by car. This is the part we plan to visit in the next few days. The plus side of this is that you can see a large section in a short amount of time. We also had a narrated tour CD we borrowed, which was actually very helpful. The downside is the noise and ugliness of the cars, plus the insane amount of people.
On a closing note, the B&B, Aysgarth, is wonderful. Our hosts are knowledgeable and friendly, and Jane is a great cook. I was expecting scrambled eggs and toast for breakfast, but instead, she's made us figs with sweet cream, filo pastries with egg and cheese, homemade pastries, fresh juices, and more.

Score for Wed, Thurs: 3

I will strive not to do any of the following things:

Grab a bite to eat
Pound a coffee
Crash at a friend's
Run to X location
Bang X out
Swing by
Throw some food in my gullet

Instead, I will do the following:

Eat
Drink a coffee
Visit a friend
Travel to X location
Complete X job
Visit
Eat

Monday: 3
Tuesday: 2

Score for Friday: 4
Score for Saturday: 3
Score for Sunday: 2

Saw District 9 on Sunday, and I didn't think it was worth the hype. The most interesting questions about the film--why were they there? What is their home like?--were not explored at all. As someone else said, it's at least worth the price of admission.

Score for Thursday: 2

If we were doing half points, I'd give it a 2.5. The energy wasn't there, and that is important. I did more than an hour of statistics, but I didn't do any GIS for some reason. I also didn't work out, and even though it was a waste of time, I watched the Eagles pre-season game instead of reading or doing something else of true value. I think watching regular season games is legitimate--even if it weren't virtuous, we're entitled to some non-virtuous enjoyments, yet in fact, I think watching regular season football is virtuous, if one is perceptive. Anyway, I'm not going to go on that tangent now, but the point is, pre-season is for testing pieces, trying new formations, and letting new guys battle for positions. It's interesting to the connoisseur but not to the general viewer. Middlemarch would have been immeasurably more valuable.

Score for Wednesday: 3

It's depressing when you're headed for a 2, and the best you can achieve with a high degree of effort at that point is a 3. Nevertheless, I persevered late in the day and got done all my important tasks and ended up having a decent day.

Score for Tuesday: 3

Score for Monday:2

I was distracted all day, it was hard to focus, and I didn't do my independent studies.

Score for Fri, Sat, and Sun: 4

I finally had a series of virtuous days. Saturday Shiva and I went to Spectacle Island, part of the Boston Harbor Islands. It was a gorgeous day and the perfect way to relax in the summer. I was able to read a significant portion of Middlemarch, one of two books I'm working on right now (the other being The Image of the City by Kevin Lynch).
I'm pleased with my self-control and deliberateness of action. One deficiency is my inconsistent use of the organizational system I have established for myself. For example, I want to look through my task list, calendar, and other organizers daily, but sometimes I do not. I've also realized that in the haste of my life over the last several months, I have completely abandoned my study of French. I watched a French film today and was still able to understand much of the dialogue, but I don't expect to retain my knowledge indefinitely. I'm debating what to do about this. I really don't have much more time to spread around to other activities.

Score for Wednesday and Thursday: 3

Close to a four. Diet and complete focus throughout the work day are the hardest things to overcome.

Score for Monday: 3
Score for Tuesday: 2

Each day I'm almost there, but not quite. Yesterday I was lazy with my diet, and it concerns me because I just did it without much deliberation. It wasn't as if I fully understood the problems such behavior cause yet I really wanted to do it anyway, and my worse side won--I just did it. Not good.

Score for Sunday: 3

Shakespeare at the commons was awesome. Score for Saturday: 3

Score for Friday: 5

Sounds unlikely, but it's legitimate. Our web guy hasn't been around the last two days, and my understanding was that the site had to be ready by yesterday afternoon, so I was worrying about how it was going to get done. Then I decided to go to one of the public computers with Dreamweaver on it and make the site myself, even though I only ever used web design software once, and that was in 2000. I totally made it happen, and I think it turned out really well. Unfortunately it's a password protected site for our stakeholders only, so I can't post a link to it, but I'm happy with the way things worked out.

Rating for Thursday: 3

I was mostly on-point, but not 100%. I think of a 4 as an A, a 3 as a B, a 2 as a C, and a 1 as a fail. A 5 is like getting an A and winning the essay prize.

My ratings, by the way, start today. I wanted to start a complete day before beginning.

I like the idea of reviving the rating system. Here's the rubric I'm going to use:

1=not only was I not virtuous, I actually made myself and the rest of the world demonstrably worse
2=no virtue but no major negatives either.
3=average or slightly above average. Took care of my basic duties.
4=strong effort. Not only took care of my duties but was on-point throughout the day. If everyday were a 4, my life would be highly virtuous.
5=highest effort+virtue+excellent results. 5s will be rare, as they should be, and they will only be awarded on days when I do something truly exceptional, like a particularly virtuous act, or if I make a major breakthrough on a project as the result of pushing myself extra hard. These will be days where I either reach the highest level, or, better yet, actually redefine the highest level.

I will also be interested in posting monthly averages and other descriptive statistics. Days without posts will be treated as "2"s.

I became vegetarian for two reasons: one ethical and the other environmental. Regarding the environmental issue, it is possible to farm meat via environmentally sustainable practices (look at Polyface Farm in Virginia for an example). So assuming that a meat eater limits himself to environmentally sustainable meat, the only objection I have left is ethical.
Recently, I have been contemplating an ethical argument that might cause me to eat meat again, unless I can honestly refute it. The ethical position that I held up until now was based on the sentience principle. Animals can manifestly feel pain, and in some cases, it seems they can experience dread and other more nuanced forms of suffering. The idea is that inflicting pain on a sentient creature is wrong. Unless we must kill animals, then we shouldn't, because they have an interest in avoiding pain.
There are two objections that are commonly raised to my argument, but I think neither of them holds water. The first is that there is an inherent difference between humans and animals, and this difference justifies eating them. The second is that animals eat other animals in nature all the time, so for us to eat animals, which we have done for thousands of years, is just another instance of this natural pattern. I have counter-arguments for both of them, so e-mail me if you want, and I can address them. For the issue at hand, they are unimportant.
Anyway, back to my own argument. The idea is that we have a moral imperative because we can recognize an animal's interest in avoiding pain and suffering. The challenge that is bothering me so much relates to domestication. But first, let me state it in the abstract: if an animal is faced with two situations, one in which he experiences more pain and suffering and one in which he experiences less, even though he may not be able to understand the alternatives ahead of time in a fully human way, we can assume that the option with less suffering would be preferable, no?
Ok, so we've domesticated a host of animals like pigs, chickens, and cows. If everyone became vegetarian, what would happen to the animals? They'd either die or they'd enter the wild. If they died, my guess is that it would be from starvation or predation, both of which are presumably unpleasant. So let's imagine a hypothetical young chicken. He has five possible lives: he can grow up on a modern industrial farm and be slaughtered, he can grow up on a humane farm like Polyface and be slaughtered, he can be released into the wild and starve to death, he can be released into the wild and be eaten by another animal, or he can be released into the wild and die of old age. Can we weigh these options in terms of relative suffering? Conferring interval values on these scenarios, I would rate them as follows (with 10 being the highest suffering)

Commercial farm: 10
Polyface: 3
Starvation: 7
Predation: 6
Old age: 1

I know that's rough, but do you agree with the order of them? Or, at the very least, isn't Polyface the second most humane option after old age? But how realistic is it that chickens in the wild would live happily until they die of old age?
The argument that is troubling me arises out of those numbers above. If farming is done in a humane way, with conditions that allow the animals to fulfill their innate behavioral impulses, isn't it actually better than most other options, and arguably all plausible options?
One possible objection to this hinges on the idea of freedom, as in, making the above argument is akin to saying Southern slaves were better off in slavery because once they were released they would suffer tremendous hardship due to their lack of capital, education, and skills. In fact, freed slaves did suffer tremendously (and inversely, during slavery, from a purely material stand point, some slaves were in better shape than some freed whites--read Roots if that sounds false). However, no one would defend slavery on these grounds, because we recognize that humans have an inherent right to freedom. So perhaps even if humane farms are better than the wild, we should liberate them anyway because freedom is inherently more just.
My response to this is that freedom (in a philosophical sense) is valueless to most animals because they can't experience it. I doubt (and I know I can't prove it) that a chicken on Polyface, despite his lovely surroundings everyday, laments the constraints placed on his movement by his owners. He may not even know he is captive. Furthermore, these animals are domesticated, meaning that their natural state is to be in the care of humans! What would it mean to release all the cows, domestic pigs, and chickens into the wilderness--wouldn't their species go extinct? Accordingly, I reject the freedom objection to the argument I've outlined above.
I've been vegetarian for over 10 years. It has become a fundamental part of my life, to the point where I would fear losing some aspect of my identity if I switched back to eating meat. However, I am committed to living an examined life, and after examination, I have found an argument in favor of eating meat that I cannot refute. If I decide to start eating meat again, it will only be under very specific circumstances. No Taco Bell, no Tony Luke's. All of my meat would need to come from a farm like Polyface, without exception. Please post thoughts.

It's been great being in a routine lately. I work until 4 or 5, depending on when I get there in the morning, do 1 hour of statistics, 1 hour of GIS, swim at the pool, eat dinner, read for 1 hour, hang out with Shiva at some point, check e-mails, and then go to bed. Physically I feel vigorous even after only a few days of this.
On an unrelated note, I'm just discovering how good Bjork is, and although it's probably old news to most people, she's blowing my mind. This might be like getting acquainted with a fresh Radiohead.

Check out Simo Hayha. That's incredible.

It seems that many people seek constant pleasure and ease in their lives, and I think this is misguided. Emotionally, I believe a range of feelings is healthy, and at times, intensity is a good thing. This is why I like the weather in the northeast better than California. Even keeled weather that is always pleasant dulls the soul, in my opinion. While of course the cold is bitter and the heat is oppressive, I value being physically involved in a dramatic procession. It is invigorating. It's what's lacking in the idea of being "chill". This is the idol of my generation, being chill. I think we're too chill. We should give more of a shit, be more discerning, and try harder. Too much tolerance is a bad thing.

I love living in a place where I can hear church bells. It's a small thing, but it brings me tremendous pleasure. I've been fortunate enough to have this for most of my life and would miss it if I moved to a place that doesn't have them.

Inertia is imparted upon our minds by culture, upbringing, education, friends, and other factors. In order to live freely we must be able to view ourselves critically and be able to reshape our beliefs. Fortunately, there are curricula that exist to accomplish this goal, and they work well. But I was thinking that there are many non-intellectual imprisonments that we suffer from, and there are fewer programs to address them. Two that come to mind are food and fashion. Yes, a motivated person could seek out magazines, books, and forums on these topics and expand themselves that way, but using these things and nothing more still makes it difficult, and that's assuming that a person would be highly motivated in the first place.
There's an additional factor that I think is less often recognized, but just as important. Comfort creates major inertia, and it's more than comfort--it has to do with your concept of self. Even if someone gives you explicit instructions about how to improve your diet or dress, the follow-through is not just dependent on your motivation--it depends also on your ability to venture outside of your comfort sphere. It's why the kids in the Wire wanted to go to McDonalds even after Bunny took them to that expensive restaurant downtown.

+ What effects do the inputs into our imagination have on our ability to maintain a grasp on reality?

+ As far as our minds are concerned, there are infinite sources of valuable information and infinite possible worthwhile tasks. Sheltering yourself from the torrent of information allows a false sense of completeness, but once you open yourself to that stream, you must come to terms with severe personal limitation, and this is easier said than done.
The number of scholarships, conferences, projects, etc. that come through my inbox is staggering, but I must resist the urge to spread myself too thing. I think this is a problem in my academic program--people trying to do too many things. I'm going to stick with a few things that I see as having high value, develop them to the end, and then soberly pick new tasks (again, easier said than done).

+ I like the idea of building a framework for analytically evaluating the effectiveness of urban design in creating public space. I had recommendations to read The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces and the Social Logic of Space. I wonder how many architects are willing to accept such lines of thinking?

I believe there is a weakness in the modern mind, and by modern I mean anything post renaissance. It is the resolution of action into two binary categories: those that are prescribed through rational principles, and those that are merely a matter of preference. So, for example, if I can't 'prove' my point in some discursive way, then I am merely stating my 'opinion', which carries no more weight than the opinion of any other person.
Obviously, I think this is false. I think a third option exists, which is a faculty capable of development that renders judgment and provides insight, and which is just as valid as rational principles, yet cannot be explained by them. Aristotle articulated it beautifully and called it φρόνησις, transliterated as "phronesis". Translators have used the words 'prudence' or 'practical wisdom' for φρόνησις, but I think they miss the mark. This faculty is something more than these things. Consider this analogy--jurisprudence:a judge::φρόνησις:a human in the capacity of a moral being. That makes more sense to me.
How would we know who has a more developed φρόνησις? Again, it's difficult to provide a calculus, but that doesn't undermine its reality. How would we be able to tell the difference between George Bush and Cato, both of whom used their "gut", or some equivalent concept, to justify their decisions? This is simply a matter of cultivation. The cultivated person will be able to tell that one is garbage and the other isn't.
This will be a tangent, but it makes me think of the demands we place on understanding. There is an expectation that a person should be able to string together a series of words and communicate any understanding--I think this is false. So, for example, if someone says, "tell me what makes the Odyssey a great book", it is an inherently impossible request, yet I firmly believe that the Odyssey is a great book. I think the request is absurd because a string of words attempting to convey the greatness will fail; in order to understand the greatness, you must read the work itself, many times preferably, contemplate it (not just think about it), talk about it, imagine it, and turn it over many different ways in your mind, and then one day, maybe prompted by a certain event, the whole thing explodes into color, and then you realize why it was great.

New posts coming soon.

A message to all post-modern social scientist types: not everything in the world "intersects". Though it might make the world more boring, there are simply some things that are just unrelated.

I took a trip down to the Baltimore/DC area this weekend. Friday I went to Ben and Ada's in Baltimore. Saturday I went with Ben to DC, and we met up with Will, checked out his dad's studio, played frisbee by the National Cathedral, got dinner, and then talked philosophy for a while. Sunday I went to croquet in Annapolis and saw a bunch of old friends--Mark, Christian, Marie, Chris Harris, and several others. It was a good time, and it was refreshing to leave Cambridge for a few days.

First of all, earlier in the week I had a day that Dan might find praise-worthy: it started around 9PM on Monday night when I was working on my climate change and agriculture report for the research team. I finished working at 7AM, slept for an hour, got up, ate breakfast, showered, went to statistics class from 9-10:30, attended my research team meeting from 10:30-12:30, searched for GIS data from 12:30-1:30, ate from 1:30 to 1:50, sent a fax, went to studio from 2-5 during which we hashed out our performance criteria for our site typologies and infrastructure technologies and assigned roles for the book production, met with my GIS team from 5-6:50 to work on our project, ate from 6:50-7:00, attended my responsive cities design seminar from 7:00-9:00, answered e-mails from 9:00-10:00, did some reading, and went to bed at midnight. So that was 27 hours of straight, intense work, interrupted only by an hour of sleep, an hour and a half total for 3 meals, and a bit of travel and hygiene time.
Today was less crazy, but still intense. I went to statistics, wrote some e-mails, searched for more GIS data, met with my research advisor, called some people in to get more data, had studio from 2-5, went to an international conflict resolution training from 5-6:30, went to a research team meeting from 6:30-8:30, and I've been answering e-mails and preparing for tomorrow since then.

Today Shiva and I got lunch at Galleria Umberto and coffee afterward at a place in the North End, went over to the MFA and spent most of the afternoon there, walked to the Prudential Center via the Christian Science Monitor Plaza, went back, had dinner, and watched the Office.
The MFA was a pleasure to visit. The collection wasn't massive, but it was arranged beautifully, and the exhibit aids were tasteful and actually interesting, which is rare. The North End was also a lot of fun to visit. I want to go back and walk around more when the weather is nicer.
Tomorrow is a work day.

I worked a bit in the morning, went to a meeting for the Japan studio, met with Amber about the Co-Lab Op-Ed piece, set up my new external HD, continued working, and then went to Dante with Shiva. It's restaurant week right now in Boston, so they had a prix fix dinner menu tonight, which was great.
I'm taking another day to do work on Saturday. Tomorrow will be a day off, and Sunday may be as well.

Today I filed my taxes, filled out my FAFSA, and did other miscellaneous administrative tasks. The pace is more moderate now that we are on Spring Break, and I'm trying to strike a good balance between work and rest for the week. Tomorrow I'm planning to relax. I might go to the Boston MFA or the MIT Museum.

It's important to be optimistic and maintain a good attitude, no matter how grim the outlook is, no matter how ridiculous the situation you find yourself in, and no matter how sad your circumstances seem. It's easy to throw your hands up and mock assignments that seem absurdly beyond the realm of feasibility, but I think the personal stretching that such assignments entail is excellent for growth.
I worked on my landscape planning homework with Anna, went shopping, ate dinner with Shiva, and finished up several administrative tasks. The snow outside is lovely.

I went to my R training session, got breakfast with Shiva, worked on the coal spreadsheet, met with Amber about wrapping up the coal project, got my hair cut, continued work on the spreadsheet, went to the department happy hour briefly, ate dinner, continued working on the spreadsheet yet again, checked my e-mail, did some admin, shortly I'll go to a party, and later I'll try to read a little in The Swamp.
It was good to start my weekend with discipline. Normally a let things slide on Friday, but I was on point today. I'm really pushing to be able to take off Sunday, which means that I need to get a lot done tomorrow. I think it'll be possible.

I've been jumping into a lot of new software lately, and I think my tolerance for uncertainty and mess is rapidly rising, which is good. In the last week or two I've used Illustrator, Indesign, Rhino, Endnote, and R all for the first time, happily with good results. I'm starting to care less about getting things perfect right up front, an attitude that I've struggled with for a long time and one that inhibits learning.

I've been neglecting the blog. Here's an update:

This morning I ran into two people from Australia outside of our inn, and we all had breakfast together. Later Runo and I went to Ginkaku-Ji Temple, Tetsugaku-no-michi, and Kinkaku-Ji temple. After dinner (donburi) I went to an Onsen and met a local guy from Kyoto. Afterward I met up with Runo again and went back to the inn.
The temples were beautiful--it's amazing how much effort they invest into keeping the grounds. I saw an employee lightly scraping the branches of a bush with a wire brush. If you had to do that for every branch of every tree there, it would take you weeks. They had a team of guys working the grounds.
The first one was elegant and enjoyable to see. They were both set against the mountains, and the paths started up the inclines but stopped, gesturing to the woods beyond. The second location was just as beautiful and more ethereal--it looked like a solid gold pagoda floating on a lake. The only problem was that it was packed with people, literally, hundreds of tourists taking pictures constantly and kids screaming in the background. It limited the serenity of the experience.
Tetsugaku-no-michi (philosophers path) was incredible, and there weren't any tourists there. It's a trail next to a river which is set in the middle of a residential neighborhood. Even in the winter it was gorgeous; I can't imagine how beautiful it would look in the spring, summer, or fall. It was easily one of the most beautiful places I've ever been, and again, this was during the ugliest time of the year. Growing up near there would provide such a rich source of imagination.
For dinner we went to this random café near the onsen and both got donburi. Mine was with avocado, tomato, and egg. It was one of the better things I've had here.
The best part of the day was the onsen. There were indoor baths, which were cool, but the better area was outside, with the rocks and trees rising up next to the tubs. A cascade of fresh water fell off the rocks into the cold pool, and people were drinking it, so I joined in, and it was super refreshing.

Prior days: since it's been so long since I've posted, I have a lot to summarize and I might repeat myself from earlier since I can't remember what I've said and what I haven't said:

* They have these things here called "manga kissa", which is a version of an internet café. The set up is mind-blowing. You buy a ticket at the vending machine for the amount of time you want (Japanese love vending machines), and then you select the type of booth you want. There are some with recliners, some with cots, but they all have computers. Then you are invited to get a drink (they're free and unlimited, and by drink I mean coffee, tea, or soft-drink), and then they show you to your booth. It's sort of like a cubicle with a really comfortable chair and in a peaceful environment. Outside the cubicle are rows upon rows of manga. The only sounds are the clacking of keys from neighboring cubicles and the boiling of water, which you can use for instant ramen. There's even a shower there. Apparently people use them as hotels all the time. So basically it's a combination of a hotel, library, newsstand, and coffee shop all at the same time.

* I went out for karaoke with my classmates and the crew from Sekisui house in Tokyo, and we had a blast. It was sort of awkward at first, but Kuzu started us off with the theme from Totoro, then the drinks came, and it just got better and better. It seemed like we were there for at least 2 hours singing. Afterward we hung out at the hotel, and people that shall not be named got a little out of hand, including ties on heads and crazy back rubs.

* The last night in Tokyo was one of the best nights I've had in a long time. Everyone, including some people from prof. Shun's Venice trip, went to a restaurant in Shibuya, ate several rounds of appetizer-type food, and enjoyed unlimited drinks for 2 hours. Right before the cut-off our table wanted to get more sake, so we put in another order with the waitress. She asked how many we wanted, thinking we'd say 1, maybe 2, and someone shouted out 5, and they actually brought it, so hell yeah. I had some fried prawn and anchovies in addition to the normal meal. They were good, but as with all the fish I've had on this trip, I won't feel deprived when I go back to total vegetarianism. After we were done, we took cabs back to Akasaka, went to another bar, and then headed home. That night I invited many people to Philadelphia, including our cab driver.

* I finally got to go to Akihabara after dreaming of that place since middle school. It was cool, but if it weren't for its sentimental status, it wouldn't be a big deal. One of the weirder things there was this 5 story building entirely dedicated to manga, but 2 of the 5 were for "womens' manga", and another 1 of the 5 was for a "cosplay kissa". Womens' manga was like a cartoon porno version of the trashy romance novels they sell in grocery stores, and the cosplay kissa was a café where the waitresses dress up like animé characters, which in our case meant girls in French maid outfits and cat ears. It was kind of weird. Unfortunately they wouldn't let us take pictures, and Kazu told me people have been arrested for taking voyeur-style pictures there.

* I learned about tanuki, one of the top 5 coolest things about Japan. They are forest creatures that are a cross between a raccoon and a dog. In myth, the males can enlarge their testicles to fill a room the size of 8 tatami mats and crush its victims. Classical Japanese art also depicts tanukis sleeping on their balls and bashing people with them. Another ability they supposedly have is the ability to turn into humans. Speaking about their balls again, they are said to be made of gold, and businesses often have tanuki statues outside the entrance (and yes, the statues have giant balls on them). Aside from the myths, they actually exist in real life and there's a Youtube video with some random guy that tried to domesticate one.

* The studio started out well and apparently the people from Sekisui House were pleased, so thumbs up all around. We basically did site visits and mini-studios capped by a mid-review and a final review. I'm psyched to get back and continue working on it.

* We got to go to the Sekisui House office in Tokyo, and it was pretty insane. Corporate hierarchy is rigid and formality is strict. Decisions take a long time to be made, and most things are accompanied by symbolic rituals. There was one really old guy, who seemed like a high ranking member of the company, that just sat around cracking up during the meeting. He was awesome. We each gave an introduction and had it translated, and he'd laugh both during the English part and for the Japanese translation. After the presentations and introductions, they had a lovely reception for us in a building that looked like a British mansion. The food was top notch and the company was great. The laughing elder was present and in fine form. He told me a long story in broken English, and at one point he stopped abruptly to laugh wildly, followed by an equally abrupt departure. I kind of wish I was that guy.

* The Shinkansen was cool, though getting from Akasaka to the train platform involved long subway tunnel walks, confusing transfers, and just a generally confusing experience. The countryside between Tokyo and Kyoto is lush and dramatic. We passed mountains (including Mt. Fuji), the ocean, fields, and towns. Backpacking this country in the summer with some knowledge of the language would be such a treat.

* Kyoto seems cool so far. Right off the bat we got lost near the inn, and the hospitality people showed us was amazing. We asked a random guy where the inn was, and even though he didn't know, he said he'd walk with us until we found it. He took us into a residential area and asked this lady getting on her bike. She said she didn't know and rolled away. Next he asked this old lady, and she stood there trying to think of whether or not she'd heard of it. Then, the lady on the bike came back and said she had just found it and gave us directions over there. Next, the original guy walked us over there, and we finally found it. The amazing thing was that everyone in the neighborhood came out and seemed so eager to help us.

* Urban design/architecture wise, Kyoto is interesting. Compared to Tokyo, the buildings are smaller, the streets are smaller, and it's mostly dark, even on the main streets. At first it comes off as looking dingy and anti-climatic. But then, you start to notice these brilliant interior spaces in the blocks and in random spots, and the whole thing comes alive. The philosophers walk was amazingly beautiful, as were the temples. The people are very accommodating and friendly, and the food and culture seems excellent. Overall, so far, I'm just as impressed with Kyoto as I am with Tokyo.

I had breakfast with Buck, Pam, and Morgan, went to the studio, got bento boxes for lunch, visited Tama, went back, got off at Chofu with Eirini and Kristal, walked with them all over the place including Shinjuku, Harajuku, and Shiboya, and then came back home.
Japan is invigorating. Tokyo on the whole feels tremendously modern, efficient, sanitary, safe, and tidy. Even the homeless, who are seemingly rare and out of sight, live in perfectly maintained boxes with a hole cut out carefully for them to get in and out. They had their clothes stacked neatly beside the box, and they were sitting in the box eating noodles with chopsticks. People walk around with facemasks, both because of concern for getting sick and also out of respect for others if they themselves are already sick.
Presentation is a really big deal. Even small things, like candies, are wrapped and labeled with colorful graphics. This morning I got a sandwich, which came in a cardboard stand, wrapped meticulously in plastic, placed in an attractive bag, and then sealed with a sticker. The environmentalist in me cringes, but another part of me is pleased by these demonstrations of aesthetic sensibility.
Transactions, even small ones, are treated as special. Hostesses bow and thank you when you pay at a restaurant.
Visually, the cityscape is bright and intense, especially Shinjuku and Shiboya. Stores are overwhelming and bright, almost blindingly so. We went into some insane department stores that were 4, 5, or 6 stories high, seemingly had everything, and were overloaded with visuals and cheery.
I played Pachinko in one parlor and some random arcade games elsewhere. The locals kicked my ass on both games, though I'm out of the loop on that stuff, so whatever. It's true about manga--it's extremely common.
Food-wise, my bento at lunch had shrimp, and it was delicious. I got a random happy apple drink from one of the countless vending machines, and it was pretty good. For dinner we went to one of the conveyer belt restaurants and got sushi a la carte. I've wanted to go to one of those for years, and it was a dream to finally make it happen. It's a brilliant concept, because as the food passes, you both get to see it before committing to ordering it, and you also feel like you already have ordered it if you're tempted (i.e., you'll be more inclined to just snatch it if it's in front of you, so it makes sense from a business point of view).
There seems to be significant efforts to create private conditions in public spaces. For example, on the subway, people put in headphones and close their eyes. Few people speak, other than us loud, barbaric Americans. Also, in this bar we went to, each table had a booth that was separated by screens and curtains. You could hear other people but not really see them.

First day in Japan, and it's pretty awesome so far. The airport and transit systems are clean and efficient. I appreciate that. The ride from Narita to Tokyo was interesting. It seemed like a slowly densifying sprawl as we approached Tokyo, without a center and without any sense of overall composition. In one sense the scene was depressing. There was metal, concrete, grey skies, and very little greenery. Despite this, it strangely felt inviting or comfortable to me.
In the city proper, the strands and textures stacked so tightly together makes for a mind-blowing experience. There are nooks and crannies everywhere, stacked every which way, and the buildings switch styles dramatically. There are alleys galore, and restaurants and shops that open out onto the street. It looks like it would be impossible to eat at every restaurant during one's life, even if you never left Tokyo and ate at a different place every night.
Once I checked in, I walked over to the presentation from our client. I get super lost while I was heading over, and it just got worse when I tried to take the subway to save time. It's like taking the information load of being a student at MIT and splashing that all over the physical world in a blinding spectacle of LCDs, signs, crazy graphics, etc. and it makes it hard to get a handle on what's going on. I think I paid way too much for my subway ride, but whatever.
The meeting went well and the project is interesting. Our hosts brought out snacks and Japanese beer after we finished, and we talked and sat around for a while. Later I ate some sushi at a random hole in the wall, and it was quite good. I decided that I'll eat fish while I'm here, just as I did that one time in Baltimore.

It snowed briefly last night, but then it switched to rain. Shame...I'm eager to see my first snowstorm of the season.
Today I did work and handled administrative tasks. Based on Shiva's recommendation, I tried the spicy basil noodle dish at Thai Café, and it was actually really good! I had tried something else there before and it sucked, but this one is a winner.
I continued my workout streak. Three days doesn't seem like a lot, but at the end of last semester I was probably working out once a week, if that, so if I can keep this up, it'll be great.
I installed Office 2008 after getting fed up with little bugs that seem to be all over OpenOffice. I like the interface, and so far I haven't noticed any problems. I'm doing a lot of spreadsheet work for my research, and OO kept causing problems, so I'm hoping this will be better.
I'm wondering about whether I should generally try to acquire music in digital or physical form from this point forward. Pros of digital: cheaper, quicker to acquire, nothing to lug around when you move, and better for the environment / pros of CDs: beautiful physical object, decoration for a room. My pros for CDs might sound weak, but I think they're important. I enjoy entering a room with a robust and varied CD collection on a shelf. It's a pleasure to physically scan the labels, pull one out, admire the book, read liner notes, and hold an actual object in your hands. I want to get Arvo Part's Tabula Rasa album, but I don't know which format to get it in. Thoughts?

I continued research today, spending the morning writing a report for a conference call later in the day. The call itself went well and I have a good sense of where I'm going with the work over the next few days. Later I worked out, and in general, I followed a healthy routine.
While walking home, I asked Shiva a question that I had been pondering in my research, and we talked about it for the duration of the walk, which was maybe 15 minutes. By the end, a solution had emerged from the conversation. The amazing thing is how powerful even a few minutes of focused dialogue about a topic can be. Of course, St. John's demonstrated this to me repeatedly, but it's easy to forget at MIT. It seems we get inundated with information and have to respond relatively quickly to it and produce some output. Contemplation is an activity that is non-existent on a day-to-day basis. This is a serious problem and one that I will try to address this semester by pacing myself better and trying to zone out distractions. Sometimes sitting and "staring" at a problem, metaphorically speaking, causes a solution to present itself, but it takes time, and at first the problem may seem impossible.
Along these lines, I reinstated my habit of listening to electronica while doing sustained, productive mental work. I got into this while I was doing architecture, and it's a great way to zone out and evoke a mood ideal for intellectual activity. Oooo, but just now I switched over to Arvo Part and it is lovely...

I worked on research today, exercised, got coffee with Shiva, and had a conference call. The pleasure of drinking coffee has been greater than normal lately, and my hypothesis is that I am enjoying it more because I am rested and mentally restored, so I already feel good, and I can feel the positive effects of coffee without the noise of fatigue, pain, or other distractions/distortions. Anyway, it has been a pleasure to have a cup over the last few days.
The work is going well, and I'm moving ahead at a nice pace. It's fulfilling to work on one project in a sustained way over a long period of time. I'm also learning a lot about coal, economics, chemistry, energy in general, ecology, and human health. It's a win-win all around.
Among my strategies to maintain a higher level of health for the semester is the strategy of reading and dealing with all new e-mails on a daily basis. At the end of the day my new mail tally should be zero. I seem to average 20-40 per day and the count quickly spirals out of control if I let it slip.
I worried that I might have a hard time working out with the snow on the ground, but it was actually easier than in Media, where the ground is frozen but there's no snow. The reason is that the snow provides some padding, like grass, which allows me to do Samson Stretches (an exercise that requires kneeling and placing weight on the knees).
I read an interesting article from the Boston Globe about psychological studies on cities vs nature. It claimed that urban stimuli are detrimental to the ability to focus and control oneself, while nature restores this capacity. Parks apparently mitigate this effect, and the best parks in this regard are the ones with the most biodiversity. It's interesting to me that urban diversity dulls the mind while biological diversity stimulates the mind. Maybe the researchers are on to something, but I find that the impact of urban phenomena on me depends on the nature of the phenomena and the design of the systems and context in which it happens.
For example, as an anecdote, once I was walking over the Market Street bridge toward Center City in Philadelphia, and to my left I saw a Regional Rail elevated beyond JFK boulevard, a USX freight train passing under the bridge next to the Schuylkill Banks Trail, a plane flying overhead, cars flowing all around me, pedestrians walking in both directions on both sides of the bridge, and a skateboarder skating on a metal curb lip. Above all this was the glimmering lights of the city sky scrapers, to my sides were the lit stone and metal bridges over the river, and below was the river itself, shimmering in the lights and quaking in the wind. This scene struck me as so marvelous with all of its motion, complexity, and to me, sublimity, that I was inspired, felt invigorated, and set my mind to work when I got home. To be fair, the study seems to admit that although they think urban environments dull certain aspects of the brain, they have a superior claim on spurring innovation and creativity through the same diversity and intermingling of people.

I came back today--I took Amtrak to get back up here. It was tough leaving as always, but I'm ready to get started again. The train ride itself was pleasant. I worked on my research for the duration of the trip. There are a few things I notice on that train ride that are striking: 1) the modernist high rise housing right before you leave the boundaries of NYC, on Erskine Place in the Bronx. They're so classic. They could be the textbook entry for American Modernist High-Rise Housing. 2) Norwalk and New London CT. I love old port/industrial cities like that, with the brick factories, narrow streets, and waterfront areas. 3) the building which I assume is the city hall for Providence. It's amazing--that building alone made me ponder what it would be like to live in Providence.
Of course, go Eagles! That was great. Later I did laundry, unpacked, and went grocery shopping. I talked to Drew, who I haven't talked to in a while. It was nice to get caught up and cool to hear he might be in the area soon.

I got up early without much hesitation, got ready, ate a nutritious breakfast, and started working on my coal research. I went until 12:45, at which point I stopped to nap. Up until then, I had been fighting sleep, despite already having had a cup of coffee. On the one hand, I felt like it would be a waste of time to continue to struggle with tiredness and that it would be better to nap ASAP and then get back into my work refreshed; on the other hand, I wondered if I'd actually be able to keep my nap short and get back out of bed. I decided to nap, and I was not able to get back out of bed when my alarm went off. I think this experience settles my personal debate about naps: I should avoid them at all costs unless it's an absolute emergency, like those times during the semester when I basically had to choose between literally passing out, or taking a controlled nap in the library. In general, I'm going to push through the best that I can (for whatever reason, I don't handle naps well. I feel horrible if I wake up before my body wants to, and I've tried the 20-30 minute thing, and it doesn't work).
Despite that, I still got my planned 10 hours of work complete, worked out, checked my e-mails, and made my budget for the coming month. The workout was tough, but my body handled it surprisingly well. It was cold though...Anyway, the work was productive and it felt good to focus and be industrious again. I think I've allowed myself adequate rest time for the vacation, so now I can start again, and make sure to maintain a sustainable routine so I don't burn out again.