Monday, January 17, 2005

An Osaka Steet Scene


It has come to my attention that there has been an oversight. The Sekime photolog has not had a photo for quite some time. In order to rectify the problem I have chosen a photograph for you to enjoy. It does not have much significance other than the fact that it actually is a photograph. It was taken on my way from the YWCA where I went to language school to Umeda where I could catch the train or the subway.

Friday, January 14, 2005

Language in Japan

In Japan your run-of-the-mill dog says "Wong wong wong".

Wednesday, January 05, 2005

Retro-blogging

As I've posted before, I attended the Worldview Foundations course at the ICS a couple year's ago.

One of my assignments was to write a short scenario, on what the world would look like in fifty years, if the world developed as a culturally hardened, high conflict world. It had to written from the point of view of my home church.


I thoroughly enjoyed writing it and like the story myself. I thought I'd republish it in this forum.


The Georgetown CRC - 2052 in a culturally hardened, high conflict world.

Juanita looked up at the moon obscured by a cloud of pollution. Remembering the moon of her childhood, a pristine white orb, she thought it was a shame it had been sold to Microsoft-Hyundai-ING. The company had moved their entire global operations to the moon including employees and they had brought in as much commercial and cultural support as they deemed necessary. She thought that in spite of the pollution it would be a nice place to live, far removed from the trouble here on earth. Maybe she could live on the far side of the moon with the Mennonites. It would be nice to meet the people who send the automated relief re-entry drones. She was thankful for the food and clothing that they provided.

GCRC with it's long tradition of local and overseas justice work had tried
to stem the tide of Muslim domination by sending some people to the Islamic
Republic, a large Muslim state encompassing most of the northern part of the African continent. The people had been forced into the south of Africa along with most other Christians who had been unable to exist with in the Shari'a Law harshly enforced throughout the state. The Islamic Republic had built up their military and political power. One thing the Muslims never seemed to be short of was funds.

They had however been desperately short of food. At a time when it was difficult to stop them, they had sent well-equipped armies and farmers to Western Canada and Ontario looking for fertile land and fresh water supplies. Well-guarded military farms were efficiently set up and shortly thereafter the food supply line to Northern Africa was instituted. The Canadian army had fought with their legendary valiance but could not compete with the shear numbers of Muslims willing to die for their cause. Once the area had been secured, Muslims from all around North America as well as from Africa had gravitated to the area, setting up commercial support and populating the area, living like Kings from the wealth generated off the land.

But that was 15 long years ago. Since the fall of the Muslim Empire the country was no longer the super power it once was, and had degenerated to civil uprisings and quarrelling amongst Muslim factions. At the same time the dictator of the day had taken to sending "Jihad cells" to what they determined to be strategic pressure points around the globe.

She turned her attention back to the present situation. There were rumours of another raid perhaps this time by one of the infamous Jihad cells. Since the fall of the Muslim Empire the people who had been forced underground had begun to resist with better cohesion in this area of Muslim control. She was an advance scout and had to stay all but invisible while uploading observed troop movements to the local server.

She turned her thoughts back to home. Most communities had gone into hiding in order to survive. The Georgetown CRC had literally gone underground and currently most of its congregation made their home in one of the newly opened but now disused silver mines in the area. There was still Silver here but the fighting had made mining superfluous, and the mines were very easy to defend. Working in the resistance wasn't a nine to five job. She hoped she would make it to the afternoon service tomorrow. It would be good to see people again.

Saturday, January 01, 2005

It is difficult to type with one arm behind your back

I am being coerced, blackmailed as it were into writing this blog.
Through many years as a Mapleleafs fan, (since the 1977 playoffs when the Leafs beat the Islanders in 7) I have never seen a player quite like Mats Johan Sundin, his skill as a hockey player and his poise as the Leaf Captain are better than any that I've seen in a MapleLeaf uniform. So Kudos to you Mats, your Mom is calling you for some Campbell's soup and I'm calling you to get your derriere back on the ice for some good old fashioned barn burning hockey, just like the good ol' days.
There you go M.A