Americanization....and farewell to Junko

This is a peaceful weekend after hectic busy weeks. Today I slept until around 11:00am, and then realized it was actually 10:00am. My very smart cell phone (actually it does have a brain. A little cell phone accessory with a photo of sliced brain, which I bought at "Body World" exhibition in Philadelphia, is attached) told me the daylight saving time was over. I remember I was so relieved to learn I had one more hour to read before a class in my first year at a graduate school. Now I don't have to read thousands of pages of academic papers filled with incomprehensible sentencesand gigantic words. Thank Buddha.

Instead, I spent the extra hour to read VOGUE magazine. Yes, I actually "read" the magazine. There was an interesting article about a do-it-yourself DNA kit that analyzes your genetic profile and prescribe nutritional and lifestyle solutions that would help you avoid aging and disease. The article also says some genetic analysis can tell you the possibilities you will develop breast cancer or Alzheimer's. The question is if you want to know the information since there is no cure found so far, for example, for Alzheimer's. I sometimes think abut what I would do if I were diagnosed with the last stage of cancer. I may go to visit countries I have wanted to go
and then go back to Japan to spend time with my family. Or I may go to Cambodia to launch some projects to help slum communities so that I can feel my life was a little helpful for the society (how Angelina of me it is!). Oh well, the chances are I probably will spend the rest of my life at a hospital to try to survive as long as possible. I am coward. So I don't want to know my genetic information. I'd rather live with the uncertainty.

At Steven's party, Bill, my friend who I hadn't seen for ages, said Americans are too obsessed with their appearances. And today when I was zapping TV, I found so many ads about new diet program which helps you lose weight, new exercise equipment, botox, etc. Hmm. Now I do care about my appearances more than I did when I was 20-something in Japan. I go to gym and take Pilates classes, which I'd never thought of before. I buy much more clothes and shoes than before. Ok, maybe it's just because I'm getting old and now have more time and money than I did when I was working in Japan. But there are other things. I speak louder than before. I express my emotion by gesture and expression more than before. I eat donuts. I'm OK with
Starbucks. I wear pumps with bare foot. I debate with my mother. (And I'm blogging in English). I can't help but wonder: am I Americanized? Is it good or bad for me?

Well, I wasn't a typical Japanese girl even before I came to US. Maybe my characteristics have just been enhanced by this American "free society." When I saw a Japanese couple just typing text-messages on their cell phone silently without talking each other in a Tokyo commuter train, I thought it weird. Few people think that is weird in Japan. I guess the Japanese society
has changed, too.

I've just received an e-mail from my high school friend. One of my classmates died from cancer. I hadn't seen her since we graduated, but I remember her smile. I heard that after she had graduated from a college, she changed her career objective and went to a medical school to be a doctor. And she made it. I admired her courage. According to my friend, she had just had a baby girl last year. How cruel a fate can be. I guess I'd better live a better life. Well, I had a very good day today. I'll try to do it tomorrow, too. I really hope my friend, Junko, is in peace now.