Hmmmmmm, I’m not feeling very inspired about my blog today. I can’t really think of anything to say. I am hoping that by just starting writing, suddenly I will think of something to say . . .

Ah, I know. It is almost the Kansai Gaidai University Festival. There are going to be lots of booths selling different kinds of food, as well as music and dance demonstrations, art shows, etc. All kinds of stuff. I went to the Kansai Gaidai Festival last year as well, and one thing that I noticed that is different between Canada and Japan, is that in Canada the students seem to be much more political. However, this could be because I am not able to read or speak Japanese very well (okay, practically not at all), so perhaps I am just missing something, but it does seem that most of the stuff that goes on in the festival is not of an overt political nature. I remember in Canada, if a similar event were to take place, there would be all kinds of groups involved, such as Amnesty International, the youth organizations for different political parties (left wing and right wing as well as centre parties), organizations for Palestinian rights, pro-Israel organizations, groups of people protesting high tuition fees (which are a fraction of what they are in Japan anyway!), people promoting animal rights, gay rights, women’s rights, Kurdish rights, etc., groups for various religions: Christians, Muslims, Jews, Bahai, etc., groups running food banks in Calgary, groups raising money to help overseas children, groups protesting the American war in Iraq, other peace groups, and people handing out Marxist-Leninist pamphlets. In fact, I remember once there was even a group promoting the use of Esperanto as a world language, instead of English. Just about any kind of group would be represented, all actively promoting their own particular political agenda and opinions. It is this kind of “dialogue” that I don’t see at Kansai Gaidai. The students don’t seem to be very politically motivated in what they do. When I hear students chanting on campus and waving posters and signs, they are not protesting anything, just inviting people to take part in their club activities.

Anyway, I guess I thought of something to blog. I would be interested in people comments about the differences between Canadian campus culture and Japanese campus culture. Am I missing something?

Peace!

Yuri and Motoko with their official Terry Fox Run Certificates 

Yuri and Motoko getting their certificates 

From left to right: Yuri, Motoko and Scott running across the finish line at the Terry Fox Run in Kobe Japan! 

Hello World!

Boy, do I ever have a splitting headache tonight. Earlier tonight, I felt as if my head was pounding, but now I am feeling a little bit better, so I thought I would write in my blog.

First of all, I just want to say:

HOORAY Yuri and Motoko!!!!

Yuri and Motoko came to the Terry Fox Run today. I was so happy to see them. I was worried that I wouldn’t see them because I was so late getting to the Terry Fox Run today. The Run was on Rokko Island, and I totally miscalculated the amount of time it would take to get to Rokko Island. I thought it would only take an hour, but it took two hours. Luckily, I found Yuri and Motoko at the race. I felt bad though, because I had said that I would sponsor them in the race, and I was so late, that I barely even had time to register myself. Luckily, however, I got to the race before it started. I really admire Yuri and Motoko for coming to the Terry Fox Race. It was really far away from Hirakata, and it isn’t easy to walk or run 5 km. While I was running around Rokko Island, I kept wondering when I would reach the end of the race, and I was only running 5 km. I can’t imagine what it must have been like to run 42 km every day, like Terry Fox did. I don’t think I would be able to do it. I think if I had cancer, I would probably just give up. I guess I am not much of a fighter, but I did manage to run the 5 km without stopping today. Yuri and Motoko came soon after my friend Taka and I crossed the finish line. It was fun cheering them across the finish line. I feel like we really accomplished something. Maybe I am a bit of a fighter.

Anyway, I just want to say HOORAY Yuri and Motoko one more time, and also I want to say HOORAY for Taka who was my only friend who would come to the race with me (don’t feel bad Janet, I know you had a meeting – Taka and I ran for you!)

Here is a letter that I just wrote to the Terry Fox Foundation in Canada. My students have all written letters in reaction to Terry's Letter Seeking Support, and I thought Terry's parents might enjoy reading these letters.

October 14th, 2004.

Ms. Breeda McClew
International Director
The Terry Fox Foundation
Suite 802, 789 Don Mills Road,
Toronto, Ontario. M3C 1T5
Canada

Dear Ms. McClew,

I sent you an email a short while ago about a video file that was corrupted on your website. I wanted to thank you very much for getting this file fixed so quickly. The resources you have on your website are just wonderful, and my students have enjoyed using them to learn more about Terry Fox and the Marathon of Hope. One of the resources that I downloaded from your website was Terry’s letter seeking support. After reading this letter, my students all wrote letters in answer to Terry’s letter. I was so touched by these letters that I thought Terry’s parents might want to see them and know that his message is still spreading all around the world, even here in faraway Japan. Could you please pass these letters along to Terry’s parents? I think that my students have discovered a new hero that will continue to inspire them long into the future.

On a personal note, I am very happy to be able to share Terry’s story with my students at Kansai Gaidai University, and take part in the Terry Fox Run at the Canadian Academy in Kobe. Terry has always been a great inspiration to me and my family. In 1979, when I was a little boy, my mother was first diagnosed with cancer. The cancer had spread into her lymph system, and the doctors had told her to prepare for the worst. Depression and illness followed. The chemotherapy was almost worse than the cancer. My mother lost her hair, could no longer taste her food, and was desperately nauseous after her treatments. As my mother lay in hospital thinking she was going to die, suddenly there was this young man who was running across Canada on one leg. From her bed in a hospital in Calgary, my mother watched the news about Terry Fox and took hope. She fought back, and after eight years she won. My mother has now been in remission from cancer for 17 years. I am sure that one of the reasons my mother is still here today is because of what Terry did when he tried to run across Canada.

Keep up the good work!

Yours truly,

Scott Roy Douglas

Right now my class is talking about Terry Fox and his Marathon of Hope. If anyone wants to know more about Terry, check out this link:

http://www.terryfoxrun.org

The Terry Fox Run in Kobe is coming up fast. I wanted to go running this morning to practice, but it was raining so instead I made three pieces of toast and had a cup of coffee. Wow, I guess I am not a hero. It still amazes me that Terry ran a marathon every day on just one leg. I can’t even force myself to go for a walk in the rain sometimes. Right, I guess I will have to force myself to go out running this afternoon. The funny thing about running though, is that often I don’t want to do it, but as soon as I am doing it, I am really enjoying myself. I guess so many things in life are just like that. It is the initial effort that is the most difficult, and once you have begun something, then it can actually be great. It’s like that with writing essays too, now that I think of it. When I was a grad student, I could procrastinate for days before I finally settled down and started to get to work. It killed me just thinking about having to write a paper, but then, once I started my paper, it usually just started to flow. It’s just getting started that is the hardest thing.

Right, I am definitely going running this afternoon.