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KazuyaMishima8984
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Name: Matt
Country: United States
State: Illinois
Metro: Wheaton
Birthday: 8/9/1984
Gender: Male
Interests: God, Angel, my family, WCAC, lifting, martial arts, music, money (yes, but not in the greedy way), China, and communication... stuff.
Expertise: If you count data entry, then I think I've mastered that. Oh, and I can eat really fast.
Occupation: Sales
Industry: Health Clubs
Message: message meEmail: email me
Website: visit my website
Member Since:
12/8/2004
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| With all of the candidates spouting off their ideas, I've heard a lot of different opinions. But, pretty unilaterally, they agree on one: CHINA = BAD. Now, I consider myself to be pretty well informed on the news. I listen to NPR's news and business program every day on the way to and from work. I check out online articles on my lunch break. I flip on the T.V. when I get home to catch the newest societal epidemic on FOX, and occasionally get informed about things that matter. Through all the streaming media I consume, I gather that all Americans are pretty sure that China is our economic enemy.
I was listening to NPR on Saturday. There was a BBC forum with representatives from each candidate answering questions that I'm sure the real politicians were too busy to answer. Not that I blame them, it's the BBC, and I don't know very many British that have a say in American politics. When the topic of China came up, it was the rallying point that the speakers were waiting for. The last speaker had the brilliant insight to call China's involvement in Africa "not... good." He pretty much left it at that, saying a bit about how some Chinese businesses may not be helping some Africans.
Stop and think. Because it's so easy not to do that when we have news bombarded at us 24/7.
Regarding Chinese businesses in Africa: There are many kinds of businesses. Many Chinese are opening businesses in Africa the same way they open restaurants, retail stores, and gas stations in the U.S. Think about Koreans small business owners in African-American communities. The Koreans are taking advantage of the ability to emigrate, face a more difficult life in a separate culture, and add value to the community. Have you seen "Do the Right Thing" by Spike Lee? See it if you want to understand the challenges Asians faces outside of their continent. In the movie, the African-Americans blame the Koreans for the injustices in their community (while recognizing "The Man" as the progenitor of the injustices). Really, the Koreans were trying to find new opportunity in a new place, but were having some cultural differences along the way (It's much more complicated than that, you'll have to see the movie). My point is that many of these Chinese are trying to provide goods and services to a new target audience. They're doing the same thing that my grandparents and parents did: Emigrating, finding themselves at the bottom of the barrel, and committing themselves to their work in order to make a better life for their family and their community. Maybe Africans are projecting the century old injustices onto these small business owners. After all, the Chinese are the most visible arm of globalization to them. The Chinese in Africa face the same prejudice as they do in America, or worldwide for that matter. The issue is not with the ground level business owners; not the corner dry cleaner or the Chinese restaurant in the strip mall. I believe that the issue is with higher levels of leadership.
As for mid sized businesses and factories, and large companies, yes I'm sure that a few of them are running at standards that Americans would not approve of. So, those companies should face the same consequences that an American or European would suffer. After all, there are some pretty comprehensive standards after the decades of European colonization in Africa. Really though, you can't throw the baby out with the bath water. Many of the Chinese companies are offering opportunities for employment that weren't there before. The businesses provide the resources for the Africans to buy the medicine and education they need to live and compete in the world. Having production facilities also builds the infrastructure of the countries. They have the money to build roads, buildings, vocational schools, waterworks, and most importantly, the reason to build: the business. Think of this example, if the business needs to build a road from the airport to the factory, the same road can be used to transport medicine and resources to removed villages. But, without the business, they wouldn't have the driving reason or the funds to pave that road. There's more to business than making money. It's about finding a need and serving it. It's about giving opportunity to those whom need jobs. It's about adding value to natural and human resources. If you're not convinced, read this:
http://www.businessasmissionnetwork.com/2007/07/business-povertys-long-term-solution-by.html
So, this leads me to thinking of America's place in all of this. I opened with the forum on Chinese involvement in Africa and how there was so much agreement on China's "not... good" actions there.
I'm going to go out on a limb here. DON'T GET ME WRONG: THERE ARE PLENTY OF AMERICANS WHO DO THINGS THAT HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT. What I would like to do is challenge how we think of aid. This might sound crazy, but I think that many Americans have the perception that they have the monopoly on charity. That the American way of helping out internationally is the Only Way and any other way is exploitation. That Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt doing a short term visit did the continent a world of good that China never could. That the RED campaign dramatically changed the state of Africa in an unprecedented way. Read this article to get some background: http://www.american.com/archive/2007/july-0707/africans-to-bono-for-gods-sake-please-stop . AID IS A GOOD THING. Sometimes countries are so in debt they need some equity before the citizens can begin improving their lives. But, countries can't become dependent on aid like a baby that never learns how to walk because he's carried everywhere. That's why I think China's approach isn't as bad as media pundits claim it is: "This is why China's seduction of Africa has been so complete. While Americans are pestering their leaders to Save Darfur–an unlikely prospect absent full-scale military intervention–the Chinese are busy building roads and hydroelectric power dams. China believes Africa is a huge economic opportunity and deals with Africa like a business partner. The Chinese see Africans the way many would like to see themselves." That's from the article above, read it if you haven't yet.
I also think the American Media's reaction to China's involvement in Africa reflects a trend of opinion, that being China is an economic evil empire. From time to time, covers of magazines and sound bytes advertise the Chinese economy as a mix between the energizer bunny and a bulldozer. Again, I'm going to put myself out there and say that maybe American leaders and citizens feel a little intimidated by the idea of not being #1. Maybe it's like the smart, quiet kid in class. She doesn't have very good social skills and you have trouble finding things you have in common. She isn't outright mean, but doesn't do anything that's particularly outgoing or extremely nice. Worst of all, though, she seems to know all the right answers and steals everyone's attention from you. So, you start projecting, finding faults in the way she talks, dresses, acts. Pretty soon you have an ironclad defense against her, and she got what she deserved. Is this not like the way that Americans see competition? Yes, I know that China's growth has been harmful to the environment, but Western nations are not exempt. America produces more greenhouse gasses than China, yet is service economy, not a manufacturing economy. America has 200 million private use cars for 300 million people. China has 20 million for 1.3 million people. As I said, it's just an idea, but maybe American opinions of China are shaped more by emotional media hype than informed, global info sources.
I hate it when people blog and leave you angry and confused, and I know many of these issues can't be ultimately resolved, unless you're a business leader, reporter, or politician. But, I think that changing our perceptions and letting our politicians, reporters, and business leaders know how we make informed decisions will change the world. After all, I do think that America does democracy exceptionally well. First, we should be more selective of where our aid money goes. Is the money from buying that t-shirt from that Gap giving Africans fish, or teaching them to be fishermen? Second, we need to be more discerning about our media consumption. I suggest the BBC, National Public Radio (91.5 FM, npr.org for podcasts), The Economist magazine, and other in-depth news sources that are less susceptible to sensationalization. Third, don't think of China as the Death Star of international powers. Find a diverse spread of issues about the booming economy. Read news articles that quote Chinese citizens, not just "China specialists". Vote for candidates who are more interested in working with the Chinese government in solving world affairs. I have faith that everyday people can make huge changes in the world.
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| Ingmar Bergman died today. He was 89. For those of you who don't know him, he was a Swedish filmmaker. He wrote and directed The Seventh Seal, a story set in Medieval Sweden. The main character, a knight, returns from the Crusades to find his village decimated by the Black Plague. He plays a game of chess with Death (personified as a tall man in a black cloak), the result of the game determining whether the Knight lives or dies. It's a landmark film for existentialism, really challenges the question of the human condition. It's a great film, I can't do it justice in a summary, watch it.
Anyway, on the way home from some friends' house, I was listening to the radio. As usual, NPR was on the dial, and the segment highlighted the life of Bergman. Actor after writer after producer spoke about him, in heavy Swedish accents. I started to feel sad, mourning the loss of a great social commentator and philosopher. I was even getting a little teary-eyed as I drove south on President. Then, I thought, "I didn't even know him." I never worked with him. I never sat at a table and ate with him. Really, I've seen The Seventh Seal and talked about it with my English Class, that's about it. So, why in the world would I feel sad about his death?
I thought about what might be happening in my life (other than the tragic death of Ingmar Bergman, of course). I'm being transferred away from the people I currently work with. People whom I've grown to laugh with, talk with, suffer with, and, to a certain degree, understand. Josh Urie is leaving tomorrow morning for California to live, Kyle Bair to Trinity, David Bawks to Japan. I won't be stopping by their house any more, there won't be anyone to visit. I went to Henry's house for college group (for the first time this summer) tonight. While it was quite edifying and fun, I couldn't help but think of all the times I would have gone, if not for the Monday night 3-11 shift.
The radio abruptly fell silent with the turn of my car key. I took a moment of silence to remember Ingmar Bergman (rather, a few key scenes of The Seventh Seal). I allowed me another moment to explain to myself why I would feel so sad about a man I never met.
I think it's projection. It's like when you get mad, and you focus all of your anger on one person, or thing, but it's not that that bothers you. It's a lot of little and big things, lurking in your subconscious. Those unnamable conflicts and questions that you can't confront, so they knaw away at you. Until your anger overflows, and the most convenient bystander becomes your target. You make a scapegoat, and release your pent up wrath.
Maybe, that can happen with sadness, too. You have all the little unnamable things that make you sad or make you regret. But you either dismiss them as to small, or you can't put your finger on them at all, while they nevertheless wear away at you little by little. That is, until a target comes your way, and you can pour out your sadness onto that event. People you don't know, events that don't affect you, these prime targets receive your attention while the mouse size problems pass unnotice. You make a scapegoat for your sadness, and empty yourself for them.
NOw, I'm not saying that I don't believe in social justice. I think it's required of us, as human beings, to have compassion for those we don't know. What I'm saying, though, is that: if that redemptive action is performed out of a need to do something (anything!) rather than compassion, then you will still feel sad and spent even after you've done all you can do. And why not, you've done them out of a desire to fix something inside yourself. It's like eating when you're thirsty, sleeping when you're cold, bundling up when you're tired. You're trying to cope with your sadness in a way that won't satisfy.
My solution? Of course I'm offering a solution, I hate it when people pose a problem and don't even offer what they think they can do about it. Hardly any solutions work for everyone, I know. As for me, though, I'm going to have to be honest with myself and other people. I will admit to people that I will miss them. I'm in the process of telling myself that it's not that wrong to care about people enough to notice when they're not around anymore. That I'm human enough to feel sad about not being conveniently close to them and that I'm childish enough to wish that they didn't have to go. I need to confess that I, like everyone else, am not an island, and that I need people. That I'm not so strong that I can strike out on my own, and take or leave friends at my will. In short, that I'm not God and never will be.
Thanks for reading my rant. If you're leaving soon, then this post is for you. I will (already do) truly miss you. If you're staying around, then this post is also for you. I value you in my life, and I appreciate the time we spend together. Lastly, to Ingmar Bergman, thanks for the film, but that's about it. | | |
| So, it's friday night, and I'm in the library. Retail has a funny way of sticking your weekend right smack dab into your week and vice versa. The point is, though, post-graduation life is not as exciting as it seemed in college. Let's talk business. Well, about my business classes.
At Wheaton, my classes were, in all honesty, quite riveting. My professors, motivational. My projects, intellectual and engaging. My readings... not so much, but there was a definite net gain as far as enjoyment of the experience goes. By and large, the subjects that we learned in my business classes were people-centered and focused on redeeming entire organizations for Christ. Urbana was like that, but on steroids. "Open for Business" was the title, and the logo was photoshopped into everything from the brocures to the name badges. There were so many people there with so many ideas, we should have made a group! A group that we could call, "I'm going to change the world, and this is how I'm going to do it!" Oh wait, that's already a facebook group. Upon graduation, I expected to blast out of the gate, and start the race to improve the world through business.
Except that didn't happen, and doesn't seem like it's going to happen to me for quite a while. I busted out of the gate, but I realized that I'm about to run in many, many circles. Sure we're all out of the gate, and we're racing. But we're stumbling, stepping on each others' feet, crawling all over each other, trying to get through these bottlenecks of bureaucracy, almost as if we're... rats. I'm working in retail management right now. There's a subtle monotony that runs through my days. Maybe it's the soundtrack they play over the intercom. The songs you don't like, stuck on repeat. Yeah, I enjoy the people I work with, and the tasks aren't too stressful/difficult, but I don't seem to be changing the world quite the way that I expected to. Strangely enough, no one wants to really hear my grand plan of how the world will be a better place when I'm in my zone.
Today, though, (the last five minutes to be specific), I've thought that my frame of reference has been off. Very few people become John Maxwells, Bill Gateses, or Barack Obamas. In fact, I can only name three people who have attained such levels of influence (and they all happen to be men!). Seriously, I go back to something that I heard at a Koinonia large group once. The speaker was telling us about life after graduation and how we soon-to-be-gradutates need to prepare ourselves for the long haul. We need to prepare for the Sisyphean tasks that lay ahead. The lack of change that so recently occurred every three months. The lack of sightseeing and travel. The lack of debate about and engagement of theology, philosophy, sociology, and "deep" topics. The lack of summers off. The lack of personal attention that we enjoy in college. As I reflect on that I see the road- long and narrow- in front of me, I realize that, if I shoot out the gate sprinting, I won't make it out the gate. If I expect to be senior director of whatever organization right out of college but I'm not willing to put in the work, I'm in for some real disappointment. From what I know now, I need to learn the ropes of business.
I also realized that, "without vision, people perish". I want to go back to China to live. It's my vision, and if I abandon it, that door will close. If I really feel called there, then I need to keep it in mind. I need to keep up with my contacts. I need to keep up with my Mandarin. Most of all, I need to remain mentally faithful that it will happen. I guess that the business classes are the same way. Yes, they are a lot of pie in the sky notions in the classroom. But, they have to be possible. If not, then there wouldn't be people leading these world changing businesses. It must be that the real investment of time and energy goes into the mundane tasks, and when those happen, grandiose notions become viable options. So, while I'm arranging products on the shelf, cleaning up spills, counting money, or even (gasp!) spending Friday nights in the library, I need to remind myself that you have to do the crappy things before the awesome ones come along.
Well, this is my little rant/encouragement to myself. I hope you enjoyed reading it. Oh, and it's also dedicated to Josh Okerman and Angel Bolka, who have a special talent of making me see the silver lining of the stormclouds. | | |
| iLike, Top Friends, movie sharing, Pulse, Nudges, Chatboards... It's too much! I'm already feeling like an old man who can't figure out technology. Poor me.  | | |
| "Wow KazuyaMishima8984! It's been 909 days since you've joined Xanga. You should go premium!"
Thanks but no thanks. It's almost been three years since I joined, and almost a year since I've posted anything. It's not that life has been boring-quite the opposite- I've just been lazy about it. People have been so intentional about dialoguing about the world, me, life, God, and all that deep stuff, that I just haven't had that much to write. Now, though, we (2007 graduates) find ourselves out on a limb. Having to travel farther to see someone. Spend most of our time working or sleeping and use the remainder to find quality connection with our friends. Email, facebook, call, or (gasp!) write our thoughts on blogs for our friends to see.
It seems that I'm finally entering into a conversation that Easten and my sister had last summer. One about the floating that happens after graduation, and the community that's sustained through binary and electricity. So, I'm here again, on Xanga trying to socially and mentally engage with others in the same capacity as in school. Of course now, we don't have another academic semester to look forward to. I very well may never see some classmates again, ever.
Random thought, Xanga is pretty much awesome, now that I think about it. It gave me a way to be angsty when I hated Wheaton College and didn't want to be a Christian my sophomore year. I needed that outlet to get my ideas out there and hear back. Yeah, even though I met Angel orientation week freshman year, I didn't talk to her until I read her controversially interesting (or interestingly controversial  ) posts Christmas our sophomore year. I knew a lot about her through her writing. She was conservative (moderate now). Complementarian. Passionate. Contemplative. Funny. The summer I spent at HoneyRock, she accidently tagged me in a private post. The candor with which she spoke about her life and emotional pain made me want to get to know her better, be her friend. I was in the middle of counseling a group of middle school boys, who had issues. I got into their lives, but only for two weeks. Not enough to change anything. When I read that post, I had my opportunity to actually minister to someone, so I wrote her back saying that I appreciated her honesty, I love her like a Christian sister, and if it was okay with her I'd like to be her friend and talk with her more. I never got a reply back. Turns out she thought it was junkmail and never opened it. In the long run though, I think I've gotten around to telling her the things that I wrote back then.
I think I kind of treat God like Xanga. There's communication when I need it, when I want it. But, when I'm fine, there's neglect. Of course, the analogy breaks down here and there. There is no commandment to have no other blogs above Xanga. There are other ways of getting my thoughts out. But, I realize the inconsistencies I have with how I act. Another topic for another post. Goodnight... | | |
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