Introducing Angie-in-Japan

I'm originally from Florida but have spent the past 15 years working in Japan; seven years as a teacher in the public school system and eight years in the Japanese wedding industry. I am very active in the professional basketball circuit here in Japan, and am now planning on building a health-centered B&B (focused on organic food, exercise, massage/detox and natural healing) near Niigata City, which is located on the Japanese Sea Coast.

When I first came to Japan, I was FAT, at least by Japanese standards. Anyone peddling weight loss products in this land of wafer-thin women is bound to make a killing in a land where 'thick' people have a hard time finding clothes, can't fit into Japanese-designed train or plane seats comfortably and find it hard to say 'NO!' to Japanese hosts who plop mounds of food on their plates when they visit a home (as if all foreigners eat THAT much food in one setting). Some of my foreign female friends even refuse to go to the beach here, mainly out of fear of being harpooned by local fishermen.

Naw…that last one was a joke!

But Japanese women are, for the most part, pressured to weigh around 45 kilograms (99 pounds). I find that too unflatteringly TINY for my taste since I want to keep those devious curves that GOD has undoubtedly blessed so many of us Black women with. But not at the expense of losing good health. My mother lost a leg to diabetes and I'm doing all that I can to keep both of mine. We embrace the thought that we are 'big boned' and many Black women, in my opinion, use that idea to keep holding on to unhealthy weight. I thought I had those big bones, too, until I pulled a muscle in my back while moving furniture about 11 years ago. I went to a Japanese doctor who took x-rays of my spine. I was ANYTHING but big-boned. The x-rays showed that my spine was actually about 1/4 smaller than that of an average adult spine, so he suggested that I take some of the excess weight off. I did and now feel and look so much better as a result. Still got my curves going on, though!

At 41, I am finally coming into my own, and I love the healthy version of the woman I am transforming into. It feels like some long, overdue metamorphosis that was not encouraged in the Black community when I was growing up. I know the importance of keeping my body healthy. I gladly accept that I am worth every bit of 'trouble' it may take to cook a meal or commute to the gym. Here are some other things I do to keep my health in check:

Get annual check-ups and diabetes test (AIDS test included; easy on x-rays)

Eat fresh food: I buy organic, local produce whenever I can. You won't find too many boxed or canned foods in my home

Soymilk only: research shows about 90% of Asian & 70% of African people are lactose intolerant

Chew each mouthful of food about 30x before swallowing: colon cleaned once a year (sorry if that was TMI for some of you but I feel it is vital)

Go to the gym 3-5 days a week: focus on biking, walking and weights. I plan to start waking up earlier to get my morning walks in; nightly walks starting soon

Buy a vegetable or fruit that I have never eaten each month. Vegetables = 50% of my meals, fruit = 20% rice/soup = 20% and meat at 10%

As for meat, I eat fish and other seafood about 99% of the time

Drink a gallon of H2O a day - mostly before, during and after exercise

I rarely use salt to season, preferring the natural taste of the foods I eat to that of seasoning and high-fat sauces

I take supplements, especially those with extra iron and calcium, to ensure better health

I do not take medicine

My regimen includes a few other things, including only putting what I need to eat on a plate and when I'm full, I STOP eating. No more forcing myself to eat everything on the plate! Leftovers are snacked on later. I rarely go back for seconds. I do not go to all-you-can-eat restaurants. Though it may be a bargain on your wallet, it's terrible on your thighs and waist!

In Japan we have a product that works to draw toxins and poisons from the body. I use this on my food to take off pesticides. I use a similar product made specifically for human consumption that helps clean out my body. This has done WONDERS for my appearance and skin tone.

Also, my hair (which I now have in locs) is growing like I never thought possible. On my 3rd year of growth since I did the India Arie thing and "...cut it all off" and now it's down the middle of my back.

I heat my bath water to 37 degrees (C) and sit in the tub for about 45 minutes nightly. (I'm lucky, as our tubs are computerized.) I’m trying to take fewer showers and more baths.

I stretch first thing when I wake up and right after saying my prayers before going to sleep. This has helped me to become more limber lately. Also, I get a massage once or twice a week. This has also done wonders for my circulation.

I don't let stress fester inside of my body anymore. I address problems in a civil manner. I take drives or sit on the beach when I am emotionally drained. Sometimes, I need to get away from everything Japanese...which often takes me to Singapore.

Oh, and last but not least, I pray to GOD for health and strength. Great meditation… Anyway, here's to becoming and staying healthy. Until next time, when I'll share a little more about Japanese culture,

Stay blessed!

Negros? Please. Introducing... @p.buzz

Well, I told y'all a few months ago that we would be bringing more voices into the There... Already mix and here, three months later, my man is finally checking in.

Now, I'm not going to talk about his severe case of C.P.T., but I will mention again that this brother has the pulse of the technology scene, and how it affects us and our world. We're definitely looking forward to his work, and hope you do to. So may I please introduce to you... @p.buzz

The Buzz onTechnology

I want to begin by thanking DP, the brains of this outfit. For some reason he thinks that I might be able to add something of value. It is truly a humbling feeling to participate at some level in this pioneering effort of the 21^st century version of the Freedmen’s Press.

I was reminded recently of a comment made by the late Rev. E. V. Hill. Rev. Hill said that he was a Negro not an African-American. He was proud to be a Negro and wanted no part of being an African-American. His thesis was grounded on the fact that Negros were builders and African-Americans were dismantlers, for it was Negros that built schools and African-Americans who were allowing them to close; it was Negros that built banks and African-Americans that allowed them to close and it was Negros that built communities and African-Americans that allowed them to turn into ghettos. It sounds harsh but it sure is the truth.

As I reflect on the glorious and unique road African-Americans have traveled since the African Diaspora, I am somewhat reticent in my jubilation with regard to where we stand in this Information Age. In fact, it seems as though African-Americans are currently experiencing an entirely new Diaspora with a far more devious and devastating goal.

My goal is not to talk about technology for technology sake but to present topics regarding its impact on our communities. Technology is being thrust upon us at a rapid pace. In fact, it is being presented in such a lightning speed manner that most of us are at a point where we now have to decide what technology we need to know. I am convinced that this has caused us to spend more time than necessary on some irrelevant issues. By the way, has bridging the digital divide become the war on poverty? Or is it further evidence that the war on poverty is far from over?

I am a product of the generation of African-American youth who entertained and educated ourselves using little to no technology. However, as I look at our children today, I am concerned about the impact technology has had on their critical thinking abilities. Has technology caused our children to become lazy thinkers and low achievers?

Since surfing the information highway has yielded little result for us, perhaps we should change our mindset from being technology users to using technology to rebuild our communities.

Oh yeah, I forgot building requires Negroes.

@p.buzz

May I Introduce...

First of all, I'd like to start by thanking God, Jesus, The Holy Spirit and The Head-Brother-In-Charge that turned me on to your blog and invited me to join and express my opinions from time to time.

Second. I'd like to make it plain that I am not one of the accomplished academics sitting comfortably back on a pile of degrees and accolades studying the world through a polished telescope fine tuned by years and years of lectures, white papers, and standardized education that ensured once the proper principles were applied, we are guaranteed to come up with all of the right answers. I cannot even be easily categorized or classified as a Democrat, Republican, Liberal, Conservative, Anti-American, Anti-Communist, Religions Zealot, Radical or Rebel. (Even though I can be a little of all of these when I feel the situation calls for it.)

But, what I am is a Researcher. Every weekend, I make it a point to dig deeply into the stories behind the headlines around the world then follow the trail of untrained "common sense" until my viewpoint of the truth emerges and takes form. My research categorizes the news into Politics, Economics, Entertainment and Social Injustice. But, when you drill down to the core of the matter, all of these categories are one and the same: Who's doing right and who's doing wrong no matter what they're doing.

My goal is total enlightenment based on a thorough examination and understanding of the forces at work to disturb our opportunities for world peace and justice. (To me, the term "Terrorist" is relative.) My objective is to present the unedited information as it appeared in print from around the world. (Although I can't help putting a biblical "spin" on a story every once in my introductions. After all, I'm sure you'll soon be able to discern that there's a Higher Force at work anyway.)

Third. I'm very thick-skinned. I'm secure enough in who I am that I don't feel the need to always be right or even well liked. Once the facts hit the table, if they totally discredit all other opinions and alternative views....that's the truth. Period. Plus, the news I plan to present does not originate with me. I am only The Messenger. So, you can take it or leave it. I will never argue about whether or not it is accurate or biased. My aim is just to ensure that you don't miss the story. Sometimes, they're a matter of life or death.

My pursuit is to instigate the type of honest dialog needed to arrive at The Truth. Once we get there, that's all that's needed. Then, and only then, can we expand into how to get some things figured out and maybe even...fixed.

Fourth. I feel that where I am or where I'm from is irrelevant. I don't even think it matters whether I'm young or old. Male or female. Black or purple. When I present my research, I try to remove all personality from it and present only what the press is saying is going on around this world. Because, let's face it, the whole world is The Ghetto anyway. Your view of it pretty much depends on the altitude of your vantage point. (Six degrees of separation between the whole. Three degrees of separation between the "hoods". No matter whom you are or where you live on this planet.) The struggle continues.

Finally, all that said, I look forward to bringing whatever I can to this group. My mission is to ensure that the real issues behind the headlines are explored. Not the manufactured, diversionary politics and "spin" that usually hits the evening news. Let's take a hard look at what's really going on and try to draw our own patterns and come to our own conclusions. Am I the only one that's sick and tired of other people who don't have a clue of what my world is really like telling me how I should feel about those issues that most affect me? (As I said, my search is for truth and enlightenment.)

Now. This is where my stories begin. Just call me...Isaiah Too.

Introducing: That Girl Boo - Or, Did She Really Use Ferric Orthophosphate In A Sentence?

I would first like to say "thank you" to DP the HBIC (Head Brother in Charge) of the famous (or is it infamous) There... Already. First for taking the time to start the blog, and secondly, for allowing my words to be heard.

So, let me introduce myself.

You can call me That Girl Boo, and I live in Houston, TX. My goal is to educate us and keep us informed about our health. I'm not a doctor or a health professional "yet," I'm just a sista who one day asked herself why are there fifty ingredients in every food that I consume for myself and purchase for my family, and why can't I pronounce half of the ingredients? Then I asked myself "if a splat of ferric orthophosphate was sitting on my plate right now, would I eat it?

The answer of course is no, so why would I eat this same poison in my rice?

I took things a step further and teamed up with a nutrition guru, and together we learned about the benefits of eating organic foods in comparison to traditional foods. I've since been taking the time to learn (and I'm still learning) what the doctors and health professionals aren't teaching us; namely that all of these chemicals are slowly harming us.

It is my hope to bring what I've learned to our African-American family with the same type of energy and dedication as I did for myself and my family. It is my hope that little by little we can all educate ourselves about how to prepare foods without destroying all of the nutrients. Together I plan to take us on a journey where we can educate ourselves about organic foods, pesticides, non-irradiated spices, holistic medicines, essential oils, the benefits of water. We'll take some side trips to get more information about the toxins in our make-up, deodorants, cleaners, tupperware, soaps, mattresses; the list goes on and on.

So hang on ya'll because were going to get down right deep about the chemicals and toxins that were surrounded by and ingesting everyday. The million dollar question for this week is "are all of these toxins causing the huge array of cancers that everybody you know keeps coming down with?" Want my opinion? We'll check out my next post! Until then, the next time you're in the grocery store reaching for that tomato that's been sprayed with pesticides, remember that the bugs had enough sense not to eat it, and so should you.

Until Next Time,

That Girl Boo

There... Already

Blogging.

After considering it for a long time, I've finally progressed to creating a blog. This is partially a result of the realization that of the news I receive, the information I seek, the communication I desire, and the activities that I engage in depend more and more on the internet, and the power of this medium cannot be disputed. The ability to access a wealth of information that just a few years ago would have been inaccessible is powerful enough, but even more amazing is the sheer volume of content producers (and aggregators) online that previously would have had a very difficult time having their voices heard. With most media outlets sounding more alike than different, blogs and the internet have basically been a lifeline to sanity in an insane world. Now with this blog I guess I'm joining the club.

So what now? The blog is up, but what to blog about? I'm interested in all kinds of things like politics, sports, computers, electronics recycling, the environment, etc., etc. Will one subject or another rise to the top? Truthfully, I don't know. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. What was easy to decide was the name. Because I'm there, already. I know that needs a bit more explaining, and I will at a later time. Right now, let's just say I'm there, already with corporate media. I'm there, already with my teams collapsing down the stretch or in the playoffs. I'm there, already with politicians from both sides of the American political spectrum. I'm there, already with the current state of global affairs and endless war. I'm there already with planned obsolescence and massive waste. I'm there, already with unsaid truths, and spoken lies. I'm There... Already. So welcome, and I hope each visit here is worth your while.