Delfini Workshop Ⅱ: May 2010

Sunday 23 May 2010

Haiku op. 274

(photo) a monument of Basho's haiku

birds don't know
happiness or unhappiness

late May river

Haiku op. 273

(photo) the temple called Konponji associated with Basho

silence is
the comfortable word

fresh green tea

Saturday 22 May 2010

Haiku op. 272

(photo) Tone river

fallen persimmon flowers
on the wet paving stones
on holiday morning

Haiku op. 271

(photo) rice field

the old man said to
the homeless man,
good luck, under the fresh green

Haiku op. 270

(photo) Kashima shrine

the sound of the surf
deep in the fresh green -
Kashima shrine

Thursday 20 May 2010

Haiku op. 269

(photo) untitled

fresh green leaves
shaking in the wind -
even their shadows are green

Tuesday 18 May 2010

Haiku op. 259

(photo) untitled

hear a good old song
from the bath

the night of greens

Monday 17 May 2010

Haiku op. 258

(photo) untitled

the night of the fresh green
is on my palm -
moonless

Sunday 16 May 2010

Reading A PEOPLE'S HISTORY OF THE U.S by Howard Zinn (1)

Chapter 1 Columbus, the Indians, and human progress

I think it interesting that Zinn begins the US history from Columbus' discovery. Even though there has been history in America before the discovery, he takes this writing style that probably reveals Zinn's western-orientated view of the US history.

Zinn said that Spain sought gold, more useful than land because it could buy anything. But I wonder if gold was not got in the country at all. Zinn describes Columbus not as hero but as a heartless fellow. his second expenditure's aim was slaves and gold. Columbus couldn't find gold fields and put fifteen hundred men, women, and children in pens to send to Spain to sell there. Too many of the slaves died in captivity.

I think Columbus' cruel behavior was characteristic of the Christians in that time who regarded the infidel as not human. It is not until Levi Strauss(1908-2009) that this perceptions change dramatically. Levi Strauss showed the same social structure in the uncivilized societies as one in the western societies. He said that the "uncivilized societies" were not lagging behind the western societies because they have the same social structure.

Zinn said that to emphasize the heroism of Columbus and his successors as navigators and discoverers, and to deemphasize their genocide, is not a technical necessity but an ideological choice. It serves unwittingly to justify what was done there.

I noticed the perceptional framework of heroes(Columbus) and their victims(Arawak) is only an aspect of a certain approach to the US history, in which the past is told from the point of view of government, conquerors, diplomats, and leaders.