Dominique's World

And we are getting closer to summer

2009-05-26T14:08:00.003+09:00

End of may.
It is not as hot as last year but one can tell that summer is around the corner.

While living in Japan I have learned a great deal about tons of things. I wonder if it is the mountains around me that triggers that. One of the topic that I got really into while being is healthy living and lifestyle.

While surfing on the net I found another blogger, Angela, who really undertands the concept. She is well rounded and a true inspiration. If you want to check a really good blog about healthy living check out her's at: http://ohsheglows.com/

Their are many many many (do I have to say it again?) diets available out there. It might sound silly but the truth is you never can go wrong with eating natural food. The closer one is to the food chain without the processing, the healthier your food is. That is a concept that Japanese understood very well.

Yes, Japanese are obsessed with their weight. But that is another topic that I will tackle on another day. That being said, they have more chances being at heir healthy weight simply by the way they look at food. Unless there is an event, it is the norm for a Japanese to eat to 80% of their capacity. To me at first, that was ridiculous. Why would I stop eating when I CAN still taste some of that wonderful food?! What is wrong with these people?! hahaha...

Well I realized that in Japan what you CAN do is not necessarely what you SHOULD do. That concept goes beyond food but for today let's stick to nutrition. The whole point is to taste and savour your meal. Idea that is also practiced by the French. ( You can check out the book ''French women dont get fat'' by Mireille Guilliano. http://www.mireilleguiliano.com/books.htm)
The main idea is to enjoy your meal without the after effect of being so stuffed that you end up with the ''itis'' aka food coma. Totally goes against everything most of us have learned. But once you try to reduce the quantity intake...I can guarantee that you start feeling so much lighter.

In addition, although Japanese cuisine is mainly based on white rice, they eat so little of it as well as coupled with veggies that it doesnt disturb their metabolism. Desert?....quasi inexistent. Japanese deserts resides in pieces (not the whole thing, pieces) of fruits. In general they cannot handle our decadent triple chocolate brownies, carrot cake with cream cheese frosting...you get the idea. To their taste buds there is way too much sugar and butter. And they are probably not wrong.

So, I have a sweet tooth. Yes, mea culpa. Since I have been living in Japan it has been (one of) my goal to introduce people around me the immoral world of our cuisine (particularly deserts) with a healthy (or healthier) twist. And that way I get to eat without the guilt trip. So far so good.

That is all for today!
Beautiful day outside and I am out for a run!

Update...

2009-03-11T09:47:00.002+09:00

Already March!
Well what happened?...
Just like the natural cycle of nature, I guess I simply curled up under my kotatsu (heated table) and fell asleep for 3 months. You think I am kidding...come to Japan!

In this country, there is always a way of doing everything and anything. There is a time to eat certain food, a time to be wearing certain clothes, a time to have outbursts of energy. I could go on all day. Winter is the time for nabe (japanese pot dish), kotatsu, influenza and electric blanket. Also the time to say outloud in a long complaining and whiny tone in the hallways at work, at the supermarket, while going to your car etc..(as if nobody already knew!): SAMUUUUUUUUUUUI!!!!!! Literally translated: IT'S FREEZING!

So unless you are a winter sports type of person, winter in Japan is definately the dead season. Nothing happens. You dont see or hear from friends for a really long time. You actually dont want to get out of your house as soon as you get in there. But after 3...maybe 4 months of hardships than something call spring knocks at your door. And just as the environment wakes up, people start to be lively again. Kids are running around again. It is a new fiscal year. Students start a new school year. Flowers are blooming. Finally!

So here I am at the start of it all for the second time...And pretty soon the picture on this blog will be perfect for the occasion. Yeay for sakura the best time in Japan, in my humble opinion along with all the festivals in August.

Or is it a mindset?...

2008-11-14T14:45:00.002+09:00

I read my last entry and now I wonder...is it a simple mindset?
I mean the same is applicable back home right? The same advice I give to first timers in Japan is applicable to anyone living anywhere in world.

I think the main difference as a person who tries to evoluate is that you do not have (or should not have) the pressure to fit in since a foreigner is by default an outcast in Japan. And since noboby expects nothing from you, it is okay for you to really try anything you want. That we admit it or not there is a certain mold we all have to fit in in our respective countries.

Someone told me once: I hope you find what you are looking for in Japan...
I have found a lot...And i am now sure that by the time I leave my town, i will definetely find what I am looking for.

Whatever you are looking for in Japan, you will find...

2008-11-14T13:11:00.002+09:00

I came to Japan not really knowing what I was getting into. I am totally being honnest here. But being the person that i am, I truly wanted to tak full advantage of the situation although it was not the greatest most of the time at the beginning. After a year being here I realized one thing that turned out to be quite important for my overall experience here. I even said it to many first timers in Nippon. ''Whatever you are looking for in Japan, you will find...guarantee!'' The only BUT is that it takes time....and lots of it. so patience is key. This is why I believe so.

Yes, Japan is extremely rigid in its structures and hierarchy. It is also quite conservative when it comes to interpersonal relations. Yet, one can easily find these pockets of people that are interested- I would even add obsess most of the time- about a particular thing or hobby. Japanese are extremely dedicated to anything they do even if it is a simple hobby. For us, westerns a hobby is not an obligation: we do a bit of it and if we have an heavy schedule or that our interest changes, we simply dont do it. But for Japanese there is no such thing. There schedule is made to suit their hobby...and usually they all have this ONE thing they excel at. Ask a japanese: ''what is your hobby?'' I know for us it is such a weird question...it takes reflection time to figure out what we do out of work, school and chilling with friends. But all japanese have a hobby and a hidden passion...and they all excel at it. Really! You just have to found out who and what.

I spent a couple of months last year trying to find places to dance. And I found exactely what I was looking for. In Takayama, about an hour north of where I live, there is ballroom and hiphop. In nagoya and gifu, about 2 hours south, there is pretty much anything you could look for. But who would have believed that there is dance in MY town as well since it is so small. I found a samba community, a hip hop intructor, and a hawaian dance instructor. Thats just an example... And this is how I have been dancing salsa here and building on the basic I knew from home. Yes !!!! Japanese CAN dance. If you teach a japanese anything they will learn it. and very well!

Now...I was looking for scuba dive, they have it. Sky dive: they have it. Motorbike communities: they have it. Reggae parties: they have it...tons of it. Horse back riding: they have it. I even found a cowboy community..really! They dress like cowboys straight out of a western movie and are very serious about ''looking and acting right''.

To extrapolate, I was also looking for peace of mind...And as much as Japan can give its share of headaches to a foreigner trying to fit in, it can also provide moments where an individual feels this deep sentiment of oneness. I must admit that my surroundings leads to this feeling since i live surrounded by mountains. When I climbed mount Fuji last year, I never felt such a powerful feeling in my life...after one taste of it, now im addicted.

So...you are coming to Japan? 1.Keep your mind right open. 2. Be extremely patient 3. You need a copious amount of humor ....and from there I can promise you: ''whatever you are looking for in Japan you will find".

Here we are in autumn and how we change without noticing...

2008-11-13T22:12:00.004+09:00

It has been already 5 months since my latest update. So now it has been more than a year that I moved to this other planet called Japan. Am I settled? I can say say. Do I understand everything? Oooooh no! lol I understand a lot more than before but I found myself being baffled by my surroundings.

Summer went by so fast...I did not even see it coming and leaving. And as usual, fall came sneaking behind the doors and all of a sudden I just remember trading my shorts and thang tops for sweaters and hoodies.

The same way the seasons slowly changes in Japan without one's notice, the same way I found Japan's culture sloooooooooooowly integrated my mind and subconscious. It is not like a parasite that lives off another being. No....it is more like an alien organism that gets into your system without you even feeling one single difference. But than one day you wake up to realize that you have morphed into something else...or could it be evolution? Is it still me with a zest or someone else? Am I losing myself or gaining myself? Or am I just a cameleon adapting in any environments I found myself in and consequently adopting the mannerism of a world I did not even know a year ago. Here is what happened to trigger all these thoughts.

Last week end, I met with a local lady at an event in my town. We have had the chance to talk to each other several times in the past. When she saw me, she walked straight up to me, looked at me straight in the eyes and started talking. 2 things happened immediatly. First I must explain that we are all familiar with the concept of the bubble which is a bit less than an arm lenght in western societies. In Japan, this bubble is about one full arm and a half. Really! This woman was about the same as what would consider appropriate back home. I IMMEDIATELY backed off. And she stepped closer to me again making me feel...weird. Second, when she looked at me in the eyes, which is one of the ruddest things to do in Japan, I looked down. That woman grabbed my face and forced me to look at her. I was in shock! First I realized that I have been losing the ways of ''home'' and second this woman was NOT acting japanese at all. After asking her, she told me she was brazilian but has lived in Japan for many years...

And this is how this Brazilian woman gave me a wake up call about what was happening to me in Japan...which also triggered all the thoughts and questions I was asking earlier.

Gero under refreshed eyes...

2008-06-23T12:38:00.001+09:00

Sometimes, it takes someone from the outside to make you realize what treasure you truly possess. Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to host two of my American friends from Minnesota, Angela and Shanda, in our small town of Gero. They really helped me see the Hida region with brand new eyes.

First, thank you to a Japanese friend, the three of us were able to get professionally dressed in yukatas. Needless to say how excited and happy they were to have this chance. Since the big attractions of Gero-shi reside in the foot baths and onsens (hot springs), we all went to the downtown area, got our foot in the public baths and ate on-tama- soft: a delicacy of my town. On-tama-soft stands for onsen tamago (egg cooked in the hot springs) and soft ice cream. Yes, all mixed together! OISHIII! (delicious!).

Since my friends wanted to see the countryside of Japan, they really enjoyed the experience: they loved the mountains, soaked in the onsen, enjoyed kaiten sushi for the first time and of course disliked natto. I must also admit that although it has already been 10 months that I have been part of this community, it was my first time experiencing the tourist side of Gero…and I loved it. Angela and Shanda enabled me to see Gero with the dazzled eyes.

I am enjoying that 27 degrees...

2008-05-21T15:21:00.002+09:00

Today is a beautiful day in Gero onsen. Summer is definitely around the corner: everybody is really genki -alive, happy, joyful, energetic ...just take your pick lol- and in an excellent mood (including me). I went to my junior high school and the students were having their sports test. I even try to run against one of them and I suddenly remember why I hated phy ed so much when I was in high school lol.

I am really enjoying that 27 degrees today...I will even go for a bike ride after work :o)

Wakaranai! (I don't understand)

2008-04-12T20:39:00.002+09:00

Japan is a land of paradox; this is no longer a secret. Most of their buildings are not isolated against cold weather in the winter and again, those same buildings surprisingly will possess some hi-tech toilet seat straight from star trek that will make sure you do not have a bad experience going to the washroom. Some even have leads that lift up and down automatically. Japanese do not display public affection nor talk about sex, yet they are one of the biggest consumers of pornography in the world. Another example can be found in the super hectic city frenzy where people literally constantly bump into each other; look between two shops and you will found the quietest open air shrine.

The reason the past and the future are flirting to this extend in the land of the rising sun is simply because Japan had to “catch up” with the rest of the western world quite rapidly. Until the Second World War, Japan was a powerful country and that had some delusions of grandeur which were shut down by the Allies and the bombs of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. At that moment, Japanese were stripped down of all their pride since their military was dismantled. In the event that a country would attack the island, the United States promised to defend them…hard pill to swallow for one of the most powerful countries in the 1930s and 40s.

The rest of the story is Japan regaining its status in the international field, which it did to some extend. It would be fair to say that they are indeed a power in East Asia, although it is being challenged by uprising China at this moment. All the changes and the technology happened so fast that “old Japan” did not have the time to disappear or at least be tamed. As a result, Japanese are living in a world where old and new, analogue and digital, tradition and modernization are side by side. On a side note, one should not overlook the geographical isolation of the island.

For a foreigner, this situation is quite unusual and leads to much reflection time. One always feels like walking on a fence: should I look back or forward? Actually I think the Japanese are asking themselves the exact same question everyday.

hip hop and dance scene in Nippon

2008-03-28T09:44:00.004+09:00

One friend asked me how is the hip hop\dance scene in Japan as he is a dancer himself...I thought it would be good to share my response on my blog.

I came to Japan only 7 months ago, therefore my knowledge about J-hip hop is still limited. On the other hand, I was able to hang out with several people interested in that field up (or down depending where you are) in Gifu-ken.

Well...i dont know about the ones that paint their face black- i will probably look into it. One thing I can say after dancing with some Japanese for about 5 month: their technic is 95% of the time perfect. Japanese, in general, are amazing at mimicking and learn the perfect technics to learn particular dance move. You want them to break, pop, lock, crunck, do a R&B routine, learn "girls' style"etc they will do it all with assiduity and tons of practice.

The major difference between Japanese hip hop dance and american dance is the amount of moves put into an 8 count. They LOVE to have tons of move. In the States, choreographers believe that a routine does not need a million moves in it to be effective and enjoyable to watch.

Furthermore, when it comes to originality and flavour, this is where you might have a little issue. The thing with the competition, shows or practices I have seen so far is that generally (i emphasize that word) dancers here have a real hard time coming up with their own moves and flavour which make the dancing scene sometimes dull (this is my modest opinion here). And in my experience, as I danced a lot back home, when I tried to show some interesting ways of doing particular moves to spice things up, my counterparts would be polite, tell me thank you and than go on with exactly what they were doing before (after nicelyexplaining to me that this is THE way of doing this sequence according to the videos they have watched). Back home (btw I am canadian but for this matter-only this one!- lets us pretend the states and canada are similarlol), originality AND technic are both important ...numerous times your flavour is what would say if you are good or not. In Japan it is about the technic 150%...even when they try to go outside the box it would still be a perfect copy cat of what we have probably seen before.

I can even go further. Go in a magazine store and pick up any hip hop magazine...they actually have a manual about WHAT to wear AND HOW to wear it. That is the reason why when you get the hang of it, you can tell where some people are from (for example Tokyo or Osaka...) Again to compare to home, it is about being and expressing yourself whereas here it is more about fitting in the group...the concept of individuality by being in this or that particular group.

In my humble opinion, Japanese dancers would gain at look in their inner self to truly get their essence. Especially if they want to be recognize and put on the map ( well they are recognized to be great breakers...but isnt a style that requieres a lot of technic?) On the other hand, western societies could learn from their hard work and application :o).

Have an amazing day!

Ohisashiburi!

2008-03-24T13:50:00.002+09:00

Long time, no write....

Things have been hectic since my last entry. I should remedy to the situation now.

Good news. Spring is finally here. It is only a matter weeks before the sakura (cherry blossom). During the time I did not write I traveled to the Philippines and of course learned numerous things. Which I might touch on in a later entry.

Apart from that, I was simply organizing a lot around me as well as religiously following the american political race between Obama and Clinton. Interesting race indeed...Although I cannot help to be cynical with the whole concept. In that regard, I probably reflect most people in developed countries that really does not really believe in the political system since there are not really any stakes (or that politicians pretend they will do something about this or that issue). Hum!....although the war in Irak right now might be one that touches sensitive cords particularly for our neighbors down south.

What is this race really about? I have noticed that the media does not really talk about the candidates' program but instead focus on White versus Black, Man versus Woman, New versus Old, War versus Dialogue. At this point, I really have to sit down and actually read couple of books and get to know each canditate to a certain level because right now I feel like I am left on my appetite when it comes to this 'race', particularly on the Democrate side.

On a side note, I believe that if as a whole the Democrates want to be successful in the big picture, they should stop playing dirthy and backstabbing each other...at the end of the day arent they suppose to be on the same team? Aaaah...the joys of politics!

News from Japan...not much! lol Some criminal stabbed someone in a store. Unfortunately for us, this is almost common news but the the Japanese with their low crime rate (I mean people are ACTUALLY safe in Japan), this is headline and a lot of people's topic conversation-if they follow news. Apparently street violence is on the rise in Nippon...they still have a long way to go before they reach our numbers!

That is it for today!

A little taste of kabuki

2008-01-03T23:26:00.000+09:00

Last week I had the chance to go to meet Mr Soga, the leader of a theater troop up in my area.

They are the kabuki conservation group of Hooza which is one of the 2 local theathers. Kabuki is a form a theater that has evolved in Japan. It goes back to the late 15oo and despite several repression from the government, managed to stay alive. Usually, only men can be part of a kabuki troup. What is special about the kabuki conservation group of Hooza is the fact that it has been maintained by the local people, which is fantastic. Hence, women, men and even young people are part of this troup.

The theater I visited has been build long time ago in 1827. When I visited the theater, I was impressed by its antique look and I must admit its rotating stage as well. The whole theater is made out of wood that was carried by the people of the village. This theater can hold up to 800 people. According to a friend of mine, the name of the theater, Hooza means seat of a phoenix. Hoo which means phoenix, imaginary bird in flames, is also the symbol for longevity and Za means seat. I do believe that this theater has the perfect name since it has existed for so long already. They will have performance in the 3rd and 4th of may and I cannot wait to see that!

Thank you for NOT saving me from embarrassment!

2007-12-19T20:37:00.000+09:00

image from leadershipturn.comI was embarrassed…very embarrassed. I was frustrated…very frustrated. I learned something crucial in this next incident: in order to save you from embarrassment and an awkward situation, Japanese people in general rather not say anything at all!

During the hot and humid weather of September, I had to wake up one Saturday morning and join one of the schools I regularly visit for their annual undokai, commonly known for foreigners as the sport festival. I recall that Japan was going through a heatwave. After a day of hard work, cheering and sweating, it is customs for teachers to get together after the festival in for a famous enkai[1].

My coworkers and I got to the hotel where the celebrations were going to take part. I wore jeans and a nice shirt that would give me a sophisticated look but yet still casual. There was a draw to decide where everyone was going to sit. Fortune decided that I would sit right in between my two bosses. I said to myself:” Great! What am I going to say now?! Well it is a good opportunity to connect with them.” Until half of the evening I was mingling and talking with my bosses and other coworkers while they kept on filling my glass with beer.

The joyful guests started having mini presentations and games involving everyone in the room. One of the presentations was a choreography that the kids had done earlier in their endokai. My bosses urged me to join since they had seen me performed the choreography before (I had seen it several times already). Since it was out of the question to disappoint them, I reluctantly stood up, gave my camera to one of them to take pictures and started performing along with the other dancers. After 2 or 3 minutes of dancing the music came to end simultaneously ending my own torture.

I sat back where between my superiors and got my camera back. I realized that not knowing which button to press, my boss had made a movie instead of taking pictures. And this is what I saw. A couple of Japanese performing a dance along with a foreigner whose underwear was showing throughout the whole thing! Aaaaah! First reaction, DELETE! Second reaction, pull on my shirt and rush to the bathroom in order to remedy to the situation. Needless to say that I was fuming and all I wanted to do at this point is to rush back home.

The third reaction to this event was to throw out any underwear I did not like or that were not low rise. In a way, it cleaned up my drawers as well. After “Operation Getting Rid Of” was completed, I sat down and thought about what happened couple of hours before. By not telling me about my ‘wardrobe malfunction’, the people around me were being nice to me and were trying to save me from being uncomfortable. Embarrassment and shame are two of the worst concepts for Japanese to experience. As long ago as in the Edo period, when the Samurai were still prevalent in Japan, if one would be embarrassed, shamed, or a loser, they would comply with the Bushido, the code of the Samurais, and transpierced their body with a sword thus committing suicide to restore their dignity.

Of course, I will not commit suicide. Yes, my pride took a hit. I learned in this experience another aspect of Japanese’s way of thinking and way of dealing with certain situations. If I had been told that my underwear was showing, I would have probably not known about another intricacy of the Japanese culture. At least not yet!

[1] Big party organized by offices in Japan, where a lot of alcohol is involved. It is a bounding time with coworkers in an outside setting.

Meeting of a life time

2007-12-12T17:53:00.000+09:00

2 weeks ago I went to Hiroshima. It was thanksgiving. I must admit that at first I did not reflect about the meaning of thanksgiving in my life as I traveled to my destination. My mind was solely focused on getting there and making new discoveries. Indeed. On that beautiful and sunny autumnal day, I met Strength in person.

62 years ago, in a city called Hiroshima precisely on August 6th 1945, Ono-chun[1] is helping her mother with some chores in the house. Her younger sister left couple of minutes ago to head to school. Ono is 7 years old. She is thinking about meeting her other friends at school and play with them before being imprisoned in the classroom. Her mother interrupts her thoughts and requests her presence in the basement. The child runs to the basement and helps her mother lift a box. A big explosion. A big noise. She is thrown on the floor. Everything is dark. Nothingness...

When she opens her eyes, everything around her is in disorder, burning. She wakes her mother up. There is blood on her forehead. They walk up of what is left of the staircase and realize that these ruins were a moment ago their house. Everything is gone. Everything outside the ruins is also gone. All little Ono and her mother are obsessed about is finding her sister…

Today, Ono-san is 69 years old. The souvenir she keeps of this day is her sister living the house with a big smile, waiving and saying joyfully: “Ja mate![2]”. The lady does speeches about what happened to her that day. And this is how a black girl met a survivor of one of the biggest horror that ever happen on this Earth.

After hearing her story, my main question was what kept this woman alive. I mean mentally alive. As she narrated her story everyone was transported on this fatidic day. There was no anger in her tone. Only a disconcerting calm and peace aura surrounded our speaker. During her speech she did not focus on the WWII and the bombing. Surprisingly, she talked about other places in the world that are testing bombs such as India and North Korea. She is an active advocate who travels year around to different countries in order to do speeches and take part in citizens’ actions against war and bombs.
Her full time job is to visit universities and talk to youth about the consequences of possessing bombs.

When I asked her in the question period her motivation to live she simply answered:
“Some people live with anger in their heart but I think that this emotion eats you from the inside because it is a dark energy. Some people get trap in the past, but what happened is already done. My motivation to live lies in the hope that Hiroshima’s story never repeats itself. I live with the hope that future generations will learn from their ancestors’ mistakes. I live with the hope that one day their will not be one single nuclear bomb on this planet. I am thankful I am still alive to help in the accomplishment of such a mission.”

It could have been a reflex for Ono-san to let her soul die after such a tragedy. Yet, she decided to stand up and use this event as a trigger to advance in her life. She showed me strength on that day. She taught me to always turn bad situations into positive ones. The same way the city of Hiroshima beautifully resurrected. I came out of the conference room profoundly touched and humble. Despite all that happened to her, Ono-san was still thankful. On this Thanksgiving Day, Ono coerced me to think about my own blessings and the true meaning of this holiday. For the first time in my life, I experienced a thanksgiving to the core. I was thankful I met her.
[1] Chun is how Japanese refer to kids
[2] See you later!

How to be away and home simultaneously? A case study of the US military in Japan

2007-12-03T00:07:00.000+09:00

I definitely knew that my trip to Japan would teach me a great deal about South East Asia and the Pacific region. I did not think one second that I would also learn quite a bit about the United States of America.

During my second trip to Tokyo prefecture, not to confuse with the city of Tokyo[1], I halted in the city of Fussa to visit a friend. Thus I had the opportunity to take a look at the US air force military base, also called there Yokota. This was a trip within trip: for two days, I was back in America[2]!

I was driving on the road 16, route that brings right in front of the base. It was a surprise to see that to get in the base, I had to go through a “border”. First I had to register on the base and than I had to show my passport, my gaijin card[3] and go through a search of my car. In addition, my friend, let us call him M, still had to sign me in the base. As I am Canadian, I went through the process very easily. Within about 20 minutes of administration work, I left Japan to be in the United States.

Younger, I traveled quite a bit through the US, particularly in the southern areas. I was than able to compare Yokota to my souvenirs of the United States, at least what I knew of that country. It was a shock for me to realize that I was not in Fussa-shi anymore but in Virginia. The houses were all like what I have seen in Orlando and Fort Lauderdale. The streets were just like in Florida. M also offered me to choose between Subway, and another steak place for dinner. In the grocery store it was not possible way to find soba or any Japanese character. It was all about the Miracle Whip, the chocolate chip cookies, the Skippy peanut butter and even a sugar pie (one of the food that leads me to gluttony). In the morning I had a heart attack served in a plate: scrambled eggs, bacon strips and two mega wafflers drowned in a liquid filled with glucose-sucrose that was suppose to be maple syrup. The television was a military channel that only showed American related topics, of course in English. Even the electricity plugs were “American”. The only Japanese I saw on base were a couple working here and there…but I found that they do not even live on base. Of course!

M had lived in “Japan/the replicat of the States” for almost three years. Although he loved to dance which lead him to Japan’s sin city, Roppongi, and other hot spots, he never left his base to explore what Japan really had to offer. As he said himself: “Why would I get out if I have everything here?!” It is with this frame of mind that M never learned much Japanese, never experienced an onsen and barely had an appreciation for Japanese food.

The military forces, which have been present in different areas in Japan since the end of World War II, were extremely efficient at reproducing a home environment for their soldiers. Indeed, I understand how hard it is to be in a constant state of uncertainty regarding our next move. Militaries spend a great deal of their career being sent to different missions. They probably need land marks to keep going, with or without family.

I ask myself if it is the most beneficial thing to exclude the soldier from the reality of their environment. I believe that creating this type of environment for the soldiers makes it easier for their superiors to control them as they are not aware of what is really happening outside. They miss a big part of the picture by not knowing the culture, the people, the geography they are surrounded with, outside of the base. The Americans, along with other countries, are fighting in Kabul. Do they really know the culture of these people? Did they take the time to get deeper on a personal level and understand the intricacies of these populations? By creating a cocoon for the soldiers one is subtlety saying that this is the right way of doing things….dangerous path to take as it has the strong potential to lead to intolerance.

But again, many military argue that they are not put in place to learn about other cultures but instead for the greater good of creating a better society by promoting democracy blablablabla…. Yes! And now how do you intend doing so without truly knowing your counterpart? That leads me to think of an invasion and the coercion of ideas pushed upon people.

Solutions: not only training and how to set up a hospital quickly, fire guns and jump off of planes but also extensive training and courses on different culture, having guest speakers from “the other angle”. Hence I am saying that there should be much more openness and actual knowledge of the country visited. More initiative to understand what one is not. This is how one could actually talk about the greater good…
[1] Tokyo city is located in Tokyo prefecture
[2] I do not mean America as the country because there is no such thing! I mean as the continent.
[3] Gaijin means foreigner, thus this card is given to legal foreigners living and working in Japan.

It is all about trying, right?

2007-11-21T23:33:00.000+09:00

Today after work, one lady I met previously in my town invited me for a nice tour of the onsen-temple in my town (onsen are hotsprings in Japan): onsen-ji. Thus, I got a book, sold in several temples, to collect all the stamps from the temples and shrines I will visit in the future (thanx to a friend for the tip). Despite the fact that it was dark, it was beautiful because I could still admire the different colors in the trees and of course the temple itself. Little note to say that although the monk did not speak english, he was a real sweety.

After the tour, we decided to grab a bite and this is where I had my first encounter with what Japanese call 'tororo'. This meal is made out of a sort of mountaineous japanese yam and soy sauce...my reluctancy to try it came from the fact that it had a slimy consistency....Not particularly cool to look at. :o\

Of course, since I was already in the situation, put on the spot and well it's me, right?!, I ate it all. I am not sure if I really hate it, but I know I did not really like it. :o) ...Maybe it is an acquiered taste.

If we only knew...

2007-11-19T01:34:00.000+09:00

Several times in my life I have been stressed out. All of us experience this feeling...nothing extraordinary there. A plusieurs reprises j'ai senti l'emprise de la peur m'étreindre tel un amant. ( I apologize since French is my first language, their is some stuff I would not give justice if translated). Some parts of my life were ruled by one of my worst ennemies: fear and doubts. The dictionnary defined fear as a "distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined" and in most cases, i have learned that it is imagined more than real.

One day, while being in Gero (my home town in Japan), I was listening to a show...and this one phrase struck me:

"If people knew and would realize who walks besides them at each instant, no one would ever feel fear again".

This one sentence says it all...

The Beginning of a New Adventure...

2007-11-13T23:11:00.000+09:00

Six years ago in the city of Montreal, Canada, one of my friends predicted that I one day would be in Japan. I laughed and refuted his idea saying that indeed I would travel but maybe not as far as in the land of the rising sun. Little did I know that I actually would find myself in Japan in August 2007.

Three months ago, on August 5th, I landed in Narita Airport, Tokyo, asking myself: “What did I get myself into again?” Of course, I knew that I was going to face tremendous challenges as I did not even speak the language of the country, but I was convinced that if others before me did it, so could I. In Tokyo, I was surrounded by other young people almost all as lost, confused and excited as I was. I felt comfort being with them. 3 days after our arrival, the separation from my new found friends and the departure for our host cities were nerve racking.

It is in that context of fear (yes fear!), excitement, and apprehension that me and a couple of others eigo no sensei[1], one of the only things I could actually say in Japanese, got to the Shinkensen[2] in order to arrive in Gifu prefecture our new home. I thought I was almost home, but when I meet with my supervisor, I understood that I still had another two hours of driving to go through before I would get to MY home, Gero onsen.

My knowledge about Gero onsen was not extensive since the information available on the internet was very limited. I only knew that it is one of the best places in Japan to soak in an onsen[3] and that it was a “city” of 30 000 inhabitants, which is very small compare to Montreal where I was born and raise or Toronto where I studied for four years. And I got to my home without any expectations.

At first, it was difficult to adjust. The language barrier revealed to be much more difficult to cross than I anticipated. Imagine not being able to find the margarine or the soy sauce in the store simply because you cannot read! Or having questions to ask your boss but all you can say is: “Kocho Sensei, konnichiwa!”[4] Moreover, most people in my town never encountered a person of African descent in their lives, thus I became a misfit, someone that is NOT suppose to be there. That was the initial reaction, the infamous culture shock. Furthermore, being in a city way smaller than where I am from, I missed the tons of activities I had access to and the potential to meet people. I was isolated.

After a month of trying to understand my surroundings, I finally realized that everything was in my mind and that my experience was not about understanding Japan, but about living it, everyday. After my mind set switched, life started changing in my town. I met people that were there all along to support me and help me through this life changing experience. I took Japanese lessons and started having pseudo conversations with people. And mostly, I realized that there were a lot more to do in my area than I saw at first.

Many outdoor activities are available in our region, one just have to keep an eye out for them. First thing, as soon as I arrived in my apartment, I did not even touch my luggage that other foreigners already in the region dragged me in Bon-O-Dori. This was an amazing experience that showed me how much Japanese can enjoy themselves even more than Canadians or Americans. That was a good start. On a beautiful day in September, I went shower climbing for the first time in Maze; I truly enjoyed the activity and the experience of our guide. Several times, hiking was on the program with my new found Japanese friends. Later on, I and other Assistant Language Teachers visited a sake factory, the best in all Japan, in Hagiwara. We learned about the making process of the precious liquid and were able to have a great dinner with the owner and his wife. In addition, since I got to Gero, I have been onsen hopping every week. In my opinion, this is definitely one of the best features of our region. I also have to mention the foot baths located in the downtown area of Gero-shi, which are a great spot to stop and chat with friends. Again two weeks ago, I went to the Gassho-Mura Village, right in Gero, where I saw displays such as local life going from the numerous festivals to the everyday life. In one of the housesof the village was featured the making of silk with worms. Silk was the main expertise of Japan in the 1800s and was produced for domestics’ purposes. In the chilly weather of October, the owner of the village offered me some ama zake[5]. The ama zake, non-alcoholic, is the first stage to becoming the sake, alcoholic drink, as we know it. Oishikatta[6]!!!

Hence, there are a lot of hidden activities to do in our region; everything I enumerated happened between Gero, Hagiwara and Maze. What made the difference in my new adventure in Japan was the switch in my attitude and of course the help of all the people around me, namely foreigners and mostly Japanese. I am here for several reasons and one of them is to learn about Japanese culture. The moments I had the opportunity to achieve this are when local people were not afraid to take me under their wings and make me try what they are so use to do on a daily basis. I hope that local people, especially the ones that see me on a regular basis, will not be shy anymore to approach me and thus permit me to live to Japanese life to the fullest.

[1] English teachers
[2] Express train in Japan
[3] Hot spring in Japan
[4] Good afternoon, director!
[5] a sweet drink, which has a thick consistency, with rice in it
[6] It was delicious!

Prelude...

2007-11-13T22:50:00.000+09:00

It already has been 6 months since I finished my project about Haiti for one of my classes. Already 5 months since I officially left UofT and thus relinquishing it to the box of the past.
Now it has been 3 months since I live in Japan, the land of the rising sun. A lot happened in a short period of time.

From now on, this blog will be used to witness my experience in Japan and elsewhere. It will also be a place where I will ask a lot of questions without necessarely having an answer. Anyone interested in adding any comments or even maybe start a debate: be my guest.

Cheers!

The last one for ISTD01

2007-05-05T06:17:00.000+09:00

Here is my last entry for ISTD01. Afterwards, I will be using this blog for personal matters.

Doing this research was a huge experience for me. I never thought that I would or could have done such a work, especially in English. This project allowed me to gain more confidence in myself. As a result, I am not intimidated by Masters program anymore since the project is something similar to what post graduate do (i think).

This project wrapped up my university career extremely well; I feel like it comprised concepts that I have learned since my first year at UofT. I am happy I dropped a couple of courses this year in order to focus more on the research; it allowed me to pour my heart into it. Needless to say that this project might open some unexpected doors for me in the future.

I must add, that this is one of the courses where I learned the most in university. In addition to all the people I met for this project and all the readings I have made, I learned a brand new skill in multimedia (using final cut). I am very happy about that. I liked the experience so much that I am currently contemplating doing a diploma or certificate in multimedia along with my future degree in journalism.

To be quite honest, it is a shame that this course is not worth 1 full credit because I have the conviction that the work I put into it is not representative of its worth. Yet, I do not regret anything I have done for it. I can now say that I know quite a bit about Canadian foreign policy (its history) and its implementation in Haiti. If I would have had the means, the time and the guaranty of security, I would have loved to travel to Haiti and have footage from there. Maybe even meeting with people from the government and then see what is the difference between the Haitians from Haiti's ideas vs the Haitian diaspora's ideas. I would not be surprise to find discrepancies between the two. Maybe that could be a research topic one day... :o)

So this is it. Thank you Professor for your support. I do not believe that you understand the extent of my gratitude. I was always asking myself if i picked the right program for me. Now with this project, I have the certainty that I did not make a mistake 4 years ago. I hope that we will keep in touch despite my wishes to travel for the next couple of years. I guess you could always drop by this blog to see where I am. I will drop by your office soon to give you something that I forgot to bring last time we saw each other.

All the best and have an amazing summer!
Dominique

the plan for this week

2007-04-25T12:09:00.000+09:00

This is probably one of my last blog entry for this course. The presentation is done and it went really well. Now I am working on my paper and my goal is to finish it by the end of this week so my friend can proof read it.
I really hope I can attain my goal so I can move on to the next stage, which is vacation! :o)

I am done looking over the first part of my paper, now I am working on the case study.

presentation today

2007-04-20T18:37:00.000+09:00

so today is my presentation. I think I am ready. I am just really nervous so im trying to relax at this point. I have not done a important presentation since high school therefore i hope i did not forget how to act in that kind of situation.

Of course I hope that you will enjoy the presentation and that you will learn about Canada's foreign policy and Haiti.

so I will be there in 4 1/2 hours...yes that is how nervous I am!
:o)

YEAH!!!!

2007-04-17T15:36:00.000+09:00

okay!

I am very excited right now because the first draft of my paper is pretty much completed :o) !
Hence for the next 5 hours or so, I will be putting everything together and proofreading. Tomorrow (tuesday) I am planning on finishing the AV portions of my presentation, that is adding subtitles and transitions. By wednesday night, I want my presentation to be wrapped, hence I can get ready to present friday.

I am very nervous as several of my friends want to see the presentation. I do not know if they will follow through but if they do, it makes me very nervous. I must add that presenting in front of you (professor) adds to the pressure.

Enough for today, I am going to work.

It is soon coming to an end...

2007-04-14T18:11:00.000+09:00

The semester is pretty much done. It is not because I do not write in the blog that I am not doing anything. On the contrary! At this point, things being wrapped up. Thus, all the clips I need for my presentation are on digital format and in "final cut". I just need to render and compress them so I can put them in my powerpoint presentation. I am feeling nervous that I might encounter technical difficulties in my presentation, but maybe I am over reacting. Before I forget, for my presentation, depending the room we will use, I will need a computer (where we could also hear the clips) and access to internet. I did all my work on the Macs, therefore I am not sure if everything will work on PC. Just let me know.

I must admit that despite the fact that I am exhausted at this point, I learned a lot in this course. Anyhow I will most likely write something about that in about a week when everything will be done.

update on the past week

2007-04-11T19:19:00.000+09:00

For the past week, I was working in the computer lab putting all my footage on digital format and getting all my notes organized. Yesterday, I created my 1st draft for my presentation and today I will be working on putting it all together (meaning taking the extracts of the interviews that I want and putting them throughout my presentation). I really hope that I do not encounter too many technical difficulties in the process since I do not have much time left.

At this point, I am only missing references for the historical part of my paper (context after WWII and shift in foreign policy) which I should work on thursday.

multilateralism

2007-04-11T16:24:00.000+09:00

Canada amongst nations:1992-93
'The New Multilateralism and evolving Security System' by David A. Welch pg 67-93

In the post Cold War world, their were 2 different views that were clashing for the international relations theorists. The first school of thought was structural realism which had a dark perspective of the future and the second one was a believer in cooperation, therefore much more optimistic (pg.67).

Structural realism

The breakdown of bipolarity calls for the return of chronic instability and violence which was characteristic of the multipolar system of the 1st half of the 20th century; it led to the 2 World Wars as well as the most severe economic depression ever known in modern history. Although the extend of the difficulties nowadays might be lesser than in the 1930s and 40s, according to this view, there are grounds for serious concerns. The destruction of the Soviet Unions in 1989 led to the rise of nationalism in Europe and the disappearance of the bond uniting the western Great Powers; namely the fear of Soviet attack. Simultaneously, the decline of the United States, particularly economically, prevented the US' ability to maintain harmony everywhere at the same time (pg 67-68).

In addition, this world of uncertainty in a post Cold War context will certainly undermine trust and increase the general fear. Several characteristics of the old world were not desirable. For instance, "the domination of the superpowers within their respective blocs, the balance of nuclear terror, ideological polarization and militarization of peacetime economies". Despite this list, realists theorists recognize and admit that these characteristics preserve long and stable peace (pg. 68).

Optimistic view

On the other hand, optimists believe that the end of the Cold War signals a new phase of peaceful international cooperation that will enable countries to adress a broad range of problems that requiries concerted actions on a global scale ie regional conflicts and environmental degradation. Several arguments were made to justify this optimism:
1- the rise of interdependence and the institutionalisation of world affairs inclines states toward cooperation and collective response to international problems
2- the spread of democracy and the decline of militarism will increasingly coerce worldwide governments to devote greater attention and resources to welfare issues.
3- the globalization of the telecommunication has increased the Awareness and sensitivity of peoples with respect to other cultures and to cosmopolitan issues.
4-leaders learned from mistakes that occoured in 1914, 1929 and 1939 and will avoid to repeat the same gestures.
5- development of nuclear weapons has revolutionized states and the attitude of society towars war and rendered major wars too costly to fight and thus to risk (p.69).

The big interrogation lies in the applicability of multilateralism in the future. One fact is that multilateralism will depend on the collective ability of the Great Powers to maintain it. Although it will face challenges to moderate to excitment of the optimists(p. 69).

The world has witnessed Canada's major involvement in multilateralism in the past decades. Hence, Canada is amongst its biggest supporter.

back from the interviews...

2007-04-04T08:40:00.000+09:00

Last week I completed 3 interviews for the research as explained in the previous postings: with Ms. Martin, Mr Laurent and Ms. Ambroise. I had an amazing time interviewing these different people about the topic of my paper.

Before meeting Ms. Martin, I was very nervous since I had never interviewed high profile people. I went in the office with preconceived ideas of the way government runs the foreign affairs department and how Canada has been helping Haiti (or lack of). I must say that I was pleasantly surprised after the 1st interview since Ms. Martin had extensive knowledge of Haiti and its situation. I try at several occasions to ask her tricked question about her department but she was always very good at answering my questions with extensive diplomacy. She was also extremely knowledgeable about her own department (namely the foreign affairs). In this interview I clearly understood that Canada's main goal is to rebuild the whole country since it is chaotic. The government put the emphasizes on the infrastructures (political and economic). I also learned about the fact that the government does not advertise the 3Ds anymore but instead a pan governmental effort. Moreover, Ms Martin's points correlated with my readings; Canada is focusing in multilateral missions. Ms. Martin talked to me about the extensive involvement of other countries such as Brazil and EU. ms Martin also admitted that the help provided so far by the Canadian government has not fixed the problems occurring in Haiti but at least it has brought some positives like the positive economic growth for the first time in decades and the decline of HIV. Her department biggest achievement according to her was the elected government with Rene Preval as the winner. After the interview, I thought that the foreign affairs department is realistic when it comes to its involvement in Haiti.

Ms. Ambroise interview was also very good. When I started, I thought that she was going to criticize Canada's implication in Haiti with tremendous fervor. In the contrary, Ms. Ambroise 's arguments correlated with Ms. Martin. That was a big surprise for me. Of course, there are some aspects of the issue that Ms. Ambroise put more emphasize on and since she is Haitian herself, it is understandable to see where she comes from with her arguments. Ms. Ambroise also emphasized a lot on the brain drain happening in Haiti because of the political situation. She also stated that Haiti will only get better when its own habitants will work together. Because of her main position in the Embassy (she is responsible for the culture portfolio), she thinks that it is imperative that Haitians sell their culture abroad in order for others to enjoy it while helping Haitians to get back on their feet. 2 weeks ago, there was a conference in Montreal held by CIDA and apparently the speaker stated that Haiti had no resources whatsoever. Ms. Ambroise took the time to tell me how much Haiti had to offer but that the country just needs structure.

Mr. Laurent's interview went also well. He was very courteous. He had extensive knowledge of the political situation in the country and since he is himself part of the big worldwide Haitian diaspora, he was able to give me certain perspectives concerning Haitians feelings towards Canada. He also talked about the brain drain. I will thus assume from my interviews and personal experience that it is a plague in Haiti and also in a lot of Less Developed Countries. He concluided the interview by saying that the aid coming from Canada and other countries needs to be better managed.
________________________________________

I must say that I am very happy of the opportunity I had to meet with these people for my research. Their input are definitely helping me to have a good grasp of the topic.

getting everything together

2007-03-27T17:03:00.000+09:00

The research is going well. I am now getting ready for my interviews that will be held on wednesday. The first interview in the morning will be with Ginette Martin, director of the project in Haiti under the Foreign Affairs Department in Ottawa. Tonight, I worked on sketching some questions for the interview. I got a camera and a MP3 player to record the interview. I already asked permission to tape the interview and Ms. Martin kindly agreed.

In the afternoon, I will meet with Ms. Claudette Amboise, the delegate minister of the Haitian Embassy located in Ottawa as well. Several of the questions I will ask her will be the same as ms. Martin's interview because I want to see where would lie the difference in expectations between the two parties.

In addition, the outline is also done. Of course, there will be certain changes but I know where my research is leading me. Several sections of the final paper are also already written.

preliminary outline

2007-03-22T19:49:00.000+09:00

Questions:
After the recession of the 1980s and early 1990s, the Canadian government shifted its way of getting involved in international crisis thus focusing more on multilateralism and the 3Ds- namely Diplomacy, Development and Defense. The main goal of this paper is to look at each component of the 3Ds and to assess if this new method is effective. This paper will take Haiti as a case study for two reasons. 1) According to the CIDA website, Canada's involvement in Haiti has been extensive since it is the country that collects more Canadian's aid in terms of humanitarian, military and political after Afghanistan and 2) Haiti is an actual example of the implementation of the focus on the multilateralism and 3Ds. That being said, we will see in this paper if each component of the 3D taken in order to help Haiti is actually effective.

This is a broad outline of my paper (a completed version will be posted in the next couple of days)

I. Introduction

II. Theory section (this section will focus on the link between international relations and
development)

III. History of Canada and humanitarian aid (how Canada got involved in helping other
countries)

A) The world context after the WWII
a) Europe destroyed and western world's economy blooming
b) Canada stepping up to help ex-colonies and Europe with their economic
difficulties
i) Pearson Commission and target
B) The threat of the Soviet Union and communism
a) Crash of 1930s and growing power of Soviet Union
b) fear of communism from American under McCarthy and consequence on
Canadian Foreign Policies
i) Canada gives a lot of money without much guidelines
C) The shift in Canadian's foreign policy
a) 1980s-90s recession
i) the need for canadian government to focus their help: creation of CIDA
b) the implementation of multilateralism and 3Ds

IV. Case Study: Haiti

A) History of the turbulence in Haiti
a) rebellion against mother country (France)
b) overview of dictatorships and rebellion
i) overview on Duvaliers' reign
ii) Haiti's situation (economic-politic)
ii) boat people and Haitian diaspora
B) The events surrounding 1991
a) Arrival of Aristide and the Lavalas movement
i) seen as savior and elected by population (also supported by Americans)
ii) coup d'etat by Cedras
iii) return of Aristide (but than not supported anymore by Americans)
- violence, corruption, political unrest, socialist talk by president,
dictatorship?
b) Departure of Aristide in 1991
i) Aristide ousted out of the country
-political unrest, chaos
-international comunity's response and Canada's involvement in the
crisis

V) Discussion of Canada's shift to multilateralism and 3Ds in Haiti's context (in this section I
will pull all the information collected above and put all the elements mentionned
together;ie going back to the theory and draw examples from the situation of Haiti while
looking at Canada's involvement)

A) Development
a) CIDA's plan
B) Defense
a) the involvement of MINUTSTAH
C) Diplomacy
a) Canada's involvement in Haiti through OAS and UN

VI) Conclusion

more interviews coming up!!!

2007-03-22T18:43:00.000+09:00

Okay!

I finally booked an interview time with Ms. Ginette Martin from the federal Foreign Affairs Department in Ottawa. Ms. Martin is the director of the project in Haiti. Despite her busy schedule she has been kind enough to give me some of her time. The interview will be held in Ottawa on Wednesday March 28. The interview will focus about the Canadian government 's stance on Haiti's situation. The questions will probably focus on the 3Ds and the way the canadian government implement this method in Haiti.

Moreover, I have another interview with Raymond Laurent, a reknowed journalist in the Haitian community in Montreal, on Saturday March 31st. He will definitely give me the diaspora's perspective on Canada's involvement in Haiti. Moreover, he has extensive knowledge of Haiti's history and political situation. Hence, I will most likely ask him to talk to me about Aristide, his chaotic departure, the implication of the international community and of course Canada's position.

I think these 3 interviews (including professor Berry's) should cover the different points of my paper. If I found that anything is missing, I will ask my contacts if I can call them with further questions or I also have other contact in Toronto I could potentially use in order to complete the project.

Professor Berry's interview

2007-03-22T17:09:00.000+09:00

As said yesterday, I got an interview with professor Berry, professor in IDS at UofT.

Professor Berry had extensive knowledge about the history of development in Canada. From our interview, I got the confirmation that Canada is not 'helping' other countries in order to be philantropic but instead to gain more international recognition. Thus, Canada has been losing a lot of its influence -mainly in the last 50 years- and is trying to get at least some back.

After WWII, Canada, who had a significant role in the war, was in an excellent position in the world since the territory did not suffer from the devastation of the war like the European countries. Hence, canadians and americans found themselves in a position of power and able to help others. Since the process of decolonisation was at its peak, development was the main goal of these small countries. As a result, there was a rush after the war to provide foreign aid from the rich countries to the poor ones.

In this case, Canada, but mostly the United States, were not just helping because of these ex-colonies needs, but mainly because they were afraid of the soviets growing power. In the 1930s, americans went through the big Crash, a dark era in their history. Since the Soviets, that were communists, did not have the same experience as in the western world, their system attracted a lot of ex-colonies. In order to remain an hegemony, the US started pouring money in trying to develop small countries and hence making sure that they would not become communist as well. The United States were in a period of fear and hysteria under McCarthy since he perceived communists as a military and a ideological threat. Hence, it was important for Canada to maintain an excellent relationship with the United States since they are their major partner in terms of trades. It is in this context that Canada also started to donate intensively to smaller countries and simultaneously built their world wide reputation of humanitarian.

Lester B. Pearson, who was a famous diplomat before becoming Canada's Prime Minister, created the Pearson Commission whose target in terms of development elsewhere was quoted at 0.7%. Canada is a land made of immigrants fom all areas in the world, hence, the government often felt the pressure from the electorat to help other countries where these immigrants were from. It is for these main reasons that Canada started sending money everywhere without really any guidelines. Canada got in a position where the country's money allocated to development overseas was too spread thin . It needed to find a way to be more efficient in terms of the help given.

To fix the problem of being to spread out, Canada decided to set some guidelines for aid and this is how CIDA- Canadian International Development Agency- was created around the 1960s-1970s. Again in this time, Canada was very involved in the world because of its immigrant population. But soon enough, the country ran out of money. The 1980s and early 1990s were very difficult years for Canadians as their were fiscal, recession and public deficit. As a result of this situation, focus was imparative. The government decided to focus on lower income countries and strenghening our ties with selected countries that would give them economic advantages as well as recognition on the international scene. Canada wanted to draw an example on Scandinavian countries who would develop an expertize of specific areas to develop instead of sending money everywhere.

And this is how the shift in Canada's help overseas happened.

Professor Berry also talked about the concept of development as a business. He explains that according to him their is not really anything wrong with wanting to have some advantage in helping someone else, but the problem would arise if the business side if it would prevail over the philantropy; which would result in an unbalance. Hence, since the Canadian market is much smaller than the American one, it is not uncommon to see the Canadian governement to tie the aid or in order words to provide things we have an expertize at producing in the countries it is helping. For example, Canada could promise a country to give them money at the condition they would use that money for their infrastructure instead of their educational system. Canada does so because it knows that Sweden, that have a much better educational system than theirs has much more chance to get the contract from this LDC. As a result, this method is a way of insuring that Canada gets his money back from the LDC since Canada's material for infrastructure is widely reknowed. Hence, we give money from the left hand and than take it back from the right since the country in question would buy the product from us.

When I asked Professor Berry why did Canada got involved in Haiti, he explained to me that Haiti is everything Canada could ask for in terms of country to help. First of all, there is the geographic location. Haiti is very close to Canada: it is only a 4 hours flight. Morover, there are also historical connections: Haiti used to be a French colony. Quebec, one of Canada's biggest province, has a majority of french speakers since it was also colonized by the French in the 1600s. Because of its cultural differences, Quebec was able to enjoy a great amount of priviledges in the federal ladder, such as an overrepresentation in the government, including in CIDA. Since Quebec and Haiti share several similarities in terms of culture and language, Quebec feels a certain duty toward the latter. One should not forget also that because of the similarities in cultures, numerous Haitians fled the island, due to political instability, to established themselves in the "Belle Province". Hence, Montreal is the 3rd city in the world after Miami and New York, that Haitians call 'home'. As a result, Haitians have a fair barganing power with politicians in Quebec and Canada.

As said earlier, Canada lost a lot of its prestige in the past 50 years. Hence, it needs to provide help where it will feel recognized. Because of Papa Doc and Baby Doc, two notorious dictators from the 1950s to the end of 1980s, Haiti got a lot of publicity internationally. Hence, for Canada to stand up and 'volunterely' help this country in need is the best way for canadians to feel good about themselves.

One question that professor Berry was asking out loud was how much do Canada actually mimic the US. He explains that since a big part of our market depends on Americans, Canada is constantly trying to get to good favors of the Unites States and hence avoid to upset them. Hence, the Canadian government chose its battles. In history, there are 2 times worth of remembering when Canada actually stood up to its giant neighbour; when Canada refused to join for the Vietnam war in the 1960s and the Iraq 4 years ago. Of course, in these two cases, the Americans were upset and expressed their disaproval by becoming stricter with the northern side of their border. In this context, we see why Canada is always trying to please the americans.

According to one article I read, Canada volunteered to send aid to Haiti. How much did Canada actually volunteered? Was the US behind our government volunteering in this country in crisis? TO some respect, were we trying to please our neighbour one more time? Neighter professor Berry or I could come up with an answer to these questions, but we both agree that wether or not Canada received any suggestion from the US to help Haiti, Canada had already all the reasons to provide aid.

interview with Professor Berry

2007-03-21T14:21:00.000+09:00

Ealier today I had a meeting with Professor Berry. It was a excellent experience. Now, I have a lot more information concerning the history of Canada and development. Tomorrow I will give more details about the information I gathered in this interview.

interviews

2007-03-14T05:33:00.000+09:00

the end of last week and yesterday was about getting some people to conduct interviews. I got in touch with the foreign affairs department in Ottawa and I might get a chance to interview mme Ginette Martin, director of the direction in Haiti by the end of March. There is also a good chance I go to Ottawa to meet her (if that does not work, I also can do the onterview via telephone). I was speaking to Marlene Zalatta her administrative assistant and she said she would confirm to me by the beginning of next week.

I also called the Haitian Consulate in Toronto, but Dr Eric Pierre, the person in charge of the consulate is absent until March 18th. Hence, I will call back on monday March 19 to book an interview with him.

I also sent an email to professor Voegeli Juste-Constant, contact that I use very often in my radio show in Fusion Radio. He reports the news from Haiti and from the Black/haitian community in Toronto. If I do not hear from him early this week, I will most likely talk to him on saturday. Professor Voegeli has extensive knowledge on the relations between Canada and Haiti. Moreover, he has tremendous knowledge on Haiti's history which would be great to make connections and links.

McKenna's paper

2007-03-05T02:40:00.000+09:00

Canada and the Haitian Crisis
by McKenna, P. Journal of Canadian Studies, Peterborough: Fall 1997. Vol.32, Iss.3; pg.77

This article examined the nature and extend of Canada's involvement in the crisis in Haiti. It also explains how much the Canadian government had a leading role- within the OAS (Organization of Amrican States) in reestablishing democracy in Haiti after Aristide was ousted out of the country. The focus of this article was from 1991 to 1994 when Aristide came back to power.

McKenna's article argues that Canada's leading role in Haitian crisis was tremendous, but that it was a crisis where the Canadian government could look relatively good at a very little cost politically and economically. In addition, Canadian foreign policy is geared towards multiculturalism since Canada's interventions in foreign affairs are always within an organization (such as OAS, UNSC and NATO).

book to get asap

2007-03-04T13:50:00.000+09:00

I must get the book written by David Malone in Trinity College Library
Decision-making in the UN Security Council: the case of Haiti, 1990-1997

This book seems to have a lot of information about Canada's involvement in Haiti's crisis.
The exert I read online talked about Aristide taking over office and the coup.

(p.58)

Jean-Bertrand Aristide, commonly called Titide by the population, took office from February 7 to September 30 1991. He had huge challenges: hostility of the elite unconcealed, the loyalty of Armed Force uncertain and the violence in the country perduring.

Aristide appointed individuals be believed to be reformed minded to replace the country's highest ranking military officers. He underetimated the anxiety these appointments created amongst soldiers and officers who, according to the information collected, sparked the september 1991 coup against him.

One must recognize though that Aristide, unlike most of its predecessor made serious efforts to come to grips with the major challenges facing him: fractionalized army, civilian opposition groups ranging from hard core Duvalierists who have never accepted their defeat, an a reluctant business community. Aristide had big reform ideas for the country but the new administration seemed overwhelmed by the scope of the reforms and the extremely limited means at its disposal.

The military coup started on September 29th 1991. Aristide's life was at stake since he was handcuffed, physically abused and threatened by a number of officer. It is only because of the pressure from the US and France, that the rebels let Aristide fly to Caracas on an aircraft sent for him by President Perez from Venezuela.

canadas foreign policy change

2007-03-03T14:41:00.000+09:00

Discovering the Americas: The Evolution of Canadian Foreign Policy Towards Latin
by James Francis

(p.11)

Canada's foreign policy was handles by the british until the statute of westminter in 1931.
Facing tremendous difficulties after the Great Depression and serious droughts in the West, Ottawa remained passive in international relations in these years. This scenario changed drastically with the outbreak of the 2nd World War (September 3, 1939); an event that altered Canada by enabling it to become a major power power in the world.

Khoon's article

2007-03-02T16:32:00.000+09:00

Khoon, J.(Februaru 16, 2007) Le mandat (contesté) des Casques bleus en Haïti prolongé.
La Presse. Retrieved February 20, 2007, from
http://www.canadahaitiaction.ca/article.php?id=241

This article explains that the Canadian presence in Haiti is actually contested by population of the islands and the Haitian diaspora. In a resolution that was adopted unanimity by the United Nations Security Council, the operation on Haiti was prolonged for an extra 8 months and requested to see the actions against the rebel intensify in order to regain security and order in the small island.

According to the International Crisis Group(ICG), some Haitian NGOs and ActionAid, the mandate's priorities are wrong. To concentrate on military actions against armed groups cannot be a long term strategy. These groups also explains that the challenge is to help Haiti rebuild strong civil institutions along with restore the state of law, rebuild the judiciary system ruined by corruption and incompetency. ICG adds that crime is increasing, the prison have too many people and the poors do not have the right to a lawyer.

ActionAid insist that the fight against the rebel group is only going to bring a temporary peace to the country since the MINUSTAH retains good relations with other armed groups. According to ActionAid, it is imperative to rebuild the judiciary system.

Furthermore, according to documents obtained by the Haiti Information Project (HIP) under the information access law, the MINUSTAH admited to the US embassy that they used an "excessive force" during an operation on July 6 2005 at Cité Soleil. Theembassy wrote that more than 22 000 bullets were shot for about 7 hours and that they could have go in one of the fortune houses of Cite Soleil and kill civilians. As a result, Edmond Mulet, the person directing the MINUSTAH admited that they were collateral damages; Mulet said that 12 or 13 people were killed including 10 gangsters. After a study, the HIP concluded that 50 to 70 people were killed in that one evening.

When 2 albanophones from Kosovo got killed around the same time by Canadian troops, the interior minister quit and the UN police chief faced tremendous and harsh critism. In Haiti, "all the investigations were without a closing" says Lovinski Pierre-Antoine, from a Haitian NGO.

Justin Massie's article

2007-03-01T14:36:00.000+09:00

'L'application de la stratégie pangouvernementale canadienne en Haiti. Un cas marginal?'
by Justin Massie

This article talks about the Canadian foreign policies overseas. It goes in detail about the shift Canada did in the last couple of years to focus on the 3Ds when dealing with crisis situation in foreign countries: Development, Diplomacy and Defense. Despite the ratification of the 'Enoncé Politique International' in April 2005, where it stipulates its desire to help countries in need of democracy and stability, Canada's involvement in Haiti has been quite disappointing.

For instance, when Aristide 'quit' from presidency on February 29 2004, the United Nations Security Council adopted the resolution 1529, where it authorize the immediate intervention of an interim multinational force within an operation called Halo (from march to august 2004). As said in the resume of one of the videos seen, it is in Halo that Canada sent the 500 military and the 6 helicoptered in order to help restore the stability and security in Haiti, to better the transport of humanitarian aid as well as to help to military police in Haiti to maintain law and order, and protect the human rights in order to help to stabilize the country. The part of the story we did not hear in the news is when the IMF (interim multinational force) transfered into the MINUTSTAH (the UN's mission for the stabilization in Haiti) on June 25 2004, Canada only left 5 soldiers as well as 125 policemen in Haiti. These numbers are on a total of 2800 militaries sent overseas. In addition to the military aspect, the same conclusion can be drawn from the economical aspect. Canada promised Haiti a bilateral aid of 180 million dollar over a period of 2 years for the reconstruction of the country. In absolute terms, it seems like a lot of money. Nonetheless, when one compare to Afghanistan who received 600 millions for one year to achieve the exact same thing as in Haiti, meaning reconstruction of the country, there are questions to be asked.

Massie argues that Canada's help in Haiti is actually marginal especially if one would compare it to the help given to other countries such as Afghanistan. Still, according to Massie, the reason why Haiti is in margin is because it does not fit the criteria that Canada has set for itself in terms of foreign policy ie: 1)to obtain concrete results 2)to have influence and 3) to sanction a 'new multilateralism'

1)the fact that Canada wants concrete results, coerces it to give more attention to interventions that are short and punctual as was the IMF program in Haiti. The objectives were clear and achievable. When the program changed to MINUTSTAH, the lines were blurry since they were no dates and no clear termination of contract. One must also remember that the Canadian Force faced tremendous difficulties when it intervened in Somalia, Rwanda and in the Balkans; all of which did not have any clear mandate and were linked to UN's missions. As a result, in the beginning of 1990s, Canada shifted its missions from the UN to the NATO. Thus, Canada went from being one of the biggest contributors in the world in the 70s and 80s to 33th place this year.

2)being involved in world crisis allows Canada to have much more influence in the world stage. Canada does not want to play a secondary role anymore; it desires to habe a more active role on the international scene. In order to achieve that, Canada's participation in big military action along with its usual allies -ie US, France and UK- is a way to increase its sphere of influence.

3)the 'new multilateralism' allows to preserve the transatlantic solidarity. Thus, the historical, geographical, economical and political links that united Canada, US and Europe probably represent one of the most important factors regarding the its military engagements overseas. This attachment draws Canada to priviledge interventions along with his traditinal allies, US -UK-France, versus the others. Hence it is easier for Canada to achieve its goals and then it can pretend to have helped to the amelioration of the situation. We can take for example the operations Halo in Haiti and also Archer -happening right now- in Afghanistan.
__________

When I first read this article, I could not help myself from being soooo disappointed. One would call me naive if they want, but in my mind, Canada was almost this utopic land that genuily cares about people. Again in this case, I ask myself if there is such a thing as a philanthropist (person or country or company)? Obviously in this case, Canada has its own agenda and I do not believe it will really change under the Harper government since its foreign policies are all about following the US (we have seen a great example with our troops sent to Afghanistan for a longer term). What happen to Lester B. Pearson's Canada? Along the way, I believe that our government forgot that our traditional role IS to actually help as much as we can others.

proposal

2007-03-01T13:13:00.000+09:00

Due to the heavy crunch time, I will submit my proposal this upcoming friday. I would also like to know that if my proposal is not its best, would a be able to submit a second one the following week?

Thank you

proposal template

2007-02-07T15:54:00.000+09:00

Professor,

when we met each other 2 weeks ago, you said you wold send me the template to help me write my proposal. I would like to know if I will receive that template soon in order to have a jump start with the proposal.

Let me know :o)
Thank you!

Videos on Haiti part II

2007-02-07T14:11:00.000+09:00

The 3 other videos focused on Haiti's economic situation.
_____________________________________________________________________
Arcelin, J.Haiti, reason to flee. Haiti Films, 1984, c1983. 1 videocassette (30 min.)

This video explains the crisis in Haiti's economic. Back on the 950s, the economy was regulated and controled by the US; the Americans rewrote the Haitian constitution of 1918 to get rid of the article preventing foreigns owning land. That is how foreign investors were able to build their factories and export crops.

The US backed up several dictatorships in Haiti (mainly Lecot, Estimé, Magloire and Duvalier). The American administration thought that Duvalier would protect their interests like the others and he did to a certain extend by preventing communism on the island.

On the other hand, Duvalier was also the representative of the big land owner in Haiti and this class opposes US investments where it threatens replacing semi-feudalism with agrobusiness plantations and factories. In the early 60s when the Canadian government tried to sponsor increased US investment in Haiti, Duvalier (dad) and the big land owners class were uncooperative. As a result, the US cut their aid and launched a campaign to overthrow Duvalier which included CIA sponsored invasion and plots from within the Haitian army. As a response, Duvalier expelled the US advisors, dismantled la guarde d'Haiti and strenghen the power of the Tontons Macoutes (his personal milice).

Hence, this is a good example of how the Canadian govt was interested more about helping the interests of the americans than the actual democratization and amelioration of Haiti. The repression that followed on the working class caused a big percentage of them to flee out of the country via different means including boat people.
___________________________________________________________________
Peck, R. Profit and nothing but: or, impolite thoughts on the class struggle. First Run/Icarus [distributor], 2001. 1 videocassette (52 min.)

This video was very poetic and artistic; it was not a typical documentary.

According to one of the person interviewed in the video, we areliving in the myth of the American dream, the euphoria of living in a western world where everything will be fixed and okay in time. In the Northern countries, the system works really well at stopping -to a certain extend- the opposition and limiting dysfunctionment since there is a sense of security, eg: welfare, health care etc...The only thing is that comfort level in the industrialized countries is paid by the sacrifice of the rest of the planet including Haiti. What we call the 3rd world is in fact 3/4 of the world. It is a triumphant capitalism at the expenses of the others.
___________________________________________________________________
Haiti Films. Bitter cane. Haiti Films, 1983. 1 cassette (75 min.)

This documentary was filmed clandestinely in Haiti. Most of its reasearch is also done about the US.

This movie depicted a good picture of the misery of the population in Haiti.
The infrastructures are build to give advantage to the foreign investment (thus including Canada as well).
I will need to find if Canada invests anything in Haiti. I do recall from my Project Management class, if I am not mistaken, that Canada promised to give Haiti some help and money only at the condition that Haiti would buy their products for reconstruction from Canadian cies only.

There are several incentives for foreign investments:
tax holidays + duty free (for 9 years, after what the cies have to pay is derisive + no restrictions on capital (money can leave the country without any problem) + factories are owned by foreigners instead of local people. In addition, the wages are extremely low which is comparable to any less developed country.

More than 6 million $ in the US military aid and training has gone to Jean-Claude Duvalier's regime (the son of Francois Duvalier) since 1971. This military aid goes to defend that fragile status quo that only benefits only the haitian ruling classes and foreign investors. In these days, the foreign investors would say how Haiti possess political stability; in fact, it was a repression that advantage these investors to make profits in the land without owing to anyone.
___________________________________________________________________

These were the videos I watched for my project. I also found several contact information of people to interview and thus help me get this project ready for April. Here are the names:

Dr. Elizabeth Abbott
Dean of women studies at trinity and author of Haiti: the Duvaliers and their legacy
abbott@trinity.utoronto.ca

Antoine Dérose
President of the Haitian Cultural Network of Toronto and
Founding President of the Haitian Association of Toronto
tricia.antoine@sympatico.ca

Dr. Mélanie Newton
Assistant Professor of Caribbean History, University of Toronto
melanie.newton@utoronto.ca
416-978-4054

Frantz Voltaire
Centre international de documentation et d'information
haitienne, caribéenne et afro-canadienne, Montréal
Editor and Filmmaker
Téléphone : (514) 845-0880
edition@cidihca.com

Videos on Haiti

2007-02-07T07:34:00.000+09:00

Yesterday and today I watched a couple of videos about the situation and reality of Haiti. Here is a little overview of what I watched in the past 2 days.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Leland, A.E.-Voodoo and the church in Haiti. University of California, Extension Media
Center, 1988. 1 videocassette (43 min.)

This video was explaining how different cultures collide in Haiti (eg: less developed country mentality versus the 1st world countries mentality). It emphasizes on the European values amongst the elite of Haiti and the African values amongst the mass. The video also explains how the dictatorial regimes ensure the increase of the gap between rich and poor. The population is frustrated with the bureaucracy because the mass is living without employment, education, adequate water supplies and proper balance diet. As a consequence of economic dispair, the vast majority of the haitian peasant find refuge in religion, mainly voodoo. Hence, the Duvalier dictatorship used this trend to bring spitituality close to secular in order to maintain his regime.
____________________________________________________________________
Kovacs, L. ' Segment 3. Haiti revolt : Canada sends soldiers (18:47 min.)'. News in review :
April 2004. CBC, Non-Broadcast Sales, c2004. 1 videocassette (58 min.)

This video was great because it was recent and had a Canadian perspective. The video explains how Haiti is a failed state because of the pervasive corruption, the political instability, the violence and the environmental degradation. Haiti has had 32 military coups in its 200 years of independance. This translates to an average of about 1 coup every 6 1/2 years.

The departure of Jean Bertrand Aristide, ex-president of the island, is the main topic of the video. This departure was backed by the US and France since they say that they would not have sent peace troops if Aristide did not step down. I was in aw to learn that the rebels that were bringning chaos to the country were secretely assisted by american services experts.

There is a professor from UofT that I might try to reach to have more information: her name is Elizabeth Abbott. She is apparently an historian and she lived and wrote numerous articles about Haiti and its current situation.

In 2004, the help from Canada came promptly for Haiti. Paul Martin, ex-prime minister, sent 500 troops to keep peace as part of a multinational peace keeping force (March 1st, 2004). Hence, on March 5 2004, Canadian troops left for Haiti. According to some experts of defense management, Ottawa was pushing too hard on too many missions.

I personally wonder if Paul Martin did not send the troops in order to ensure that the haitian diaspora living in Canada would remember his good act and then vote for him again so he would not be stuck in the minority government he was at that time governing.

The video also talks about the haitian diaspora living in Montreal. It is the 3rd largest Haitian community in North America after Miami and New York. There is a division within the diaspora on the solutions to take in order to rectify the situation in the country.
____________________________________________________________________
I will finish my overview of the documentaries later.

Trip to Robarts

2007-02-01T12:56:00.000+09:00

In order to fill up my mind with thoughts of Haiti, I went to the Media Commons and grabbed a couple of videos (documentaries) about the situation of the country and its history. I cannot wait to actually watch them. One of them 'Haiti, reason to flee' should be particularly interesting.

This time should work!

2007-02-01T12:25:00.000+09:00

I was having some technical difficulties with my first blog. This one should be fine and ready to roll.