Jiro Dreams of Sushi: Preserving A Way of Life

 

Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011) chronicles the day-to-day work life of 85-year-old Jiro Ono, a world-renowned sushi chef and owner of Sukiyabashi Jiro, a prestigious ten-seat sushi restaurant in Tokyo, the only restaurant of its kind with a three star Michelin rating. Although this prestige attracts sushi lovers from around the world to make reservations months in advance for one of the few seats at Jiro’s sushi bar, it is Jiro and his sons, rather than the restaurant, that provide focus for this revealing documentary.

Although the film’s production notes suggest the film “is a thoughtful and elegant meditation on work, family, and the art of perfection,” however, the relationship between Jiro and his eldest son moves beyond revealing the complexity of Jiro’s multiple roles as culinary success and loving but demanding father. The relationship also reveals the changing attitudes toward the environment that must be embraced for the dream of sushi to continue. In order to continue the traditions Jiro establishes as a sushi master, his eldest son Yoshikazu must encourage an aquatic conservation missing from Jiro’s experience. The drive to maintain his father’s reputation as a sushi master, then, parallels the desire to preserve the sea life that sustains it.

Biophilic Urbanism

                  Biophilic Urbanism

 I lost sixteen trees in my neighborhood

           

their trunks flattened

like ringed bar stools

empty and moldering under sawdust

where I drink kamikazes after hours.

Dolly and I walk past them now

turning our heads

toward branches

scattered over a thinning raccoon.

We see a deer beside a driveway

tail up, waiting like an acolyte,

leaving a lonely trail

behind as it runs

like lights through picture windows

           

ice crystals flicker on its path

muffled roars telling us

to follow its glow.

No Internet, No Fun

I found out how much I rely on my Wifi when I lost it last week.

Although I certainly had Internet access at school, as an English and film professor and administrator, I had only a few minutes during the day to check email and upload work on our online classroom.

Losing email at home reminded me of all the work I do after school.

Of course I do a lot of grading at home, but with the online classroom, much of it is now completed online. Students submit papers through dropbox to save printing costs and paper. I provide comments in the comment box beside their papers. And then I submit a grade---again online.

I also organize much of class using the content, class calendar, and news sections of our online classroom. To help my students, I upload as much as possible into the content section according to the class modules--assignments, rubrics, readings, powerpoints, links, and videos. I also like to go beyond the calendar where assignments are posted to outline the class structure in the daily news section. Each news item includes an overview of the activities of that class day, as well as images, links, and content to support each element of the class plan. I follow this process for each of my classes, so it gets time-consuming but provides clear structure for each class day.

Unfortunately, much of my administrative work also requires Internet access. I direct our National Writing Project site here at EIU, and all report, grant proposal, budget, and resource information is on their website on a password protected page. Last week I had to upload a grant proposal and submit two budgets using this online system.

I also coordinate our film studies minor and needed to prepare for a meeting. Ideally I would have completed a newsletter draft that included information only available online--summer and fall classes, film festivals and conferences, and assessment data.

None of this was possible at home. I couldn't even access my email (or Facebook or Twitter or Blogger).

After a near meltdown, several calls to my Internet provider, and two new modems, I'm back online. And I've learned much about my work practices. School is where I teach. Home is where I work.

Book Tasting

We tried this yesterday and had tons of fun!

Book Tasting

Explanation: You are invited to sample a variety of anthologies as a way to introduce you to diverse literary works. The twin goals of a book tasting are to introduce students to a variety of terrific books, stories, poems, and essays and to start students on the road to self selection.

Steps:

1. Discussion--compare a box of chocolates to a selection of books. How are the two alike? Different?

Both are full of potential pleasures.

There are different flavors/types of chocolates just as there are different genres of novels--and most people have their favorites.

There are recognized "classics" in both.

When comparing individual chocolates to individual books, one finds that some chocolates/books are straightforward and uncomplicated--others are layered and complex--often praised by critics/gourmets and may be an acquired taste.

Some of the most common or popular flavors/genres fulfill our expectations.

Others, harder to categorize, surprise us)

2. Compare how you approach making a selection from a box of chocolates versus a group of books.

Most people agree that when approaching a box of chocolates we select the one that looks best, based on our previous experience.

We might do the same thing with a selection of books--looking at back or inside cover, the title, the picture on the front, the author's name.

We might figure out what type of book it is and, based on this, have some expectations of what the book will be like.

Some boxes of chocolates have a "key" on the inside lid, dramatizing the metaphor that we judge more than books by their covers.

But we really don't know what we're going to get--until we bite in (start reading).

3. Select a book and a chocolate. Read a section of at least three self-selected books and then answer basic questions about each one--
a. What kind of book is this?
b. What does it look like it is going to be about?
c. What do you expect will happen next?
d. Do you want to read further? Why or why not?

4. Based on the works chosen to sample, select a work and join a literature study circle focused on a common theme, genre, etc. Then discuss the different ways your books approach that theme or fit in that genre in a collaborative exploration of the significance of these similarities and differences.

Urban Indians

An Iroquois Makes a Film

Gazing in increasing close-ups

through an opening

trees

barren road

connect him

He comes closer

looking

a victim

Drums and wind end

Cymbals slam

“What were you expecting anyway, a Noble Savage?”

A potato chip bag blows in the wind.

First Week of Classes

We started back to school last week, and just about everything was fine. I love my classes and students. My Literature Methods students have already built a strong community of dedicated learners and scholars. When we had an in-class response, I had to stop them, so we could move on. And when I read their responses, they were well-written and intertextual proof they engaged with the text. In my Studies in Film class I get to talk about and watch movies that respond to the city, so all works there. And I'm co-teaching an English Forum so have fun conversations with another instructor as well as freshman students. Even my administrative duties have gone well so far, with a productive lunch meeting and grants completed for the Eastern Illinois Writing Project, letters completed for all of the film studies minor committee members, and meetings set for our advisory committee.

What slowed down my week was my beautiful cork floor. My contractor was set up to put in the floor between Christmas and New Years--but then he had to have surgery. Instead, he started the work at the end of the week before school started and finished it Monday. It was only one day, but working my first day of classes around the contractor made my week a little more frazzled. I"ll take pictures of the floor and share them, though. It's amazing!

New Year

I don't make New Year's Resolutions. Instead, I try to do a better job fulfilling goals for a healthy mind, body, spirit, and community. I like adding community to the personal list and was so pleased to discover the Marshall, Illinois School System does, too. They first stress the Georgia Work Ethics across their school district:

Attendance
Teamwork
Attitude
Organization
Cooperation
Character
Appearance
Productivity
Communication
Respect

But the district then adds Community to their curriculum, noting that it's not enough to succeed individually. To be successful, you should also give back to the community that supports you.

I love this idea! So I plan to do a better job meeting both personal and communal goals all year. We'll see how it goes.