Veasna's Blog in Japan

More energy on less sleep!

2008-08-14T15:29:00.000+09:00

Shut-eye is the ultimate energizer, if you can get enough of it. For the 99.9 percent of us who can't; we have five instant uppers.

1. Skip the venti latte
You might be tempted to suck down the biggest coffee ever when you’re tired, but if you need lasting energy, sip a little at a time throughout your day. Harvard research found that small, frequent doses of caffeine helped people stay awake for 28 hours.

2. Sniff something lemony
Splurge on that citrus hand cream: A new study found that whiffs of lemon made women feel peppier. “The scent increases production of norepinephrine, a hormone associated with energy,” says lead study author Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, Ph.D.

3. Eat some good carbs
The fiber in whole grains like brown rice and whole-wheat bread provides a long-lasting source of energy for your brain and muscles, says metabolism researcher William Evans, Ph.D. Simple carbs like sweets will give you a quick rush but leave you tired later.

4. Spend five minutes with some funny online videos
It might not seem terribly productive, but laughing at a guy flying off a speeding treadmill will perk you up temporarily. Research shows that a hearty chuckle revs up the respiratory system, oxygenating the body and making you feel awake.

5. Get moving
A low-intensity workout like a short bike ride can boost energy levels by 20 percent, researchers at the University of Georgia in Athens found. Regular exercise also improves sleep—so when you do hit the sack, you sleep more soundly and wake more rested.

—Lisa Freedman

pasted from http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/more-energy-on-less-sleep-221530/

The cookie mogul of Angkor Wat

2008-05-18T13:40:00.003+09:00

Do you notice that if your Japanese friend visit Siem Reap, he/she maight bring back a cookie with the Angkor Wat shape as a souvernir.

At first i was impressed that businessman in Cambodia (to me, i refer to Cambodian citizen) can come up with that good business idea. But actually it's not. The owner is Japanese; her name is Kojima-san. If you are interested in how Kojima-san run the business, visit the link below. The text is too long for me to read.

"I saw an ad in Japan for a job opening for Japanese in Siem Reap. Back then, all I knew about Cambodia was that Angkor Wat was there. It turned out to be the place that suits me best. While I was teaching Japanese I opened a coffee shop, and the local staff made off with all my equipment. A 1.5 million yen investment, down the drain! But even that couldn't make me dislike the country."

Before her stint as a Japanese teacher, she worked as a tourist guide, taking visitors around the Angkor ruins. "Aren't there any souvenir snacks?" the tourists would ask her. She heard they would buy souvenir chocolates in Bangkok, instead, since they couldn't find any in Cambodia. "What a waste," Kojima thought.

http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200805170064.html

Although it's a business of making money, but i thank her for making this souvernir so foreign tourists who visited Angkor Wat can bring back to their home with Cambodian made stuff, not Thai or Vietnamese products.

Veasna

Writing Essay: Compare Japanese pollution and environment with your country/area pollution and environment using evident

2008-05-13T16:28:00.003+09:00

For so long that i haven't update my blog as I'm busy with my research. But as this blog is for my describe (as well as keep a record) of my activities and my viewpoint while I'm in Japan, i decide to post one of the class assignment in this blog. It should be noted that this text is not up-to-date as it was written 1 year ago.

One of my teachers of English (and actually she is an English teacher) told me that people's point of view (or impression) changes from the first time he/she arrived in one place or one society, and it keep changing. Do you notice that? For me, i couldn't agree with her more. Therefore, as she recommended, I keep writing.

Veasna

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Topic: Compare Japanese pollution and environment with your country/area pollution and environment using evident

Japan experienced severe environmental pollution during its push to industrialize in the late 19th century and again during the rush to rebuild the economy after World War II. Some of the worst pollution incidents caused great human suffering. In the early 20th century, for instance, cadmium poisoning caused an outbreak of a painful bone disease, called itai-itai, in Toyama Prefecture [1]. Minamata Disease caused people to sufferer paralysis to the arms and legs [2]. Smog, and arsenic poisoning produced by industry in the 1970s caused other health problems [1].

Since that time, Japan has enacted some of the world’s strictest legislation for environmental protection. Significant environmental problems such as pollution of bays and emission of carbon dioxide remain, however[1].

In the case of Cambodia, although this country has never experienced industrial revolution as Japan, environmental and pollution issues also exist. Deforestation is the most serious threat to Cambodia’s environment. Starting from the 1960s to 1980s Cambodian forests and wetlands were harmed by bombings and defoliants used in the Vietnam War, and the civil war [5]. In the relatively peaceful 1990s, timber became an important export for Cambodia, resulted in huge amount of forest to be cut down.
In addition, the pollution and contamination of streams and lakes has made much of the country’s fresh water unsafe. The coastal and marine ecological system also continues to be threatened by destructive and illegal activities.

Black gold exploration surrounding the largest fresh water lake in the country as well as in Southeast Asia is another big and the hottest environmental issue today. Agence France-Presse (AFP) [6] reported on Friday, that Cambodia is set to begin searching for oil around the vast Tonle Sap lake despite concerns about potential environmental damage. It should be noted that Cambodia has been gripped by oil fever since the discovery of undersea oil reserves off the country's southern coast in 2005. Hundreds of millions of barrels of oil are thought to lay off-shore, raising hopes that it could help pull Cambodia out of poverty.

To sum up, as Japan changed from an agricultural society to an urbanized industrial power, much of its natural beauty was destroyed and defaced by overcrowding and industrial development. Human suffering and uninhabitable environment that Japan had ever faced in the past is a good experience to teach other nations not to follow. Nevertheless, as Cambodia wants to push for the development, this country is about to sacrifice its fragile ecological system and natural resources in an exchange for economic improvement. Will Cambodia fall in the foot step of Japan in term of environmental damage remains unknown.

Reference
[1] Cybriwsky, R. A., Duus, P., Haley, J. O., Katz, R., & Varlev, P. (2006). Japan. In Microsoft Student 2007 [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation.
[2] Sasaki, M. (1995). View of Today’s Japan. ALC.
[3] Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (Ed.). (2005). CDM for Cambodia (2nd ed.). Ministry of the Environment, Japan. Retrieved October 16, 2007, from http://www.iges.or.jp/en/cdm/pdf/countryguide/cambodia.pdf
[4] Khieu Muth (2000). Cambodia. 2000 Top News on Environment in Asia. Retrieved October 16, 2007, from http://www.iges.or.jp/en/pub/pdf/asia2000/full.pdf
[5] Chandler, D., & Rooney, D. F. (2006). Cambodia. In Microsoft Student 2007 [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation.
[6] AFP (2007, October 12). Cambodia 'set to probe for oil' despite environment worries. Agence France-Presse . Retrived October 16, 2007, from http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iDWu8uQKvc0wgWBIsT-TEHo4vwMQ

Introduction of handmade vegetable musical instruments

2008-05-07T02:07:00.002+09:00

I saw this clip, and i liked it very much. THis man is really talent in using vegetable as musical instruments.

Actually, he posted many video clips to demonstrate his skill. If you are interested, go to youtube and search for the title mentioned above.

Here is an example

http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/145174/knock_knock_its_the_fbi.html

2008-04-27T15:33:00.001+09:00

In Japan, i think FBI does not exist, but as this country is bounded by law, you maybe under-arrest by Japanese cops--all is about child porn and attracking pedophiles. For more detail, see the link below

http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/145174/knock_knock_its_the_fbi.html

By the way, i'm not sure it is true or not as i get this info from PCWorld web. Judge it by yourself. It's just a precaution to you all.

Veasna

PS: this link is not created by FBI to attrack pedophiles, so it is safe to click on it.... haha.... (this comment is for fun as you are not pedophile, i hope)

Beware those 'zero-calorie' labels

2008-04-23T12:31:00.002+09:00

TOKYO — Recently, yogurt, cola and other canned drinks labeled “Half-calorie,” “Calorie off” or “Zero calorie” have been selling well in supermarkets and convenience stores. The boom started early last year after a series of news reports on metabolic syndrome and other health problems related to obesity.

What should we do with obesity? Go on a diet? Ok, for me, I'll say "I'll be on a diet tomorrow."

So with misleading ad, most people think of low-calorie as an option. However, those items with labels claiming “XX% cut” don’t necessarily mean that. And a “Calorie zero” label does not mean that a drink contains zero calorie.

For more, visit http://www.japantoday.com/category/lifestyle/view/beware-no-calorie-and-zero-calorie-labels

Good luck to you all. Avoiding obesity so that you can live healthily ever-after (is it possible????). For me, "ASHITA, diet SHIMASU!"

Veasna

Want to Stay Warm in Winter? Think COLD

2007-12-12T22:15:00.000+09:00

Winter is coming. Are you ready?

Winter to me is snow and having fun activity such as skiing, making snow man, christmas and so forth. But cold weather can cause people to suffer frostbite and hypothemia. These can cause minor damage to your health and sometimes deadly.

Thus, you must be ready (esp. for those who just face winter for the first time). Think of COLD.
- C: Cover
- O: Overexertion
- L: Layers
- D: Dry

For full detail, visit http://voanews.com/specialenglish/2007-12-11-voa3.cfm

Have fun in winter season. Be safe.

Train in Cambodia

2007-10-02T20:23:00.000+09:00

Great Expectation

2007-09-29T12:03:00.000+09:00

Hi Visitors,

Right now i don't have many posts for you. Pls pay a visit next time.

By the way, just want to share ........... it is an exerted from a book called "Great Expectation"

Enjoy,

Veasna

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"Great Expectation"

It is a great human weakness to wish to be the same as our friends. If they are rich, we wish to be rich. If they are poor, then we don’t mind being equally poor. We are not ashamed of being stupid, we are only ashamed of being more stupid than our friends. It is a matter of comparison.

It is also a matter of expectation. We don’t miss things that we never expected to have. We are not disappointed at being poor if we never expected to be rich.

First Post

2007-09-28T13:17:00.000+09:00

It is a photo taken during Inuyama Seminar Trip (August 2008). These are all the members, but one didn't join, of Kawamura's lab for fiscal year 2007-08.