大学生とお母さんとお弁当

   So, one of the differences I've noticed between American university students and Japanese university students began with lunch...in particular, the bento box. When I first saw everyone with their lunchboxes, I thought they were really good cooks and was super impressed at all the delicious things they could make. I soon found out, though, that it wasn't the students who were making these amazing lunches, but their mothers. This was really shocking to me because, in America, mothers do not make school lunches for their children everyday. To admit that your mother made your lunchbox would be really embarrassing in my country, but in Japan it seems to be the norm. I know that a person is not technically considered to be an adult until they are 20-years-old, but even American high school students would be embarrassed to have their lunches made by their mothers.
   I understand that this may build the relationship between a mother and her child, but this mother/child relationship is a little foreign to me. I love my mother a whole lot, and she loves me dearly; however, I (and most other university students in America) would hate to be dependent upon our mothers for lunch everyday. While it's nice to know that my mother cares for me, and it would be convenient for me if she made my lunch, I value my independence more than a free meal.
    However, if one of the Japanese students wanted to share the bento their mother made with me, that would be okay! =P

War and Peace

Today's main topic concerning war and whether or not humanity can hope to obtain sustained peace was really interesting. The discussion began by talking about whether or not the Nagasaki War Museum changed our perspectives on the use of nuclear weapons (specifically) and on war (in general). I answered that, no, it did not really change my perspective on nuclear weapons because I had already decided to take a stance against them before, but it did strengthen my resolve to renounce the use of such weapons. This is actually a pretty new position for me. Only recently have I switched my view on nuclear weapons. As soon as last year I would have been all for using the atom bomb to end WWII. I grew up with the belief that the bombs did mass destruction but helped saved more lives by ending the war. However, I have recently changed that belief. Now I feel that such mass chaos and destruction can never be justified. The ends cannot always justify the means. I also think this is the mindset of more and more American college students now. The trip to the museum helped strengthen this opinion for me.

The conversation then switched to whether or not we feel peace can be reached. As a Christian, I am a really optimistic person (which my friends will attest to); however, I believe that humans will be naturally bad. Afterall, no one has to teach a child to be bad (per contra, you have to teach them to be good). Because of this, I don't feel that we, as humans, will ever reach a utopian society where there is no war. If this were possible, I feel we would have reached it long before. That being said, I do believe we can make progress and make greater strides towards obtaining longer periods of peace. I think globalization has helped this a lot. When you have the ability to put a name and a face to the people in a different area, you will be less inclined to do them harm, I think, or at least will think twice about the ramifications. Plus, I think countries will usually (of course there will always be exceptions) be less inclined to do something bad if they know their wrongdoing will be plastered allover the news stations in other countries.

So, to summarize: I am a recent convert to the disuse of nuclear weapons, I don't believe we will ever reach a state of sustained peace, but I believe we can make progress.