dots and chunks in the Pacific

Australia/Oceania Continent

In our geography class, we have studied different continents of the world, and among the continents, I did not know Oceania that much compared to Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Africa. In fact, back then, we have studied Australia as a continent but still its geographical extent as a continent was not that clear. All I know was that Australia is both a country and a continent in the Pacific region. I have been considering those little islands in the Pacific also. And in that case, where does New Zealand belong?

There was this so-called “Oceania”, but can that be considered a continent based on the traditional definition of the term? Things have been clearer when there is this so-called “Australia and Oceania” continent [1]. Although there are differing opinions on the scope of Oceania, I would like to stick to a definition that it is a region comprised of Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia [2]... Hey, they sound like continents too and then rhyming with Australasia. Huh, “Australasia”? Is that Australia and Asia combined? An encyclopedia [2] doesn't think so; Australasia is a region of South Pacific islands. In fact, it is something equivalent to “Australia and Oceania”, but the term is rather inexact according to another encyclopedia [3]. So, I would like to stick to the “Australia and Oceania” continent. According to [1], it is the smallest continent in the world, and definitely one of the most diverse considering its insular geography. We know a lot about Australia and New Zealand, economically superior countries, but we know less about Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia.

Micronesia

Aptly named as “Micronesia”, the region is located east of the Philippines, comprising of many small islands including a well-known U.S. territory, Guam. Although the term is sometimes used to refer exclusively to the Federated States of Micronesia, an independent nation; Micronesia is a region comprised of five independent nations and three U.S. territories [4]. The independent nations are Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, and the Federated States of Micronesia. The three U.S. territories are Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, and Wake Island.

Nauru is the world's third smallest country in terms of land area after Vatican City and Monaco. It became a territory of the German Empire, was occupied by the Japanese during World War II, and then became a United Nations trust territory under United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. Kiribati, on the other hand, was part of the English Empire (UK) before it gained its independence. Marshall Islands, Palau, and the Federated States of Micronesia were part of the Spanish East Indies under Spain, but later sold to the German Empire. During World War I, they were occupied by the Japanese, and then became part of the US trust territories before becoming independent nations.

In the case of U.S. Territories, Guam and Northern Mariana Islands were also under the Spanish East Indies. They geographically form the Mariana Islands. Guam ceded to the US, while the Northern Mariana Islands became part of the German Empire. They were both occupied by the Japanese; Northern Mariana Islands was occupied during World War I, while Guam was invaded during World War II. Both became U.S. territories afterwards. Wake Island, on the other hand, is considered to be one of the most isolated islands in the world, and different sightings of this island were reported before it was claimed by the U.S. It remained uninhabited by the early twentieth century, and it was only in 1935 that the first village was established. Currently, it is occupied by the military.

Melanesia

I have limited knowledge in the region of Melanesia. I have always thought that Melanesia is a geographical region comprising of small islands in the Pacific excluding the island of New Guinea. I was quite surprised to know that the whole island of New Guinea, comprised of the independent nation of Papua New Guinea and the West Papua region of Indonesia, is sometimes considered part of Melanesia. However, in most classifications, the West Papua region was not considered part of Oceania. One source [2] shows that Melanesia is a region that sometimes include the island of New Guinea. And according to [5], this inclusion is considered a cultural classification. However in [1], the Australia and Oceania continent includes the Papua New Guinea portion only, not the whole island. In this case, we can consider a geographical classification that excludes a portion of Melanesia being not part of the Australia and Oceania continent. Another option is sticking to the definition of Melanesia that excludes the island of New Guinea, and then considering Papua New Guinea as a separate region in this continent. Perhaps, this unofficially solves the ambiguity. After all, the typical definition of the term “continent” is not necessarily cultural.

So Melanesia as a region of the Australia and Oceania continent is typically comprised of the following independent nations: Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu; and the special collectivity of France: New Caledonia.

Fiji and Solomon Islands were formerly under the British rule. Vanuatu, on the other hand, was initially claimed by Spain as part of the Spanish East Indies; and later, the archipelago ceded to the joint management of France and Great Britain before it gained its independence. Papua New Guinea was formerly occupied by two world powers. The northern Papua New Guinea was ruled by Germany, while the southern portion was ruled by Great Britain. Britain transferred its territory later to Australia, and during World War I, the northern part was occupied by Australia. New Caledonia on the other hand is currently on the process of attaining independence from France.

Polynesia

Historically referred to as the “South Sea Islands”, Polynesia seemed to be a collection of culturally diverse islands because of its diverse colonial and political ties. However, just like Melanesia and Micronesia, the term is essentially cultural, and there are islands belonging to the region of Melanesia and Micronesia that are considered outliers because of the inhabitants' Polynesian traits. However, geographically speaking, Polynesia is defined by a “triangle” with endpoints found in Hawaii, New Zealand and Easter Island.

So what territories comprise the region of Polynesia? These are New Zealand, Hawaii, Easter Island, American Samoa, Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Niue, Norfolk Island, Pitcairn Islands, Samoa, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Wallis and Futuna, and Rotuma. The independent nations are New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga, and Tuvalu. Hawaii essentially belongs to the continent of North America, while Easter Island is part of Chile, so it belongs to the continent of South America. Cook Islands and Niue are self-governing states but they let New Zealand act on their behalf on international matters when requested. French Polynesia and Wallis and Futuna are collectivities of France, similar to New Caledonia. American Samoa is a U.S. territory; Norfolk Island is an Australian territory, while Pitcairn Islands is a British territory. Tokelau, on the other hand, is a territory of New Zealand, and Rotuma is a territory of Fiji. Polynesia is indeed diverse, politically speaking.

With Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia, the continent is such a diverse region in the world, not just represented by Australians and New Zealanders.

1 – http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/au.htm

2 – The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia™ Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press.

3 – World Encyclopedia 2005, Oxford University Press 2005.

4 – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

5 – http://www.britannica.com/place/Melanesia

the lake on a small island

A lake exists in the highlands of a small island.  Many have attempted to reach it, but most of them were discouraged by the very steep rocky slope.  Among the few people who have made it near its vicinity have to stay the night.  They have started climbing at dawn passing through the rain forest, and have reached it by the evening.  They have caught a glimpse of the placid waters.  They said it was stunning to see, but only a few have attempted to swim.  

One of those who have seen it had told us his experience the night before.  There were three of them camping at a narrow flat space surrounded by moss, ferns, and shrubs.  They were experienced in this type of trek and terrain, but by far this was the strangest.  It was a cold night.  There were floating little lights, fireflies they say, but it was more impressive because of different formations and colors.  Nobody played music but whispered songs filled the air.  It was the tricky dynamics of the wind they say.  One of them heard a whistle, but the other two didn't.  Another one said he saw the northern lights, but the others didn't.  He himself heard that the whispered songs became more eerie, but his other two companions didn't.  They remained still, more of stunned.  They didn't get any sleep that night.  He thought that probably they were just very tired, and their brains played tricks during that time.  It was by far their most challenging climb, and nothing from their previous experience came close.

Is this place haunted? Nobody knew for sure, but when morning came they drew the courage to climb some more.  Afterwards, they have nothing in their minds but to leave the place as soon as possible.  The water was deep and crystal blue, lighter shades on the shores but abruptly darker shades towards the center.

There were people who were not able to return though.  One of the climbers, a biologist, have told us that he lost his companion; his companion was an astronomer.  He was sentenced to life imprisonment because of the disappearance.  Another one was also sent to jail for the disappearance of a prolific musician.  Friendships were broken, and in the worst story that we have heard, four people were sent to jail for the alleged crime of conspiracy.

Indeed bizarre.  Perhaps bringing the worst from the justice system.  These cases brought our attention to this lake.  Going there was heavily regulated now, but many people still attempt to climb the challenging slope.  However, everyone is no longer allowed to dive into the lake.

We were able to talk to two people whose life were changed by that lake on a small island.

CASE 1: 

Before the astronomer disappeared, the biologist have told us that the astronomer swam through the lake, and he looked really happy for doing so.  He kept on talking about seeing many stars, the solar system, the Andromeda galaxy, and all that stuff.  In fact, he might have seen the entire universe.

The biologist knew that this astronomer was very healthy especially when it comes to the brain, but having heard those words from him seemed to challenge his perception.  He asked if he was okay, and then the biologist insisted that they leave soon.  The astronomer said that he wanted another dive, one last dive.  He wanted the universe for himself, engulf himself with infinity once more.  So the biologist left him in the lake in order to pack things up in the camp, a decision that became his biggest regret.

After waiting for more than half an hour, he went back to the lake, but his companion was nowhere to be found.  He must have drowned.  His heart beat faster.  He dove into the water, and he got dizzy.  He could not find the body for he was seeing different things.  The lake was very rich in marine life.  It was indeed heaven for biologists.  But why?  Nobody published anything about the lake's ecosystem.  This must be shared to the scientific world.

Despite the beautiful marine life, he remembered his companion.  Where is he?  He went out of the water very exhausted.  He dove several times, but he cannot find any trace of him.  He failed.  He was a good swimmer; it was such a blow.  He cannot stay another night in that place alone.

CASE 2: 

Around three days after the trek in CASE 1, a musician with a mountaineer companion went to see the lake.  The musician heard some rumors about the whispered songs, and he was intrigued to get some inspiration for his next composition.  He will be composing the music of a horror movie.  The mountaineer remained in the camp to avoid intervening with the artist's business.  The musician himself was a good swimmer so there were no worries.

Around lunch time, the musician went back to the camp feeling elated with the inspirations that he got.  He swam in the lake.  According to him, this spot was indeed a hidden treasure. He hummed an impromptu composition.  The mountaineer being a fan of some classical music identified the original tune to be something in-line with Mozart, Bach, and the likes.  It was an instant classic, though far from being scary for he should be composing for a horror film.  He remembered the musician telling him that the tune will be his secret composition, and that the mountaineer should have paid him for having the extraordinary privilege to enjoy it.  The mountaineer agreed, but it was really something priceless worth sharing to everyone.

After the meal, the musician returned to the lake.  At around 3 PM, he still hasn't returned yet.  The mountaineer became worried.  They should be going down before that time.  Unfortunately, after several attempts to recover his body, he gave up.  Despite the biggest blow in his career, he said that diving into that lake was easily the best experience in his lifetime.

CASE 1 and CASE 2 ended up in jail.  However, they seemed to have moved on.  Losing their careers did not deter them from dreaming.  In fact, they have inspired many people in jail.  We thought that they were innocent.  And we thought that the lake was not an extraordinary mystery; for the world and this life is far more mysterious than the lake itself.

information

The universe is full of information, and information processing has something to do with the change of information.  By extension, information processing actually describes the changes in the universe, and a major component is the transformation of information.  An example of this is the transformation of the image perceived by the human eye to its storage in the brain through the nerve impulses.  If one intends to contribute to the knowledge in this area, then information processing as a study area can be considered as a natural science.

In the current times, we have the artificial counterpart of information transformation when the observer of the information is a computer instead of a human.  In the context of computers, an example is the transformation of an image into a machine code that contains the symbols 0 and 1.  In this case, the role of computers in studying information processes, both natural and artificial, cannot be disregarded.  In fact, computing as a study area includes studies that try to understand information processes.  This area is interesting and unique since it can involve everything about the universe and may touch different study fields.

For those who would like to "conquer" the universe, this endeavor has never been the same.

the mouse and the ninja

thoughts about American and Japanese animated films

Two of the countries where the animation industry flourishes are Japan and the US.  For those who watch a lot of films coming from these two countries may recognize striking differences.  First thing that may come to your mind is the cultural aspect, but aside from this, we also get to notice the artistic and technical differences.

photo credit: dennis.pope85  "Ratatouille" (from flickr: license - no changes) 

US animated films have unprecedented technical achievements in 3D, led by Pixar Animation Studio.  Some of the remarkable ones are 'The Incredibles', 'WALL-E' and 'Toy Story 3'.  Because of 3D, we notice the visual realism in terms of the environment and the characters.  Take for example the movie 'Ratatouille'; we almost experienced the real Paris and rural France visually.  For those who have seen the animated films of the 1990's, apart from the technical achievements, we also get to notice the aesthetics; the most remarkable of them is the music, mostly found in Walt Disney animated films.  We also have popular songs coming from these films.  In terms of the story - the stories are mostly good - the issues tackled in the film are typically candy-coated and softened versions.  One of the reasons is that animated films in the US are intended to be universally appealing, and the top target viewers are children.  Hence, we get to see a lot of "cute" characters such as 'Nemo' and 'Wall-E'.

photo credit: Alejandro Molina B   "Wall-E" (from flickr: license - no changes)

Maxstew7's Cosplay Photography (flickr: license - edited)

In the case of Japan, for those who have seen feature-length films aside from the usual anime series, one may have experienced 're-thinking' of the animation genre.  Of course, Japanese animated films also appeal to the younger audiences, but they have themes that can be appreciated more by adults.  Unlike US animated films, they tend to tackle mature themes and complex story lines that are usually depicted in live-action films.  Take for example 'The Millennium Actress' and 'Grave of the Fireflies'.  If you have seen these films, you might have adjusted your thinking about the animation genre.  The spectrum of themes is wider when compared to its American counterpart.  Stories may range from ordinary daily life, take 'My Neighbor Totoro' as an example, to the fantastic depiction of the environment and the characters, as examples we have 'Spirited Away' and 'Howl's Moving Castle'.

photo credit: markheybo    (flickr: license - edited)

Technically speaking, Japanese animation is characterized mostly by hand-drawn style; 3D is also used but mainly intended to artistically enhance the hand-drawn effect.  We see this in 'The Secret World of Arrietty', which is one of the most visually stunning animations around.  American animation also uses the traditional hand-drawn style but since the past decade, it has resorted mainly to the 3D medium.  The case for Japanese animation is different; it is still mainly hand-drawn.  Given that Japan has also the technology and capability to do 3D, I think the reason is artistic; and because of that, the films did have a classic effect, relative to the current popularity of 3D movies, which is mostly achieved by Studio Ghibli.  A recent example is 'The Tale of Princess Kaguya'.  Instead of taking the technically progressive direction, we get to see sketch-like and simple rendering of the story.  However, from the artistic point of view, the film is in no way inferior to the more technically advanced animated films.