Author Archives: Hisayo

A loneliness definition

"Loneliness doesn't come from not having people around, but from not being able to communicate things that are important to you."Carl Gustav JungFilm Hiroshima mon amour (1959) by Alain Resnais

Posted by Chaotic Cinema on Saturday, July 8, 2017

From Chaotic Cinema post on their Facebook July 8, 2017

“だからひとりが好き”- so, I like being alone

It might be opposite from promoting to talk to stranger for connecting people.  But changing or accepting “it is OK to be alone” by society makes people feel less lonely.

「だからひとりが好き」 (“so, I like being alone” in English translation by me) whose subtitle is 「ひとりは社会を強くする」(“being alone makes society strong” in English translated by me) is the Huffpost Japan’s project.  They open Facebook community for everyone to post and share her/his experience or opinion.

People in Multicultural Diversity Regions are Disengaged?

From just casual conversation about “loneliness” about Vancouver with people I met in volunteer places, a several people told me “people are polite and nice in Vancouver, but the relationship does not go further.”  They are immigrated in Vancouver, one from Iran and one from America.

Yesterday, when I talked with my neighbor who is also immigrant mentioned about Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community, the book written by Robert D. Putnam.  Also, the neighbor passed the article from the Vancouver Sun below:

Ethnic diversity's 'inconvenient truths'

My question is that because of the multiculturalism or urban environment affects people be disengaged in their community.   I am interested in the comparison with Germany, for example, Berlin where is considered as a multicultural urban city, and Japan, for example, Tokyo a relatively mono-cultural urban city.

I recognized that Vancouver is a young and fast growing city.  There are a lot of new comers from all over the world.  I imagined that new immigrants put more effort to engage neighbors and their communities no matter how their ethnics are different.  Networking with neighbors and communities are important to survive, especially, people decide to live for long-term.  Putnam’s study seems a different perspective than my own.   I need to look into it, and might find an interesting view.

http://www.amnation.com/vfr/archives/008152.html

Human Library

The video below is one of the evidence that a stranger has potentials to engage community.

Even though I volunteered PuSh Festival in 2017, I missed “Human Library”.

Program guide at PuSh 2017: https://pushfestival.ca/shows/festival-2017/human-library-3/

Zee Zee Theatre Company: http://zeezeetheatre.ca/2016-2017/human-library/

One Audio – March 30, 2017

Today, I stopped by the Hillcrest Centre around 5pm. The centre has not only sports facilities but also a public library (Terry Salman Branch)

There were children and mothers and grandparents who were waiting for kids to finish their classes.

I got one decline from an Asian mother and one acceptance from an European mother, who has been here long time.

Female age 40-50 European Immigrant

It is an interesting that people talk more after the interview.

Today’s interviewee said she is too busy to seek new friends (social connection) because she has family, work, and existing friends.  She needs own time.  Actually, the 30 minutes when I was interviewing her is the only time to spend by herself and read a news.

Also, she was mentioning it might be the life time, 20’s and senior (after children leave the house), when people struggle with loneliness; in the 20’s to find out who they are, and in senior to find purpose of life.

In addition she mentioned that the weather (rainy winter) is hard to go out to meet people in Vancouver.

Today’s approach

  • Instead of using the word “loneliness” I started to use “social isolation.”
  • First she was not comfortable the fact I would record our conversation.  So, I just told her that I would not ask her name.

Questions:

  • What is the definition of loneliness for you?
  • Have you ever had the experience?  What did you learn from that?
  • What is the solution? and more detail.

No luck on March 29, 2017

I approached two parents (I assumed), one male and one female, at a public park in the residence area in Vancouver.  Each them has two children.  However, both of them declined my interview requests about loneliness.

I may change the way of approach.

Three audios – UBC on campus – March 5, 2017

I interviewed at the Student Union Building and the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre library at the University of British Columbia with the questions below:

  1. What is loneliness?
  2. When do you feel lonely?
  3. How do you solve the loneliness?

Exchange Male 3rd Yr UK Student

International Female 4th Yr Chinese Student

Local Male 3rd Yr Asian Local Student