| Going home |
[Dec. 14th, 2007|08:25 am] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | Tokyo, Japan | ] |
| [ | mood |
| |  sad | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Yuki Kajira - Noir OST | ] |
Well, I wasn't originally going to make a post about this, but I just read Jen's goodbye to her grad school life and thought it would be fitting for me to do something along the same lines.
I'm leaving tomorrow. I get on a plane tomorrow afternoon at 5:20, travel for close to 16 hours, and then land in Dallas at 5:40. Seems like an awfully roundabout way to spend twenty minutes, doesn't it? I really wish I could stay here for the holiday. I've got a great life, great friends, I'm really happy, I'm learning something interesting and applicable to my situation, and for all of those reasons I'm coming back next year. Going to America for three weeks is a bummer, though, because it signals the end of a lot of things. Not everyone in my class is coming back next semester. A few are going to work, some are going to their home countries, and I'm not sure what the others are doing because I don't care about them. I've met some really great people here, and it sucks to see them leave. I just hope that I'll meet up with them someday in the future.
Now, all of that being said, I don't know that I would have a better time here than I would at home for Christmas. If I'd had to stay, I'd probably be complaining right now about how depressing it would be to spend another Christmas in Japan. Last year's dinner at Wendy's in Kyoto didn't really cut it. I don't dread going back to the States as much as I used to, but I'm really, really looking forward to coming back. So things aren't really officially over quite yet, at least. Good luck, Jen. Let's just hope that my stalker doesn't track you down now that he's read your name in one of my posts on here.
I guess that's just about it. Don't really know why I wrote this. It seems pretty pointless, but I'm tired so I think I'll wrap things up.
stu |
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| Same old same old |
[Dec. 2nd, 2007|05:10 am] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | Tokyo | ] |
| [ | mood |
| | artistic | ] |
| [ | music |
| | The New Pornographers - The Jessica Numbers | ] |
Well, thanks to my Australian stalker I'm pretty cautious about what kind of stuff I put on here. I really wish that some people had better things to do...
Things here have been the same as ever lately. Not much to report. Lately we've been going to an izakaya (Basically the Japanese version of a pub.) on Friday nights, which has been a blast. I know I gave the Mexican girl in my class a hard time, but she's actually a lot of fun. There's a Chinese guy who sits next to her - I don't want to post names, due largely to Mr. Stalker, so we'll call him Joe - who's one of those guys who never really got out much. You can tell from the way he talks in an death-warmed-over monotone and from the way he totally disrespects women while holding himself on a pedestal. He's kind of a mama's boy, I guess, really soft and secure in the fact that he'll inherit daddy's business someday. There's only one person in the class who'll talk to him - we'll call her Latina, once again due to Mr. Stalker - and the two have known each other for about eight months now.
We did an exercise in class where you were supposed to tell everybody where the person sitting next to you is from. He said that Latina was from Germany. Freakin' Germany! She got really angry and the rest of the class started laughing. "I'm from Mexico!" she screamed.
Joe started sensing that he was in hot water, so he pointed to the guy next to me, who's from BRAZIL, and said, "Sorry, I got you mixed up with him." Not making things easier on yourself there, Joe. And I'm sure that he comes to class every day wondering why he doesn't have any friends.
Oh, and I'm pretty sure that the other guy sitting next to me (The one not from Brazil) is having a breakdown or something. He's gonna snap soon. I just hope that he can wait a couple of weeks until I get back to the States.
stu |
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| Subwaaaaaay too crowded |
[Nov. 21st, 2007|07:48 am] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | Tokyo | ] |
| [ | mood |
| |  blank | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Dave Matthews - Where Are You Going | ] |
I'm sure that you've heard of the infamous Tokyo subway system. All of the stories are true. Men wearing white gloves shove people onto train cars packed enough to make it seem like sardines have it easy. Businessmen, in too much of a rush to wait for the next train, literally push their way onto the car, with little or no regard for human life. Well, OK. Nobody actually dies, but everybody wants to. This is my morning commute.
The woman in front of me is pressed up against me so hard that I can tell when she sighs and yawns from the surge of her ribcage. I can actually feel her heartbeat. I'm standing back-to-back with the man behind me. I can feel his buttcheeks clench with every rock of the train. The man to my right exhales rhythmically and slowly; just another day at the office for him, I guess. No rapidity in his breathing. You'll find that everything on the train in the morning, from the linebacker-esque plow into the car - already brimming over - to the mannequin-like stare of the passengers, is professional and impersonal. It's an attempt to retain one's individuality while literally becoming part of a mass that moves and acts as one. There's an elbow resting on my left shoulder from someone grabbing a handle overhead. Ahead of me, leaning against the doors of the train with a surgical mask pulled across his face, a man snores while standing. It's really nothing like anything that you'd find in the States. The buttcheeks man behind me exudes a stifling, oppressive heat that soaks through my hoodie. When the doors open the autumn air is a blessing.
Situations like this can really make a person understand why the Japanese are so skinny. There's such a premium for space here that being obese can be looked at as little more than being selfish. What right does anybody have to take up the space of two or three people? If this were America, only half of the people would be able to get onto a car. Health becomes more of a consideration issue than anything else. It's all part of the mindset, I guess.
I take the Yamanote Line to school. It's notorious for being something that Dante would have written about. The trains are a quarter-mile long, and each one is filled with people. One comes approximately every three minutes. Perhaps this gives you an idea of the incredible population of Tokyo. It's really insane, when you think about it. But maybe that's why I like it so much.
Good thing Friday's a national holiday.
stu |
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| sleepy time |
[Nov. 12th, 2007|09:29 am] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | Tokyo | ] |
| [ | mood |
| |  tired | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Portishead - Strangers | ] |
Why am I so tired all of the time? Friday night I slept for about 11 hours - after that hellish week - and then took a three and a half hour nap on Saturday before going to bed early. Then I slept for nine hours Saturday night. Sunday I only got about five or so hours, but that should be enough to get me through a day. Nope. I passed out in the study room at school at around 2:00 before catching a train home. I slept on the train, too, and took an hour-long nap when I got back. Should I be worried?
It's now half-past midnight, so I'd better hit the sack. Got worlds to conquer tomorrow, but I'll tell you all about the infamous Tokyo subway system next time.
stu |
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| No news |
[Nov. 6th, 2007|08:28 am] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | Tokyo | ] |
| [ | mood |
| | tired | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Iwasaki Taku - Robin | ] |
I thought about posting news about my future plans and whatnot, but I opted not to for a couple of reasons. First, my plans just changed - not drastically, but there were some significant tweaks. Second, I appear to have acquired an Internet stalker of sorts, so I'll just stick to posting funny and impersonal things.
Tokyo's still great. This week has been tough (Quiz, test, quiz, all on consecutive days ending tomorrow.), so I've been kind of stressed, but the skies should clear soon. I'm healthier than I've been in a long time, my weight's stabilized, and I come home just about every night pumped about what a great day I had. The usual questions still lurk in the back of my mind, though: Am I wasting my time? Is this three month period really geared toward some larger, long term goal? What if I change my mind a year down the line and realize that I've wasted two to three years of my 20's devoting myself to something that won't pay off? Am I pigeonholing myself by learning Japanese when I could be getting another, more useful degree back home?
I'm assuming that these thoughts cross everybody's mind at some time or other, though. Sometimes the only answer is to shut your eyes, hold your breath, and jump. I guess that the bottom line is that I'm doing something that I enjoy, and I'm not sitting on my ass back in the States collecting dust. And that's a good thing.
stu |
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| Last time I go to bed early |
[Oct. 31st, 2007|06:19 am] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | Tokyo | ] |
| [ | mood |
| | tired | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Chevelle - Send the Pain Below | ] |
This week has been pretty killer, as has been every week here in Tokyo. I'm having a hell of a good time, but I've got so much work to do, what with studying and applying for jobs, etc. Typically when I'm this busy I have to sacrifice something to give myself extra time, and typically this something happens to be sleep. I've been hitting the sack way too late this week, and as a result I've been pretty ungodly tired. I decided to give myself a break last night and hit the hay early.
I woke up today on my own feeling wonderfully refreshed, which could only mean one thing: I slept through class. I started panicking because I didn't call in sick and I had to give a report on weddings in America today. I started to run through the usual excuses: bleeding uncontrollably... my dog ate my alarm clock... I woke up in Omaha for some weird reason... hobos attacked me on the train...
Then I got pissed off wondering what could have happened. Was it my fault? Did I turn the alarm on my phone off when I was half asleep and forget about it? Did I turn my phone off before I went to sleep? Did it malfunction? Did I just not wake up? Should I be pissed off at myself for having done something stupid, or should I be angry at my phone for screwing me over? I figured that all of my questions would be answered once I got up and got on my way to class, however late I was. How late was I, by the way?
I picked up my phone and took a look at the clock: 7:20. My alarm was set for 7:25. Turns out that going to bed early only meant waking up panicked because I felt so refreshed the next morning. Who'd have thought that I would actually prefer being tired? Still angry, at myself, I decided, I rolled over and took a five minute principle/anger nap. I made it to class on time, after all.
stu
P.S. Next time: my near future and upcoming major decisions. |
|
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| Another final goodbye |
[Oct. 23rd, 2007|09:27 am] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | Tokyo | ] |
| [ | mood |
| | Bye Karen! | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Thursday - Counting 5-4-3-2-1 | ] |
I met some Aussie friends for dinner tonight. Karen, my good friend from Tsu, and her siblings came to Tokyo to do some sightseeing and say goodbye. It was really great to see her again. She's hilarious. Her brother and sister are pretty funny, too, coincidentally. They hate the aborigines. Here are some jokes:
Q: Why do the alcoholics in Australia puke in the gutter?
A: So the Aborigines can have breakfast in bed.
They call the Aborigines Boongs because, apparently, that's the sound that they make when your car hits them.
Q: What's the difference between a dead kangaroo in the road and a dead Boong in the road?
A: There are skid marks in front of the kangaroo.
Hope that this has been enlightening.
stu |
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| This is my least favorite part of posting |
[Oct. 21st, 2007|08:31 am] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | Tokyo | ] |
| [ | mood |
| |  frustrated | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Camera Obscura - Lloyd, I'm Ready to be Heartbroken | ] |
So the Mexican chick who got angry at me... I had just finished class last week and was going to lunch with a couple of classmates, one from China and one from Mexico. For one reason or another, the subject of the weather came up, and I said that I thought that Mexico was a hot country. You know, because Texas is hot and Mexico is farther south. Toward the Equator. Ish. The girl from Mexico informed me that this was not, indeed, the case. The weather in her hometown, she said, was like this (mild and partly cloudy) all year round, that summers weren't hot and winters weren't cold. Sounds like central California (or am I mistaken about that, too?). "Oh," I say, "well I did not know that. This has been an informative and delightful conversation, and I am a more educated man and better off for having taken part in it."
Then, the next day during break, she gets out a world map and shows it to me. "Look," she says (imagine a spicy Latina accent here), "here is America (points), here is Mexico (points), and here is the Equator (points)." I realize my mistake! The Equator is nowhere near Mexico or where she grew up! How silly of me (Mexico's still farther south, though, and pretty damn hot as far as I'm concerned. I've been to Cancun.)! She continues: "And here is the Tropic of Cancer."
Ok, this is where I get kind of puzzled. The Equator thing wasn't her main point? "And you know that everything north of the Tropic of Cancer, not just America and Canada, is considered North America, right?" I didn't have the heart to tell her that everything north of the Panama Canal is North America, so I nod.
"Wow," I said, "I did not know that."
"So," she says (and this is where I can't remember so well because what follows is so crazy), "even though there are cultural and political boundaries, (hints about Americans being pompous and something about a mild climate)." And here's the kicker: "I can't believe you can graduate from an American University without knowing where North America is."
Makes me wish I'd called her out after all, but I just shrugged and mentioned something about being an English major. Why do some people like drama so much? Why do they get pissed off for no reason? I thought that such people only existed on the Internets, but I guess I was naive. My roommates last year were like that. HOW DO WE STOP THESE PEOPLE FROM BREEDING!!!!!!!!
stu |
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|
| ??? |
[Oct. 19th, 2007|04:23 am] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | Tokyo | ] |
| [ | mood |
| | blah | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Band of Horses - Funeral | ] |
Ah, Tokyo's been great so far. I've got a cold, but it should clear up by Monday or so. It kept me from going to class today, which wasn't good, but coming down with it right before the weekend is decent timing. Tokyo's a much different experience from the small town I lived in last year. There are similarities, though. For example, people still stare at me and random strangers still try to strike up a conversation before realizing that they have nothing to say and that we have absolutely nothing in common before an awkward silence ensues.
I've found that strange foreigners come up to me, as well. Maybe people in Tokyo get really lonely? Anyway, this guy named Jason approached me in the street one night. I was in Shibuya, doing some shopping and running some errands at the time. He came from behind me and said, "You look lost. Need any help?" I asked him where a certain restaurant was, and it soon became painfully clear that he had no idea how to get around and spoke zero Japanese. Turns out he'd only been here three weeks. Maybe a comparison would help you understand why I thought that this was so strange:
Hobo: Excuse me, but you look pretty down on your luck. May I offer you some money?
Me: Fuck yeah! I never turn down free money!
Hobo: Well, actually I'm a hobo, so I don't have any money, but would you like to be my friend?
Me: ???
Hobo: Does that mean yes?
Then the hobo would proceed to follow me around, demonstrate how inept he was at keeping up a conversation, and give me absolutely no indication that he had been raised in the presence of other human beings or had left his mom's basement in the thirty years prior to speaking to me. Now, Jason was no hobo, but our relationship was initiated by a dishonest offer and therefore doomed to end within three hours. I let him tag along while I bought a textbook and a CD, then ditched him in Tower Records and hightailed it to T.G.I. Friday's. My Unstoppable Ninja Skills gained while living here paid off, it looks like. I've seen neither hide no hair of him since, and I'd like to keep it that way.
I do feel kind of bad about it, but the guy seemed like he just got off the assembly line at the Fruitcake Factory and I don't get paid to be somebody's friend for the night. I don't get paid at all, actually. I only spend the money that I saved from last year.
On another, unrelated note, I made the mistake of using a urinal at a train station the other night. A another man stepped up to a urinal two stalls down while I was doing what one does at such a place and did something kind of off-putting. He looked over, saw that I was a foreigner, and LEANED OVER TO LOOK AT MY JUNK. This isn't a subtle peek out of the corner of his eye. He was actually on one foot, head turned, eyes the size of dinner plates, well into the territory of the stall next to me. The sad thing about this is that I was uncomfortable only in retrospect. After living here for 14 months, visiting public baths, using urinals, etc. I've become really desensitized. I don't want to give the impression that most of, or even a significant portion of, the Japanese population is like this, but it happens more often than it should.
I'd tell you about some of the good things that have happened, but those aren't as awkward or as funny. Rest assured, though, that I've been having a good time, much better than last year.
stu
P.S. Next time I'll tell you about the girl from Mexico in my Japanese class who got mad at me for no reason. |
|
|
| Back in Japan |
[Oct. 2nd, 2007|03:52 am] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | Tokyo | ] |
| [ | mood |
| |  content | ] |
| [ | music |
| | The Fiery Furnaces - Benton Harbor Blues | ] |
Ok, my journal says that it's been a while since I've posted. Something like four months now? Sorry about that. I tend to push a lot of stuff to the side when I'm depressed, and last year was very, very, very depressing. Stuff's cool now, though. I've got a new life in a new situation and I'm liking it a lot.
Some catch-up for the past few months. I finished up teaching English in the small town I was in, and have since moved to a much bigger city (Tokyo). I went home around mid-August for about five weeks and came back out to Japan to study the language at a language school out here. I live in Matsudo and take a 45 minute commute by train to class, which starts on October 9th. It's really beautiful here. There's a running path along the river that goes all the way to the ocean (12 miles). Only thing is I didn't bring my running shoes. Life here is good enough to make me consider moving out for a year or two to go to school and teach English. I'll talk to the family about it and see what my options are regarding employment when I go back to Texas in the middle of December.
And now, some life plans. I'm going to school out here to try to get really good at the language. If I can get really good at Japanese it'll open up quite a few doors for me professionally, as far as I can tell. It would help me get into business school, I think, and even if it doesn't I could always work for an international company handling administrative affairs and translating. Translation alone could net me over 100,000 buxxx a year, so it's a really solid backup plan if I don't get into school.
Now, there's an annual language test out here called the JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test). You have to pass level 1 in order to go to college out here, and if I did that it would prove that I'm fluent in the language. I still have a long (LONG) way to go, but I'm getting there. It'll take another year to 18 months for me to get to that level, so wish me luck.
Anyway, hope things are going well with everybody. Have a good one.
stu |
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| A quickie |
[May. 16th, 2007|07:49 am] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | Tsu, Japan | ] |
| [ | mood |
| | tired | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Calexico - Guero Canelo | ] |
Here's a quick update from the badlands. For those of you who are new to Dr. McNinja, it's a scintillating webcomic about a ninja who also happens to be a doctor... or is it the other way around? Oh, well, it's great either way. For those of you who always wanted to see zombies vs. gorillas:
http://drmcninja.com/page.php?pageNum=16&issue=8
Enjoy.
stu |
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| Vacation |
[Apr. 28th, 2007|11:10 am] |
Saturday night:
caliban95 (10:47:15 AM): im so drunk
Keltahna (10:47:36 AM): Man, what is it with people only talking to me when I'm drunk?
Keltahna (10:47:43 AM): Or they're drunk, I mean
caliban95 (10:48:27 AM): i dunno
caliban95 (10:48:31 AM): but the rooms spinning
caliban95 (10:48:34 AM): an d i have to pack
caliban95 (10:48:39 AM): leaving for tokyo tomorrow
Keltahna (10:48:56 AM): Exciting!
caliban95 (10:49:14 AM): yeah b ut im trunk
caliban95 (10:49:31 AM): what the fuck
caliban95 (10:49:35 AM): i cant see straight
Keltahna (10:50:0 AM): Drink water
caliban95 (10:50:41 AM): there was this hot chick at the bar tonight
caliban95 (10:50:45 AM): with her boyfriend!
caliban95 (10:50:52 AM): lifee sucks
caliban95 (10:51:8 AM): she was totally checkinf mw out
Keltahna (10:51:26 AM): I'm sorry
caliban95 (10:51:39 AM): ND THE MAVERICKS ARE LOSING
caliban95 (10:51:47 AM): dorry got the caps
caliban95 (10:52:35 AM): and i have to wake up at 930
Keltahna (10:52:37 AM): It's okay
Keltahna (10:52:39 AM): you're drunk
Keltahna (10:52:41 AM): well go to bed
caliban95 (10:52:51 AM): i am rudunks
caliban95 (10:53:25 AM): wheres my gf?
caliban95 (10:53:27 AM): oh yeah
caliban95 (10:53:31 AM): WE BROKE UP
caliban95 (10:53:41 AM): guhhh
caliban95 (10:56:10 AM): and im falling alseep
caliban95 (10:59:21 AM): oh well
caliban95 (10:59:25 AM): at least this happened
caliban95 (10:59:29 AM): http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/04/28/prehistoric.camel.ap/index.html
caliban95 (10:59:35 AM): thqanks cnn
caliban95 (10:59:42 AM): for your insightful rsporting
caliban95 (11:00:2 AM): life fucking blows ass
Keltahna (11:00:10 AM): Go to bed
caliban95 (11:00:26 AM): ok
caliban95 (11:00:44 AM): ill be in toijyo for wrerek
caliban95 (11:00:57 AM): ill talk to you in may
Keltahna (11:02:27 AM): Okay
Keltahna (11:02:30 AM): Have fuN!
caliban95 (11:04:34 AM): ok
caliban95 (11:04:39 AM): night
Keltahna (11:05:29 AM): good night
See you in a week.
stu |
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| Long time no see |
[Mar. 13th, 2007|01:06 pm] |
Epilogue:
The Sex Club is, I found out, not single. Well, the Portuguese guy was, but the other two are married, and have been for some time. Curiouser and curiouser.
Some random stories:
I won poker. So far I've netted about $350, which isn't bad. I've lost close to that, but oh well. There's something to be said for breaking even.
My kids were playing UNO the other day when one of the girls dropped a +4 and +5 on one of the boys. He screamed, "You die and go to hell!" at her. I was pretty amused.
Well, I'm tired. Sorry it's been so long, but I've been stressed about a few things and didn't really think that other people (Mike) actually read this thing anymore. I'll try to post more later?
stu |
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| ROFL |
[Feb. 4th, 2007|09:43 am] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | Tsu, Japan | ] |
| [ | mood |
| | tired | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Ozma - Domino Effect | ] |
Yesterday I checked out another bar in town. It's called Bazooka, kind of a strange name for an establishment in the middle of a country town in Japan. It's a coop, run by college students and known for cheap drinks. I went there alone not expecting much, but had a really good time. The bartenders were all medical students who spoke decent English and were more than willing to help me with my Japanese. About half an hour into my tenure at this particular bar a group of fifteen nurses walked in. It was a class reunion of young, attractive women, a white dude in Japan's dream.
A little after they came in, a group of three white dudes entered. They introduced themselves as Wallaby, Kangaroo, and Keiko (traditionally a woman's name in Japan), the self-proclaimed sex club of Tsu. Watching them go to work on the party of nurses was something straight out of SNL. They sat at their table yelling things to the group of women in the other room.
Them: We're single! Send the single women over!
Nurses: *silence*
The men were from Portugal, Canada, and Australia. The Canadian had been in Japan for three years, the Australian for twelve. They had to move around, they said, because they kept having sex with all of the women in the towns they were at. They had a bad reputation in Tsu, from what they told me.
I started having a conversation with the Portuguese guy. It went like this:
Me: So, you been in any bullfights (Portugal's famous for bullfighting)?
Portugal: Well, actually no, but my hometown's known for bullfighting. Where's the chick with the fuck-me boots on?
Canada: Yeah, bullfights! (To the nurses) I've got a big cock!
P: In Spain they kill the bulls, but in Portugal we let them live.
Australia: Yeah, you kill the bulls in the bedroom! Get it? They're women! I meant women!
C: Yeah, stab 'em deep! Haha!
A: Look at the ass on that one! I'd like to stab that bull deep!
Me: Where's your hometown?
A: (To the bartenders) Which chick's the hottest?
Bartenders: *awkward stare*
Etc, etc.
(This account, by the way, is 100% accurate and went on for about another half an hour. I'm not making any of it up. They convinced one of the girls to come over and grabbed her ass, whereupon she returned to her group.)
After a few minutes I decided that I'd had enough of their company so without saying anything I took my bag over to the bar and talked to the bartenders again. I explained that the men over there weren't American, and that I was sorry that they had to put up with them. The Sex Gods left a few minutes later and I chilled with the bartenders and one of the nurses for the rest of the night. All in all, it was a fun experience.
I don't understand foreigners like that, though. Weird guys, huh.
stu |
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| News and reflections |
[Jan. 14th, 2007|08:08 am] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | Tsu, Japan | ] |
| [ | mood |
| |  drunk | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Buddha Bar IV: Comme Toi | ] |
I just got back from dinner at a student's house. He's kind of a kooky old bird. The food was great, but he kept refilling my plate so that I ate too much and drank (way) too much. He gets kind of touchy feely when he's drunk, so that was kind of a problem. When you factor in the fact that he insisted that I spend the night at his house, it was a little strange. I'm having sushi with him next month.
I was remembering some things about vacation that might interest the royal you. We went skiing with a man named Mie-chan. Mie-chan is obese. I don't mean obese by Japanese standards (the people here are ultra thin) either. The dude is a mess. A mound of flesh that doesn't do a whole lot aside from smoking and eating. I was talking to him, and he said that the doctor told him to trim down. "I have a choice," he said. "I can exercise, or I can eat. I like exercising, but I love eating." He came on the trip with his son Kent.
On the first day of the trip we got our gear and were ready to go up the ski lift. My boss looked around, "Where's Mie-chan?" he asked, and the search began. Someone finally called his cell phone. "Where is he?" my boss asked again.
"He went to the coffee shop and got lunch," came the reply. Bear in mind that we'd just finished breakfast. How could you let your son see you like that? How can a son respect a father like that?
Good question. I think that the story behind his son's name gives a good explanation. He's named Kent after the brand of cigarettes. He named his son after a freaking cigarette brand! "That is a horrible parent!" my boss commented. "I think that must be a crime!" The kid, meanwhile, refers to the pack of cigarettes nearby as his brother. This can be a messed up country.
Mie-chan, incidentally, is an excellent skier.
stu |
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| My bad |
[Jan. 10th, 2007|09:55 am] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | Tsu, Japan | ] |
| [ | mood |
| | tired | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Coheed and Cambria - Welcome Home | ] |
Well, well, well everybody! Long time no see! I just got back from Christmas break, during which I visited LowellBattles in Kyoto. There's too much to tell about, so I'll just do a couple of highlights.
I went to my first Japanese public bath! I'm pretty sure that I'm the only person I know who can say he's bathed with his boss. It was surprisingly not as awkward as I'd thought, and the water was really nice. I'm thinking about going to one nearby this weekend if I can find some free time. I'll just give you a rundown of the onsen experience in case you ever find yourself going to one.
Step 1: Go into a changing room and strip down completely. Prison style.
Step 2: Go into bath room. Lining the far wall will be showers. Sit on shower stool and shower that shit.
Step 3: Rinse and repeat.
Step 4: Make your way to the bath. If you're having trouble, it's the place where the naked men/women have gathered.
Step 5: Dip on in! Careful, though! It's really hot, like almost unbearable at first, and you can't stay inside for very long.
When I got out of the bath I was really dizzy, like having to support myself on walls dizzy. I slowly made my way back to the changing room and proceeded to dry off. I toweled off my hair and looked down to see this Japanese boy, who couldn't have been more than a year old, staring up at me, eyes wide open and jaw dropped. I just started laughing. His dad looked at him and said, "What's wrong? Are you shy?"
The other highlight was meeting these two Korean girls who were studying abroad in Osaka. I don't speak Korean and they don't speak English, but we communicated in Japanese. We talked for about half an hour on a bus to the train station at Kyoto when we had to go our separate ways. Right before I left they asked if they could take a picture with me. That was one of my biggest celebrity moments in this country. I said that I'd be happy to, and they whipped out their camera phone. We exchanged email addresses and I'll (hopefully) get the pictures from them soon. I'll drop them a line at my convenience.
Anyway, I'll put more of these tidbits up as they come to me. In the meantime, happy new year and stay out of trouble,
stu |
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| Merry Christmas! |
[Dec. 23rd, 2006|10:41 am] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | Tsu, Japan | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Tears for Fears - Shout | ] |
I know that nobody's exactly losing sleep over my lack of updates, but I'm leaving town tomorrow and I'll be gone for a while. So, until the 30th at earliest, Merry Christmas!
stu |
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| Caution: Bleeds When Pricked |
[Dec. 2nd, 2006|09:54 am] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | Tsu, Japan | ] |
| [ | mood |
| | exhausted | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Daniel Cage - The First Time | ] |
The other day I made a bet with my boss's wife. We're going to Nagoya to see kabuki this weekend, and her son hadn't made up his mind as to whether or not he was going. She asked me what I thought, and I asked if she wanted to make a wager. We bet a can of coffee, with me saying that he was coming and her saying that he wasn't. Alas, even my luck runs out sometimes. She told me yesterday that I had, indeed, lost the contest. Her son was staying in Tsu.
Now, I work every other Saturday. I was at the computer, checking my mail between classes, when my boss walked in. He said, in Japanese, "Yeah, Arata's coming to Nagoya tomorrow." I thought I'd misunderstood and looked at his wife. She was returning a glare that was more furious than Hulk Hogan on a coke trip. I guess that she hates losing.
Boss's wife: This is the first bet I've made in my life! I thought I'd at least have beginners luck.
Me: Well, you messed with the best. (In Japanese) Yeah, I got you! I got you good! Don't bring that trash 'round here!
Boss's wife: I really regret teaching you how to say that.
And that was today's big adventure. Well, that and chipping a tooth. I'm still not sure how it happened, though. Sorry I can't give more. I'm hella tired.
stu |
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| ??? |
[Nov. 25th, 2006|10:27 am] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | Tsu, Japan | ] |
| [ | mood |
| | tired | ] |
| [ | music |
| | O-Zone - Numa Numa (English version) | ] |
Here's an excerpt of a conversation between my boss and his wife:
Boss: Should I turn off the TV?
Wife: I have to go the bathroom.
Now this is where you're supposed to say, "What the hell?" You're absolutely right. It turns out that, even after you've memorized all of the Japanese vocabulary and grammar that you'd ever possibly need you'd need a way to translate the Japanese mentality, too. This country's pretty Western, but there are some things that just don't make any sense to me and never will. (His wife meant, "Yes," by the way.) This scares the crap out of me at work. The worst thing about the Japanese penchant for indirectness is that I never know if I'm doing a good job or not. They've got killer poker faces. Here's an example of a theoretical conversation at a Japanese McDonald's drive through, compliments of Az over at gaijinsmash.net:
Clerk: Welcome! How may I help you?
Man: Ah, today is a lovely day, isn't it? And I'm really hungry.
Clerk: How many?
Man: Well, there are four people in my car, but my wife is kind of small and kids are too young to be ingesting so much grease.
Clerk: Right. So that'll be one Big Mac set, one Double Cheeseburger set, and two kids meals, with one oolong tea, one Hi-C, and two Orange Juices, one without ice.
Kid: Dad, he forgot!
Man: Ah, I see. So, I was thinking about Plato the other day...
Clerk: I'm so sorry! And two Apple Pies. To go. Please drive to the window.
I can't begin to explain how true this is. He really hit the nail on the head here.
Anyway, I'll leave you with this for now. Hope things are going well,
stu |
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| Happy Thanksgiving!!! |
[Nov. 23rd, 2006|10:17 am] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | tsu, Japan | ] |
| [ | mood |
| | refreshed | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Coheed and Cambria - God Send Conspirator | ] |
My Thanksgiving ended a little over an hour ago. The roommate went to Nagoya for the day with his Peruvian girlfriend, while my other coworker went to Kyoto with a couple of students. That leaves me all alone for the day, which isn't as bad as it sounds. I woke up at around 1, watched some pirated TV, and went to McDonald's. One bad thing about Japan, which I knew before coming over here, is that it's hard to blend in. Children in line looked at me, fascinated. A group of schoolgirls stole glances at me while I was eating. The other day some high schoolers from St. Joseph's, a local Catholic school, actually ran after me while I was riding my bike. So, in conclusion, this makes me really self conscious when I eat. I always wipe my mouth with a napkin, make sure that I'm not chewing too loudly, etc. You know that a country's messed up when I'm the epitome of everything that they consider attractive in a man. I should've gone to high school here. How come I never had this kind of luck in the States? I'm not just a body. I have a mind, too. I swear. I just choose not to use it sometimes.
After McD's I went to dinner with my boss, his wife, his kids, and a family friend we're going skiing with over Christmas break. It was really fun. The kids really like anime and manga, and are continually surprised by my extensive knowledge of the subject. Just another one of those things that's flip flopped over here. In the States I'd be considered a nerd for knowing about stuff like that. Overall, I'd say that the day wasn't too bad. It's not the same as back home, but it'll do. There's always next year, after all.
And, because I have nothing more to add, here's an article about panda porn:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,231578,00.html
stu |
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