Let's get philsophical
You say "How deep?" I say "How deep do you wanna get?"
It's a little weird living here in Japan. I feel like a child sometimes but, worse. I have the mind of an adult and 29 years of information and experience under my belt, (and no I am not bragging because it ain't all that much!) But I have to have my wife translate just about everything. Don't get me wrong I am VERY GRATEFUL FOR ALL HER HELP. I would have freaked out about 2 weeks ago without her help. But I can't even order food without her help. I have a better understanding about how a baby feels helpless and useless. I know that the longer I am here the better my Japanese will get but I also know that it will take time before that happens.
The odd thing is how when people speak it seems like I am listening to a CD. I can tune out people without even thinking about it. I am sure that once I have a better grasp on Japanese I will be able to hear and listen to anyone talk and I can also tune them out if I want. (Insert evil chuckle here)
Some random thoughts on Japan:
The beer here sucks,(not to offend those who drinks Coors and Coors light) but dude, it's like sugar water.
Most people on a crowded train give me more personal space than their fellow countrymen. And I love it!
Most little kids are afraid to make eye contact with me. I catch them looking at me from the corner of my eye, and when I look at them, they freak.
Most high school kids are afraid to make eye contact with me. (see above random thought for reason)
Most old people are afraid.......well you get the picture.
The "june bugs" here are the size of humming birds, no I'm serious, don't laugh.
There are only like 12 channels on TV, total, and they all look like those Mexican varaity programs on Telemundo back home. Lots of flashy sets and lots of people laughing and acting foolish.
My father-in-law and his mother STILL can not pronounce my name correctly!
I have eaten more rice in my first two weeks here, than I have in my entire life before Japan.
You MUST shower BEFORE you can take a bath.
The bathtub is 3 and half feet deep.
I saw a guy on the train that had eyebrows so thick it looked like caterpillars were asleep on his forehead.
Japanese style toilets have no where to sit, you have to squat. And many Japanese restrooms have no toilet paper, its B.Y.O.T.P. (Bring your own toilet paper)
At every major train station there are these ladies that hand out little packets of tissue with ads for stuff on them. Maybe that's why they don't have TP in the restrooms......?
A lot of people hang towels around their necks, to have something to wipe the sweat away, but they all remind me of the hip hop artist Fat Joe (who also has a towel around his neck all the time) so I am constantly chuckling to myself.
Everything here and I mean EVERYTHING, is cute.
See you all in a couple of days........does anyone else hear that song "I think I'm turning Japanese." playing in the background or is it just me.....?
posted by DrewMartinez @ 4:30 AM
1 Comments:
Drew,
I know you from SLO, Hitomi worked with my wife Yasuko at Sakura. You are going thru a lot of changes, I see myself 25 years ago.
Be careful about what tissues you pick up, matches you find on the sidewalk, etc, a lot of times they are from less than, well lets say respectable sources which make for awkward family moments.
You seem to be getting a pretty good idea of what is happening, but there are places where you kind of miss the point. One, the high school students are not trying to be cool. The students you have are taught in school to listen, take notes and not make waves. Many Japanese think that foreign students are too rude and too noisy. Your job is to get them to talk. Even a little. You'll get the hang of it. Just remember that a conversation English teacher is more entertainer than teacher. It makes the job easier.
If you ask your students what they did on the week-end, most of them will say that they watched TV and slept. They actually do a lot more than that, but that is the easiest answer they know how to come up with.
Advice! Don't lose your wallet or keys in the toilet! (A good shoulder bag is a pretty wise investment.
If you care to write, my e mail is hepkess@hotmail.com. You will be running up against some pretty formidable barriers over there, if you need help, drop me a line.
Get into a Japanese class ASAP, good start is Japanese for Busy People. Don't even look at a book that says "Instant Japanese", "Japanese in Two Weeks", etc. I lived there so long I didn't feel American anymore. When I return, I am going to go right into another class. I have forgotton so much it isn't funny, and if I hadn't forgotten whay I did, I'd still have to keep studying.
The best advice I ever gave anyone was, "If you don't know what to do in Japan, think about what you would do in the USA. Then do the opposite." (from Kessler's rules of surviving Japan.
Good Luck!
Tony Kessler
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