yokoso hiroshima!

Translation Practice Continues...

2012-01-15T20:41:00.002+09:00

My year of translation is continuing. I've been invited to do some article translations for a website. Aside from the mountain of words and phrases that I'm unfamiliar with, I've had some problems getting used to the site interface.

Considering that many companies ask for people that are familiar with translation software, I downloaded a free translation tool called Omega T.

...Despite a lot of time looking up *how* to use it, I still can't figure it out.
I can't download dictionaries, and I'm not exactly sure where I should be going to download one.

So many new things to learn this year...

Girls' Generation moves 1 million units

2012-01-13T01:08:00.002+09:00

The June 1, 2011 self-titled first Japanese album by 9-member kpop group Girls' Generation reached 1 million units on the 11th of this month.
This is a first for a Korean artist since Boa's "Listen to My Heart" (1.29 million units), Boa's "Valenti" (1.4 million units) and Boa's "Best of Soul" (1.2 million units).
It's also a first for a Korean group to reach the million mark in Japan.

Sales included the original album released last June, and the repackaged album released on December 28 of last year.

While repackaged albums are unknown in Japan, they are common in South Korea which doesn't release singles. A repackaged album includes additional recordings and new packaging and features, put out as "Limited first release", "Limited release" and "regular". The combination of these three helped Girls' Generation hit the one million mark.

Japanese Documentary Films the Real Jang Geun-Seok

2012-01-12T00:49:00.003+09:00

Korean Wave star, Jang Geun Seok is the star of a Fuji TV documentary, "Becoming a Prince of the World! The Real Jang Geun Seok." Cameras followed the 24 year old from October to December of last year. He is currently a university student, and gave cameras a tour of his home, university campus and other areas of his personal life, in scenes shown for the first time in Japan.
Particularly shocking was how he continued filming while on intravenous drip in October after his Japan arena tour concert at Saitama Arena.

The documentary will be aired on Fuji TV on January 13 from 1:05am-2:05am)

WiMAX to become available in Tokyo subways

2012-01-12T00:03:00.003+09:00

[this year is the year of coding it seems. i am also trying to learn a lot this year. but, since i'm still unemployed, i figured i'd try my hand at my own year: "the year of translation". my goal is to translate a few articles from japanese or korean into english. i need to become a better, faster translator. i guess it won't happen within the job market. *sigh*]

On December 26, 2011, UQ Communications launched its WiMAX service in and around Otemachi Station on the Toei Subway Mita Line. Construction at Otemachi began on November 28, 2011. Along with UQ's WiMAX, one can also use other MVNOs' (mobile virtual network operators') WiMAX services in and around the station.

UQ has five WiMAX base transceiver stations in operation around Otemachi Station; three situated near ticket gates, two on the station platform. While the former three offer WiMAX around the ticket gate area, the latter two on the platform are situated so that they send radiowaves towards Shinbocho Station and Hibiya Station; allowing WiMAX usability in part of the subway tunnels.

UQ is continuing construction on base transceiver stations on stations along the Mita Line. They expect to have service for Shinbocho Station ready by the end of this month, with Hibiya Station following in late-February. When competed, users should expect to be able to use WiMAX in the subway tunnels between Otemachi and Shinbocho Stations and Otemachi and Hibiya Stations.

After the Mita Line, UQ is looking to expand service to the Toei Asakusa Line, Toei Shinjuku Line and Toei Oedo Line within this year. Aside from the Tokyo Metro Area, expect to see WiMAX services coming to major subway lines in the Chubu, Kansai and other areas throughout Japan.

job searching and interviewing in japan...a post

2011-12-19T22:52:00.002+09:00

I never updated regularly, but at least for the past few months I can say that it's because I've been doing the job search.

If you're searching for a job in Japan, you may want to check out Hello Work.
Hello Work is Japan's employment agency. Registration is mandatory if you want to receive unemployment benefits. But, if you want to go to your local Hello Work and search for work or get advise from the staff, you should register, too.

Online, Hello Work's address is: www.hellowork.go.jp
If you scroll down and click on 求人情報検索, you can enter (in Japanese) your age and other things to help narrow your search.

The Japan Times Jobs page and Gaijin Pot also offer services in English. You should register at both to send off a resume.

SO.

In October, I applied to a company...Company A through the Japan Times Jobs site.
They replied and asked for a "real" resume (Japanese resume and Shokumu-keireki-sho), and after receiving my documents they asked me to Tokyo for an interview.
I did make the trip to Tokyo...using the overnight bus.

The first stage interviews were spread over two days. When I arrived, there were about 12 - 14 other people there to be interviewed. We were given a brief introduction of the company then divided into groups of 4.

I was a part of the first group of four to be interviewed. The four of us were led to a large meeting room and seated in front of SIX interviewers.
Each of them took turns asking us questions:
- Please introduce yourself
- What did was your previous job?
- Tell us about a weakness and strength
etc

For the most part, the questions were not all that different from ones that you might get in the US. The biggest difference is the group interview.
As the only foreigner for that day's interview, I was asked questions like "Why did I study Japanese?" and "What do you like about Japan?"

As I see it, the first stage interview is one to judge whether or not you're friendly and whether or not the interviewers would like to work with you.

After the interview, we were given personality tests. Carl Jung personality tests in Japanese!

And that was it. Everything took about 2.5 - 3 hours.

I returned to Hiroshima and checked my mail to find a call back to the second interview! w00t, another night bus to Tokyo...!

This time we were asked to introduce one of the company's products in Japanese within 1 minute. There were three of us interviewed at a time and eight interviewers. Oh, and an "eikaiwa" portion of the interview.
Again, they asked us to introduce ourselves and asked a variety of questions related to how we work with others and our personal philosophies, etc.

When the group interview finished, we were led to a separate room and asked to write a paper (in Japanese, of course) on how to link customer perception of the product to increase sales. Even in English this topic would be near to impossible for me to write. I could picture a fuzzy answer in my mind, but, I didn't have the skills (in English or Japanese) to put my vision to words.

I wrote half a page in Japanese and the latter half in English as a translation...I added some shady drawings to deflect from my obvious lack of knowledge in the business arena.

For the last interview of the day, I was led back to the interview room to have a "private" interview. This one was three interviewers v. me, and was set up as a way to have a relaxed chat with the interviewers and ask them any questions you might have.

While there were three interviewers, only one did most of the talking. He focused mostly on whether or not I could read Japanese and function in a Japanese company because, "We have an American guy here, but he's caused some problems by not asking questions". I tried to reassure them that I was used to working with Japanese people in Japanese and that I got along with my co-workers well.

When the interview finished, I knew that I didn't get the job, and the rejection letter later that night put the nail in the coffin.
So, where did I go wrong?

First, I was and am a total newb to interviews. I've spent a huge amount of time pouring over interview techniques on the internet, and some of the questions they asked were ones that I'd seen online. I also made the mistake of thinking that activities from university, part-time jobs, study abroad, etc were not relevant.

Japanese resumes have a special paper for part-time work. Study abroad isn't something you'd include on a resume either. I made the mistake of thinking that the interviewers weren't interested in such stories and that all of that stuff was just normal.

Finally, I made the mistake of thinking that something totally obvious was totally obvious to the interviewers. In the US, if a Japanese person came to an interview and said "I used English at my US workplace. I also used Windows in English and wrote reports in English." the interviewer'd think that the Japanese person was deliberately messing with them.
In Japan, you MUST tell your interviewer obvious stuff like that.

So, in short:
- talk about how well you work with your co-workers/how well you work in groups
- talk about how you enjoy living in japan/you like japanese people
- talk about how you used japanese everyday. that you can use japanese WORD. that you've passed the highest level of JLPT. that you shit kanji.
- talk about your burning desire to learn more and that you're always looking to improve yourself.
- get job at japanese company

the tax bill

2011-10-20T22:52:00.003+09:00

i've been unemployed since my contract ended in august.
while many people are fortunate to finish their contracts with a fat sum of money, i was unable to join their ranks.
i did make a good dent into my university loans, however.

since i want to improve my japanese (and korean if i can), i've decided to stay on in japan and look for employment here.

i thought that i would be set until at least the end of the year, when on october 2, i was presented with a city & prefectural tax bill.
an amount to the tune of 130,000 yen (about $1,600US).

since i know that city, prefectural, insurance and other taxes are taken from my monthly pay, i went to the ward tax office to see what was up.

apparently, all of that money taken from my paychecks for the past five years, were paying for the previous years. the woman at the ward office said that i had to pay for H22 (heisei 22 = 2010) taxes.

needless to say, i got into a big fight with her about it and went to consult with my former supervisors and co-workers.
they replied with, "huh...oh...OH YEAH! yeah, that happens to japanese people, too when they lose their jobs."

the woman at the ward office gave this explanation:
"when you were working, your company (city hall) broke your tax obligation into 12 payments and took it from your paycheck. whatever you paid this year was paying for H22. now that you have no job, you're responsible for the payments yourself."

cold, eh?

moreover, she continued, "don't you have savings? pay it from your savings."
i have no savings.
"no savings, are you getting unemployment? take it from that."

what a cold-hearted bitch.

just a heads up for anyone thinking that they'd like to stay in japan after their work contract is over.
and this year, H23? if i stay in japan next year, i'm apparently responsible for that, too.
job or no job.

"How to Find a Happy Marriage" Oct. 2011 with pt2

2011-10-17T21:15:00.002+09:00

Sorry for the wait! Here comes part two. There's still a lot to cover. I'll probably end up skipping over some parts.
As I wrote before, with is a Japanese magazine targeted at young women in their 20s.
Picking up where I left off, readers comments about various areas of their boyfriend's lives...

I don't know why the font was so off in the previous post. For as long as I've had blogger, I really don't understand it.

Only 0.8% of men are "above average"?!
The more conditions you have, the further away from your ideal you become

There are many women that lament that they cannot even find a "regular" man to be with. Nishiguchi has the following to say; "In most cases, when someone says they want a 'regular' partner, they haven't yet thought about what marriage life might be like. When I ask for more details about the average person, I get this laundry list of conditions."

"For example, only 1/2 of men have an above average income. If you have 7 'above average' conditions, then that's 1/2 x 1/2 x 1/2 ...multiply that by 7 and you get just o.8%".

Choose a partner that meets your values, don't be pressured by society

You're going to be left with high hopes if you have lots of conditions for a partner, but continue to say that 'regular' is fine. If you hold onto that ideal, you'll never find a partner. "The more someone cares about what their friends and those around them think, the more likely they are to have lined up a bunch of conditions. Before focusing on various requirements, spend some time thinking about what would make you satisfied when you get married."

Less Than 1/4 of Japanese Men Make Over 4 million* yen a Year!
In response to the question, "What's the yearly income you want your partner to have?", more than half of our readers answered, "More than 4 million yen".
However, data shows that even within the Tokyo Metropolitan Area, only 23% of men of marriageable age have a yearly income of 4 million yen or more!

Nishiguchi- It's rare for a young man to have a high income. Your salary goes up after middle age. There's nothing 'regular' about 4 million yen a year!

Ishikawa- Men's salaries are also going down. Don't just focus on his income. Look at your combined income and your choices for partners will open up.

Yearly income for single men (25-34) in the Tokyo Metro Area
Less than 2million yen*/year: 33.8%
2million to 4million yen/year: 43.2%
4million to 6million yen/year: 19.5%
over 6million yen/year: 3.5%

Men with an income of over 4 million yen a year make up just 23%!

with questionnaire: What do you want your partner's income to be?
It doesn't matter/less than 2million yen/year: 7.2%
2 million to 4 million yen/year: 40.1%
4 million to 6 million yen/year: 44.1%
over 6 million yen/year: 8.6%

52.7% of respondents want someone who makes more than 4 million yen/year!

*If you think of 100 yen as equal to $1US, then 4 million yen is $40,000.
The income results were based on a report published in 2002...which probably means that these are statistics from 2001 at the least.

From what I've seen, most jobs for university graduates go from 160,000 yen/month to 210,000yen a month ($1,600 to $2,100/month). This is *BEFORE* taxes are taken out.
Even if you can start out in the 200,000s/month, you'd be making about $25,000/year...again, before taxes.

To give an example of expenses in Hiroshima:
-rent (1 bedroom apartment with bathroom/kitchen): 35,000 to 65,000yen/month plus a deposit of up to 6 months rent and a fee of up to 1 million yen to the landlord
- electricity: average of 3,000 yen/month (based on me)
- gas: average of 3,000 yen/month (again, based on me)
- water: 3,200 yen every other month
- internet: 5,000 yen/month (wireless)
- cell phone: 5,000 yen/month
- food: 40,000 yen/month

just the above, with the cheaper rent will eat up most of your paycheck. if you have a car, you're paying 30,000 yen a month for parking (if you don't have your own home with a parking space).
if you have to commute by train, that's 15,000 yen or more a month.

If you just want to get by, less than 3 million a year could be doable...if you are debit free.
If you want to have room to take a vacation some time, 3 to 4 million is ok.
If you want to get married and start a family, more than 4 million is good (imo).

More to come later! I've met with some serious stuff lately, so writing on blogger is and even lower priority m(_ _)m

"How to Find a Happy Marriage" Oct. 2011 with

2011-10-02T22:43:00.003+09:00

i've slowly been making my way through an article in a women's magazine about marriage.
the magazine is called "with", and the target audience seems to be women in their 20s who are working professional or semi-professional jobs.

the bulk of the magazine contained examples of this fall's "it" items, clothing that looks fashionable for work, hair/make-up tips, etc.

the article i'm going through has two commentators, a male (nishiguchi) and a female (ichikawa) who deal with couples' issues.

interestingly enough, the image that starts off the article is a white couple kissing at their wedding...surrounded by cheering manga characters.
without further ado, i present....

(pg1)
How to Find a Happy Marriage
Have we entered an era where it’s now “normal” to be unable to marry?

We all yearn for a “happy marriage”, but, you won’t find true happiness by lining up a bunch of conditions for your partner and standing by idly, waiting for your prince charming to come! What does “happiness” mean to you? Let’s take the time to carefully think this over once more!!

I want a happy marriage, but...

By 2030, the percentage of women who have never been married will rise to over 20 percent.

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare estimates that by 2030, 23% of females will have never been married. Does this mean that 20 years from now, we’ll see the advent of a generation where one in four women has never been married by age 50?!

Only 0.8% of men are “normal”?!

While you may say, “I’m not setting my hopes high, I just want a normal partner.”, did you know that only 0.8% of the men in the world are “normal”??

(pg 2)
I can't find a "normal husband"?!

Your conditions for a partner are too harsh!

You may be telling yourself that a normal guy is fine, but after you’ve added up all of your requirements, you’ll find that the guy you want is far from average. You’re then left with a narrow pool of people to choose from. Perhaps the way you go about choosing a partner is wrong?

He’s a good guy, but…

I can’t marry my boyfriend if I have these gripes and concerns!!

Many of our readers are fine with their boyfriend’s personality, but there’s just that one thing that’s preventing them from taking the marriage leap.

Occupation
Worried about his public image

“My boyfriend works at my company’s subsidiary company. It’s awkward to think that he might be by co-worker’s underling someday” (28, service).

“My boyfriend gave up his position as a permanent staff member at a company because he wanted freedom. I’m worried about the future and hesitate about marriage” (26, public servant).

Nishiguchi- We live in an era where even big corporations are unsteady. Rather than hang-ups on his occupation, look at his vitality.

Appearance
Looks are important

“Compared to my friend’s boyfriend, my boyfriend’s face is somewhat lacking. I wish he looked a bit cooler…” (24, clothing)

“His face looks older than his actual age. Everyone’s shocked when they learn his real age” (26, educator)

Nishiguchi- If you really don’t like his looks it can’t be helped. However, there’s no reason for your female friends or other people to complain about his appearance!

Clothing Sense
His street clothes leave me at a loss for words

“He looks so cool in a suit, but when I meet him on his days off, he’s dressed like my dad on his day off! I was so disappointed” (25, manufacturing)

“His clothing is so garish. The gap between my style and his is too big!” (23, sales)

Nishiguchi- You can revamp his clothes. Go shopping with him and point out the clothing that you like. If he is open to trying them on, there should be no problem.

Cleanliness
My boyfriend’s grubbiness makes me exhausted

“My boyfriend has a lot of worn out clothes with stains. He’s so indifferent to his personal appearance, I’m in a daze” (25, manufacturing).

“Clothing is strewn about my boyfriend’s room. If we got married, that’d be hard to deal with” (27, finance).

Nishiguchi- You can’t help it if it bothers you. But, you need to first clearly tell him what you’re thinking. You have hope with a boyfriend who’s willing to put in some effort.

Conversation
Is he listening to what I’m saying?

“He’s a good guy, but I always get the feeling that he’s just letting people’s conversations go in one ear and out the other” (24, planner)

“He has really serious conversations, which I can respect, but nothing he talks about is interesting” (26, sales)

Nishiguchi- It depends on the person, but, for the most part, guys are not good at listening to what women say. Make what you have to say brief.

Income
Can we live on what he makes?

"My boyfriend's salary is determined on an annual basis and based on his work results. With the current economic situation, I'm worried" (27, education)

"I really want to be a stay-at-home-mom. But based on my boyfriend's income, our lifestyle quality would be quite low" (26, manufacturing)

Nishiguchi- This is not the time to be relying on your partner's salary alone. Base your married life calculations on the assumption that you will continue to work.

Height
He's not going to get any taller...

"I'm 153cm (5'0), and I'm taller than my boyfriend when I put on heels. Everything else about him is great, though" (25, manufacturing)

"My friends think he looks like some kid that I'm taking care of" (26, health care)

Nishiguchi- This is another one of those things where you're totally wrapped up in what others are thinking and you need to check yourself. Throw out the vanity.

Education
Low education = stupid?!

"He graduated from a high school that had lower test scores than my own. Because his school was in the country, I feel that it's important to graduate from a good school" (22, sales)
(note, i'm not sure that i translated this correctly. the japanese is:
自分の高校よりも偏差値の低い高校出身。地方なので、世間体もあり出身校は大事)

"I can talk with him about anything, but, he's only graduated from high school. I graduated from uni. What would the bride/groom introductions at our wedding be like?" (25, office worker)

Nishiguchi- Level of education and intelligence are different. If he has other good points, don't get hung up over his level of education.

=====
that's it for tonight. more to come later!

musubi musashi

2011-09-07T23:36:00.004+09:00

tonight's dinner was musubi musashi, fruit and houji-cha!
musubi is "onigiri (rice ball)" in hiroshima-ben, and musubi musashi is a famous local eatery.

wakadori-musubi bento: 780yen (about USD10), fruit from fukuya department store: 399 yen (about USD5) and houji-cha from max-value: 78 yen (about $1). total: $16.

the bento box is made of wood. pretty neat! inside are 2 musubi, one is ume and the other is konbu (i think). 3 pieces of fried chicken. an orange slice. the red and white packet is filled with salt to sprinkle on top of your edamame and cabbage. finally, there's a small wiener in the upper right corner, and some tsukemono (pickled vegetables) to the left of the musubi to the top.

i don't know why this picture is here and not higher up. i don't know how to move pictures around on blogger... but, when you open the bento, you get a hand drawn map of hiroshima city + musubi musashi locations. the bento is closed with rubber bands and has an oshibori (hand wipe) and chopsticks.
this bento is the perfect size. you aren't left feeling stuffed, but you aren't wanting. if you wanted some ice cream or something afterwards, there's just enough space in your stomach to fit in a small scoop :9

the cut fruit isn't remarkable. but, the price is if you haven't lived in japan before.
honestly, i never bought much fruit when i lived in the US, but after i came to japan, i wished i had taken the time to eat more fruit when i was back home. haha
my boyfriend tells me that in japan, "no one eats a whole apple themselves. we cut it up and eat it with 2 or 3 other people." based on the size of fuji apples and their relative hardness?, i guess i wouldn't want to eat a whole apple either...

the inside of the bento wrapping includes some phrases in hiroshima-ben (leftside) with their "regular" japanese translations to the right. my boyfriend insists that most young people in hiroshima only use a few of those phrases, but, it's still fun to learn them!

trying something new...

2011-09-06T22:40:00.003+09:00

now that i'm unemployed, i figured that i'd seriously try to translate some articles in my free time.
i never got a lot of translation work in my previous job, so, i figure that this is the best way to practice translation while also keeping up with my japanese studies.

on a completely unrelated note, twix bars have made their way to japan!

so. happy!

so, i'm unemployed

2011-09-02T21:57:00.003+09:00

my contract finished in early august and i've been running around going to farewell parties, helping out the newbs, moving my stuff, going to city hall, etc etc.

july went by in a snap. the latter half of the month was spent cleaning out my apartment, which was an incredible feat.

now, i play the "look for a job" game. i've never done a *real* job search in my life...or what i would consider a "real" job search. ie- sending out resumes to more than 1 place and dealing with business-type people.

i'm afraid. very afraid.

coming to hiroshima in august?

2011-06-25T00:16:00.004+09:00

and it's gone!

successor & bb cream

2011-06-23T00:07:00.002+09:00

i know where my successor is coming from. ho ho ho~
actually i've known for over a month. i'm just waiting for the OK to contact him, yup, him.
and of course i can't contact him until i get his email address...

while i'm working on getting stuff ready for him, i've suddenly found myself with an interest in bb creams.

i don't wear make-up, but, i am fascinated by the claims that bb cream is similar to sunscreen.
or, at least that's what i've read.

i've tried 2 sample japanese ones, and i bought a korean one.
hopefully, if i can ever get around to it, i'll try to post something.

especially since there's not much info on bb creams for brown people.
with that said, i don't know how helpful someone who knows nothing about make-up could be to those who have been doing the make-up thing for years.

little under 2 months...

2011-06-15T23:30:00.002+09:00

...that's what i have left.
it seems like so little time. i'm going to miss my little 2DK apartment.
the past 2 years it has become more like "home". i won't worry about whether or not roaches are crawling in through my window, however.

now that most people know that my contract is up in august, i've started getting more requests for coffee or dinner.
i'm starting to feel the pressure.

of course i don't have a job lined up after this, so, i'm learning how to write a resume...in 3 different languages!
more on that later, if i remember.

every once and a while, i remember a passage from some book i read in high school about life in japan. this time, as i make preparations for our new co-worker, my mind wandered to kangei-kai (welcome parties).

the men, and almost all of them were men, who wrote these books spoke of "drinking parties" with co-workers. during these parties, the men were pressured to drink as much alcohol as possible and some were taken to scandalous bars. *gasp*

i have gone drinking with my co-workers, sometimes as a part of an official work party, sometimes part of a private party. it's true that you wouldn't invite your family members along to something like this, as one male writer wrote his confusion about. these events are for you and your co-workers to get to know each other better.
alcohol is flowing and, hopefully, you get to talk about hobbies and tv rather than work.

many people who come here to work seem to have this fear that they will be forced to drink. i've seen some questions about whether or not refusing alcohol is "rude" or "offensive".

no. it's not rude.
however, there's something said for "keeping appearances". this basically means that for the opening kampai, you hold a glass with beer or something with alcohol in it. you don't have to drink it. do the kampai, raise the glass to your lips, and then put it down. if someone asks why you're not drinking you can tell them whatever you want:
- i can't drink due to health problems
- i don't drink for religious reasons
- i don't like alcohol
- etc.

nomi-houdai (all-you-can-drink) usually comes with a group course meal. they also serve non-alcoholic drinks. please don't make a scene before/during/after about being taken to a nomi-houdai event when you don't drink.

for some smaller events, older people may insist that you order a drink. but this is "katachi de", for appearances. just order it and let it sit there. if you don't mind alcohol, but don't want to drink a lot, just sip it slowly.

these parties are time for co-worker bonding. they are different from office parties in the US where couples are invited to mingle. if you have a significant other, and that person *must* come to an office-related event, wait to call them out to the ni-ji-kai (after party).

your co-workers can't force you to drink or eat anything that you don't like. a big? part of japanese culture is centered around finishing everything you've been offered. but, don't feel pressured. if you want to try something new, go for it.
taking a chance might just endear your co-workers to you...

hanage no onna, rough thoughts...

2011-04-30T00:48:00.004+09:00

"Hagane no Onna" is a drama that came out last year, I think.
The tv company decided to make a second season which just debuted this week, I think...

In short, it's a drama/story about a righteous woman who becomes a elementary school teacher. Last year's drama charged through various classroom issues like bullying, "monster parents" and unscrupulous educators. Our main character "Hagane" (her nickname) dishes out wisdom like it's candy, and eventually wins over her unruly elementary school class.

This season looks to be more of the same, with most of the former cast returning, including the children.

I admit that I didn't catch the beginning of this season's episode.
What to say. There was fail all around.

To kick off the season, we are presented with a "foreign" girl named Tao. She was born in Japan, but, unlike America, Japanese citizenship is only given to the children of Japanese citizens. This girl's parents entered the country illegally and had been working in a factory. They were soldout by a Japanese co-worker, however, their Japan-born daughter was allowed to finish her year of school before being "sent back" to their fictional country of Selvania.

This story seems to be based on Noriko Calderon's story. Noriko's parents illegally immigrated to Japan and gave birth to her some time later. Her parents lived in Japan for over 10 years, and Noriko was about to enter middle school when immigration found her parents and started deportation proceedings. Noriko, spoke only Japanese at home, and with the help of a lawyer was granted permission to stay in Japan to finish her schooling (which in Japan means that when she graduates middle school, she's gotta go).

So, the girl Tao, ends up in Hagane's class. Her parents have been deported, or only her dad...or she's living with a relative...I didn't see that part.
The way they made the girl playing Tao look "foreign" was by crimping her hair, giving her thick eyebrows and unfashionable clothing.
Tao, decides that since she's only at the school for a little bit, that she's not going to try and make friends. On the way to school, she's met with cold stares from people in the neighborhood. During class a group of protestors shows up in front of the school to shout "Deport the illegal!", "Criminal!" and "Get out of Japan!". Another group of students decide to bully her. The kids go to a bookstore, steal manga and plant it in her desk.

Apparently this speeds up her deportation proceedings after the media is contacted.

Did I mention that her apartment is spray painted and she comes home every day to fliers posted on her door decrying illegals?

Hagane tries to reach out to the girl to give her good memories before she has to leave. She is eventually able to convince the class to accept her, and the girl starts to make friends.
Unfortunately, just as she starts leading a normal life, her deportation date is getting closer.

Her newfound group of pals barricade the hallway to the classroom when they get wind of immi's plan to pull her out or school and deport her. As the kids are fighting, Hagane is making her way back to school after taking a weekend sabbatical to Tao's impoverished homeland.
Immi breaks through the 4th graders' barrier and lots of screaming and crying ensue. Just in the nick of time, Hagane shows up to calm the kids and tell them about her trip to Tao's "homeland".

Instead of giving immi the finger and "saving" Tao, Hagane instead tells the kids that even though Tao's homeland is impoverished, even though children literally are living above garbage dumps, that there is hope and she believes Tao will be fine. Why? Because there's a school.

Tao smiles at her classmates, thanks them for their kindness, and calmly walks off with the government officials.
Her classmates, go from being sad at her leaving, to running behind her car calling happily after her.

In the span of 5 minutes, everything is resolved, and for the remainder of the show, we hear not a word about Tao or immigration issues.

This is the type of glossing over of social issues that I hate.
Tao is constantly referred to as an "illegal" and told to go back to "her" country. Her country is Japan. I guess as an American watching this, it seems painfully obvious that Tao is not a foreigner and that she belongs in Japan. Instead of exploring why people immigrate to Japan, or the issues of discrimination faced by minorities...or even the ass-backwardness of Japan's laws, the show takes the easy way out.

Of course, American tv shows aren't known for their indepth analysis of minorities, foreigners or immigration issues.

I was curious as to the Japanese reaction to the show, so I went on a search of Japanese-language materials. Most of what I found were simple re-caps of the episode with no commentary, for or against, the Tao character.
However, when I did find blogs or posts (2channel) that touched on the immigration issue, there was a strong minority that voiced their displeasure of the show and this topic.

Some of the comments were: (my translation)
"Illegal is illegal. Deport."
"America let's in immigrants, and look at that country. No one has respect for ancestors there."
"This show is anti-Japanese. The foreigners were the ones that were wrong."
"Kick out the Koreans"
"If you don't like Japan, leave"
"I bet this was written by zainichi koreans"
"Foreigners were the first to leave Japan after the earthquake"
"Kids from Fukushima are being bullied, who cares about this story when real people are in trouble"

Just thinking about what people in Japan or anywhere think about foreigners or immigrants makes my head hurt. At the core of every argument is fear; fear of people who are different from you, fear of people who look different from you, fear of people who speak a different language.

Am I wrong to assume that the people who fear immigration are the ones who also don't have a job or are not satisfied with they job they have and are lashing out at an easy target?

dating in japan

2011-04-26T00:28:00.003+09:00

My blog has no rhyme or reason. I apologize to anyone that reads it. My mind wanders a lot.

This time it's wandered over to dating.

If you're a guy looking for advice on how to snag a Japanese girl, then...wander yourself out. There's more than a buttload of sites for foreign guys dating Japanese girls.

I feel like I've probably posted about this before...I'm sure I have...but nothing wrong with posting more, right?

So, foreign girls, I am going to list the "issues" I see most when it comes to dating in Japan:
(in no particular order)

- Japanese guys are sexist
Japan has a different cultural standard for gender roles. However, that doesn't mean that Japanese men are necessarily sexist. This may be hard for western women to swallow, but jokes/comments by men about women's bodies, clothing, lifestyle choices, etc should be taken with a grain of salt.

With younger men (20s, 30s), they sometimes try and take on this "caring older brother" type of role. The implication is that *because* they are invested in your body or looks, they are doing it from a caring position. Older men, too, may say things like, "You should be more ladylike", but, imo, this is coming from a position of an elder guiding a youth.

That doesn't mean that it's all nice stuff. Men from any country want to be desired, especially by younger women. That means that men may often feel free to make off-color jokes. Jokes, say, about breast size. Maybe a pat on the shoulder or thigh at an enkai.
With co-workers, I let it slide. We have to work together and I know and they know that there is a line that cannot and should not be crossed.
The most I usually get is a, "You have a nice figure", I smile and steer the conversation to something else.

When it comes to go-kons, I take a different approach. I speak Japanese, and if I have no interest in trying to get to know the guy better, then I cut his antics off right then and there.
That's the power of Japanese knowledge. If you are uncomfortable, if you feel like you are being harmed, try a gentle approach at first (ignoring the behavior, telling the person nicely to stop). If nothing changes, let 'er rip!

I will say that I can't pretend like I've never experienced this in America. There are creepy guys in every country. There are sexist guys in every country.

- Japanese guys only want foreign women for sex
Yeah. This also depends on the guy. In America, I'm sure there there are white American men who only want to have sex with minority women. Think about the image that foreign, ie-white, women have in Asia. The average person only has limited contact with foreigners. Most of what they see comes from movies and tv shows.
A tv show like "Sex and the City" (which I've never seen), shows white women who are eager and happy to engage in sex. Moreover, they talk openly about it! American movies and tv shows are filled with sex scenes, people kissing passionately and dating one person after another.

When I first came to Japan, my co-workers would ask how many boyfriends I'd had and were surprised when i said zero (forever alone, yes, I know).

I know that in America, Asian women have been stereotyped as being very sexual. Or having some type of strange sexual powers. I'm not sure if Japan has something like what we have in the US, but, I am very certain in saying that western women, and white women in particular are seen as people that are hyper-sexual.

How do you weed out the bad guys from the good? First step is getting to know the guy. Sure, in the US people might be willing to have sex soon after meeting a new person. But in Japan, I think it's best to take it slow. Of course, if you are fine with that, then go ahead. But if you are looking for something deeper, I suggest that you get to know the person and proceed with caution.
There's no guarantee that you won't get burned, but, better safe than sorry.

- Japanese guys only want to date stick-thin girls
I am guilty of thinking this. In the US I was a "small", in Japan I'm a "medium". My foot size went from average (7, 7.5) to large in Japan. A good chunk of the guys here are thinner than me (and with less body hair! *cries*). I spent...spend...lots of time thinking about how much larger my thighs are than Japanese girls. How much broader my shoulders are, etc.

A girl who is bigger than me is going to be immediately faced with the reality that plus sizes are a rarity here.

But, I don't think that means that Japanese guys only date stick-thin girls. First and foremost, you need to speak Japanese. A guy might be interested in you, but if you can't communicate, how are you going to know?
Second, again...TIME! It takes time to get to know someone. There are thousands of Japanese girls who are also single and searching for someone to spend time with. If you aren't satisfied with yourself, if you can't be happy with yourself, that is what comes through when you meet new people.

- Japanese guys only want to date white girls
I was guilty of thinking this, too. so...
White girls! You stand out! You'll get a mixture of issues. Some guys will boldly approach you and ask for a date...persistently. Some guys will admire you from afar. Most will assume you are from America, Canada or England, and they'll want to talk with you in English. Having a white girlfriend, seems to me, to be the ultimate status symbol. I mean...ya'll are white! you stand out! You represent countries with power and influence. Japanese men are well-aware that western countries and women are not fawning over them en mass. People will tell you you should be a model, and actress, a movie star.

Black girls! I feel like Japan isn't all that sure of black people. The guys won't know of you are African or American. If you are from America, Canada, England/UK or Australia, your "stock" rises. You will stand out, especially if you are darker. You may be asked a lot of questions on racism in America, and may find yourselves privy to Japanese people's thoughts on white people. A kind of "they start wars", etc type of thing. Being black adds a different type of coolness factor: she's a black AMERICAN, not just your run of the mill white people! I think that there are a lot of Japanese guys who are interested in dating black girls, but they are afraid of rejection and also just don't know how to approach.

Asian-American girls! Ya'll get a mixed bag. Before coming, I hear sooo many people say, "You will be mistaken for Japanese". From what I've seen, that's not always the case. Japanese people can tell by looking at you that you're not Japanese (unless you're Japanese-American and very familiar with Japanese customs). While Asian-Americans don't stand out visually in the way that whites or blacks do, I think they have the "comfort" edge. As in, "you're foreign, but you look similar so it's easy to walk the streets with you". This one is a double-edged sword because some Japanese people are weirded out by Asians "acting too American". But, you are who you are, right? I will say that amongst the foreign girls that I know here in Japan, the Asian-American girls seem to be the ones who have an easier time dating.

Mixed girls! I can't leave out my mixed girls. Well. We're a mixed bag. You get a little of all of the above. Doesn't sound helpful at all, right? gomen.

- Japan is a dateless wasteland for foreign women
Not at all! Give it time, give it time, give it TIME!
Rome wasn't built in a day, and you won't get a bf by just showing up in Japan.

- Japanese guys aren't romantic
Ughdfjkaldf....it's 1:30am.
This all depends on the guy. Personally, I'm not a romantic. So, when my current bf showed up with a present for out 2 months of dating anniversary, I was amused...to say the least.
Flowers and surprise chocolates are all "western" stuff. Please don't expect that shit in Japan. Yea, I called it "shit". If that stuff is important to you, you need to explain it to him.
Japanese Valentine's Day and American Valentine's Day are 2 different things. In Japan, girls give guys chocolates on V-day. Guys reciprocate on White Day (march 14).

uhg going to bed.

annoying people

2011-04-15T00:08:00.004+09:00

"i can't eat sushi, because it might use japanese fish"
"i can't use japanese make-up because it's contaminated by radiation"
"i can't eat japanese candy..."
"i can't visit japan..."
"japan isn't safe..."

arghhlsdhgaoirgheaoi!!!!!!!!!

i'm tired of hearing that crap. yes, i called it crap!

japanese media and foreign media are not doing the best job of presenting the facts here clearly. the japanese government and the nuclear power plant officials may or may not be involved in a cover-up.

here's what i've seen/been told...

for foreign media:
- fukushima dai-ichi genpatsu officials hold an english language briefing for foreign reporters in japan. out of 400 reporters, 13 attended the meeting that japanese tv show mr.sunday attended.
when the japanese news crew called to ask the foreign outlets where they got their information on the nuclear power plant, most cited the english version of NHK, and other cited blogs and twitter as their source...

- a focus on distrust of the japanese government/power plant company

- mis-identification of the placement of japanese power plants, mis-representation of the size of futaba (in fukushima) as the 8th largest city in japan. (i believe it's the 35th largest)

- making no differentiation between fukushima and the rest of japan, by labeling everything "japan"

- english media has reported on the food shortages (in areas of tokyo, eastern japan) that japanese media has kept quiet on (reporting can be found on their websites)

for japanese media:
- trying to keep people from panicking by obsessively reporting on how nuclear power plants work, how much radiation we are exposed to on a daily basis, how japanese levels of "safe" radiation are intentionally set low, etc.

- "shaming" foreign media for reporting false/misleading news. blaming foreign media for the drop in tourism and foreign residents leaving the country.

- playing down reports on hoarding of food/batteries, looting, etc.

living here, i don't feel in danger (of course hiroshima is quite far from fukushima). the people who are most worried are people back home, and all i can do is say, "i'm fine!!!"

since it's going on 1am, i'm going to cut this post short.
but, anyone in america who says "wahh i'm scared to eat sushi because of radiation" needs to be shot in the face.

make it happen, amuro namie, lyrics

2011-03-27T00:31:00.003+09:00

earlier this month, amuro namie released two music videos with songs from her upcoming album (to be released at the end of this month).

one of the songs, "make it happen", features korean girl group after school (minus beka, apparently).

i love the song, i love the music video. however, lyrics are hard to come by and it seems like everyone's making a number of attempts.
just earlier i found a site that has lyrics that i think most closely fit with the original.
japanese comes first followed by romaji.

Make it Happen, Amuro Namie feat. After School

(After School)
Tonight I feel excitement もう胸騒ぎがするわ
いつもと変わらぬセットリストだっていうのに
誰かが私を待っているの
Alright wait a moment, I'll find you out

(Amuro Namie)
I found a man who has his dreams and desires
導いてあげるjust all I've gotta do
天使か悪魔かそれは nobody knows
Just follow me cause I know what you want

Hesitation
Turn the lights on, Turn the lights off
Dedication
The invitation comin' here is only for you

[*bridge]
Come on, come in 全て満たされる
We gonna make it happen
The go the girls
全て溢れてる
Cuz we can make it happen
Don't be afraid, Don't be ashamed
何もかも許される love and dream
夢見せてあげるここは your wonderland
Turn the lights on, Turn the lights off

How do you like it? 今のちょっとしたプレビュー
I don't know why　まだ何をためらっているの
You must be in a favor, everybody feels the same
Do you know? 中身は後で教えるわ

Devil or angel
I promise you that you'll never regret to come

[* bridge]

Turn the lights on, Turn the lights off

忍び寄る影がほら
It's time to decide your heart

[*bridge]

Turn the lights on, Turn the lights off

Love and dream
夢見せてあげるここは your wonderland
Turn the lights on, Turn the lights off
Turn the lights on, Turn the lights off

Make it Happen, Amuro Namie feat. After School (romaji)

(After School)
Tonight I feel excitement mou mune sawagi-gasuru wa
itsumo-to kawaranu setto-risuto(set list) datte iunoni
dareka ga watashi wo matteiru no
Alright wait a moment, I'll find you out

(Amuro Namie)
I found a man who has his dreams and desires
michibi-ite ageru just all I've gotta do
tenshi ka akuma ka sorewa nobody knows
Just follow me cause I know what you want

Hesitation
Turn the lights on, Turn the lights off
Dedication
The invitation comin' here is only for you

[*bridge]
Come on, come in subete mitasareru
We gonna make it happen
The go the girls
subete afureteru
Cuz we can make it happen
Don't be afraid, Don't be ashamed
nanimo-kamo yurusareru love and dream
yume misete ageru koko wa your wonderland
Turn the lights on, Turn the lights off

How do you like it? ima no wa chotto-shita purebyu (preview)
I don't know why mada nani wo tameratteiru no
You must be in a favor, everybody feels the same
Do you know? nakami wa ato de oshieru wa

Devil or angel
I promise you that you'll never regret to come

[*bridge]

Turn the lights on, Turn the lights off

shinobi yoru kage ga hora
It's time to decide your heart

[*bridge]

Turn the lights on, turn the lights off

love and dream
yume misete ageru koko wa your wonderland
Turn the lights on, Turn the lights off
Turn the lights on, Turn the lights off

earthquake post

2011-03-12T22:31:00.002+09:00

so much has gone on over the past two days.
fortunately, hiroshima is quite far from the affected areas.

just before 2:50pm yesterday (3/11), i was on a CIR forum when one of the posters wrote "wow, that was a big earthquake!".
based on his stated location, i thought we might feel something soon in hiroshima.

then, i felt a small tremor.

i asked my co-workers if they felt anything, and they laughed it off. after i prompted them to check online, they saw info about the large quake in northeastern japan.

maybe 20 minutes or more later, a co-worker in the department next to mine came over to tell us to come look at the tsunami footage on tv.

even today, the aftershocks continue throughout miyagi, fukushima.

JLPT

2011-02-17T00:08:00.003+09:00

This is going to be a short post.
I just got my results back for the JLPT, and I've passed level 1. w00t~

Quite honestly, I hate tests. I took level 2 of the JLPT last summer and also passed it.

Both were, of course, the new versions of the test.

As JLPT has switched to the new tests, publishers should be coming out with more books that are relevant to the new testing style.
I've seen the previous tests, but, I never actually signed up to take one of the "old" tests.

However, from what I've seen, the new test seems a lot easier on the eyes.
The font is larger, there is more space on the pages.
The test center says that the base to pass level 2 and level 1 is the same as the old tests (60% and 70% respectively).

The best advice I can give for study is to get study books that have whole "new" tests in them.
Take those tests, go to Kinkos (or whatever copy store) and make 4 copies of each test.
Try to have at least 3-4 tests.
Then, take the tests (as if you were taking the actual thing) over and over again until you get a "passing" score.

My bf told me that this was his (and most Japanese students) preferred method of study. Before, say, a math test, he'd buy a book of past tests and make about 4 or 5 copies of each test, and take them over and over until he was satisfied with his score.

Why this helps: It familiarizes you with the test. You also learn and solidify grammar patterns.

Certainly other books that focus only on grammar or kanji can be helpful. I would suggest using them, too. But, if you take 4 "new" practice tests, and pass them consistently with over 80% or 90%, you should be set.

Good luck studying!

CIR interview (JET) pt2

2011-01-04T22:24:00.005+09:00

happy new year~!
so, in my previous post, i talked a bit about the interview for CIR on the JET program. now to continue...

2a. The Interview (cont)
after the japanese interviewer has finished talking with you, you will be left to the devices of the non-japanese interviewers.
they will be interviewing you in english.

during this portion of the interview, you can show your best side in your native language.
this part of the interview probably will not differ much from a typical job interview. i've seen sites that tell you to read up on japanese politics, history and culture. but, again, every interview is different. whether or not you are asked such questions is not something you can easily predict, and "studying" up on information that you eventually won't use is time that could be spent brushing up your japanese.

the interviewers may ask about your hobbies and things that you wrote on your application.
at this point, it may be easy to forget that the japanese interviewer is there, but don't! while he/she may not actively take part in the english portion, they are most likely taking notes on how understandable your english is.
moreover, that person is still an interviewer. make contact with them, and include them in your conversation, even if they don't respond.

even if you are a CIR, there's a good chance that you will be asked to teach english to schoolchildren or city employees. if japanese people can't understand your english because it's filled with slang and comes flying out like a bullet, that's not getting you any brownie points.
stay calm!

back to the english speaking interviewers.
there may be a good cop/bad cop thing going on. don't break under pressure.
if you don't know the answer to something, say so.
living in japan is a type of high pressure situation, and if you can't handle 2 guys grilling you about the newest episode of "american idol", you won't be able to stand up to japanese life.

and...that's about it.
when the interview is finished, you'll be asked if you have any questions.
you may also be asked if you would accept an ALT position. this question doesn't mean that you've failed. and if you don't want ALT, then, it's fine to state that.

don't forget your shitsu-rei shimashita on the way out + bow!

3. FAQs
1. I don't have 2Q, can I apply for CIR? Will they even accept me?
JET (in America at least), only requires that your japanese level be equivalent to 2Q.
there are CIRs who have never taken JLPT who have "passed" and are now working in japan.

HOWEVER. if you are applying from canada, and don't have 2Q, it seems that you may get a "phone test" before your interview results. it's a short 10 min or so chat, it seems.

2. I haven't been to Japan/studied abroad in Japan. Am I doomed?
No!
there's nothing on the JET application form that states that you must have studied abroad in japan to be eligible. and yes, there are CIRs who have never studied abroad that have "passed".
i won't lie, though. having some...any study abroad experience/time abroad experience looks good. it speaks to whether or not you can handle living overseas.
if you haven't studied abroad/haven't studied in japan, you may be asked why.
i would say, be honest. if it's because you didn't have the money, say so. if you couldn't fit it into your schedule, say so.

3. I'm worried my Japanese isn't good enough...
i think that most applicants have that fear. but remember this: if JET was looking for perfectly fluent speakers, they could search within the smaller japanese-american community or within the overseas japanese community. JET is a cultural exchange program.

4. I've got a lot of experience translating, and I've passed 1Q. Isn't this interview just a formality?
i've known of a few people who were confident that they nailed the interview, only to be put on the alternate list. why does that happen? who knows.
my guess would be that they might have overestimated their abilities and maybe came on too strong. there's nothing wrong with a strong background in japanese, but, again, the program is an exchange one. rather than thinking of why they should choose you because of your japanese skillz, think about what unique features that only you can bring to the program.

5. I'm Asian-American. Doesn't JET only want white people?
if you think that way, why even apply?
there are a large number of Asian, black and other non-white JETs. along with "older" (30+) JETs, married JETs, gay JETs, vegetarian/vegan JETs and disabled JETs.

being an able-bodied, blonde-haired, blue-eyed person is not a free pass onto JET.
your "differences" are what makes you you.
the bigger question is, whether or not you will be able to deal with the various situations that will arise that are related to your particular situation.

that's about all i can think of now related to the CIR interview. if you have questions. post 'em up!

CIR interview (JET) pt1

2010-12-31T00:31:00.004+09:00

this place?
this is shinjuku in tokyo, where, if you're "lucky", you'll be spending a few days come next summer.

there are a lot of sites that give information on acing an ALT JET interview. however, what you must remember is that every interview is different and every consulate is different.

my former japanese teacher used to do the CIR interview in new york. when she was doing interviews, everything was conducted in japanese and the interviewers were all japanese.

other people i've talked to tend to have 3 interviews, of which one is japanese.

so. let's get started. (please keep in mind that, again, NO INTERVIEW IS THE SAME!)

1. Clothing
first of all, this is a professional interview, and you should be dressed professionally.
that means a suit.
if you don't have a suit either buy one or borrow one from a family member or friend.
i remember seeing women's suit sets at sears for about $30. (may have gone up in price)
heck, i know that second-hand stores like value village sell used suit sets (probably $10 and up). everyone needs a suit at some point, so, just get over it and buy one.
and for the love of god, buy something that FITS!

when you go into this interview, your clothing should be clean (it goes without saying, but still).
jewelry should be kept to a minimum. that means, for girls, earrings (if your ears are pierced), a necklace (nothing huge, and nothing garish), and a ring.
if you have more than 2 piercings in your ears, i would recommend keeping the earrings small. like studs.
if you have a nose piercing, it would probably be best to take it out.

please do not wear a shirt that shows your bra. if you can see your bra through your shirt, put on an undershirt.
do not wear jeans, wrinkled clothing, smelly clothing, print shirts, t-shirts.

2. The Interview
when you go to your japanese teacher's office, how do you enter the room?
do you knock and say "shitsureishimasu"?
that is the correct way to enter the room.
you will probably be escorted into the room. when you reach the door, stop, say "shitsureishimasu", bow and then enter and take your seat.

the interviewers will then probably introduce themselves.

next, you will be asked to read a passage in japanese. this is where your test of japanese comes in.
when you are handed the paper, read it. now, many...most people will say that they read the paper out loud in japanese. but, i would suggest reading it out loud if you are asked.
if you're not asked...then don't. (asking for clarification is fine too! "shall i read this silently or out loud?")

a. what kind of japanese should i use???
if you are most comfortable with desu/masu, use it. if you have no problem with keigo, feel free to use that, too.
however! don't force keigo. it's better to speak with desu/masu than to stumble over keigo.

after finishing the first reading, you'll be asked a few questions in japanese.
you are allowed to look at the sheet if need be.
typically, the first reading is "easy" with furigana above the kanji, and a "light" topic.

the second reading will be a bit harder in the sense that it has no furigana and may be related to a social issue. (environment, low birth rates, etc)
again, the japanese interviewer will ask you questions about the text, and questions related to the text.

depending on where you are, this is where your use of japanese will end and a switch to english will begin.

(to be continued...)

nengajo!

2010-12-29T23:06:00.002+09:00

i think that i've finally got the last of my nengajo sent off. yessss!!
in the U.S. we send xmas cards, right? and usually they say something like "merry christmas and happy new year!"
since xmas is more of a decorative holiday in japan, people don't really do xmas cards. nengajo (new year's cards) are bigger and more traditional.

what do you think of those rabbits...bunnies?
cute, eh?

2011 is the year of the rabbit in the chinese zodiac. so, nengajo for 2011 will have something like a picture of a bunny/rabbit or a kanji on them. the post office sells plain postcards for about 50c each (pre-stamped).
i buy rubber stamps and hand-stamp mine every year. but printing places like fuji and supermarkets like fresta have pre-printed cards that you can order sets of. people with color/photo printers print theirs at home or take them to kinkos to be printed.

so...what's the point?
the point is to give a greeting to the people who've helped you out through the past year, and ask for their kindness to continue into the new year.
most cards say:
akemashite omedetou gozaimasu
あけましておめでとうございます
(happy new year)

kotoshi mo yoroshiku onegai shimasu
今年もよろしくお願いします
(please look kindly upon me this year, too)

the post office asks that you post your nengajo by december 25, so that it can reach its recipient by....
*drum roll*

new year's morning!

yes, that's one of the fun parts of nengajo:
opening the mailbox on new year's morning and pulling out (hopefully) a thick stack of cards.
my co-workers say that looking through nengajo while sitting under the kotatsu and eating mikan is the best way to spend the early part of the day.

nengajo, however, are not without their problems.
city hall and many companies have actually banned? people from sending them out. or maybe, have a policy that discourages them.
let's say that you are working for sony. and you do business with a lot of people. without a policy in place, you'd be obligated to send those people nengajo. that can end up being hundreds of cards, which in turn would cost hundreds of dollars...and would also take up a lot of time.
quite honestly, i've seen people come to the post office carrying hundreds of cards!

so, me and my co-workers just send nengajo to friends haha!

one final good thing about nengajo...on the back of each card is a number.
if you are lucky, your number will win you a prize of some sort, including money!

xmas in japan

2010-12-26T13:46:00.002+09:00

when talking about xmas in japan, it would be more appropriate to talk about xmas eve.
the 24th is the big day here, and all xmas related festivities lead up to this day.

as i mentioned in a previous post, xmas is for couples. this is apparently something that came into vogue during the "bubble" era. hotels and restaurants promoted deals to couples on christmas eve, and the tradition stuck.
"spending xmas eve alone is pathetic/sad", is a sentiment carried by many men and women, who rush to find someone to spend the night with (ie- dinner date).

on friday after work, i rushed around trying to find a present for my boyfriend, and also gather ingredients for the items i would be cooking for a xmas dinner with friends.
i headed into the supermarket near my house, and was shocked to see the staff pulling down the tinsel and other xmas ornaments. it really struck me that after the 24th, the 25th was just some date on the calendar. i guess a plus would be that from the 26th "christmas cakes" should be on sale.

sick!

2010-12-22T23:30:00.002+09:00

i'm sick!
surprisingly a co-worker said, "wow, even you get sick!"

is it surprising that foreigners get sick?

apparently it is...

so, you're applying for the JET program...pt1 application

2010-12-16T23:48:00.005+09:00

I'm pretty sure that JET applicants in North America (and the UK, etc) have submitted their applications for the 2011-2012 year.
So, I know that this post is "late", but I did that for a variety of reasons...including me just being busy with work.

Let's get started.

Gathering the necessary materials for your application and writing an intriguing statement of purpose (SoP), is an incredibly nerve wracking process.
I don't so interviews for JET, but I have read over SoPs, and I think I have a bit of insight into how people are chosen. Since there is a wealth of information on the internet for JETs who are applying as ALTs, I'll be focusing on CIRs. But, I am sure that many of this applies to both groups.

Did the application instructions ask you to put your papers in a specific order?
Did you comply?
Showing that you can follow directions is one of the most basic things that the people at the D.C. Embassy are going to look for.
Next, were you able get letters of recommendation from people who you know are able to write strongly and positively about you? (Hopefully from people who can comment on your Japanese skills)
Finally, the most important, in my opinion, is your statement of purpose strong?

You are asked to answer a number of questions in a limited amount of space. Not only that, but you have to sell yourself as being a great candidate for the program. As most people should know, the SoP should be grammatically correct and written formally. Of the SoP letters I've seen posted online by JET hopefuls, the most common mistakes I find are:
- Rambling (use concise phrases and ideas to get your idea across)
- Too casual ("I really liked Japanese food"; "It was nice to talk to someone from another country"; etc)
The bolded words are ones that my elementary school teachers hated. Not only are they too casual for a formal SoP, but they also take up unnecessary space.
- Misspelled words (use spell check, yo!)
- Reads like a resume (you don't need to list all of your accomplishments, no one cares that you were the president of the student council in 4th grade)

Have you have experience abroad or helping foreign people in your area?
Cite a specific example, what you learned from it, and how it can *specifically* be applied to your job as a CIR.
What sparked your interest in Japan? Anime? Maybe you want to write that, but think about how many other hundreds of people are writing the same thing. Aside from anime/manga, what other things interested you in Japan?
I will go out on a limb and say that past girlfriends/boyfriends of Japanese descent shouldn't me mentioned either, unless you can skillfully connect it to a learning experience relevant to CIRs.

As a CIR, what would you like to accomplish (everyone wants to be a bridge between Japan and the US, what else do you want to accomplish?)
Some CIRs work with local foreigners, so, while you want to learn about Japanese culture, you also want to be able to help foreigners in your area.
Lastly, as I mentioned above, use the SoP to speak about what you will do/want to do as a CIR. Speak as if you have already been offered the job.

getting ready for the new year...

2010-12-09T00:06:00.003+09:00

Now that I'm finished with my test, it's time to clean this house up. My goal is to have my place spiffy by Christmas. I also need to buy presents for people here and back home.
Unlike back home, Christmas in Japan is supposedly for couples, with the 24th being the big day.
New Year's is time spent with families, but back home we spend it with friends/lovers...right?

This will be the first time in my life that I spend the holidays with a boyfriend. wooo~

I miss Christmas in the States. There's a rush in the air, people are frantically trying to buy presents before the big day. It's a stressful season...that part sucks. But on the other hand, there's a strong feeling that you should be thankful for what you have and that you should try to give to those who don't.
The holiday spirit is so nice.

I remember a few years ago when I went home for Christmas... People were in the spirit, they were helping each other out, there was Xmas music playing, snow was falling, and there were sales in the stores.

Here in Japan...it's just cold, no one is thinking about giving and no holiday spirit...

another meeting...

2010-11-28T22:09:00.002+09:00

before i came to japan, there was a japanese guy who i befriended who i uhm, fell in love with.
we did kiss, and it seems he felt the same way...but, our paths were leading us in different directions.
he comes back to japan every once and a while. and at those times, he usually calls me, and if he's in my area, we hang out.
the last time i saw him in japan was soon after i got here, and i spent a bit of time crying...

this time, i met him with my new bf.
that wasn't my original plan, but sometimes ish happens.

he married, but he's never told me about his wife, and i never asked.

we talked just like we did when i was back home.
it made me miss that time.
but at the same time, i was afraid of having the two guys meet each other...

truth be told, i was happy to finally see him again...

race fail by writers to dear prudence

2010-11-22T22:50:00.002+09:00

i read dear prudence every week. it's quite entertaining, and the poster comments are also quite amusing.

however, the november 8 column featured a white woman married to a "chinese" man. (asian-american, or from overseas, she did not state)
the woman's "problem" was that strangers would assume that their child was adopted, stating: "...considering that her father has all the dominant genes, looks very much like him and not at all like me."

can we please kill this whole "omg, white people have weak genes that are taken over by those ever so persistent non-white genes!!" thing?
her kid looks nothing like her? so, if her husband was white then the kid would look like her? in what ways are her husbands genes so dominate?

"dominate genes" is code for: "the minorities are taking over!!!1111"

dark hair and eyes are more dominate. even between two white people, if one is blonde and blue-eyed and the other has dark brown hair and eyes, it's not unusual that the kid would have brown hair and eyes.

in my casual observations i've found that the first born child tends to look more like their dad, the second born looks more like mom, and the third looks like a mix of both. people who are monoracial tend to be blind to their own features in mixed kids. they see the "other" first, and assume (wrongly) that one race has more dominate genes than another.

aside from this lady's ignorance, the worst is that she said that her own child doesn't look like her. (i'm going to be honest...do newborns look like anything other than newborns?)
imagine her kid growing up and reading that article, or even growing up in a household where mom says "ahh, my kid looks nothing like me."?

i head over to the 3rd and last page of the prudence column to find a writer who worried about inviting her korean neighbors to thanksgiving dinner. fearing that they would not like the food.
it's fine if they worry about the guests not liking the food, but...why not tell them the menu and let them decide themselves? and if they do come, make it a low pressure affair?

what was most amusing and sad about this post was that since living in japan and korea, i've heard of japanese and korean people assuming that americans cannot eat their food.
*facepalms all around*

miscommunications?

2010-11-10T01:04:00.002+09:00

lately, i've been having the strangest communication issues over food with my bf.

2 weeks ago, we went to a family restaurant to study and, of course, ordered a bunch of food.
i ordered a tofu salad, but i commented that i might not be able to eat all of it, and asked him if he wanted to split it.
he agreed.
but, when the first part of his order came (a salad), he proceeded to chomp through it, and seemed to brush off my effort to pass him half of the tofu salad.

figuring that he didn't want more salad after eating salad, i sighed mentally, and started to slowly make my way through the salad. i got halfway through the half, and noticed that he seemed to be staring at the bowl, so, i offered him some and he scarfed it down...

then today after work, he handed me a bag with some treats and chocolate in it.
i put them in my bag, and we started shopping.
after about an hour he says, "can i have my chocolate?"

i'm not a food thief, but...but...if you hand me a bag with candy in it, and don't take out your bit, i'm gonna assume that you are giving me everything in the bag!
and if you don't say, "hey, put that salad over there, i'll eat it next", i'll assume that you don't want it and eat more!

the countdown begins

2010-11-08T00:31:00.004+09:00

i'll be taking level 1 of the jpn language proficiency test on the 5th of december.
i should be spending every waking moment studying. but most of my time has been consumed with work.
i got to work on saturday and sunday. next sunday i'll be working from 7am to about 9pm, and then the next day, i have to be on an early morning train to chiba for a work conference. woo!

i also have a cold. ugh.

i wish that japan had ice cream like back home (cookie dough!)

japanese-americans

2010-11-04T23:06:00.002+09:00

i just finished watching the 2nd episode of "99nen no ai - japanese americans".
the story revolves around a japanese immigrant family, following them from the parents who came to america at the beginning of the 20th century.
currently, the story is at the bombing of pearl harbor.

all the white people in the show call the japanese american characters "jap" indiscriminately. and 3 women have been assaulted/almost raped.

the show stars a member of SMAP as the oldest son. he has a younger brother and 2 younger sisters. the younger sisters have been sent "back" to japan to protect them from the dangers of being in america. ironically, they were sent to hiroshima and okinawa respectively.

this is my first time seeing a japanese show about japanese-americans, shot from a japanese perspective. there are some areas that seem to be played up for the show...such as the characters longing to "return" to japan.

it looks like the next episode will focus on internment camps, and discrimination faced by the two girls sent to japan.

it's fall!

2010-11-03T00:01:00.002+09:00

i've had the strangest, most exciting year ever in japan since coming in 2006.
my first big was getting my first boyfriend at the beginning of the year. unfortunately, he had to go back to china, and since he felt it was best to break up, we did.
a few months later, i started dating my current boyfriend, who is japanese.
i still like the former guy, but i'm happy to say that i'm happy with my current one.

but, i only have a few months left in japan.
i'm starting to get tired of this place. i need a change.
i'd like to go to korea for a year or two. but, i wonder if the current bf would stick by me. hmm...

my 3 months romance

2010-04-17T00:55:00.003+09:00

'Tis the season for sakura!
Sakura in spring. Sring, the time for a new school year (in Japan) and the time for love.

This year, I also got some romance.
While I'm calling it "3 months", the 3 months really represents the time we were together, in the same place, as a couple.

Y came to our workplace last year to introduce himself last May or so.
He was only going to be here for a year, but that didn't stop my co-workers from telling me that I should get with him.
Hey, there's a lack of young guys; he's somewhat close to my age; both of us were single.

He came to my office looking like a tired, sweaty kid in his father's suit.
The air he brought with him was one of, "Yea, I know I look like shit. So, what of it?".

After eying what looked like cigarettes in his front pocket, I asked him whether he smoked. His reply of, "yes", put him even lower in my mind.
His hair; a little too long. His hands; a little too small. His face; average.

I sighed mentally, and put on my game face as I sat down to explain some job details. Of the foreign men I've met in Japan, many of them seem to think that they know more about Japan than me, are better at Japanese than me, and whatever else they can think up to use as a reason not to respect me.
Best to show that I'm not looking to be disrespected early on.

We had little contact throughout the summer months.

Though, at one point in a convenience store, I made a joke about him reading pr0n, and he took it well.
That was then...

re-evaluating the use of "hapa" by mainlanders: FINALLY!

2009-10-26T22:16:00.003+09:00

A while back I was asked to talk about Hawaii at a school.
Honolulu is Hiroshima City's sister city, and me being American (and the people who were supposed to talk being busy), the task fell to me.

I've never been to Hawaii, and may never get the chance. But, I've always wanted to, because my mom's friend said that everyone there looks like me.

Fast forward to high school/university. While in my endless quest for information on other mixed people, I came across "hapa haole", a Hawaiian word meaning "half white".
Then later online, I read that "hapa" was a Hawaiian word meaning "asian/white".
Then I read that it was a word coined by Japanese immigrants to Hawaii who couldn't pronounce "half" correctly.
Then I read it was a word reserved for people who were part Native Hawaiian and part something else (white, Filipino, Japanese, etc).

Either way, the word has...had it's roots in Hawaii.

And, to be honest, I felt that it was a troublesome word.
My first hit that something was up was when I happened upon the forum hapas.com (the site has now closed and moved).
The site forum was filled with people who swore up and down that "hapa" ONLY applied to asian/white mixes. Those people also spent a good amount of time dissing Asians, Asian-Americans and Asian immigrants.

The attitudes displayed towards other types of non-Asian mixes or Asian/black mixes was horrible, to put it politely.

This was about the time when one Hawaiian poster put up a protest against the use of "hapa" as only applying to asian/white mixes, while ignoring and erasing it's Hawaiian roots.

The more I looked at the people who used it, the more apparent it became to me that most of them were:
- From California/Seattle (did I mention I dislike cali? not everyone is bad, but I seem to only meet the bad ones)

- Asian/white mixes

- Strongly claimed "hapa" as THEIR word

- Had no interest in working with/caring about other multiracials

I found the resistance to other mixes particularly disturbing, and the continual backslapping and giving each other virtual high-5s over being the "best looking" and "smartest" mixes was sickening.

This resistance extended to the university realm, too.
In California, there were an abundance of "hapa" related clubs at universities...and alongside them were "mixed" clubs for the other multiracials who did not have the good fortune to be born asian/white.
I can remember when the "10th Annual Mixed Race Student Conference" was held at MSU.
Listed among the groups that helped to bring the conference to fruition were "the miX" and a "hapa" club (with 4 or 5 members, all of whom appeared to be asian/white mixed).

The word "hapa" turned from a simple word used in Hawaii to describe part-Native Hawaiian individuals, to an elitist(imo), dividing word.
It also seemed to me that they felt that the word "mixed" somehow implied "part-black". In rushing to distance themselves from part-black people, they took a word that sounded "exotic" and "cool" and applied it to themselves...ignoring the origins of the original word.

Anyways, I was pleased to come across this (old) article from Hyphen magazine which talks about the controversy surrounding the word.

More follow-ups can be found around the web.

As a mixed person, I feel that rather than finding a specific word or group that fits our specific mix, we should be working together AS multiracial individuals.

Again, what's so hard about identifying as mixed?
I don't feel that I am being untrue to myself, I don't think it's necessary to list everything that I'm mixed with. I'm mixed and that's what I am...hanging out exclusively with mixed people with white dads like I have, is not going to make me feel any better about being mixed. Being with different types of mixed people who IDENTIFY as MIXED, however, is.

bento bento bento

2009-10-25T13:30:00.002+09:00

A while ago, I came across this article from the New York Times about bento.

The article goes on to talk about decorative bento and how bento are becoming a trend in the states.
The problem is that whoever wrote the article knows no Japanese or even what "bento" is supposed to mean.

"bento" means: "lunch", "box lunch", "box meal", "packet lunch".
"bento bako" means: lunch box
"bento bukuro" means: lunch bag
"o-bento" is just a way of "beautifying" a word. it's commonly used by women, ie- o-denwa (phone, usually denwa), o-niku (meat, usually niku) or o-yasai (vegetables, usually yasai)

While Japanese bento usually do have a meat or fish with rice and a vegetable, they aren't the extraordinary creations that the Times article makes them out to be.
Bento for kids that takes the shape of cartoon characters is called "kyara-ben (character bento)".
Those are the ones that some mothers spend and hour or more making.

Click here to see the Japanese wikipedia article on bento.
The first image that comes up is of a bento stuffed with fried shrimp and chicken, salmon, beef slices, rice with an umeboshi in the middle, a pasta salad and some tsukemono (pickled veg).

It's a far cry from the aesthetic creations that appear in the NYT article.

After the story was posted, a number of people responded to a different response to the original article.

Most of the responses were from people who were convinced that the Japanese put beauty into EVARYTHANG and that American lunches were "garbage".

What annoyed me about the article and the subsequent responses was that they only looked at one or two types of bento and made the call that ALL bento in Japan are like the types they featured. By doing that, they presented a false and idealized view of Japanese food culture which extended to the people of Japan, themselves.

If Japanese bento is uniformly "healthy", then so too are Japanese people.
If Japanese people uniformly enjoy creating artistic and healthy bento, then Japanese people appreciate art and nature.
How many times did I have the misfortune of seeing "spiritual" in the comments about bento and Japanese lifestyle?

The most amusing thing, however, is that as I said most Japanese people don't eat those kind of bento; bento is just a word for "lunch" and not a word that means "aesthetically pleasing healthy lunch that takes 1 hour to prepare"; and finally when I told my co-workers about the article, they thought it was quite amusing.

If there's one thing I want people to take away from this is that the word "bento" just means a packed lunch.
The ingredients are not set. If you look at the Japanese wikipedia, there's a tonkatsu sandwich in the bento article!
If you pack your own lunch, or buy it at Lawsons/7-11/etc, then, it's a bento.

rawr.

sunset hiroshima, from my cell phone

2009-09-16T22:33:00.003+09:00

give me my damn cell phone!!!!!!

2009-09-08T22:28:00.003+09:00

So, I've been long thinking about upgrading my cell phone.
I looked around at au (my provider) and decided on the W63CA phone.

The main reasons I have for wanting to upgrade are:
- I want a phone that I can also use abroad
- I want a phone with a tv tuner on it
- I want a phone

Simple enough, right?
The phone is listed on au's English and Japanese sites AND in the model book, but every au store in Hiroshima is apparently sold out.
And that's it.

You know how people like to say that Japanese customer service is better than that in America?
BS. It's at the same level.

au shop #1
me: I want to get this model.
staff: sorry, we don't carry it anymore, it's sold out. you can try another au store, but going to deo deo might be better, because i think that the shops are all sold out.
me: :'(

au shop #2
[don't ask cuz i see that the phone is not on display]

au shop #3 at yamada denki
me: I want to get this phone.
au staff: ehmmm...I think it's sold out here.
me: can you order it?
staff: uhh,mmm...no....
me: well, how can i get the phone?
staff: where do you live, let me call that au shop.

staff: they don't have it either. but the next model will be out in oct/nov
me: .........

au shop #4
me: i want to get this phone
staff: we don't have it. the new model will be out in a month and a half.
me: <_<

au shop #5
me: do you have this phone?
staff: *shows me different phone* here you are.
me: no, i want the upgraded version of this phone *pulls out own cell*
staff: we don't have that, it's 2 yrs old.
me: i know my phone is old, but i'm talking about the newer version of this one.
staff: it's old, we don't have it.
me: it just came out this year
staff: no it didn't
me: so, can you order it?
staff: you can wait til the new version comes out.
me: *rollseyes*

au shop #6
me: i want to get this phone
staff: hmm....we don't have it
me: well, i really want this phone. can you order it?
staff: uhmm...no....
me: well, can i buy it off of the au website?
staff: you mean online auction?
me: no, the au by kddi website. I think you can buy the phone from softbank's site
staff: uhmm...i don't think au does that. you can wait til the new model comes out.
me: .....sadlkfjas;dkfa;fd......

au shop #7
me: i want to get this phone
staff: uhmm...we don't have it here
me: well, can you order it?
staff: ....no....
me: well, i've gone to a bunch of different places and i really want this phone. what can i do to get it?
staff: ........ a new model is going to come out...
me: but the new model is going to be more expensive, right? i don't want to pay more.
staff:.....uhh.....
me: is there a list that you can check in the computer of stores that might have the phone?
staff: ........
me: ?????? i've gone to a bunch of places....
staff 2: we don't know what inventory other stores have, so you can just go to some other store and see if they have it. but i don't think they do.
me: .................................sldikfhas;idhfalskdfj................<_<

I remember when I was using Sprint, they would call the company and get a model shipped to the store if they didn't have it.
The au staff is basically like, they sold out of what inventory they had, but they're not going to tell me why they can't order it. They'll only say that they don't have it and they can't order it.

If the phone is listed on the website, and in the book, why can't they order it.
So what a new model might be coming out in 2 months.
wtf am I supposed to do then?

The BS part is that I was talking to au people at 2 different shops before, and mentioned that model and they said NOTHING about it being discontinued this month! NOTHING about the fact that they weren't going to order new models.
WTF is that?!
I get better service than that in the US!

beach~

2009-08-16T21:58:00.003+09:00

on friday i took a day off and headed to the beach with my friend...who was invited by a former co-worker.
it turned out to be a family outing type of thing!
the beach was only accessible by boat...

teh beach~~

there was a little cabin-type thing where some of the family members camped out the night before.
there were no toilets (!!!) so the options were to pee in the woods, or pee in the ocean :x

the beach was also home to a number of deer who kept coming over for food.
the kids would throw stones at the deer to keep them away.

the family cooked up yakisoba and yakiniku...they also brought a lot of drinks!
one guy was drinking a beer while driving us back in the boat.

and i got sunburned...but mainly on one shoulder! wtf....

the roach

2009-08-12T21:39:00.006+09:00

Wow. July and August have gone by in a blur.

First off, there was a leaver's party for some of the ALTs who were returning home. After the party ended, I returned home to find the king of all roaches on my bedroom wall.
Apparently, everyone except me keeps roach spray, so I tried to kill it with some cleaning spray and deodorant spray.

The thing FLEW at me! with a switchblade, and it was also smoking a cig.
I did what all normal people do and I screamed like a little girl, watched it run into my closet and I called my mom crying. Then, while I'm on the phone, the thing gets out of my closet and I turn around to find it on my wall heading up to my AC.

My frantic crying brought my neighbors over.
The husband brought the roach spray and sprayed it.

It shrugged it off.

btw, did you know that roaches, like ants, leave a scent trail?
However, unlike ants which will just go where ever when you chase them, roaches seem content following their scent trails.

So, this one got another spray from my neighbor and headed back along the wall towards my closet.
Next to the closet I have a wardrobe, and in the space between the closet and the wardrobe, the spray finally started affecting the roach.
It ran crazy circles around the space, then ran back into my closet.
My neighbor took my broom-thing (I ran to the other side of the room) and I guess he smacked the hell out of it, because then he called for tissues.

omg...he wrapped the thing up and handed it to me. I thought I was going to die.
My suggestion to burn it was turned down, so I flushed it.

Ok. so, it's gone. But it was in my ROOM. That means I can't sleep there. So, I camped out in the living room, and somewhat slept...somewhat.

I got no sleep saturday night either.
On Sunday, I went out and unfortunately got back late.
As I had bought spray, I was doing a check of the room and found another (thought much smaller) one in my patio window. That one got a blast of spray, and I called my neighbor over.

My neighbor is my predecessor, and her hubby killed the first one. Since they used to live in my place, he suggested that the other side of my window was open.
I didn't even know that the other side could open, let alone that it was prone to being open a crack.
I locked the window and hoped for the best, but all of July entailed me jumping up every few minutes to check the room for creepy crawlies. Heck, I even bought a flashlight.

Things were looking up by the end of the month when I was scheduled to head to Tokyo.
I got back on the 5th of August, and on the morning of the 6th, I wake up to yet ANOTHER tiny roach chilling underneath my AC.
That one also got the kill and the flush, and I resolved to tape up my window.

You see, unlike America, where most homes have proper insulation, much of Japan has homes that are built to catch a cool breeze in the summer and they have lots of places where little bugs can get in.
If the rain is blowing in hard enough, rain water will get in around the cracks of the patio window INSIDE, despite it being closed.

Right now, I've taped around the outside of the patio window, and I am going to hope that that will stop anything from getting in.

I'm glad I found the entry point, but it sucks that the entry point happens to be my bedroom...
And I know that they're not in other places in my apartment because the ones I've found this July/Aug and the ones I found a year and a half ago were all in the same place (my room, by the patio window).

*cries*

oh, this is one of the legs of the big one killed in my closet.
my neighbor's hubby obviously didn't feel the need to scoop this up too, and 2 days later I made the gruesome discovery.
then a few days after that i found another leg.

*BARF*

new career?

2009-06-18T00:14:00.002+09:00

let's see...
if i were half-white and half-japanese, i would have a number of career options open to me:

- model for a fashion magazine
- tv talent
- underwear model
- uhm....singer! (wait! scratch that, you need to be 3/4 japanese (amuro namie, AI) for that one!)

ok. well what if i were half-japanese and half-black?
- model for a hip-hop magazine
- singer (awww! wait! you either have to be 1/4 japanese (jero) or 3/4 japanese (aoyama thelma) for that!)

half-japanese half-iranian?
- pro baseball player? perhaps?

half-japanese half-other asian
- ??? these people obviously don't exist

just some stuff i was thinking while flipping through a magazine...

gang-rape at the kyoto university of education?

2009-06-01T23:21:00.004+09:00

Today 6 male students were arrested on a rape accusation.

The incident allegedly took place in February during a university club party.
The club party had about 94 (?) students, and they were playing drinking games.
One girl that drank too much was taken down to an empty room and raped there.
The boys apparently held the door shut so she couldn't get away.

The girl reported the incident in March, but the school decided not to report it to the police.
It only came to light now because the girl went to the police...

Asahi Shimbun article in Japanese.

sei-chan

2009-05-29T22:56:00.002+09:00

This is "Sei-chan", a tiny place in the back of Nagare-kawa.
How tiny?
There is room for about 9 or 10 people.

The owner of the restaurant has been here since the showa-era, it the place certainly has a "showa" feeling.
You can see 2 stools in the picture above. All the seats are stools, and there's an L-shaped counter where food is served.
Shoved into one corner is a shelf with a black and white tv set on top...complete with rabbit ears!
On the other side of the room is a LARGE pink phone...with a turn-style dial!

The owner is the only lady working in the place.
She has a gas stove and fridge set inside of the L-counter.

This small place also has a small menu:
gyoza and beer

First we started with some bean sprouts, sprinkled with green onions and covered with a light sauce.

Here's the gyoza!
I think this is the size for 4 people. I just happened to go with 3 other co-workers!
(we ordered 2 of these)

The gyoza are meant to be eaten with the sauce and lots of green onions.
Everything was tasty :9

japan. not the anime paradise you dreamed of.

2009-05-28T00:14:00.003+09:00

If you, like so many other anime fans, dream of coming to Japan to live out your anime fantasy, sorry to break it to you, but it ain't happening.

First of all, most of the anime that you've been watching is NOT well-known throughout Japan.
I know, oh noes and such.

That DVD that you bought that says: "The most popular anime in Japan" lied to you.
Much like how Japanese tv lies to Japanese people when it says that some shitty cable tv show was "#1 in America" or how it tries to tell people that "Bones" is more popular than, say, "House".

If you are coming to buy anime, that's fine.
That's what the Japanese government wants you to do.

But, here's a few tips so that you aren't devestated when you discover that the average Japanese person is not watching Kira-Star (or whatever it's called):

1. If your anime is something that has "deep" stories, chances are it's not something mainstream.

2. Anime is not shown on tv 24/7. You can catch shows at 5am (wtf, srsly, who is up at this time?), and those shows are pokemon and naruto and maybe something else. I'm only up at 5am when I have a flight to catch.
6-7pm on weekdays and weekends (these shows are Detective Conan, Chibi Maruko-chan, Crayon Shin-chan, Sazae-san, and Yatterman...maybe some others like Pokemon)

3. otaku-y shows are on at 2am. On weekdays. Weekends they are on at like 3 or 4am.
yeah, most of Japan is not going to stay up to watch the adventures of an anime girl band.

4. Japanese people are not interested in your vast knowledge of Cowboy Be-bop.

5. Anime goods are hard to get.
Limited edition stuff comes with the weekly/monthly magazine. Sometimes there are promotions when it becomes an anime. But, stuff is hard to come by and it's only out for a short time. If you want some Naruto stuff, good luck finding something besides the occasional toy or figurine.

6. To go along with #5, just because a manga is published in the US, that doesn't mean that it's got a bunch of goods in Japan.
Products that have toy tie-ins are going to have more available goods.
Check when your book was originally published. If it was over a year ago, don't put much hope into finding anything...not matter how "popular" the American side says it is.
(disregard if that item has nintendo, gainax or takara tommy attached to it)

7. Shit is expensive.

That's about all I can think of at the moment.

Really, if you are coming to Japan just for anime, and you don't want the pr0n sold in Akiba, you might be a little disappointed to find out that there are a lot of manga, but not a lot of other products.

Happy hunting~

musubi musashi

2009-05-09T23:14:00.004+09:00

So, today I stopped by Musubi Musashi to pick up a bentou for dinner.
Last month, a former co-worker bought bentou from this place and a few of us ate them outside under the sakura.
This place apparently has a long history in Hiroshima and is obviously well liked.
The bentou came wrapped as above.
On the back of the paper wrapper is a hand-drawn map of downtown Hiroshima City, with well-known landmarks, musubi-musashi locations and a Hiroshima-ben list.

Hand towel + chopsticks.

Inside is:
3 pieces of fried chicken, 2 musubi (ume and something i dunno the name of), a wiener, edamame, cabbage (I don't get the cabbage), tsukemono, an orange slice and some salt to sprinkle over the edamame and cabbage (I imagine).

Kanshoku (totally finished).
Well, not totally, I did leave the tsukemono behind.
It's actually quite filling. The umeboshi musubi had, like, a bit of umeboshi paste in it, which made it easier to eat than the typical musubi with a whole ume in it.
The chicken was crispy and warm, in fact everything was made on the spot (I think) so it was nice and warm and made it more enjoyable to eat.

gaikoku(jin) = cause of all japan's problems

2009-05-06T23:21:00.003+09:00

Early this afternoon I caught part of a tv talk show. Normally, I would have been at work, but today was the last day of Golden Week, and I had nothing better to do than watch TV.

This particular bit talked about how foreign tourists to Gion in Kyoto have bad manners.
Examples cited were:
- following geisha
- touching the geisha's kimono
- surrounding the geisha to take pictures
- holding a cig while taking a pic with a geisha

The news crew followed around a few geisha and maiko as they made their way around the little streets, and they captured crowds of foreigners snapping pics of the women and following them as they walked.

The talkshow hosts lamented the foreigners "bad manners" and wondered if there were any way to teach them how to be more respectful.

I do agree that anyone should not be following the girls around and snapping pics like they are the paparazzi following Brad Pitt or someone around.
But at the same time, I think that Japan shares some of this blame.
The country is selling its culture. One of the main tourism points is that you can travel to Japan to see a real geisha; that you can see geisha in Kyoto.
Apparently the Gion website has posted something about not following geisha and maiko around, but where was that before?

Mixed in with the "foreign" crowd were a number of people that looked pretty Japanese to me.

In my view, it's an easy way for the Japanese media to call attention to a problem caused by Japanese people without specifically telling Japanese people that their behaviour is bad.
It's like if they say, "These foreigners have bad manners, not like us Japanese"; then the ill mannered Japanese people will behave better because they don't want to be lumped in with foreigners.

This article on Japan Probe also talks about this problem.

Next, we have the pig flu which is causing Japan all types of problems.
Narita Airport is taking special precautions with flights coming in from countries with confirmed cases; staff are wearing masks and latex gloves, body heat sensing machines are being used to detect those with high core temps (and pull them out for special check-ups); etc.

The Japanese news has been interviewing Japanese who have returned to Japan from abroad.
Those that were in America expressed "shock" that Americans were not wearing face masks and that "no one there takes it seriously".

Along with the measures taken at Narita, the Japanese government has set up a special hotline for people to call if they think they have contracted the pig flu.
Those people that show symptoms are asked to stay in their homes and consult with an official over the phone.
Last night, the news talked with a hotline person who said that someone called in to ask if they were ok because, "I shook hands with a foreigner".

Obviously, if Japan didn't have to deal with foreigners, then everything would be a-ok...
oh noes, not teh pig flu!!11

hiroshima flower festival

2009-05-02T23:35:00.003+09:00

http://www.hiroshima-ff.com/

Hiroshima Flower Festival will kick off tomorrow (May 3) and run until May 5.

Tomorrow at 12pm and again at 4pm, enka singer Jero will be performing on the Carnation Stage (next to the Peace Memorial Museum).

Jero's debut song Umiyuki

Lil'B will be performing on the 5th at 2:30pm at Dahlia Stage (Motomachi Cred) and again at 5:15pm at Olive (Otemachi, NHK building near the Fukuro-machi tram stop).

Lil'B kimi ni utatta love song

Fukuhara Miho will perform on the 5th at 5:30pm at "sakura" at Mikawa-cho(?), 3 blocks past Shirakami jinja on Heiwa O-dori.

Fukuhara Miho "change"

Scandal will be performing at 2:25pm on the 4th at "sakura"

scandal "space ranger"

7pm on the 4th there will be a kagura performance on the Carnation Stage.

There will of course be a lot more, like food, parades and other performanes.
So, if you're in Hiroshima, come on out!
It should be a lot cooler (temp-wise) than last year, so that's a huge plus~!

etc

2009-04-27T23:20:00.004+09:00

last wednesday we welcomed a new co-worker from china.
my former manager-san likes this one yaki-niku place, so we headed there.
the food is pretty good (but there's motsu (innards)) which sucks a little.

we started with some salad and various meats. there was black pepper to dip the cooked meat in.

then a pot was brought out for a "stew". at this place you can choose the levels of spiciness you want. everyone got level 3 (there's like 15 levels haha).

then rice was mixed into the leftover nabe. i think there was cheese mixed in too.
this was soooo friggin good. but i couldn't eat it all, i was a little sad...

tonight's dinner: yaki onigiri. rice with soy sauce. these ones come frozen and they are ready to eat after a few minutes in the microwave :9

new "PS" mag. i dunno i couldn't upload more pics, maybe i can, but moving them around is a pain in the ass, so i'll leave it at this for now.

smap member arrested...lol

2009-04-23T23:04:00.003+09:00

http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20090423-00000501-sanspo-ent

basically, SMAP member kusanagi tsuyoshi was arrested last night (22nd).
he was naked, drunk and loud.
according to the news i'm watching now, he drank more than 10 bottles of beer and also shochu at 2 different izakayas.
he says that he doesn't remember how he got to the park and how he got naked.
neighbors in the area called the police to report a drunk, naked man who was being loud(shouting in korean, singing, shouting random words).

his fans seem to be sympathetic, saying that he must have been stressed.
his company, johnny's entertainment, has suspended his activities, and the sponsors of products that he's been promoting have pulled their commercials off the air.

what's interesting to me is the reaction of my co-workers.
one lady claimed that if it were any other person this wouldn't be news. another claimed that he was probably stressed, and that since he doesn't remember anything, we can't really be to harsh on him.
it's a very WTF kind of thing to me.

i am quite sure that if this were the US, this would be some kind of news even if the person was not famous. next, the 2 co-workers comments basically amounted to "if you get drunk, you can't be blamed for your actions".

all too often in japan, someone gets drunk, does something bad, and then begs forgiveness by saying that they "can't remember" what they did.

i guess that if i ever want to get away with something, all i need to do is drink a bunch before i do it...

asience shampoo...wtf?

2009-04-19T00:42:00.003+09:00

(taking a break from the library drama...)

For a while I've had issues with the Asience shampoo commercials.

What is Asience shampoo, exactly?
It's a shampoo made by the Japanese company Kao to meet the unique hair needs of East Asians.
The basic premise is that Asian hair is different from Western hair and that the shampoo that Asians use should also be different.

It's not really a unique concept.
So, why the annoyance?

Well, last year Asience had a series of commercials featuring Korean actress Jeon JiHyeon.
In them, Jeon JiHyeon's beauty is envied by Westerners (white Americans).

In one commercial, Jeon JiHyeon runs through a crowd and embraces a white man while being surrounded by cheering white people.
In this video, Jeon JiHyeon wins a dance competition to become an "Asian superstar".
It ends with her becoming "bigger" than the white people around her, and not just that, but the envy of them, too.

In my opinion, the commercial fails at conveying its message, which is something like "Your hair is beautiful".
Instead, the beauty of Asian hair is reduced to something that can be used to make you the envy of white people and allow you acess to a white boyfriend (more like stealing one from the white people, based on the way this video feels).

The goal of the video, and the shampoo, is reduced to making white people look at you. When the goal of the company should be to show how their product is better for your hair than the foreign brand. The only message the viewer gets is that a white man might choose you over a blonde girl because you washed your hair with Asience shampoo.

Those commercials have ended, but a new batch has started up.

On Saturday, I was handed a sample.
Inside, it's letting me know that straight Asian hair is 1.5 times thicker than wavy Western hair.

There's nothing written inside as to WHY this is important, and during the commercials there's nothing said as to why this is imporant.

It becomes another Asian vs. Western attempt to win customers.
If they could offer reasons as to why their product is beneficial to Asians, then I wouldn't care so much. But currently, their only action is to make their consumers feel like they can somehow "beat" white people in a beauty contest.
Big waste of time and money.

drama in the stacks...an aadl tale pt 2

2009-03-25T21:40:00.007+09:00

Now that I've explained the inner workings of the library, I can now move onto the "drama".

Normally you wouldn't associate a library with a place filled with workplace drama, and when I first started there it wasn't.
About 2 years after I started working at the main branch, my department got a new supervisor.
This person, W, seemed to be quite interested in molding the department to fit her view.
The ice cream and snacks that one co-worker brought in on Wednesdays and the weekends quickly ceased to exist.

I didn't have any problems with W, but another shelver did.
She was told that she wasn't doing her job properly. This girl often straightened up after a section that belonged to another shelver, but that shelver has autism and usually walked around instead of working. Rather than let that section become a mess, she would go and straighten it up, and for that she was told that she wasn't doing her job properly.
As I hadn't had any issues with W, I stayed out of it.
The shelver graduated high school and went off to some university.

I also entered university and continued working at the library.

During the summer of 2004, I took a leave from work at did a month and a half study abroad.
When I came back, W, had decided to change a number of rules...apparently because one shelver who was working during the summer was found to be spending more time reading than shelving.
Rather than take issue with that person, the shelvers and the drop-box people were punished.

Normally when we were organizing our carts in the back, we would sit on a stool and put the books in order. Now, sitting on the stool was out.
We would often chat while working in the back, chatting suddenly became bad too.
We were told not to alphabetize the books before shelving them.
And finally we were told that we didn't need sections.

At this time, the children's section was in dire need of help. But other sections also couldn't be ignored.

Instead of pitching in and helping to lessen the number of books by going and shelving them, W would take empty carts and fill them with unorganized children's books. She would then push them into the hallway leading to the children's section.
This meant that the only way to get an empty cart to shelve other sections would be to shelve the books on the children's cart.
Unfortunately, a full cart of children's books would literally take all day to shelve.

Any normal supervisor would realize this and do what they could to ease the burden.

But, instead of shelving (W would never shelve a book, as it was obviously beneath her), W would stand in the hallway chatting for over 2 hours with another supervisor S.

This is a picture of one of the carts that W made.
As you can see, only one row has been used to fill with children's videos.
The children's video section had a lack of space, and so we weren't able to shelve all of the videos.

Here's a picture of a cart of children's books, with the shelves holding the children's books in the background.These carts also have children's books on them, and you can see the stacks for the adult non-fictions in the background, and the carts holding books to be sorted for adult non-fiction in the back.

Before you think that we shelvers should have just dropped everything and shelved the children's section, it's not as simple as that.
First of all, we were made to do that a number of times.
Secondly, there's always a huge number of children's books that need to be shelved.

The obvious solution would have been to hire 2 or 3 shelvers who's main task was to keep the children's section neat and clean (when I first started working there, there were such people).
W knew this just as well as anyone else, but she decided to ignore it and place the blame on the shelvers.

So, here we are. Other sections are filling up with books, but today we are told to only shelve the children's section.
W, who could have helped a little by shelving some books, instead figured that her main job was to chit-chat in the hallway with S (all while telling us we weren't working hard enough).

This was just the tip of the iceberg.

drama in the stacks: an aadl tale... pt 1

2009-03-21T12:32:00.002+09:00

I worked at the Ann Arbor Public Library for 8 years before coming to Japan.
During those 8 years, I had the opportunity to work with some wonderful co-workers. My job was "book shelver" or "selver", and I worked part-time.
The flexible hours allowed me to work in-between classes when I attending university.

It could be considered one of the best part-time jobs. And for the first 2 or 3 years it was, but, as they do, things changed...

Before I get to all of that, let me explain the library system!

Do you go to the library?
If so, you are called a "patron". When talking about library visitors, we called them patrons.

At the main branch, there are 3 floors that are mainly used by patrons:
The first floor (adult fiction, teen, audio-visual, children's)
The second floor (non-fiction, computer area)
The third floor (foreign language, art, theatre plays)

As you may have noticed, each one of these floors has a large desk where 2 or 3 staffers sit and answer your questions. You might call them "librarians".

The area where patrons can roam freely is the "front", we work in the "back".

When your book is due, many people drop the due books into a slot.
This area is known as the "drop box". There are two large bins for holding books and cds/dvds.
The people who go and retrieve those items are part-time workers, and they work the drop-box.

At hour or so intervals, they go to the two areas (in the main branch) to check the drop box, and if it has become full, then they pull out the large bin, replace it with an empty one, and push the full one to the back.

In the back, there are two main areas where books are processed, one does books the other does cds, etc.
The drop box person pulls the returned books out and divides them into rough piles, usually non-fiction, children's, fiction.
They scan the book and resensitize it (that little thing that sets off the metal detector).
If someone put a hold on the book, then the computer beeps and they print a slip of paper with the patron's name and stick it on the book, and the book is placed on a "hold cart".

As the books are being scanned, they are placed on various carts behind the drop box person.
The carts are divided into adult/teen fiction, children's and non-fiction.

Each area of the library has it's own section.
For example all of the 400s are language learning books, and so they would be put on a shelf in the back for 400s.
The 300s are one of the largest non-fiction sections, and are split up into little groups (300-320, 321-330, etc).

Adult fiction has it's own shelf where books are divided A-C, D-F, etc.
Paperbacks (adult fiction, romance, scifi) have their own sections, non-paperback SciFi and Romance have their own sections.
And children's books are also divided into fiction and non-fiction.

As you can see, it's quite complicated.

That's where I come in.
My job as a shelver was to take the carts filled with freshly checked in books and sort them into their proper sections and then later take the books for my section, alphabetize them and neatly put them out for the patron to grab.

So, when I came to work, I would sign-in on a sign in sheet and then head over to the carts that needed to be sorted.
For fiction books, I could usually sort a full cart (a cart has 3 levels on each side, and each level can hold 20-40 books) in about 10 minutes. Non-fiction could take up to 30min.

After sorting books, we all had assigned sections.
My sections were adult fiction, part of the 300s and all of the 400s.

First I would pull the books off the shelf and organize them alpahbetically (or numerically) and push them out to my section.
While shelving, I had to clean up the section. That entailed straightening the books, pulling out misplaced books (ie- a mystery book in the fiction section or a V in the A section).

If I had a full cart and a messy section, I could spend more than 2 hours straightening out the section.

...Which reminds me, if you visit the library, put the books back where they belong! Don't mess up sections and leave it there! You wouldn't want me to come into your house and put bread in your tub and clothes in your fridge, right?
So, if you really don't want to read that mystery book, put it right back in the mystery section in alphabetical order!!!!!

After finishing, I would write down the sections I shelved.
If, for some reason, one or all of my sections only had a few books to be shelved, then I would help out in the sections that had no assigned shelver.

The worst sections were the children's section and the CDs.
For some reason, there would be only one or two people assigned to all of the children's section, and sorting the books and shelving them routinely took more than 2 hours, and that doesn't even count organizing the section.

(Parents! the children's section is no your child's room! Lot's of different kids visit this area, and it's totally disrespectful to let them pull off lots of books and leave them in a pile on the floor. If your kid is too young to pick up after themselves, then it's your responsibility to pick up after them. Those of us working at the library try to keep it as neat and clean as possible, but we can't do that without your help! PLEASE pick up after yourselves and your kids! ...the children's section is not a babysitting area either. If you want to browse, take your 3 yr old with you! And if your kid throws a tantrum, take them out of the library...)
The CDs were bad because at that time, all of the cds just couldn't fit into the area that we had for them.

This was a typical work day for me. As I said, I was part-time, and I worked about 2 hours per day.

foreign workers & me

2009-03-14T23:13:00.003+09:00

For a number of years now, I've read articles and angry internet postings about immigrants/foreign residents in the US sending loads of money home.

The people that write such things usually write as if sending money home is the worst thing that foreign residents could do...if only they spent that money in the US, America's economy would be so much better!

Right?

Well, here I am in Japan, doing the same thing that those people are complaining about;
I am sending a large portion of my paycheck home.
That's right, instead of spending $$$$ (or, I should say YYYY?) in Japan on various items, I am instead, diligently sending money to the US to pay for my student loans and help out with bills.

I have to wonder if those people complaining about foreigners sending money home would sing the same tune if their son or daughter were abroad and sending money to the US.

Maybe it's only ok for white people to send money home...?

filipina-japanese girl faces deportation

2009-02-14T22:46:00.001+09:00

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20090214a3.html

I just heard about this on the news, and went to google to look for more information.
This is a pretty sad story, but I saw traces of US immigration policy in what was presented here.

- Parents enter country illegally
- Daughter born
- Years later, government discovers the family and moves to deport them

There are certainly a lot of people who are against them staying. But, I think that they should be able to stay. The girl was born and raised in Japan, it's all she knows.
From what I can tell, her parents big "bad" thing was the illegal immigration. Aside from that they seemed to be living quite normal, law-abiding lives.

I hope she gets to stay.

Internationalization. My Style.

2009-02-09T22:05:00.002+09:00

One if the big buzz-words making the rounds through government offices throughout Japan has been "internationalization".
And one of the big aims of my program is internationalization.

The yearly handbook that we get is often filled with stories written by participants about how they've "internationalized" something, or how they are trying to internationalize something.

So, what about me?
I rarely interact with people, I'm totally lazy, oh and did I mention I hate people?

Doesn't sound like I'm doing a good job meeting the program goals.

But...maybe I am...

When I first arrived, "fresh off the boat"...as they say, I stumbled into 7-11 at about 10pm. I was all set to settle down in for my first night when I saw some small bugs flying around in my tatami room. Horror of horrors, one landed on the tatami and CRAWLED INSIDE.

I only thought about mites or roaches, hence my trip to 7-11 to find some kind of bug spray.
That trip also began my first meeting with 3 guys who worked at 7-11. I think that they are in their late 20s-mid 30s.

After I had the chance to calm down, I often found myself at 7-11 (the only place in my area open after 10pm where I could buy food).

In Japan, people don't often talk when ringing up their food. The cashier welcomes you, rings up your items while calling off the price, tells you the total, takes your cash, hands you the bag and says "Thank you, please come again".

No room for interaction.

I must have surprised the guys when I started asking how their work was going, talking about the weather and all of the other general small talk we go through here in the states.
It took a few months, but now, when I go in, the guys will make more of an effort to initiate conversation. Heck, I even got free candy on Halloween one year!

Ok, so that's one example.

I have a dentist who is near my apartment. I've been going to him for over a year, he's a nice guy. He spent some time in the US as a young student, and he's always ready to have a conversation.
I never liked going to the dentist, but he's pretty nice.
Anyways, when I go there, I always talk for a long time with the girl who works at the front counter. I think she's about a year or two older than me, and is always open to hearing my stories.

Today, I went there to give them some things that I brought back from the US and show them pictures.
Just spreading a little Michigan cheer.

Most Japanese people don't make conversation with cashiers or secretaries, but since that's something I often did in the US, I just keep up with it.

Even if it is something little, if they felt a little friendlier towards foreigners or Americans, then that's good enough. Maybe they'll pass it on...

you may present on your country, just don't make the kids want to go there

2009-01-26T22:03:00.002+09:00

Last year, I had an incident where a teacher was upset with my presentation.
The gist of her complains centered around my presentation having too much "good" stuff about America, and not enough "bad" stuff.

So, when I was scheduled to go back to that school, I decided to talk about the principal about the report. The principal agreed that it should have been handled better, and that if there were any problem with my language ("throwing away food" was somehow deemed "inappropriate") or the content of my presentation, that the teacher(s) should have brought it to my attention that day.

Some things that didn't sit well with me were that the principal said that I should offer a "balanced" view so that the kids aren't left feeling envious.

What?

She also said that Japanese school lunch is good, and it seems like Japanese teachers are somewhat legally bound to teach Japanese students not to be picky eaters and to eat all of their food.

Ok, but what does that have to do with my report?

Now, I have to make sure that when I give a presentation that Japanese kids don't go away thinking, "Hey, I wanna go to the schools in the US!"?
Does that make sense?
You invite a foreign speaker to your class, but expect them to speak ill of their country?
Giving a "balanced view" of your country means that the kids will inevitably choose their country over the foreign one?

Sorry, but that doesn't make sense to me.

I also don't get what Japan's school lunch culture has to do with American attitudes towards school lunch.
If we think that our school lunches taste bad, why does the Japanese teacher feel the need to jump in and say, "But Japanese school lunch is tasty, isn't it?!".
What, who cares about your lunch? I'm talking about lunch in the US.

That's almost as ridiculous as someone saying, "My DVD player is broken", and having another person jump in and say, "But, MY DVD player isn't broken!"

Cool?

At a totally different school, a teacher proclaimed, "I like the Japanese style better", in response to the American style of lunch and American kids not cleaning the school.

Not surprisingly, keeping kids from being picky eaters applies only to Japanese food.
The kids are free to "ew" all they want at foreign foods.

I wish that the educators in Japan would try to take internationalization a bit more seriously...

presenting on japan to americans

2009-01-11T07:48:00.003+09:00

While I'm still officially on "winter break", I have been doing some "work" this past week.

On Tuesday, I took a trip back to my old elementary school to talk with a class of 3rd graders about Japan!
I spent most of Monday night creating a powerpoint, and the kids seemed pretty receptive to the whole thing. (I think it helped that I was called a "Surprise!")

Some things I noticed were that American kids don't know all that much more about the world than Japanese 3rd graders, but their reactions to things are totally different.
The American kids would get a little riled up, but quite down quickly. They also wanted more through explanations.

I was curious to what their reactions to the school lunch would be.
They seemed somewhat OK with the lunch itself, but were surprised that all of the kids HAVE to eat it and HAVE to pay for it.
They also felt bad for the Japanese kids because they have to clean the school...and the toilets!

They asked me a lot of questions and one girl even asked if I would be coming back!
(They also thought that I was in 8th grade or high school...score!!)

On Thursday, I went to one of my former Japanese teacher's classes. This Business Japanese Class had about 10 people, and most of them had spent time in Japan on study abroad.
It seemed like a few of them were interested in becoming CIRs, so I told them about my job (forgetting a lot of stuff) and about my co-workers, life, etc.

They didn't ask too many questions, but I was able to get a few laughs out of them!

I felt like I was working, but before coming back, I was hoping to talk about Japan at one of my schools...

back in the US!

2009-01-04T02:03:00.002+09:00

I'm finally back in the US. But only for Christmas and New Year's.

I've been thinking about a few things since I've come back...mostly about the US and Japan.

When I first arrived in Japan, everyone wanted to know what I liked about Japan...what my first impressions of Japan were. And for someone who literally just stepped off the plane, I had nothing to say.

But some things that I've noticed since I've come back are...

Japanese stores/restaurants are somewhat cleaner than ones in the US.
It's not that the people in Japan love their jobs more, it's just that they must keep their stores somewhat clean.
I noticed that with some things outside too.
People here in the US are quick to just toss stuff aside and dirty things up and leave with a "Well, it's not my problem" type of attitude.
To be fair, that attitude exists in Japan too. The difference is that Japanese business owners make their employees constantly clean. So even when people are tossing food wrappers on the floor, it doesn't sit there for hours before someone moves to touch it.

Another thing is, Americans...or at least people in Michigan are a lot nicer!
No one holds the door open for you in Japan. If you drop something, no one bothers to tell you. No small talk at the register.
I'm sure many have see the "chain-reaction" of door holding that goes on, with one person holding the door for the person behind them, and that person holds the door for the person behind them and so on.
It really makes me happy to see that.

I feel like in Michigan, people feel down because of the economy, and because of that they don't feel the reason to have any pride in the state.
If we could do little things like keep fast food places looking clean, pick up after ourselves and just have some pride, that would be a lot!

One other thing is the way people dress.

I'm not totally sure where I stand on this. I think that people should put a little effort into looking nice, but I also think that the way they do it in Japan is waayyy too much emphasis on how you look.
I like how in the states we're somewhat more casual. No one's going to look down on someone for wearing jeans and a t-shirt.
But with that said, is it so hard to make sure the jeans fit, the shirt is washed and such?

A little bit goes a long way.

OL nippon

2008-10-31T23:44:00.002+09:00

A new drama has recently started, called "OL Nippon".
The basic story is that a Japanese company is going through a restructuring, and it's been decided that some of the departments will be turned over to contract workers in China.

To prepare for that, the Japanese company has brought 2 Chinese girls to learn about what that department does, so they can take that knowledge back to the staff in China.

It's a very weird drama.
Of the 2 Chinese girls, one is "good" at Japanese, but very loud and boastful. The other is a beginner and very shy.
There's also a guy who is a teacher and martial arts expert. All of the Chinese speak with a noticable accent.
The one who has brought all these Chinese people together is a Japanese guy who speaks Chinese, knows martial arts, and is a complete asshole.

On the Japanese side, there's the main female character who is conflicted because she wants to help the Chinese girls. But helping them means that she and her co-workers will lose their jobs.

There's the old Japanese guy that hates China, and the boss who speaks in Osaka-ben.

Today I went to the drama website for the first time, and it was just as weird.
There's a "Learn Chinese" section, and a button to click to submit stories about the "Foreigners Around Me: Things that made me laugh/Cry".

I'm somewhat offended by the way all the characters are treated.
Most of them are quite unlikeable, and the way the show plays off of the average Japanese person's "fears" of China is irritating.

The Japanese guy who is always with the Chinese workers continuously stops to "explain" Chinese culture to his co-workers.

Japanese co-worker: You guys will have to pay 1,500yen for this outing.
Chinese girl: What? we have to pay? Why do we have to pay if you invited us out?
Japanese "caretaker": If you invite Chinese people out, they expect you to pay.

*rolleyes*

blah blah, iphone, blah blah

2008-09-18T21:46:00.002+09:00

So, I was looking through one of the various forums I go to, and found this article that someone posted:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122143317323034023.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

The gist is that in Japan, the iphone isn't doing as well as expected.

I'm not too surprised.
It seems that the only people who are interested in one are other foreigners.
I think I've seen maybe 2 or 3 people with one around Hiroshima. But for all I know, they could have been poking around at the ipod touch (which doesn't seem to be selling to well either).

I've seen a lot of talk as to why it's not doing that well, most focusing on the lack of features.
While that might have something to do with it, I think that the touchscreen, heavy dependency on apps and internet browser are what's pulling it down.

Some people (myself included), text (more like email) while half-looking at the screen, half-talking. And most people (myself included) can open the phone and dial easily without going through various steps.

Apps seem pretty popular in the US. I still don't totally know about them and what to do with them.
But they are virtually unknown in Japan.
There are sites that you can go to to purchase games, but that's about it.

And a full internet browser, while interesting in the US is OK in Japan.
Lots of people use their cell phones to browse cell phone friendly sites.
This cuts back on the number of packets you use and ultimately have to pay for.

Finally, the commercials for the phone are uninspiring.
A hand holding a phone, flipping through the internet, pictures and video and then placing a call.
All while an uninspiring voice says something like "with the iphone you can browse the internet and read your favorite blog and watch a video. you can store a lot of pictures in it, and oh, it can make phone calls too".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifs32w8sVgc&NR=1

Mitoku-san

2008-09-14T23:04:00.009+09:00

This morning I woke up at 5am.

By 6am, I met with 4 others in front of my workplace and we headed off on a 3hr (ish) drive to Tottori-ken.

Our destination was a mountain called Mitoku-san and the temple Sanbutsu-ji.

I tried to get some rest in the car, but there were 3 of us squeezed into the back seat, and Nish-san was driving pretty crazy.

I did wake up to catch this crazy fog.

When we arrived, we headed up some steep stairs to the first check point.

This is a pretty old place, and so there's a lot of uneven steps and such. Before getting our tickets, the guy checked our shoes.

I was the only one with "problem" shoes, but he let me through.

We passed by a number of small temples on our way up.

In one temple, these little statues were all lined up, and I thought they were pretty nifty looking, so I snapped a picture.

The scenery was very beautiful, but climbing up the stairs to the next level was awful. The stairs were made of some stone, some newer, some older. Some parts crumbling...

There were some HUGE trees that were in this open area before the final set of temples.

I'm not much of a fan of the sun, but the pics do look good...

Anyways, so we pass through the final group of temples and pay for our tickets to climb the mountain. Again, my shoes came into question, but I was allowed to go through.

We were required to wear a white sash with some writing on it...for any number of reasons.

The gates to the mountain.

We had already walked up some steep steps, and I was curious as to what "mountain climbing" would entail.

Our destination was one of the many temples built on this mountain.

There were no safety ropes or straps used, and I saw a number of kids and old people climbing too. There were definately places...a lot of places, where a wrong step could have been met with serious injury or death.

Our first temple. To get to it, we climbed up this rock with a metal chain for grip. Kyo-san was pretty unsure of herself climbing up. It was pretty scary, to give her credit.

Chillin at the temple.

The final destination. The temple was built inside of this little space.

It's opened up only once every 100 years or 50years or something like that.

But, people can visit and look at it.

After climbing back down the mountain, we went and ate lunch by a small river.

Our next and final stop was a cow and horse farm...type place.

They sold beef, leather goods and other stuff made from milk.

There was an area where people could ride the horses and feed them too.

It was an interesting trip.

getting into the election from japan

2008-08-30T20:59:00.002+09:00

Last week, I sent off my request for an absentee ballot.
The voice of Americans overseas isn't as strong (obviously) as those at home, but I still want to vote.

As expected, this elections is interesting.

I hope that more young people participate this year.

japan is working my nerves...

2008-07-16T20:08:00.001+09:00

i'm going through a bit of an "issue" with japan at the moment.

i'm sure everyone has been in class and there's one kid who has to "do it this way because the teacher said so". someone who wants to rigidly follow the rules to the point of annoyance.

that's about how i feel about japan these days.

most japanese people want presentations that anyone can understand. that in itself is not a bad thing. that allows many people to get and understand a message.
but what is considered "easy to understand" seems to differ between the US and japan.

the powerpoint that i've created to use at elementary schools seems pretty simple and straight forward to me, but japanese people think some parts are too hard.
"the kids can't read those words" (now, the powerpoint has more large pics than words)
"the kids don't know anything about foreign countries" (that's why i'm here...)
"the kids cannot understand foreign countries" (so, why did you ask me to come?)

the teachers seem to prefer to baby the kids and act like they can't do anything.

and they all seem to stick to that.

now, i'm working on a presentation for something else, and again, the problem of understandability has come into question.

not only that, but dammit if the pictures i found can't be used.
japan is super anal to the point of wanting to kill someone over copyright issues.
i am not selling the pics, i am not charging people to look at the pics, i'm not even telling people the pics are mine.
i am using them as a supplement to a presentation.
what is the problem? japan wtf is the problem?

i feel like a lot of creativity is being snuffed out because japanese people have to do things a certain way. and when you try to do things differently, they get antsy.

it's putting me in a bad mood.
especially hearing the teachers say "that's too difficult for the students" over and over again.

muggy...

2008-06-22T14:30:00.002+09:00

we have officially entered "tsuyu" (the rainy season), and it's been raining off and on for the past week.
not only is is rainy, but it's also muggy. i, of course, have tatami in my apartment, so for the past week or so, i've been coming home to the smell of tatami. if you're wondering what tatami smells like, think hay.

on friday, i met up with joyce and her 3 guy friends for some karaoke + kath.
travelling to taiwan and japan for a month with 3 guys is probably one of the versions of hell.
the difficult part about travelling with acquaintances is that their little habits start to grate on your soul and you all end up hating each other.
they'll be heading back to the states come tuesday, and i bet they will never talk with each other again...

anyways, we went to karaoke and finished at about 1:30am. then we stood out in front of big echo and talked for maybe 2 hrs.
after sending them off to the hotel in a taxi, me and kath decided to find a cafe to rest in and have something to drink.
we wandered around and found a place in a basement and stayed there until.....
....*drum roll*.....
6:30am.

it was bright outside when we left and we winced in pain when stepping outside.

last night, we met up with the new trainee from bhutan and watched the new indiana jones movie. after that we went to some beer bar and stayed until.....
.....*drum roll*.....
3am.

it's been a long, rainy weekend.

getting hot

2008-06-15T01:56:00.003+09:00

The rainy season (tsuyu) has officially started, and it's been raining off and on.

It's also been getting hotter and muggier, unfortunately.

"Heroes" has begun its run on Japanese TV. It was showing on cable TV last year, and now it's on regular tv (at 1:15am). While I would be watching the Japanese dub, I've been staying up to watch the live-action version of Cutey Honey. I've never watched the anime, but the live version seems interesting.

This pic is from when I went to Toukasan...

the iphone and japan + why japan isn't the technological paradise people think it is

2008-06-07T15:04:00.003+09:00

so, the other night on tv it was announced that softbank had a deal with apple to sell the iphone in japan. most people thought that docomo was going to get that deal, and were pretty surprised when it was softbank and not docomo that came through.

ever since that phone came out in the states last year, i had a feeling that it wouldn't be that popular. and when the japanese tv announcers were talking about it coming to japan, i was (and am) fairly confident that the iphone will not be that popular in japan.

here are my reasons why (in no particular order):

1. the iphone doesn't bring anything new to japan.

my current phone with au is the casio exlim.
it has a 5.1 megapixle camera, a PCsite viewer, an EZweb browser (EZweb allows you to look at internet sites designed for cell phones), it has email and SMS, i can record short messages to myself, i can download MP3s and ringtones, i take take short video clips, it's got an easily accessable microSD card slot, a large directory for holding addresses/phone numbers, i can even use it to pay for stuff with the EZ felica.

people in japan have been using email rather than SMS for years, and they have been using their phones to watch tv and browse internet sites.

the only "new" thing that the iphone brings is a touch screen.
which brings me to my next point...

2. japanese people won't like not having a real dial panel

a few phones have come out in the last year or two that feature some touch screen parts. but, they always had a regular dial pad.
when i go to starbucks, i often see groups or friends or couples who are emailing while talking with each other. one hand is holding the phone, and the thumb is dancing around the pad; the other hand is holding some coffee or something.
most people in japan are used to typing without looking at the screen.

3. the market for smartphones is small

in the US we have blackberrys and other PDAs. in japan, smartphones are not all that popular.
most phones here do not have bluetooth, and i don't think that most japanese people know what bluetooth is let alone how to use it.
2 years ago a new cell phone company willcom was created. they have a few smartphone type phones, but the trend hasn't really caught on, and at the moment, i don't see it catching on.

4. the ipod touch is not that popular

the ipod touch has been out for a while, and i have yet to see one person with one. maybe people in hiroshima aren't interested, maybe they are waiting for the iphone. but if the popularity of the ipod touch is any indication, the iphone won't be moving too fast.

what i think will happen
i think that when the phone does come to japan, there will be a number of people who will buy it. but they won't be buying it because of the features, but because it "looks neat".
will there be lines of people standing out in front of softbank to get one? i doubt it.
it will generate some talking, but the average person will not switch to softbank for one.

now onto the next part of this post.

japan isn't the technological paradise you think it is

a lot of people in the West think that japan is a paradise of technology.
the evidence is sony, or even the phone of mine.

the reality is that most japanese people seem like they can barely use a computer.
when i came here 2 years ago, i was looking to find out how much internet service was, so of course i asked my coworkers. i don't think that any of them had internet at home, let alone a computer.

in the US we have special school discounts for schools to buy apple or dell computers. there's nothing like that in japan, though one principal told me that that might be changing.

therefore, while there are computers at some schools, all schools don't have computers, and many teachers don't even have computers.
about two months ago, one part-time co-worker asked me "what does click and drag mean?".

the computers we use at work are ok at best.

some people have told me that their workplaces are going back to floppy disks over usbs.

sure, there are companies that product some technologically advanced stuff, but most of that stuff is not making its way into the hands of the average consumer.

...but the average joe that comes to visit japan probably won't know that.

toukasan

2008-06-04T20:33:00.002+09:00

toukasan starts this friday and runs until sunday.
it's a time for people to bust out their yukata and uhh...get they yukata on.

it's a pretty neat festival, and a chance to see a lot of people in yukata.

i would like to participate, but one thing holding me back is the yukata.
western foreigners look crappy in traditional asian clothing.

:(

multiracial in america

2008-05-31T18:58:00.002+09:00

MSNBC has been asking readers about their opinions on interracial dating, etc for the past few months.
this past week, those responses have been sorted and posted on the MSNBC.com website.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19357599/

i've read through most of the articles, watched the videos and looked through the selected reader posts. i am glad that those of us that are mixed are given some attention in the media, but the only reason we are getting any attention is because obama is running for president.
when the presidential race is over, mixed people will once again be swept to the sidelines.

if anyone remembers the Census 2000 and all of the media attention focused on this "new" category?

what i hope happens (and i know nothing will change) is that people become more open to those of us that are multiracial. and that amongst multiracial americans, a movement starts where we can start working together as mixed people and working with monoracial communities.

foreigners in japan

2008-05-26T22:50:00.001+09:00

foreigners from all over the world come to visit japan.

many of them end up in hiroshima for a few days.

this past friday, i was out with kath and her friend who came to visit her. after having a few drinks, we headed to big echo for some karaoke.
we had a pretty good time singing, and when our time was up, we went down to pay.

before leaving, i went into the bathroom on the first floor.
this bathroom has one toilet, and thus, can only allow for one person at a time to use it.

i hung my bag and umbrella on the locked door and walked down to the toilet. just as i was about to do my business, the door is violently rattled.
it makes such a rukus, that my bag falls to the floor and i scream.

some shadows linger around in front of the door, then pass.

a minute or so later as i'm washing my hands, the door is again violently shaken, and my items again fall to the floor.

at this point i've become pretty pissed.
i go out and see some fugly white guy and his fugly girl standing by the steps.
the only other people in the lobby were kath and her friend, and they were deep in conversation.

"were you the ones banging at the door?"
"....."
"were you banging on my door like that?"
(guy takes a step towards me like he wants to fight)
"you can go use it now"
(guy goes into the bathroom)
"did you hear that guy banging on the door like that? that's why i hate ugly-ass foreigners. i hate foreigners. don't bang on my door like that while i'm trying to take a pee".

foreigners need to learn some manners. doesn't matter if they're in japan or in australia. you don't bang on a door and try to force it open.

zingerman's in the new york times

2008-05-11T00:57:00.002+09:00

www.nytimes.com/2007/05/03/business/smallbusiness/03zingerman.html

i was looking at racialicous.com and clicked on an article about mixed people, and saw an ad about zingerman's in the corner.
the A2 native that i am, i had to see what was being written about a place from my hometown.

towards the end of the article, they mentioned that zingerman's wasn't as popular in A2 as it was out of town. i don't know about the popularity of zingerman's outside of A2, heck, i didn't even know that people outside of A2 even knew about zingerman's!

on line that got to me was one that stated that midwesterners were sticker shocked at zingerman's' prices which "approach new york prices".
sorry new york times, it's not "sticker shock" or anything like that.

i don't go to zingerman's because their sandwiches are fucking expensive.
and in case you didn't hear, $14 is too much for a sandwich.

i believe that "expensive sandwiches" were covered in "stuff white people like".

oh, thanks for implying that midwesterners are "uncultured" because some of us don't want to pay $15 for a sandwhich.
assholes.

japanese park & seto o-hashi

2008-05-10T23:32:00.003+09:00

the park entrance. looks more like a resort or something than a park.

in the park.

flowers at the park.

palm tree at the fisherman's wharf near seto o-hashi.

who knew there were so many palm trees in japan?

mixed people in japan

2008-04-30T19:42:00.004+09:00

i pick up comics every once and a while, and sometimes the girls at work have ones that they bring in to share.

one series that became a topic of conversation at work is a manga called "ping-pong club".

my co-workers found it very interesting, and very wrong. last week it finally fell into my possession.

within the first 5 pages, the reader is introduced to a mixed character.

i think his name was "michael".

this guy is a big-nosed, hairy blondish "foreigner". (he also has an outie and a big thing)

in another comic i have been reading, a japanese/white character appears as a weird annoying character that the main cast hates.

and in yet another manga "eensy-weensy monster", a japanese/french character appears. this character is admired by the other girls in the school, but they are too scared to talk to her.

what's the connection?

all of the characters are half-white (half-asian or half-black characters are rarely found), and they represent how the artist seems to see whites/foreigners.

the first two are somewhat dumb. they embody traits and looks of "otherness". they are not very liked by the main cast, but they are tolerated.

the last one is the type of mixed person that you often find in japanese fashion magazines; a girl who is half-japanese/half-white, who speaks japanese fluently, but looks exotic enough to be considered "pretty".

i'm fasciniated by how mixed people are represented in japanese media, so i'll post about that from time to time.

money, movies & enkais

2008-04-27T13:45:00.001+09:00

this past wednesday, i met up with kath for dinner at gyu-kaku.
while we were eating, she told me about a movie that she was going to go see with her co-worker the next day, and would i be interested.

i said i'd think about it, and the next day i emailed her to say that i decided not to go.
a movie ticket in japan costs 1,800 yen ($18).

she emailed me back saying that it'd be really nice if i went, and that she'd let me use her discount coupon (making the ticket 1,100yen). it seemed like it would be an interesting movie, so i relented and went along.

the title of the movie was "irina palm". i guess it's some UK, french, etc collaboration movie (though the whole thing takes place in the UK).
the storyline?
a middle-aged lady goes to some wh0re house and gives guys hand-jobs to raise money to send her dying grandson to australia for treatment.
(.......)

after the movie, i was planning on heading home, but the co-worker was like "let's go eat".
so off we go to some indonesian place.
the food was good, but i was out another 2,000yen...

so, on friday, i have an enkai to welcome the chinese CIR, and this one is going to cost me 4,000yen.
after the enkai, some people were looking to go to karaoke, and i was pulled in. there goes another 2,500yen...

then AFTER karaoke, the co-worker from the movie, wanted to go to a bar.
so me, her and two other guys went with her to the bar.

so, we're in this smoky bar. i'm drinking tea because i already had drinks at the enkai and i'm not in the mood for more. the two guys are both married with kids, and they look totally spent. but the female co-worker N, is just totally ready to go.
at one point she asked me like 5 or 6 times if i smoke, which i don't. and she goes, "not even weed?".
DUH, if i don't smoke cigs, why would i be smoking weed?!
she responded with, "are you sure you're american? that seems pretty rare. but, good job on staying above peer pressure."

o_O

natural kitchen

2008-04-22T21:53:00.002+09:00

this past weekend, i went to this store called "natural kitchen".
it's the type of place that girls love, but guys hate.
as i walked toward it, i saw a bunch of guys standing around outside of the place looking lost or bored...or both. waiting for their girlfriends to come out.

why would the place be so popular?
as the name suggests, "natural kitchen" sells kitchenware and other household items.
what sets this place apart from other similar places is that everything is 105 yen ($1)!

you could buy kitchenware for your whole house! (and it looked like some people were)

the plates were beige with simple and cute designs.
cups of various types (coffee, tiny coffee, mug...etc), and the colors were earthy and neutral (blues and light browns).
there were so many cute things!

since coming here, i've been using paper plates because i just don't want to use the random plates and bowels left in the apartment by previous JETs.

i have decided to buy 4 plates, cups, bowels, etc. and when i go home, i'm packing them up and taking them with me.

and for 105yen per item, it is a steal!

so you want to come to japan?

2008-04-18T16:48:00.002+09:00

there are a lot of people who dream of coming to japan.
most of them are 'tards.
sorry to say it, but it is true.

so, here are some tips, if you're looking to make a trip to the land of the rising sun:

#1: Learn how to dress yourself

this sounds simple enough, but the typical foreigner in japan looks like they got dressed drunk. in the dark.
japan puts a higher emphasis on "looking-good" than the US.
in the US, you could go out wearing an old t-shirt, some beat up jeans and flip-flops, and most people wouldn't blink an eye.

however, if you're going to come to japan, take some time to groom yourself.
wear clothing that FITS your body. this isn't california, no one wants to see your fat belly falling out of your jeans and peeking out of your too tight, too short shirt.

it's true that there are a lot of bad dressers in japan, but you're here representing your country. let's try and make a good impression.

#2: Stop talking so damn loud

yes, it's very interesting that that thing looks like that, but there's no reason to scream that across hondoori.
being in a foreign country doesn't give you an open invitation to start being loud when you're with your group of foreigner friends.
this especially applies on buses and trains.
do us all a favor and stfu.
no one wants to hear, "OMG, IS THIS THE TRAIN TO HIROSHIMA STATION???!!!oneone11!!"

#3: Don't be creepy

For some reason, japan attracts the weirdos. if you're a weirdo, stay home.
japanese people are not impressed by foreigners who wear all black, walking hunched over and look like they might kill someone.
it's especially creepy when these people stand in a crowd and start taking pictures of japanese people.

more to come later.

siiicckkkkkk

2008-04-15T22:07:00.003+09:00

when i went strawberry picking a few weeks back, i came across a number of strawberries that were "mingin'".

look at your own risk. these are seriously f--king disgusting looking "strawberries".

let's start out with something easy...

i never knew that strawberries could be white like this...

how did it get all long like that? it looks like a penis...or something...

definately NOT going to eat that...

it's all bumpy and ish...

askldfhsdfhbdkjfn ughhh the seeds are like popping out of it!
SICK!!!!111oneoneone!!!!!111

my rice cooker

2008-04-08T21:24:00.004+09:00

to start off, when i first moved here i had no rice cooker.

i was given a small one by another JET who got it from some other JET.

it has served me well. it makes 3 cups of rice, which is just perfect for me cuz i usually just make 2 cups.

a few months ago, i heard that people bake cakes in their rice cookers.

i had wanted to try and see if i could do it with mine, and an invite by my co-worker to a pot-luck lunch was the perfect opportunity for me to test it out.

(note- this was about 3 weeks ago)

so, i bought some brownie mix at jupiter and set to it.

i poured the batter into the pot and set the stuff to cook while i was in the shower.

that was about 7:30pm.

when the rice cooker rang it's little "i'm done" bell, i opened it, expecting to see a cute little cake.

instead, i saw batter.

no, problem. i'll just put it through again, that should do it.

right?

wrong.

from 7:30pm-12am i was continuously resetting the rice cooker, and the brownies were still batter.

the next day was the lunch party, so early the next morning i got up and poured the whole bunch of batter into a pan and stuck it in my "oven toaster".

this "oven toaster" does not have temp settings, it is basically a toaster.

i went into the bathroom to straighten my hair, and a few minutes later i went to check on the brownies.

what i saw was smoke pouring from the toaster.

i quickly opened the door to see my brownies on fire.

needless to say, i had to throw out the brownies and ended up buying some tiramisu.

on the weekend i went to buy myself a rice cooker that can bake cakes.

the first thing i tried was cornbread.

the new rice cooker is on the left, the old one on the right.

here's the kicker.

a week or two BEFORE the fire, i spotted a cake baking rice cooker at youme town.

it was about 6,000yen, but i had no money.

when i went back to buy it, i saw the price had shot up to 8,000yen. (bought it anyways, obviously)

today, i'm back at youme town and what do i see?

that first 6,000yen rice cooker AND my new 8,000yen rice cooker.

youme town tricked me out of my money, and for that...i am sad.

hana-mi

2008-04-07T21:39:00.003+09:00

what does springtime mean in japan?

aside from co-workers being moved around and the start of a new year for students, spring is the time for "hana-mi" (sakura viewing).

the sakura in peace memorial park are in full bloom, and this past saturday i met up with some japanese friends and did hana-mi.

now, while hana-mi might sound boring, it's really actually a time to spead a tarp under the cherry blossoms and get drunk while eating snacks. anywhere where there are cherry blossoms, there will be people under them getting drunk, and leaving a bunch of trash in their wake.

after taking pictures of the trees, i went to the spot that they had picked out and ate some snacks and had some low alcohol drinks. around 11:30pm or so we headed to a bar aimed at foreigners called "kemby's".

i left around 12:30 or 1am.

strawberries & soba

2008-03-29T23:25:00.003+09:00

today i went with kath and 4 other japanese co-workers to pick strawberries.

it took about and hour or so to get from hiroshima city to just outside of miyoshi city.

when we arrived at the place, the guy handed us some styrofoam trays, and we were told that we had 1 hour to pick and eat as many strawberries as we could.

the trays were not for holding the strawberries, but to throw away the green leafy parts of the strawberry.

half-way through his explaination, the farmer guy turned to one guy in our group and said, "you can translate for them later". at that point kath said, "it's ok, i understand japanese".

so we go into one greenhouse, and start going through the strawberries, looking for the good ones.

now, i'm not much of a strawberry eater, but i knew i didn't want the big ones.

i don't think that i've ever eaten that many strawberries in my life.

after that, we piled back into the van and sped off to the soba place.

there we all took turns kneading and cutting the soba that we would later eat.

it was my first time eating and making soba. some of the slices were a little too big, but it tasted pretty big. the soba along with the strawberries filled me up pretty well (i missed breakfast).

finally, we went to coco's and drank coffee/tea and talked for a while before being dropped off at home...

fashion in japan

2008-03-29T00:02:00.003+09:00

fashion in japan, like the states, is all over the place.

i guess those palestinian scarves that were causing some issues in the US are set to become a hit in japan (i thought they might).

i only know about the issue surrounding the scarves in light detail, but you have to admit they do look pretty good!

i-dou

2008-03-28T22:15:00.001+09:00

so...
it's the end of march.
anywhere else, it would be just that, but in japan, the end of march has a different meaning.
the end of march is when people graduate from university (or elementary-high school), and when "employee movements" are announced.

city employees can be moved to a different city job at any time.
unlike the states where it's like "hey, i have a degree in economics, so i'm going to work in this economics department"; in japan it's like "i'm a city worker with a degree in economics, but i'm working in the social welfare department".

in march, most of the movements are announced. in my department, one girl is leaving after just arriving last april.

it's a somewhat emotional time throughout the city.
co-workers that you have become friendly with and work well with are carted off to a post across the city. their replacement is some douche who picks his ears and farts...or something like that.

clothing

2008-03-22T22:58:00.004+09:00

since coming to japan, i've been trying to step-up my wardrobe.

when it comes to work clothes, i basically have a few things that look ok.
it is work after all, not a fashion show. but, when i'm not at work, i am somewhat frustrated
trying to find something that looks good.

basically, japan is really into how people look.
especially girls.

most girls put on make-up before leaving the house. the other day i was looking through a book on ettiquette, and it said, "Women, please wear make-up".

the models in popular fashion magazines like ViVi are famous.

anyways, so, i've been looking to "level up" my style.

omfg

2006-10-03T22:06:00.000+09:00

this thing has so many names. i really don't know what mine is.
and since i didn't know, i couldn't log in...which was annoying.
then it took me 30yrs to figure out how to get my password changed...

anyways.
yeah.
i got side-swiped by a car a few weeks ago. that was cool.
because when a light is red that means u speed through it at 50mph.
obviously.

i'm in tokyo...!

2006-08-08T23:52:00.000+09:00

yes. i have arrived in tokyo.
there was a lot of drama getting here, but i'm here.
i don't really have the chance to explore because i have to go to meetings...
but i did get to akihabara.

i'll leave for hiroshima tomorrow morning.

check check

2006-08-04T12:39:00.000+09:00

i'm just testing this out to see how it looks :)