Hi Kids,
Yes, I wussed out yesterday. After all the personal e-mails I sent out, I didn't feel like rehashing anymore. But I am back! But I don't have much to tell. SO I will just share a few more facts and observations about Japan and its people. When I first moved here, (yes, many moons ago) the one thing that bothered me was that people didn't seem friendly. Now, after living in Nashville for 2 years, you become accustomed to certain things, like saying hello to people you pass on the street. But Japanese people on the streets do not even LOOK at you, let alone say hello. At first, I thought they must hate Americans. I decided I needed to do a little research. At Nova, I have a very chatty student that I have had 2 or 3 times now that I absolutely adore. I can't recall her name at the moment but we'll just call her Keiko for kicks. Since Keiko is one of the friendliest and most boisterous Japanese people I have met, I decided to ask her why Japanese people don't say hello when passing on the streets. She said there are two reasons, 1) Japanese people are afraid of me. They are afraid that I may ask them a question and they are embarrassed that they won't understand me (I thought that was interesting) and 2) it's just not their custom to greet people on the streets. It seems like such a minor thing to some people, I'm sure, but that really bothers me. I am almost tempted to say, "HI THERE, MR. JAPANESE MAN, HOW THE HELL ARE YOU TODAY?!" and see his response. I mean, people don't even LOOK at you, like you don't exist. But the funny thing is that they really are friendly in any other situation. I just found that little difference in customs interesting.
Another interesting difference...they don't have TV shows like we do. For example, they don't have sitcoms or dramas. I think they have one soap opera type show but everything else is either news or some severely stupid show that has absolutely no purpose. I wish I could send you a sampling of their shows. You really can't even call them shows, I don't know WHAT you would classify them as but I can see why American TV is broadcasted here, now. For example, one program was just 2 guys and a girl walking around on the streets and the guys were looking for hot girls, then they would find a hot girl and follow her around and freeze frame on different things like when the girl would reach for something, they would pan in on her buttocks and freeze frame and Japanese script would flash on the screen. Then they would send a guy into the same room with the girl and he'd be wearing jogging pants with a fake boner (sorry, this may not be appropriate for older audiences), and he would do things like "accidentally" drop the copy-machine lid on it, then they would watch for the girl's reaction. Need I continue? So as far as quality programming goes, there is none.
Oh, the big, hot news here is that a seal has made his way into some lake around here. I mean, this is BIG news. They have named him and everything (his name is Tamachen). They show him on the news every chance they get. He's not doing a whole hell of a lot, just swimming around and hanging out on a rock, but it is attracting people from all over the place. They come and sit and watch this seal hang out. And the river is wide so they come all that way to see a head in the distance that, for all they know, is a piece of driftwood. I just get a laugh every time I turn on the TV because you can bet your bottom dollar that if he's not on the telly at that moment, he will be after commercial.
For those who have inquired about my roommate, well, she is also working for Nova. She is currently in training. Last night was the first night that dork-boy spent the night at his own place. I think I have found a way to irritate him. Last time he was taking a shower, I was cleaning dishes and when he got out, he was bitching that the water switches temperature if someone is using the faucet. So I will make it a point to wash dishes whenever he gets in the shower (yes, I am a passive-aggressive). On my walk home last night, I was getting myself psyched up to tell them that B.J. was going to have to start paying rent if he was going to eat, shower, and sleep there every night. But that ended up being the night that he finally took his ass home. There is more stuff that pisses me off about him being there but it is gross stuff so I will spare my audience. You can inquire individually if you really want the dirt.
Tomorrow is my day off. Wish me luck as I make my way back to Tachigawa and the Immigration Office. I'm headed home now. Thanks again for the e-mails, even if I don't get a chance to e=mail you right away, I AM reading them and I DO appreciate them.
Love Rachel
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