At last, some news!

Hey everybody! Finally have the time and discipline to sit down and type something of actual substance to you. Basically, things here are going quite well, although I’m very busy with school work and all the other activities that I get involved in on a daily basis. Japanese classes are very difficult, particularly reading and writing class. I haven’t had the best luck on my quizzes and tests recently, except for my composition test that received an “A”. That was an interesting experience in itself, actually. Our assignment was to write a paragraph or two on anything about our lives as students using a full page of standard block paper (paper with lines of blocks for writing individual characters vertically) in class without a dictionary. We were urged to write an essay beforehand and memorize it so that we would be able to finish within the time allowed and make the essay as well-composed as possible. I made an A- with only a couple of mistakes, but still. Taking the murky thoughts in my head, which are by habit translated instantly into English, and flipping the switches to Japanese, it’s quite a feat. I never, ever, EVER though I would hear myself say this, but I am really tired of speaking Japanese.

Anyway, back to the more interesting things. I’ve been to several different places on trips over the weekend, as you’ve noticed from my pictures. Toudai-ji, Asuka Shrine, Nara Kouen, Houryuji, etc. All of those have been awesome, but I think you probably get the gist of what went on by looking at the pictures and commentary. What you haven’t been able to see is all of the other outings I’ve been on that haven’t been really scenic. For instance, this last weekend, I went with some people to one of our favorite restaurants in Hirakata-shi called Zanbo, otherwise known as “the 280 place,” so called because every item on the menu costs 280 yen. It’s a gimmick, but it’s a good one. Only problem is, the servings are kind of small. I order one or two, depending on how hungry I am, and usually a drink, as well. They have something called a triple berry sour that is absolutely a-MAZ-ing. My friend Molly introduced me to them, and usually only she and I drink them. Everyone else has beer. Actually, I have found one beer that I like–one single brand–called Asahi Super Dry. It’s actually a little sweet and not dry at all. I don’t know why they call it that. Figures that the one beer I’ve ever tried and actually enjoyed would be Japanese, doesn’t it? But anyway, the 280 place is great.

A couple of weekends ago, we went to the 280 place and to karaoke afterwards. Let me tell you, that was one of the most fun nights I have had so far. I spent quite a lot that night, but it was worth it to have such a great time with my friends. The place we went to karaoke was called The Karaoke Room, and it’s across the street from the 280 place. It’s called The Karaoke Room because you pay money per hour to rent a small room with couches, a TV, and a sound system to sing. It’s very cool, if tiny and not incredibly soundproofed. They also have something called nomohoudai, which means “all you can drink.” The alcoholic bevarages covered under that plan, though, barely have three drops of alcohol actually in them. They’re mostly flavoring and water. Of course, that just means that people keep ordering a ton of them, hah. But anyway, we sang lots of fun songs. You’d be surprised how many modern songs in English they have in their machines here in Japan. This is big business here for businessmen and clients, so they try to keep things up to date and build a comprehensive database. Third Eye Blind, Nirvana, Chumbawumba, Dave Matthews Band, just to name a few, on top of a ton of older bands and artists like The Eagles, Bob Dylan, Depeche Mode, and Chicago. They had a surprising number of songs from Chicago, for whatever reason. I decided to put them to good use, since I’m pretty sure they don’t get played much. Everybody loved my rendition of “Look Away,” quite possibly the sappiest, lamest 80s ballad in existence–but that’s precisely why it was so much fun to parody. I think somebody even got camera pictures, but I don’t have access to them. Sorry. Good times, good times. If only the whole night had cost a little less than $20… *shrug* It was worth it.

I’ve been making a lot of new friends recently in my own seminar house, and my social life is rounding out nicely. I have plans with some of them to go to Okinawa for four days over spring break, then probably up to Tokyo to climb Mt. Fuji over the last two days. The trip to Okinawa is part of a travel package from the local travel agency where we get groups of four people and only have to pay $400 for round-trip tickets and a hotel. I am incredibly excited. This is going to be my greatest adventure yet, right next to riding my bike down to Hirakata-shi by myself for the first time.

Which reminds me… Riding a bike in Japan is dangerous. Just wanted to reinforce that point. I am alive only by the grace of God day to day. And another thing! *ahem*

Dear Nihonjin,

I would like to humbly request that you all get together and decide which side of the road pedestrians should walk on. The common sense rule says that you should walk on the right side of the road so that you can see traffic. However, since the flow of traffic is on the left side, you might also be justified in walking down that side. Nevertheless, having pedestrians going both directions on both sides of the sidewalk and road is very confusing and dangerous, not only for motorists but also for cyclists, who have to share your same space.

Furthermore, I have noticed that you all have some unsettling and unhealthy tendency to throw yourselves in the way of oncoming bicycles. No matter which way I attempt to swerve to avoid you, you choose to move the same direction. Moreover, there appears to be no consensus about which direction you should dodge first. I further request, then, that you all come to some agreement about avoidance of bicycle traffic on the sidewalks. Juke left or juke right, but keep it consistent so that we don’t have to come to a complete stop to avoid you. Basically, it seems to me as though you people all have a death wish and lie awake at night imagining what it would be like to be mangled in the spokes of my front wheel. One of these days, honestly, I’m just going to run you over and see how you like it. I bet then you’ll figure out quick to let the bicycle choose which way to go around you instead of you attempting to second guess the driver of the faster moving object. Idiots.

Thank you very much for your time and attention.

Sincerely,

Joshua Manning

And now, a few interesting cultural notes:

– It is very impolite to put chopsticks staight upwards in your rice. This is because bowls of rice that are put on altars for the remembrance of the dead are traditionally placed with the chopsticks straight up and down in them. Doing so in front of another person at the dinner table is roughly equivalent to indicating you wish he would die.

– The Japanese do not put soy sauce directly on their rice. That is more of a Chinese custom. The Japanese eat bowls of sticky rice plain or with a dipping sauce, but never with soy sauce simply poured on top. Gaijin (foreigners) can do it, but the nihonjin (Japanese people) who see it will cringe. Best not to offend if you’re at a nice meal with Japanese friends.

– When you enter a Japanese store, walk past a stall on the street, or even approach the cashier at a grocery store, the tenin (store workers) will say to you “Irasshaimase!” That is, “Please come in!” It’s a very common polite greeting in a culture where the customer is considered king. Funny thing is, there’s no reply. Japanese people don’t say anything back! Many other students and I find ourselves searching for some appropriate response, but it’s not like in America where the cashier says “Hi! How are you today?” and you can simply reply, “Hello! I’m fine, thank you.” As a matter of fact, most Japanese ignore store workers altogether unless they want to buy something. And once they have, they rarely say “Thank you”! For a culture so obsessed with politeness, I still find it baffling that they ignore such simple rules of common courtesy.

– On trains and buses, Japanese don’t speak much. It’s almost always very quiet. Oh sure, parents will talk to children and friends will lean over and have some conversations, but it’s always in very hushed tones. The two standard positions for Japanese people on public transportation are with heads down, sleeping, or heads down, reading a book. Strange, to an American. Also, there are signs everywhere asking people not to use their cell phones on trains, but people do it all the time. Apparently, even people in a strict, law-abiding society find rules they don’t mind ignoring.

– Japanese people don’t wash their hands with soap. You read that right. Very few bathrooms have soap or towels or blow dryers. If they have soap, they still won’t have anything to dry their hands. Most Japanese people carry around hankachi, or handkerchiefs, in their pockets or purses to dry their hands with. Interestingly, that’s the only thing they’re used for. It’s rude to blow your nose with them, and instead, they carry tissues.

– Umbrellas are cheap and ubiquitous. Japanese people think nothing or losing or breaking an umbrella because they can dash into the nearest conveni (convenience store) and buy a new one for 500 yen ($4.30). Of course, some people have a favorite umbrella they try to hold on to, but most people carry very inexpensive ones that they can afford to replace. Cyclists can be seen riding with one hand on the handlebars and another holding up an umbrella (they also ride while talking on cell phones, even though it’s illegal). When it’s not raining, they stick the wrapped up umbrella between bars of the bike frame to hold it in place while they ride. At the entrances to many buildings, they have umbrella racks near the doors for public use. Some are long boxes with holes in the top, others are tiered racks where umbrellas can be hung on bars. One such rack I saw at Nara Kouen had clips around each hanging place on the rack with keys fitted in the side. You could turn the key to close the clip around your umbrella, then remove the key to keep anyone from stealing it. Just be sure to keep the key with you, or else you might have to pay a fee to make a new one. Very fancy.

– The Japanese love convenience stores, espeically ones that advertise as 100 yen stores or 200 yen, etc., kind of like dollar stores in America. They sell a little bit of everything, from shampoo to sodas to school supplies to slippers to sushi. It’s quite astonishing what you can find in them, really. Of course, you get what you pay for, but they’re a pretty good value for a lot of everyday items. The best part is, they’re everywhere! The most popular chains are Lawson’s and 7/11, but others such as the QQ (kyu is the Japanese word for the number 9, and everything costs 99 yen. Cute, right?) have lots of locations, as well.

Alrighty, folks, that’s all I’ve got for today. I desperately need a nap, even a short one, and I’m going home to get one. I’ll try to add some more cultural notes to this section later as I think of them. Oh, and I might add some more about church and Bible study and such. Until next time, ja mata, ne!