Saturday, October 26, 2002

*... the great soda debate ...*
Man, I feel like I should hold the Pepsi Challenge-type thing with all the opinions you people are having about soda. As you all should know, my first and foremost love of carbonation comes in the form of Diet Coke with lemon (and NOT Lemon Diet Coke, nasty, but regular Diet Coke with lemon juice in it). Next comes carbonated lemon water, and then comes either FuFu Berry or Green Apple Jones Soda. All this to say that 1) MELON is not an option (ICK!), 2) 7-Up is too boring, and 3) although peach is quite tantalizing, I have actually found an apple soda in these parts, so I am way excited 'bout that.
if you have no clue what the heck I am talking about, please skip ahead. thank you.

I found myself in the odd position of desiring eyeglasses today, much like my sister used to want braces (and a retainer and a biteplate) for no medical reason at all. (Yeah, she's a weirdo, but she's family, so it's all par for course... hehehe). As I was struggling to stay on my bike this afternoon, on the way to the laundromat, the wind that was viciously trying to throw me off my bike took another course of action, and whipped a good handful of dirt and debris in my eyes and up my nose. I almost lost it, but proved triumphant against the evil weather, tho my eyes are still a little rough, and I will be picking stuff out of my nose for the next 3 weeks or so (I have discovered that it is seemingly quite acceptable to pick your nose in public, even while conversing with someone else. Gross.)
I have been trying to find a little cafe or something to carve out as my own for the upcoming cold nights, but apparently Japan is anti-leisure, and tend to close down early and hound you to get out. And that's no fun. So instead, I use my spare time to vacuum (YAY! I bought a vacuum! And Tiffany thought it couldn't be done, but I went ahead and strapped it to my bike and got it home. Ha!) and go on more culinary adventures, like mochimochi donuts (which I thought would be a donut-ish mochi/rice cake, but was, in reality and much to my surprise, just a big wad of fried dough. Not that I am complaining, necessarily!)

I have yet to find a dojo or class to workout at and kill those little culinary adventures, but I did go to the climbing gym again and felt like myself again for a little while, especially since there were a lot more people there this time, and they were way kickback (and not all dolled up image style) and would yell "Gamba! Gambare!!" (literally "do your best!") while you were climbing, or if you were stuck. Way cool.
2:09 PM

Tuesday, October 22, 2002

*... PLANS CHANGE ...*
The biggest, most important lesson I have extracted from this whole Japan adventure is plans change. I was introduced to it before getting here, I wrote a 4 page dissertation about it to someone (not necessarily near at the moment, but) quite dear to my heart, and the fates that be must have known that I need a reminder of it. Well, today was like a 2x4 upside the head of that theme...
* I had planned on going for a run this morning, but as soon as I pulled my shoes on, it started POURING...
* I had planned on taking a hot shower before work, but my water heater had other plans...
* I had planned on going to the bank before school, but apparently they were working on the ATMs...
* I had planned on using my free time at school to catch up with emails and research places to travel on my winter break, but the entire network was out of commission as they installed all new computers in the comp room and teachers' room (not that I'm complaining, b/c it's gotta be better than the calculators they were using before)...
* I had planned on exploring the city for a dojo after school, but had to haul ass home to meet the gas guy about the water heater...
* I had planned on going straight home, but had to alter my route, as I had 15 ichi-nen-sens (6th graders) following me home (more on that later)...
* I had planned on going to the supermarket (97 yen Tuesdays!) but had to wait for the gas guy so long that once again the ATMs were closed, so I could get no money to buy stuff at the store...
* I had planned on buying my dinner at the supermarket, but as said before, couldn't get there, so dinner was an apple with peanut butter, and milk (hey, fruit, protein, dairy... sounds balanced to me)...
* I had planned on going to a quaint little cafe to catch up on letter writing, but, well, see above...

DANG.

So the gas guy couldn't fix the heater, I couldn't get food, and I am without money, dojo, or winter vacation plans. But I apparently have a group of followers now (literally) as I greatly impressed some of my students and many locals as I absent-mindedly spun my umbrella while walking home (I think the behind-the-back toss really got 'em), so these kids decided to follow me home while trying to flip their 'brolleys too... A dangerous situation, someone almost lost an eye and another almost broke a window...

PS to Laura - decided to give the melon soda the benefit of the doubt and try it again... STRIKE 2 for you, buckaroo.
6:27 PM

Monday, October 21, 2002

*... the culture of Cs ...*
CARS - I absolutely adore the little tiny cars they have over here. Quite a stark contrast from the SUV-laden American point-of-view. In fact, I saw an Audi TT the other day, and although state-side it is considered tiny, it was actually bigger than all the cars around it. I would say that half of the cars here are K-cars (I have no idea what the "K" stands for, but my guess would be "ko-n-pa-kku-to") and I want to adopt one and take it home, since a small box with wheels would be so handy in SD considering how difficult it can be to find parking. The strange thing is that everyone here seems to have the "Ting Syndrome." That is, they all insist on parking backwards into parking spots. Why? I don't know. But they all do it. And they drive on the sidewalks. And on the other side of the road. All in all, I would be scared to death to drive here. By the way, it is called the Ting Syndrome after Jason Ting, who always parked backwards, but could never come up with a reason why.
CLOTHES - I am so used to seeing my kids in their uniforms, that I actually can't recognize them in street clothes. Now part of that is I may not be looking at their face, but instead gawking at the fact that anybody would want to walk out of the house in an outfit that resembles "I just put on whatever was closest, with no regard to pattern or color, and about 4 layers of it." Except I know how important fashion is over here, and how carefully articulated these gaudy outfits are. I guess I would do that too if I was forced to wear a uniform everyday. It is quite deceiving; the boys look just like sharply-dressed young men in their little ties and jackets (I must admit, I am a sucker for a guy in a suit), and they at least keep the same uniform middle to high school. The middle school girls have these horrid little jumper frocks with suit jackets and scarf things, but they (perhaps gratefully) trade that for mini-skirts and leg warmers when they reach high school. And they wear these 7 days a week. No wonder their street clothes are so outrageous.
CAMPAIGNS - For one thing, it is LOUD. Campaigning consists of trolling around town in a 8 speaker laden van, with anonymous gloved hands sticking out the window, waving, and some fool shouting into a microphone all the great things they are going to bring to office. Or they stand on street corners and do it. And from the way they talk (because, afterall, that's all I have to go on) I know who I would and wouldn't vote for. Mostly volume has a lot to do with that decision.

And PS - Family makes everything better.
6:37 PM

Sunday, October 20, 2002

*... the crew ...*
1 day at Tokyo orientation, plus the plane ride over. That is how long I knew these people. Yet talking to JP, Alan, and Karin on Friday and Saturday night was one of the best forms of entertainment I have found. Too bad they're a nice 8 hour train ride away...
11:56 AM