*... everyone around me is a total stranger...everyone avoids me like a psyched lone ranger...everyone... ((turning japanese, i think i'm turning japanese, i really think so)) ...*
Friday, August 29, 2003
*... getting back on track ...* Today I:
* signed my rental agreement.
* enrolled in Japanese class.
* got a celly celly.
* started job negotiating.
*... the impossible question ...* Back in the safe clutches of San Diego, I am spending my days trying to visit as many people as possible, and everyone keeps asking me the question that I just can't answer: "How was Japan?" It's not that I don't have an answer, because I do. Of course I do. I have an entire web site of answer. And I know that I could give the standard "it was good." response, and the other party would be satisfied. That's what they are really seeking, right? But I hesitate, because if anyone has read this site, they will know that there were good parts and bad parts and overall I am glad that I went, but for some reason, embedded in the nuances of language and culture, I feel it necessary to come up with some 2 or 3 word response that embodies all that I feel about Japan without lumping ALL of it under one word like "good." Because not all of it was, of course. It's kind of like that "Hey, how are you?" greeting. It's a greeting, it shows interest, but if you start going off about your recent gastrointestinal follies or the super cute thing your cat did today, you're going to step on a few toes. Not to say people don't care how you are, but there is an implication of just politeness in the question, where, culturally, you understand that you should respond with one of a few options: "I'm good, thanks!", "I'm okay", and/or "how are you?" (the classic reversie trick).
I know I may be opening a huge can of worms in regards to this issue; it's actually quite a hot topic of conversation in the "Teaching English in Japan" world. Most of the reason for that stems from the debate of whether or not it's okay for every single Japanese person to auto-robot respond "I'm fine, sank you, and you?" when asked "how are you?". To what extent do we explain (and attempt to teach, which is not the same thing) the cultural intentions behind the question (greeting variation vs. inquiry into one's life)?
Armed with an awareness of these kinds of doble entendres in the English language, I find myself struck a little speechless. However, i am toying with the idea of printing out little business cards with this b-hoshi.com address on them, and thus this would automatically grant me a number of 2 word responses to the "how was Japan?" question: "read this." or "go here." or "if you're really curious about the ins and outs and ups and downs, take a gander at this, buddy." (for those days i'm feeling superfluous ; ) 3:30 PM
Tuesday, August 26, 2003
*... too. much. English. ...* My head is spinning from all the English swirling about it. And I can't even respond. I'm between languages, and it's confusing. To help us all, please be aware that I may be saying or doing the following things:
* pointing at my nose to indicate "I" or "me"
* waving my hand in front of my nose... it's not that you're stinky, it's just 'no thanks.'
* making an "X" with my hands or fingers to indicate 'no'... as in 'HELLS NO.'
* saying "ehhhtoooo...." or "anoooo" or "ehhtoo ne" or "anoanoehtoehtoanoehtone" when I'm thinking
* "gomen" = 'sorry'
* "nani(?)" = 'what(?)'
* "ne." or "ne?" or "ne!" = 'huh.' or '(...), right?' or 'hey yeah, good point!'
* "nmm." = 'yeah'
* "dame" = bad
* "sumimasen" = 'excuse me'
* "sumiYOURsen" = 'excuse YOU, punk.' 6:40 AM
Sunday, August 24, 2003
*... kaerimashita ...*
TADAIMA!!
((literally: I have gone and come back.)) 10:14 AM
*a bit o' *britt*
In Niigata City, Japan it is:
* vItAl StAtS: *
* eYeS/hAiR/wEiGhT. brown/reddish?/yes. * cUrRenT wHeReAbOuTs. back back to cali, cali * bEdTiMe. my body has decided to forgo sleep for now. * fOoD. it has also decided it's anti-food. * pHrAsE. ahh! too many people speaking English! * mOoD. i feel weird, yo. Like twilight zoney, in another world weird. * tUnEs. i get to listen to the radio in my car again! * qUoTe: "whereas i am trying to read in the succession of things presented to me every day the world's intentions towards me, and I grope my way, knowing that there can exist no dictionary that will translate into words the burden of obscure allusions that lurks in these things."
*"One, seven, three, five -- The truth you search for cannot be grasped. As night advances, a bright moon illuminates the whole ocean; the dragon's jewels are found in every wave. Looking for the moon, it is here, in this wave, and in the next." Zen Master Hsueh-tou
* tHiNgS i WiLl MiSs... *
* kaori (kojima) and mariko, kaori (honma), marika and etsuko, setsuko, nakano and sakai (aka "the boys"), kelly, alan
* most of my students
* some of my teachers
* the Shin Ken Kan crew
* my granny bike (a little)
* speaking Japanese
* traveling
* tHiNgS i WoN't MiSs... *
* the staring
* the bus
* being bored outta my gourd
* sleeping on the floor
* the Japanese Way
* secondhand smoke
* the fashion
* jApAn, AkA tHe LaNd oF... *
* "We Don't Believe in Cilantro"
* "We Don't Believe in Towels"
* "Obscurely-Sized Paper"
* "Flouride is Foreign"
* "It's Rude to Eat on the Streets, but it is Perfectly Acceptable to Blow Smoke in your Face"
* "9am is Too Early for Stores to Open"
* "We Just Make the Technology, We Don't Use It"
* "Central Air? Never Heard of It. Central Heating? Nuh-uh. Heated Toilet Seats? Well duh, of course!!"
* "Deodor-what?"
* "Open 24Hrs = 7am - 10pm"
* "Our Knees Don't Freeze"
* "We Want to Speak Like Americans and Look Like Americans and Act Like Americans, But We Don't Actually Like Americans"
* "Hey, Free Beer!"
