I realize that there are weird people everywhere in the world. Canada has loads of 'em. England has more. However, Japan breeds a kind of weird that I've never encountered before.

The silent type.

And we're not talking 'the strong, silent type' we all grew up loving in that McCains French Fries ad. I'm talking about the silent, weird type who will barely look at you.

Today this just got to me a little. I work at and Ekaiwa (pronounced Eh-ka-ee-wa). The 'E' means 'English' and 'kaiwa' means 'conversation.'

After I had finished my last class and punched in all my attendance for the day, I noticed there were two perspective students in the interview rooms. Part of my job is to talk to them, and often judge their English level and place them in a class. Lyu had already placed them, so I just dropped in to say hello.

The first girl was sweet. Her name was Kyoko and she worked in a bookstore and she is going BACK to Canada soon. Wicked.

The second girls name is _____. She works at ______. She is _______. She really likes ______. _________.

She was the silent type. I walked in and said 'hi, how are you.' She looked at me, then looked at the floor. I said, 'my name is Derek, what's your name.' She looked harder at the floor. Ok...so maybe her English isn't very good. I pointed at myself and said 'I'm Derek. What's your name?' She looked at me, looked around, then looked at the floor. So, I said 'um...Nice to meet you!' and left.

What a winner.

Let me remind you that kaiwa means 'conversation.'

If you're wondering if she's just too low to say anything, well, she's not. Anyone in Japan can say their name. Or at least knows the word 'name,' cause it's the same word in Japanese. My gestured indicated what was being said. And trust me, I know gestures.

The staff told me she doesn't speak in Japanese either. She just doesn't like to talk. It made me feel like shit when she did that. The office staff weren't so surprised by her though, because apparently, there are many more people like her.....I guess they just don't associate with me.


Thankfully.

This is in JAPANESE!

To quote my aussie buddy tony when trying to read a free comic he picked up at some anime shop: "this is in Japanese!"

Japanese. It's everywhere. On my cereal, on my bills, and on my clothes. Well the obvious response to this is 'duh,' it's Japan. Right right, I forgot. All I need to do is learn some more and then all will be fine. However, it's easier said than done. Seeing English is the international language, (sorry French, you may be 'officially', but you're really not) studying it is much easier. School, books, and other mediums are everywhere. I had a Japanese teacher for a few months, but he canceled or no-showed my last 5 lessons. There are a couple schools downtown, but I can't get to them in time for lessons seeing as I live in the burbs.

So I study on my own. Which is really really hard cause it's so easy to lose motivation.

Another notion is that the world around me should be my school. Whatever I do should be in Japanese. That doesn't always work; here's what happens:

Situation #1
Derek: Toire wa doko desuka? (where's the bathroom?)
Local: Sumimasen, watashi was eigo ga dekimasen. (Sorry, I can't speak English)
Derek: ....

Situation #2
Derek: Toire wa doko desuka? (where's the bathroom?)
Local: eh?!! (runs away)

Situation #3
Derek: Toire wa doko desuka? (where's the bathroom?)
Local: THERE!!! EETO....where from?! Nice meet you! eh....gomen gomen...you like japan...
Derek: (runs away)

My coworker Melissa who's half Japanese and can speak it fluently has even had similar experiences. She's asked for directions or when a train leaves only to be answered with 'No!' People are either too excited or too afraid.

Well, that's the end of my venting, I'm going to study a little.

d.

New game + my Japanese in action

I've had a Nintendo DS for a few months now and it's pretty damn cool. One of these days it may even be practical when the web browser comes out or I get the Kanji writing program.

But in the mean time, it's just games. Today I picked up the new Starfox command. Yes, it's in Japanese. However, I believe flying around in an interstellar starship is something that transcends language. Besides, all it's going to tell me is 'kill the bad guys, you dope.'

So I start up the game and it goes to a conversation between a the fox guy and some robot....wow...lot's of Kanji.

Luckily my Japanese was good enough to navigate through this. I could make out the word 'skip.' I did so.

d.

Pay day in Japan!

YES! Pay day is FINALLY HERE. Oh, most people in Japan only get paid once a month-myself included. Which is kind of cool, but it encourages you to make big purchases. What sucks about today is that the lines at the bank machines are going to be huge.

Japanese bank machines. (shudder)

Why does anyone like them so much? Or even like them a little? Cause they do what banks don't; they stay open late. So at three in the morning when you're stumbling around you can take out some cash and catch a cab to anywhere.

Then please tell me why Japanese bank machines close. Maybe they hire itty-bitty Filipinos to hide inside, and they need to go home to their itty-bitty families. After about 10 o'clock, the bank machines won't give you money anymore. Well, I gotta go watch about 15 housewives update their bankbooks in front of me.

peace and oatmeal. (that's for dan)

No money, no honey.

Damn! I am so broke. And this really, really isn't my fault. It's ok, payday the day after tomorrow. For the folks in North America, that's three days from yesterday, for me. ehhhhh....

Ok, This all began during my trip. Well, before my trip actually.

Tony my friend, you suck.

The dude has a degree in comp-eng, and can't manage numbers what-so-ever. He spent way to much money earlier in the month, and took about 30 000 Yen on the trip with him. (just take away two zeros to the price in $$)

Japan is expensive. And I mean EXPENSIVE. It's just sneaks up on you...I've heard many people tell me they must have lost money on a trip cause they can't account for a big chunk of it. I'm betting they got smashed and forgot what they spent it on, or just the rising sun got to their wallet.

So I took 50 000 with me, and I had about another 30 000 in the bank if I needed it. I figured I might need another 10 000, and I did. However, Tony needed more than that. Even Ron needed a little. Knowing I had a 10 000 Yen gas bill waiting at home, I was trying to be conservative. But alas, had I not had dove deep into my funds, Tony might still be somewhere on Kyushu.

So in the end, I had to feed both Tony and Ron for the last day, buying food at 7/11. Tony owes me 15 000+ and I had no money for my gas bill. When I got back to Hiroshima, the gas company had called and gave me to the 20th to pay my bill or bye-bye to hot water and cooking.

:(

I had to borrow money myself in the end to pay that. Next trip I take with Tony, I'm taking his trip money AS SOON AS HE GETS PAID.

Ocean Dome

Ok, I have to get to the Ocean Dome first while it's still fresh on my brain. I when I say fresh I mean I can't get it off. Now this place...THIS PLACE....holy shit I don't know where to start. It's kind of like what Paradise would be like if it were written by Japanese people who were obsessed with playing The Sims.

Think of a beautiful beach...nice sun, sand, a nice blue sky, no stinky rotting seaweed around, no one trying to sell you crap or steal your stuff....then, they turn on the wave machine.

I'm torn about this place: it's beautiful, fun, clean, and warm. And it's only 200 meters away from a real beach! To me it's a big figurative middle finger waving itself at mothernature, God, the ocean, and the whole earth in general.

"WE DON'T NEED YOUR DAMN OCEAN! WE MADE OUR OWN!!!!!!! " (insert evil laughter)

I have some sweet pics but they don't seem to want to upload right now. So here you go:

http://www.joe-ks.com/archives_sep2005/Manmade_Japan_Beach.htm

You have to go there. I think Tony, Ron, and I stayed there for about 6 hours, just getting in and out of the ocean (pool?). There were families, and even a sort of Mighty Morphing Power Rangers show going on. I had no idea what was happening. If you EVER go to Japan, this place is little out of the way, but it's totaly worth it.

d.

Back home.

Back in Midorii, safe and sound. I just got back from my summer vacation, and it was pretty rad. The island of Kyushu is a really really cool place. I'd really like to live in Kagoshima of Miyazaki...both are on the beach, the weather is nice, and the pace is just a little slower than here in Hiroshima. Jeez, Tokyo would just kill me then.

Tony, Ron, and I took trains, busses, and boats to get around. I have so many stories I don't know where to start. We were gone for five days (about) and we stayed hotels and ryokans.

A ryokan is a Japanese traditional lodging. Althouth that sounds really nice and cool, I think it's just a secret Japanese codeword for 'empty room without a shower.' There is usually a room full of sit-down showers in the basement, with a big hot bath next to it that everyone shares.

I have to say, that was pretty relaxing.

We went to Fukuoka, Shizuoka, Kagoshima, and Miyazaki. From this trip there are a few things I need to cover, and I will try to do so with photos over the next few days.

1 - the indoor beach
2 - tony's inability to grasp the concept of currency and how to use it
3 - all the small places

d.

Flying below the radar.

Yesterday, when I got into work at about 3:00, my boss seemed in a terrible mood. She didn’t say hi, and when she finally acknowledged me about 20 minutes later, she didn’t have much to say.

So I thought to myself, 'it's a great day to keep a low profile.' For the rest of the day I did my lobby talk, and every moment between I snuck back to the preparation room to lurk in the shadows.

The last three hours were a breeze because I had three classes. At the end of the day, I gave myself a big pat on the back for a job well done. I had barely even seen my boss all day! I was quite proud of myself.

On the way out, I said to Sara, 'What a day, I flew below the radar all day because Yumi was in a bad mood.'

"Derek, Yumi was really sick and went home at 4:00."

Now that is some low flying.

"Derek, Yumi was really sick and went home at 4:00."

Now that is some low flying.

I forgot baseball was boring.

That's where this is going. Baseball. Boring.

Let's go back to the beginning. I was Roka Sarah's birthday-her big thirty at that, so she invited a whole bunch of her friends and planned a big weekend. It was pretty sweet, we did about 2 hours of Karaoke, followed by dancing until about 4 or 5. New Tim, or 'newt' as he is becoming known, had a few too many and his party ended a little earlier.

I have to admit, Japanese karaoke is pretty cool. I think they have it right, and we, in the west, have it way way wrong (sorry Nancy). It's not about standing up in front of a bar and trying to show off, or getting hammered and then standing up, trying to show off, and untimely embarrassing yourself, it's about just singing with your friends. If you've seen 'Lost in Translation' - then you've seen a pretty good image of Japanese Karaoke. However, it's often much more pink, and fluffy, and Hello-Kitty-ish. Oh, and it's usually all-you-can-drink. :)

The next day I rolled out of bed onto the floor (I was sleeping on the floor, as I always do) at about 1:30 pm. And everyone from the night before slowly made it down to Carp Stadium to catch a game.

Now I'm glad I went, but I don't think I'll be going to a baseball game for a while. Besides, it was only 15 bucks. But HOLY CRAP after like two innings I was bored out of my mind. It you want to make baseball more exciting, just add hitting. And ice. And skates. And then rename it hockey.

I think possibly the only more boring sport in the world is Cricket.

Don't even get me started on Cricket.

Thanks for a great weekend Roka!