Yes it is me once again.Ý I keep forgetting
(we're not in love anymore..uh..no) some details that I think are pretty
silly, so before my great day of dancing for food comes up, I thought
I should mention these.Ý Preview:Ý The Pecking order, Slurping torture,
where "Suck it up and deal" originated, and wonderful Japanese TV.Way
back when...or as Stars Wars would say...A long long time ago..when I first
got here I went on that bus trip to another prefecture.Ý Okay what
I forgot to mention was when I was in the bus I saw my bosses meeting
some other officials...the view from the heights of the bus were
breath taking.Ý Without hearing a sound from the outside world, all
my senses gathered was the sight of the great technique of bowing
(perceived like when you see someone dancing in his/her car without
the benefit of hearing the music yourself...they look really silly).Ý
So picture this...7 people in a circle bowing..over and over again...it
reminded me of chickens feeding...I've also noticed that women will
have bowing convulsions...watch out for the whip lash.Ý So you think
a bow is a bow is a bow?Ý No, there are all different kinds of bows
depending on who you are bowing to...someone older?Ý someone richer?Ý
someone who has higher social or political standing?Ý someone who is your
boss?Ý It all depends...the deeper the bow the more formal...and
respectful.Ý Women bow, most of the time, deeper to a male..it being that
kind of society.Ý Woe to the Japanese individual who doesn't bow
correctly.I was in my office the other day and like any other day we had
lunch..that being one of the great traditions here that I really value
(I buy my lunch so I don't have tuna).Ý Well today was even more
special to me because the majority of the office happened to order
noodles.Ý So what you ask?Ý Well here it is tradition to slurp your
noodles.Ý The louder you slurp them the more you like them.Ý If you
go to a restaurant and you don't slurp your noodles you are saying
to that restaurant that their food is bad.Ý Well, based on the loud
noises around me, my office mates really loved their noodles....for
20minutes...the annoyance of a dripping faucet has been replaced
with this national past time.Ý Speaking of slurping noodles I tried
out my slurping technique the other night.Ý My friend Jason (of second
train loss fame) and I went to get a great bowl of ramen noodles.Ý
So after I tried a little taste and burnt the stuffing out of my
tongue, Jason casually told me that many restaurants pride themselves with
how hot their noodles are.Ý The place with the hottest noodles is
the place to go...well this place must have had the hottest...it
was packed.Ý So I waited for a half hour until I could eat.Ý Okay,
so other than noodles what did they put in this huge bowl?Ý Jason
didn't know...well I said I guess I will "suck it up and deal"...maybe
that is where the term comes from...Oh yeah, also before you eat
you get a towel to wipe your hands...but you never get a napkin at
any of the places...so you slurp your noodles and the remainder of
it winds up on your chin...where to put it?Ý How creative can you
get?In another eating treat last week I had tempura...which consisted of
fried squid, pumpkin, fish, and a leaf...most of the time right before
I eat I remind myself "I'm in Japan" and dig in...hey it hasn't killed
the natives so I should be just fine right?Ý I even had sushi a few
times already...watch out for the bones.So after a wonderful meal,
I went back to my place to watch a little TV...not that I understand
it..but like my reading adventures of childhood I like looking at
the pictures...when I am really bored I come up with my own dialogue
about what I think the actors are saying...or I should say what I
think would be funny.Ý If I am really lucky I will be able to find
a movie that is in English that has Japanese subtitles.Ý You would
be amazed of what you wind up watching when you are desperate for an
English speaking movie.Ý Needless to say you would NEVER watch these movies
in the States..you would click by the TBS late movie to something that
is actually somewhat good...but here your standards drop...and you
watch "Submarine Joe" for the third time.Ý Still there is a video
rental place down the road...I became a member...here you have to be a
member of everything before you can get the service.Ý Jason had to
become a member of the dry cleaning place before he could get his
dry cleaning done.Ý Well, without too much applause I became a member
of the video place.Ý The only strange question on the application
was asking for my blood type..I still don't know what is up with
that.Ý I was able to rent some movie with subtitles...had to make
sure that it was in subtitles and not dubbed over though.Ý They have
a pretty good selection though..I might even go back...once or twice
more.Ý I think that will do it for now.Ý I have had some requests
about the landscape, buildings, and some of the people's behaviors...so
I will comply in emails to come.Hope all is well with everyone...write
when you can...I look forward to getting mail from the outside...Ý