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