5 Thoughts and Observations

5) Masks and Eye-patches: Arrrrrg!!!

No, Japanese people aren’t pirates, but I can’t go a day without seeing a handful of people wearing eye-patches—something I almost never see in America. I asked a Japanese friend, and he said that there is some contagious eye disease that everyone gets. People wear the eye-patch to prevent OTHER people from getting it. Interesting system, but at least it’s thoughtful.

The masks are something I only see in the subway. The look like the SARS masks everyone in China wore a few years ago, and when I first saw them I thought that maybe these people were paranoid about germs. This got me worried because after I thought about it, I ride a train completely packed in the morning for the better part of an hour. If anyone was sick, they were probably spreading it around. But then in one of my classes, the teacher explained that the people who wear the masks are actually the ones who are sick, and they are doing me a favor by wearing them. I can’t imagine an American commuter would be even remotely as considerate if they were sick—difference in culture, I guess.

4) Politeness

Finding a seat on a train is like gold to Japanese people. The seats are almost always full because if anyone was to leave a seat, someone standing by them would immediately take it. The only way you can really get a seat is if You are the one standing by the newly vacated seat, or if your at the first stop of the line and no one is on the train yet. I think that because all the Japanese men work like 23 hours a day, they HAVE to sit down or else they’ll die. As soon as they sit down, they fall asleep, and apparently it’s kosher to wakeup a sleeping person once the train has reached the last stop. I saw this old lady hit a sleeping young man on the head as she walked off the train because the guy was still asleep at the last stop. I found that pretty funny.

Well one day, as the people were getting off the train (“off before on”), I noticed an empty seat with no one standing around it, so as soon as I stepped on the train, I made a beeline towards it. I was maybe 2 feet from the seat (having ran towards the seat) when an old man, who started off probably 3 feet from the seat was slowly closing in on the seat. I realized he had been trying to walk to the seat but because I was moving faster I was going to get there first. So I veered off and pretended like I wasn’t even going for the seat, and motioned for him to sit down.

The old guy got a huge kick out of this, and kept saying “Arigatou, Arigato” which I appreciated. So I turned and faced the window for the next few stops, when I felt a tap on my shoulder and it’s the old man motioning for me to sit in the seat next to his (apparently someone left the seat). He was so happy I gave him the original seat that he made the effort to come and get me to tell me that another empty seat opened up. Politeness rules.

3) Kanji

This happened during the first few weeks since I got here but it taught me a good lesson. While at this restaurant that I like near our campus, I was ready to order my food. Instead of just pointing to what I wanted on the menu, and felt it was about time to actually order it in Japanese. But I couldn’t read the Kanji for “Large Size”—I knew the meaning, I just didn’t know how to say it because Japanese Kanji have several different pronunciations for the same Kanji. Anyway I ask (in Japanese) “What is the reading for this kanji?” the waiter goes “Dat mean BIG! Big Size!” to which I replied, (in Japanese) “Yeah, I know it means the reading, how to you say it?” he replied “Oomori.”

The guy comes back about 5 minutes and says (English again) “U ready to order?” and I tell, in Japanese, that I can do it in Japanese, and order it and use my newly learned “Oomori”. When the guy comes bringing the food, I’m not joking, he’s singing “Oomori, Oomori, OOOOOOmori.” As he puts my food down. Here is the lesson. Don’t ask non-teachers any kanji related questions because they will treat you like a kindergartener. Which I guess makes sense since only little kids can’t read kanji.

2) The Japanese Way

The Japanese are very well intentioned and usually they do all the right things but sometimes if they tried just a LITTLE bit harder, everything would be WAY better. For example, our teachers were trying to give us a break before a vacation this week, and made the last few days easy because they said we probably wouldn’t really be able to concentrate. I thought that was really nice, I love it when teachers take it easy on students right before break. Well, they missed to concept of NOT putting the huge chapter test on the DAY WE GET BACK from break. Knowing we have a test the day back from break kills ANY vacation. To top that off, they handed us the schedule for winter break. Technically school starts again on Saturday the 6^th of January, but some kids don’t have Saturday class so they of course will start on Monday. I was planning on just skipping that Saturday and essentially giving myself TWO more days of break. Well, they’re giving us a different chapter test on THAT STUPID SATURDAY. I can’t believe it. The only two breaks we have are ruined by impending tests. I’m sure every kid would rather suck it up and tough it through a test before break, than have it loom over his head for the entire vacation. Oh well, I bet the teachers just did it so they wouldn’t have to grade papers over their break. Lame.

The dorm I live in is very reluctant to bring the Japanese students in the dorm together with the International students. We were supposed to have a welcome party the first Monday way back in September, but we didn’t have it until October. While they meant well, who the hell puts a party that starts at 8 on a Sunday night? Even if I wanted to stay out with them, I had my homework to do and school the next day. I couldn’t believe they didn’t make the party on Saturday. Again, they were close, so close to having a great event, but they just managed to mess it up. I’m sure I’ll think of more examples later.

1) Mayonnaise

Japanese people love mayonnaise. They put it on everything. I used to not really have an opinion of mayonnaise—a little was good on sandwiches; I wouldn’t put it on burgers and it didn’t belong in French fries (that’s Canadian). But here they put it on everything. I get a cucumber, ham, and mayonnaise sandwich everyday. They put it on fried chicken. Not fried chicken sandwiches—just fried chicken. They put it with seafood. They use it any chance they get. I’m very surprised by this.