A few anectodes

Last Friday, after working the festival, I was subjected to Japanese wordplay. The Japanese, as far as I can tell from basically every piece of Japanese culture I've consumed since I was born, love their wordplay. Having been drinking for a while, we ordered some food. They wanted me to try raw horse. It was delicious! No, seriously! Really strong flavor, though.

Anyway, うま (uma) is Japanese for horse. うまい (umai) is (when used in this context) Japanese for delicious. "UMA-I!" he exclaimed. Get it? GET IT?

I understood and appreciated the joke, so I laughed. They laughed because I laughed. I laughed because they laughed. We shared laughter. We were drunk.

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Last night, at the welcoming/farewell party for me/Emily, I was asked to make a Japanese speech. Inebriated beyond understanding English, I had no idea what was being asked of me, so I agreed. Then everyone went silent and realization dawned. I was left speechless, until someone prodded me to say "arigatou." So I said "arigatou." They applauded! Then I was asked to continue. "Gozaimasu?" More applause! A for effort? (What effort?) A few seconds later, I thought of things I could have said. A few seconds after that, Emily gave her own little speech in rapid Japanese and I chuckled silently to myself at my own inability to speak Japanese or even come close to understanding her speech. (She speaks perfect English and I assume also perfect Japanese!)

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Earlier today, instead of working, I got to go with my immediate boss on a tour of Cisco's customer hardware, including but not limited to a TON of server hardware. The tour ended with a demo of their video conference product, which was pretty rad. It was a bizarre experience, though, as I've never once in my life expected to one day end up participating in a video conference. It's a weird things to specifically expect to never happen, but there it is.

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After the Cisco tour, I was treated to a meal at Baker Bounce - Real American Flavour. I ordered a chili cheeseburger. It was wonderful.

P.S., Yes: "Flavour."

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To summarize the past two days: Wednesday night, as mentioned earlier, I went to a welcoming/farewell party. We were almost right on the beach for fireworks! In other words, we were close.

Interestingly, the waves looked to be bigger at this beach (a bay beach) than out in the ocean. Granted, I don't really know much about how waves work - I just expected straight-from-ocean waves to be bigger!

But anyway, it was a great drinking party - again! FYI, taking pictures of fireworks with an alcohol-soaked shaky hand at one-second-long exposures produces some interesting results. Some day, in the future, after I no longer have dial-up, I'll upload the pictures. ):

I held off on drinking too much, though, because I didn't want a hangover today. Luckily, my strategy worked, and I was able to fully enjoy the aforementioned Cisco tour.

Basically this job, even though it's IT and not want I want to do, has already been infinitely more rewarding than my previous co-op experience at DigiLore. I don't know if it's just because it's Japan, or if it's because of this particular group of people... I'd venture to say it's probably both! I am really enjoying it. Life is grand.

Are you jealous?!

This Friday I go bowling, "surprise event"ing, and drinking again! But! For the first time since coming back from Korea, I'll have to pay for the alcohol. ): Noooo!

Work is killing me

...but not because of the actual work.

During the nine months total I worked at DigiLore in quaint Milford, Ohio for my previous co-op, I was invited to a total of one (1) event, which I couldn't attend, due to already having plans.

In a wild contrast sits my first few weeks of working in Japan at GNF; I've been invited to five events and attended four, with another three to come this week alone.

It is a little overwhelming for one of my nature - that is to say, generally adventurous but in a relaxing kind of way. I have never been one to run about looking for parties to attend (though I've never actually turned down an invitation either).

On Friday evening, I participated in hosting the annual GNF festival, held to appease the locals who might otherwise be concerned by the nuclear facility in their neghborhood. In other words, I made yakisoba for a couple hours!

Yakisoba, for the uninitiated, is an easily-prepared and popular festival foodstuff in Japan. Yakisoba means "fried noodles," and contrary to the name does not actually contain soba noodles. You toss some meat on the grill, put some seasoning on it, follow it up with cabbage and other veggies of choice, add the noodles, add the sauce, cooking the whole way. Voila! Easy!

Also delicious.

I got yelled at for working too hard. O: They told me to take a break, eventually, so I did. During said break, one of my coworkers wanted to introduce me to her daughter. No, not like that! She was a little girl, about ten or so. I think she was afraid of me! She was adorable in her little yukata.

While I was working, the festival attendees enjoyed the festivities. Many, like the little girl, were dressed in their yukata, which is always a plus. For the kids, some performers put on a show of Samurai Sentai Shinkenger. There was some traditional dancing, too. Prizes galore. All in all, a good time. I enjoyed myself, even though I was working almost the whole time.

Near the end, I was informed that after we cleaned up, we'd move on to "next stage." After explaining that next stage was drinking, he asked if I wanted to come. Naturally, I said yes!

Let's just say I got drunk again. Drinking with Japanese people is hilarious because before we begin consumption, everything they say to me sounds forced like they're trying to bring me into the fold but are too shy to do so... but then after a few drinks, and a few more, they start asking me what I think of the women I work with and I'm like whoa is that appropriate. Especially when one of them is sitting a mere ten feet away! She came over as soon as the question arose so I ended up not having to answer. (P.S., she's both nice and attractive. Anyway, doesn't matter.)

The night came to a close.

NEXT MORNING - beach time with Matt and Tyler! I love the beach. I want to live on the beach. The beach makes me a happier person. A better, friendlier person! At least that's what Tyler said. His exact words: "I've never seen you this happy before."

I've ridden that train of thought plenty of times before. Thinking about the beach always cheers me up. When I listen to, for example, Jimmy Buffet, I instantly think of the beach and instantly I am a happier man, for the moment. Still! It's not just the beach! It's everything to do with the ocean. When I was a kid, it wasn't computers that I wanted to work with the most. No, no, no! It was definitely underwater photography. I mean, have you seen any of it? So pretty. )': Lately I've been wishing I had stuck with that dream.

But I digress. The day at the beach was wonderful and filled with many bikini-clad Japanese women, whose beauty was only overshadowed by mine. I kid, I kid. I'm hideous!

Good day, though. I swam more on Saturday than I have in ages. I don't swim as much as I'd like to. I'm still a bit sore - though not near as sore as I was after climbing Mt. Fuji. After the day at the beach, we went back to my place for the fireworks party with my fellow residents. Again, there was much drinking to be had. Do I see a pattern emerging?

The night ended, and Sunday was rather uneventful - thankfully. Worn out and hungover.

But Monday brought forth a promise made Friday night. Ramen after work! It was a promise made while drinking that night, so naturally, someone forgot all about it. Not me, of course. I love good ramen.

And holy shit was this good ramen. Easily the best I've ever had. Unlike every ramen meal I've had before, this one came with noodles separate from soup. So there's this gigantic bowl of noodles and this tiny bowl of soup, you dip the noodles in the soup, and go to town. I've had cold soba noodles like that before, but never ramen!

THE BEST. Ramen. I've ever had. !

I consumed my meal much slower than my Japanese counterparts. They most certainly reminded me of the stereotypical anime caricature where ramen is virtually inhaled. It was quite impressive. I glance over and see that their bowls are empty of noodles and mine is still half full. Inwardly, I say "wow." Outwardly, I simply chuckle. Hearing my chuckle, they glance toward me, notice my bowl, and also laugh - perhaps at me, perhaps with me. Or both.

I've got the technique down! The secret is to both slurp AND use chopsticks. This also helps prevent the mess of liquid flying every which way as the noodles flick and twirl. It's just the speed I can't handle, yet. If I go too fast, that control slips away and the mess returns.

I am given a ride home, and after a hastily mumbled arigatou gozaimasu, I exit the car and return to my room, once again satisfied with a night well spent. Only this time there's no hangover to look forward to the following morning!

My only regret is that I took no pictures on Friday or Monday (on account of I don't take my camera to work). Yes, I still have the memories, but goddamn if there weren't some good photographic opportunities.

Consumed earlier: MAN SNACK

男スナック

Man snack.

Snack man.

It was nothing special to eat, really. But the name. And the bag was damn near impossible to open.

I have to present my knowledge on Microsoft Search Server on Thursday. In English, thank god. To Japanese people, though. Eek! I'm not looking forward to it. I had my suspicions my boss would make me do this, but I was really hoping it wouldn't happen. And now it has.

Should be fun? Maybe?

D:

Fish eggs or fish and eggs

My job is getting more tolerable every day!

And that's all I've got to say on that.

Today at lunch they made fun of me for using chopsticks to eat an omelet. I guess I was supposed to be using a spoon. O: Truth is, I didn't even see a spoon! Except the ones they had. Ah well. It was a good omelet anyway! ROCK IT.

They also asked me if I wanted to go fishing. Unfortunately, I had to turn them down, because I already have plans that day and will have to leave somewhat early since these plans take place up north at the north pole or some shit.

But it makes me sad.

I've always loved fishing! Always! For as much as I love it, though, I never really do it. Shame on me! I guess if I wanted to count how many times I did real fishing, I could do it on... two hands? )':

Man do I love it, though. Hopefully next time they go, I'm invited again and can go!

Ohoho.

I love curry.

Which is weird.

Before I came to Japan, I'd tried Indian food on about four different occasions at different restaurants. Curry three of those times. Always hated it.

Then I came to Japan and had some Japanese curry. I like it. It's pretty good!

Then we found a Nepali curry place in Sangubashi. OH MAN. Wonderful!

And then this gem: pumpkin and chicken curry. During my last week of class in Iidabashi, we discovered an Indian curry restaurant. So. Good.

I love curry. I love nan. Maybe one day I'll venture elsewhere in the wide world of Indian food.

I have a problem.

And its name is Katsudon.

This is already the second time I have had tonkatsu in some form this week. Monday, katsudon. Tuesday, curry. TODAY, KATSUDON.

"What is katsudon?" you ask. Well, let me tell you, friend! Katsudon is nothing more than fried pork cutlet on rice, topped with a raw egg that cooks from the heat of the pork and rice below it.

I love this shit. Easily my favorite Japanese dish!

Henceforth, however, I will make a concerted effort to consume New and Interesting Foodstuffs.

Ahh, but it's so good. Can I do it?

I am in Japan. Shock!

I have been living here now for, what is it, two months? March 22, that's the day I arrived. It's been a ride so far.

The biggest shock was that there was no shock. I didn't, and still don't feel out of place. Perhaps that's because I came with ten other people from my school. I was able to ease into it one step at a time. We got on the plane in a group, we left the airport in a group, we rode the train in a group.

Ah, the trains. Had I come alone, I know for sure I would've been lost many times before figuring out the trains, having never ridden anything like it my entire life. These days, it's second nature.

After we all got settled in at the hostel and went through a few days of class and exploring Tokyo, I realized that, yes, it really wasn't so different. As time has gone on, I've noticed more and more of those little differences. Even so, nothing ever shocked me. Maybe I thought it was a little weird, but it just didn't jump out at me like I expected.

The culture shock just wasn't there, really.

Was I missing something? Why did I feel so at home? Me, who has always been a bit of a pansy about going out on my own and just doing shit. I'm not one of those poor saps who thinks to himself, "Maybe I was just meant to be Japanese!" but there's certainly something that feels like home here. I still don't know what it is.

I can barely speak the language (certainly nowhere near fluent). Reading the hundreds, possibly thousands of different kanji I see every day when I recognize, at most, 200 and recall the meaning of, at most, 100 is just an impossibility. The roads are cramped and confusing when they're not large and imposing. One of these days I'll have to take some pictures of the bigger intersections during the busy hours. There are so many people!

Despite all this, I have no problem walking up to some passerby and inquiring, "kore wa doko desu ka?" ("where is this?") while pointing at something on a map I scribbled in haste that morning. Everything I heard about Japanese people before coming here is true -- they're not a very social people out on the street. There's no friendly "hello!" to the stranger walking cheerily in the opposite direction. (Although to be honest, there's not much of that in America, either. More than here, but still not much.) However, also true is that they are nice. If you ask for help, many of them will go out of their way to actually physically lead you to the building, even if it's a few blocks in the opposite direction they were heading. I've never had someone deny helping me, because they were in a hurry or busy with something else. And even if they don't know, they'll often stop someone else and ask them about it.

Maybe it's just that the people are so welcoming, even of the "gaijin" (a shortened form of "gaikokujin," or foreigner) they reportedly hate so much.

The culture shock never hit me. But somehow, I expect it to hit much worse when I get back home to America. Back to a world where people are much more open and yet much less welcoming. Maybe I'm once again overestimating the whole ordeal. Only time will tell.