What's different here? Part 1 - Grocery stores

Okay, so I thought that maybe I could write a short (not so short) blog about what's different in Japan versus America. Or at least the small part of America I called home, Arizona.


The first thing that sticks out is something I really took for granted back home, grocery shopping. I'll admit that it took me awhile to even find a grocery store since most places are tucked away in small alleys and side streets. The only grocery chains that I've seen along larger roads are Belc or Saty's. On the smaller scale, I've found a Roger's, Food Garden, and an independent store whose kanji I can't read :-|. You'll also find smaller mom and pop style stands selling mostly locally grown veggies.  There's actually a guy who farms a large variety of fruits and veggies on about 1/2 an acre of land in the middle of my city.


I'd compare Saty to Walmart (not exactly), but it's both a department store and grocery store and has some really low prices on most of their goods.  By goods, I don't include food, food isn't cheap anywhere. Some Satys are set-up like malls that'd you'd find back home. The one near my house isn't quite so grand.  What can I say, I live in a small town.  My Saty DOES have a movie theatre that is always playing foreign films.  It's owned by WB, so the selection isn't too bad. I've thought about going, but when you figure that a movie in Japan runs about $18, you quickly decide it's much better to take the risk and download it for free...orrrrr I guess you can wait until it comes out on video with horrible Japanese dubbing :-| I watched a dubbed version of Ugly Betty and SWORE someone had changed the tv to Telemundo because it sounded just like a Spanish soap.

Anyways, the other stores are predominately grocers. Belc is a large chain like Albertson's. They're the largest grocery store I've found around here and have the best variety at some of the cheapest prices. Roger's is like a smaller version of Saty and in some cases cheaper. I've found that the Food Garden has an okay selection, but the prices tend to run much higher than the other stores. Finally, the place whose name I don't know, they are by far and away the cheapest but also the smallest, with a very limited selection.  They're also open odd hours- open late, close early --it was two months before I realized they were actually open for business and not just another run down building.

So what makes grocery shopping such an adventure in Japan? Well, obviously the difference in selection plays a huge factor in my shopping adventures. Not knowing what most of the food is, is just part of the "fun".  I once bought something called "ika steak" for 100 yen (about 1 buck). Thought, WOW that's cheap fish! Well, it's also disgusting and not worth 100 yen (ika is squid). Then there was the stuff that looked like kimchi, but far from tasted like it. Or the rolls that looked like pretzels...but tasted like brown turds. I've definitely wasted much of my funds haphazardly exploring my way through the selection at my local grocer. This includes a far more embarrassing hobby I've developed which includes spending much of my funds  exploring Japanese sweets. Apple cider Kitkat anyone? Or how about my personal favorite sports drink flavor (Pocari Sweat).  Don't be fooled, it tastes more like the "pretzels" than a sports drink. Japan, of course, lives up to its reputation of taking things from other countries and "improving" them. Not only does Japan have it's ho hos (haven't found Twinkies yet, but I'm sure they have something damn close in shape and consistency) but they also have just about anything else you could imagine could be made from sugar. With a whole aisle dedicated to imported chocolates, another section for candies in the shape of cartoon characters, and even a section of nothing but varieties of gummies, there isn't anything you can't find in the candy aisle.

(my personal favorite is pure)


Of course, I can't leave out the huge section of the bakery dedicated to "bread" filled with, well anything they can fill it with. In fact, the non-filled breads take up a 2x4 section of shelf, the rest being filled, dipped, dyed, and stuffed with something.


　

（I don't even know what this is other than delicious)


　


（Another personal favorite - Curry Bread).  Now that I think about it, I could probably write a whole blog dedicated to Japanese breads, which is funny because I never used to really like sweets or bread much.  Maybe I should do some field research first, that way I can give a more educated evaluation of them. :) Hmm, I also better hit the pool more often.

Gah! Distractions!!! Another glimpse at just how grocery shopping in Japan is challenging (it's the ultimate test of self-control :-|).

In the last five months here, I've made some fantastic discoveries. In some cases, I've found foods that looked inedible, but turned out to be quite delicious and according to my roommate, good for my "feminine beauty", whatever that means. And foods that looked delicious, smelled delicious, and tasted like doo doo. Over all, I'd say that Japanese people are like garbage disposals eating just about anything that can be chewed. This is probably a good thing on the grander scale, but makes finding things to cook for dinner a rather dangerous and scary prospect. On the upside, Japan pretty much has all the same foods we have back home (lots of Kellogg brand logos on the shelves) but they tend to come in different shapes, sizes, and prices that I can't afford.

For example, most fruit in Japan is ridiculously expensive. $1/apple, grapefruit, $2 for 4 bananas, $10 - $18 for a watermelon.  From what I've seen, the most expensive are grapes or cherries at around $6 - $8 for one bunch (berries are about the same cost as back home). On the other hand, vegetables are dirt cheap (usually less than $1 for all bundles of veggies). Meat is also relatively inexpensive here.  Salmon runs about $1 a serving and chicken and beef are about the same price as back home.

What really sets these foods apart though is quality. Japanese people are extremely picky about what they do and don't sell. If it doesn't look perfect, they toss it. According to the locals, fruit is so expensive because they only sell the best looking and perfectly shaped fruit (seeing that most fruit is easily bruised, this leaves little to be sold). To be honest, this is the lamest thing I've heard and in today's world just seems extremely wasteful. There are some stores (like the small, but cheap store near my house) that sell only the misshapen fruit and veggies, leading to better savings because few people are willing to buy them.  While this mentality is rather crappy for fruit, it means that the meat selection is much leaner and fresher than what you'd find in America. The meat is pre-cut into thin, 1/2 centimeter slices and usually only the best cuts. While it looks great, I can't tell you how it tastes, because I haven't actually bought any yet.  The meat I've had dining out goes above and beyond what you'd find back home (I might actually like steak).

Cost-wise something is always on sale, but being Japan, they take it a step farther than just a sale. Since the perishables are switched out on a daily basis, every store will heavily discount foods after 7pm in an attempt to empty the shelves. Okay, maybe not heavily! But if you wander the stores you'll notice little red and yellow stickers with funny kanji on them (of course they all look funny when you don't know what they are). These stickers will show a number and then the kanji for...honestly, I don't know what the second kanji is either... But I do know that it means that you can take that percentage off of the price (usually 10 - 30%). Of course it's not a lot, but it adds up if you look around carefully enough. The hardest part is timing.  If you get there too early they're still putting the stickers out. If you get there too late everything's gone. Japan isn't as consumer friendly as America and it's not uncommon to find empty shelves or displays in Japanese grocery stores (or false adverts for items, but that's a whole other blog).

On top of these nightly discounts, there are weekly clearance items. Most stores have a set cycle for what's on sale throughout the week. Monday might be fruit, Tuesday veggies, Wednesday fish, etc. During these days you might find things up to 50% off their normal price. This is fantastic if you can keep track of what, when, and where for all the different stores (which I haven't made any attempt to do). I did once walk into a Belc on a Wednesday and find that 1/2 the veggies, fruit and fish were marked at 99 yen. CRAP YEAH! Jackpot! This of course led me to buying WAY more than I could carry on my tiny bike with no basket (which I will someday take a picture of). I ran into a few walls, pedestrians, almost a police man (he fortunately saw my oversized load and my inability to control it and jumped out of the way), and at one point I even rolled into oncoming traffic as I couldn't hold my hand breaks and bags at the same time.  All in my attempt to get my cheap eats home :) Oh the temptations of living in Japan.  Someday they might just get me killed, or land me in the hospital.  Which reminds me, I need to go pick out an insurance provider.

Bars/Clubs in Tokyo

Okay, I can't profess to be any sort of expert on this because I really don't spend much time, if any, at bars/clubs in Tokyo. I however find myself going more and more (as this seems to be the most popular social activity) and would like to write about what I've noticed so far.

First of all, Japan has an extraordinary night life.  Just about every city is overrun by bars or "clubs".  Most local areas have dozens of Izakaya (居酒屋) or local bars, similar to places back home. Izakaya serve bar food and beer and are usually filled with the usual suspects (old men, salarymen and maybe the local gaijin looking to practice their Japanese). I've never actually gone into an Izakaya. Not because I haven't tried, but because no one will let me.  Every time I ask my friends steer me away.  I'm starting to think that if I go in, I'm going to get molested by the locals or something. I've heard stories, and to be honest, it doesn't seem like anything spectacular unless I'm looking to pick-up crude Japanese. **Update: Some of these places are pretty cool, have great food, and interesting drink selections.  I still wouldn't spend more time there than I had to though.**

The other type of bar is often referred to as a "club", a hostess club.   Most of these places are located near the closest train station. They charge you a ridiculous cover charge ($50+/hour) to sit and drink with pretty Japanese women. Yes, that's all you do. Okay, some places have karaoke and maybe sometimes the girls will "dance," but if you've seen Japanese girls dance.  Well let's just say my 7 year old nephew could probably dance better and sexier than these girls. And no, I don't find my nephew sexy.  Upon entering, you sit while women dressed like they're on their way to prom (only with more clothes on) pour you drinks and talk to you like you're a 5 year old. Okay, to their credit, some big name places, that cater to a more professional clientele, require the hostesses to read various newspapers so that they can have more intelligent conversation.  But seriously, you're paying someone to talk to you. These women make money by getting you to buy more alcohol. I say, save yourself the money and watch this fascinating documentary on host clubs instead (the male equivalent of a hostess club):


Japan also has clubs/bars that are similar to ones you would find overseas. Which brings me to the real point of this blog: My Saturday night at "Tokyo's Premier Australian Bar". Hmm, something says, I doubt this, but okay.

Let me preface this by saying, I do NOT spend my weekends at bars. The only reason I ended up at this place was because a fellow English teacher had rented the bar for a couple of hours to host a party. The bar was located right off the main strip in Roppongi (actually on the 3rd floor of a building tucked away on a sidestreet). I actually couldn't find it, so Joe had to come get me and walk me there. It seems that most bars allow independent parties to rent them out before 10pm as a way to bring in more cash.  Apparently people in Roppongi don't start drinking until well after 10pm - actually, one of the bar tenders told me the place doesn't get going until 3am when it turns into a night club....3am? Seriously?

Even though he's a coworker, Joe still made me pay to get inside.  Once inside I found 10 people sitting at a large table talking in Japanese. I immediately turned around and went back outside and talked to Joe in English. Joe has mastered Japanese (passed the highest Japanese proficiency test) and is currently working on Chinese and thus surrounding himself with Chinese people. One of his Chinese language partners was standing around listening in, when he suddenly goes, "I know who you look like," in not so proper English.
"Me?" I say rather unamused since I've been told a thousand times that I look just like someone's ________(aunt, sister, best friend...you name it).
"Yeah, you look just like Fergie."
"Fergie? Like Black Eyed Peas Fergie?" Well dang, that's a new one. Maybe she's the only foreign brunette that he knows because no white person, ever in a million years, would confuse me for Fergie.
"Yeah, Fergie!" The rest of the night he kept calling me Fergie.  Is this flattering? I guess it could be, but strange nonetheless.

Almost right on cue a black guy (okay, it was rather at random) steps out of the elevator with another English teacher that we work with. Yeah people who speak ENGLISH! Feeling more comfortable, I went back inside and ordered a drink (entrance price included 2 drinks) and sat with everyone else. Not feeling confident in speaking Japanese, I turned to the black man assuming he must speak English (just about every foreigner in Japan speaks some form of English). We chatted and I learned that he was a cellphone network designer from Zimbabwe. His company and the Japanese government paid him (two salaries) to take a 4 month course in Tokyo (they also set him up in a posh hotel in the middle of the city). Crap, where do I find a job like that?  **Update: It seems those jobs abound in Tokyo**  After 20 minutes or so, a large group of Japanese men came in. The ratio was now 16 guys to 8 girls, a 2 for 1 deal!

Our table had grown in size, as everyone who came in had pulled up a chair. Feeling more nervous with the ever growing crowd, I went back to the bar for my second drink. I ordered a margarita.  Simple enough, right? Not in Japan. The bar tender (and I mean no offense to her, she was actually really cool), had to look up the ingredients for a margarita, then spent 10 minutes taking out the blender and putting it together.  I guess blended drinks aren't all that common here. What came out of it, didn't taste anything like a margarita. Well down the hatch!

Feeling much more relaxed, I started joking around with Dan (the other English teacher who is by far one of the quirkiest, socially awkward people I've ever met). Somehow we started talking about my arms and why I had so much muscle. This led to a discussion on yoga and then a group request to show a yoga pose. Feeling quite uninhibited, I quickly obliged by doing this pose while balancing on the arms of the lounge chair. I guess a foreign girl doing yoga in a bar is a Japanese mating call because immediately after I dropped back into my seat, two Japanese guys came over to let me know just how "sexy" that was. Um, thank you? For the next ten minutes I got an earful of how flexible and amazing it is that I can do that, how smart and well paid they are, and then a request to teach private swimming lessons.  WHAT!? gah, no! And I thought Japanese men were afraid of white girls.  Another Chinese guy, seeing me talk to other Asians, decided that this was his cue to strike up a conversation about swimming using his iTouch (it seems his spoken English isn't that great). This lead to another Japanese guy coming over to talk about "swimming," and my "other hobbies"...which I can only assume was a double entendre. Could the night get any stranger? Why, of course it could!

Maybe Dan felt neglected, but suddenly he started to flex his muscles.  Not in the figurative sense...he literally started flexing his arms. Joking that he was so tiny, he challenged me to an arm wrestling match. Joe's girlfriend, having served in the Canadian armed forces literally jumps up to clear the table. In her excitement, she breaks a glass over my legs. Fortunately for me, my legs were safe; which is amazing seeing how accident prone I am. Unfortunately, for Dan, so were my arms. 10 minutes later, I had wiped the floor with him. Having established myself as clearly the most dominant person in the bar I felt this might be a good time to make my exit. It was nearly 11pm and I had to catch the last train home. Saying my goodbyes, I hurried for the station. As I approached the station, I realized that despite having talked to a dozen or so people.  I hadn't learned a single person's name. My social skills are clearly lacking.

Living without

After being here for 4 months...or at least it was four months when I started writing this blog...I've gotten a little distracted lately, I have found myself falling into a daily routine. Here are just some of things that I have gotten used to doing:

1) Sorting garbage - Japan is one of the few countries that burns its trash. Because of this, all garbage has to be sorted into burnable and not burnable. Burnable garbage gets picked up 2x's a week and then the non-burnable stuff gets picked up once a week. They also have a day for "other" items (e.g. clothes, old household appliances/goods, newspapers, bottles, and cans). All trash is wrapped in small, clear garbage bags and left in designated spots along the street. I have to admit that I know when to throw out the burnable and nonburnable, but am still at a loss for when to throw out "other" garbage. I asked my roommate and she said, "There are posters all over town, just read them".  However, all those posters are also located in the path of oncoming traffic making it rather dangerous for me to stand there and try to read them.

2) Stray cats and crows - I don't know how this happened, maybe I should ask someone someday, but Japan is OVERRUN by crows and stray cats.  Nothing is more annoying than being awoken at 3am to the sound of two cats fighting. Or being woken up at 6am to the sound of a hungry crow cawing on the fence. In some places, the crow population has gotten so out of hand that they have actually attacked people.  Maybe Alfred Hitchcock wasn't too far off. I recently asked someone why they don't just use the stray cats to kill the crows. Sounds like a good enough plan.  I mean to be honest I think I'd rather have the stray cats (who all run in terror at the sight of humans) to the man eating crows. But the other day, while waiting for the train, I found out why this wouldn't work.  Someday I'll get my camera to work and upload the photos that I took.  The crows are the same size as the cats here and a hell of a lot more aggressive. For about 10 minutes, I watched as a crow chased a cat around the train platform, pecking at the cat, until the cat finally ran off under a fence.  I was both in awe and disturbed by the thought that the crow was larger and more aggressive than the cat.

3) Stealing internet from my neighbor's wifi connection and still downloading at speeds of 1.0 MB. To think that I just downloaded 699 mb in under 20 minutes is phenomenal (the average download speed was 800kb/sec). And this is a wifi signal from a neighbor 25 meters away. Unbelievable, though not surprising as Japan has some of the best internet capabilities in the world (8-30 times faster than in America) and at some of the cheapest prices (full service runs around $30/month).  But since my roommate refuses to get internet (which I can't do without a Japanese person there to say I will pay my bill), I will continue to steal my neighbor's.

4) "Oh, I see" and "right/ isn't it?" While I haven't picked up on speaking Japanese, yet, I have started incorporating English versions of Japanese phrases into my conversations. It's as strange as it sounds. Japanese use a word "naruhodo," when they understand what someone is trying to say.  It pretty much means, "Oh, I see."  They also throw in "ne" at the end of many of their sentences to illicit agreement from the listening party. While I don't toss these in at the end of my English sentences, I have started using their English equivalents...OFTEN. I'd like to think that this is a positive first step towards actually speaking Japanese.  **Update: Eventually I did start using the Japanese words in my English conversations.**

5) Bowing and saying, "sumimasen." Sumimasen means excuse me or thank you.  Meaning it's used ALL the time. In fact, I don't think that Japanese people really mean it, as much as they're just trained to use it. Nonetheless, I find myself bowing and saying sumimasen every time I ask someone for something, bump into someone, look at someone the wrong way, cross paths in front of someone, or when someone has done something for me (even something ridiculously trivial). I'm a little disturbed by how quickly I picked up on bowing and apologizing as it's completely un-American. But, if it keeps the peace, then so be it.

6) Sleeping on a futon. So I couldn't quite get used to sleeping on one futon, but 3 I can handle. A Japanese futon is really just a thin, maybe 5-6cm thick, mattress that lies on the floor. They're very firm and to be honest kind of a waste of space. One mattress is usually so thin that it's no better than just sleeping on a blanket on the floor. Thus, the reason why I have 3.  **Update: I eventually upgraded to sleeping on a mattress on the floor which turned out to be some of the best sleep I've ever gotten.**

7) No air conditioning. Most places do NOT have central AC. Stores and trains do, but that's about where it ends. In Japanese houses, AC units are wall units. This means that every room that you want AC in requires a separate wall unit. These units run around $400, so you can imagine how expensive this could get if say you wanted one in the bedrooms, living room, and kitchen.   Although you have to purchase separate units that look ungodly sticking out of the wall, that does mean you can also run them separately, saving you loads of money in the long run. 

8) Utilities are cheaper than DIRT! My water bills comes every two months and even though my roommate takes a 30min shower every day, the bill is only $39! My electric bill comes once a month and runs about $18 and the gas runs about $24 (all stoves and water heaters run on gas). Beautiful! Although, what they don't charge in utilities they more than make up for in initial rent fees (4 - 5 months due up front).

9) Kombini's...Like America convenience stores are EVERYWHERE, though I never really used them outside of really long road trips. But here, where I'm always walking, kombini's are truly convenient.  I often find myself wandering into one on my way home, after a long day.  It's really a bad idea! One kg later, I'm now planning my route home AROUND kombini's.



On the other hand, there are plenty of things that I haven't gotten used to:

1) Sweating, always.  In the two months of summer, I've used more deodorant than I probably used in a year back home. I turn my head and sweat starts pouring down my shirt. The annoying thing is that it's not even HOT here (compared to Arizona), it's the damn humidity! Horrible.  Just once I'd like to go somewhere without looking like I walked through a rainshower.

2) Cockroaches the size of small birds. These things are everywhere. I was wondering through an expensive part of Tokyo, and just sitting on this post outside of a high class hotel was a giant cockroach. Japan is full of creepy crawlies and since most places leave their windows open, these creepy crawlies frequently find their way inside.

3) Earthquakes.  Most people don't seem to notice, while I on the other hand find myself constantly frozen in fear always.

I'm sure there are more things that I'll think of when I come across them, but this is all you get for now :) After 4 months here, I've definitely come to see a different picture of what Japan and Japanese people are like. I still love it here and have met some wonderful people, but now see a slightly bigger picture. I can't really say if it's good or bad, but it's certainly different than what I expected (granted, some things are exactly how I expected).

My butt is numb....

So, no internet at home still. Whoever I've been stealing it from either figured out how to block it, died, or is on a very long vacation. The next best thing, in Japan is going to an internet Cafe. Since I couldn't find one near my house, I traveled to Takadanobaba (funny name for a city, right). The place it called Cybernet Bagus (I don't have any idea what Bagus is). For 420 yen (about $4.20) I have unlimited use of the facilities for 1 hour. What does this unlimited use entail you ask?

When you first come in, you're greeted by two workers dressed in tuxedo shirts, ties, suspenders, and trousers (yeah really). Off to the left is a wall full of every imaginable magazine. First you have to select a room: the type of chair you would like, smoking/non-smoking, and whether or not you would like to include the use of the shower facilities in your charges. Then you are given a ticket and room number. The hallway leading to the computer cubicles is lined with free items. On the left is multiple vending machines selling everything from frappuccinos, junk food, soup, and soda. There is also a small room with a soft serve ice cream machine, juice, and microwave. On the right side is a bookshelf that extends for about 20 feet containing nothing but manga (comic books). The use of these items is all included in the cost of admission.

The rooms are like small cubicles. 6 foot walls, a door, a chair, and a padded floor (in case you'd like to take a nap). The computer screen functions as a tv/DVD player. There are movie channels that you can select from and DVDs that you can rent for an additional price. Basically all the comforts of home in a 3 by 6 room.

I guess many Japanese young people now use these facilities as their home. 24-hour use is cheaper than an apartment, meaning that many of these people only have to work part-time jobs to survive. Many adults have become concerned that the present generation is too unmotivated and I can definitely see why.  As I type this, I can hear the people on both sides snoring (it's 9am). While the place is nice, I can't actually imagine living in here. It's dark, small, and smells an awful lot like BO with horrible elevator music playing in the background.

I'd write more, but my time here is almost up.  Next time I'll try to actually write something of substance.

What I did over summer vacation

So I havent had internet in two weeks, my roommate is on the move, and I wont get paid for the month of August (which is okay, since I dont work in the month of August). So what will I do for summer vacation!!! Well...

1) So plan A, find a roommate that wants to live in the equivalent of BFE. I have no furniture, no internet, and no tv. Something tells me that this will be more than difficult. Plan B, find someone nearby who is looking for a roommate to share their house with. This has been the easiest as I have already found one. The rent isnt much different and the location is just one town over. Im meeting her on Friday...so, we'll see. Plan C, if all else fails I move into a guesthouse in Tokyo. This makes for some LONG transportation hours and resembles dorm living. It does allow me easy access to people, so I'm not quite so lonely as I am in BFE.

2) Find a second job. In the current economy this is turning out to be more difficult than I had thought. I have thrown out my resume for all the world to see and now have to sit and wait as I find out whether or not I will be hired for the one spot that 150 other people have applied for....damn.

3) Make friends. I would like to meet one to two new person a week. This should be rather interesting...maybe I will write about it. Of course, not at the expense of someone's privacy. ..hmm, Ill figure something out.

4) Swim. This may be more difficult than I originally thought seeing as everyone and their mother thinks theyre a pro around here. I went swimming Saturday and shared a lane with 10 other adults and an endless number of elementary school kids...who were LITERALLY falling from the sky. I ended up bruised and royally ticked-off...My patience for swimming over and under little tadpoles is practically nil...especially when they kept kicking me in the legs.

5) Study Japanese...yeah, Im working on this slowly.

Okay, so this is really boring. But I'm poor...what else can I do?

On a possibly more interesting note...what does the typical Japanese student do during summer vacation? Well, one of the students so kindly made me a poster (yes, seriously it's about 2x3) of his summer break schedule.

6:00 Wake up (yeah, seriously...another kid said he wakes up at 4am to run...ummmm, well that explains a lot)
6:10 Eat breakfast
6:30 Practice soccer with friends (for fun)
8:00 Return home
8:30 School Club Practice (soccer)
12:00 Finish
12:35 Shower
1:30 Juku (cram school)
6:30 return home and eat dinner
7:00 Juku (cram school to study more?)
9:00 Return home and do cram school homework
10:00 Watch tv/play games
11:00 Take a bath
12:00 Sleep (yeah, he plans on bathing for an hour....)

He said that this is very normal and that most kids will do the same for the month and a half that they are off of school. When I told them that most American kids will sit at home all day and play video games, his response was, "American kids must be very sick." Haha, I think that American kids would say the exact same thing.

Well, I know this kid won't be waking up at 6am unless money is involved :) I plan on thoroughly enjoying my time off...maybe...

Interesting find of the day

Since coming here, I've found lots of interesting things around Japan, including people, porn (see previous post), toxic shaved ice stands (not sure if I blogged about that one). But today I came across something that really put a smile on my face and made me want to share.


Okay, so we all have yearbooks sitting at home collecting dust. Maybe once in a while we look back at them and reminisce about the ''good ol' days''. Or, maybe we lock them away and swear to never crack them open again. Either way, we all know what they are. Well, today I found a Japanese yearbook sitting around the computer room (ironically it's not even for this school, but a local high school). Being curious, nosy really, I had to take a peek.


The book is soft cover and rather small (almost pocket size). It has pictures of little anime-like characters eating sweets and drinking coffee (I say anime-like so people will be able to picture that at home...but here, anime is just animation and all drawings look like it). In the bottom corner it says, in English, ''Did you enjoy your school life?''


''Awww, how sweet'' I think to myself. I guess in America we really don't care if people enjoyed their school life.  Maybe we just assume they did.

The first couple of pages are color photos of field day, club activities, school festivals, sports tournaments, and class activities...Oh and their school trip...which looks to be to some sort of tropical island (yeah, that's definitely not like anything from America).


Then you have a message from the principal which I'm sure is about enjoying your youth (I really don't have time to try and translate it). A message from the school president and vice president. All very sweet with hearts, smiley faces, and all sorts of clipart thrown into the letters. So I'm feeling all warm and fuzzy inside, have a nice smile on my face, that is until I look at the next page...

Hmm, what's this...Meet the new students? Looking at the picture.  Ah, hmm, what exactly are they doing? There are 9 students who all look to be throwing gang signs. Yeah, seriously, gang signs. One guy looks like he's holding pistols. One girl has her tongue hanging out as she has her fingers crossed to make W's (west side??? of??). The other girls look all sweet and cute with their arms crossed over their chest. The picture looks an aweful lot like this:

Most of these kids probably have no idea what this means. They probably watched some gangster movie and thought, ''HEY, that looks cool!'' And then started throwing them up every time someone goes to snap their picture (much like the peace sign). I'm sure somewhere out there, some little Japanese girl has a sticker picture of herself throwing these signs with a bunch of Hello! Kitty characters, hearts, and smiley faces surrounding her.

Oh, what's this? Class pictures! Each class (students are put into classes of about 32, they stay with these students all day, except for electives) has one group photo. Boys on one side, girls on the other and the teacher in a track suit in the middle. Under the picture is a message from the class about who they are and a little hand drawn picture. Fairies, chipmunks, lots of baby Minnie and Mickey Mouses, and various other Disney characters. Aww...wait...What's this a picture of? Class 1-3 has drawn a picture of what looks like their teacher happily dragging his dog on a lease, while the dog drags its butt along the ground. *Chuckle*  On the next page is an amazingly realistic picture of a woman who looks like she's either constipated, or about to blow her top. Looking at the picture...ah, wait...it's a picture of their teacher! Wow, I can't imagine many American teachers letting their students draw a picture of them looking so angrily constipated and putting it in the class memory book. What love and fond memories they must have of their homeroom teacher!/possible sarcasm.


But wait! They get better! Class 2-1 has drawn a picture of Minnie mouse, smiling and looking all cute while flipping the bird. Yes, seriously flipping the bird. Yet some how that doesn't beat the picture of class 1-6, where the ENTIRE class is flipping the bird.  I guess it doesn't really mean anything to the students, but from the perspective of someone who understands it's meaning it's rather disturbing. The rest of the class pictures are rather uninspiring - pictures of baby donald in a diaper and just happy messages of love, joy and peace.


Then I get to the club pages. They list the club members and a little message about the club. Basketball, baseball, hmm...what's this the Hop, Step Dance club? Oh...Guitar club! That's cool! And they wrote their entire message in English...


''Welcome to THE Guitar club. Do not you enjoy heretical Rock with hardware together? I want to make CRAZY TIME with YOU! You will fall into The Hell if you do not come *Heart*'' then at the bottom

''A rock & roller & the punk & the fork & the metal & the Visuals come on!'' (The fork?)


Crazy time? Heretical rock? Fall into hell if you don't come?? That is one intense club! And just think, these kids meet 5 - 7 times a week. I can only imagine what kind of crazy time they're making together 7 days a week.

Oddly, the English club flier is almost ALL in Japanese....

Then a survey page with exciting questions like:

Who is your cell phone provider?
Do you like school lunches? (62% said yes :- WOW!)
Do you like this school? (52% said yes...hmmm)
What class did you like?
What is your favorite school lunch?
What is your favorite room in school? (haha, the bathroom is actually #3)

And then a school map...crap the school has 5 floors. That alone might make me hate the school.

And more photos from school activities. It looks like school life was pretty exciting and despite the ''hand signs" and bad English, it makes me a tad jealous. I wonder what it would have been like to attend school here? Would I have felt welcome or would I have been like the kid in class 2-3, standing on the very edge of the picture with his hands folded across his lap and his head hanging down.  I wonder if he's enjoying his school life?