I've been back for over two months now and things were definitely not as easy as I thought it would be! I've gone through awesome adventures, tears of frustration, existential trauma and so much more. I'll have to get back to you on how difficult it has been to go through reverse culture shock, but I'm busy now. . . What a crazy thing life is. . .
Find more photos like this on Model Muse
Friday, October 12, 2012
Monday, July 9, 2012
So Much More. . .
Well, it's definitely July. About 1/3 of the way through July. Only 17 days until my flight home. Only 10 days until my friend Justine comes to visit. Three hours until my leaving enaki for the Board of Education. I have so much to do but I just need a moment to sit and write and think!
Yesterday was the beginning of the end. I started my day with the final classes at the kindergarten. One teacher and two children were crying, most others were pretty sad, and it was difficult to really grasp it all as it was going on. One students, who barely speaks, said to me as she ran her little finger down her cheek from her eye, "I'm saaaaaaad!" and it touched me so much! I think they finally understand that I'm leaving the country for real this time and it came as quite a shock. It could be because their last memories of my predecessor were 4 years worth. . . who knows. . . maybe they did just really like me? Let's hope. . .
I've been giving the students and teachers all "lucky pennies" as mementos so I don't have to worry about giving individual gifts later. I usually try to make everyone feel special with a personalized card or whatnot, but I just can't in these last days. . . pennies were definitely a good idea, thanks to my beau for that!
Upcoming events? Enkai tonight, last Taiko practice tomorrow, packing Thursday, Yukata-wering and dinner in Aki Friday night, last Taiko concert and leaving enkai Saturday, concert/ art show Sunday, some other kind of show on the Monday holiday following. . . next week will surely be a blur with last everything! >_<
Yesterday was the beginning of the end. I started my day with the final classes at the kindergarten. One teacher and two children were crying, most others were pretty sad, and it was difficult to really grasp it all as it was going on. One students, who barely speaks, said to me as she ran her little finger down her cheek from her eye, "I'm saaaaaaad!" and it touched me so much! I think they finally understand that I'm leaving the country for real this time and it came as quite a shock. It could be because their last memories of my predecessor were 4 years worth. . . who knows. . . maybe they did just really like me? Let's hope. . .
I've been giving the students and teachers all "lucky pennies" as mementos so I don't have to worry about giving individual gifts later. I usually try to make everyone feel special with a personalized card or whatnot, but I just can't in these last days. . . pennies were definitely a good idea, thanks to my beau for that!
Upcoming events? Enkai tonight, last Taiko practice tomorrow, packing Thursday, Yukata-wering and dinner in Aki Friday night, last Taiko concert and leaving enkai Saturday, concert/ art show Sunday, some other kind of show on the Monday holiday following. . . next week will surely be a blur with last everything! >_<
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Bursting Bubbles
Several times during the conversations I've had here, I have experienced the dreaded "EEEEEEEEH!?" and the face of shock from many Japanese peoples' burst bubbles regarding cultural similarities and differences. Many of these situations took place in my eikaiwa (conversational English) class with older Japanese adults, but it happens almost every week in some form. Here are just a few examples. . .
PERSONAL APPEARANCE:
I'm tan. I'm not that way because I bake in the sun every day, I was born that way. In the spring, summer, and autumn, I tan very easily, making it even more apparent that I am darker than what is appreciated in Japanese society, where women hide from the sun year-round. I refuse to cover up my skin with ridiculous layers of fabric in the tropical heat or use whitening products on my skin to adhere to the Japanese view of "beauty".
I was told that there is a saying in Japan that goes something like: "White skin hides 7 flaws". . . this means that if a woman has very white skin, it doesn't matter how ugly, rude, stupid, deformed, snotty, etc. that she is, because she is still regarded as beautiful. I beg to differ. . .
When I told my eikaiwa students that the opposite is true in many countries around the world, they were in shock. I've written about this before, but these ladies have tried to make excuses for staying pale by saying they are trying to prevent cancer or something. Hmm. . . One woman in particular, the eldest in my class, tried to explain why it's important to stay lighter-skinned and then followed this by telling me she was referred to as 'the black one' when she was in school. I wasn't entirely sure what to make of this. . .
RELIGION:
Religion has come up several times in conversation here, but always pretty casually. Before I came to Japan, I was taught that there were only a few "religions" in Japan, mainly Shinto and Buddhism. These are actually not even religions, but more a way of thinking and acting. Here, at this day and age, people don't really ask about religious background because people don't generally care about it. If one is a Christian or follows Shinto traditions, they typically do so without a big show (all except maybe the Jehovah's Witnesses. . . . I still haven't been able to shake them off of me!) When I explained that, in America and many other western countries, religion is a taboo topic of discussion, they didn't understand why. It does seem like a pretty stupid thing to be offended about, but that's just a fact of the western world.
I have met a few Japanese people who claim to be Christians. One lady is very deeply involved in church and loves the bible, Jesus, God, singing hymns, etc. She might be a bit crazy, but I guess that's just what keeps her going. In one eikaiwa class, I had a discussion about religion and religious tolerance and wandered into the different systems of belief existing in the world. This woman claimed "I love everyone, but I don't like Mormons." She was disgusted by them, in fact. Just playing along and trying to prove my point, I told her that I was offended by that statement, being a Mormon myself. The look of dismay and terror that appeared on her face was priceless. My point was that if that conversation had been in a public place in the western world and someone overheard her say such a thing, there would have been some kind of confrontation. Sad but true.
FAMILY:
My parents are divorced. Both my mother and father have found new people spend their lives with. This is a concept very few children understand here, since many Japanese marriages are loveless anyway (of course not all, but many). I also have stepsisters, who I included in my family list. My mother is English and my father is American, she is brown and he is white. Her parents are from India, another country altogether from the rest of the family. When I gave my self-introduction to all the children and people of Yasuda-town, there were a slew of confused faces during the explanation of my family. Understandable, but I wasn't expecting there to be so much ignorance regarding these concepts. . .
I've also got extremely large grandparents on my father's side (my grandmother is 5'2", but weighs over 300 pounds) and it absolutely floored a number of people to see pictures of them, especially students. Granted, I live in one of the most slender countries in the world, but I didn't realize so many people would be petrified to know these large people existed and were actually related to me. No, they aren't sumo wrestlers. . .
PERSONAL BACKGROUND:
I studied Industrial Design and I am not sure whether or not I would like to pursue that field in the future. I'm sure not everyone in Japan knows what they want from the start, studies it, and becomes it, but there are many people surprised at my indecision.
I'm also leaving this incredible opportunity to join my beau in the joblessness of America because I love him. This is also something very uncommon in Japan. I'm not sure I appreciate this world where a job is more important than someone you love. . ,
In Japan, people tend to find that one or two things they like and only focus on those things. They typically have one club which they belong to and they get awesome at that one club activity, going there or practicing it (whatever it is) almost daily. It's difficult for them to imagine that I have lived a life of dabbling in this or that, that I am a "jack-of-all-trades and a master at nothing." I think I'll probably remain that way for the rest of my life. . . who knows, though! It was definitely hard for me to choose what to focus on even just coming to Japan for a few years!
ON AMERICA:
The United States of America is HUGE and, no matter how many times I say it, Japanese people don't seem to understand this. I'm often asked questions like, "What do Americans think about X?" and "In America, do people X?" and these questions, of course, are impossible to answer! Not everyone in America (or most any country for that matter) thinks and believes in and acts the same! It sounds very close-minded to say this, but there are a lot of national similarities between people in Japan, so I understand why they might think the same is true worldwide. This is just something that frustrates me to explain. For example, "Is it hot in America like it is in Japan?" Well. . .
It is also, understandable, difficult for Japanese people, in this homogenous society, to really grasp the internationalization that goes on in other countries like the U.S.. No matter how much I explain myself or my friends or that there are millions of immigrants who move to other countries to start lives either with or without families. I tried, though!
ON JAPAN:
I can use chopsticks. I have since I was young and many people here find that hard to believe. Apparently, only in Asian countries would anyone have access to such things. . . Good thing we don't go around telling people how amazingly skilled they are at using forks! I think they probably wouldn't even get it if there were. . . sarcasm doesn't translate so well sometimes. . .
There are many foods here which I don't like and won't eat - shiso leaves, whale, horse, certain kinds of fish and seaweeds, etc.. For some reason, most Japanese people seem to think Japanese cuisine trumps that of all other countries. They even think they invented most things, like curry and gyoza (Chinese dumplings) and don't believe me when I tell them these are not Japanese foods. I have never asked anyone something as ludicrous as "what do you think of American food, isn't it delicious!?" and I think people really expect me to tell them how amazing everything is in Japan.
When I first arrived, I was talking about how strange it was to pay roughly the equivalent of $10 for a single peach or $20 for a bowling ball-sized watermelon. I explained that I had a watermelon the size of a small pig once, which I purchased for $2 in Philadelphia. "Yes, but, don't you think Japanese watermelon tastes much better?" I was strangely offended by this statement, but told them honestly that they taste pretty much exactly the same. Intensely shocked faces followed. . .
Japan has this wonderful kind of music called enka which is a kind of traditional folk-song style, a lot of whiny sounds and singing high-pitched notes. Though elderly Japanese folks like to think their traditions and things are carried on and appreciated my their future generations, it is clearly NOT. It surprises me, though, that some people here seem to think we know their enka songs regardless of our language abilities. Rarely, you find a foreigner who is obsessed enough with the culture to enjoy enka, but not often. When asked about my feelings for enka, I replied that it was "maa - maa" or OK/ not too bad. I think they were expecting me to be thrilled by this music. I would probably say the same for J-pop. . .
Perhaps I am unusual in that I don't fake my enjoyment or appreciation or tolerance for things. I like being an honest person that way, rather than making everyone feel good about things all the time. It isn't that I'm necessarily negative, just that I would rather let people know the truth of things. In a culture where saving face is more important than honesty, quite a few bubbles have been burst in the past two years. . .
PERSONAL APPEARANCE:
I'm tan. I'm not that way because I bake in the sun every day, I was born that way. In the spring, summer, and autumn, I tan very easily, making it even more apparent that I am darker than what is appreciated in Japanese society, where women hide from the sun year-round. I refuse to cover up my skin with ridiculous layers of fabric in the tropical heat or use whitening products on my skin to adhere to the Japanese view of "beauty".
I was told that there is a saying in Japan that goes something like: "White skin hides 7 flaws". . . this means that if a woman has very white skin, it doesn't matter how ugly, rude, stupid, deformed, snotty, etc. that she is, because she is still regarded as beautiful. I beg to differ. . .
When I told my eikaiwa students that the opposite is true in many countries around the world, they were in shock. I've written about this before, but these ladies have tried to make excuses for staying pale by saying they are trying to prevent cancer or something. Hmm. . . One woman in particular, the eldest in my class, tried to explain why it's important to stay lighter-skinned and then followed this by telling me she was referred to as 'the black one' when she was in school. I wasn't entirely sure what to make of this. . .
RELIGION:
Religion has come up several times in conversation here, but always pretty casually. Before I came to Japan, I was taught that there were only a few "religions" in Japan, mainly Shinto and Buddhism. These are actually not even religions, but more a way of thinking and acting. Here, at this day and age, people don't really ask about religious background because people don't generally care about it. If one is a Christian or follows Shinto traditions, they typically do so without a big show (all except maybe the Jehovah's Witnesses. . . . I still haven't been able to shake them off of me!) When I explained that, in America and many other western countries, religion is a taboo topic of discussion, they didn't understand why. It does seem like a pretty stupid thing to be offended about, but that's just a fact of the western world.
I have met a few Japanese people who claim to be Christians. One lady is very deeply involved in church and loves the bible, Jesus, God, singing hymns, etc. She might be a bit crazy, but I guess that's just what keeps her going. In one eikaiwa class, I had a discussion about religion and religious tolerance and wandered into the different systems of belief existing in the world. This woman claimed "I love everyone, but I don't like Mormons." She was disgusted by them, in fact. Just playing along and trying to prove my point, I told her that I was offended by that statement, being a Mormon myself. The look of dismay and terror that appeared on her face was priceless. My point was that if that conversation had been in a public place in the western world and someone overheard her say such a thing, there would have been some kind of confrontation. Sad but true.
FAMILY:
My parents are divorced. Both my mother and father have found new people spend their lives with. This is a concept very few children understand here, since many Japanese marriages are loveless anyway (of course not all, but many). I also have stepsisters, who I included in my family list. My mother is English and my father is American, she is brown and he is white. Her parents are from India, another country altogether from the rest of the family. When I gave my self-introduction to all the children and people of Yasuda-town, there were a slew of confused faces during the explanation of my family. Understandable, but I wasn't expecting there to be so much ignorance regarding these concepts. . .
I've also got extremely large grandparents on my father's side (my grandmother is 5'2", but weighs over 300 pounds) and it absolutely floored a number of people to see pictures of them, especially students. Granted, I live in one of the most slender countries in the world, but I didn't realize so many people would be petrified to know these large people existed and were actually related to me. No, they aren't sumo wrestlers. . .
PERSONAL BACKGROUND:
I studied Industrial Design and I am not sure whether or not I would like to pursue that field in the future. I'm sure not everyone in Japan knows what they want from the start, studies it, and becomes it, but there are many people surprised at my indecision.
I'm also leaving this incredible opportunity to join my beau in the joblessness of America because I love him. This is also something very uncommon in Japan. I'm not sure I appreciate this world where a job is more important than someone you love. . ,
In Japan, people tend to find that one or two things they like and only focus on those things. They typically have one club which they belong to and they get awesome at that one club activity, going there or practicing it (whatever it is) almost daily. It's difficult for them to imagine that I have lived a life of dabbling in this or that, that I am a "jack-of-all-trades and a master at nothing." I think I'll probably remain that way for the rest of my life. . . who knows, though! It was definitely hard for me to choose what to focus on even just coming to Japan for a few years!
ON AMERICA:
The United States of America is HUGE and, no matter how many times I say it, Japanese people don't seem to understand this. I'm often asked questions like, "What do Americans think about X?" and "In America, do people X?" and these questions, of course, are impossible to answer! Not everyone in America (or most any country for that matter) thinks and believes in and acts the same! It sounds very close-minded to say this, but there are a lot of national similarities between people in Japan, so I understand why they might think the same is true worldwide. This is just something that frustrates me to explain. For example, "Is it hot in America like it is in Japan?" Well. . .
It is also, understandable, difficult for Japanese people, in this homogenous society, to really grasp the internationalization that goes on in other countries like the U.S.. No matter how much I explain myself or my friends or that there are millions of immigrants who move to other countries to start lives either with or without families. I tried, though!
ON JAPAN:
I can use chopsticks. I have since I was young and many people here find that hard to believe. Apparently, only in Asian countries would anyone have access to such things. . . Good thing we don't go around telling people how amazingly skilled they are at using forks! I think they probably wouldn't even get it if there were. . . sarcasm doesn't translate so well sometimes. . .
There are many foods here which I don't like and won't eat - shiso leaves, whale, horse, certain kinds of fish and seaweeds, etc.. For some reason, most Japanese people seem to think Japanese cuisine trumps that of all other countries. They even think they invented most things, like curry and gyoza (Chinese dumplings) and don't believe me when I tell them these are not Japanese foods. I have never asked anyone something as ludicrous as "what do you think of American food, isn't it delicious!?" and I think people really expect me to tell them how amazing everything is in Japan.
When I first arrived, I was talking about how strange it was to pay roughly the equivalent of $10 for a single peach or $20 for a bowling ball-sized watermelon. I explained that I had a watermelon the size of a small pig once, which I purchased for $2 in Philadelphia. "Yes, but, don't you think Japanese watermelon tastes much better?" I was strangely offended by this statement, but told them honestly that they taste pretty much exactly the same. Intensely shocked faces followed. . .
Japan has this wonderful kind of music called enka which is a kind of traditional folk-song style, a lot of whiny sounds and singing high-pitched notes. Though elderly Japanese folks like to think their traditions and things are carried on and appreciated my their future generations, it is clearly NOT. It surprises me, though, that some people here seem to think we know their enka songs regardless of our language abilities. Rarely, you find a foreigner who is obsessed enough with the culture to enjoy enka, but not often. When asked about my feelings for enka, I replied that it was "maa - maa" or OK/ not too bad. I think they were expecting me to be thrilled by this music. I would probably say the same for J-pop. . .
Perhaps I am unusual in that I don't fake my enjoyment or appreciation or tolerance for things. I like being an honest person that way, rather than making everyone feel good about things all the time. It isn't that I'm necessarily negative, just that I would rather let people know the truth of things. In a culture where saving face is more important than honesty, quite a few bubbles have been burst in the past two years. . .
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Bye Bye Tupac!
Today, my old car (affectionately dubbed "Tupac") was finally taken away to die peacefully and get chopped into countless parts so other, newer cars can live. It had been sitting in the same spot for almost an entire year. It wouldn't start, at all, only make that very cartoon-like car-starting noise and then die, slowly and painfully. Last time I tried to get him going, smoke was streaming out from under the hood. . . he wasn't doing so well.
Anywho, after much delay, my supervisor called to inform me that they were finally coming to take him away. She drove me over to my house and we had a nice little chat on the way. "They say," she began, "that your. . . what's it. . . laundry? Um. . . " And I wasn't sure where it was going. I figured something maybe like "some of your things have blown away before" but she continued - "Umm. . . panties?" After living here and doing my laundry the same since I got here 2 YEARS AGO someone recently found it embarrassing, insulting, or inappropriate for my underwear to be hanging up drying with the rest of my clothes. . . She did continue to explain that if there was some kind of weird person out there, they might do something odd, like steal them, so maybe it was good she mentioned this. But, seriously, NOW!? I guess I should be lucky no creep has taken my panties. . . or worse. . . like in Muroto last year. . .
So strange. . . Thanks? haha. . .
Anywho, after much delay, my supervisor called to inform me that they were finally coming to take him away. She drove me over to my house and we had a nice little chat on the way. "They say," she began, "that your. . . what's it. . . laundry? Um. . . " And I wasn't sure where it was going. I figured something maybe like "some of your things have blown away before" but she continued - "Umm. . . panties?" After living here and doing my laundry the same since I got here 2 YEARS AGO someone recently found it embarrassing, insulting, or inappropriate for my underwear to be hanging up drying with the rest of my clothes. . . She did continue to explain that if there was some kind of weird person out there, they might do something odd, like steal them, so maybe it was good she mentioned this. But, seriously, NOW!? I guess I should be lucky no creep has taken my panties. . . or worse. . . like in Muroto last year. . .
So strange. . . Thanks? haha. . .
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
KA-RA-O-KE
They can't all love it, can they? Seriously? All of Japan obsessed with karaoke, drunken singing in a group of people 'til the wee small hours of the morning?
Um, yes. OBSESSED. I suppose it was invented here, though, wasn't it?
If you go to any city in this country, you will find numerous little izakayas (pubs) with a focus on late-night karaoke-ing. Giant cities, tiny towns, they've all got them, and plenty of them. When Steven lived in Fukuoka, we decided to take a night to check out the "young" part of the city, the really happening area where everyone parties until the sun comes up. You know what we found there before stumbling upon the nightclub we had been previously searching for? About fifty karaoke clubs. Rent rooms by the hour, all-you-can-drink, whatever and that was it, for the most part. In Philly, we often went to $2 Pint Night, which had karaoke as well, but it was more of a joke for most people. I remember there being something like this in Philadelphia called "Yakitori Boy" but it was one of the dodgiest places I remember coming across in that part of the city.
Anywho, there's something here called enka which is traditional Japanese songs sung in a loud, drawn-out, shaky voice from both men and women. It is actually quite adorable to watch the elderly take their limelight and croon to these toons. . . for no more than ten minutes, maybe. But they go on for hours and hours if you let them! I really can't take too much of it at once. All the songs start blurring together after a certain point and the night just becomes one whole blob of enka with some dinner and drinks on the side. I've had the pleasure of joining Yasuda townspeople in numerous enkais (parties) for random things like sports days, celebrating the end or beginning of the year, congratulating people for accompishing some event, or whatever else tickles their fancies. They LOVE to party in Yasuda!
I just walked back to school from a mid-day enkai which I was invited to attend by a member of the group (something like the Lions' Club in the U.S., I imagine). Needless to say I didn't drink at this one, which may be why it seemed so much longer than most others I have been to, but it was sweet. I had the honor of sitting next to the Mayor of Yasuda and being the youngest in the room (by decades and mostly half-centuries!). He proved to be an excellent enka singer! They tried their damnedest to get me to sing something, but I quickly reminded them that my Japanese is nowhere near good enough to sing these songs. They pointed out the Beatles songs in the back of the book, but I still declined saying that it would obviously be too difficult.
The truth is that tomorrow night I'll be attending a beer party in Nahari (a neigboring town) and there is no way I would be able to have this two days in a row. Either way, it was lovely to see these elderly folks enjoying themselves so much.
Um, yes. OBSESSED. I suppose it was invented here, though, wasn't it?
If you go to any city in this country, you will find numerous little izakayas (pubs) with a focus on late-night karaoke-ing. Giant cities, tiny towns, they've all got them, and plenty of them. When Steven lived in Fukuoka, we decided to take a night to check out the "young" part of the city, the really happening area where everyone parties until the sun comes up. You know what we found there before stumbling upon the nightclub we had been previously searching for? About fifty karaoke clubs. Rent rooms by the hour, all-you-can-drink, whatever and that was it, for the most part. In Philly, we often went to $2 Pint Night, which had karaoke as well, but it was more of a joke for most people. I remember there being something like this in Philadelphia called "Yakitori Boy" but it was one of the dodgiest places I remember coming across in that part of the city.
Anywho, there's something here called enka which is traditional Japanese songs sung in a loud, drawn-out, shaky voice from both men and women. It is actually quite adorable to watch the elderly take their limelight and croon to these toons. . . for no more than ten minutes, maybe. But they go on for hours and hours if you let them! I really can't take too much of it at once. All the songs start blurring together after a certain point and the night just becomes one whole blob of enka with some dinner and drinks on the side. I've had the pleasure of joining Yasuda townspeople in numerous enkais (parties) for random things like sports days, celebrating the end or beginning of the year, congratulating people for accompishing some event, or whatever else tickles their fancies. They LOVE to party in Yasuda!
I just walked back to school from a mid-day enkai which I was invited to attend by a member of the group (something like the Lions' Club in the U.S., I imagine). Needless to say I didn't drink at this one, which may be why it seemed so much longer than most others I have been to, but it was sweet. I had the honor of sitting next to the Mayor of Yasuda and being the youngest in the room (by decades and mostly half-centuries!). He proved to be an excellent enka singer! They tried their damnedest to get me to sing something, but I quickly reminded them that my Japanese is nowhere near good enough to sing these songs. They pointed out the Beatles songs in the back of the book, but I still declined saying that it would obviously be too difficult.
The truth is that tomorrow night I'll be attending a beer party in Nahari (a neigboring town) and there is no way I would be able to have this two days in a row. Either way, it was lovely to see these elderly folks enjoying themselves so much.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Eclipsed!
It only really seems appropriate that since my last post was complaining about the terrible technology that I've experienced in Japan, this one should explain that I am currently using a brand new, huge, beautiful and powerful laptop at work right now. So far, it is working really nicely, and faster than anything I have used thus far. Perhaps the thinking in keeping the caveman POS I had before around in the office was that it was letting the beast die naturally, a slow and painful death. It's about damn time. . .
Anywho, yesterday was a big day for many people all over the world. We had our first total (annular) solar eclipse of the 21st century. Southern parts of Japan (among a few others) had the best view of this phenomenon. LUCKY ME for living in Kochi right now! Even through all my shit luck, there are tiny rays of light like this. I've heard various things about how often these eclipses occur, from every 17-19 years to every 600 or so. I remember hearing about the one in 1994 and being amazed that our teachers were telling us to look at the sun, but safely, but glasses or something. It was beautiful and awe-inspiring. There are things in this world that really make me think about life and my place in the universe. I'm almost always freaked out when I think on these things for too long. However, this was just exciting and gorgeous. We really are so huge, yet so tiny. . .
Anywho, yesterday was a big day for many people all over the world. We had our first total (annular) solar eclipse of the 21st century. Southern parts of Japan (among a few others) had the best view of this phenomenon. LUCKY ME for living in Kochi right now! Even through all my shit luck, there are tiny rays of light like this. I've heard various things about how often these eclipses occur, from every 17-19 years to every 600 or so. I remember hearing about the one in 1994 and being amazed that our teachers were telling us to look at the sun, but safely, but glasses or something. It was beautiful and awe-inspiring. There are things in this world that really make me think about life and my place in the universe. I'm almost always freaked out when I think on these things for too long. However, this was just exciting and gorgeous. We really are so huge, yet so tiny. . .
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Technological Wonders of Japan
Japan: Masters of Technology.
Let me explain my experiences with technological wonders while living here the past two years. . .
When I arrived in this country, I desperately wanted to use the internet to contact people back home, let them know I was safe, etc. I was in Tokyo at the JET Programme Orientation and we were staying at the Keio Plaza Hotel, supposedly one of the best. My roommates and I were a bit surprised to find that we needed to plug ourselves into the one LAN cable provided in our room if we wanted to use the internet. Almost every place here might have internet, but it is almost always LAN, not wireless.
When I got to Kochi, I was a bit disappointed to find that there was not (and had never been) internet at my home. I don't blame anyone for being disconnected, but I actually enjoy the ability to go online when I feel like it in the privacy of my own house, especially for Skype conversations and the like. It took 2-3 months to get the line to my house and it was a bitch to get set up. I know others who had to wait even longer. I understand that we live in bumfuck nowhere, but that is a bit lame. . .
At work, I found that we all had laptops to use for classes and things. They are all about 5-6 years old, but they look and feel older than that. They all have disc drives in them still. And my schools still use floppy disks at work. I was shocked when I found that out. At the junior high school, I can see the external hard disc drive sitting on top of the computer since they are no longer made with them built in. Not a clue to stop using them? Hmmm. . .
The speed on these computers is almost unbearable sometimes. If I click something, it takes about a minute to register on the computer and actually react. I thought I could deal with that at first, maybe learn something about patience or whatever, but it has been slowly eating my brain waiting for the responses.
In the past few weeks, two of the three computers at my disposal in the town have crashed. No one understands what to do when it says to "insert the hard disc" to recover, so they think it is best to just get a new computer. I'm not going to argue with that!
Everyone has fancy applications on their phones. I'm not talking about iPhones or "smart" phones, per se, but even the "dumb" phones. For example, if I purchase this ridiculous little antenna, I can watch television programs on my keitai (cell phone). Instead of "texting" or "SMS"ing, we have our very own keitai emails, which can be annoying if you only have someone's phone number. I kind of appreciate being able to send a message to someone's number, less to remember/ program. Interesting concept, though, phone emails. Many people don't have a camera here, only using their keitai. I could never live using my keitai as my phone, camera, computer, and television all in one. . .
Speaking of televisions, mine has been obsolete for almost a year now. I paid for NHK (Japanese cable provider) for a full year and only was capable of using my TV until July of last year. As a result, the company is going to refund a few months of my bill which I had paid in advance. WIN! They have been harassing me to pay my supposedly voluntary dues for many months now. Hopefully, as a result of explaining that I have no TV viewing capabilities (TV, computer, or keitai), they will leave me alone from now on.
There have been many other amazing experiences with technology here, but I will quit ranting for now.
On a brighter note, if I have bills that need to be paid and I receive a paper bill or a bus or flight in Japan, etc., I can take it to the nearest convenience store to take care of them! That's something pretty special.
Let me explain my experiences with technological wonders while living here the past two years. . .
When I arrived in this country, I desperately wanted to use the internet to contact people back home, let them know I was safe, etc. I was in Tokyo at the JET Programme Orientation and we were staying at the Keio Plaza Hotel, supposedly one of the best. My roommates and I were a bit surprised to find that we needed to plug ourselves into the one LAN cable provided in our room if we wanted to use the internet. Almost every place here might have internet, but it is almost always LAN, not wireless.
When I got to Kochi, I was a bit disappointed to find that there was not (and had never been) internet at my home. I don't blame anyone for being disconnected, but I actually enjoy the ability to go online when I feel like it in the privacy of my own house, especially for Skype conversations and the like. It took 2-3 months to get the line to my house and it was a bitch to get set up. I know others who had to wait even longer. I understand that we live in bumfuck nowhere, but that is a bit lame. . .
At work, I found that we all had laptops to use for classes and things. They are all about 5-6 years old, but they look and feel older than that. They all have disc drives in them still. And my schools still use floppy disks at work. I was shocked when I found that out. At the junior high school, I can see the external hard disc drive sitting on top of the computer since they are no longer made with them built in. Not a clue to stop using them? Hmmm. . .
The speed on these computers is almost unbearable sometimes. If I click something, it takes about a minute to register on the computer and actually react. I thought I could deal with that at first, maybe learn something about patience or whatever, but it has been slowly eating my brain waiting for the responses.
In the past few weeks, two of the three computers at my disposal in the town have crashed. No one understands what to do when it says to "insert the hard disc" to recover, so they think it is best to just get a new computer. I'm not going to argue with that!
Everyone has fancy applications on their phones. I'm not talking about iPhones or "smart" phones, per se, but even the "dumb" phones. For example, if I purchase this ridiculous little antenna, I can watch television programs on my keitai (cell phone). Instead of "texting" or "SMS"ing, we have our very own keitai emails, which can be annoying if you only have someone's phone number. I kind of appreciate being able to send a message to someone's number, less to remember/ program. Interesting concept, though, phone emails. Many people don't have a camera here, only using their keitai. I could never live using my keitai as my phone, camera, computer, and television all in one. . .
Speaking of televisions, mine has been obsolete for almost a year now. I paid for NHK (Japanese cable provider) for a full year and only was capable of using my TV until July of last year. As a result, the company is going to refund a few months of my bill which I had paid in advance. WIN! They have been harassing me to pay my supposedly voluntary dues for many months now. Hopefully, as a result of explaining that I have no TV viewing capabilities (TV, computer, or keitai), they will leave me alone from now on.
There have been many other amazing experiences with technology here, but I will quit ranting for now.
On a brighter note, if I have bills that need to be paid and I receive a paper bill or a bus or flight in Japan, etc., I can take it to the nearest convenience store to take care of them! That's something pretty special.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)