Japanese "No" & Student Antics

The Japanese have this way of saying no to things that drives foreigners crazy.  You ask them to do something and they have a social orgasm in front of you agreeing that yes indeed, you should hang out, or do whatever.  Then, 5 minutes before the actual event is set to take place, they all of a sudden have some business they "forgot" about or they have some finger nail pains... in short, they can't make it.  The reality is that they had chosen to refuse you in the first place, but in order to be polite, they agreed to go along with you to make it seem like they wanted to hang out with you.  Then they make up some reason that they can't go all of a sudden.  I think it's actually pretty rude because if you had planned to hang out with that person and then they cancel on you like that without a real reason, it leaves you stranded for the day.  If the reason is a real one then it's fine obviously, but they planned to take a dump on you in the first place.  Still getting used to this part about Japanese people, but I'm getting better and better at reading them!  I find if I ask certain questions, I can know if they will turn me down later on by their responses.  For instance, when I ask detailed questions such as what time or place to meet, if I get hazy responses or none at all (text messaging), I can assume they will cancel.  This has proven to be quite useful.

There was a student the other day who was goofing off and the teacher kept scolding him and telling him to pay attention.  After a couple minutes of this, the teacher turned around to write on the board and the student turns to his friends and says "watch this," then he lifts his leg and let's a fart rip.  I spent the next 10 minutes trying not to laugh about it.  At a different school, I was invited to play basketball with the 9th grade girls, so I went and listened to the teacher talk about where each team was going to play.  As I stood there, a girl who I wasn't looking at but who was easily within my peripheral vision was sitting down with her knees up and together.  She looks at her friend, and in English says "open!" as she spread her legs wide open.  Again, I spent the next 10 minutes (I can laugh at things for quite a while) trying not to laugh at this.  I feel pretty immature laughing at things like these, but I don't feel bad about it.

本音【ほんね】  (honne)  (n) real intention; motive; (P)

English is Funny, Random Questions

Speaking English must be really funny for some reason, because whenever my students try to speak English to me they always end up laughing about it.  I don't know, it's kinda funny to watch though.  Maybe it's me, because there are groups of girl students who just laugh whenever they see me.  It's a bit unnerving, I hope it's a good thing.  Probably is.  I had a girl give me a rasengan the other day.  Some of the boy students keep rasenganning me from their dicks.  It takes everything in me to not do it back to them.  I know I'd hear about it from the teachers for sure if I did, but dang man, I am still really immature because I would have no problem counterattacking by kicking them in the nads.  Good times.

Did you know there are no referees during recess time?  Even in elementary school!  The kids are just allowed to run free without any supervision.  This is super crazy coming from a place where there was constant supervision even in high school.

So I walked into the library when the students were cleaning it and the first thing I hear directed towards me is "What do you have for breakfast?" After I answer "I have miso soup and rice" (it's funny because that is a conversation from their textbook, word for word), I immediately get asked "Do you have a girlfriend?"  It's usually the girl students who ask me this so I ask them the same question back.  These weird questions still come up even though I've been here for 4 months now.  Freaking hilarious if I think about it.

金玉【きんたま】 (kintama)   (n) (col) testicles (this word is awesome because the literal translation is "golden balls")

JET Appreciation and My Apartment

First off, I would like to remind myself, and even other JET participants if you are reading this (and not just because it's the holidays), that there may be some exceptionally frustrating things that we go through as JETs.  I'm not going to list even one of them because really, which raindrop do I pull from the ocean?  Despite all these things, we are living a dream.  There are many people back in their home countries who cry when their application to JET gets rejected.  There are people who are trying their 5th year and even more to get onto this program.  I know what it's like to get rejected, I was turned down the first time I tried out for the program (not to mention about 3 other companies turned me down as well).  Maybe that's why I think about that every day that I'm here, quite literally.  Even if there are days I don't feel like doing anything Japanesey, I still appreciate the fact that someone else had to stay home so I could be here.

Here's some pictures of where I live!

This is my room.  Looks pretty sweet huh?  That table where all my stuff is is called a kotatsu.  You put a blanket in between the table and the leg portions and turn on a heater underneath where you put your legs.  It's the most awesome invention ever and since it's been freezing at night I've been hiding under it when I come home.  Kerosene heaters are popular here but because you have to circulate the air and buy the kerosene, I don't use them.  I don't care much for breathing the chemicals either.  I feel there are better and more efficient ways of acquiring cancer.  The TV you can see a little of is a 32" supplied by my employers.  Bless their hearts.  I actually got it before the rice cooker came.  3 months late but at the rate my board of education gets things done, can't complain!

This is the view from one of my windows.  There used to be buildings right in front, blocking the view, but they got torn down since the tsunami took most of them out.  I wish it was from my bedroom window though.  I don't get to see much of this view since it's from my hall window and the window is glazed.  Plus they will probably rebuild the buildings, then my view will disappear.  Oh well.

This is my kitchen where I don't do anything but cook and do dishes.  I don't have much furniture and there is nothing to do downstairs so I live in my room.  I suck at cooking so nothing magical ever happens here either.  I miss Korea where I could just order dinner for $5 and have it delivered to my door.  Dwen jang jjigae please come back to me!

Her name is Maria (it's actually written on a sticker on the back of the car).  She is a sexy beast of a car.  Too bad I am too lazy to give her a bath, she could look pretty good.  As dirty as she is she still attracts the boy cars.



感謝【かんしゃ】  (kansha)  (adj-na,n,vs) thanks; gratitude; (P)