I'm sure you have all been jonseing badly for some updates on my life over here in the land of the rising sun (or is that Korea... I should probably know that if I'm going to be in an Asian country). So, I am currently in Ageo, Japan, a city about half an hour north of Tokyo. Originally, I was going to be teaching in a tiny rural village (I'm not even sure its size could qualify it as a village... it was like a village-ette). The second I got to my apartment essentially located in the middle of a creepy forest, I knew there was no way I could stay there. I demanded a new placement and was moved here to Ageo the next morning.
So the language barrier is nuts. I stare at symbols meaning nothing to me every day, point to things at restaurants and have no idea what I am about to eat when my meal arrives, and whenever someone asks me a question I stare blankly back with an expression of utter confusion. I've learned a few tips, however- for example, whenever I speak English to a Japanese person I need to Japanese-itize my words. When I say class, I pronounce is "coo-rah-suh." When I say bathroom it is pronounced "bahss-uh-room-uh." Etc, etc. It is hilarious because I say the word "bathroom" as I normally would 5 times and am greeted with that same aforementioned blank look of confusion and the second I add my Japanese spin on it, it is quickly understood.
Cool things about eating out here...
First, on the tables in some restaurants, there is a little bell you can ring to get a waiter to come rushing quickly over. That is so smart! Also, it is often customary for the oldest diner to pay, and then afterwards the other diners can ask if they should pay him or her back, and the oldest person almost always refuses saying it was "on them." Awesome. I am only going to hang out with old Japanese people. Wow that sounded creepy.
Poor translations are also common and comical. One of the best I have seen so far is the popular second hand store here called Hard Off. I guess at least it isn't Hard On? I also saw a hotel in Tokyo called Hotel The Glanz. Once again, looking at the bright side, at least it isn't "Glands."
Everyone thinks of Japan as a technologically advanced place, but I have discovered that aside from a few things like the presence of iPhones everywhere, it is more like technologically advanced was in the 1980s. There is weird synth-pop playing all the time, and wifi is scarce- you are more likely to find ethernet cords everywhere (even in hotels).
I will take some pictures of my apartment to post later. It is actually a pretty cool place, perfectly sized for me.
So the language barrier is nuts. I stare at symbols meaning nothing to me every day, point to things at restaurants and have no idea what I am about to eat when my meal arrives, and whenever someone asks me a question I stare blankly back with an expression of utter confusion. I've learned a few tips, however- for example, whenever I speak English to a Japanese person I need to Japanese-itize my words. When I say class, I pronounce is "coo-rah-suh." When I say bathroom it is pronounced "bahss-uh-room-uh." Etc, etc. It is hilarious because I say the word "bathroom" as I normally would 5 times and am greeted with that same aforementioned blank look of confusion and the second I add my Japanese spin on it, it is quickly understood.
Cool things about eating out here...
First, on the tables in some restaurants, there is a little bell you can ring to get a waiter to come rushing quickly over. That is so smart! Also, it is often customary for the oldest diner to pay, and then afterwards the other diners can ask if they should pay him or her back, and the oldest person almost always refuses saying it was "on them." Awesome. I am only going to hang out with old Japanese people. Wow that sounded creepy.
Poor translations are also common and comical. One of the best I have seen so far is the popular second hand store here called Hard Off. I guess at least it isn't Hard On? I also saw a hotel in Tokyo called Hotel The Glanz. Once again, looking at the bright side, at least it isn't "Glands."
Everyone thinks of Japan as a technologically advanced place, but I have discovered that aside from a few things like the presence of iPhones everywhere, it is more like technologically advanced was in the 1980s. There is weird synth-pop playing all the time, and wifi is scarce- you are more likely to find ethernet cords everywhere (even in hotels).
I will take some pictures of my apartment to post later. It is actually a pretty cool place, perfectly sized for me.
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