I didn't do a whole lot today - IT and library orientations that I took in but was at least half asleep throughout. Thereafter I lounged about, did some shopping - found a 100 yen shop and picked up my own rice bowl and chopsticks. I feel strangely proud when I manage to go shopping successfully -like a big child but with money and responsibilities. Got lost again, but less severely this time. It hurts to spend so much (?) on underground tickets so often, but at the moment I think I must look on it as an investment, for gradually I'm getting to know my way around. Therefore, to flesh out this entry a little bit, here are some miscellaneous thoughts and impressions I have had recently relating to Japan and the Japanese way.
- Cleanliness - There's a lot of emphasis on being clean and healthy - lots of people wear uniforms (school children, obviously, but also traffic guards, car park attendants and so on) and they always appear to be spotless. Most parks seem to have toilets in them, and although they're not pristine, I've not yet run into a tap that doesn't work. Yet, strangely, there's not a lot to do with drying after washing - in public toilets there's usually just a roll of toilet paper next to the sinks for drying oneself off. Perhaps everyone in Japan just carries a handkerchief?
- Traffic - Before coming over here I was told that people tend to wait for the lights to change without fail, even if there's obviously no cars coming. I decided that if this were the done thing I should try it, too, and indeed I've got no funny looks yet. Then again, I see people just looking if it's clear and then walking. In general as regards customs I think "If you see a Japanese person do it, it's probably OK." However, even when the pedestrian signal turns green, cars may still be turning into that street. But they wait. I think. It's hard to gauge the relationship between pedestrians, cyclists and motorists, especially coming from an environment where everyone hates everyone else.
- Cost of Living - It's so high! T^T It was all very well knowing the exchange rate back home, but I realise now that that means nothing if one doesn't know the prices over here. There is little under 100 yen, bread comes in packs of about 5 or 8 slices. Makes me really pine for places like Asda and Tesco.*sigh* New games are something close to fifty quid. But, books and trading cards are relatively cheap. So best to stock up on those before leaving...
- Local Fauna - Spiders look really sinister, but they tend to stay in hedges and bushes so there's no trouble running into them. Butterflies are considerably larger than the English variety. Dogs are mostly tiny, and wolves are extinct. Crows leave their beaks hanging open a lot, why I know not. Lack of education?
- The Language - Looking foreign and being a bit of a loner, sometimes it feels like maybe I'm not getting as much practice in Japanese as I should do. However, seeing that most signs, shop names etc. are written in Japanese, there are a few kanji that tend to stick a bit better due to their constant repetition and use in place names, so even just walking around can help sometimes.
 |
| Japanese Snacks, Vol. 1 - Onigiri: triangular lumps of rice wrapped in seaweed, with various fillings, in this case, egg, though I more often partake of the salmon, tuna mayo and chicken teriyaki varieties. |
