Miscellany IV

Here we are again, dear readers, though not a great amount of experiences to recount this time. I've a few more tests, written ones which I seemed to finish rather early (though I gave them my best effort), giving me an unfamiliar 45 minutes or so to play around with in between lessons. With those out of the way the half-term holiday started, so I've no Uni until Thursday 4th. I doubt I'll get up to anything amazingly interesting; more likely to use it to catch up on work (two essays to write and a speech to memorise - ulp!). I was going to go on a field trip to one of the University's more far-off campuses, but it got cancelled due to the approach of Typhoon Chaba! So here are some thoughts about this-and-that which may amuse or interest.

• Nagoyan Culture - On Thursday we had a relaxed end-of-term lesson about various aspects of local culture. One good question that came up was why the mascot for the Japanese baseball team The Dragons is not a dragon. Apparently, it has to do with the team name being an English word pronounced the Japanese way - Do-ra-go-n-su. Take the first two syllables and you get "Dora," meaning koala in Japanese, which the powers that be evidently decided would make a more cute mascot. We also touched briefly on the dialect spoken in this locale, very interesting and a little bizarre how much regional variation can occur within the same language.
• Public Toilets - I was wandering around the shopping arcade at Osu on Friday, and found myself trying to find a toilet. I paused for thought when I noticed a sign saying (in English and Japanese) "Please feel free to use the toilets." There are many comforts of my homeland that I miss very much, but public toilets is something I will miss about Japan when I leave and return to London, where using a toilet without paying seems tantamount to high treason. Japanese toilets also tend to be reasonably clean and well-maintained - I don't think I've yet found one where the taps didn't work.
• Dates - When writing the date in Japan, as in America, the month comes first, therefore the English 30th October becomes October 30th. I'm not sure why and how this trans-Atlantic differentiation came about, but there is a reasonable explanation to be had in the case of Japan. In Japanese culture and language larger or more impressive things always come first, e.g. Japanese names are written with the family (i.e. group) name first, then the given (i.e. individual) name. I only noticed recently, though, that in keeping with this the year is written first, so - 2010/10/30. It makes sense, of course, but it still looks a little odd to me and takes me a moment to work out which date is being expressed.
• Microwaves - Someone recently asked me how dorm life was treating me, and I told him that it took some getting used to cooking without an oven. The chap then replied that he had the impression that the English tend to use microwave ovens more than the Japanese. This set me to thinking, and while watching a video online detailing a recipe for pumpkin cake it dawned on me that the main difference is perhaps not the frequency of use but the attitude toward it. I'm not sure about the rest of you, dear readers, but I've always thought of the microwave as something to use when the gas/electric oven would require too much time, or for cooking ready meals. In contrast, in Japan the microwave seems a tool with its own merits to use in cooking. Plus, I always thought it you put cling-film in a microwave it would melt and poison your food - not so! Was I misinformed or is Japanese film specially made to be more resistant?

Sometimes I like to wander to lonely spots to help me think.

Ask Not for Whom the Bell Tolls

I'd say the long Summer has finally come to an end - on Monday it was dark by five o'clock, on Tuesday evening it actually got chilly, and when I woke up on Wednesday morning the house was the coldest it's been since I arrived (possibly due to the windows being wide open - denial much?). As unpleasant as it may be to bid goodbye to the easy comfort of Summer, I think Winter has its charms, too. After Christmas and New Year it all feels a bit dreary and drawn out, I agree, but when it first starts getting cold, it makes me think of romance. Wrapping up in big coats and cute scarves, meeting up with someone you like and pretending it's just the cold making the blood run to your face, eventually getting inside to where it's warm and cosy... I love the idea of all that (not that I've ever actually had any Winter romances >.<).

The main order of this week has been Mid-Term (Half-term? Should I translate directly and risk sounding American or use an English equivalent that isn't widely used?) examinations. How's that, nearly half way through this first semester (term?) already, spooky, eh? Anyhow, I reckon I'm doing alright, got a few results back already - 28/30 for the Listening and 27/30 for the Speaking; considering I generally think of those two as my weakest points I'm quite pleased with that.

In the midst of acclimatising on Wednesday I also dropped in on a welcome party held by the English Speaking Society (no cold is bitter enough to stand between me and free karaage!). Conversations I had with people there alternated between them practising their English and me practising my Japanese. I actually got involved in some lengthy talks, meaning I didn't stuff my face as much as I would have liked to, but I still reckon I ate my fill. Among the delicacies on offer were variations on swiss roll, butter biscuits, potato wedges and what appeared to be fried potato skewers (not a great description, I'll try to make them sometime to better illustrate). The latter two items were so drenched in grease and salt I felt for a brief moment like my tastebuds had been transported back to a chip shop in England. There was also origami, calligraphy and kendama (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kendama) in a "We're the English Speaking Society, but here's some Japanese culture!" sort of spirit.

Been an enjoyable day, and tomorrow I get my last exam out of the way and have a few days of free relaxation to look forward to. As I write I am sitting at my desk wrapped up in a warm blanket. It's not really all that cold, but it adds to the Wintery atmosphere I'm trying to embrace.

Rules are rules.

Mooncoin Jig

At first I was planning to begin this entry with something like "For once, not much to report about Monday." But after examining my memories and thoughts a bit more carefully I think I can make a decent report after all. One more slice of Ima Ai ni Yuku in the morning; it's a sweet and amusing film (I'd recommend it if anyone can find it), and it feels good that I can understand a good deal of it.

Next up was Tea, the ceremony was much the same as usual, but we also got a bit of history on how it became popular. Back in the day (pre-Edo period, when Japan was in the process of being unified) there was a great teacher of the Way of taking tea called Rikyu, who taught it to Oda Nobunaga (one of the three "Great Unifiers" of Japan). Nobunaga proceeded to build a magnificent golden tea room, then considered he had surpassed his teacher, and told Rikyu to go kill himself. What a prick. But before he shuffled off this mortal coil Rikyu was able to pass on his knowledge to other people, who in turn passed it on through the ages all the way to now, when I'm learning it. There was also a cookery book detailing how to make the kind of sweets eaten during the ceremony - that's something to hunt down a copy of before I leave!

Classic Japanese started off with a written test. I think it went quite well, but while filling it in I remembered the breakdown of assessment for this course - End of Term Exam, Mid-Term Exam, Mini-Tests, Homework and Attendance all worth 20% of the final mark each. The fact that just showing up to lessons carried as much weight as the test gave me rather a strange feeling. This week the teacher hadn't brought along any music, but asked us if we knew any songs that used older versions of our languages. I was tempted to give a rendition of "Twa Corbies" but was a little shy of doing so, given the content (for those of you who don't know it, this is a song about two ravens discussing a dead knight they intend to eat).

In the evening I managed to start work on my Modern Japanese Literature essay, and did so in the Community Room, so I managed to be a bit social as well. One more miscellaneous scrap of information before I sign off - I probably mentioned a while back that I acquired a money bank in the shape of a frog wearing a crown. I recently granted it the name Kaerō-chan, from running "kaeru" (frog) and "ō," (king) together, but "kaerō" is also homophonous with "let's go home," for one day I shall take him home with me. It's a simple name, but it pleases me. ^^

カエローちゃん

Better Hurry Up, Just Got Two Days!

And another weekend speeds by on the island of Yamato. On Saturday I went to Sakae (the shopping-type area) as I'd heard there was some manner of multi-cultural celebration going on there. Although I reached Sakae alright, I got a little bit lost looking for the event, but in the process unravelled a couple of mysteries. For instance, there is an area called Central Park, so-called, I believe, as it has been designed to resemble the central park of Los Angeles, Nagoya's sister city. While wondering around it I passed by a pretty young lady (presumably famous) who was attending a photoshoot. I was at odds whether sticking around to watch it from a safe distance would result in "Egad, you're just what we need to make this shoot brilliant! *fame and fortune*" or "Who's that weirdo lurking in the bushes? *shame and ruin*", so in the end I erred on the side of caution and carried on my journey.

A boulevard of dreams

Mystery No. 2 - Oasis 21! This is the name of a large mall in the Sakae area, apparently fairly well-known and distinctive. That said I had a had time finding it, due to an optical illusion in the photographs I'd seen of its exterior, and that it shared the site of the bus station, and there were only signposts indicating the latter. I had seen a few stalls in Central Park, and though there was an interesting demonstration of Thai carving (a woman etching beautiful and intricate designs on a watermelon) I couldn't help feeling a little underwhelmed. However, when I finally discovered Oasis 21's true location I also happened upon the event proper, complete with more stalls and a large stage.

As for the event itself, I think it had something to do with COP and sustainability, but a lot of the language went over my head. There was an international aspect to it as well, though - various cultural dances and the like, including Flamenco and Capoeira, which was fun to watch. The main reason I didn't look at it all in more detail though, is that I got distracted by a nearby collection of shops. "But Cal, how can you get distracted by shops that are a permanent fixture when there's a temporary event going on?" I hear you ask. Well, let me tell you that these were no ordinary shops; I'm not talking about the likes of Primark, HMV or Woolworths, I'm talking about Jump Shop, NHK Character Shop and Pokémon Centre!

I could ramble on about these shops for ages, but I'll try to be brief. The best way I can describe them is that they combine the hard-to-find (outside of Japan) merchandise of eBay with the all-in-one-place-ness of Forbidden Planet, but with the complete respectability of any high street store. Another fine location for Christmas pressies!

Sunday was not too eventful, spent most of it tidying my room and studying. Though I did try a curry doughnut, a bizarre combination at first glance but actually works quite well!

The Morning of the Lakenham Races Dawned Bright and Juicy.

Blog entries are becoming a little bit erratic at the moment, which reflects the state of things going on pretty well. One never knows if there's going to be lots going on or if a period of prolonged inertia is going to set in. There is a fair bit to write about, though, so let's dive right in! Order of the day Thursday was Project Work a-go-go! I'd been dreading it, needing to come up with a topic and commit to it on the spot, but I was worried for nothing. We decided on an interesting topic to research (Japanese fashion sub-cultures), and as it was during the lesson in which we speak with Japanese students we were able to get some feedback on the spot as well. However, before the day was done the teachers sprang one more assignment on us. This time it's just a speech, and individually worked on, so altogether likely to be less taxing, but the first draft needs to be in Monday, then we recite it Thursday - eek!

The main topic of Friday's Japanese Religions lecture was Zen, the quest for encountering the inherent enlightenment in sentient beings through meditation. This was introduced to Japan by a monk called Eisai, who also introduced tea! We tried to meditate for three minutes, but it was quite difficult to empty the mind. At some point we were also posed the classic problem "What is the sound of one hand clapping?" and that trying to find an answer (Bart Simpson-style or otherwise) because it was in the form of a question reflects thinking within a certain framework (which Zen seeks to free one from). It reminded me of this exchange:

SOAS Student: Well, at SOAS we think outside the box.
Imperial Student: At least at Imperial we know where the box is.

Finally, the moment I had been waiting for for some time arrived - The Hallowe'en Party! It took place at the other dorm building, as it's bigger and altogether what you'd expect of a University residence, whereas the one I live in more closely resembles a large old house. I'd gone along to help out with decorating and such the night before, and had concerns that it might look too cute and not Hallowe'en-y enough. But with the main lights off a suitably spooky atmosphere was created. Drinks were included in the entry fee, which I didn't have to pay because of participating in the preparation - exellenté! I was surprised at how many people fit into the room (and corridor) used for the party, though it didn't leave a lot of space for dancing. There were also many interesting costumes, which reminds me of this exchange (PG):

American Student: I had to explain to some of my Japanese classmates that in America we celebrate Hallowe'en mainly to give women a reason to dress like sluts.
Me: Really? In England we don't need a reason.

So what was I wearing, you ask? My skinny jeans, blue starry dress over black shirt with flowers, telescope necklace, black eyeliner, eyeshadow and lipstick, and tricorner hat over blue-black starry headscarf. I'd have liked to make a special effort, but did my best with what I had to hand. It seemed rather popular, too - I hardly took any photographs myself, but was asked to pose in a great many! All in all a very enjoyable evening, and over all too soon.

It takes all sorts...

Defer, Defer to the Lord High Executioner

Recently I received a packet of teabags from my dear family - drinking a cup o' Earl Grey while watching Sherlock Holmes was a sublime comfort to me! Hear my Albion Heart purr.

Well well, there goes Wednesday! The morning was marked with short classes, fairly unremarkable, though my nails (painted in rainbow colours at the moment) are proving popular, particularly with one teacher who says she wants to take a picture of them, though every time I see her she seems to not have her 'phone on her. Around lunch time I was enlisted into helping handing out leaflets advertising the Hallowe'en party. Since many people already had them (teams have been distributing them since Monday) not many got handed out and we were finished fairly sharpish. But it was fun to hang around with my doommates for a while, and I must say there's a certain quality in the air lately that smells like Samhain.

In the evening I was treated to dinner with two ladies by the names of Chihiro and Hiroko, with whom I have a mutual acquaintance back in England. I'd been mailing back and forth to Chihiro for some time, but we finally managed to find a convenient date to meet up in person. I was rather nervous and quiet at first, as I always am meeting new people, and of course doing this speaking in a foreign tongue added to the difficulty. They were very kind-hearted and patient, though, and in the end we managed some good conversations. We went to an Oden restaurant (http://tinyurl.com/yawgl57), which itself was interesting - taking off shoes at the entrance, sitting at a low table, drinking beer from a very sturdy frosted glass with a handle. And people smoking inside! It all gave me a "Yep, I really am in Japan" kind of feeling.

I tried many new foods, though I can't readily recall their names. Lots of it was unexpectedly spicy, and there were some tastes that I have trouble describing as they were so very unlike anything I had experienced before. Perhaps the most interesting dish was お茶漬け(ocha zuké), which was, as far as I could tell, onigiri (for me, rice and salmon) in a cup of tea. Consider my mind blown - it was not only like nothing I'd ever experienced before, it was something that I never even imagined could exist! All in all an enriching and enjoyable evening.

Incidentally, dear readers, have you ever asked or been asked the question "Are You Gay?" It's always struck me as an awkward question to answer. For example, I think a lot of people consider bi-sexuality as being "half-gay" or "half-straight" rather than a separate orientation to itself, so if I respond to that question with the technically correct reply "No," would it then imply that I'm straight, thus giving the wrong impression about me? Should one simply answer the question that has been asked or elaborate with more information, or would the "tacking on" of a non homo/hetero sexuality to this yes/no question add to the idea that they somehow carry less value? This sort of thing preys on my mind sometimes. Food for thought!

A shrine

よー、先生! 元気カイ?

Picking up from where I left off on Monday, Tuesday turned out to be busy after all. First order of the day was an oral assessment in two parts, beginning with a two-person "skit," which we'd written and rehearsed beforehand. Mine involved a student asking a teacher for advice on various matters (the opening line is reproduced as this entry's title, and roughly translates to "Yo, teach! Whassup?"). I forgot one line but otherwise I think it went well, and the sits performed by the rest of the class were also entertaining. For the second part (one-on-one with a teacher) we'd also been allowed some preparation - three scenarios were made known to us, then one was randomly selected and we had to improvise a conversation. Perhaps if I had considered ways to work in more advanced grammar points this test may have gone better, but I was surprised at how (comparatively) confident and smooth my speaking was. Besides, it only took five minutes, so nothing really worth worrying about.

When I returned home I was pleasantly surprised to find an e-mail from one of my teachers at SOAS. Finally I was able to confirm my re-taking of Modern Japanese Literature, at least in some shape or form. Still chasing up the Faculty Office to confirm, but I'm sure they're very busy just now. In any case, I was able to talk about my ideas for my first essay this year, got the title approved and a few tips for suggested reading. I went to the library to pick up a few books, though I'm not sure how easy it will be to get ahold of some of the others. It felt really good, though; everyday Uni life in Japan being as laid-back as it is, sometimes it feels like taking time out rather than appreciable progress toward my final goal. Or perhaps my resolve and passion are stronger because I failed MJL before? Let's hope I don't have to fail first before I can properly apply myself to it!

I made the journey to the Ward Office in order to pay for Health Insurance - there was the option to pay one month at a time, but instead I payed for several, so I won't have to worry about it again until April. Farewell, my last 10,000 yen note. The procedure was unfamiliar to me and I had to ask about it, but in the end I was rather relived that it went so smoothly. I stopped by the bank on the way back, thinking to check my balance... but I wasn't quite able to make out what did what on the machine (touchscreen, incidentally), though I later looked up a video of how to operate one, so next time I get a chance I'll try again.

One final note - I realised recently that Tea Ceremony mentality has found its way into the way I take luncheon. While I may buy my food in a frenzy of desire, when I get back to my room I carefully consider what to eat in which order to properly compliment the various tastes, and take my time to consider the individual merits of each item. Perhaps I did this before in England, but I like to think I savour food more since coming to Japan. Will this insight come in handy in future? Who knows. Watch this space!

Japanese Snacks Vol. 7 - Chigiri Pan Milk: Dripping with honey (or something similar), dusted with sugar, sublimely sweet, especially when bits and pieces caramelise on the bottom.

この平和はいい戦士の努力の目標だ。

Once again, a new week dawns and begins with a busy Monday. Although Sunday felt both lazy and productive, a perfect day for living in the moment and riding the currents of time, Monday was less than ideal, and it took longer than usual for my natural optimism to reassert itself. The day began well enough - a few tests early on, followed by watching more of Ima Ai Ni Yuku (see last week's entry), which was both easy to understand and entertaining. However, in the third lesson a bomb bearing the name "Project Work" was dropped. From now until the end of November in certain lessons (and outside them, too) we'll be looking into a particular element of Japanese culture, gathering information as well as opinions on it from Japanese students, compiling it all together and giving a presentation including a Q&A session.

There's nothing wrong with all that per se, in fact, the way I've written it it sounds quite fun, but what I don't like is that we have to do it in pairs. For a start I don't think assessing someone on the work they do toward a group effort is an accurate representation of their ability (as the workload can end up getting divided unequally), plus people who have already made good friends pair up right away, leaving people who forge alliances more slowly (i.e. me) feeling a little awkward. Still, it won't last forever, I may end up making friends and it's only worth 10% of the final grade. But while I'm ranting, sometimes being surrounded by so many American accents is even more disorienting than the Japanese language.

I returned home a little disheartened, but things started looking up. For a start, my lunch included an item from my usual bakery that I had been curious about for a while and not tried before. It appears to be a shrimp croquette in a bun covered with tartar sauce, and it tastes like everything one could ever want from a McDonalds Fillet o' Fish, but cost only 98 yen. Tea Ceremony was extremely laid-back as well (didn't catch the name of this week's sweets, they were a form of manju with a sticky orange outer-layer), a few of the students got to wear kimono this week, and while they were getting kitted out the rest of us just waited. This did put some constraints on time, though - I was the last one to get tea and I mixed my own cup, which made the receiving tea from your host/giving tea to your guest aspect of things a bit tricky.

On the subject of kimono, I wasn't too bothered about trying them until today. They look really good, I wonder if I could wear one one week? I'm not sure how my teachers would be disposed toward letting me, though. I definitely couldn't content myself with the male version of the garment - they're plain and ugly!

It was during Classical Japanese that I started to feel that the world is a decent place and that any difficulties I was currently having would work out. I have noticed another interesting difference between the C.J. class I'm taking this year and the one I took last year. Since this course is not compulsory, and all the members of the class have chosen to study it, we function as quite a close group and actually have fun with it. Stranger things have happened, I suppose. Tomorrow I have a few tests and need to nip out to pay for health insurance and do some shopping, so it could be full and busy or just few and far-between appointments. Stay tuned!

My early observations on crows and their beaks may have only been a Summer fad. These days they seem rather well-mannered.

It's the Mark of Mischief That They Wear

Dear readers, have you ever pondered the curious ways we measure time? Certainly we recognise days, months and years, and have created minutes and hours and so on, but what about the less uniform aspects of time? When, for instance, you scrape out the last bits of margarine from a tub, or use the last roll of toilet paper in a pack, have you ever had a peculiar "Oh, that's finished, is it? Gosh, tempus fugit!" kind of feeling? I think people who live alone are more prone to experience this, as in family households supplies get used up much faster. In Buddhism there's a measurement of time called a "Kalpa." If I remember rightly, a minor kalpa is described as the amount of time it would take to wear down a stone by brushing it with a feather once very four years. Then there are twenty minor kaplas to a major kalpa, of which there are four - Creation, Abiding, Destruction and Empty.

Why all this talk of time? I suppose since coming to Japan I view time a little bit differently, a strange combination of needing time to study, wanting time to go faster so as to arrive at my next meal, and counting down the days until the next big party and until I leave. Hence ideas of how we measure and perceive time sort of interests me - at time of writing, nearing the end of my first toilet paper kalpa - so please forgive me my ramblings.

Not a lot went on Thursday or Friday, except the arrival of a letter asking me for money for health insurance. A tad irksome, but at least it's a one-off expense. Saturday, though, has been one of those days where I feel like I was definitely in the right place at the right time. I made my way to Osu Kannon temple, where a Street Performers' Festival was being held. Lots of stalls selling various kinds of food, but of course the main selling point were the performers! The first lot I saw were some musicians strolling down a street in very colourful attire, playing not only traditional percussion instruments, but also accordion, banjo, clarinet and saxophone, giving them a rather jazzy sound. After that there was also a group of drummers, quite a few jugglers, a pair of acrobats, a very amusing living-statue/robot sort of fellow, and a woman who did caricatures in a very elaborate and entertaining fashion. Everything was thoroughly enjoyable; I only found out about it by chance earlier on in the week, so I'm really glad I managed to see it.

I might also mention that while I've been writing this entry the birthdays of both P.G. Wodehouse and Oscar Wilde have passed by. Take a moment or two to remember these great men?

歌舞伎

So, before I dive into recounting the performances I saw on Wednesday night, a word or two on the theatre in which they took place. Kabuki actors have names that are passed down from master to apprentice, so you get actors called Such-and-Such The Tenth or Whatsisname The First (please note these are not real names). They also get ranked according to their achievements, and above the entrance were hung planks of wood with names and ranks. Inside the theatre I was surprised to see many women wearing kimono. I touched on this subject before, kimono seem so exotic to me, but as the traditional formal wear of this country they're not such a rare sight.

Our party was situated in (probably) the cheapest seats - high up, far away and close together. But I could see all that needed to be seen so no problems beyond legs and backside getting stiff every now and then. The costumes and makeup were very bright and colourful and looked fabulous; it was sometimes hard to believe all the female characters were played by men. "But didn't their voices give them away?" I hear you ask. Well, at times there was an element of suspension of disbelief, but everyone spoke in a slightly strained, lyrical kind of way that aided the illusion. I should probably add that all the music was performed live, even when it was only in the background.

The show itself was split up into four main performances, with intervals in between. I imagine it was a bit like how cinemas used to be in the days of A and B features and newsreels and so on. Given the oldey-timey language used the various plots were a tad tricky to follow, but here are my opinions on them. In the first section there was a lot of music and dancing, difficult to describe in words, but I rather think that there isn't much in creating dance moves, but there is of course everything in mastering them. Next came what I think was the main feature, or at least the longest piece. I could just about work out that it was set in an aristocratic house, probably had something to do with inheritance, there were emotions running high and murder most foul. Without a doubt the highlight was a scene featuring a huge rat who did backflips and breakdancing! Had I lived before I witnessed that spectacle?

After a lengthy interval we were treated to a lighter, comic play. Rather reminded me of some Laurel & Hardy stories - one fellow sneaks off, leaving the other in his place to fool his wife, the wife finds out, disguises herself as the second fellow, and hilarity ensues. Finally, there was a piece I understood well, due to being told about it in the preparatory lecture last week. It involved a gang of crooks attempting to swindle the owner and staff of a clothing shop. Different to theatrical performances I'm used to, when the show finished everyone dispersed quickly and in an orderly, business-like fashion. No prolonged clapping and curtain raising here. Although, during the performance itself many people shouted out the actors' names. To my untrained ears this sounded like heckling, but in fact it's a form of applause and apparently highly appreciated.

However, the fun was not yet over. We had a bit more knowledge imparted on us by the same teacher who lectured us before, from the comfort of the expensive seats at the front. And, due to his being a renowned scholar, he was also able to gain access to The Underworld, or the area underneath the stage where the various mechanisms and effects were managed. That was a nice treat. To sum up, Kabuki: very long, difficult to understand without prior knowledge of the piece, but interesting and enjoyable to watch none the less. A once-in-a-lifetime experience? Who knows. I think I wouldn't rush to see another performance until I'm living the kind of life where I could afford better seats and a few nibbles during the intervals!

Inside the theatre

My Nemesis Has Left A Tell-Tale Clue!

Tuesday subjected me a rather long morning, and while planning what to do I think I over-estimated what I was capable of before lunch. After my lessons were over I made my way to the nearest post office, armed with new knowledge, but was once again unable to collect the money order from my parents. In my frustration I stomped to my local supermarket and grabbed everything in sight for lunch. Well, it wasn't quite that extreme (two reduced cream pan and a reduced jam pan when I'd usually just get the cream ones and five potato croquettes instead of three - shock horror), but as close to a comfort-eating binge as I come.

All this turned out for the best, though, as I discovered new onigiri flavours that I was not aware of before. Somehow I must have been looking at the upper shelf that had all the difficult to read strange ingredients, when on the shelf just below were lurking such wonders as tuna mayonnaise! I don't know why this made such an impact on me when my favourite filling so far has been salmon, I suppose it's just the surprise and delight of finding something I usually associate with sandwiches being inside rice and seaweed instead. After the initial sugar rush, sugar crash and second wind, I found some clarity and focus, sent off a number of e-mails and went for a jog.

Wednesday 13th October is "International Suit-Up Day", so I slapped on my suit and made my merry way to Uni, where at least one other person was joining in. So there you are, it truly is an international event. Morning lessons were short and rather enjoyable, though there's some tests coming up soon. The afternoon involved a field trip to see a Kabuki performance. I walked there, which was tiring considering the heat and that I was wearing a suit, but I made it with plenty of time to spare. I got the underground back afterwards, but to the second-closest station as I didn't have enough change, which is something I reckon one should do at least once in one's student days. I also got satisfaction out of somehow overtaking the people who got off one stop after me. The performance itself, though, really deserves an entry all to itself, so stay tuned for that!

Outside the theatre

I told ya 'bout the Fool on the Hill...

Monday was National Sports Day in Japan, so I took the day off and did lots of sporting activities. Not really, lol. It's one of those holidays that are observed but aren't accompanied by time off, and in fact I didn't see anyone being more sporty than usual. Perhaps there was an egg-and-spoon race somewhere that I was not aware of. In the first lesson of the day we watched quite a few videos, most notably an interview with Donald Keene (a well-known scholar) and the start of a film called "Ima Ai Ni Yuku," which was about a widower with some unspecified disease and his son waiting for the rainy season to start. Not a bad way to begin the week.

I find it quite impressive that my Tea Ceremony teachers always have different kimono on, though I suppose this is only because I come from a place where to own even one kimono-like garment is a rare luxury. This week's sweets were called 紅葉/momiji, and as the name implies they were shaped and coloured like autumn leaves. In fact, the shapes were very well-defined and reminded me of novelty-shaped moulds back home... wouldn't mind getting some when I get back and making some amusing cakes and jellies. In addition to the usual ceremony procedure, this week we learned a bit more about the host's duties as regards how to pour and mix tea for the guests.

After I was done with Classical Japanese (which was much the same as last week, but cleared up one or two things I'd always wondered about before) I found myself feeling disposed toward staying outside a little longer, but wasn't too up for walking around. The middle ground I settled on was to do some homework and whatnot on the roof, which was quite relaxing, until it got too dark for me to see what I was writing. Thus the sun sets on another day in my corner of this foreign field.

Japanese Snacks Vol. 6 - Super Mushrooms: Eating one of these will make you grow to twice your normal size until you take damage.

Namu Danne Butsu

A pleasant, mellow weekend has passed by, but more of that later. Friday's most prominent feature was, as usual, the Japanese Religions lecture. This week we covered a thing or two about Buddhism, first its origins and then its early form in Japan. I won't recount too much or this will turn into an essay, but I was particularly interested in how it was difficult to introduce it to Japan and the many changes it underwent in order to adapt. In the course of all this I heard the phrase "Yamato Tamashi," which you could translate as "Japanese Soul," but it reminded me of the English "Albion Heart," which is a phrase I think I'd like to use more often.

Unlike most weeks I had nothing in particular planned for Saturday, which turned out to be just as well, since if I had any plans they would likely have been cancelled due to rain. Now, I've never been one for deciding not to go out or not to do something just because it's raining, but it seems like there's no such thing as light rain in Japan. With the heavens bucketing out their contents I considered going outside ill-advised, and it felt so cosy to just sit in my room and listen to the sound of the rain. I did go out at some point to get some exercise and food, but for the most part it was a nice quiet day of study, reading and watching videos.

Sunday lived up to its name - not a trace was to be seen of the saturation unleashed the day before, so I decided to check out some of the temples and shrines that are very nearby to where I live (you can barely go ten minutes without stumbling on one in some places). I found myself drawn to a certain temple marked by - if I remember correctly - the tallest pagoda in Aichi prefecture. Using this as a central point of reference, I wandered around the temple grounds, which turned out to be much bigger than I had bargained for. There were a fair few shrines and Buddha / Bodhisattva statues about, more often than not at the top of a flight of stairs. There was also a graveyard that I found surprisingly difficult to navigate - perhaps there are charms on it to confuse the wicked?

The main aspect that impressed me about these temple grounds was the sense of quiet and relative isolation. I saw a building wherein monks were sitting and looking studious just like in olden times, and there was a deep foresty sort of area surrounding the place, barely five minutes away from a main road, but as peaceful as if it were right out in the country. Being able to stumble upon places like this even though I'm in a city is something I really like about Japan, or at least Nagoya.

An Entry on a Thursday? Sorcery!

I managed to identify another consistent point in the chaotic timetable: on Thursday morning we have a lesson that involves talking to Japanese students. I recall that back in London we only had to do that sort of thing once every half term, and I was usually really nervous about it. Not so over here. I suppose part of it is that speaking Japanese to Japanese people isn't as rare an occurrence anymore. Also, we don't spend the lesson just having a conversation - we actually do work more or less as normal, but check with the native speakers how we're doing. A very effective approach this week, in which we'd covered a lot of words written in katakana, the script used for foreign words. You may not think this would be too difficult, but since there are three main points that make them more complicated than it first appears:

1. Words taken from languages other than English, e.g. ホチキス/hochikisu - stapler, or アンケート/ankeito - questionnaire.
2. Words that have completely different meanings in Japanese, e.g. カンイング/kaningu, which comes from "cunning," but means when you cheat by copying someone else's answers.
3. Words that don't translate well into English, e.g. カイロ/kairo, which are those hot-pack things you put inside your gloves when it's really cold, or スキンシップ/sukinshippu, which sort of indicates a certain level of affection and intimacy. I suppose the last bit comes from "kinship" or "friendship", then the first bit might be from "skin" because of touching, or from the Japanese word 好き/suki, meaning to like or love. Or it could be from a completely different foreign word.

So, I learned a lot and it was quite fun talking about the difference between English and "American English". After class I went to the CJS (Centre for Japanese Studies, i.e. the department of the Uni I belong to) office to ask a few questions. I'd been putting this off for some time, so it felt good to finally just dive in and say "Help!" I asked which details one needs in order to transfer funds to a Japanese bank account, and about how to collect an international money order. They told me everything I needed on the former, and we're still working on the latter together.

While languishing about the house in the afternoon I made another late but worthwhile discovery - how to get on to the roof! That is to say, there's an area of roof on the first floor (don't know if there's another on the second) used for drying laundry and suchlike. It's a nice place to chill out in the sunshine if one is feeling a bit cooped up in one's room. It also functions as a smoking area, which finally explains why I sometimes smell cigarette smoke when I open my window. All in all, today has been both eventful and relaxed, a rare combination but it worked out to pleasant effect.

Da roof

Sub-Par Bonds

Recently I've been getting mild headaches in the afternoon, probably as a result of the hot weather. To combat this I am obviously making a special effort to stay hydrated, but I also find listening to "Ride of the Valkyries" surprisingly calming. A housemate received a large box of tea from her family on Tuesday, and she very generously donated a few bags to me. I must say a cup of tea does wonders for bucking up one's mood, although the Korean variety has a vaguely spicy aroma to it. Makes for an interesting taste, at least. I also discovered a cheap supermarket really very close to where I live... a bit late after a month's worth of getting lost on the way to Aratamabashi, but better late than never.

Next week I shall be going to the theatre to see a kabuki performance, but this week I attended a lecture to get some background knowledge. The lecturer was an interesting fellow - he right away admitted that he was usually "a man of few words" and that he found English difficult, so I quite appreciated the effort he made. His English wasn't bad and he engaged and amused his audience quite well. I know a fair bit about the history of kabuki already, but the lecture filled in some specifics here and there (next time you see me ask me to do the Kabuki "me" gesture), and I became acquainted with the plot of the play we're to see, which is handy as it's unlikely I'll completely understand the dialogue.

In other news, because of new taxation or something along those lines, the price of tobacco in Japan is due to rise fairly soon. Typically a packet o' fags costs 300 yen, but after the change it'll be 410. Not being a smoker I don't particularly care about this, but I can imagine that the new price may make buying cigarettes from vending machines a bit more fiddly. Have I mentioned cigarette vending machines before? They're nothing too remarkable, but it is odd to see cigarette advertising again after so long - I saw one poster of a well-muscled man with a cigarette in his mouth lifting weights! In English advertising exercise and smoking are the two different extremes of health-influenced advertising, so for a moment I found myself unable to comprehend what I was seeing.

A picture from my kitchen. Four kinds of bins (they stack) and rice cookers, at least one of which seems to be full anytime I check.

Happy Kanebulles Dag!

Or Cinnamon Roll day, in Sweden. In Japan, meanwhile, a new week dawns, full of hope. I may have mentioned before that the timetable for my Japanese lessons is less structured than it is at SOAS, but it seems that one can at least rely on the first lessons on a Monday being full to the brim with listening exercises. This is not a bad way to spend the time, videos from news sites are often used to spice things up a little, and due to the arrangement of furniture in the room the teacher can have no idea what one is really using their computer for. The unexpected element came from the second bit of the lesson covering reading material, rather than vocabulary usage that has been the norm the last two weeks. Still, this did not require a radical shift in mindset.

Although I have an hour and forty minutes in between the end of Japanese and the start of Tea Ceremony, I do like to pretend that it's only a brief interval and thus requires me to be quick and decisive in my actions. Makes it a bit more exciting, though how one leisurely reads quickly and decisively is something of a tricky idea. Tea Ceremony this week was a bit different; we learned about arranging flowers for the tea room. This is called 茶花/chabana, which differs from normal flower arrangement (生け花/ikebana), though as I've not studied the latter I'm not sure exactly how... Chabana is apparently a lot more simple and involves putting only a few flowers together in a pot rather than getting lots and tying them up in knots.

As a result of the flower arrangement the ceremony proper was faster paced than usual, but we managed it alright. This week's sweets were called 菊/kiku, and looked a bit like those biscuits that are white and pink, with a sprinkly kind of texture on top (and whose name I obviously can't remember). I also learned about usage of Japanese pipes, though I did not inhale.

Nothing too special to speak of in Classical Japanese, though it's probably the lesson where I feel most able and most appreciated. Of course, the ability part is largely due to having learned it before, but seeing it taught in a different way (as I always mention) often allows me to remember things that were a great challenge before much more easily. I quite like the idea that if I learned C.J. well enough I could say that I speak three languages, two living, one dead.

The evening flowed by slow and mellow, but there was a house meeting in which various sundry matters were discussed... I think the most relevant one is that there's a party coming up on the 22nd. Priorities - we has them.

Japanese Snacks Vol. 5 - Potato Croquettes: Mashed potato and mixed vegetables, presumably fried in breadcrumbs. "More-ish" 

Where is my Groove?

Apologies for not writing in a while, dear readers, and I fear I have little of much interest to recount now, either. For most of the middle and end part of this week I've been feeling a little mixed-up. Study is going well and I'm settling into some kind of steady rhythm, but filling up the rest of my day and getting a balance between work and play is proving a little more tricky. I'm also feeling less inclined to wander and explore on weekends, but there are quite a few events coming up during the week in the coming month, so hopefully I should still be having some interesting experiences to write about.

On Thursday we had a lesson that involved speaking to some Japanese students, but it didn't seem as nerve-jarring as such things usually are. At some point we were talking about onomatopoeia, and how it's different in different countries (e.g. cats in England say "Meow," cats in Japan say "Nya"), for some time the classroom was full of varied animal noises. Wonder what anyone passing by would have thought? I was tempted to say "In my country, chickens go 'Bwark, buk, Baharratan!" Also, I went to the IT helpdesk as I had been unable to log on to the online resources... it turned out all I needed to do was use a lower-case rather than capital letter in my username.

During the day I usually buy lunch from a supermarket down the road called "Valor." Up until recently I'd confined myself to the bakery, where all items are 98 yen (including tax), but now I've started getting things from the main part of the shop as well. They do some really delicious potato croquettes, and occasionally have tasty stuff reduced, so perhaps I'm eating a bit more varied than before. And, to my joy, they reduced the price of their cheapest bread to 78 yen, meaning I no longer have to try to walk to Aratamabashi every Sunday to save money. (Update: It turned out this was a special offer only on for one day)

Due to my Japanese Religions lecture being cancelled, the scheduled events of Friday ended far earlier than expected. I spent most of it reading - for the Modern Japanese Literature essay I mentioned before. It's quite fun re-acquainting myself with the writers of the late eighteenth and early twentieth centuries and recalling what sort of movements their work represented. I really have a craving to read Edogawa Ranpo's "The Red Chamber" and "The Traveller with the Pasted Rag Picture" again, though - neither of which are included in the two anthologies I currently have checked out.

Since Nagoya is a port city, I thought that while I'm here I should go and look out to sea at least once. It was a fair old trek there, but I managed it, despite a few wrong turnings. The port area looks quite pleasant; I may go back sometime and check out some of the touristy attractions. Today I was happy enough to just take in the scenery and stare at the water. I was treated to the somewhat bizarre sight of fish leaping in and out of the water at the quayside - I knew the oceans were being overfished, but if the fish are that enthusiastic... The sea air gave me a craving for fish and chips. Perhaps one day.