WHO KNEW....
.... that a Christmas tree in Japan costs 40,000 yen aka FOUR HUNDRED DOLLARS?
Needless to say, I am very, very pleased that we brought with us our $9.99 artificial tree that I've had since college!!!
And obviously, since this includes a picture of a live Christmas tree, this blog post has been in the Drafts folder for a verrrrrry long time!
.... all the things you could do with rice?
It became my substitute for grits (before my parents sent me real grits - yippeee!). Fried eggs and rice for breakfast anyone? We made rice pudding in our toaster oven. And we used leftover rice as a "crust" for a homemade quiche.
... that there is an ancient Japanese tradition of archery on horseback?
It's called Yabusame and we watched a demonstration in Tokyo several months ago. It involves galloping full-speed on horseback while trying to shoot at 3 consecutive targets over a 255 meter long track.
... that in the school calendar for Fall, there are 8 out of 10 weeks of school with at least one school holiday?
How is that possible???? Seriously, this list of DAYS OFF school gives you an idea of what I'm talking about: 9/15, 9/23, 10/1, 10/13, 10/20, 11/3, 11/17, 11/24. And this is just another example of how having 2 working parents in Japan has its added challenges.
... that the fear of influenza is incredibly strong here?
This past year, two of the second grade classes were closed for 3 days due to influenza, but thankfully not Ethan's class. Ryan's class, on the other hand, was closed for 3 days, then re-opened on a Friday. But when we came to pick up the kids on Friday afternoon, they said, "Still too many kids in the class with influenza (but presumably at home sick), so we're closed until Wednesday."
What the???? Clearly this gakkyuheisa thing (学級閉鎖 - there's actually a word for it - temporary closure of classes due to illness) doesn't work if they had to do it twice in a row. If someone can explain the medical logic of keeping healthy children at home, please enlighten me.
... that there are REFRIGERATED lockers in the major train stations? I've seem them in Kyoto and in Shibuya.
... that the vending machines (at least some of them) have motion sensor lights that only come on when you stand in front of them?
... that escalators also only start moving when someone steps on them? OK, maybe this is common in many other places, but this is the first place I've noticed it.
... that the stirrups/tables for a gyno exam are actually AUTOMATED and quite effective?
Perhaps TMI, but amusing and impressive nonetheless. Needless to say, I DID not take a picture, but basically, when the doctor presses a button, the padded leg rests spread apart, the seat part drops out and the seat raises to eye level of the doctor. Kinda like a dentist chair with many more moving parts...
.... that the dentist places a warm towel over your eyes while working on your teeth? It is surprisingly relaxing and prevents the weird situation of staring into the nostrils of your dentist.
.... that in some restaurants, when you close the bathroom door, the lights come on, the toilet seat raises automatically, and mood music starts to play? OK, that last part about the music is an exaggeration, but the rest is totally true.
... that even Hide-and-Seek in Japan is more polite than in the US?
In the US, kids count to some number and say "Ready or not, here I come." In Japan, they count and then say, "Are you ready? Should I count again?" And if anyone says they're not ready, they immediately start counting again.
.... that you can buy fruit-scented toilet paper in Japan? Peach and grape just to name a few. Maybe this is common in the US as well, and I've just never noticed it??
...that there is a stamped message stamped on the empty toilet roll that says "Maido arigatou gozaimasu" or "thank you for your continued patronage"? I was amused...
... that a Japanese fast food chain had to develop a polite way for women to eat hamburgers? Seriously, this is hilarious! Watch this!
.... that a Christmas tree in Japan costs 40,000 yen aka FOUR HUNDRED DOLLARS?
Needless to say, I am very, very pleased that we brought with us our $9.99 artificial tree that I've had since college!!!
And obviously, since this includes a picture of a live Christmas tree, this blog post has been in the Drafts folder for a verrrrrry long time!
... that KFC is the Japanese Christmas dinner of choice?
Here's a story to prove it - a colleague of Kevin's who used to live in Japan and is married to a Japanese woman asked Kevin about our plans for Thanksgiving, to which Kevin replied that a turkey wasn't going to happen and so we'd probably "splurge" on Kentucky Fried Chicken.
His colleague's response: What? You can't do that - KFC is for Christmas!
.... all the things you could do with rice?
It became my substitute for grits (before my parents sent me real grits - yippeee!). Fried eggs and rice for breakfast anyone? We made rice pudding in our toaster oven. And we used leftover rice as a "crust" for a homemade quiche.
... that there is an ancient Japanese tradition of archery on horseback?
It's called Yabusame and we watched a demonstration in Tokyo several months ago. It involves galloping full-speed on horseback while trying to shoot at 3 consecutive targets over a 255 meter long track.
... that in the school calendar for Fall, there are 8 out of 10 weeks of school with at least one school holiday?
How is that possible???? Seriously, this list of DAYS OFF school gives you an idea of what I'm talking about: 9/15, 9/23, 10/1, 10/13, 10/20, 11/3, 11/17, 11/24. And this is just another example of how having 2 working parents in Japan has its added challenges.
... that the fear of influenza is incredibly strong here?
This past year, two of the second grade classes were closed for 3 days due to influenza, but thankfully not Ethan's class. Ryan's class, on the other hand, was closed for 3 days, then re-opened on a Friday. But when we came to pick up the kids on Friday afternoon, they said, "Still too many kids in the class with influenza (but presumably at home sick), so we're closed until Wednesday."
What the???? Clearly this gakkyuheisa thing (学級閉鎖 - there's actually a word for it - temporary closure of classes due to illness) doesn't work if they had to do it twice in a row. If someone can explain the medical logic of keeping healthy children at home, please enlighten me.
... that there are REFRIGERATED lockers in the major train stations? I've seem them in Kyoto and in Shibuya.
... that the vending machines (at least some of them) have motion sensor lights that only come on when you stand in front of them?
... that escalators also only start moving when someone steps on them? OK, maybe this is common in many other places, but this is the first place I've noticed it.
... that the stirrups/tables for a gyno exam are actually AUTOMATED and quite effective?
Perhaps TMI, but amusing and impressive nonetheless. Needless to say, I DID not take a picture, but basically, when the doctor presses a button, the padded leg rests spread apart, the seat part drops out and the seat raises to eye level of the doctor. Kinda like a dentist chair with many more moving parts...
.... that the dentist places a warm towel over your eyes while working on your teeth? It is surprisingly relaxing and prevents the weird situation of staring into the nostrils of your dentist.
.... that in some restaurants, when you close the bathroom door, the lights come on, the toilet seat raises automatically, and mood music starts to play? OK, that last part about the music is an exaggeration, but the rest is totally true.
... that even Hide-and-Seek in Japan is more polite than in the US?
In the US, kids count to some number and say "Ready or not, here I come." In Japan, they count and then say, "Are you ready? Should I count again?" And if anyone says they're not ready, they immediately start counting again.
.... that you can buy fruit-scented toilet paper in Japan? Peach and grape just to name a few. Maybe this is common in the US as well, and I've just never noticed it??
...that there is a stamped message stamped on the empty toilet roll that says "Maido arigatou gozaimasu" or "thank you for your continued patronage"? I was amused...
... that a Japanese fast food chain had to develop a polite way for women to eat hamburgers? Seriously, this is hilarious! Watch this!
.... that Japanese kids' play is so incredibly physical, almost to the point of violence?
It seems like such a peaceful culture, until you glimpse inside a classroom and see kids literally wrestling each other on the floor, hitting each other with umbrellas, and kicking and hitting. Apparently "keep your hands to yourself" is not a value taught in Japanese homes or nursery schools or youchiens or elementary schools. Yet, somehow, it's the US that has so many huge problems with violence, while Japan has relatively few (at least, openly).
It seems like such a peaceful culture, until you glimpse inside a classroom and see kids literally wrestling each other on the floor, hitting each other with umbrellas, and kicking and hitting. Apparently "keep your hands to yourself" is not a value taught in Japanese homes or nursery schools or youchiens or elementary schools. Yet, somehow, it's the US that has so many huge problems with violence, while Japan has relatively few (at least, openly).
After many, many, many discussions with Ethan's teacher, other teacher friends, as well as meeting with the Principal of a different school and the Principal of Ethan's school (to ask about the discipline process and policy in local Japanese schools - the answer: there is NO discipline process or policy, they just say "gomen ne" (sorry), we have come to the conclusion that this is a cultural difference. If Ethan was not happy at school, we would pull him out immediately, but the odd, yet also very good, thing is that he loves his school and is happy to go everyday - he just doesn't like it when kids hit and kick and all they have to do is say "I'm sorry" until they do it again. And to be clear, I have been to the school many times to observe, and EVERY time I have been there, I have seen major, physical altercations in Ethan's class (including kids kicking the teacher), none of which involved Ethan. So it's not about him - it just seems to be how these kids operate. We truly don't understand it and are a bit baffled by this cultural difference.
Important Update: This blog post has been in the drafts folder for quite some time (as in more than 6 months I think) and the situation has gotten much, much better for Ethan in 3rd grade. He has different kids in his class, a young, male teacher, and everyone was on high alert that we were concerned about this issue of hitting and kicking with no consequences. So, somehow, someway, the stars have realigned and Ethan seems to have cut a break (though now the boys seem to enjoy teasing Ethan about liking a girl - and we've had to explain that we can't really help him with that as that's just part of being a kid and figuring out how to handle it. It's only made more amusing by the fact that Ethan's eyes twinkle and cheeks blush every time her name is mentioned).
And during the very first class / parent meeting for Ryan's first grade class, I laid it on the line and explained that, though we understand that it is simply a cultural difference, we had experienced this problem with Ethan and were really hoping to avoid it with Ryan. And I am incredibly happy to report that so far, it has been much, much better for Ryan.
Important Update: This blog post has been in the drafts folder for quite some time (as in more than 6 months I think) and the situation has gotten much, much better for Ethan in 3rd grade. He has different kids in his class, a young, male teacher, and everyone was on high alert that we were concerned about this issue of hitting and kicking with no consequences. So, somehow, someway, the stars have realigned and Ethan seems to have cut a break (though now the boys seem to enjoy teasing Ethan about liking a girl - and we've had to explain that we can't really help him with that as that's just part of being a kid and figuring out how to handle it. It's only made more amusing by the fact that Ethan's eyes twinkle and cheeks blush every time her name is mentioned).
And during the very first class / parent meeting for Ryan's first grade class, I laid it on the line and explained that, though we understand that it is simply a cultural difference, we had experienced this problem with Ethan and were really hoping to avoid it with Ryan. And I am incredibly happy to report that so far, it has been much, much better for Ryan.
Wow! How entertaining! And introducing us to the variety of off-the-wall articles in Time online was a plus. Keep it coming--
ReplyDelete