Cursed
As many of you may or may not know, New Year’s is a big deal in Japan. It’s basically the largest holiday of the year, spanning three days of family-visiting food-eating money-getting shrine-visiting fun. Originally aligned with the Korean and Chinese lunar year, it was changed to the western date of January 1st a few years after the Meiji Restoration. Virtually the whole country shuts down to read New Year’s cards (literally tens of millions delivered on that day by the post office and thousands of temporary staff – high school students and the like – hired to help them guarantee they can make all deliveries that day) and eats this incredibly sweet soup that I hate.
Evidently, it’s a good time.
On the Rumors of My Death
This place has been pretty slow over the past couple months, but not without good reason. I have just returned from four months in the US, during which I had to undergo surgery and recover. I’m back, healthy, and ready to write inanities that will probably only matter to me in a few years’ time.
In summary, know that I’m not dead. Those rumors have been greatly exaggerated.
A moment from the previous night’s affair.
They didn’t laugh.
Given how successful that joke had been up until now, I was a bit surprised at what appeared to be his honest ignorance. After a short pause and my stupid “Tada!” smile, the fifth-grader just kept on his line of questions, turning to his friend for confirmation that he was covering all the bases. His friend’s approving nod told me that they were apparently on the same page of a book I’d never read before. With my coworkers snickering behind me, I decided the charade had already lived a few seconds past its due, whisking away my cloak of deception. The unveiling was met with the same innocence, getting but a few words and another nod of agreement before one of the practice balls came sailing our way to sidetrack our conversation. It wasn’t until they left almost an hour later that I was able to really hear what he had said.
“Huh … I thought you seemed more like a Social Studies teacher.”
Differing Ecologies
I was invited by a second grader holding a gun pointed at me.
In many circles, this sort of action would hardly constitute an “invitation,” resting somewhere between “demand” and “threat.” While the little golden cap gun was fake, the emotional bullets behind it were all too real. This hadn’t been the first time I heard about my elementary school’s festival, but it was the first time anyone thought to invite me. I figured most of my coworkers (rightly) assumed that I had work at a different school that day, so they didn’t bother to inquire about my attendance. But now, standing in my apartment’s parking lot with a teapot in one hand (used in the morning to melt off the ice), my mail in the other, and a fake gun pointed at my chest, it seemed like attending might actually be possible. He cocked his head to the side, silently pressing my response.
“I’ll try.”
Adultescence
I could have sworn it was staring back at me, if it weren’t for the fact that it no longer had any eyes.
At least I didn’t think it had any eyes.
One somewhat chilly Saturday morning, I found myself locked in a staring contest with a dead cephalopod who had taken residence in a bowl in my sink. I had just finished preparing some apple stuffing for that evening’s Thanksgiving party in Amakusa, and the time for lunch was soon approaching. All that was standing between me and my lunch was a few uncut onions, a few cloves of garlic, and a squid. In all fairness, I had forced it to be there. I’m sure there were a number of other households that would have taken better care of it. It wasn’t exactly kicking and screaming as I plopped it in my refrigerator, but, had it been able to, I’m sure it would have.
Still, I had received it as a present from one of my schools late into the overtime shift that Friday, and, I figured it was time to push my personal boundaries out another couple of millimeters. One of the teachers gutted one in the breakroom sink to demonstrate at the end of that day, but I was suddenly unsure about whether or not I had really absorbed enough in that two-minute prep course. Not that that mattered anymore. Grabbing my only knife in one hand and the squid in the other, I gave it one last stare before beginning my brutish autopsy.
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On 「肥後のいっちょ残し」
Nomunication.
This is a word that always ekes its way into English conversations in Japan when the topic of discussion is drinking and the workplace. A cross-language portmanteau between the Japanese word ‘飲む’ (nomu, ‘to drink’) and the English word ‘communication,’ it describes the tendency of workplace socialization and alcohol going hand in hand. This, of course, is no secret. Often, with workplace etiquette expectations, while the break room can provide a place for polite conversation, often times during business hours such conversation is discouraged. Working after-hours tends to offer several opportunities for unrelated discussion, but it takes a 飲み会 (nomikai, ‘drinking party’ or ‘get-together’) to really get conversation flowing.
So, needless to say, I’ve been trying my hardest to nomunicate with my coworkers.
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Now Presenting – Flickr!
A sudden drizzle in Fukuoka City.
Well, this weekend has now officially passed, and with it the Physics GRE as well. I feel pretty good about how it went (especially considering how my practice tests were going two months ago). We’ll have to wait and see about what the scores say, but, for now, I’m much happier with the test than I thought I’d be. With that, I’ve been starting to make a concerted effort to begin keeping in contact again!
While I don’t quite have a large blog post finished yet, I thought I would use this time to note that I’ve decided to start a Flickr account. It’s a lot easier for keeping my photos organized online, and it will ultimately be a better means of viewing the photos than creating long blog posts here. I still may do a photo journal every now and then, but I will keep most of my photos on Flickr from now on. Feel free to check the little box on the right if and when you stop by to see if I’ve put up any more photos. And, as always, your feedback on my photography is appreciated!
Hopefully this whole Flickr thing works out. Stay tuned for more updates as I continue my efforts to rejoin the real world.
