March 22

It wasn’t a very eventful day today. For the most part, I caught up on internet photo and blog entries. Oh, did you notice that half of the Tokyo entries are still not up?

Other than that, ryoushin’s other son and granddaughter came over. I was determined to be more involved this time, but their granddaughter didn’t like me at all (she wouldn’t look at me and got kind of bent out of shape), so I didn’t get much of a chance really. We had dinner together, but I wasn’t able to join the (sparse) conversation because I couldn’t follow. I did catch some Nagoyaben from their granddaughter though. If you say “nani” with stress on the ni, it’s Nagoyaben!

I have to say though, that okaasan made the salty bacon I had once with the students from the dorm as well as dango (some kind of flattened meatball) and they were delicious. After dinner, ryoushin went with their son and granddaughter to drive them home. When they returned, okaasan brought me tea to my room. I was touched, but when she gave me the option of drinking it there or in the living room with her and otousan, I wanted the more familial option.

Culture Notes Update:

Japanese people carry paper bags (the fancy type with thin handles that you get from more expensive shops) on a regular basis not because they do a lot of shopping and always come home with a purchase, but because it is convenient to use them as day-to-day bags. I think that a lot of the time, they use them to carry their lunches (especially at my university), books, etc. or consolidate their purchases when they do make them. (I’ve come to follow in suit). It’s also convenient if you carry your lunch in them because you can throw the bag away (in the designated bin) when you are done. I think it’s also partially because they look more classy than grocery store plastic bags, and the Japanese are all about looking classy.

There is a big market catering to those who have forgotten their umbrellas. At konbinis, supa-’s, and depaato, (convenience shops, supermarkets, and department stores) you can find 500en, clear-plastic umbrellas with white handles. They are all the same, and they are very prevalent. The also tend to mold (as I have seen often) and become brownish near the end opposite of the handle.

Recently, we had to bring two interesting things to class for conversation with Japanese students. Our professor gave the best bizarre finds. First was what looked like a flattened plastic spoon with a slit in the middle. Apparently, its use was to squeeze the last of a liquid from a tear-and-pour bag. The bag goes in the slit, and you slide the plastic “spoon” down the length of the bag. Her second example was a case made to hold one banana.

Okaasan says that even Japanese people don’t like macha (green tea), probably because it is bitter. (I prefer the taste and let her know)

P.S. I just had a real Japanese thought. I was trying to think of what to entitle part of my expense report and I was thinking of Japanese words instead of English ones without noticing it. :D (9:55pm)