The culture of "omiyage"

     There's something in Japanese culture that is similar to that of the Filipinos...the omiyage. In my country, we call it "pasalubong.
     Although it is not demanded, it is kind of expected of a person who just came from a vacation, visit, or trip to another place to bring home an omiyage that is specific to that place. Buying an omiyage for officemates, friends and neighbors seem to be a avery serious matter that anywhere you go in this country, there are plenty of shops where you can buy all sorts of omiyage. These can be anywhere in the city, in train/bus stations, suprmarkets, malls, everywhere. The best omiyage would be anything that can be eaten, and mostly they would come in beautifully designed box or packaging. The packaging is a big deal too, not only for omiyages but for a lot of things. This will probably be covered in another post though.
     What they usually do is to buy one box for the whole office. It doesn't matter how big or how many the omiyage is, the important thing is that everybody get to have even just one small piece. 
     From my experience (at my part-time job), now and again there would be something for everybody from a certain officemate who just came back from travel. It would either be a piece of biscuit, cracker, chocolate, nuts, pudding, bread, candy, etc. There was even one time that we had ice cream cookies. Small as they are, they would be greatly welcomed and appreciated, with gushes of "Oishi!" or "Subarashi!" or "Sugoi!" or some of the equivalents of "Oh, you didn't have to". The important thing was the thought was there.
     Apparently (from what I have heard and read so far, that is) going on a vacation or travel is considered a very big luxury for working people. When you go on vacation or trip (even if it's on official business, I think), your colleagues would have to work extra hard to cover for your absence in the office. As such, you are in a way indebted to them. Thus, bringing back an omiyage is an expression of your appreciation for their hard work (while you were gone) and thus bodes well for maintaining a harmonic relationship in the office. In addition, there are also set of appropriate phrases to say when giving/presenting them your omiyage. In essence, these are said to humble yourself towards others and thanking them for doing you a big favor.
     Omiyages are not only given when you come back from a trip. Before coming to Japan, I was advised to bring  goods that the Philippines is known for to be given to my sensei, labmates, and other people who will be helping me along the way during the first few days of my stay. Well, I got dried mangoes, the special coffee blend from the university, some key chains, and some stuff from Goldilocks. I just got this and that because I really didn't know what they would like. I figured if I get various stuff, I'd at least have plenty to choose from which would be more apporpriate to give to people. ;-)

Lift your hands...

     In Nihongo class, the teacher (sensei) asked us a question which required us to raise our hand if we understood the statement. He then proceeded to enlighten us on some of the different ways of raising one's hand and their meanings. According to him, this is from a certain elementary school.
     If one raises his/her arm in a fist it means he/she did not understand the lesson, question, statement or whatever it is that was asked. If the hand was in a V sign it means that the person understood it a little. and if the fingers were spread out it means "totally understood".
     Well, I'm not sure if the same thing goes for all schools. Verifications...anyone?

Toilet Humor ;-)

...not!
     Sorry but this is not of jokes about urinating, defecating or other necessary but kinda icky bodily functions. Back in my country, I used to travel a lot because of the nature of a certain project I got involved in. And because of that, I've seen some of the worst and some of the best comfort rooms. More often than not, it would be the former. I remember one time when I was still in college, there was this Australian guy who said "How could you call it a comfort room? Do you feel any comfort when using it?" Sadly, I had to agree. When I go on travel, I would ask our driver to stop in gasoline stations because they usually have cleaner and well maintained toilets, ergo there's a little comfort in using them.
     Here in Japan though, you wouldn't have such worry. So far, in the places I have been to (school, park, office, etc.), they all provide you the comfort you need and then some more...

Wanna make sure it's clean? A cleaning liquid
is provided if you want to wipe the seat before
doing your thing. Tissues abound too.

The seat can be made warm, esp. during the
cold seasons, with flushing water sound effect
while doing your thing, and some other buttons.
Flushing via hand sensor.

  

Does your little one wanna go to the loo too?

Need to change baby's diapers? 

Baby in tow? Let him have a seat while
relieving yourself. You can make
cutie faces at each other while you're at it. 

     Now, these are just some of the things you can see inside a ladies' comfort room. I'd like to see what's inside a men's room too but I'd probably get caught for bad behavior if I suddenly go in men's comfort rooms.

     By the way, there are basically two types of toilets, the Western which is the second picture and the Japanese style. I'll post a pic of it in another post soon.

Porn Unlimited!!!!

     I was in a combini (short for convenience store) waiting for some friends. I was a bit early so I decided to check the stuff in the store to while away the time. I was browsing at the magazine racks for something to read as I was talking to my sister on the phone. FYI it is okay to browse through and read the magazines in the store as long as you like. You can stay there for the whole day reading if you so wish it. And the staff won't admonish you for staying too long.
     To continue, so as I was browsing through the magazine titles, my sister asked me what I was doing and so I told her, I'm looking for something to read. she told me to be careful not to pick up the porn magazines. I went like "What?! there are porn magazines in the combini?" right after I said that, I came to the end of the magazine racks and lo and behold! Right before my eyes are the magazines in discussion. I immediately averted my eyes and faced the opposite rack which displayed some beauty products.
     As i turned my back, this other guy went to that spot, took out a magazine and started browsing. Ooooppssss! I wen to the other end where they have the bentos (packed food) and bread.
     Although I knew it's probably ok to check those kinds of magazines but I'm a girl and I think most of those who'd check out that corner would be guys.
      Anyway, before I went out of the combini, I discreetly took this one picture, to remind me of this encounter. Right after this, whenever I would enter other combinis, I would try to discreetly sneak a peek whether they have these too. Hehe.

Nattou Love Nattou Hate

     Nattou is one of the traditional foods in Japan. I got to hear of it from my sister when they served it to her in the hospital after giving birth to her daughter. The doctors in the hospital said it's really good for the health. And she urged me to try it.

     Well, I was game for anything, especially when it comes to food. Before I tried it though, I had to do a little research about it. 

My first encounter with nattou. I boiled
some spinach and mixed it in with the
mustard sauce. And that's it. No rice.

     There's much about the country's history that is rooted in nattou's existence but I won't bore you with the details because you can always Google it or something. However, there doesn't seem to be a unanimous liking for nattou in the whole of Japan. Some love it, some hate it. Well it must have something to do with its smell, flavor and texture. Nattou by the way is fermented soybeans. It is kind of sticky, slippery and has a little musty smell. It can be eaten with rice as it is, but usually the prepacked nattous have some kind of sauce that goes with it (usually mustard). Sometimes though they add some other boiled or fried vegetables, eggs or meat. 

     The amazing thing about it is what it can do for your body. 

     "Natto is also celebrated for its high amounts of vitamin K, which makes it an outlaw food for those taking warfarin(brand name Coumadin®). It also is high in a number of anti-oxidants, particularly selenium. Natto also contains a protein called nattokinase, which may be a natural blood thinner. Since natto allows the soybeans to ferment and grow bacteria, it is also a probiotic food." (www.wisegeek.com)

     "The key element in natto is the fermentation of the soybeans, which make them easier to digest while increasing your body’s ability to absorb nutrients." (www.bodyecology.com)

     From the testimonies of friends and acquaintances who tried to regularly eat nattou, some of them lost weight, blood sugar levels decreased, they seemed to have more energy, symptoms of heart problems have significantly lessened, etc. So I guess, there's really something in it. Wanna try some?

     *I am still on the process of knowing how many flavors/kinds of prepacked nattous are there. Here's a good site where you can read more about nattou: http://www.soyinfocenter.com/HSS/natto3.php

     

     

     

     

Some more "garbage" talk

     Disposing your garbage is a serious matter in this country. Each prefecture have their own guidelines on how to dispose of your garbage. Pretty much though it entails segregating. For some, it may be really bothersome, but there's no other way around it. One must conform. In the Kaikan's (it's how we call the international house) you will find four garbage bins and two trays (one small and one big). One bin is for cans. You have to wash the can before putting it in the bin. Another is for plastic bottles or pet bottles as they call it. Before putting it in the bin you have to empty and clean the bottle, strip the label and remove the cap, which goes into the small tray. Another bin is for the glass bottles, or anything made of glass, I think. As for the bigger tray, that is where the milk and juice cartons go. Before putting it in the tray though you have to wash it and cut it. Scissors are there for this purpose. The fourth bin is where everything else, aside from the above mentioned, go. Everything else which are referred to as burnables would be food scraps, veggie and fruit peelings, tissue paper, plastic wrappers, etc. Plastic containers for soy sauce, fish sauce, catsup and other plastics not considered as pet bottles go into the same bin too.
     Batteries for flashlights, watches, cellphones, laptops, etc. go into a separate bin located at the lobby. And boxes, magazines, newspapers and other types of papers go into a separate area outside of the Kaikan.
     Yep, a little bothersome. But good. I've heard though that they are more strict in other areas. What's more interesting though is what these materials become after they are "processed" (i.e. recycled). But that will be in another post. ;-)

Properly labeled bins in the Kaikan's kitchen.

Garbage, anyone?

     This is what a dumpsite in Japan looks like. Hehe. Naahhh. This is at the back of a water purifying company near the university. It's actually forbidden to throw these kinds of garbage anywhere. But this area is so dark at night that people can sneak in to leave their garbage. I guess they didn't want to pay the fee for disposing such. Stuff that you see in the picture are considered "sodaigomi" or big garbage. Examples of big garbage are bikes, electric appliances, chairs, tables, shelves, carpet, sofa, etc.  Disposing such entails a certain fee depending on the type. I think the minimum fee is like ¥400. First though, you need to call in the garbage collection center, tell them that you need to dispose such and such thing and you set a time and date when they're supposed to pick it up. Then you have to go buy the "seal"to be pasted on what you wanted to be thrown away and then just put them out where the collector would be able to see them. If they see the "seal" on it, they will collect your garbage.
     From the Gifu City guide the following are the "recycling fee" for electric appliances:

• TV = ¥1,785 ~ 3,795
• Refrigerator = ¥3,780 ~ 5,869
• Washing Machine/Dryer = ¥2,520 ~ 3,444
• Aircon = ¥2,625 ~ 3,664

     There are some treasures amongst the pile sometimes. Up to you if you want to get it. I guess you'll just have to be discreet about it. ;-)

Cosplay

     Cosplay is when people here get to dress up in their favorite anime costume. In August 1, 2010, the World Cosplay Summit was held at the Galaxy Platform in Nagoya. Girls and boys, young and old, gamely posed for people taking pictures. I and my Thai friends feasted our eyes on the various colors and characters. I kinda felt weird looking at guys wearing girl costumes though so I didn't take pictures of them. Tough luck for me that I didn't check my camera's battery beforehand, so I was only able to take a few pictures.

What did I just say?

     Until now, my Nihongo is not still good. Well, it's better than before, of course. Sometimes, I try to anticipate what is going to be asked in class or when I needed to talk to somebody about something. And I would look up for the words or sentences in advance. I would make them in my mind and try to search in my dictionary if it was right, especially when it comes to numbers, months and dates. Sometimes, it did me good. Sometimes...weeeellllll.
     Just this morning, our sensei asked who among us is already married. There were only two of us. Next thing he asked was "Musuko san ga imasu ka?" (Do you have a son?) I said yes. I anticipated that the next question would be "How old is he?" and so I already formed the answer in my mind. But then the sensei asked "Nan nin imasu ka?" (How many sons do you have?). I answered "Kyuu nin desu."Right after saying it, I realized what my answer meant. I just said "I have 9 sons"! What I had in mind was "Kyuu sai desu" meaning "He is 9 years old." But I ended up saying "I have 9." Everybody went "Whaaaat?" Tee-heee

What am I doing here?

This is how intensive it was ;-)

     Learning nihongo can be frustrating. But it can be fun as well. During my first semester, I had to go to A Class Intensive. A Class is where you learn the basics. Classes are either intensive or standard. Intensive means more lessons, more periods and of course more assignments, quizzes, exams, and then with even more sensei (teachers).
     In A Class Intensive there were 8 people - 1 Filipino (that would be me of course), 2 Australians (Holly and Steven), 1 Bangladeshi (Nojeebu), 1 Chinese (Nishika), 1 Korean (Kim), 2 Thai (Friend and Napa). And only me and Napa did not have any background in Nihongo. And so when I heard them being able to talk to the sensei in Nihongo, I was like "How come these guys are in this class?". And then for just one day, we had to learn the hiragana and katakana. So if you didn't do any advance reading you'd be really left behind.
     And when they said Intensive, It was really intensive. Vocabulary and grammar quizzes almost everyday. Assignments almost every night. In four months, we had to finish two books. And in total we had 8 long exams. I think I earned a lot of wrinkles during the first few months. The senseis were always talking in Nihongo. Although we were given a translated version of the book, the teacher's explanations and examples were all in nihongo(of course).  Well they would insert an English phrase or a word sometimes, but pretty much they would teach in Nihongo. Thinking about it right now, it was good. Because they were teaching us to get used to hearing it.

A Class with Yoshinari Sensei. A++
 

     The teachers were patient though. And they never fail to give you praises now and then. They may praise you for writing the characters prettily, for being able to remember a difficult word, for having pretty clothes, for saying that you're experience was really unique, that you are good in this or that. I was told not to take in the praises too seriously, because it's their way. But well, I'm just human. I basked in those moments. Whether they were meant or not, they did something for the morale.

Losing my English

     They said that when you are getting good at Nihongo, your English will suffer. Well, I am not yet good in Nihongo, as they would say "mada mada desu", but my English is already in danger. More often, I am finding myself groping for the right word and spelling. Just before this post, I had a problem with the word "teeter". I knew what it meant.But I knew that there are other words that sounded like it, and they just differ in the spelling. I wasn't sure which was right. I had to look it up on an online dictionary. I checked other versions of it and so here's what that checking-to-make-sure brought up (from www.thefreedictionary.com):


1. Titter - To laugh in a restrained, nervous way; giggle
2. Tether -  rope, chain, or similar restraint for holding an animal in place, allowing a short radius in which it can move about

3. Teether - An object or device, such as a teething ring, for a baby to bite on during teething

4. Tither - A tenth part of one's annual income contributed voluntarily or due as a tax, especially for the support of the clergy or church.

and finally...

5. Teeter - To walk or move unsteadily or unsurely

oh well, I might as well add this one (although I'm sure I wouldn't make a mistake on this one)

6. Theater - A building, room, or outdoor structure for the presentation of plays, films, or other dramatic performances.

To bike, or not to bike...?

     It wasn't actually a question. It's a must.
     Laugh if you must, but I only learned how to ride a bike a few weeks before coming to Japan.

Me and my "suki" bike at Burnham Park

     I've been told that knowing how to ride the bike would be a big advantage and bus fares are expensive. As soon as I got the final confirmation for my scholarship, I set a date with my husband at the Burnham Park. I warned him though that he should not raise his voice at me or show any kind of frustration if I won't be able to get it right right away. True to his word, he didn't. We may have looked really silly back then because I caught a lot of grins from riders who were able to zig and zag back and forth at the park. Some even said "Uy ang sweet naman!" as if we were lovers on a date! And then someone even said "Para namang sa Koreanovela." Some kids were even laughing as I fumbled and teetered. But I didn't care. I wanted to know how to ride a bike. After 30 minutes I found my balance and was able to ride through the track, with stops now and then because there were too many riders and I was afraid of colliding with anybody. It took another date to learn how to navigate curves. My son, even challenged me to a race, confidently knowing he would win based on how he saw me ride.

Me and the bike (folding) that Sensei lent me for a while.

     Still though, the first time I rode a bike in Japan, I was still not confident about my riding skills. I couldn't get through narrow roads. I would get nervous when I would meet another rider on the street. I couldn't get pass people walking. I would stop for a while, wait for them to keep walking and if I saw a break I would continue pedaling. I sometimes would also stop and seemingly checking on my bike, but the truth was I was waiting for a clear path. Once we had to go to a shop, and there was a long stretch of ditch on the side of the path. I had to walk with my bike because I was afraid I would fall to the ditch. Going up was the same, I'd get down and walk with my bike. If I heard that somebody was behind me, I would also slow down and let the rider pass through. I always prayed I wouldn't meet any rider on the road and I chose the less travelled path, literally.
     I went at it everyday though. Soon enough, I could squeeze in through crowds, I wasn't afraid of meeting other riders, I could go through narrow roads. I could go as fast as I want to. I became more confident on the bike. I am trying now to learn to drive with one hand while holding the phone or an umbrella with the other. The Japanese are good at it. so far though, I have only been able to drive with one hand with the other on my leg and only at a short distance. In time...

Japan, here I am!

     Coming to a totally foreign world was exciting, scary and sad. Exciting because I knew I'd be doing and seeing a lot of new things. Scary because, well, I wasn't so sure what to expect. Even if some people have told me this and that, still you just don't know what else can happen. And then of course there's the matter of a different language. When I came to Japan, I only knew the greetings like "Ohayou", "Konnichiwa", "Konbanwa". That was it. Although it was in my plan to experience Japan, I never got the time to study the language. Come to think of it, was it time or money? :-) So there. I was also sad because, I was leaving my family behind, and who knows when will I be able to go home? I rested on the thought that I will be able to let them come, I will for sure be going home once in a while, and then this move is for all of us.
     Off with the drama. So, it was Spring (April) when I came to Japan. Everything was so colorful and colder than Baguio City which was my residence for almost 10 years. When I got off the airplane, the nervousness started to settle in. Everybody was talking in an alien language. Good thing though that some of the signs in the airport had English translations, and we were greeted by airport staff who were smiling, kept talking and directing us with nods, bows and hand gestures. Even when I couldn't understand what they were saying, the gestures were enough. I was met by my tutor at the gate. He is Chinese and until now, he tries his best to talk to me in English. We had dinner with our sensei and two other students. And they too tried to make me feel welcomed. I found myself talking in English really slow, and at times in "barok".
The 

The Gifu U International House. My first room was on
the 4th floor, 3rd window from the left.

     The best part of the afternoon/night was finally getting to my room, which was more than I expected. Well, of course, compared to dormitories back in the Phils. it was way more than I thought it would be. I mean, it was furnished! My own bathroom; shelves for shoes, food, clothes and books; my own desk, chair plus a table lamp; an airconditioning unit that can be used for cold and hot weathers; and my own firm bed! Ate Grace, the only other Pinay in the university welcomed me in my room and and we chatted endlessly as if we were long time friends already. She stayed until I finished unpacking and was ready to sleep.
     The saddest part was, I missed home so much!!! I had my phone on roaming so I was able to text them that I arrived safely. Tired as I was from my trip, I wasn't able to get much sleep. Reasons, well, one  was because of the new environment, then it was because I have been used to sleeping in my hubby's arms, another was I terribly missed home and I can't help thinking about them, and then I think I cried now and then through the night.
 

This Blog...

     I haven't been really into blogging. Unlike my sister, who now has two blogs that she maintain regularly, well as much as she can, that is. But compared to me, that would be "regularly". One of her blogs is all about her adventures in cooking, which is rather a happy surprise for the family since she wasn't much of a cook back then. The other one details some of her experiences as an ALT in Japan.
     The blogs I made and updated (as much as I could) were related to work. One was because it was required for a project I was involved in. So it was kind of one of the requirements to be able to get my honorarium for each month. The other one was all about the activities in our department. I am a little disappointed with myself regarding this one though, because I really wasn't able to put much in it especially since there was so many things that were worth posting. The only excuse I can think of for this is because of the so many intervening activities (most of it were also work-related of course). It's what happens when you make yourself a little "in demand".
     It's funny though that I couldn't come up with a "decent" blog when I really love writing. But I am much more comfortable with a notebook and a pen which I always lug around. Sometimes, so long as I have a pen, I would write on any writable material I could find, when the mood strikes me. Writable materials included tissue paper, a chocolate wrapper, cigarette wrapper, any scratch paper, receipts, the white spaces in pamphlets or flyers, etc. And then later, I would paste them in my journal, making it a little bulky because of the various inserts. And in this age of high end technology and gadgets, I still find a lot of comfort in writing down on paper. But I'd like to see what and how much I can do if I put my thoughts online. Credits for this decision are in part due to my sister, who has always been excited about blogging.
     I just started a new chapter in my life. After all the frustrations of my previous job, I finally got a break. It's not a break that entails a lot of money. It is more of a break from a regular routine. Don't get me wrong though, I loved my job. I loved the people I met. I loved the experiences. I loved the lessons I learned. I just thought it was time for another direction. Added to this, it's been a dream or a plan, but was shelved for sometime due to some reasons which will be too long to elaborate here.
     And in this new chapter, I found a lot of interesting things, peoples and places. And since I am sure I won't be here forever, I'd better document them as much as I can. This  documentation is not just for me, I hope it will also help others know a little about this part of the world. Although I have read some stuff about Japan, it was still a surprise and wonder when I really got to see and experience it. I haven't been to all places in the country (I hope I could though before I return to my country), but with the little I have seen of it, there are already a lot of stories to tell. Some are amusing, some are sad, some are downright ridiculous, some are unbelievable, some are unexplainable. In one simple word "interesting" is how it is.
     With this, I hope you will find it as "ineteresting".