Japan has the highest suicide rate of any country not formally part of the Soviet Union. 24 out of every 100,000 people kill themselves (.024% of the population). That's more than half the suicide rate in America and that's alot of people. It seems like a lot more people when so many of them do it by jumping in front of a train. Suicide is tragic and all, but....
For 3 days straight I've been late getting to work because of 'Human Accidents' on the Tobu Tojo Line. 3 days in a row! That is absurd. Now, I don't condone suicide by any means. I think it's cruel and unfair to put the people who care about you through that just because you are unreasonably impatient. You're going to die eventually anyway and as long as you're alive you can do SOMETHING (Anything!). But I also beleive people should have control over their own lives so if you are going to do it GET CREATIVE. Jumping in front of a train is pathetic. Everyone does it. It has no meaning and its not even tragic; its just messy and annoying to the thousands of soul-less salarymen waiting to get to work. If your life is so bad you don't want to live it, at least go out in a spectacular way. At least don't make your last action on earth so utterly boring. This is the country where Seppuku (Harakiri) used to be honorable! So why aren't more Japanese doing it?! I blame westernization.
What happened to the good old days when saying sorry was about slicing open your stomach and letting your guts spill all over the floor? When you had nothing left to do, you did just that! And you know, if you could arrange it, someone would cut off your head so it didn't take hours to die. With McDonaldization comes castration?
I turn you all now to my favorite suicide; that of Yukio Mishima. Let's look back and embrace it; because all good suicides should involve an attempt at government overthrow.
(Link will be poster later today. Cheers!)
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
Japanese Only Part 1 - Words your missing out on
Anyone who has never gotten too deep into a foreign language probably can't imagine how many concepts that you think can't be put into words actually can. The words we grow up with kind of keep us thinking about certain things. For example, there are more ways to express uncertainty in Japanese and so its much easier to be vauge. You can essentially speak for 10 minutes without saying anything concrete; sprinkling everything with "I wonder"'s and "maybe"'s and "probably"'s without sounding ridiculous. Remember how confusing it was in middle school when someone said they liked you? Do you like me or do you like me like me? Japanese has 2 words for love but both are extremely dramatic so to say 'I love you' most Japanese will say 'I like you'. These are small things. The entire grammatical structure of Japanese is based upon 2 or 3 levels of politeness, not to mention ways to conjugate verbs to say things we don't say in English. These differences are endless. After studying Japanese for a while, you start to forget which of these concepts are missing from your own language and sometimes you alienate the person you are talking to. I'm going to try to avoid doing that and also avoid silly explanations EVERYWHERE by just making a simple glossary. In case you are interested I will give a more in-depth explanation of some of the more iteresting topics here. (These concepts usually aren't unique to Japan but are either more common or just easier to express in Japanese)
OK. So. Japanese words you cant translate to English. Part 1
Izakaya- A Japanese style bar. There are many kinds but the main difference from western bars is that food is usually as important as drinks. There are often small dishes you can compare to tapas, ranging from french fries to monkfish liver (mmm) depending on the izakaya. There are many local ones that are full of men over 50 and many in the city are full of young people doing all-you-can-drink for an hour or two.
Enka-often called 'the blues of japan' but socially more similar to country music. Old people like it, kids don't and think its cheesy as hell. A combination of western jazz and big band music with traditional Japanese singing style. Ballads; usually sad. You hear it at least every other day in Japan.
Hikkikomori- a person who refuses to leave their room and/or see anyone. Usually they live with their parents who are too afraid of driving them to suicide to force them out of their room.
Ryokan- A traditional Japanese Inn]
Manga Kissa - Internet cafes/Japanese comic book (manga) library. If you want to have culture shock, this is your best chance. Imagine an internet cafe. Now imagine each computer has its own private booth where no one can see you. Imagine room service to the booths, overnight packages for about $12 and no limit to how long you can stay. Many runaway kids stay here. Really useful if you missed the last train and want to sleep a few hours before the first one comes.
Ofuro - A japanese bath. VERY DIFFERENT. You enter this AFTER a shower. NO SOAP. NO SHAMPOO. And usually they have devices that keep them warm.
Onsen- Hot Springs. I guess I could just say hot springs but I don't want to.
Expressions- (for all those interested. most of these words can be translated but they sound much more akward in english)
Shou ga nai/shikata ga nai - Litterally it means 'it can't be helped' but its used way more frequently.
Ganbatte - means 'do your best' but half of the time I like to translate it as 'deal with it'. You will hear this EVERYWHERE in Japan.
KY- Very common slang word that could be translated as oblivious but its alot broader than that. It stands for Kuuki wo Yomenai, or Can't read the air. I often use it to mean clueless about a certain topic, rather than clueless at an instant or clueless in general.
Gaijin - Means foreigner. Its not politically correct because it kind of just means outsider but everyone still uses it. Most foreigners in Japan either begin to detest the word or grow attached to it because it makes them unique.
Ill add to the list as they come up.
OK. So. Japanese words you cant translate to English. Part 1
Izakaya- A Japanese style bar. There are many kinds but the main difference from western bars is that food is usually as important as drinks. There are often small dishes you can compare to tapas, ranging from french fries to monkfish liver (mmm) depending on the izakaya. There are many local ones that are full of men over 50 and many in the city are full of young people doing all-you-can-drink for an hour or two.
Enka-often called 'the blues of japan' but socially more similar to country music. Old people like it, kids don't and think its cheesy as hell. A combination of western jazz and big band music with traditional Japanese singing style. Ballads; usually sad. You hear it at least every other day in Japan.
Hikkikomori- a person who refuses to leave their room and/or see anyone. Usually they live with their parents who are too afraid of driving them to suicide to force them out of their room.
Ryokan- A traditional Japanese Inn]
Manga Kissa - Internet cafes/Japanese comic book (manga) library. If you want to have culture shock, this is your best chance. Imagine an internet cafe. Now imagine each computer has its own private booth where no one can see you. Imagine room service to the booths, overnight packages for about $12 and no limit to how long you can stay. Many runaway kids stay here. Really useful if you missed the last train and want to sleep a few hours before the first one comes.
Ofuro - A japanese bath. VERY DIFFERENT. You enter this AFTER a shower. NO SOAP. NO SHAMPOO. And usually they have devices that keep them warm.
Onsen- Hot Springs. I guess I could just say hot springs but I don't want to.
Expressions- (for all those interested. most of these words can be translated but they sound much more akward in english)
Shou ga nai/shikata ga nai - Litterally it means 'it can't be helped' but its used way more frequently.
Ganbatte - means 'do your best' but half of the time I like to translate it as 'deal with it'. You will hear this EVERYWHERE in Japan.
KY- Very common slang word that could be translated as oblivious but its alot broader than that. It stands for Kuuki wo Yomenai, or Can't read the air. I often use it to mean clueless about a certain topic, rather than clueless at an instant or clueless in general.
Gaijin - Means foreigner. Its not politically correct because it kind of just means outsider but everyone still uses it. Most foreigners in Japan either begin to detest the word or grow attached to it because it makes them unique.
Ill add to the list as they come up.
BEGIN
Well this is the 3rd blog I've started since I got back to Japan in August. I'll try to remember the password this time and I'll try to find the posts I posted already. This will be a combination of just what I'm doing every once in a while, essays about cultural aspects that aren't often talked about, opinions and whatever. I'll try to make an index of words that I use in Japanese (words that don't really have a good English translation)
The main purpose of this blog is to not forget English or important events and chronology.
Summary of the last few months
August - 15th- Came here with no paycheck coming my way until October 20th and enough to live for 1 month (08/15-10/20, do the math). Stayed in a Ryokan (traditional inn), a crappy hostel, my girlfriends aunts house and a hotel for a week. 2 days of orientation and being nervous. 1 week of studying and enjoying my favorite parts of Tokyo (Shimokitazawa, Yoyogi Kouen, Ikebukuro etc.)
September - 1st - Started work. Was told to make an introduction lesson about myself and hometown in 3 days. Given no information about the students level of English, the format of the worksheet, and what classes were like. When questioned, the teachers all said "Anything you make will be fine, I'm sure. You are a native English speaker"
I work for 2 schools. Monday and Friday I'm at School A
School A- I found out recently, is the LOWEST ranking school in Saitama. At first I thought the kids were just lazy but I'm starting to think a good portion of them are Autistic, Dyslexic, OCD, etc. and this is coming from someone who thinks some 60 or 70% of people with disorders are falsely diagnosed, but I really think a good half of the students could be fairly diagnosed with something other than ADD/ADHD. And I'm willing to bet less than 10% are. The teachers here are great. They all take their job pretty seriously despite complaining about wanting to go to a better school. They are friendly and treat me as an equal. Unlike a majority of Japanese people, most of them are willing to admit to themselves that a foreigner is capable of comprehending their language and so they don't usually force me to listen to they're terrible English. Actually some of their English isn't so terrible.
School B- This school ranks dead middle in Saitama. It is so mediocre I cannot even explain it. While in school A, I know 16 teachers names, I know about 5 teachers names at school B despite the fact that I'm there 3 days a week instead of 2. I spend most of my time in the English teacher faculty room where no one can judge me for going on the computer. I am over-protected by T Sensei who is an incredibly nice guy but a little bit KY sometimes (I'll explain KY some other time). He acts as my benevolent boss despite having no real authority over me and I can't complain because he is the only person that gives me any useful feedback on ANYTHING and he is the only person who takes my position and my contract into account. I usually have 1 teacher telling me a worksheet is too hard and 1 telling me its too easy. I've almost quit over this because no matter what the compromise, someone is unhappy with me. T sensei has become the final word on these kinds of issues and while I'm sure he's throwing his weight where it doesn't belong, I'm almost always thankful for it. The ALT position is often absurd and useless but I'll talk about this another time.
October - No money. At all. I cooked almost every night. Nothing that cost more than $5 a meal. Lots of Curry, eggs, and stir fry. Developed a strange and absolutely harmless health ailment I don't feel like discussing. I have no idea where it came from but I suspect the amount of preservatives in almost everything that doesn't come straight out of the ground (I saw a piece of bread last 4 months before it grew any mold).
Saw Ego-Wrapping, my favorite Japanese -band- (as in non-solo artist). Fun poppy jazz-rock music. Not exactly Ska but same kind of mood and instruments.
November- Holy shit, it's gone. Finally had money but not enough; had to catch up with all the things I hadn't bought. Realized that at Japanese schools almost every week has a day off or a day with no classes. Spending a lot of time studying. Started tutoring JAPANESE (NOT ENGLISH) because I devote a whole day to teaching a language I don't feel fully qualified to teach (though more qualified than most others teaching it). I've spent the last 3 years with Japanese grammar and vocabulary and I haven't touched English grammar in years. Just because I use it well enough doesn't mean I know how it works. And I'm a pretty good f-ing Japanese tutor, I think. Girlfriends birthday part 1 - dinner and drinks with her mom - was great. Lots of speaking Japanese and enjoying the coolest and strangest slightly-over-middle-aged woman in Japan. Part 2 - a cafe/restaurant/bar marathon at Shimokitazawa, my favorite part of Tokyo. Imagine a 10 block squared maze of aforementioned cafes, bars, restaurants, and specialty shops, complete with alleyways, dead ends and a cheese at the end. I still haven't found the end. Went to a bar that kind of looks like your in a magical cave. They were playing Tom Waits.
Onward
On Friday I'll see Shiina Ringo. As I've told many of this blogs potential readers, Shiina Ringo could have been everyones answer to the 40 or so years we've had since the Beatles. The only problem is that America has a hard time accepting music with lyrics they don't understand and sadly, without being big in America, there isn't much of a chance at becoming an international classic, let alone internationally known. Her album Karuki Zaamen Kuri no Hana is the greatest pop album I have ever heard and the song Souretsu may just be the greatest musical achievement in the past 100 years. It is really difficult to admit that this is my opinion and not fact.
I'll also take the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (Level 2) on December 12. This would basically give me an official document that (falsely?) asserts that I am bilingual.
Ok. Now someone better read this before I forget the password.
The main purpose of this blog is to not forget English or important events and chronology.
Summary of the last few months
August - 15th- Came here with no paycheck coming my way until October 20th and enough to live for 1 month (08/15-10/20, do the math). Stayed in a Ryokan (traditional inn), a crappy hostel, my girlfriends aunts house and a hotel for a week. 2 days of orientation and being nervous. 1 week of studying and enjoying my favorite parts of Tokyo (Shimokitazawa, Yoyogi Kouen, Ikebukuro etc.)
September - 1st - Started work. Was told to make an introduction lesson about myself and hometown in 3 days. Given no information about the students level of English, the format of the worksheet, and what classes were like. When questioned, the teachers all said "Anything you make will be fine, I'm sure. You are a native English speaker"
I work for 2 schools. Monday and Friday I'm at School A
School A- I found out recently, is the LOWEST ranking school in Saitama. At first I thought the kids were just lazy but I'm starting to think a good portion of them are Autistic, Dyslexic, OCD, etc. and this is coming from someone who thinks some 60 or 70% of people with disorders are falsely diagnosed, but I really think a good half of the students could be fairly diagnosed with something other than ADD/ADHD. And I'm willing to bet less than 10% are. The teachers here are great. They all take their job pretty seriously despite complaining about wanting to go to a better school. They are friendly and treat me as an equal. Unlike a majority of Japanese people, most of them are willing to admit to themselves that a foreigner is capable of comprehending their language and so they don't usually force me to listen to they're terrible English. Actually some of their English isn't so terrible.
School B- This school ranks dead middle in Saitama. It is so mediocre I cannot even explain it. While in school A, I know 16 teachers names, I know about 5 teachers names at school B despite the fact that I'm there 3 days a week instead of 2. I spend most of my time in the English teacher faculty room where no one can judge me for going on the computer. I am over-protected by T Sensei who is an incredibly nice guy but a little bit KY sometimes (I'll explain KY some other time). He acts as my benevolent boss despite having no real authority over me and I can't complain because he is the only person that gives me any useful feedback on ANYTHING and he is the only person who takes my position and my contract into account. I usually have 1 teacher telling me a worksheet is too hard and 1 telling me its too easy. I've almost quit over this because no matter what the compromise, someone is unhappy with me. T sensei has become the final word on these kinds of issues and while I'm sure he's throwing his weight where it doesn't belong, I'm almost always thankful for it. The ALT position is often absurd and useless but I'll talk about this another time.
October - No money. At all. I cooked almost every night. Nothing that cost more than $5 a meal. Lots of Curry, eggs, and stir fry. Developed a strange and absolutely harmless health ailment I don't feel like discussing. I have no idea where it came from but I suspect the amount of preservatives in almost everything that doesn't come straight out of the ground (I saw a piece of bread last 4 months before it grew any mold).
Saw Ego-Wrapping, my favorite Japanese -band- (as in non-solo artist). Fun poppy jazz-rock music. Not exactly Ska but same kind of mood and instruments.
November- Holy shit, it's gone. Finally had money but not enough; had to catch up with all the things I hadn't bought. Realized that at Japanese schools almost every week has a day off or a day with no classes. Spending a lot of time studying. Started tutoring JAPANESE (NOT ENGLISH) because I devote a whole day to teaching a language I don't feel fully qualified to teach (though more qualified than most others teaching it). I've spent the last 3 years with Japanese grammar and vocabulary and I haven't touched English grammar in years. Just because I use it well enough doesn't mean I know how it works. And I'm a pretty good f-ing Japanese tutor, I think. Girlfriends birthday part 1 - dinner and drinks with her mom - was great. Lots of speaking Japanese and enjoying the coolest and strangest slightly-over-middle-aged woman in Japan. Part 2 - a cafe/restaurant/bar marathon at Shimokitazawa, my favorite part of Tokyo. Imagine a 10 block squared maze of aforementioned cafes, bars, restaurants, and specialty shops, complete with alleyways, dead ends and a cheese at the end. I still haven't found the end. Went to a bar that kind of looks like your in a magical cave. They were playing Tom Waits.
Onward
On Friday I'll see Shiina Ringo. As I've told many of this blogs potential readers, Shiina Ringo could have been everyones answer to the 40 or so years we've had since the Beatles. The only problem is that America has a hard time accepting music with lyrics they don't understand and sadly, without being big in America, there isn't much of a chance at becoming an international classic, let alone internationally known. Her album Karuki Zaamen Kuri no Hana is the greatest pop album I have ever heard and the song Souretsu may just be the greatest musical achievement in the past 100 years. It is really difficult to admit that this is my opinion and not fact.
I'll also take the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (Level 2) on December 12. This would basically give me an official document that (falsely?) asserts that I am bilingual.
Ok. Now someone better read this before I forget the password.
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