"One Can of Dr. Pepper Please" Week 9-November 2nd-November 8th

Week 9

After coming to about 10 minutes before check out at Nagoya Capsule Inn out I stumble out of my capsule and quickly determine these things are much easier to enter than exit. It also helps if the complimentary boxers are not so small that they work they way down when descending the ladder (my apologies to the elderly gentlemen that had to see me descending a ladder with no pants on).  After a search of the premises for the shower I then find that the showers were closed at 8AM after speaking to the front desk clerk.  Another great thing about Japan is you quickly learn to adapt to any situation.  At home you might question why you close the showers at 8AM when checkout is 10AM but as I have come to learn it is best to accept it and move on.  If someone tells me not to drink iced tea with pants on I just say Sumimasen and move on with my life, arguing is also not done here so just save your sanity and stop doing whatever you did to offend regardless of how innocuous it may appear to you.  I quickly grabbed my stuff and headed across the street to the Kanayama train station to grab my train one stop ahead to Nagoya where I could board the Shinkansen bound for Kyoto (although a 3-4 hour drive the bullet train makes this trip in a little over an hour).  Once aboard the train I settled in and listened to music as we sped towards Kyoto.  Upon arrival in Kyoto I met up with my friend Garnett at the station and from there we headed out to the Kiyomizudera Temple situated above the city. After touring around the grounds of the temple which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, snapping a few photos we walked back down and did some shopping at the trinket shops that line either side of the narrow streets as you descend from the temple area.  While leaving the temple we even were interviewed by KBS Kyoto who were soliciting American travelers about the upcoming American presidential election.   The funniest part of my interview is the reporter repeatedly asking why Americans hold signs and cheer at political rallies and parties.  He made it a point to say that Japanese do not do this and worded several questions to ask me if I did this as well.  I tried to explain that it comes along with political support for a candidate that if you go to a rally you would perhaps hold a sign or cheer but I think after the interview concluded he still believed it quite strange.  From the temple we headed off to the large shopping district in Kyoto where Garnett picked up a pair of all gold Puma’s.  After shopping we took a cab to find the jazz club Garnett wanted to go to and had dinner at a local Ramen shop.  Unfortunately when we did locate the club the admission was well over 50 dollars to see the jazz trio she wanted to see so instead we found an Irish pub were we decided to stop in for a few drinks to celebrate her birthday.  The nice thing was when the waitress heard it was her birthday she asked if we could wait about an hour while she baked a special cake in her honor.  We decided to stay and it was nice of the staff to make such a fuss over her birthday since I would imagine being so young and far from family and friends must be tough.  I think she really enjoyed the attention and it was nice for her when the special cake came out with candles to celebrate.  Since I was fading pretty badly from the previous nights festivities I decided to stay in Kusatsu with Garnett and literally was asleep as I hit the futon she provided for me.  In the morning we headed to a large shopping store in Kusatsu were I exhibited some behavior of someone slightly homesick as I had a Starbucks, ate some KFC then headed to the International Supermarket and picked up some instant oatmeal, Old El Paso taco mix and a cold can of Dr Pepper (those three things are not found in Japan).  After heading for home in the afternoon on the Shinkansen I stopped in Nagoya to meet with a new friend, Akiko who I had met through the language exchange board at the Nagoya International Center.  The funny thing about this initial meeting was us sharing text messages about first where to meet (the golden clock in Nagoya station) and then our physical characteristics.  After receiving Akiko’s text that she was 27, smallish, Asian, and had black hair I replied to look for someone American, large, wearing a bright red Phillies hoodie and shockingly she found me first.   Not wanting to appear lecherous I asked if she wanted to get something to eat or grab coffee to which she replied “Can’t we get a beer”.  Anyone meeting a strange American and then requesting a beer has my immediate respect so we headed across the street to an Irish Pub for a couple pints of Guinness and the agreement to meet again in the near future to talk and grab some drinks.

Cute Kid Story #248  I have gotten some feedback requesting I go easy on the “Oh these kids are so cute” stories but I am afraid much like miso soup, cooked rice and fish heads they are in abundance here in Japan.  This week my manager notified me that my 3-year-old private lesson student’s mother wanted me to do the Halloween lesson this week for her since her little girl was sick the week I delivered it to my students.  This student always makes me laugh because at only three she talks to me non-stop in Japanese with the intensity of an insurance salesman.  Even with me kneeling next to her nodding but never replying it never seems to her I do not understand and often will talk at me for 5-10 minutes never once stopping.  She also is addicted to Minnie Mouse and often brings two with her to class.  During the class she will only participate if I treat each Minnie as though each is an actual student.  Even funnier one Minnie is inexplicably retrofitted with a foot long tiger tail one might find hanging from the antennae of a 69 El Dorado.  Also while she is always happy to see me in the lobby when we enter the classroom and I take my seat on the floor across from her for the first few weeks she would always take refuge behind her mom with her arms gently around her neck.  This week was no different as I began teaching her pumpkin, black cat and the like.  Only during the lesson as I turned away to get my cards she came from behind Mom and completely unannounced sat down in my lap, quietly looking up at me as I prepared to go through the cards with her.  As I looked at her Mom she seemed to be as surprised as I was.  The amazing thing about kids is their quick ability to take you from stranger to someone they know and trust and that is perhaps the best part of this job.  While I have always liked kids my participation with them usually ends with throwing a ball for them to go fetch or making a funny face at them to try and make them laugh.  I didn’t realize I might have needed to come all the way to Japan to appreciate what all the fuss is about with them