scribbles

Rolling Towards the New Year

The weather's looking great today, and some friends and I are set to go hiking. Soon, it'll be New Years. Time to renew my spirits! It doesn't matter what country I'm in, I can still have a great time living life to its fullest!

I hope everyone had a spectacular Christmas! I got a little homesick, but my brother sent me a short e-mail, and that's cheered me up. Thanks!

Looks like something is wrong with the photo gallery. I'll have to fix it when I get a chance.



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今日の天気メチャきれいだよ！友達とハイキングするつもり。すぐ新しい年来る。気がRENEWするよ！国が関係ないで、まだすごいライフできる！

みんな、メリークリスマス！ちょっとHOMESICKだったけど、兄からメールもらったので、元気だした。ありがとう！

さー、このページの写真のGALLERYがある。ひまがあったら、なおすよ。ごめんね！

Shockingly Shockable

It continues.

I can't help but feel that people are lying to me. It sounds like paranoia, putting it that way, but it's hard for me to not think about it. Americans are constantly bombarded with the idea of truth and honesty; and here, there are different values that are important: such as keeping harmony between people, even if it means lying. Oh, well. As Chris Rock put it: "You a liar! You a liar! You all motha-fuckin' liars!" (or something to that sort)

Japan's society is said to be called a "giri-shakai." What giri-shakai basically translates to is a society of obligation. People feel obligated to do things despite what their true intentions are. People can lie with their actions too.

My friend, Eric, told me that it's pretty standard for the culture shock to kick in at around the 3rd month. Well, despite all of this, I'm not going back home for the holidays. Yep, I'm sticking through it here until next August.

Ben told me today that he's planning on joining the U.S. Navy. It may sound strange, but he's told me that there's some way that non-US citizens can join the Navy (let's remember that Ben is Japanese). I can't emphasize how much of a cool guy he is.

In another shock-related event, I got a Christmas card from Jenn who's doing a study abroad in Taiwan. Hello, there! Thanks! Hope you're enjoying it there as much as I've been here!



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つづく。

人は僕にうそを言うと思う。それはパラノイアのようけど、そのこと考えないことが難しい。アメリカ人はいつも真実と真珠のこと聞く。けど、ここに大切なことは違う。例えば、人間の平和のために、うそを言うことが大丈夫。さー。クリスロックは『お前はうそつき！お前もうそつき！みんなばかなうそつきだよ！』と言った。

日本の社会は『義理社会』と言う。みんなはいつも義理のためにほんねではないのことする。みんなはすることでうそをできるよ。

友達のエリクはカルチャーショックがだいたい三か月ぐらい始まる。さー、冬休みアメリカ帰らない。そう、八月までずっと日本にいるよ！

今日、ベンはアメリカのNAVY入るつもり。おかしでも、彼はアメリカ人以外の人がNAVY入ることできると言った（ベンは日本人だよ！）。ベンはホンマにかっこいい人よ！大変時も手伝った。

じゃ、他のショックエベントは、ある日に、タイワンで留学するジェンちゃんからクリスマスカードをもらった。ジェンちゃん、こんにちは！ありがとうね！楽しんでるね、頑張って！

Culture Shock, the beginnings

I can feel this whole culture shock thing starting. It's snuck up on me without me really knowing, and I can feel that feeling of being annoyed at this different culture around me.

Today, I went to go study with my friend Kenji at his senpai, Jin's apartment. It wasn't much of a warm welcome, and Jin really wasn't talking to me much. I was there to study, so I didn't think much of it. I started to notice the way Kenji was talking to Jin: he was using more polite forms. Each time I heard it, each desu and -masu he said was making me more and more annoyed. "Why can't you just fucking talk to the guy without this formality crap!?" I kept thinking to myself.

Then, Jin's girlfriend, Hisami, arrived. She wasn't introduced. I've discussed this phenomenon before with Judah. Japanese guys just don't introduce their girlfriends, and it pisses me off cause it's like they don't exist. At the same time, they're running around in the background cleaning and cooking. One of the first things she did was clean up all the mess that was on the table and then she did the dishes. And it wasn't the first time I've seen this happen before either. What the hell is that shit?

OK, so I understand it, but I'm having difficulty accepting it. That's the whole culture shock thing: I know about these things in the culture, and I'm annoyed at them even though I know why it is the way it is.

There's the whole tatemae/honne (the face you show to the world vs. your true feelings) thing, and then there's the in-group/out-group jazz. And the senpai/kohai (relative relationship and rank are important bits in this here society).

It's all making me rather upset right now. Argh!



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カルチャーショックはじめてる。だんだん来て、この違う文化をうるさがること感じる。

今日、友達のケンジと勉強のためにケンジのせんぱいのジンのアパートへ行った。彼はあまりフレンドリじゃなかって、僕とあまり話なかった。僕は勉強のために行ったから、気にしなかった。ケンジはジンと話し方を気付けた。ていねい語使った。『です』とか『〜ます』とか作ったたびに、もっともっと気付けた。『なんでお前は彼としゃべたら普通な言葉を使わない！』と考えた。

後で、ジンの彼女のヒサミ着いた。誰でも紹介しなかった。これについてジュウダくんと話したことがある。日本人の男は彼女を全然紹介しないで、彼女はいないのようにだから、僕かなり怒ってなる。さらに、彼女は一生懸命そうじするとか料理作るとか。。。ヒサミはまずに汚いこたつをそうじして、皿を洗った。しかも、僕はそれがはじめて見ることじゃない。良くないよ！

さー、実はそのこと僕分かる、けど心得がたい。それはカルチャーショックだよ。それのような文化のこと分かってて、なんでも分かるけど、まだうるさがる。

たてまえ／ほんねがあるし、グループの以内／グループの以外もある。せんぱい／こはいのこともある。

今僕はそれ全部に怒ってる！ギャー！

Some Sportin' in Japan

Yesterday, I went swimming at this awesome gym that's about a 15 minute bike ride from where I live here in Kyoto. The place was some sort of big-assed complex with a pool, a gym, a skating rink, a restaurant, and probably a whole bunch of other things. The pool had a floor that could move, which was a first for me.

I had a good swim with Ben, who's one of the coolest dudes I've met since I've gotten here. He's been a great friend.

It was great to be in the water again; I think it's been maybe five or six months since I've last gone swimming. Ah, it felt good!

Afterwards, we went to a ramen shop where Ben claimed to have some spicy-assed Taiwanese ramen. So, we both got a bowl, and... well, it really wasn't that hot, but apparently for him it was. He was covered in sweat!

Sunday, I finally played some tennis across the street from my apartment (how convenient!). It's good to get some exercise in, and doing so always gets me in a good mood.



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昨日、僕の住んでる場所からチャリんで１５ですごいGYMへ泳ぎに行った。そのビルはメチャ大きだった。プールもジムもスケートリンクもあった。たぶん、他のこともある！そのプールの床が変わることができる。はじめてそれのようにこと見た！

ベンと一生に泳ぎに行った。彼は京都で会ったかっこいい人だ。いい友達だよ。

また水を入ることがよかった。その前に、五か月や六か月ぐらい泳がなかった。さあー、気持ちよかった！

その後で、ベンのすすめのラーメンショップへ行った。彼はそのショップのたいわんラーメンがメチャからいと言った。そして、僕たちそれを注文しても。。。あんまりからくなかった。けど、ベンにとってかなりからかった。汗まみれになった！

日曜日、僕のアパートの前で（便利ね！）やっとテニスした。運動することがいい。運動するたびに元気になる。

Son, Eat Your Animals

This was an essay I wrote for my Japanese class and will be presenting later today in front of the class. This is also my first attempt at posting something in Japanese.

The Relationship Between Humans and Animals

A long, long time ago, there were many monkeys living in the trees. Gradually, the monkeys had sex and gave birth to a human. That person was obviously hungry. He ate a whole shitload of maple leaves (it's popular to see the leaves change color here in Kyoto), but he was still not satisfied. So, he looked for an animal, ate it, and was satisfied. But, humans are also animals! With that in mind, I wonder what he thought.

Many kinds of animals eat other animals, so people eating animals is not so strange. Furthermore, it's important for the body to have protein. If we just ate fermented beans (yuck!), the world would stink, and mankind would be annihilated. Maybe, that person thought about that and said, "Ooga-ooga!"

On the other hand, if people make robots, I wonder if robots will also eat humans? Usually, robots' way of thinking and humans' way of thinking are the same, so if we eat animals, robots will also eat humans. For that reason, people will become food. Maybe, that human thought about that and said, "Ooga-ooga!"

Actually, I don't want to be eaten by robots, but I love eating meat. That monkey-like human also thought that, didn't give a shit, and ate more and more animals. I think that human was intelligent, so let's also eat meat!



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これは日本語の授業のために書いた文章。今日、日本語のクラスの前に発表する。しかも、これははじめて日本語でホームページにポストする。

人間と動物の関係

昔、昔に、木に住んでいるサルはおおかった。だんだん、そのサルはセックスして、人が生まれた。その人はやっぱりおなかがペコペコだった。彼はたくさん紅葉のはっぱとかを食べたでもまだまんぞくしなかった。そして、動物をみつけて食べてまんぞくした。しかし、その人も動物だったよ！そのことからする彼はどう思うかな。

色々な動物は他の動物を食べるので人間が動物を食べることはあんまりおかしくない。さらに、体にとってPROTEINは大切だ。もし、納豆しかを食べなかったら、世界がくすくなって、人類がほろびる。たぶん、その人はそれを考えて、『ウキウキ！』と言った。

一方、もし人間がロボットを作ったら、ロボットも人間を食べるかな？だいたい、ロボットの考え方と人間の考え方は同じだから、僕たち動物を食べたら、ロボットも食べる。そのために、人間は食べ物になる。たぶん、その人も考えて、『うきうき！』と言った。

実は、僕はロボットに食べられたくないでも、肉を食べることが大好きだ。そのサルのような人もこのことを考えて、気にしないで、もっともっと動物を食べた。その人はかなりインテリだと思うから、僕たちも動物を食べよう！

Knots

Sometimes, I feel as if I am master of myself. And then I feel that I truly understand who I am, the intentions I have, the workings of my mind, and the relationships between human beings.

But other times, I feel crushed by the seemingly endless and complex strings that bind people together. And then I'm lost.