Culture SHOCKERS

I have been to Japan number of times (This is the fourth time) and the first 3 times I was in less rural areas. I also did homestays so whenever there was a problem, I had someone who could help me. THIS time around, not only do I not have someone to help me out really, but I am basically completely isolated. Some JETs get placed with a bunch of other JETs near them, some don't. I don't. I quickly realized that my other study abroad trips here were a lot more observant of Japanese culture than they were participating in it. I got to do the fun and traditional things like onsens, festivals, and that kind of stuff. This time around it's a very different experience. Not that it is bad, but it is very different.

Coming here for language programs meant that basically everyday I would have contact with other foreign friends my age. Since the JET Programme starts in August, you come to town right when everyone is leaving town. The school starts summer break right when you arrive. The result is a lot of waiting, sitting, and making yourself look productive for a month. I'm sure this is some reason for the JET Programme to start in August but I don't really see it. I think it slowly drives people crazy before they see what the job is actually like. I will have been in Japan for over a month before I get to teach someone. I get paid for it, that is nice, but I won't have done anything relating to my job here yet.

This has given me a quick flash of culture shock. I'm not sure if it is completely culture shock though because it isn't really the Japanese culture that is stressing me. It's the isolation and the lack of mental stimulation that is doing it. The result is culture shock, I get frustrated with little things that shouldn't really bug me. Here are a list of a few things that have started to really wind me up.

Here is my disclaimer:
Don't get me wrong, Japan isn't necessarily doing anything wrong, it's more that there is this awkward stress one me and so small things start to wind me up when they shouldn't really. These are more like observations than criticizing Japan (for instance the man slupring his noodles really loud next to me, its a bit irritating)... although there are some things that I would probably change if I ruled this country, mostly for safety reasons... Let's let the culture shocking begin.

1) Bikes. This is the most frustrating thing for me, so far. Luckily I am not in Tokyo (anymore), where this is the worst. Biking on the sidwalks is totally cool in Japan. This results in crazy bike dodging. The sidewalks don't really have rules of their own as to which side you walk on. I assumed that it was 'stay on the left side' which would be the opposite of America. They drive on the left side of the road, so I figured you would walk on the left side too. On escalaters in Japan you stand on the left and walk on the right side. On the sidewalk, I walk on the left but that doesn't really seem to be the rule. People kind of are all over the place. In Tokyo, this is the worst. Imagine this scenario: One night, you are walking down a really busy street. There are loads of people coming toward you so you kind of have to weave in and out. You aren't moving at a snails pace, but you are by no means moving quickly. Now imagine doing this on a bike. It seems impossible, right? It is, for Americans. Japanese people weave through crowds on their bikes like it is no big deal. They go fast too. So for the walking foreigner, it really becomes some type of frogger-esque game. You will be walking and turn into a store and immediately hear squealing of bike breaks. From 2 feet away, a bike cruising will be sliding your way with a 70 year old lady or a 12 year old middle school student at the handle bars. Their face shows no sign of panic. (I don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing... are they used to killing people with their bikes?) This wouldn't be a huge problem if you could see them from a distance, you'd both be able to prepare and move. But in a crowded city with no real rules as to which side you walk on...especially at night... this gets to be a dangerous game of "don't get killed" and that isn't my favorite game. Uno is.

2) Garbage.

I really can't bash Japan for this one. They should probably be doing this all over the world. But either way, it is really hard to deal with. The first problem with trash is that it is difficult to find a trash can anywhere. Why, you ask? For a few reasons. The first is that not too long ago there were gas attacks in Tokyo by a crazy religious group where they stuck gas bombs in garbage cans. After that, most public garbage cans were taken away. The next reason is because there isn't just a 'garbage' can. There are garbage canS (note the 'S'). Garbage is divided into many different groups. Depending on your area its divided into more or less groups. For me, I have to divide my garbage at home into 3 categories. Burnable, Nonburnable, and recyclables. Burnable is raw garbage, paper, all that good stuff. Nonburnable is plastic, metals, stuff like that. I am supposed to keep styrofoam and stuff in a separate bag. Recyclables are cans and plastic bottles. I have different drop off points for each of these once a week and some three times a week. Every other thursday is nonburnable and recyclables. This drop off point is about a block away. I walk down and put it there, but I can only put it there on the day they are due, none of this early drop off business. The burnable is MWF and its at the end of the street my apartment is on. I think every tuesday is nonburnable misc. stuff like plastic wrappers, plastic cups...and so on. The system is really tedious but it makes sense. Each kind of garbage goes to a place that specializes in disposing of that kind of garbage. Some areas of Japan are can to have up to 25 separate garbage types so mine isn't sooo bad. If you dispose of these the wrong way, you can get fined. I don't know how they know who you are or how to fine you, but they do. They probably can look at the trash and tell you are foreign. My predecessor got yelled at by some old lady once. Let's hope this doesn't happen to me. I missed trash day today already. At the end of the day though, it is kind of a pain in the butt to have a bowl of instant ramen and have to put the paper top in one garbage can, the plastic bowl in another and the little baggies of seasoning in another garbage can. Do this for every meal for a week and you will go nuts. Also walking down the street if you have a piece of trash... you will never find a garbage can unless you have a convenient store near you.

3) Following the rules.

I get the impression that a lot of Japan likes rules. OR at least they like to follow rules. You will never see J-walking in Japan. At least not nearly as much as you see in Chicago. There is rarely street crossing when it says 'don't walk' even if there are absolutely no cars. Everywhere in the world obviously needs to have SOME type of rules. A lack of rules makes it really really difficult to get stuff done. On the other hand, having too many rules makes it really really difficult to get stuff done too. I kind of like the American mindset that we have where, even if there is a rule, there is an option not to follow the rule. Sometimes it gets you in trouble, sometimes it makes someone elses job harder, but we like to find out ways around rules without completely breaking them.

Here in Japan, what we need are the rule benders. These are those nice people who go are so good at their job they know what is actually an important rule and what isn't. The people that go "Well you are supposed to do this, buuuut we can change that around to make it a little easier, just don't tell on me." My university in America severly lacked these types of people, especially the Administration. The school that I work for in Japan is full of really friendly people. They are all quite smart and all are hard workers. The school payed a lot of money for me to come work here which I am very grateful for. However, since they paid for me they feel it is necessary for me to show up to work even though I have, literally nothing to do here. I can see their reasoning. When looking at it on paper it makes sense, they paid for me, I must show up. The hard part is that I have to setup my whole life here. I have to register as an Alien (nanu nanu), open a bank account (alien registration is necessary for this), get a cellphone (alien registration is necessary for this too), get a car (alien registration is ALSO necessary for this), get some furniture (car is necessary for this, alien registration is necessary for the car...) so it gets complicated when everything closes at 5pm or earlier and I don't get out of work until 5:10pm. On top of that, it is really difficult to do all this stuff on my own. I know Japanese, but I don't know how to negotiate a phone service plan in Japanese. *I really wish the guy next to me would stop sluping his noodles so loud, that will be number 4 on the culture shock list* I have a half day on friday so that is the day I can get stuff done. BUT I don't have a car so I can pretty much get one thing done on fridays since all of these things aren't close enough together that I could walk from one place to another. When I get a car, that will make things easier. SO back to the rule bending.
Since I have to be at school all day, even though I don't do anything, if I want to leave I have to take a paid vacation. The rules can't really be bent. If I am not in the school, then it MUST be a vacation. Maybe this isn't as much of a Japanese thing as it is a 'real-life-Job thing' but, running small important errands to set my life up here... I dunno, I think that is worthy of a rule bending. I'm not asking for time to get groceries, more important things like... getting health insurance...stuff to make my life livable here. (Just to clarify that I don't really do anything here, I read 200 pages of a book yesterday and have studied 2,500 kanji flash cards online. (Not 2,500 kanji, just 2,500 flash cards, there is a lot of repetition.) SO, what I need is for someone to go "Well you are SUPPOSED to be here at work since we are paying you BUT you don't have anything to do here and you need to get things done to make your life easier, so let me help you out by letting you go do these things" I am sure there are people like this in Japan. I have just been warned so many times that a lot of Japanese workplaces are stricter and more rigid than what I am probably used to. It seems very heirarchy. *STOP SLURPING YOUR NOODLES*

4) Slurping Noodles


I am sorry, but this is just annoying. I bet if i made some loud noises in this work place everyone would be all 'ugh. rude american.' BUT if I were making loud noises because I was eating noodles, there would be no problem.

Now I'm not strict with table manners as my mother could attest to. The only pet peeve I have is loud eaters when I am not eating. If I am eating with you, go right ahead and make noise. But if no one in the room is eating... just keep it down. Eating noodles without slurping them is pretty easy. I do it basically every time I eat noodles. Maybe a little suck here and there to get a bit more pull on a heavy batch. But when there are two or three noodles left you don't need a big *SLUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRP* to get them in. Now, again, I am trying to tell myself, this is what everyone does here and I will have to get used to it. Japan doesn't need to change, this is just how my brain processes these things. During culture shock, these things get extra annoying. It's like being pregnant, except, instead of getting hungry all the time, you get frustrated by cultural differences... maybe it's not like being pregnant. Bad analogy. Anyway. The guy finished his noodles. The teacher is a really nice guy. I don't dislike him one bit. I just have a hard time telling myself "loud slurping is a good thing to do." But you bet your ass that when I go to a Ramen restaurant next I am gonna slurp louder than everyone in there. Sometimes you have to fight fire with fire. I guess it's not fighting fire with fire, it's more "If you can't be 'em join 'em." I guess that is how all things should go with culture shock. All culture shock remedies are just... 'Join 'em' because they aren't going to change their ways for you because they shouldn't have to. Aaaaanyway.


In other news: I am getting a car in a week, yaaaaay. I also got an Air Conditioner installed in my apartment. I lucked out because a local lady who is helping me out from time to time said she had one left around that still worked but that it is expensive to install... lucky for us though, her hubby is an electrictian so he installed it for me. Usually they cost around 80,000 yen (about 800 dollars) so I got one for 11,000 yen (About 100 bucks) Hooray!