.::* Living and Dreaming *::.

The Small Differences

Due to my bosses great organizing skills, I am now sitting in a sound proof room blogging on scrap pieces of paper because the equipment isn't hooked up and he has tied himself up in a meeting in the room, where my precious internet is, so he can't get me started to so some work. I could just sit here and stare off into space but luckily, I brought my iPod and a pen with me. I am back to my old self of not being about to sit still so while I feel like I am in prison, I can catch up on some blogging!

Where to start is the difficult questions. I have taken many notes since I have been here. Hmm, I was talking to my friend Ala about discovering new things everyday so maybe I should start talking about my discoveries. Also, I was talking to an Australian guy at an English Cafe the other day and I asked him when he was planning on leaving Japan. He said he doesn't plan to leave until he ceases to be surprised...he's been here for a year and a half already!

Dining:
-etiquette: before a meal you have to say itadakimasu (I will eat/drink) and after a meal you have to say gotisousama deshita (To appreciate the food)
-moist towels: these are given to you before a meal so that you can clean your hands, also, they're usually heated first
-beeper: when you are ready to order, you can use this to get immediate attention
-instant orders: orders are placed on a portable hand held device which I think goes straight to the kitchen and your bill
-smoking: still allowed
-disposable chopsticks: it's weird to see for a country that is conscious on waste, but it's in every restaurant that you go to

Shopping:
-self bagging: you have to bag your own groceries. Basically, the cashier rings in your items and puts them into another basket which you take to the bagging counter and proceed to bag your groceries however you like
-the dish: this is where you put your money

Fashion:
-make-up: girls here seem to be obsessed with it. It's not uncommon to see a girl pull out this giant mirror to check herself. Girls carry giant make-up cases that are comparable to that of a professional make-up artist. You'll also see girls do their make-up on the train, or right at the dinner table in a restaurant.
-Tokyo Princess: the Russian intern introduced this concept to me. It's true, there are a lot of cookie-cutter girls out there. Basically, they have golden blond hair with loose waves and lots of volume, heavy eyeliner that makes their eyes like ginormous, they wear high heels and LV purses. Not only that, it's the middle of winter and they still wear short shorts and skirts!
-Sweatsuits: this style I find kinda of odd. From the neck up, girls look like Tokyo princess, but from neck down, they're in oversized sweats.
-Typical guys: Big hair, sometimes similar to the girl who they are with, shiny puffy jacket with fur trimming on the hood, straight leg designer jeans with "stylish" rips, cowboy boots
-Classy: This I really like, peacoats and suits. Designer shoes and accessories. Modest hair and make-up

Cellphones:
-On trains: they have to be on silent or off if you're in the zone reserved for seniors. Apparently, they interfere with pacemakers. Also, people don't really talk on their phones, they're usually emailing or textmessaging
-Charms: everyone has a ridiculous amount of things hanging off their cellphones, including small stuffed animals
-Gems: Another popular thing are gems glued onto the phone. Very Hollywood!

Vending Machines:
-Cigarettes, and they're cheap too, like $3 a pack
-Beer, also cheap, comparable to pop
-Normal Beverages, hot and cold
-French Fries
-Ice Cream
-Rumor: Underwear, I have yet to find this!

Houses:
-heating: no central heating so my roommate and I hang out in our own rooms next to our little space heaters
-windows: single pane, I hear everything!
-tatami mats: instead of carpet, I have tatami mats on my floor
-beds: people are starting to use western beds but I sleep the traditional way, on the floor on a futon

Bathroom:
-nothing to dry your hand with: people carry hankerchiefs for this reason
-squat toilet: there are western toilets but sometimes, you just have to deal with this
-public washrooms: they're everywhere, in subways stations, parks, outside shrines, etc.
-special toilets: heated toilet seats, jets to clean your bum

Other differences:
-recycling: you have to seperate your garbage into burnables, unburnables and recyclables, even at the train station, McDonald's, just everywhere!
-pointing at the nose: people do this when they are referring to themselves
-sidewalks: this is where you walk and bike which means, bigger sidewalks, smaller roads. What surprised me was when I saw a motorcycle coming straight for me. Bikes can be parked on the sidewalk. Oddly enough, I've even seen cars drive right onto the sidwalk...on purpose.
-right of way: is on the left
-constuction: there is a lot of road construction in Nagoya, in fact, on my way to work. However, construction doesn't mean, you've got to find a detour. Nope, the construction happens around the traffic...and for pedestrians, they get right of way. Meaning, workers have to stop what they're doing and move if their work is obstructing the path for the person.
-advertisements: companies put advertisements on kleenex packages and give them away to people on thes street. Great for when you encounter a public bathroom with no toilet paper!
-dogs: people treat their dogs like people. They dress them up and give them nice hairstyles...including a mohawk! I've also seen a many carry his dog on his shoulder like it was a parrot!
-DVDs: the zoning is different so I had to change the settings on my computer to play DVDs from here.

posted by ~diana~ @ 12:45 AM