明けましておめでとうございます！HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

So I just got back from a whirlwind two week visit to the States. First time in 18 months, stirred up some strange feelings... Here are a few of my observations...

　　　　　　　　　　

日本　vs AMERICA

(in no particular order)

10. Pumping my own gas...most stations in Japan are full service, meaning you don't have to leave your car nor touch the pump which leaves you with that fresh, impossible to bottle, scent of gasoline, you pay through your window, and you are not required to tip...I have become so accustomed to this that I nearly forgot how to take the lid off the gas tank when I needed to refuel my rental car.... and I sure don't miss standing there shivering in the freezing cold while I pump! But I have always said that holding that valve is quite an invigorate experience.... After deliberation of that point, I still have to go with Japan on this one.... So...POINT 日本!

9. Driving on the right; This is a given, it actually came back more easily than I thought it would (as I sat in my sisters car as the passenger, in what would usually be my drivers seat in Japan, I was worried that it would be very difficult to get back in the swing of driving on the right).. With my heart beating faster, I pulled out of the rental lot, but kept steady with my mantra... The driver is on the inside of the road, the driver is on the inside...) I must say that I felt people took right turns much slower in America, and you do see a lot more cars with different color doors or crunched up sides, which I have never seen in Japan... but as the driving on the right came back to me, I saw very little difference at all... so for this one, I must call it a... DRAW

8. CAN I GET A BEER OVER HERE!!! This may have been the most annoying thing... Having to wait to actually get served, in the States there is no yelling over a server when you need a refill, no calling out Sumimasen when my drink was half full... no one waiting on me hand and foot... WHAT!! Why has this quality of service that I have become so accustomed to in Japan not caught on everywhere else in the world?? (and this is coming from a girl who has had professional restaurant serving experience (I was always on top of my section though) But in America... There I was out of water, I had been out of water for a while...I sat there trying to make the necessary "eye contact" and get the attention of the server, who was just chatting in the corner with her co-worker... I was dying to yell out "Sumimasen" and get my water, that would have been much more convient than sitting there parched, and I would have been a more satisfied customer. POINT 日本

7. Being a short girl. In Japan, I am not short. I am also not tall by any means either, Japanese people who are sterotyped as being so short are actually quite sizeable. I expected a lot more from all the stereotypes you see in the media. But my first night in America, reality hit me again. There I was in the bar, amidst a sea of people, and on average I was at the height of most peoples shoulders. On average in the States, I was short! It really was a reality check. Maybe it is the lack of bars in which you have communal socializing, or it was the fact that other than rushing through the streets or on a train you typically are not in a social environment with many people standing around talking (the few exceptions are dance clubs and events or PTA)..but I really did feel short, and it was surprisingly different..I kind of liked being able to duck by shoulders and under arms to navigate through the bar.. POINT AMERICA..

6. Varieties of Beer; In Japan you have two types of beer; beer and black beer... now for me, a person who prefers darker more flavorful beers, I like my options... so it was nice to have more options than just "beer" and "black beer"... now I admit you can find good beer, and I like the beers they offer here, but I loved being back in the land where you got your pilsners, your ales, your stouts, lagers, your micro-brews, your imports...all on tap!! none of this looking around for something other than a Heineken or Kirin...now that was very refreshing... POINT AMERICA

5. Being able to read , now this is effected by the fact that it has been extremely difficult for me to learn kanji. In Japan I have learned how to live being illiterate. I look at pictures on medicine boxes to determine if it will cure me, I memorize my grocery store in order to find products... I struggle with menus taking a long time to figure out what I want to eat and limiting myself to about half (if even that much) of the items offered (although the lack of reading menus has helped me, being the indecisive creature that I am) But all in all I must say that it was nice to be able to look around and know exactly what everything is, without having to peak my head in and see for myself...and for that reason....POINT AMERICA

4. Friendly, After my stream of visitors everyone said, "Wow everyone in Japan is so nice" And I began to agree with this... that was until I realized that the whole everyone is nice thing is true, but not everyone in Japan is as nice as they could be... really... On my connecting flight between Chicago and Saint Louis I really realized this.. as many people put their carry on luggage in the overhead bin, everytime if it looked heavy, someone would offer to help. My bags were even light and this man next to me immediately offered to help with my bags or at least ask if I need help. This is not common in Japan! You can sometimes see an old lady walking down the road with a heavy load, and two able-bodied men next to her who do not ask if she needs help. Or you can be dragging all your suitcases down the stairs and people with empty arms walk by, and don't even bat an eye. One time in Takada there was an old lady trying to carry too much, and I offered to help her. She didn't take my help, probably because she thought I would run off with her things because this kind of friendly gesture is unheard of in Japan... for this (and I can't believe I am writing this) I must say the friendly vote goes to the States, POINT AMERICA

3. Tipping.. why oh why is this in our American culture?? Can't we just even up the pay scale on all occupations? After waiting forever to get served at a bar, I forgot to tip, and then I had to run back through the crowded bar to leave my tip.. I also saw people around me be shitty tippers...now if this were my friend I would have said something to them, but really leaving 3.76 on your reciept in order to even it up to be 60$ on your 56$ bill is just ridiculous. I had the same server as him and she rocked! Her name was Louise..now if you are leaving a place and you know the name of your server, you know she was good at her job...she was fun, and made hefty reccommendations, and even comped a drink for this guy (I saw her do it) and he left her less than 10%!! WHAT??! You would think that in a society built on tipping, that at some point you would get a lesson or two on it...without having to work in the service industry.. but you still have it, your good tippers and your bad tippers, and then you have JAPAN where you don't even have to tip at all... I will say that it is much easier to do that.... so POINT 日本

2. People without inhibitions / Getting hit on.... Oh how good it felt to be able to speak to anyone about anything...before I even arrived in Saint Louis I had 3 new friends and had 3 great conversations with those interesting people... one at the baggage claim, one waiting for a flight, and one in route to customs... and then you have the bars...how long had it been since I had actually met ahot man while trying to flag down a bar tender at a crowded bar..18 months... it was nice to walk into a place, and know that you have the ability to be curt, sassy, witty, and sarcastic... wow how glorious.. (I will say conversing in my groutesque japanese is also fun..but..I gotta give this one to the states) POINT AMERICA

1. Credit Card Friendly environment / true universal cash cards.... now I know it causes debt.. but I think the main reason it is nifty is it reduces the amount of cash you are always carrying on you... and if you are getting ready to travel internation from Japan, that means all your travel money... this leads to the main draw back to Japanese banking systems is that your cash card only works in JAPAN... come on now, become global all ready!! I can use my local bank card from the States at an ATM in a post office in Japan, but my bank card in JAPAN doesn't even work at all the ATMs in Tokyo... this really needs to be corrected and fast... POINT AMERICA

日本　３　 America 6 Draw 1

Now there are many reasons that I love each country, and this isn't to say that I love America more, but these are fresh in my mind differences after returning to my home land on things that really stood out to me....

and on another note, another thing I

Reality TV... I never thought I would say I missed it... actually I would instead say that it wasn't that I am missing reality t.v., but it is all the pop culture I am missing out on due to reality t.v. Watching reality t.v. with my friends really put into perspective how much I am missing.... "So there is this girl who was on Tyra Banks show~ America top model~ and she won or was runner up or something, and then continued her reality t.v. star streak by being put in a house with all these B list celebrities, where she fell in love with a Brady (the guy who played Peter Brady / the youngest one), and then they moved into a house together and are getting or got married and they are passionately in love despite the 40 year age gap..." or something along those lines... and all this derived from one tv commercial on VH1... whew! who knew so much was going on in America, the only thing I hear about in Japan is about what's his name Bush?

I bring you a taste of Japanese TV

While at home, many people had many questions... and a lot of people inquired what Japanese television is like. Other than your CNN (the only channel not in HI Definition) you have your typical shows, which tend to be bunch of people trying food and exclaiming "Oishii" or traveling and exploring new corners of the world (actually mainly Japan) But the thing most people at home are interested in is anime and game shows... check out the following links for your very own taste of Japanese TV...
crazy anime
crazy game shows

~ENJOY~

雪があるよ！We got snow!!

Here are two articles from the Japan Times and a photo regarding the incredible amount of snow we are having..last year everyone was amazed because it was the most snow in 15 years, well this year has outdone that with the most snow in over 60 years (well that is what they are saying) (sorry the whole death toll thing is a bit morbid, but the article about the snow was interesting..)

GSDF troops are called in to help dig outHeavy snow expected to continue in wide areas as death toll rises to 63

NAGANO (Kyodo) A Ground Self-Defense Force unit in Nagano Prefecture was dispatched Saturday to help deal with heavy snowfall as the Meteorological Agency warned that snow will continue blanketing northern and western Japan.
By 5 p.m., more people were confirmed to have died due to snow-related incidents, bringing the death toll to 63 across 16 prefectures since the snow season began in early December, according to a Kyodo News tally based on reports from authorities. The number of people injured came to 1,040 in 28 prefectures.
Public transportation was affected, with the Joetsu Shinkansen Line suspending operations temporarily and the Tokaido Shinkansen Line experiencing delays, affecting some 130,000 people.
The GSDF Matsumoto garrison sent its disaster relief unit to Iiyama to remove snow in the first such mobilization of a GSDF unit this winter. It is the first time Nagano has received such GSDF assistance since January 1981.
The Nagano Prefectural Government issued the request Friday night.
About 100 GSDF personnel began removing snow on roads so ambulances and other emergency vehicles could pass, and around houses that could be isolated due to snow, garrison officials said.
Niigata Prefecture also asked the GSDF on Saturday to send a disaster relief unit to the town of Tsunan.
In Iiyama, more than 200 cm of snow had accumulated as of 8 a.m. Saturday. The Nagano Local Meteorological Observatory forecast up to 70 cm of snow for the area between Saturday and Sunday.
According to the Meteorological Agency, cold air of minus 30 to 40 degrees is expected to pass over western, eastern and northern Japan as a strong winter pressure pattern emerged near the country.
Some areas saw accumulation of more than 300 cm. As of 5 p.m., Tsunan recorded 357 cm, the city of Myoko in Niigata Prefecture 324 cm and the village of Nozawaonsen in Nagano 309 cm. A total of 34 observatory points had marked new snowfall records for the month of January by Saturday.
Up to 70 cm of snowfall was expected by 6 p.m. Sunday in Niigata and Nagano prefectures, 50 to 60 cm in Hokkaido and along Sea of Japan coastal areas in the Tohoku region, and 30 to 40 cm in Gunma Prefecture, the Hokuriku region excluding Niigata, the northern Kinki region and Gifu Prefecture.
The Japan Times: Jan. 8, 2006

Blizzard deaths hit 81; weekend thaw in works

NIIGATA (Kyodo) The nationwide death toll from the recent blizzards rose to 81 Thursday with the finding of five more bodies, and helicopter relief and airlift operations were hampered by poor visibility and strong winds.
Residents shovel snow to keep the road in front of their houses clear.
The Meteorological Agency meanwhile issued an avalanche warning to snow-packed areas because it expects temperatures to rise nationwide from Friday to Sunday.
The number of deaths from snow-related incidents since December rose to 81 in 17 prefectures Thursday after a 75-year-old man in Yamagata Prefecture died after being buried in snow and four other men were found dead in Fukui and Gifu prefectures.
The body of Yasutaro Oba, 75, was found by his house in Mamurogawa, Yamagata Prefecture, on Wednesday buried in snow that had fallen from his roof, police said.
The other four men died in similar accidents sometime between Dec. 18 and Jan. 11, according to the Fukui Prefectural Government.
In Nagano Prefecture, a chopper planning to carry a medical team to an isolated part of the village of Sakae was scrubbed due to bad weather.
The Ground Self-Defense Force meanwhile entered its third day of snow-relief efforts, working to clear a key road linking a Niigata Prefecture town with a Nagano Prefecture village that have been isolated since Sunday's record snowfall.
In Tsunan, Niigata Prefecture, nine elementary and junior high schools held ceremonies to mark the beginning of the school term, two days later than scheduled.
One branch school, however, postponed the ceremony because a police helicopter that was to carry teachers to the isolated school was unable to fly due to strong winds.
The Japan Times: Jan. 13, 2006(C) All rights reserved

yet there are people freaking out over the LACK of snow on Mt Fuji, oh japan...
Experts say no reason to worry about lack of snow on top of Mount Fuji

The top of Mount Fuji is covered by little snow on Thursday. (Mainichi)The surface of the ground at the top of Mount Fuji is still exposed due to a lack of snow this season despite record snowfalls in other parts of the country that have killed dozens of people and disrupted transportation systems on the Sea of Japan coast.This winter's first snowfall on Japan's highest mountain was observed on Oct. 11 last year, 10 days earlier than the previous year. Japan saw an extremely cold New Year's Day with a massive amount of snow falling in many parts of the archipelago.Nevertheless, there has since been little snow on Mount Fuji because of a lack of precipitation in areas along the Pacific coast of the Tokai and Kanto regions in central and eastern Honshu, the Meteorological Agency said.The amount of rain in December was zero in Shizuoka, as compared with 59.6 millimeters on average, and 3.5 millimeters in Tokyo as compared with the normal of 39.6 millimeters, according to the agency. Mount Fuji stands on the border of Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures.There has been little rain because of a winter atmospheric pattern of western high and eastern low. The atmospheric pattern causes cold winds to blow from the continent into areas along the Sea of Japan coast. Since such winds have gathered moisture after absorbing steam from the sea, they form rain clouds. The rain clouds develop into thunderclouds after hitting mountains in inland areas of Honshu, bringing heavy snow to areas along the Sea of Japan coast.The winds that become cold and dry after causing snowfalls then blow into districts along the Pacific coast.Even though it has snowed on Mount Fuji this season, the snow was blown away by strong winds caused by the winter atmospheric pattern.The Shizuoka Local Meteorological Observatory forecasts that the winter atmospheric pattern will ease from Friday to Sunday and allow a low-pressure system to pass along the south coast of the Japanese archipelago, possibly bringing snow to the Tokai and Kanto areas."If the forecast proves correct, the top of Mount Fuji may be covered in snow," an observatory official said.Experts have dismissed presumptions that the lack of snow is a sign of a volcanic eruption."No irregular seismic data regarding Mount Fuji have been observed and its volcanic activity is quite stable. There is no correlation between snow and volcanic activity. It's simply a meteorological phenomenon," said Toshitsugu Fujii, professor at the University of Tokyo's Earthquake Research Institute. (Mainichi)January 12, 2006
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私はうれしい！ that says... I am Happy!!

got a new computer for Christmas, I am in love with it!! I can even type in 日本語！大好きですよ！Still getting it lined up with my programs and personalizing it, but this baby is rocking my world right now... it has been too long...