One thing I have noticed since being here is a suprising calmness in not knowing what is going on around me and the fun I am having figuring things out. Not speaking more than a few words of Japanese means that I am in a bit of a vacuum when it comes to communication. For example, in the grocery store yesterday, the checkout woman cheerfully said many words to me. Being the polite person I am supposed to be in Japan, my response was simply to shake my head and smile, not understanding a word of what she was saying. She then proceeded to take my things out of the little hand cart and ring it up, placing it gently into another little hand cart. When finished, she placed three plastic bags in the cart along with my purchases. I looked around wondering what to do. Do I get to take the little hand cart home with me? Perhaps I pack up my groceries myself, but where? In front of the checkout counters there is a shelf where people go after they pay. For some, this is for heating up the prepared food they have just purchased as there are microwaves lining the walls above. For me, it was the place I was supposed to stand and pack up my things into the plastic bags. Ah ha!!
Another area where I am blissfully enjoying my ignorance is in reading labels. I am a fairly health conscious person - not obsessing, but checking out labels for the least amount of additives, sugar, salt, etc. No luck here, because all of the labels look like this:
So, no more reading labels for me!! I figure since Japanese people have the highest life expectancy of anyone, they must be doing something right.
Speaking of food, this is Arny turning on the oven for the first time:
In his hand is one of the very valuable instruction sheets we have lying around the apartment. It is a combination oven and microwave and you have to push the right button or you nuke whatever it is you want to cook, or visa versa.
Coming soon - the answers to many of your "toilet" questions - the mystery of all of those mysterious buttons is being solved as I write...
2 comments:
looks like arnie is giving the oven "the finger". seems like something i would after i realized that "talk to the bunny" didn't assuage my frustrations.
as a nutritionist, i embrace your label reading strategy. i haven't looked at the labels on drakes cakes for years.
sent out your mail yesterday. you should have it by the 18th.
Hey Jennifer,
I found one of those online language translator sites and I thought this would be helpful if you wore this on one of those "Hello My Name Is..." badges to the grocery store.
残念、 私はJapanseを話さない。 私は恥じている。Which means "Sorry, I do not speak Japanse. I am ashamed."
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