So it looks like I've inherited the Cadwell knack for backing the wrong horse.
I chose Japan over Ireland based on the safety of the place, the mannerliness of the people, and the overall quality of life.
As my previous god-knows-how-many entries will show, all these wonderful things now seem to be going to the dogs. While at the same time, the Emerald Isle I abandoned is kicking ass and taking names:
It was reported over here that Ireland has come top in a worldwide ranking of the safest places for tourists to travel to. How do ya like them apples!
According to analysis by Norwich Union and some sort of large insurers' group, Ireland had fewer reports of pickpocketing, road accidents, food poisoning, violent crime, insect bites, and so on, and so on, than any other country.
I was pretty shocked about the country which came out worst in the poll: Poor old Thailand. I would guess that was mostly down to the dismal traffic safety and the variety of bugs which like to eat you over there.
But other results were interesting, too. The Czech Republic beat out Italy for pickpocketing, you're most likely to experience violent crime in South Africa, and the idea of 'Dehli Belly' though stereotypical, is well-deserved by India.
Overall I was really proud of little old Ireland. Y'all rock the tourism!
Like I said before, I'm going to try and keep the focus more positive from now on. But I'm starting to wonder if I shouldn't be thinking of moving back home - before a wonky North Korean missile lands on my balcony by accident, that is.
Thursday 13 July 2006
Monday 10 July 2006
Look at it sparkle
I am now plumbing the depths of boring blog entries. I have abolsutely nothing to say. So I decided to take a picture of my extractor fan and show you how it sparkles.Yes, that's the best idea I could come up with.
This weekend was a big old blah. The calm before the storm, you might say. Me and my guest are going to be busy over the coming weeks.
Anyway, I cut class today to clean my apartment. Things are always very tidy here at Cadwell Heights (see previous entry about OCD), but sometimes hygiene standards slip.
There's nothing like having a visitor coming to spur you on to action. I spent the weekend (and today playing hookie) cleaning behind the fridge, washing out the recylcle bins, clearing out cupboards and junk drawers, and of course de-greasifying the above extractor fan.
It was shameful - I think it is only the second time since I've been in this apartment that I cleaned the thing. And even then, I think I only did so last time because I had a visitor coming.
In my defense, because I never cook meat or fish (and never really 'cook' that much at all) it's never really that icky.
But now it's like a little sunflower smiling down at me as I prepare my morning coffee.
I'm not quite done with getting ready. The windows still need a good seeing to. I can't even remember the last time they saw a wet cloth! The thing is, in Japan we have earthquakes, so often our windows, especially in old apartments like mine, are smash-proofed with interlacing wires running through them. This means you can't even see out the darned things. But as a payoff I think the layers of grime are pretty well hidden too.
Big sis, you needn't feel too guilty about me staying home on the mitch today. It's not like I cleaned 24/7. I somehow managed to squeeze in sleeping in till 10am, two episodes of Southpark, reading the paper cover to cover, and a good session of yoga.
Nonetheless, when I inevitably fail my end of year exams, you are all most welcome to say that I have nobody to blame but myself! I will reform and study like a madman when my sis is gone to fill the gaping hole she will leave behind.
Sunday 2 July 2006
Danger! Danger! High Voltage...
While our Prime Minister, Koizumi, if off swanning around Graceland with Bush, there is a perception here at home that Japan is going to the dogs.
In the last two weeks, there have beeen several shocking new stories.
We've had a single mother (who is suspected to have abused and murdered her own child) go on to murder one of that daughter's little classmates. And this in a small country town of 1000 where people don't lock their doors, etc., etc.
We've had a sixteen-year-old boy who, it seems, was under terrible pressure from his father for academic success. Unable to cope with this very common 'Japanese' stress, the boy decided to punish his dad. The answer was arson. When his father was out at work and while his step mother and two step sisters were sleeping upstairs, the boy locked all the doors and windows and set fire to the lot. Ebing a wooden house, the family had no chance and died instantly. The boy showed no remorse, it was reported, and was captured on breaking into a stranger's house. Apparently he didn't want to miss a big match Japan was playing in the World Cup.
And then there last week we had the story of a rich girl kidnapped in broad daylight and held for ransom . Seriously this place is starting to feel like Colombia or something. The kidnapping story would nearly be funny for its amateurism, but it was deadly serious. The criminals, though inept, had an illegal Russian pistol and weren't afraid to use it. This is nigh unheard of over here and a very worrying trend. Luckily this had a happy ending with no-one injured and the kidnappee safely recovered.
Now I know I have to keep things in prespective. Japan is still very safe. I myself have no experience of crime, and, beyond a little burglary, none of the people in my circle do either.
What may be happening is just that crime is now more widely reported.
For example the papers said tlast week that the level of domestic abuse went up 20% last year in Japan. I really don't think the crime itself increased so much. I would say rather 'reports'of such crimes increased 20%.
For manyn many years, the idea of saving face and maintaining family honour meant that if something terrible happened to you, the first reaction was to try and cover it up. But now, with the traditional family unit breaking down, it seems that the true, dark undebelly of life in Japan is coming to light.
Like I said, I'm not going to get swept up in the mass media scare-mongering. But there is no denying this society is changing one way or the other.
I know, also, that my recent posts about Japan have been very negative. This is just a phase. As soon as my big sis gets over, I'll see the place through here eyes and fall in love with the country all over again.
In the last two weeks, there have beeen several shocking new stories.
We've had a single mother (who is suspected to have abused and murdered her own child) go on to murder one of that daughter's little classmates. And this in a small country town of 1000 where people don't lock their doors, etc., etc.
We've had a sixteen-year-old boy who, it seems, was under terrible pressure from his father for academic success. Unable to cope with this very common 'Japanese' stress, the boy decided to punish his dad. The answer was arson. When his father was out at work and while his step mother and two step sisters were sleeping upstairs, the boy locked all the doors and windows and set fire to the lot. Ebing a wooden house, the family had no chance and died instantly. The boy showed no remorse, it was reported, and was captured on breaking into a stranger's house. Apparently he didn't want to miss a big match Japan was playing in the World Cup.
And then there last week we had the story of a rich girl kidnapped in broad daylight and held for ransom . Seriously this place is starting to feel like Colombia or something. The kidnapping story would nearly be funny for its amateurism, but it was deadly serious. The criminals, though inept, had an illegal Russian pistol and weren't afraid to use it. This is nigh unheard of over here and a very worrying trend. Luckily this had a happy ending with no-one injured and the kidnappee safely recovered.
Now I know I have to keep things in prespective. Japan is still very safe. I myself have no experience of crime, and, beyond a little burglary, none of the people in my circle do either.
What may be happening is just that crime is now more widely reported.
For example the papers said tlast week that the level of domestic abuse went up 20% last year in Japan. I really don't think the crime itself increased so much. I would say rather 'reports'of such crimes increased 20%.
For manyn many years, the idea of saving face and maintaining family honour meant that if something terrible happened to you, the first reaction was to try and cover it up. But now, with the traditional family unit breaking down, it seems that the true, dark undebelly of life in Japan is coming to light.
Like I said, I'm not going to get swept up in the mass media scare-mongering. But there is no denying this society is changing one way or the other.
I know, also, that my recent posts about Japan have been very negative. This is just a phase. As soon as my big sis gets over, I'll see the place through here eyes and fall in love with the country all over again.
Technology in Japan
I will keep this short - see previous entry!
I just wanted to hear your opinion on how techonolgy is advertized in the west.
I was watching an ad yesterday. It got me to thinking that when technological products are marketed here in Japan, the company underlines how the item will affect your life emotionally.
To the best of my recollection, in Europe at least, when you see an advertisement for a new piece of technology, it's all about how fast it is, how powerful it is, how small it is, and so on.
But here in Japan, it's more like, you can use this camera to record your baby's smile (because you'll be working so hard it's the only way you'll ever see it). Or this mobile phone will help ressassure you your child has safely reached the school (because you won't have time to drop her off yourself). Or your daughter is too busy with studies to come and visit you, the aging parents, but this super-fast internet connection will keep your family bond from falling apart.
These are the stories lines of real ads over here. I can honestly say I have no idea what the specs are for any of these devices. But I sure know what sort of impact they are supposed to have on the emotional life of the customer.
Robots and artifical interreaction are everywhere over here. Kids get their first tamagotchi at the age of three or four and upgrade from their. Robots vacuum, dance and serve you drinks. ATMs bow to you, reversing trucks speak to you, gas cookers tell you when your pasta is boiled. Even pet robot dogs whine if you don't give them enough attention.
I think this is all a little uncomfortable for us in the west. We don't like machines playing with our emotions. We prefer to see them as simple tools. Or am I totally wrong here?
A funny aside. I went ot the Sony Centre in Ginza to check out the lastest version of the Aibo, a pet dog which mimics real canine behaviour to an incredible degree. I swear to God, I just touched the thing and it curled up and died, flashing a big 'recharge necessary' sign all up in my face. Whether natural or atricifical my paternal instinct is clearly short of the mark.
I just wanted to hear your opinion on how techonolgy is advertized in the west.
I was watching an ad yesterday. It got me to thinking that when technological products are marketed here in Japan, the company underlines how the item will affect your life emotionally.
To the best of my recollection, in Europe at least, when you see an advertisement for a new piece of technology, it's all about how fast it is, how powerful it is, how small it is, and so on.
But here in Japan, it's more like, you can use this camera to record your baby's smile (because you'll be working so hard it's the only way you'll ever see it). Or this mobile phone will help ressassure you your child has safely reached the school (because you won't have time to drop her off yourself). Or your daughter is too busy with studies to come and visit you, the aging parents, but this super-fast internet connection will keep your family bond from falling apart.
These are the stories lines of real ads over here. I can honestly say I have no idea what the specs are for any of these devices. But I sure know what sort of impact they are supposed to have on the emotional life of the customer.
Robots and artifical interreaction are everywhere over here. Kids get their first tamagotchi at the age of three or four and upgrade from their. Robots vacuum, dance and serve you drinks. ATMs bow to you, reversing trucks speak to you, gas cookers tell you when your pasta is boiled. Even pet robot dogs whine if you don't give them enough attention.
I think this is all a little uncomfortable for us in the west. We don't like machines playing with our emotions. We prefer to see them as simple tools. Or am I totally wrong here?
A funny aside. I went ot the Sony Centre in Ginza to check out the lastest version of the Aibo, a pet dog which mimics real canine behaviour to an incredible degree. I swear to God, I just touched the thing and it curled up and died, flashing a big 'recharge necessary' sign all up in my face. Whether natural or atricifical my paternal instinct is clearly short of the mark.
A Stinky Post
Well, we are still in the throes of rainy season. Think drippy, sweaty moistness 24 / 7... especially since God flicked the switch about a week ago and sent us up into the 30s every day. I had been predicting it would be a cool summer. What I don't know could fill a barn, I tell ya!
With my big sis's impending visit, I was hoping the weather wouldn't be too muggy. I honestly don't mind it that much myself but for the uninitiated it can be a challenge.
I also try to be a bit of a tree-hugger when it comes to the whole aircon thing. I avoid using it as much as possible. I really believe that all those conditioning systems running all day and night, using up so much power and pouring out hot air into the atmosphere crank up the temperature a good three or four degrees. I'm totally cereal! (Southpark fans will hopefully get the quote)
But when big sis arrives I say screw global warming. I'll have my apartment a dry and icy oasis for the two weeks she's here.
By way of parenthesis, I booked one night in a swanky hotel for the two of us in Tokyo right near the Imperial Palace. I am so excited. Probably way more than she is. We're only going away up the north on a tour for two days. It's a very early start so a Tokyo hotel will be way more convenient than schlepping in from the burbs. But with only this small break to look forward to, I feel like I'm getting ready to take another round the world trip. My life is clearly very sad and needs more excitement.
Back to the issue of the rainy season perma-mist.
So at this time of year it's practically impossible to get clothes dry. Friends from Lux (especially those now living in Israel) will know quite how dear 'good drying out' is to my heart.
Not only do we have to worry about our garments getting covered in mould around now, on the rare chances you have to whip the clothes out on the blacony, there's always the danger a bloody stink beetle will alight on them and do its worst. Yes, on top of earthquakes, typhoons, volcanoes and rainy season, we have bloomin' stink beetles to contend with.
A certain travelling companion of mine will know exactly what stink beetle smells like. Think vomit mixed with kerosene. While touring Western Australia together, she of the bright ideas couldn't bare to sleep with stink beetles near her and decided to take a brush and sweep them violently out of the room. Not a good idea. If left alone, they don't do too much harm. But if dragged and squished along a hard concrete floor, they tend to panic and release their pheromones. Needless to say the room we slept in that night was not the most pleasant smelling.
Not that I can crticise. I was not much help. In fact, I wasn't that much good for anything on that particular tour having given myself a good dose of alcohol poisoning there the first night. I need to go to my happy place. Seriously traumatic memories.
Here in Japan, I think my combats my have been the victim of the old stink beetle juice there the other day. I had left some laundry out over night, which is a major no-no at this time of year as that's when the bugs come out. I am also informed by my friend that it is very bad feng shue.
Anyway, I was in class and every now and then got a terrible whiff. I thought it was maybe from the carpet or something, but it followed me when I changed classrooms.
I then got really paranoid. I started to worry that it was coming from me. I mean from inside of me. I was starting to fear that you could actually catch old people smell.
You see the average age of my students is about 65, and the idea of elderly odour is a major topic in Japan right now. Seriously it's on the news, in magazines, in everyday conversation. There is a booming trade in measures to battle old people smell - special herbs and supplements, ointments, creams and even specially treated fabrics from which to make clothes.
Now don't get me wrong, Japanese people are incredibly hygienic. A daily bath is sacrosanct. But Japanese (especially older Japanese) are averse to using and cologne or fragrance. Ideally Japanese people prefer no smell at all, neither good nor bad. But as you age, your internal organs decay a little, your teeth and gums are not what they used to be, and even your hair and nails lose their condition. This can lead to an odour emanating from you which no amount of washing can change. I think in the west, this smell is often just masked. But here it's literally in your face.
So for a good few hours I was convinced I had somehow managed to join the ranks of the malodourous aged. I spend most of the time thinking my students have given me premature senility, so to think they'd given me old people smell too was not that much of a stretch.
But, that night, on closer inpection of my trousers (read almost wretching when I held them up to my nose) I figured an insect attack was the more likely explanation.
Now I realise this was a very long-winded post. But I was trying to make a point. You see a little birdie told me that my Mam tends to give up when the entries I make here are too long, and doesn't bother reading them at all! Only a mother's love... You never get a big head in my family, I'll tell you that. Mam, if you made it this far, I promise I'll keep posts brief from now on.
With my big sis's impending visit, I was hoping the weather wouldn't be too muggy. I honestly don't mind it that much myself but for the uninitiated it can be a challenge.
I also try to be a bit of a tree-hugger when it comes to the whole aircon thing. I avoid using it as much as possible. I really believe that all those conditioning systems running all day and night, using up so much power and pouring out hot air into the atmosphere crank up the temperature a good three or four degrees. I'm totally cereal! (Southpark fans will hopefully get the quote)
But when big sis arrives I say screw global warming. I'll have my apartment a dry and icy oasis for the two weeks she's here.
By way of parenthesis, I booked one night in a swanky hotel for the two of us in Tokyo right near the Imperial Palace. I am so excited. Probably way more than she is. We're only going away up the north on a tour for two days. It's a very early start so a Tokyo hotel will be way more convenient than schlepping in from the burbs. But with only this small break to look forward to, I feel like I'm getting ready to take another round the world trip. My life is clearly very sad and needs more excitement.
Back to the issue of the rainy season perma-mist.
So at this time of year it's practically impossible to get clothes dry. Friends from Lux (especially those now living in Israel) will know quite how dear 'good drying out' is to my heart.
Not only do we have to worry about our garments getting covered in mould around now, on the rare chances you have to whip the clothes out on the blacony, there's always the danger a bloody stink beetle will alight on them and do its worst. Yes, on top of earthquakes, typhoons, volcanoes and rainy season, we have bloomin' stink beetles to contend with.
A certain travelling companion of mine will know exactly what stink beetle smells like. Think vomit mixed with kerosene. While touring Western Australia together, she of the bright ideas couldn't bare to sleep with stink beetles near her and decided to take a brush and sweep them violently out of the room. Not a good idea. If left alone, they don't do too much harm. But if dragged and squished along a hard concrete floor, they tend to panic and release their pheromones. Needless to say the room we slept in that night was not the most pleasant smelling.
Not that I can crticise. I was not much help. In fact, I wasn't that much good for anything on that particular tour having given myself a good dose of alcohol poisoning there the first night. I need to go to my happy place. Seriously traumatic memories.
Here in Japan, I think my combats my have been the victim of the old stink beetle juice there the other day. I had left some laundry out over night, which is a major no-no at this time of year as that's when the bugs come out. I am also informed by my friend that it is very bad feng shue.
Anyway, I was in class and every now and then got a terrible whiff. I thought it was maybe from the carpet or something, but it followed me when I changed classrooms.
I then got really paranoid. I started to worry that it was coming from me. I mean from inside of me. I was starting to fear that you could actually catch old people smell.
You see the average age of my students is about 65, and the idea of elderly odour is a major topic in Japan right now. Seriously it's on the news, in magazines, in everyday conversation. There is a booming trade in measures to battle old people smell - special herbs and supplements, ointments, creams and even specially treated fabrics from which to make clothes.
Now don't get me wrong, Japanese people are incredibly hygienic. A daily bath is sacrosanct. But Japanese (especially older Japanese) are averse to using and cologne or fragrance. Ideally Japanese people prefer no smell at all, neither good nor bad. But as you age, your internal organs decay a little, your teeth and gums are not what they used to be, and even your hair and nails lose their condition. This can lead to an odour emanating from you which no amount of washing can change. I think in the west, this smell is often just masked. But here it's literally in your face.
So for a good few hours I was convinced I had somehow managed to join the ranks of the malodourous aged. I spend most of the time thinking my students have given me premature senility, so to think they'd given me old people smell too was not that much of a stretch.
But, that night, on closer inpection of my trousers (read almost wretching when I held them up to my nose) I figured an insect attack was the more likely explanation.
Now I realise this was a very long-winded post. But I was trying to make a point. You see a little birdie told me that my Mam tends to give up when the entries I make here are too long, and doesn't bother reading them at all! Only a mother's love... You never get a big head in my family, I'll tell you that. Mam, if you made it this far, I promise I'll keep posts brief from now on.
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