HAPPY CHRISTMAS SMILE LIFE!

I don't know what it is but Japan seems to skim the very top off the materialism and tackiness of American holidays to take for themselves. My mother can attest to some of this, but Christmas "decorations" displayed and sold here are limited to inflatable Mickey Mouses and dancing tabletop Santas. I'm used to it, but it appalls my Swedish roommate who claims they only use white lights, candles, and greenery where she's from. Of course Christmas has even less spiritual significance to this non-Christian nation, whose people usually spend the holiday eating KFC with friends. But I found it so funny when I walked into the local supermarket and was greeted by a huge inflatable Santa Claus, Japanese kids excitably bouncing around it, grateful for this novelty within the familiar grocery trip routine. One child was punching the lights out of poor Mr. Claus like he was out for revenge, but his victim always waved back to shape. I smiled knowingly at them, as though I as an American was doing them a favor by lending them our precious bobbing air-giants. They stared mesmerized back at me before, of course, saying "HELLOW!"

Yes, America, I ate raw chicken.

My face was blazing red from the izukaiya's flourescence, the bowling alley curse, and the new winter's 3 AM chill. We pedaled in pairs alongside an unsightly man-made stream, unconcerned at that hour about women rounding corners with babies and eggs in their bicycle baskets. Yuuki--whose parents didn't tell him until high school that they were actually Korean--told me, "I love cultural exchange" and I gladly accepted my position as wise informant on the differences between Japan and America. Crime, uh, situations for women, um, fashion? I could no longer hear the other pairs speaking amongst themselves, but I listened to Yuuki advise, "Do not be shy to use Japanese. It is nice to try. When I go to Australia over the summer, I think my Japanese--I mean English--was so bad but I had to try." Yuuki is a young man who hates the thought of it but will likely end up in a semi-traditional Japanese male career path. His major is English and he also attends an English Speaking school, so his language skills will be highly marketable in the business world. I watched him with his girlfriend last night; she flirted much more with the redhead guy but Yuuki didn't seem to mind, or notice. I wonder what will happen to them, or her more specifically. As he and I huffed up the final hill of the home stretch, vertical on our bikes, now completely alone, I told him, "I (pant) would never (pant) feel safe riding (pant) my bike at 3 AM (pant) at home (gulp)." He just laughed, knowing I was talking about a feeling he'd never really have. "I think it's cool that you got through the application process to study abroad. You have to work very hard, and it's cool that you got to Japan. I just, I just really respect you guys. I have so much respect for you." I almost handed the man a tissue, but just smiled and said with the last leg pump to the hill's crest, "Finally, it's down-hill" and we both knew at that moment that nothing could feel better than riding full speed down that hill towards our beds.

I can't believe it is already November 18th. It absolutely doesn't seem possible. The past two weeks have been so busy that I forgot to think about the dates. I have only three weeks left of classes, one week of finals, and one week of saying my goodbyes to Japan for good. Unreal.

Once upon a time I was being carried through a crosswalk in Umeda (Osaka's northern downtown) by the bustle of youthful nightlife, and I laughed and thought I could never imagine my parents in Japan. Nothing against my parents, or Japan, but I knew it was a place they would likely never go had I not had the unreasoning to come here myself. Yet they came and they conquered, McClain/Dennis Rodman in tow.

Despite my dad's constant struggle with the pronounciation of "arigatoo gozaimasu", I think they fared pretty well and hopefully took some of the experience home with them. I will also take some of the experience home with me in the form of a nice new coat. Thanks Mommy, I've gotten many compliments.

My 3 favorite dudes.

So now it is autumn in Japanland. Yesterday several of us went to the Ginkakuji (Silver) Temple in Kyoto to witness the land's changing colors. The weather was gorgeous and almost warm on our trek down the Philosopher's Walk, and right before sunset we reached the tree mountains surrounding the temple and got a view of the city below. We later met up with Japanese friends and Corey had a blast teaching them even more party games that somehow work cross-culturally (Umbrella, i.e.). They're particularly fond of Kemps, a card game, so I ended my night by winning the last match with my partner Nagi, who calls me Andy.


Classes are becoming more demanding, as is always the end-of-the-year trend. Especially in my Japanese language classes, grammar and kanji are becoming more complicated but they're moving us just as fast. I have enjoyed learning Japanese but I know I'll discontinue my studies of it once I return to the states. I can only handle one long-distance relationship anyway.


I just received a call from Andrew Sartorius on my computer. If you're interested in his own story of Japan, visit his blog by clicking here.

Kuruma Fire Festival, Kuruma, Kyoto, 10/22/07:



Corey, Panda Skeleton on Train, 10/31/07:

"The Lock-Up", Shiji, Kyoto, 10/31/07:


I dressed as an old-fashioned golfer using the clothes I have plus a beret, pom pom, crazy checkered socks, and broom-turned-club. I don't think many Japanese got it, but maybe I could have done better with it. The restaurant was decorated as a dungeon, with black lights, cages, people running around banging on the cages and screaming, that sort of thing... It was interesting to celebrate an American holiday that was brought to Japan just in the 80s by Tokyo Disneyland. Many of the Japanese people in the photo above were not inclined to dress up too much, but there were many who weren't so shy.


I just registered for my spring courses at Wooster this morning. If my anthropology courses I took abroad count toward my major, I will hardly have any sociology left to take besides Statistics and I.S. That's too much freedom! It's strange, sad, and terrifying to see the end in sight already. Maybe I'll stay a college student forever.

Hope your Halloweens were SPOOKtacular, or at least FANGtastic. Happy Birthday again to Aunt Kay, and Happy November to all.