So I'm Definitely American

So Japan's really different from the US, and I don't mean just the fact that the cars drive on the wrong side of the road and everyone speaks Japanese. I mean, things that are totally normal in the US (like waiting in an ORGANIZED LINE), are as foreign as I am. Here's a short list of some things that have struck me as different:

The line thing- the cafeteria is frightening. There's no such thing as a line. There are stations, like any other cafeteria where you go to get a certain kind of food, but instead of waiting in line for your turn, if you want food, you must push or be pushed. I'll have an almost full tray in my hands, be waiting patiently behind someone at the counter, and someone else will just push right in front of me without so much as a "sumimasen" (excuse me). I have to be just as aggressive, but I can't help but say excuse me as I fight for my food. I don't know if this is a Japan thing or just APU, but it's bringing out my survival instincts.

Yelling in the stores- store clerks scare me. I've been shopping a few times in the mall and some other shops, and every time without fail, a clerk will catch me off guard and startle me with a "IRRASSHAIMASE SHITSURESHIMASU!" which is like "welcome, honored customer". It's not that they say it, It's that they yell it at me. I'm just shopping! And it's not only when I enter, but anytime a clerk sees me. I feel like I'm in a war zone dodging explosives! I just want to shop in peace! lol.

And the shoes come off- in the weirdest places. Like when you enter a changing room, you have to take off your shoes! I kind of like to wear my shoes so I know what the clothes look like with shoes. and the other weird place is the dentist.
Story time: I went on an adventure today! I'm really proud of myself: I made it all the way downtown on the bus to the dentist's office on my own and they didn't speak English. I've had sores in my mouth (which happens from time to time due to diet change, sleep irregularity, and stress- all of which is going on right now- sorry mouth sores are really gross and most probably don't want to hear about it XD), and was told my the school heath clinic (where no one speaks English) to go find this dentist downtown. They gave me a general location and the hours. I got on the bus, got off and Kanagawa station, and tried to find a sign written in kanji (hooray for reading kanji!). It took me about 15 minutes to realize that it was right in front of me because the buildings all look like houses! So I went inside and was greeted by PLASTIC SLIPPERS. I had to take my shoes off in the dentist's office! So I put on some purple plastic slippers and proceeded to the info desk. The sign "Information" was the only sign in English in the whole place. Sigh. So, the dentist came up, and I handed him a paper the school had given me in order to explain my predicament. My Japanese is good enough to understand his questions, explain that my Japanese isn't very good, ask him if he spoke any English (which he didn't, but he said my Japanese was good!) and follow instruction. I explained what the problem was, and I was directed to the chair. I got a blanket at my seat! That was nice. The rest of the appointment continued as it would in the US, but with a lot more hand motions. My charades skills are gonna be awesome by the time I get home. He prescibed a gel and told me to apply it three times a day for one week and I should be cured. He handed me a card, written in Japanese with more information. I told him I understood the information on the card, he was impressed, and I was satisfied. I paid my 2,930円 (about $32US) an traded my slippers for my shoes again. Long story short: I survived the trip relying completely on my sorry language ability, was complimented by the dentist, and had to take my shoes off.

Drinking anywhere is OK- like Adam said in the last post, drinking in public is acceptable. The drinking age is 20 which is pretty strictly enforced. BUT most places don't check IDs of foreigners. Apparently we age faster than Asians, so we just look older. I might look 26 to a cashier here and haven't been carded once. Some Americans in our group are taking advantage of this fact and walking down the street with drinks in their hands. Some got drunk, hung out in front of the mall, ran into one of our Japanese professors, and it was totally cool. That doesn't happen in the US.

So that's all I can think of. I'm pretty wiped from my hypertension-inducing adventure to the dentist's office.

Class is going great. We have 4 different senseis (teachers) for Adam's and my level. The punk-rocker Iwamoto sensei Adam mentioned, a nice but spastic young female Muroi sensei who is way too genki (energetic) for 8:45AM, Sudo sensei who makes us all feel stupid when she talks too fast, and Ueda sensei is is more like a nice grandmother. She speaks quietly with a very smooth rhythm and I can't help but fall asleep. Pretty good mix of teacher types.

Fashion in Japan is baffling me. People wear the weirdest stuff, and it's cool! I consider myself a pretty regular dresser, but here, I stick out as AMERICAN because of how I dress (and my skin, eyes, and language...). I went shopping for hours yesterday trying to figure it out, but I'm still not sure what's cool. That's one of my goals: figure out this fashion thing and master it.

ALSO: There's a fabric store in the mall. Legit. I want to buy some of their cool Asian printed cottons...if only I can figure out how to ask for a fabric amount in meters...weird.

I ended up buying two skirts, a shirt, and some thigh-high stockings. I already feel like i'm blending...

Last night I went on an American-food hunt. I found Italian bread, strawberry preserves, and peanutcream. It's not peanut butter, but it's awesome. Kind of like peanut butter jelly- it has a jellified texture. I made a PP&J, found some chocolate chip cookies and milk, and did my homework. Today there was a stand outside of our dorm selling vegetable pizza. I of course bought one because I haven't tasted cheese in over a week. ALSO, I haven't use a fork in a week! They handed me a fork when I moved in, and it hasn't moved from the place I put it when I got here. Chopsticks all the time. I'm getting really skilled in the way of the chopstick.

I miss my friends, family, coworkers, etc, and American TV shows (Secret Life od the American Teenager isn't licensed in Japan, so I haven't been able to access the new season yet...boo). If anyone has any questions or anything, please comment on our posts. I'm starting to wonder if people are reading this...

XOXO Becky