My Quick Getaway is Enabled

Everyone here is posed for their getaway, Italian Job style. Pulling out of a parking spot is fast and easy, despite the narrow footprints and turning radii. This is because the Japanese incessantly reverse cars into spots, so the nose is always pointed out and ready to run. Much like Japanese shoes when you enter a home (remember to turn them so the toes are turned away from the wall - otherwise, a little old Japanese fairy comes along and mysteriously does this for you, perfectly aligning them amongst other pairs).

I have read a little about this - I ain't got nothin' but time on most days - and apparently there are plenty of studies on the subject. It turns out that us Americans will all die in a sad unchoreographed dance of reversing cars if an emergency should ever arise. Safety and traffic flow studies continuously prove that if all cars exited by pulling forward (i.e. park backwards), the world would be a better place. A utopia, if you will. Visibility and clearance are paramount in the Japanese way of parking.

And everyday people seem to agree that they have more time at the end of the day to spend the extra 15 seconds parking in reverse and appreciate a quick start in the morning by just pulling forward. There is also a vanity argument that cars just plain look better from the front (although Japan indeed is not a rear-obsessed culture by any means... because they don't have any... zing!).

Alas, I have taken to reversing my car into spots, not only to respect the uniformity that the Japanese find important, but because I have to admit it is just plain easier. Meep meep.

Hey Pretty Laaadies

This past weekend, we took a nerd photo of the Gauntlet Spouses so our hubbies can look at our pretty faces in the ready room. Of course this photo is invalid in less than a month as we are always losing/gaining new folks in the squadron, but its a nice idea.


I think the Japanese would be impressed with our uniformity. However, it did lend itself to be a bit embarrassing when many of us went on similar errands after the photo and other patrons at the grocery store were doing double takes.

We'll Try the Fist Bump Next Time...

I've always been a big hand shaker. Its kind of like a reflex when introduced to someone new (unless I have drink in one hand and food in the other - in this case, I jokingly shrug my shoulders and inform the person I would shake their hand but am tied up at the moment - come to think of it, this happens often - hmmm). So I find I'm in an interesting position here in Japan where hand shaking is foreign in practice. In the rare cases hands are offered in return, they are usually limp and contact lasts for a few seconds, or they are very grasping and continue well beyond the typically 2 or 3 "ups and downs" that I've come to expect as standard from a solid shake.

I believe I've finally gotten into a groove with introductions now. If they are students of mine or of friends, I will shake their hands since they understand this is the practice and they usually provide a rehearsed chorus of "Nice to meet you." Otherwise, the slight bow is the way to go. Especially with women. (Don't want to crush their tiny bird-like hands with my giant American man hands anyways.)

There is something to be said for introductory bowing - it comes across respectful rather than a "I don't want to touch your dirty hands" kind of way. Buuut I'm pretty sure its mostly the latter sentiment, veiled with the respectful tradition.

Prost!

This past weekend, some friends and I went over to Yokohama (second largest city in Japan, but closer than Tokyo) to attend Oktoberfest. Erik and I stumbled upon the festival last Fall while I was visiting and it was a great time, so it made perfect sense to get a group of gals to go again this year.

It was such a beautiful sunny day - perfect to kick back with some delicious beers and nosh on some German goodies. I saw some Japanese eating schnitzel and sausage with chopsticks (hashi) which was amusing (yet impressive), but there were forks and knives for the rest of us to dig in. I think our intake of beer surpassed intake of food, but that made things all the merrier! Towards the end of the evening, we were dancing and clinking steins with the locals.

Video from 3:00p (phase 1: Enjoying beer and atmosphere):


And video from 9:00p (phase 2: I love you man! Lets dance!):

(Not sure why all the gaijin stand in the front)

The only drawback of the event is that the lines at the different beer and food vendors are quite long, but perhaps its a good thing since it slows down the rate of consumption! Also distressing is the fact that all the port-a-potties were squat-a-potty style. If you think port-a-potties are already hygienically challenged, visit one of these to feel better (or worse, as it were).

Oktoberfest at Yokohama runs through next weekend. If interested in checking it out, its near Aka Rengo Soko (The Red Brick Warehouse) and we each spent probably about 5000 to 7500 yen for the day on beer, food, train, etc. We took the Sotestu line to Yokohama and then transferred to the Minato Mirai subway line.

Say Hi to Your Mother for Me...

Andy Samberg is always hilarious and his digital shorts are one of the reasons we still watch Saturday Night Live. Once in a while, he ends up in a live skit and he, again, makes everything worth while. I find myself giggling out loud at this Mark Wahlberg impression everytime I watch it. Is was spot on. Omoshiroi (hilarious)!

(PS: Because SNL actually plays on Sunday nights here, its still okay to abbreviate it as SNL.)