Rolling Right Along

2014年05月14日

Every meal I have had on this trip has been absolutely delicious!  The house I'm staying in is a lot larger than I had expected for a Japanese home, and it's extremely pleasant to stay in.  I even take Japanese-style baths each night and sleep on the floor, which I have found to be much more comfortable than most western beds.

Before going to class, I was watching the tv and the programming stopped for 5 full minutes minutes during primetime broadcasting to lead people through stretches.  I've heard this happens a few times each day in Japan.  2 of the 3 instructors did the stretches from a seated position, to encourage the elderly and handicapped to participate.  I remember that many years ago Nickelodeon stopped airing shows for one full day to encourage children to play outside, yet this only happened once, so it was easier to change the channel than one's lifestyle.  The main difference with the stretches in Japan, is that they become routine, habitual.  Once something is a habit, like fastening the seatbelt, it is no longer a burden.  Wearing a seatbelt is something that the Japanese government still needs to push, though. I've noticed that most people do not use seatbelts while in the backseat, just like in Brazil.  Most people also do not use helmets while riding bicycles, which is not abnormal in the US, just a lot less common.

Today I took the bus to class and found out that every single bus turns its engine off each time it stops (either at a bus stop or a red light), rather than idling and wasting gas).  I also found that there was a change machine in the bus, so one is able to pay with exact change.  

After class, I went to a ramen shop and a movie theater with two of my teachers and another student.  The movie was Thermæ Romæ 2, which was a fictional story about a Roman architect who accidentally time-travelled to modern Japan and brought back the bathhouse practices and customs to ancient Rome.  It was based on a manga (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermae_Romae) I haven't read, and I didn't understand most of what was said, but I have found Japanese television and movies to be incredibly interesting and informative, if strange at times.  I have placed a few videos of Japanese television within the photo album that you may reach by following the link at the top of the blog.  I update the album with new pictures and videos much more frequently than blog posts, so check back often!

Anyway, after the movie, I biked home using the bicycle I am renting from the school.  One of my teachers lives near my Host family's house, so she biked back with me to make sure I didn't get lost.  That goes to show how devoted the teachers at WAHAHA are!  I am absolutely loving my classes.  To my knowledge, I am the youngest of the students at the school and the only American.  One of my two classmates is a Ukrainian anthropologist, who practices Iai-do (a martial art involving the use of a katana, which he often carries) and speaks Ukrainian, Russian, English, and Chinese, in addition to learning Japanese.  My other classmate is a Taiwanese factory manager for a European athleticwear company, who also speaks Chinese and English, in addition to learning Japanese.  The two other students I have met are from the UK and Germany.  Both of them also speak many languages, and the whole group is very interesting to talk to.