Chapter 29 - Mond 21st, Tues 22nd , Wed 23rd , Thurs 24th July
It’s been a busy week with workshops and English lessons. I have picked up another student and am having lots of fun being paid to talk!!! Go figure??
I knew all the talking I do ‘just naturally’ would come in handy on day.
I have never taught English and I am finding that my understanding of sentence structures and grammar is pretty good. I have never had to think about how I talked before!! I have had to learn to slow down though and it is interesting to note that if I talk in an American accent that people understand me better as they hear that accent more often and the vowel shapes are different to Aussie/English. Very curious!!
We are still having late nights not getting home till midnight or 1 am!!!
The way Japanese socialise is usually with their workmates after work. (That’s why the trains are still packed at midnight!) It is also ‘popular’ to have a hobby! So after our singing classes people ‘expect’ to socialise at a café afterwards. Since we start class at 6.30pm we are hungry by 9.00pm so we usually eat dinner have a drink and chat. There were 10 of us last night.
It’s a bit hit and miss as to what we eat as people tend to order for the table (still not sure how they all agree what we are going to eat - all very co-operative.) We had slimy raw octopus mixed in a salad – little sucker snuck in and I didn’t see him. (I swallowed my bit but Brian spat his out – I don’t think anyone saw him!!) Most of the food I really like and have only come across a couple of ‘slimy’ seaweeds and seafood that I am not keen on.
Everyone just eats and chats and orders more food if we are still hungry and at the end of the night the bill is all very quickly sorted and we are told what we owe. Sometimes it is about $10 per head and other nights it could be around $30 per head. Just depends on the restaurant and what we eat.
So we are in a place of trust most of the time. It’s an adventure!
I met Kyu-chan for her English lesson before class sitting outside ‘Starbucks’ and we had an errand to run before we started. She had been writing up a chart on some cardboard with coloured textas, for the class and also had her coffee on the table. She stood up and started to take us to the Post office for our errand. I asked her if it was OK to leave all her things on the table?? She looked at me funny like I had asked her a silly question. I had to explain to her that in Australia or anywhere really, if you leave things unattended they have a tendency to be ‘gone’ on your return. She said that does not happen in Japan and I have to say that I have noticed the lack of ‘naughty’ behaviour here. The shops and supermarkets are all open with no ‘entry gates’ and you come and go as you please. No one would think to take an unattended bag and the general population are honest. There was a notice in the train that said “Stay back from the doors” with pictures meaning that if you get stuck in the doors you will be shamed by all the other people looking at you.
OK! I just wouldn’t want to get stuck in the door as it would hurt, people looking me wouldn’t bother me but then again I am Gaigin!!!
You don’t draw attention to yourself in that way so it is part of the culture.
It does feel very safe here.
We are off on the bullet train tomorrow, Friday, going to Tokyo for workshops and catch ups with lots of friends so we are really looking forward to that. So the next instalment won’t be for a bit as we don’t get back until next Tuesday. So enjoy the new photos and you will just have to wait for another instalment of “MARTINSSSSS INNNNNN JAPANNNN!”
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