a country of contradictions
i think that maybe it's my recent trip to the bathroom which has induced these remarks:
it's something that many gaigin (foreigners) living in japan talk about quite a bit. we have the opportunity to see things quite objectively, being such fish out of water.
ok, i'm not talking specifically about toilets or anything that has to do with bodily functions, but i bring up the fact that i just went to the bathroom as a example of what i mean when i say a country of contradictions.
there is no central heating in japan. or, at least it's not a standard thing on honshu or kyushu. i've heard that they do up in hokkaido, where they experience winters similar to central canada, but for the most part, the japanese rely on little mini heaters to heat up the chosen sectioned off part of the house (or, room).
so, in my trek from the heater-heated teacher's room to the non-heated bathrooms, i walk through a non-heated hallway, where i can see a fresh cloud of steam coming out of my mouth with each breath i take.
the whole experience is quite an agonizing one - until i manage to finally get in the cubicle and sit down...to a nicely heated toilet seat. and you don't have to stay at the keio puraza hoteru in tokyo to experience a heated toilet seat - i have one in my apartment.
while we're on the subject of bathrooms, it's also the case that women do not let anyone hear them pee. in fancier places, there is a button which hosts a previously-recorded 'bathroom medley - ie, the sound of water running', which you press right before you are about to create your own 'bathroom medley'. in regular places without such a extravagances (such as in the toilets at school), the teachers will all flush the toilet just as they are about to pee, so that no one will hear them. yet, they have no qualms about the sound of expelling other bodily fluids - like phlegm, for instance. they will hork and hork and hork until the cows come home, right in front of you, and in the middle of a conversation.
it's something that many gaigin (foreigners) living in japan talk about quite a bit. we have the opportunity to see things quite objectively, being such fish out of water.
ok, i'm not talking specifically about toilets or anything that has to do with bodily functions, but i bring up the fact that i just went to the bathroom as a example of what i mean when i say a country of contradictions.
there is no central heating in japan. or, at least it's not a standard thing on honshu or kyushu. i've heard that they do up in hokkaido, where they experience winters similar to central canada, but for the most part, the japanese rely on little mini heaters to heat up the chosen sectioned off part of the house (or, room).
so, in my trek from the heater-heated teacher's room to the non-heated bathrooms, i walk through a non-heated hallway, where i can see a fresh cloud of steam coming out of my mouth with each breath i take.
the whole experience is quite an agonizing one - until i manage to finally get in the cubicle and sit down...to a nicely heated toilet seat. and you don't have to stay at the keio puraza hoteru in tokyo to experience a heated toilet seat - i have one in my apartment.
while we're on the subject of bathrooms, it's also the case that women do not let anyone hear them pee. in fancier places, there is a button which hosts a previously-recorded 'bathroom medley - ie, the sound of water running', which you press right before you are about to create your own 'bathroom medley'. in regular places without such a extravagances (such as in the toilets at school), the teachers will all flush the toilet just as they are about to pee, so that no one will hear them. yet, they have no qualms about the sound of expelling other bodily fluids - like phlegm, for instance. they will hork and hork and hork until the cows come home, right in front of you, and in the middle of a conversation.
posted by Justine at 8:42 p.m.
7 Comments:
Esther's mum, actually. I love these blogs. They are really interesting. Yes, Esther, even your ups and downs. What does Irasshai mean, Justine? Have you told Gillian about the blog? That way we could indirectly communicate!
Really, Canada is the only country I have ever lived in that has decent central heating. I keep telling my parents, it's minus 22, and they think it must be hell on earth, multiplying by 5 or more their own discomfort in the draughty house endowed with the odd radiator covered in wet sweaters steaming up the windows. They just never believe me when I say it's warm here - ok, Pascale, I know, not number 1 Givins. And I do remember people not taking their coats off in your kitchen (or ours) on Arthur St. North either.
Mireille - yes, in fact i quote my mother's last email, "justine, aren't you glad that you grew up in a house that was kept at such a low temperature?". i suppose so that the bitter cold of japanese households didn't come as a shock.
i will ask her to join this blog - although it must wait until she returns from india.
'irasshai' means 'welcome'. here in japan whenever you walk into a shop, restaurant or grocery, you will be greeted with a multitude of whiney, high-pitched "irrasshaimaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen".
this little exchange is so hilarious- i can't stop laughing.
What's Gillian doing in India???
Well, Est, I see you're still alive. That's a relief. These blogs are turning out to be more time-consuming than MSN!
Watch out Justine, you better get yo mama on or else the prootam/truong clan will take over your blog..
i can't write much, because it's past noon and i haven't started working yet. oi, these blogs. but i am really enjoying your blog! it's a fantastic distraction.
bub, i know! marijke is even getting our mum's confused!
i'm glad you like my blog. please keep posting! do you have a blog?
nico - i happened to discover a heated blanket stored away in my cupboards the other day. and it has created nights of absolute bliss since its discovery. i highly recommend you pick one up.
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