Well, you know how things go; you experience them, try to make a mental note and post them in your blog, but for some reason they never make it there.
So here are some weird or silly things I forgot to mention earlier.
- One of the things you'll likely to encounter is being mistaken for an American. A certain percentage of the Japanese isn't very fond of Americans (I wonder why...), and if you're looking Caucasian, you're automatically American until proven otherwise. So, some of us, including me, had t-shirts, stating in Japanese that they were Dutch, not some American barbarian. It's a big hit with the locals, and guaranteed to get people looking and not watching where they're going as an added bonus.
So, here I was, walking through Dejima in Nagasaki with René, when this Caucasian looking guy approached me and said with an obvious American accent: "I like your t-shirt."
Oops.
Luckily, the guy took it lightly, proving my shirt wrong. That's OK, it's meant as a disarming joke and to be able to walk through Nagasaki and Hiroshima without old people looking disgusted at you.
- For those who believe women don't notice their skirts being so short, it rather looks like a big belt instead of a skirt; think again. They know.
Not that I mind though; when I got on the escalator to the Kagoshimachuo station, a girl was standing in front of me, about five steps ahead.
I can safely say that the colour of her panties did match the colour of her skirt. ;)
- I'm proud to say I visited McDonald's only twice in Japan; once for a milk shake and once to visit the toilet.
There is something gaijin about going to McDonald's in a country that's laden with fine and cheap restaurants, serving excellent food, yet here you go and grab some McStuff.
- Somehow, I attract dirty old guys. Eeeeeuw.
I was walking through Shibuya, Tokyo, when this (slightly drunk) guy came up to me, asked me for my nationality (I didn't wear one of my special shirts that day) and wanted me to get back to his apartment with him.
I think not.
Later in Okayama, I had almost the same thing happen to me. What's with these guys?
Next time, I'll equire if they have a nice 17y/o daughter sitting there before I kick their butt. ;)
(somehow, the most ugly guys seem to have the most beautiful daughters; I have no idea how that would be genetically possible.
- On Sakurajima, we visited an onsen; I already mentioned that.
What I didn't mention, is that when I went into the sea, adjacent to the bath, a big wave came, picked me up and dumped me on the rocks. As a result, the skin on my ankle got cut, and I couldn't continue my bath anymore. (blood in the bath is a big no-no)
- Even longer skirts do not necessarily obscure undergarments; at one point, I got accidentially flashed by a schoolgirl flapping her skirt up and down to get some cool air down there.
- Numerous people couldn't stifle a laugh upon reading my shirts, and one time, a girl was busy telling something to the general public when she noticed my shirt, after which she lost track of her speech.
At the airport, one guy poked his co-worker, pointing out my shirt. He was very surprised when I let him know I actually am capable of speaking and understanding a little Japanese, and understood what they said. :)
- Otaku smell. Really. For all of you who take pride in saying you're otaku, just don't.
At times, I wished I wasn't as prone to sweating like I am, purely to avoid being mistaken for a full-blown otaku, which is already difficult when you have my physique (let's just say I'm big-boned) and are walking through Akihabara, carrying numerous plastic bags.
- Cicadas are terribly noisy. And big, but not too big; about 5cm or so.
It's astounding to hear the amount of noise coming from a bug like that.
- Disney apparently is releasing another Finding Nemo, but this time with a lion. (I saw the trailer when I went to see Gedo Senki)
- The amount of money the Japanese spend on electricity must be giganormous. At one time, I was walking along the street in Harajuku, when a wall of cool air hit me. I looked to the left, and saw the doors to a rather expensive shopping mall standing wide open, the cool air coming from the airconditioning inside.
This happened several times.
That's it for now; more things like this when I remember more of them. ;)
Cheers, K.