1. When we were on our flight from Tokyo to LA, the pilot came back to say hello to all the children. Being Japanese, his English was a bit limited, but he was able to have a very light conversation with us. I told L "look, it's the pilot, can you say hello?" She looked awestruck and got super bashful, not saying anything to him. I prompted her "L, this is the pilot, what do you say to him?" She then squeezed one eye shut, looked right at him, and went "ARRRR!" Apparently, she thought I said pirate instead of pilot. Oh dear. I was dying laughing, and once Mom translated what happened to the pilot, and he started laughing too. Oh what a moment!
2. My uncle (that lives with my grandmother) is completely cut off from the rest of the world. With the economy the way it is, his factory isn't running anymore. He spends all day doing stuff around the house and "taking care" of my grandmother. I say taking care in quotations because he basically sticks her in a room by herself, ignores her requests or conversational attempts with him, and feeds her. It's really sad to watch. I'm glad that my aunt lives nearby to come by and check up on her, and that she goes to senior daycare, because otherwise she'd be cut off from humanity as well. My uncle doesn't have any friends that he spends time with, has Internet but never uses it, doesn't get the newspaper, and just turns on the TV for background noise. To be honest, he really doesn't know what's going on in the world, the country, or even his own backyard. Sad.
3. My grandmother's house has a landline and that's it. No cell phone. No Internet. No cable TV. Nothing. It's so very backwards from the very-connected Japanese society as a whole. It makes me wonder if it's just the younger generation that is that connected.
4. We had two earthquakes while we were there: Wednesday night (6.1) and Friday morning (5.2). I slept through the 6.1 (at 9pm, lol!), but woke up for the 5.2 (3:30am). It felt like someone was making the floor vibrate and everything in the house was rattling. I think I said previously that it sounded like a large train was going by right outside, and it did. Kind of disconcerting. Also, Japan has this awesome earthquake/tsunami alert system that the US should adopt: it basically cuts into every TV, radio, and cell phone in the area to be affected and tells them what happened, approximately when it will hit, and what people should do to evacuate/get ready. It's one of the reasons why so many people were able to evacuate the Sendai/Fukushima area prior to the March 2011 tsunami (though 20,000 people still died, it could have been much much worse).
5. The childrens' shows were hilarious. They broadcast in 15-minute increments (perfect!), and one that L and E loved involved a Barney-esque show that featured chairs. Yes, chairs. It was bizarre. There was also a show done in very simple English to teach little ones English. I joked to my mom that this must be where washed-out American actors went to get work, because it was all Americans featured on the show showing the children how to do things in English.
6. SUMO! There was a tournament going on while we were there, so every afternoon we go to watch the tournament on TV. I love me some fat men pushing each other around in a circle.
7. The toilet seat was heated at my grandmother's house. When it's 50F in the house, it is a very welcome comfort. :)
8. There are no street signs on side streets. Apparently you're just supposed to know what street you're on. It amazes me that the mail ever gets delivered knowing this.
9. The bakery down the street was AMAZING. The chocolate croissants alone are worth returning to Japan for. I haven't found chocolate croissants in any American bakeries I've visited! They also used whole cream, real fruit, and everything had a slight taste of fresh butter to it. So. Freaking. Good.
10. Japanese porta potties are amazingly better than their American counterparts. I mean, where else do you find stainless steel, plumbed, sinks, and towels to dry your hands?!??
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| Porta potty! |
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