My favourite line in the whole thing is when they speak to the fellow who is going to be interpreting their wedding, and in discussing the preferred volume of music for them to enjoy the vibrations, he says; “If I know the deaf, they’ll just be talking anyway”.

Not only is it interesting on a dramatic level that this couple is interested in having their baby be what would normally be thought of as ‘impaired’, but what it really makes clear is how a language, and a form of communication constitutes entirely ones life. It questions entirely what a language is, and what it means to have a culture, or a way of life.

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What are the reasons a person would want to be deaf, or want someone to be deaf? Keeping in mind this is a question posed by someone who is very partial to what little hearing he has let after years of playing guitar too loud. The deaf community, by both choice and social obstruction, is obviously a very isolated and strong community.

By isolated, I mean strongly defined. That there is an obvious split between hearing and non-hearing people, for both sides. I say this not with any indecency in mind. It is merely the case that hearing and non-hearing people are separated by a host of social issues related to communication. Here is a physical issue with a person that is not related to gender, class or race (though of course these things are a factor), but instead the treatment of ‘them’ as a cultures has more to do with the complex notion of what we view as disability in general. (We might also be able to relate this to blindness, or motor paralysis in the same way, but hearing-impaired is especially interesting as it is directly communication related, all other aspects being equal.)

Somehow this occurs between the greater issues of gender or race, but remains a strong subset of social distinction. Furthermore it seemingly reworks our idea of what a language is, and more interestingly what a culture is.What is entirely articulates is how different a person’s world is given their form of communication. Their interests in being comfortable in their own language, and with their ‘own people’ so to speak. People that understand their predicament and are able to articulate and relate to the problems.

Although different, isn’t it interesting to relate this to somewhere such as Japan, in terms of culture/ethnic stake? That Japanese are living a certain life because not only their history, geography, economy has dictated it, but their language and for what that means in terms of the rules and boundaries that sets on a consciousness?

I’ve heard of WWOOF from friends in Canada, but was surprised that my friend Rhonda from Australia, ad fellow English teacher here in Japan, has been involved with them for the several months she’s been here. I had no idea that Japan had such a large population of independent farmers. Of course, it makes sense that there would be more independent than not, and more organically grown food than not, but one typically thinks of Japan as ‘uber-industrialised’ and therefore more ‘factory-farm’ oriented. Apparently, this is not at all the case. Perhaps, given the small land space, there is more opportunity for those farms with smaller areas.

A membership to WWOOF costs 5,500 Yen and lasts for a year. Each host has specific rules and regulations, but are all nicely organized and catalogued on the main WWOOFJapan website. If you plan on travelling Japan this might be a nice way to do some tourist-y things, and take a day or two to work in the dirt, get fed and well rested. Also, if you already live here, it might be a nice idea to take a few weekends away from the concrete and Rhonda recommends that it’s a wonderful way to learn Japanese.

I thought I’d touch upon a little activity I have become quite fond of here in the Japan. That activity is called カラオケ. Memorize these symbols carefully friends, for if you ever visit Japan, it will serve as an oasis of entertainment and life-long memories (as well as a cheap place to sleep!!). These symbols are the katakana for KA RA OH KE.

Karaoke is a completely different experience in Japan than from what I know back home. In Canada at least, we’re used to a karaoke machine in the corner of a bar or pub or at a wedding, etc. singers at random then preform for whatever crowd happens to occupy the large space that the machine occupies. It is definitely fun, but all together different than my experiences in Japan.

[Half of the Osaka Training Group - from left to right: Frank, Jed, Renzo and Myself. This was our last night together as a group and we absolutely made the best of it! For more, see the ‘more photos of Aaron’ section on the facebook]

When one goes out karaoke’ing for the evening, it is typically with a group of 3 to 10+ persons. Like going out on the town back home, the group will typically first go to eat. In Japan, my favourite of the evening eating establishments is the Izakaya (of which deserves an entire post on its own, so more later) which is something like a Pub that we’d be used to back home. After the eating and a decent amount of ‘priming’, so to speak, the group will then advance to a Karaoke establishment. Karaoke bars are much like restaurants, some are large corprate chains, some are sketchy hole-in the wall spots. Both of which can be either good or bad. In my experience, the chain ‘Big Echo’ has always been an excellent time.

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These establishments vary of course, but typically are equipped with a series of 3 x 6m rooms, some even have 2 or 3 floors of these rooms. They are numbered like hotel rooms, and what you find inside is a large U-shaped booth-like table (restaurant style), where the occupants sit around facing one another, and pointed toward the opposite end of the room which houses the all-important Karaoke machine. Prices on drinks and songs vary, but at Big Echo you book by the hour, and in those few hours, it is ‘all-you-can-drink’. This, I feel, is the greatest ‘bang for the buck’ if you will. Also, an important thing to note is that in some karaoke bars there is a price to stay ‘all night’, if you are in a bind for a place to stay, seriously consider camping out in a karaoke room! (more on living in japan on the cheap later in a later entry…)

A note about the K-machine itself, it is essentially a large television with what looks like a VCR and a large amplifier for the two connected microphones. From which, you control the level of the singer’s voices and the actual song playing. The reverb is absolutely cranked up, which makes for not only a richer and ‘bigger’ experience, but a hilarious one. The songs are selected by a table-top remote, of which is constantly being passed between the occupants, vigorously.
I was so impressed with the selection. Not only do they have almost all major North American pop-songs dating from now until the 70’s, but they also have all kinds of awkwardly horrible 80’s music, and awesome alternative music from the 90’s. This selection, at first daunting, has really gotten me thinking about how to have the best possible experience, which brings me to the delicate art…

My first song was “Where is My Mind” by the Pixies, and one would think that the point of the whole karaoke experience would be to show off your ‘Indie Cred‘. A kind of answering to the question “What’s the most unknown song from the 80’s to the present that is legitimately awesome, and you happen to know all the words to?” This would then impress your friends, show them that you are musically inclined and that you have a ‘hip’ and ‘with it’ understanding of what music is.

This initial inclination is entirely false. The art of karaoke has absolutely nothing to do with actual ’skill’ or ‘knowledge’ of music.

I more than quickly discovered the plethora of horrific 80’s music. By horrific, I mean awkward and passionate power ballads. Some of which are not always bad songs, but it is the amount of enthusiasm that you put into said song that will make it awkward and passionate. After the Pixies, and a brief stint with “Heartbeats” by The Knife, I gathered my wits and made my selections for what is now my On-going “JÅ«hachiban”, which is the equivalent to a ‘Top 40′ back home, except instead of 40, it’s 18 (Ju-hachi) songs that you love to whip out at any karaoke outing. So far these are my ’standards’, so to speak:

“The Power of Love” - Huey Lewis and the News

“Don’t Stop Believing” - Journey

“I Wanna Know What Love Is” - Foreigner (CURRENT FAVE!)

“Total Eclipse of the Heart” - Bonnie Tyler

“Dancing in the Dark” - Bruce Springsteen

“Psycho Killer” - Talking Heads

“Dare to Be Stupid” - Weird Al Yankovic

“Friday I’m In Love” - The Cure

“Take On Me” - A-Ha

“Love Will Tear Us Apart” - Joy Devision

This is merely a tentative list, it’s not even the standard 18 that every credible (okay, well, the few that i know anyway,) Japanese person has in their karaoke arsenal. It will grow, and transform and I shall keep you all updated on this extremely crucial new aspect to my life.

The point is that karaoke in Japan is a much more social experience, it’s more about the small group that you are outing with, instead of an audience of complete strangers that you might sing to. It’s a bit of a bonding experience and so far I have never had a bad time. The only complaint I have is that I haven’t found Solidarity Forever….

It’s hard to describe, but there’s a certain feeling of negativity I have when I come across other foreigners in Japan. This is a really touchy and complex subject that I’m very uncomfortable even thinking about, and don’t quite know how to articulate adequately, please do not take it lightly.

It is a mix of jealousy, embarrassment, anxiety, and responsibility.

This feeling might have something to do with the majority of foreigners I’ve come in to contact here and their blatant disregard for a kind of cultural sensitivity to Japan. ‘Cultural sensitivity’ doesn’t really describe it, more like lack of even a ’sliver of decency’. Most of the bad experiences involve foreigners are blatant tourists, or at least seem to have a ‘tourist’ mentality. If foreigners are settled in, or plan on being here for an extended period of time, it is an entirely different matter, but upon spotting one, regardless of knowing their context, I immediately assume the former.

The majority of males in particular are constantly and consistently obsessed with the very idea of the ‘asian woman’, so as to add to the upset of a disregard of cultural decency I have to tolerate the sexism and outright racism as well.
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Coming in contact with people who are jerks reminds me that people in general back home are jerks. Which brings me to the complexity that perhaps this entire japan experience has been a bit of an escapist outlet from North American horeshit in general. That being said then, who is really the tourist? The drunken loud mouth with the camera? or the bookworm ‘gaijin‘ who wants to forget the bigger problems of his own life by fleeing his own culture to hide out in a foreign one?

Remember when you used to play with your younger sibling or a friend when you were a child and you decided that the toy they were playing with you wanted only because they were playing with it at that time? I would not be at all surprised if this incident of seeing foreigners on the train would be the ‘cultural’ equivalent.

This might seem a bit out of character for me, quite mean spirited and irrationally judgmental, and I think that’s why I’m so upset by it. That Japan is a place that is still very much isolated from ‘Western’ influence (either that or they have incorporated these ‘Western’ notions to their existing cultural intricacies) and it’s been an odd meta-selfishness in my being entirely taken with this country and its people.

Last night was my first time in a ‘gaijin’ bar, the kind of establishment that foreigners frequent in japan. Although the train-foreigner experiences have been consistently plaguing me, this post has really stems out of the foreigner-bar experience. Stepping in to this place was like stepping in to its equivalent back home. Shitty music, shitty food, and the shitty attitude of people wanting to get very drunk, and very laid. I abhor this kind of place back home, and to stumble upon its equivalent in my innocent Japan (har har) was more than unsettling and a bit traumatic.

Maybe my view of Japan, and Japanese mentality is too moralistic. In fact, I know it is. The point though should not be taken likely that Japan is more moralistic than the West. For more reasons that I’ll touch on later… Thinking about it more, perhaps the ‘honeymoon’ with Japan is over, so to speak. It may just be the case that I am getting used to the simple first impressions of this place, and I am only now seeing its more complex intricacies.

Japan is beautiful in so many ways. I knew that by coming here I would learn and see so many new and interesting things, but I didn’t think that I would learn so much about myself (whatever that means).

I just don’t ever want to be a fucking tourist.

This past week I purchased a used acoustic guitar for 4000Y which is about 40$ CAD, it needs a bit of truss rod adjustment, but nothing major. I’ve been playing almost every night at the station since this past week and it’s been so good to get out and have some kind of musical release. Hamamatsu especially seems teeming with musical interest and creativity. Last night, in the city center near the bus loop on the north side of the station, there were about five or six groups of four or five kids engaged in a full-on, old school hip-hop dance battle. It was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen in my life! Taped down cardboard dancemats and battery powered ghetto blasters. I wish wish wish I would’ve had my camera. From what I hear, this is a very common thing in ham. and I hope to get some photos eventually.

Besides the guitar, I’ve also purchased a Super Nintendo (or Super Famicom) as it’s know in Japan and several japanese versions of some old school games that i have back in Canada. (i’ll likely end up sending it all to Kenley for his birthday :D) an some speakers for my computer, and some video cords electronic odds and ends. SO inexpensive, and such a wonderful idea.

I have yet to find a Mode Off (the used clothing branch of the Hard Off franchise) in hamamatsu, but i will, mark my words.

here’s some further info on Hard Off:
http://www.hardoff.co.jp/

Otherwise, I’ve been doing well. Don (from Winnipeg) will be visiting for the entire month of November, and Oliver (from Manchester) will be coming for the end of December to the beginning of January. Work is going well, and in general I’m falling hard for this country! It’s so beautiful in so many ways. Both Geographically and Socio-Economically speaking, but there will be more on that later.

Who wouldn’t fall in love with a country where you can buy 1 litre cartons of pear tea. TEA made from PEARS! that’s like two of my favourite things in the world in one chillable 1L carton.

Hopefully, the first installment of letterstonana will go up tomorrow!

That being said, I’ve still made the attempt to eat as comfortably as possible. Afterall, the reasons for my vegetarianism are for economic and social and environmental reasons, and not so much in the ‘animal consciousness’ vein (by not so much, i mean not at all). At this point, meat seems just gross, devouring corpses and eating flesh just seems extremely repulsive. So although I’ve been upset when I find accidental meat in my meals, I’ve actually been just eating around it.

As many of you know, I love breakfast. I will eat breakfast for every meal of the day. In Japan, however, it has been hard enough to find a rice or noodle dish without meat, let alone breakfast!

Enter the Royal Host…

 

sweet, sweet Royal Host.

In the evening, Royal Host seems like your average ‘Japanese-Take on American Dining’ Restaurant. It has steak, and Chicken Fingers, as well as the Japanese basics of Fish, Tempura, Rice, Noodles, etc. But in the morning is where it truly becomes my breakfast paradise. PANCAKES! FRENCH TOAST! RE-FILLABLE COFFEE! EGGS ANYWAY YOU WANT THEM! For the past week I have been going nearly every day at 8am to wake up, have several cups of coffee, get filled and read, all while listening to the CBC World News at 6 (EST) Podcast.

Besides breakfast, I’ve learned what to look for and what to ask about. Tofu at the grocery store comes SO cheap and you can get it in any variety (deepfried, soft, firm, and even in patties!) and is so versatile in cooking. Or should I say “cooking”. Egg and/or Tofu sandwiches with Ketchup seem to be the food of choice these days, but mostly because I was waiting for my first paycheck. I look forward to learning how to cook Japanese Vegetarian cuisine and furthermore, finding interesting ways to use the plethora of Tofu!

It might seem as though I’m looking for a typical Wester cop-out to eating Japanese food, but you have to understand that as a vegetarian, if you don’t find a specifically vegetarian restaurant, you’re going to get meat. It’s just the Japanese way, so to find staples like breakfast and grocery store tofu (they have a whole section! it’s as big as the dairy sections!!) has been an absolute life saver!

It’s a strange thing starting over. I haven’t been outside of Canada very long, but it feels as though it’s been months. This, I think is mostly due to the incredible amount of information being driven through my retinas and other sensory holes with such fervor.

As to reiterate the problems I’ve been having in my last post, ‘Time’ might mean a height of the sun in the sky (or in the universe) at an agreed upon point, or it could mean the maximum amount of thoughts one might cram in to a given duration or period. Either way, it feels like I’ve been out of my element for a lot longer than what I’m used to.

It’s odd that I am constantly feeling like I’m forgetting something, or that I should have bought more groceries, or every four hours feeling as though I should take the non-existent dogs for a walk. Isn’t it strange that the hardest part of being in a country where you can’t understand any of its residents, is how empty and quiet your own private space feels?

I miss my dogs and my girlfriend.