notalwaysright.com Has made me a better person

Recently I have been spending too much of my free time in the evening reading notalwaysright.com. It has always brought a smile to my face to read about how sales staff & tech support employees have had to endure stupid customers.

Today I realized that it has modified my behavior. On weekends I pop into my local Starbucks on my way to work and pick up a Tall Mocha in My Tumbler. I'm quite predictable as to my order, the time of my arrival etc. The staff there have become quite accustomed to my routine.

Recently the weather here in Japan has started getting warmer and I have made the switch from Hot to Ice. Today I ordered an Ice Mocha for my tumbler but just as the barista was pouring milk, I noticed he had made it hot. I could easily imagine myself getting annoyed with him over this, after all it would potentially delay my caffeine fix and slow me down getting to work.

However I found myself gently letting him know that I had ordered Ice, not Hot and saying it was OK and simply heading off to work with my Hot coffee. It was only after I got to work that I noticed the change in my behavior. Having had less than 6 hours sleep last night I wasn't the most cheerful of people this morning, yet I behaved in a manner completely different from what I'd expect of myself.

Has Japan changed me into a softer, more subdued person? I can't say. But reading the stories of customer service horror on notalwaysright.com certainly has made me think twice.

Sakura Manners

For those who loved my last JT Manners image, here's another one that I found.



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"Under those beautiful flowers lies something you wouldn't like to look at."

I really love these things as they are often a gentle reminder how how we should behave in civilized society.

Using Trains in Japan? Easy!

Japan is a Rail Commuters Paradise.
The trains here are famous for their reliability. You can literally set your watch by the arrival & departure times of the trains.

Despite accidents, over crowding and natural disasters - they have a staggering reliability level. Envy of the world.

Compared to Sydney, I'm in heaven.
Recently Neil wrote about Japan is Convenient. And I have to say I strongly agree. If you have a large ￥10,000 note you can be sure that the ticket machine has sufficient change to allow you to buy even the smallest ticket. Even the tiniest stations out in the countryside have a minimum of two ticketing machines and the station has staff available between 7am to 9pm (usually).

The emphasis is on helping commuters, making their lives easier and moving them on their way. Japans trains form such a critical life line for this country, they need to be this way. In a country where about 25% of adults don't have a drivers license and a further 15-20% are "paper drivers" (have a license, no car) it makes you realize JUST how important public transport is.

Rail travel in Sydney was hell.
Most suburban stations only had one ticket machine (pictured left) which intermittently broke down or ran out of change. Of course the ticket office was only manned between 7am to 10am, maybe.

So if you were running late, didn't have correct change or simply weren't sure which ticket to buy meant that you ended up running the gauntlet with the ticket inspectors. They weren't there to help you, they were there to intimidate you and fine you.

Just before we left Australia, my wife had a terrible experience with them. She forgot her purse in a rush to work and ended up getting caught at Town Hall station. Other people were allowed through with the same excuse, but for some reason she was singled out. I had to write multiple letters providing proof that she was the owner of a valid monthly ticket to get the fine quashed.

This never would have happened in Japan.

Yokoso! Japan
Come to japan, have your fingerprints & photo taken, check the train time tables and then you are on the experience of a lifetime. A Rail system that's clean, safe, on-time and favors customer service over fine collection.

Engrish RainStand & BandAid

To life rainy season comfortably... WTF?



Island Dressing? I do not want that on my salad!

Bicycle Flower Man

Yesterday I was on my way to teach at my University classes when a strange vision rode past me on the footpath. I seriously did a double take!


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Yep, this old guy has decked out his bicycle with dried flowers. I can't imagine what possessed him to do this. Then again it's pretty cool, if a bit weird.


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His visibility is only slightly reduced, but then again I bet it's a GREAT conversation starter. Especially in this country where the saying is "The nail that sticks out gets hammered down" is a good rule of thumb to apply to daily life.

I seem to have developed an interest in bicycles here in Japan. (Late Night Cycles & Bicycles Everywhere)

Cheese Cutlet Burger at McDonalds

Yep, McDonalds Japan has done it again. Produced yet another burger that looks good on the menu board and yet is almost completely devoid of flavor.



Here we have the Value Set; Burger, Medium Drink & Medium Fries for ￥620 (￥580 with a coupon, naturally)



And here we have the innovation, cheese INSIDE the meat. None of this lazy put it on top of the meat when constructing the burger, no. Have it done at the factory!

While a neat looking idea, it didn't add anything to the experience of eating this bland burger.



Though the wrapper does have quite a bit of English on it, though it's fair to say that "tender and juicy pork inside" is false advertising.

Still, it's one of those Only In Japan things, so I wrote about it for all of you who dream of visiting the Otaku Holy Land.

Strike

I've made it a rule to never write about work. Now it's time to break that rule.

This is an advance written post. (Yeah, blogger now does those)

Right now I am walking off the job to protest the fat profits that are being made by the company, how lesson prices have gone up and yet wages have remained the same.

Read more: As parent firm posts record profits, teachers strike back

As someone planning to live the rest of his life in this fantastic country, I realize that I can't just accept the status quo. Things are not fair and something needs to be done about it.

To any of my students reading this post, sorry but it needs to be done.

Anpanman from where?

Today we were out and about and I stumbled upon some marble Anpanman characters.



We have the whole gang here.



Our villain Baiking man



Our Hero Anpanman



And the ever confused Dokin chan.

Hints. It's not in Tokyo. There's a closed Nova nearby, also a Toys R Us and Bowling Center.

Fame forever if you can figure it out.

Studying; Masu Mashita

Well another Japanese class is over for the night. I'm not feeling so bad about my ability after tonights lesson. There's another girl who speaks Japanese quite a bit better than me, but she can't write anything. For me Hiragana and Katakana are OK but Kanji is still beyond me.

At first we all practiced some Kanji, reading & putting two together to give new meanings. That mostly left me gaping my mouth a bit like a goldfish. However when the beginners were separated out, I was able to do much better.

Here's a scan of the main worksheet for tonight.


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Yeah, pretty bad, I know. But I still got everything correct and finished writing quickly.

Well, I'll keep doing my best! Yosh!

Drinking, Late Night & Cycles

Tonight I was living the Expat Japan dream. After work I went drinking with one of my co-workers, had a great time just chatting and then I caught the last train home and avoided the desperate search to find somewhere to rest until the trains resume operation in the morning. What a rush....

But while walking around town tonight I saw this bicycle, which started me thinking.



It's about 10pm, it's cold and the night creatures have come out to play. Here we have a bicycle with baby seat in front and a child seat in back. Which got me thinking.

Is there someone out, getting their groove on with their baby in the night club Crèche? Is there a parent out there waiting to hear a report from the police that their stolen family bicycle has been found? Has the father taken the bike to go and have a drink while his family sleeps at home? Did the teenager with a large gap between them and their middle and youngest siblings decide to hit the town tonight?

I can't imagine which is the correct one, but it certainly got me thinking.

Any further possibilities for the story of this bike with a baby seat being out so late at night? Leave a comment!

Tokyo Tom Interview

Today I would like to introduce you to a fellow Japan blogger, Thomas of tokyo-tom.blogspot.com

1 Tell jDonuts readers a little bit about yourself.

I came to Japan 5 years ago. After being graduating and working in an ad agency for 2 years, my best friend from high school told me that I should get over here. I had studied in Osaka for a time during college and had always wanted to come back. When I first came to Japan I worked in a "big three" eikaiwa, moved on to computer programming, and now I'm working in an international school and studying for my masters in elementary education.


2 Why did you start blogging about Japan?

Blogging is a way for me to keep a journal. When I first came here I had the idea of keeping my friends informed of what I was doing through a blog since form emails clog up inboxes and require people to read them right away. Whereas a blog is something people can read when they have time. My current blog, Hello Mother, Hello Father was made for my parents.

3 Why have you continued blogging about Japan?

Blogging has gotten me interested in graphic arts and photography. Besides, my parents like reading about what I am doing.

4 What Anime character are you most like and why?

I'm not into anime so it took me a while to think of an answer to this one, but I'll choose Nana. It's always been a fantasy of mine to be a rock star. I'm not a Japanese girl, but I've always wanted to be a rock star.

5 If you only had one day in Japan and ￥10,000 what would you do and why?

I'd go and hang out in Ueno. There is so much to do in that area and it's cheap. I would go to a museum after looking around Ueno Park, go to Ueno Ichiba--my favorite izakaya there, hang out in Ameyoko, and walk around Yakata. I'd probably keep the izakaya for last since 10,000 yen goes fast there.

6 What are two of your favorite posts (on your own blog) and why?

How to Eat Sushi
I posted one of the funniest videos I have ever seen here. (this is also my favorite. C.)

and

Around Sendai
This post has some interesting pictures of the new city I live in, and has a great comment from my mom.

7 What are two of your favorite posts (on other Japan blogs) and why?

Only 2? (Yes, only two. C.)

Disgusting Attitudes Towards Japanese People
This post and especially comments were interesting to me because it shows some truth, many stereotypes, and a whole lot of misconceptions all in one.

and

Harrased by Old Man on Train
This kind of thing has happened to me as well. For a long time I had thought it was just me.


8 Go crazy after this, say anything you like! (but please keep child safe)
I recently started a widget called "Blogs on Japan" to give more exposure to these kinds of blogs. It displays a random 125x125 banner. There is no point system like some other banner exchanges--it's completely random.

If you have a blog about Japan and would like to be added, please contact me at tokyotom [at] tokyo.com with a like to your site so I can review and add it.


9 Who would you like to see interviewed next? (Max 3)
Mike @ www.japanisdoomed.com
Tobias @ www.observingjapan.com
Lulu @ www.cherryblossomadventures.com

And there you have it, my 2nd Japan Blogger interview with Thomas of tokyo-tom.blogspot.com

New Anpanman Toys

Anpanman is quite a popular character amongst Japanese children. My son had lots of fun watching the Anpanman New Years show. Also not too long ago we won an Anpanman Play Mat (pictured below) so it almost goes without saying that he squealed with delight when I brought home some toys for him.

They were given to me by one of my students after she completed some Golden Week cleaning. Thank you M.Y!



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From Center Top we have
1 Anpanman play bus with six magic bean characters. You twist the handle and a character falls through a slot and out a door on the side. This was my son's No1 favorite.
2 Anpanman bounce toy. With a soft head and rubber cord you can bounce this toy much like a Yo-Yo.
3 Swimming Anpanman ball. Inside we have Anpanman inside a plastic ball, he is wearing a life preserver and is surrounded by floating balls. Tonight in our bath together he really enjoyed playing with it and cried quite fiercely when it was taken away from him, until he was reunited with the bus in 1.
4 Anpanman sand play set. We were surprised that this set was in such good condition, it was almost like it was brand new!
5 Anpanman aquarium picture book. Very Nice.

I couldn't bring everything home today, so that's all for now. Yes, there was more!

It was very generous of my student and keeps within my ideology of reducing waste & recycling where possible. Thank You!

Poo and Engrish

Honestly I couldn't think of a better title. It's really about Poo & Engrish.

First the Poo.



Yep, its a Poo, a turd, a shit, a brown log, a Number 2 or a doo doo.

Why would ANYONE want to own one of these?

The conversation must have gone something like this.

Person A "I feel depressed, I wish I had a giant poo in my life that I could hug when I feel down."
Person B "That's a really good idea, I'm sure that other people have the same empty void in their lives too."
Person A "Certainly there is nothing that makes me feel happy than the idea of having a soft poo to hold."
Person B "I think you should market this idea, you will make a fortune."
Person A "I think I will."

(If you post about this and come up with something funnier on your own blog, I'll send you 50-200 EntreCard credits. Let me know what the URL is)

Then the Engrish, At the same store I found:


Freshful Straw from Heartful Goods. Good to see they can continue to make up words!

Started Japanese Class

Tonight I started studying Japanese again.

My town offers free Japanese lessons for foreigners so the wife signed me up and tonight was the first meeting. It wasn't really a lesson as such, more of an introduction and level check.

It was really cool to see so many foreign people living in my town, I don't feel quite so alone anymore. America, Australia, China, Peru, Iran & Sri Lanka was represented. While I am a rather independent guy and I am happy with my own company, it was good to get out and meet people outside work or family.

It really broadened my horizons in this country as well as got me out of the house.

The main thing I came away with was "しゅみ" Shumi which means hobby. "しゅみ　は　どういう　いみ　です　か?" What are your hobbies?

However in the level check it became painfully clear that I was the worst Japanese speaker of the lot. Still I'll do my best and persevere, I can only improve my ability and that will help my life in this great country.

Spicy Teriyaki at MOS Burger

Tonight I thought I'd give the new Spicy Teriyaki burger at MOS Burger a try.



Here we have the burger, ready to be eaten. I love how MOS Burger provides you with real glass for your drink. It gives it a better taste.



Up close and personal with the burger. Although the advertising was stating about how spicy the burger was, for me it was a joke. I could barely register any appreciable level of spiciness at all.

Though the chicken was fresh, not frozen so I could taste the difference there. But the sauce was a big let down for this Curry Addict.



Here we have the traditional MOS Chicken. A piece of rather juicy fried chicken for only ￥220.

So the set was ￥610 for burger, regular chips and drink but I used a coupon to bring it down to ￥500. Everything was cooked slowly and served to me fresh in typical MOS Burger style, but I was disappointed that the level of spiciness failed to register.

Cost of MP3 players to rise

The Japanese government will propose this week a plan to charge copyright royalties on sales of iPods and other portable digital music players, as well as on digital hard disk recorders, a major daily newspaper reported Tuesday.

Read: Japan to propose copyright fees on iPods, digital recorders

Great! I am 100% in favor of this. 100￥ per player? No problem. That's about 100￥ every 2-3 years to remove the last spot of guilt I felt about downloading & sharing music. I certainly wasn't feeling guilty about ripping off mega corporations who sue individual users.

I think this proposal is an admission of failure to stop computer piracy and they are simply adopting the approach of Tax Everyone, even those who do the right thing. So I suggest we support this law, help it go through and then give up buying media once and forever! (though I will always buy originals of Hayao Miyazaki DVD's)

Though if you truly want to support your favorite artist, go to a concert instead. They make more from each performance than they do from the CD.

Warning Engrish

I'll be sure to keep on eyes on the children not to swallows.

Shopping Report; Engrish & Tea

Today I was shopping at Besia (where you can also find DrPepper & Engrish Bins) and I found some Engrish for you to enjoy.



Dear Apple, Dear Orange. How sweet you two are, I cannot choose.



"Shined on the pink carpet!" Seriously, WTF??



"Luminous Youngstar" Eh? I have to wonder what the hell the original meaning was, as I have NO idea with this translation.



Lastly, some Twinings tea for Penguin. Remember how I found some tea at CostCo for you? Well here's something a little easier to obtain and more sensibly packed. ￥258 for Twinings Ceylon Orange Pekoe, Darjeeling or Lady Grey tea at Besia.

Bicycles Everywhere

I have a love-hate relationship with Golden Week in Japan. I hate the crowds at leisure spots, the jammed highways, crowded Shinkansens and madness at the airport. I love all of the sales and the overtime pay. Thus I choose to work.

On Tuesday I was walking around on a break when I began to take a second look at all of the Bicycles around. Usually I just ignore them as part of the landscape, but I began to take a second look due to the increase in volume.



Quite a few huh?



Same group, different angle.



No Tricycles aren't just for children, though this was a rare find.



These bicycles are lined up outside a local Pachinko parlor. I feel it's a little sad that the best some people can do with a public holiday is to go and gamble.



Here we have a chain designating a no bicycle parking area. It reminds me of the Berlin wall. So many people longing to be on the other side.