Atama Ga Gay-jin! Part 1

Dear Rachel Maddow,

I think you made me gay.

Or, at least, you helped me figure it out. I was in middle school when Air America started up. I couldn't help "noticing" your picture whenever a bus came by. I came up with all kinds of reasons as to why I felt this way -- all except the real one, of course. It even got to the point where I refused to look at any ad on a New York City bus. But as the years passed, the discomfort I felt when I saw the ads gradually turned into a kind of pride. As I came to accept myself, your image was a representation of what I hoped to become: someone who was not afraid to be herself and let others know it.

I'm writing to you now because I'm spending the semester in Japan, which isn't exactly known for its thriving LGBTQ community. In a country where the only out celebrities (as far as I can tell) are drag queens and limp-wristed cartoons, I can't imagine how hard it is in Japan for someone in the process of coming out. Shortly after I arrived I saw two 13-year-old girls canoodling on the train. They looked so defensive and scared, I just wanted to give them a hug. Would things be better for them if they had a positive role model to look to?

I'm sure you received thousands of e-mails a day saying this, so here's one more to ad to the pile: thank you for being you -- the more visibility the LGBTQ community has, the better it is for everyone.

Sincerely,

Rachel

I've been meaning to write this e-mail for the past two months and, yes, I just sent it to my [latest TV] girlfriend because I am a dork. I hope it's not too stalker-ish. I felt this more acutely when I first got here; now I'm mostly over it but I will never, ever, ever underestimate the importance of groups like SAGA or QDG again (not that I did before; but now I really appreciate their existence. Even though so many queer folks at Haverford choose [i]not[/i] to participate in these clubs, the fact that we have a formal way to meet each other is invaluable.)

As for the girls on the train, man, were they cute. I'm sure the quadruple take I did when I saw them didn't help them feel any more comfortable, though. But it was for good reason: at the end of the summer, hot pink was definitely the "in" color for guys, so at first I wasn't sure what kind of couple it was I was looking at. Furthermore, PDA almost never ever happens in Japan (unless you're with a foreigner.) But this was definitely not platonic handholding/arm-around-shouldering/resting-head-on-shouldering. I wish I had something to say to them, but the fact that they found each other at such a young age shows their strength.

I [i]think[/i] I've also met a couple at Nanzan. Again, I can't tell because I don't understand how these people express their affection (like in the US, it's not so uncommon for female friends to hold hands.) Nor do they like to touch each other in general -- the other day my host dad was sleeping on the couch and the phone rang. Instead of shaking him by the shoulder, my host sister patted the couch next to him to get his attention. However, I'm pretty sure touching someone else's thigh means that you're more than friends with them, regardless of your culture. Also, one of them has both women and men checked off in her "interested in" section on Facebook. On the other hand, it also says she's single, so whatevs.

Here is a really interesting set of woman-on-the-street interviews from lesbian magazine Tokyo Wrestler (soooooo glad they have an English site).

As for the haps in Nagoya, according to this blog, there are over 50 gay bars in Nagoya. Interestingly enough, Shu's website doesn't say that it's a gay bar at all. But I plan to make it down there; either way, hanging out in a new bar could be fun.

I've also found a certain montly party that I plan on going to. Maybe I'll send them an e-mail and find out where some other places to go are.

In other news, I may or may not have been checking out a girl who was [i]actually[/i] hot (see my forthcoming treatise on the hotness of Japanese people), and I'm almost positive she gave me the once-over, too. Too bad I'll probably never see her again, since there are about 5000 students here.

The Little Pleasures of Life

I guess I'm pulling double-duty on the blogging this weekend.

Last night it was Denise's birthday, so we took her to the Hard Rock Cafe. While it may be mediocre and over-priced in the states, as far as I'm concerned it was completely worth the $17 USD for a Sam Adams (beer that actually tastes like something!) and a gigantic cajun chicken salad. Hard Rock is so hardcore that they even import American Heinz ketchup. (There's Heinz in Japan, but it's different. Some people can't stand it but it doesn't phase me -- it's darker and sweeter; I guess it's sweetened with actual sugar instead of corn syrup.) When I went to the HRC in New York a couple of years ago, they only played heavy metal and annoying indie rock; here, it was mostly stuff from the late '80s and '90s, which made for a lot of nostalgia.

As I sat there looking at all of the rock memorabilia (Elvis's walking stick (???), Melissa Etheridge's guitar, fliers declaring the end of the Vietnam War) I couldn't help but feel proud of American culture. If Hard Rock is what you go by, then American food is hamburgers, Tex-Mex, and cajun -- and who's going to object to that? Even if the Hippies were stupid and self-indulgent, the fact that they happened at all is amazing. Our Constitution invites us to disagree with our government; even though the current Japanese constitution is in many ways more radical than ours (but it was written by Americans so go figure), protest has generally been discouraged. It's not just a "cultural thing", though -- once MacArthur purged the militant right in Japan and released the radical leftists from prison, a viable liberal movement was born in Japan. Of course, these guys were radical by necessity, and it wasn't before long that the US wanted to clamp down on Communism in Japan before it turned into another North Korea.

After I mentioned that we frequently argue with my dad about politics over meals (which seemed to make my host dad uncomfortable, even after I explained we didn't get mad at each other) my host mom said to me, "It must be so hard in America, since everyone has their own rights and opinions." When I brought up the lack of a protest tradition in Japan in my Political and Social Issues class, one of the Japanese students said that most people are reluctant to share their opinions because they don't want to make other people uncomfortable. Another one pointed out that people don't like to protest because it makes them feel like an outsider if they object to mainstream culture.

Call me a chauvinist, but I'm so grateful to be American.

Speaking of which, I managed to catch the end of the Yankees-Angels game. I hope Mom and Dad were awake then; it'd be crazy if we were watching it at the same time.

This morning I slept in 'til 10 (!!). After my host mom get back from her English school, we went to go see a house that's under construction in the next city over. She started to explain to me why they went to look at it (they just moved into this house, so it's not like they're in the market for another one) but we got distracted. I think they just wanted to compare, or something. The construction process was virtually identical to what we did in Habit for Humanity. When I explained how the house would be made they were surprised that I knew. I wonder if they were a little weirded out that I like carpentry? Whatevs. Regardless, I forgot how much I loved the smell of fresh-cut pine. The title of this post is from one of the brochures the development company passed out.

Since the weather was fantastic, I asked if we could walk around a nearby park on the way back. We got drinks from MickyD's (which reminded me why I haven't been to a McDonald's since I was 8) and sat and watched all the kids playing baseball with their parents. One group was a dad, his son and two daughters. They all took turns pitching and hitting, but eventually the girls got bored and started drawing in the dirt. The son (who was maybe 9) couldn't catch his father's hits, and kept trying to tag him out. It made me think of playing sports with Dad when we were little and how much fun it was. Dad, we'll definitely do Spring Training this year.

Side note: if you think k.d. lang is totally hot, feast your eyes here.

Outside Looking In

I watched a segment on New York City in the news this morning. I didn't have my glasses on for half of it (ask me why I've been waking up at 5 AM for the past three days!) Judging by the exhibits on at the Met I'd say this was filmed at the beginning of the summer when it did nothing but rain. I was a little disappointed to see my home at its wettest and worst.

The segment mostly focused on the Meatpacking District (for the boutiques) and the Financial District.

Apparently the best hamburger in the city is the Corner Bistro. Where the fuck is that?

They also did a clip on street food, which of course made me think of my friends at the museum! They featured the "Rainbow Softee" guy, which I thought was awesome -- the rainbow doesn't stand for all of the flavors he serves, if you catch my drift.

Also, Japanese people are fascinated by the Naked Cowboy.

They also did a clip on New York fashion which, frankly, was fascinating. Because it's just an attempt to imitate Japanese fashion...except Japanese people think it's more fashionable than what they've got. And it's not as well-made.

One thing that really stood out to me is how shitty everybody looks. Japanese people put a lot into their appearance, even if it looks like crap by Western standards. But most of the women featured in the fashion segment had stringy, damaged hair, and cheaply made clothes (by Japanese standards). The fact that there were so many overweight people didn't really stand out to me, but I'm sure it will when I get back. Also, everyone looks so harried. On the train, Japanese people have three expressions: happy, neutral, or asleep. It's very rare to see anyone who looks pissed/stressed/miserable, though I have seen a few. Obviously, the economy is on everybody's minds in New York; I haven't seen too many of its effects here in Japan, but I guess their economy has sucked for so long it doesn't even matter anymore.

Two quibbles: a segment about New York and no pizza? Also, are feather headbands really a new trend? Can you make sure you burn them all before I get home? Thanks.

Street Art

If you haven't had a chance, please read the previous entry. :)

This one goes out to my dawg Blanco.

So Nagoya is the third largest metropolitan area in Japan (behind Tokyo and Osaka.) It is, however, the richest metropolitan area in Japan. Apparently when you tell people in Tokyo you're from Nagoya they'll automatically assume you're snobby until proven otherwise. Case in point: I went to a bakery in Ikeshita the other day that made Fauchon look like a supermarket bakery.

But there's gotta be some underground culture here, right?

I haven't done much clubbing so I can't say for sure, but I've seen a number of recording studios around, so there's definitely a local music scene somewhere. Maybe it's all in the "no gaijin" clubs.

That being said, the public art -- and especially the street art -- in Nagoya is AWESOME. What, you may ask, is street art? It's an artistic installation that's been created without the permission of authorities. So...graffiti that's legitimate art. The coolest pieces I've seen have been under overpasses while I was in a car, so I couldn't get a shot. But here are a few examples:



Street art or graffiti? I have no idea. They were just sitting out by a bus stop a couple of blocks from my house. They're still there. I'm just going to go ahead and assume that it's [i]not[/i] trash because the thought of someone making chairs for those dinky bus stops makes me happy.



This is in Osu, a shopping arcade. There's another one that says "Never Say Die!" that's totally awesome. I'll try to get a picture of it next time.



Not street art per se but a totally awesome mural nonetheless. This mural points the way to Osu.

Cannonball Pt. 2

So with my typical narcissism, I completely forgot the most important part of my last post: being gone makes me realize who and what is important to me. And if you're reading this, you're more than likely included in that group. I'll see you all before we know it -- for now, just know that I love you! As a certain band from New Orleans likes to tell us: you have to lose yourself to find yourself.

Cannonball

Not that it has anything to do with this post, but you might as well listen to this as you read the post.



Good hook, huh? You can't tell by the lyrics, the song is apparently about the Marquis de Sade (hence, it has nothing to do with this post.)

As some of you know, I was in a pretty bad way over the summer. I guess mostly I was trying to prepare myself for getting ripped out of my normal life and having to start over in a country where I can't even read the street signs (assuming they had street signs. What's up with that, Japan?) There were other reasons, of course, that those of you who know me well understand. Even though I've been here a whole month I still feel very out of place. I felt like I was standing on a diving board, looking at the water. On Tuesday I decided to jump in.

I can't explain what exactly changed; I guess I'm tired of feeling weird (not that the feeling has gone away.) Or maybe my PMS is fucking me over (as always.) But my advice to anyone who's studying abroad next semester is: don't be afraid to get your toes wet! Are any of you who are studying (or have studied abroad) feeling the same way? Or is it different because you're in a dorm surrounded by Americans?

A rundown of my week since I last posted:

Thursday -- I made a new friend! She's from LA and has read some of the same obscure comics that Ceci and I love. Her host dad told her to take some friends with her and meet him at an izakaya (traditional Japanese bar) for dinner. He was a jolly sort -- he and his wife run a restaurant in the first floor of their home. He's traveled to Australia and speaks a little bit of English, and they've hosted many students from Nanzan before. He also invited a woman he met with one of his past students. While in America it would be strange for a 60-year-old man and a (really hot) 29-year-old woman to hang out, I didn't get any weird vibes from the experience. Sexual repression is such a non-issue here (as in, it's not even acknoweldged that such a thing exists) that associations like this just don't seem strange (at least to me.) Take Shall We Dance (the Japanese version, not the creepy Richard Gere one) as an example.

So on the way back from the bar, Dad is quite drunk and takes us down the street with all the hostess club. At first I thought, "Why are all these women wearing kimonos and what are they waiting for? ...oh." Apparently you pick your pro by paying for a bouquet of flowers (a very expensive one), giving it to your lady, and going off. Because buying flowers for a lady isn't illegal, right? Dad plucked a flower from one of the bouquets and started chatting with one of the women. I don't think he was propositioning her; I think he was just saying hello. Fun fact: I also saw a transvestite selling himself!

Even better fact: I wasn't drunk but I was definitely "loose". I got home at 10:00 (maybe 10:30), fell into bed, and took a test the next morning. It was the best score I've gotten so far...maybe I should do this before all of my tests...

Friday -- Hung out with my (at the time) one Japanese friend for the afternoon. It was pissing rain and "Mom" had to take me to the ward office to pick up my "Gaijin" registration card, so Yukiko came along. Yukiko lived in England for six years and has the best accent EVER. After we took care of business we wandered around a mall in Sakae and hit up the local Starbucks. When I got home I watched Peter Jackson's King Kong with "Dad". Incidentally, worst movie ever. Don't watch it. Especially if you don't want to dream about giant wolves attacking you and your host sister at your grandparents' summer home. Just saying.

Saturday -- This past weekend was Nagoya Matsuri -- or the Nagoya Festival (every town has one.) A bunch of us got together to see the (more Western-style) parade. Just as we got out of the train station, the volunteers unrolled some seating mats and ushered us to the front so we could get a good view of the proceedings. Unfortunately, since I was sitting, I could *not* get a good picture of anything. However, there were mini re-enactments of the three important battles that unified Japan under what eventually became the Tokugawa shogunate, since Tokugawa Ieyasu, Oda Nobunaga, and Toyotomi Hideyoshi all came from the Nagoya area. Also, according to the parade, Portuguese people are blonde. After the parade ended we went and had us some matsuri food - I had this thing that was a basically a ham and cheese crepe with okonomiyaki toppings -- heaven in my mouth. After that there was a taiko concert for IES students. Take the awesomeness of the Blue Man Group, then take the awesomeness of taiko drumming, mix them together, and that was the band we saw.

Afterwards we happened to pass by the Naka ward office. A bunch of highschool kids were spontaneous breakdancing in the courtyard, so we of course sat and watched while pounding down some chuhai (a fruity cocktail conveniently sold in cans!) According to my host mom, this is pretty common. The kids like to use the windows as mirrors.

Sunday -- I went on a picnic with my host family! It was some little park (maintained by Lions Rotary Club, of all things) by a river. "Sis" and I took the dogs to the water; unfortunately, Coco jumped in! The water was amazingly cold and I've never felt smoother sand. Thanks, volcanos. I'll post pics once I ask my host family if I can put pictures of them online.

Monday -- It started pissing rain. And after the 80-degree weekend, I did not enjoy the 20-degree temperature drop. I guess that's why so many Japanese people have a bug up their ass about getting sick. I met with two of my Japanese classmates for a group presentation in English. Our topic is the social foment of the 1920s (more on Japanese people and Communism later!) After we were done I had to wait for my bus, so one of the girls stayed and chatted with me. Turns out she likes manga and Bones but is not an otaku (pretty rare in Japan) so we're totes gonna hang out sometime.

Tuesday -- Since I didn't get into the Japanese-language class I wanted, I decided to challenge myself by auditing a Japanese-only course about the relationship between France and Japan (which, incidentally, is not nearly as important as the professor wants us to think). This professor talks ridiculously fast -- even the Japanese students can't understand her. I've decided to use the time for some personal art study (i.e., doodling) since I can get the gist of the lecture and don't have to turn any work in. She ended a half hour early, so I stayed and hung out with the students who have been helping me and the French kid in the class with the lectures. Since he hardly speaks English and speaks less Japanese than I do, the Japanese students have to translate from English into either Japanese or French for him.

Today -- We looked for a cat cafe (which is exactly what it sounds like. Don't believe what you've heard -- Japanese ideas of sanitation are much more "relaxed" than ours.) Couldn't find it. Went to a Turkish restaurant with an awesome-looking menu. And none of it was served for lunch. Walked 20 minutes in the rain to the art museum. It was about to close. Talked about the Bodies exhibit with my host mom and sister -- they didn't really understand what I meant when I said that the bodies are actually Chinese prisoners' bodies, not donors.

Tomorrow we have no morning classes because of the typhoon. I can hear the wind rushing past my window -- I'm glad I'm not outside. Hopefully it'll continue to be crappy until just after 11:00 AM so my afternoon classes will be cancelled, too.

Also, I think I'll start posting whenever I have time, and then do a big post on Wednesday. That way there isn't this giant clusterfuck you've just read. Don't forget to read the article below this -- the Japan Times published a piece about giant Japanese bugs right after I posted my first article! Also, don't forget to remind me to talk about Japanese people and Communism. Oh. My. God.

They read my mind!

Here is an editorial from this weekend's Japan Times (English-language Japanese newspaper) about bugs in Japan. It's kind of odd, but enjoy!