Ring of Fire, Circle of Life?

I am in Taiwan, the rain is falling, the dogs are wandering, and the motorcycles are whizzing by. I, too, will be on one in a few moments on my way to the best chinese noodles I have ever eaten. Taking it easy here, just visiting friends and playing real life Mariokart everyday. Yesterday I found that sweet nectar in the green can, all the way from America, Mountain Dew. I don't even want to say how much I paid for the pleasure of drinking it. Ok, about $1.50. Ugh! But all the cheap things here make up for it. Like the noodles I am about to eat. And bowling. And motorcycle rental. And the kung fu massage I plan to get tonight, where after 60 - 90 minutes they will put fire jars on my back, producing huge hickeys that will last a week. Mmmm... fire jars....

By the way I had a dream last night that I was pursuing a very large snake around the house I grew up in. It was a little scary at first, but after a while it appeared we had reached something of an impasse. So I had to speak Chinese with the snake, it's children (which I had earlier been trying trick it into eating), and some cats, in order to negotiate a final settlement that was agreeable to all. In the end we were all friends, but I just kept thinking I needed to study Chinese more.

Even This Title is Tired

Just got home. It's almost midnight. Need sleep.

I have been in Oita, the town I taught in for a year when I first came to Japan. It was good, overall, though I didn't go to any onsen (hot springs) and I didn't get to see some of the people I was hoping to. But I had a great time with the people I did meet, and I definitely made good use of my time in that I didn't waste much of it sleeping.

And it was fun being awakened by an earthquake on Sunday morning.

Apologies for a post-free week. I was travelling and I didn't even check my email. I did send a new picture while I was fishing though.... Anyway, leaving for Taiwan on Sunday for a week. Don't know for sure but I think I will spend a little time online while I am there.

Right now I must rest for I am weary.

Who dares disturb my slumber?!

The phone rings, waking me from what had been a very lovely, and much needed, nap. The caller ID reads: "Mike," rather than merely the number, so this is someone I apparently know who is calling me. Immediately I am thinking, "Mike... Mike... Mike?" and taking my time to answer the phone as I try to gather my thoughts and wake up. I make no progress, but I don't want to miss the call, so I pick up.

"Hello?"

       "Hello, Tony, this is Mike."

(Internal response: Thanks for the useless information--how about a new hint?) "Yeah, hey, how's it going?"

       "Well, OK, how are you? Listen I am here at the hospital with Jen and I thought now would be a good time for you two to talk. Are you busy right now?"

"Uh...." (I still have no idea to whom I am speaking, nor do I have a clue who Jen is, but I am starting to feel really awkward and guilty for not making any connections.) "No, I'm not busy... I just woke up, so... I am trying to get my head together...."

       "Oh, OK, well, do you want me to call you back later?"

Knowing that I am not likely to remember anything more if I hang up, and also realizing that the "I just woke up" excuse is an asset I won't have next time, I decide to buy a little more time before talking to this 'Jen' person. "Um... well, I don't know. Why are you at the hospital?"

       "Oh, wow, sorry. I've called the wrong Tony."

"Oh man, I was so confused. Wow. Well, good luck at the hospital. Talk to you later. Maybe...."

       "Yeah, right, later."

I still have not figured out who Mike is, but I plan to do some investigating. It is a bad combination to be hyper-social and really bad with names. I have 500 or so of them saved in my phone, and there are plenty which are a mystery to me. Mystery Mike is but one example. Common names, like 'Mike' and 'Tony', to name two, can add more confusion, as happened in this case. I think that if ever have kids I will give them strange names so that they never encounter this problem. Any suggestions?

In any case, it is a relief to know that I don't have anything to do with Jen being in the hospital. What a way to wake up....

If you don't have anything nice to say....

Today various parts of my town seem to smell like cat food. And I don't know why.

I have all but discharged my White Day giving responsibilities. I had a nice chat with one of the girls working in the candy section at the supermarket today. I told her that I had wanted to make cookies or something to give away but didn't feel like it today, and probably wouldn't tomorrow either. So after taking far too long I settled on my decision and made my purchase. She was very helpful. Then, as I was leaving, she said she would be waiting for me to bring her some homemade cookies. She may be waiting a while.

At my weekly Japanese lesson I learned some interesting new things. The first is the following phrase: お口汚しですけど....(Okuchi yogoshi desu kedo....) which is an expression of extreme modesty sometimes used when presenting someone with a gift of food or drink. It means, literally, "Although this will make your mouth dirty...." Isn't that great? I found it especially fun to say when giving a bag of candy to one of my student's mothers at her place of work. Why? She is a dental assistant, and the dentist is her husband. How fitting.

Two other terms I learned that are of cultural interest came up as my sensei and I were discussing how Japanese men, when asked, will generally say their wives are "nothing special," or worse, while American husbands are almost expected to brag about their wives (whether they be boastworthy or not). If an American said, "My wife is not very good looking, and she can't cook very well, but I have gotten used to her," for instance, that could well be grounds for divorce. The Japanese man is trying to be modest, and to speak highly of his wife would be to lift himself up as well. The American man is trying to honor his wife by speaking well of her, and this kind of praise is not only acceptable but encouraged. Similar motivations leading to very different results. While arrogance is unwelcome in both cultures, pride in one's family is an exception in the U.S. Consider the popularity of the "My Kid is an Honor Student" bumper stickers.

In contrast, we come now to the two terms I mentioned before, which are used by a man when introducing his wife and son for the first time: 愚妻 (gusai) for wife,　愚息 (gusoku) for son. The second character in each word means simply 'wife' or 'son' respectively. But the first character, which both words share, makes the word　愚か (oroka), which is defined: "foolish; silly; stupid; dull-witted; idiotic."

"Nice to meet you. This is my foolish and stupid wife, and I'd also like you to meet my dull-witted, idiotic son."

This way of humbling oneself to the point of insulting one's own family is really a matter of course, and the people exchanging greetings don't analyze everything they are saying the way I am trying to do now. In most cases, I am pretty sure, the husband doesn't really think his wife and son are dolts. Of course there are surely exceptions. It is interesting, also, to note that there is apparently no such term or custom with regard to daughters--which means women are only called stupid in this way if they get married. No wonder the population is shrinking!