Sordid America

The above title was written rather brashly. Read through the lines and you'll understand why I chose it. It is by no means a scurrilous attack on my own birth country. I only mean to promulgate some positive aspects of another culture.

Success used to intimidate me; however, I'm not afraid of it anymore. I'm still in no position to scoff at it though. I'd be grateful to embrace a career in writing or something creative one day. That's why I'm forcing myself to write more these days.

I can usually find solace in writing but right now it's not working. In fact, right now I'm almost disdaining it. This is my own personal writing but for some reason it feels like an obligation. I could never write in that kind of condition. It reminds me of writing something for school. I'm used to typing all the things on my mind in a frenzy...there must not be a lot on my mind right now then.

I digress. I will give myself Hobson's Choice and see to it that this entry is written to completion.


Japan

There's a raising concern regarding the increasing number of elderly people in Japan. Not a bad problem to have, seeing as how Japan has the highest longevity rate in the world (82.6 years). This is the land where it's not uncommon to see a herd of octogenarians bicycling around together on a calm sunny summer day. Happiness is a tangible product that you can see written all over their faces.


If you go to a bar or club in Japan the chances that you will encounter a belligerent drunkard are slim to nil. You'll never see a punch let alone a feint thrown your way by anyone. Therefore, there is no need to hire bouncers whose sole responsibility is to castigate those who get out of line with being chivalrous. Nobody tries to belittle each other or rule the roost here. In fact, in most facets of daily life you will rarely ever meet anyone of pugnacious character. If you try to throw down the gauntlet with an adversary you will appear as a fool.

Even homeless people – the dregs of society – are civil. Their card board box homes that I saw with my own eyes in Tokyo are of a neat and tidy fashion. When they're not occupying their humble abodes they can be found peacefully drinking sake with each other in the park. While feeling no pain they talk amongst each other in a pleasant manner.


Every time I curl my right arm I can see what used to be a nasty laceration on the back of my forearm. This scar, caused by a careless biking accident, set me back about a month in physical training. While I was recovering I lost about 10 pounds. However, I was fortunate to have Japanese women in my life who took care of me with alacrity.


~Anthans

Mind Prison

To wrest my mind from this reality is impossible.

My lackluster performance at work has gone unnoticed for too long. Somebody will say something sooner or never.

I used to make caustic comments directed towards one of my coworkers but he was too low in the gene pool to recognize that he was being insulted.

I am loath to tolerate the winter. I relish the summer.

「夏の時に、ワンナイトラブいっぱいある！」Natsu-no toki ni, wan naito rabu ippai aru! = During the summer there are many one night love opportunities!

I'm getting away with too many things lately. Therefore, I'm awaiting the day a reprimand will come my way. I always see it in my nightmares, too.

Looking forward to the days when an incipient success may begin.

Maybe I'll become famous for something notorious: perhaps I'll become infamous.

It's been a while since I was duped by anyone. The Japanese people have been very good to me.

I went to an amusement park last week that had about as many park attendees as there were employees: somewhere around 15. There was no need to jostle to get from one broken attraction to the other.

I inadvertently fell in love last week.

The atmosphere at work has ceased to be an ominous one.

I used to repudiate any accusations that I was involved with multiple women. Now I just let people say what they're going to say.

My hair used to bristle around one of my coworkers. As long as I keep having the weekends that I'm having there will be no need for that anymore.

His voice still becomes tremulous whenever he attempts to engage me in an argument. Last time his eyes became bloodshot red. I had never seen anything like it before. It was almost as if he was about to cry.

Those talks have come to a cessation.

I escaped my English Prison at work today as my schedule stipulated me to teach only one class. Hallelujah.

One of my favorite euphemisms is "lady of the night."

I hope I don't have to send condolences back home should anything happen to Mrs. Kitty while I'm all the way across the Pacific Ocean.

Life is far from mundane if you want it to be.

My love life is incongruous at the moment. Is that how it ought to be in order for my mind to be preoccupied by something?


~Anthans

English Prison II

For various reasons, my teaching method lately has become laconic. I say what I need to say with my mouth and compensate the rest by gesticulating with meaningful gestures. If one of my coworkers ever tries to cajole me into enhancing my students' experience by speaking more, I'll base my response on my students' rudimentary understanding of the English language and how "saying less is more."

I used to be under the sword of Damocles regarding my use of Japanese at work, but not anymore! I told my boss about the exchange of words I had the other week with one of my coworkers and the tension I felt around him and she seemed to take my side. However, it was a Pyrrhic victory due to my loss in motivation at work in the recent weeks.

The tension has died died down recently between me and him. And although I'd like to, I dare not beard the lion in his den by bringing up the matter again.

My avid interest in the Japanese language can't be denied. I find the nuance in phrases like "I want to go to the bathroom" and "I want to go the bathroom (so please point me in the right direction)" fascinating. When it comes to language, I especially like to keep a vigilant watch over little things like this.

Chinese people tend to be adroit at picking up Japanese. It can mostly be explained by their prerequisite understanding of Chinese characters which are referred to as "kanji" in Japanese. I used to be irate over this but then I grew to accept it. Instead of condemning them with jealously I have instead chosen to work harder to better understand kanji myself.


Perhaps I'm intrepid for writing this, but my girlfriends helped me a great deal last week with studying, cooking, and nursing the wounds I incurred in a recent bicycle accident. Despite my unconditional admiration, one of my them is being rather reticent with her email messages lately. She doesn't accost me with any accusations, but she does insist that there are a throng of other women in my life. Am I a heartbreaker-felon-to-be?

There are a plethora of things bothering me lately. They're not troubling matters, but they can be a wet blanket when I'm out trying to enjoy myself. They're mostly matters revolving around my future career.

After ending employment with my current job I do not wish to return to the same hapless state I was in over a year ago. My original pretext for coming to Japan was to get away from the American wasteland that was consuming (and to this day still consumes) the futures of young recent 20-something graduates.
I didn't fabricate anything to my current employer, but my purpose for coming to Japan wasn't entirely made clear. In the interview I recall furtively saying "I want to bridge the gaps in understanding between Eastern and Western ideas and values. And...I'd also like to learn some Japanese."

Perhaps "some" could have been better thought out.


~Anthans