It's a bit embarassing to admit, but it did. For example, I learned that a quoit is a ring or hoop-like object. I didn't know that. It's one of those things where somebody wrote a dictionary using direct translations from another dictionary that no one has ever used before. I'm guessing it's some "ye olde english" type word from medieval England because it's certainly not Canadian English. Nor, as I was told, Australian or British English. And although this is just a hunch, it seems to fancy a word for Americans heh......
But other than that, it's been lots of training. I received my new karate dogi (uniform) though and the quality of it is amazing. It has my name on it too haha.......
On wednesday we had a going away party for Paul which was a great chance to warm up to all the people I'll be with for the year. And I got to try natto for the first time. It's basically fermented beans that come in a sort of sealed tofu-esque container. You mix in the pre-packaged soy sauce and mustard and eat it. It's not exactly the best tasting thing in the world, but that makes it really good for you, as the stereotype goes. And it's super sticky. Like a-dog-eating-peanut-butter sticky. At least it doesn't smell as bad as durian heh.......
Oh, and I wore my Domokun t-shirt and that was a hit (thanks Jeanne!!). Surprisingly, he's not as well known as you would think, but mention the TV channel (NHK) and it jogs everyone's memory. So that's a rather good ice breaker heh..... The kids like to punch his mouth though, which is good for strength training I guess haha.....
On friday I got a chance to help with the Shirayuri kindergarten karate class. 25-30 five year olds in mini-dogi's doing punches?? If it's possible to die of kawaii-ness, you probably would at that kindergarten. So obviously I had lots of fun helping those kids with the karate heh......
So, now that Paul's headed back to Canada, I'm on my own. Richard's been very helpful and is always going out of his way to make sure I'm on the right track so I really appreciate that.
One thing that is rather bothersome is that in Japan, the women are women but some men are too. Slowly parting their hair so that every strand is perfectly in place or cowboy boots with jeans tucked in. It's just all too............... man-princess-y some times. Of course, the majority aren't but there's more than there should be. Super tight rainbow t-shirts just plain do not look manly..........
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I believed the Chinese invented Natto in because it's super popular in HK and China (and they actually sell it in T&T and Chinatown). It's called "Fu-Yu". Some people thinks it's chinese cheese. I don't particularly like it, but I think Simon really likes it.
i just got back from a tour of japan in katakyushu. i went to some kind of china town thing but it was supposed to act like holland so that part was a waste. i saw some real japanese things like samurai castles and stuff.
and the toilet seats were really heated!! there were like 5 other buttons around the toilet too. spent 3 min trying to find out how to flush it.
Geoffrey
Hmm........ either way, it's a bit weird to eat, that Natto haha.
Although, I did try to eat it all in one huge bite which may not have been the best idea haha.... I did make everyone laugh though, and that's probably more important than how delicious it was heh.
Geoff- You saw a China town that was pretending to be Holland?? Like Chinese people wearing clogs?? I dunno how that works haha....
natto is awesome! i love it! mariko's mom makes it every now n' then... but i can see how some people might not like it too much.
Seriously?? Interesting... it's definitely not the worst thing out there, but the Japanese seem to think foreigners would really hate it.
If they hadn't mixed in that mustard I think it would've been fine haha....
HAHAHA NATTO is awesome! I LOVE that stuff. it's soo good for you too.
I hear it is rather good for you, but after that first time, the only good it did for me was make everything afterwards taste like natto haha.........
There's also something else that I've yet to try........ asaboshi or something like that....... apparently it's worse?? But like I've been telling everyone here, I'll challenge anything haha......
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