jill’s blog

Where the Air is Sweet

nobody@vox.com(jill) — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 03:59:09 -0800

Walking down my hill this morning I got this *flash* and I suddenly realized why Japan sometimes seems so familiar. Living in Japan is like living on Sesame Street. Not all the time, mind you, but often. This is because most people in my area really dress the part of their profession/station in life. As I was walking down the street, I was helped on my way by a construction worker waving a lightsaber to direct traffic, wearing a light blue jumper with reflective tape all over it and a yellow plastic hard hat. The entire crew were dressed just as nicely. I saw a chef buying vegetables, and he was dressed in a full length white apron over white clothes, and a huge, tall chef hat. the policemen and women wear navy blue suits and hats at all times, with white gloves. Taxi drivers wear ties, if not suits, white gloves and conductor caps. Nurses at Ava's doctor's office wear pink dresses and white, frilly pinafores. The ladies at the supermarket all wear a dark blue and white uniform, and all the school kids are dressed in such a way that you can tell which school they go to, especially the really young ones - I've seen preschoolers wearing full suits and captain hats, carrying pokemon back packs.

There are no embellishments to these uniforms - they're serious, damnit. It's kind of a Lego-esque effect. (The only exception I've seen to the uniform seriousness are the teen chicks who roll their skirts up to *shock!* above the knee). Also, everyone is polite and friendly, just like S. Street. In fact, the main difference is the absence of muppets...unless you count the dogs dressed in elaborate clothing, in which case my analogy is complete.

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Veggie man

nobody@vox.com(jill) — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 01:02:30 -0800

Our apartment is at the top of a big hill, and the supermarket is on the way up. I usually shop every day because we don't have a car, so buying enough groceries for more than a couple of days can be too heavy to get home. Anyway, I recently started buying all my fruit and veggies at the fresh veggie stand across from the market and the veggie man has gotten to know me (not hard to remember me - white lady with a baby strapped to her). He sometimes teaches me the Japanese words for the stuff I buy. So far I've learned carrots, onions, strawberries and a few others - today he told me the word for 'broccoli' is "broccori". I think I got that one memorized. He always tells me Ava is Kawaii, which makes those 50-cents-each strawberries go down a lot sweeter. I love the veggie man!

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Nightmare Before Christmas

nobody@vox.com(jill) — Sat, 02 Dec 2006 16:04:18 -0800

Not sure what the ad is for, but I've been seeing billboards everywhere here in Kansai that feature Christmas vampires. Weirdness. The best one says "Christmas Fantasy!" In big swirly letters over a picture of a vampire in Christmas gear, holding out a box in a " this present's for you, dear" way; and in the box? Garlic. That is really odd vampire behavior, in my opinion (assuming the present is for his vampire girlfriend). It's like your lover giving you an angry cobra for Christmas. Plus, why is he immune to the garlic? Anyway, happy holidays!

Xmas Vampire

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A reason to love Japan that doesnt include the words 'anime' 'samurai' or 'hot chicks in miniskirts'

nobody@vox.com(jill) — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 04:36:05 -0800

For those of you still reading now that you know this post has nothing to do with the above subjects, there are lots of reasons to love Japan - but here is my top one this week:

In Japan, they love new moms.

The average stay in the hospital after giving birth is ONE WEEK. Not 24-48 barbaric hours, like in the states. I spent a week and a half in a private room ($100 a night), being monitored by nurses. I had lactation consultants on hand 24 hours a day, a midwife who spoke English and taught me how to bathe, weigh, change and dress the baby, and pediatrician consultations every morning. They delivered a congratulatory bento box to my room on Ava's one week birthday, sent a reflexology masseuse to my room to give me a foot and calf massage that lasted...AN HOUR, and sent me home with a keepsake album that included a nightgown for Ava and pictures they had taken of her in the nursery. ROCKIN.

Every department store has a nursing room for new moms. This is pretty much unheard of in the states. By nursing room I mean a large and comfortable resting area that has a 4-5 padded changing tables on one side, with large trash cans for diapers, and a row of curtained cubicles with chairs on the other side.There is a lot of space for parking strollers, and chairs for waiting dads. There are usually a couple of baby scales too, in case you want to weigh your kiddo before and after feeding. These places are always clean, quiet, and comfortable. UNITED STATES, ARE YOU LISTENING? Women shouldn't have to feed their babies in the bathroom when they want a discreet nursing area.

Japan knows where it's at for new moms.

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Marketing with Me in Mind

nobody@vox.com(jill) — Fri, 24 Nov 2006 02:11:41 -0800

At the grocery store today I saw a product that was labeled in English, "Flaming Rainbow Cassette Bombe". On closer inspection I saw that it was a gas canister for a portable stove. It made me wish I was the camping type, just so I could stock up on those babies.

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Kurismasu Keki

nobody@vox.com(jill) — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 02:27:25 -0800

Hey out there in Internet Land. I've been wandering around here in Kansai like alice down the rabbit hole. Every day about 1 pm Ava and I get antsy and feel the need for adventure, so I strap her in to the Bjorn and we head out. Today we went down to Tokyu Hands, a sort of everything-store, to look for a pan big enough to hold a turkey and small enough to fit into my oven at the same time. My oven is actually a microwave/convection oven that would look like an easy bake in the states, so it was a challenge. We were successful, so it looks like this year Nate won't have to hack the bird into pieces like last year. It was carnage in our kitchen sink - not pretty, but tasty.

The best part of the trip though, was that the whole store was decked out for Christmas. I'm surprised at the whole hearted plunge into the Christmas spirit here, since most people aren't Christian. There are decorations in almost every store window, and carols start being played in the shops around Halloween. As far as I can tell by questioning my Japanese acquaintances, Christmas is celebrated by buying a 'Christmas Cake' and possibly eating some KFC (for serious). I have no idea where the idea of celebrating the birth of Jesus by eating crispy chicken and an elaborately frosted cake came from. Count me in, though. Legend has it that a few years back, when Passion of the Christ came out, there was an ad for KFC that featured a salaryman in a crowd of hecklers, toting a cross with a bucket of KFC hanging from one of the arms. The tagline was "Merry Xmas!" Whether this is true or not, I don't know, but I kinda hope it is.

Anyway, there was an entire floor dedicated to sexy Christmas costumes for the ladies - you know, for church. There were the usual Sexy Mrs. Santa and Sexy Reindeer outfits, but the best was a large assortment of hats featuring Christmas cakes. My favorite was a little pillbox hat that tied on with a silk ribbon, and composed of a tiny, gorgeous, felt cake with "Merry Christmas" in glitter letters stuck in the top. I think it may have to be mine.

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