Kyle's World

I've noticed that Japanese older men will pee anywhere. I'm not sure if I'm generalizing, or if it's really the case. A while back, I saw an ojisan in plain view, broad daylight, peeing on the side of a major highway, in full view of the passing motorists. He wasn't even peeing on grass or anything, it was like a parking lot or something. Then yesterday, I saw another man unzipped and peeing. To his credit, he was behind a shopping complex and peeing on grass. But both men had available facilities near by, which begs the question, why pee in public like that? And I've only ever seen ojisan do it. High school boys don't do it. Mind you I did see some elementary school kids from my apartment complex peeing in the runoff gutter, but they're kids, you'd expect that from them. Maybe Japan has lax public urination laws. Who knows, but it's quite the mystery.

I went to see The Terminal last night. I had heard that it wasn't that good, but I went anyway. I can't say that I was pleasantly surprised, cuz I thought it might be a decent movie. Anything having Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks in the credits is usually decent. And it was a good movie. There were plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. It's always good when that happens, cuz I'm usually the only foreigner in the theatre. Yesterday I was the only foreigner in the theatre, and there were only like 7 other people. Yes, my laughter was distinctly heard. Anyway, check out The Terminal if you get the chance.
On a side note, Viktor Naborski living in an airport terminal kinda reminded me of when I lived at ELI during the bus strike. I too shaved and showered at the ELI. I neevr had to scrimp for food mind you. And I don't think I ever walked around in a bathrobe, although my personal belongings were often seen by everyone. It's no wonder Wally got mad at me. Hahaha, but those were good times. I'm sure no CA has lived at the ELI since.

First of all, a belated happy New Year to everyone. Happy year of the Rooster (or is it Chicken?). Anyway, I'm back from my month in North America, I still have lots to do, but updating the blog is one of them, so I will try to do lots of updates for the next little while till I'm caught up. Here's a good place to start...
After school today, there was a man standing in my teachers room. Now guests come and go at my school, and I usually don't pay attenion to them, but this man was holding my principal's hand. Good stuff, a palm reader and fortune teller at my school. And apparently he was free. What good fortune did I owe to to get my palm read by a fortune teller. I learned that he was actually an inkan seller; why wouldn't an inkan seller be able to read hands too? Only in Japan I guess.
Anyway he came over to me, and we got started. But he was missing a few front teeth, and his breath smelled bad. I think he had just smoked a cigarette. I put up with him for the sake of my fortune. I thought my JTE would be translating, but his attention seemed to wander part way through. I got a gist of what he said though, I've got a calm and gentle disposition, I have a good relationship with my family, and so on. He said I cry easily, and he mentioned that if I got a bit better at speaking Japanese I'd be able to cry if I saw a Hideki Matsui homerun. Yeah, whatever, I don't even like the Yankees. I guess what he said was largely accurate. Every now and then, he'd let out a loud "Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaa" when he saw a hand line that looked interesting.
When he finished, we talked about my inkan. I showed it to him, and he said that it was cheap and crappy, and it was probably bought for 300 Yen. He said I should have a round one, not an oval one like I have. At that point, thinking he was insulting me, I got my back up, and told him that my inkan was given to me by my BOE, then he thought that my BOE was dirt poor. Hahahaha. He proceeded to do everyone in the teacher's room at the time; I saw loads of teachers laughing behind this dude's back, and others who would take a large detour around him just so they wouldn't have to have their palms read.
To top off my exciting afternoon with the fortune teller, when he went to leave, he went into the coffee room, thinking it was the exit. Good times.