An Incident in Japan....

I just returned (again) from Japan this weekend. For those of you keeping score, that's twice within the last month. Man, I'm tired!

Overall, I had a very good training session over the week, and made some pretty good contacts from Japan, Mexico, Malaysia, and the Czech Republic. But myself & a few coworkers experienced a case of Japanese racism, which I am still pissed about...

One evening, my boss (who is Canadian) and another co-worker (an Indian) were walking with me to the local 7-11, so that I could buy my yogurt & orange juice for the next morning. Along the way we passed some clubs (?) which had signs along the street. We had seen numerous guys coming & leaving these places all week, so we were curious as to what they were. My boss asked me to translate one of the signs, so I tried. There was alot of kanji I didn't know, but I did read something about "1 person = 5000 yen", so I assume it was a "gentlemen's club".

While reading the sign, I guy came up to us and said "the clubs are for Japanese only! No gai-jin allowed!" Hey, thanks for the unsolicited information, but we had made no motion or attempt to enter the club. We were only reading the sign.

While thinking which judo move I should lay him out with, I realized there was a cop nearby. So I politely told him he could go F@ck himself, and we proceeded to do our 7-11 shopping. For the rest of the week I felt the urge to take my hairy American-ass upstairs to the club, but it would have been career suicide to get arrested on a business trip, so I avoided that street completely.

I don't know if blatant racism is legal in Japan, but I guess so since the cop let it happen. I had heard from other "gai-jin" that this stuff happened in Japan, but this is the first time I have experienced it. From an American perspective I know that racism does exist in the States, but it is ILLEGAL to bar someone from entering a building based upon their race here. You may get thrown out if you make an ass of yourself, but you are allowed the opportunity. Japan is trying to get a permanent seat on the UN security council, and so heavily involved in the UN & human rights, you would think that they wouldn't allow this type of discimination to go on.

Oh, by the way, this is the kicker: I had seen a few Chinese & Korean guys in these clubs. So maybe it's just white guys & Indians they don't want inside......

Tell me what you think. I love Japan & its people, but this has left a really sour taste......

Shawn

Dogs gone wild...

As much as I love Momo, which is my very first dog (Shawn has always had dogs since he was a child, though), I am learning that even my boy could be a wild animal when he has to protect us/himself.

Although Momo is a very loving and loyal dog, his love and loyalty could be a trouble sometimes - he thinks he has to protect me, and he sometimes barks at strangers (only to guys!) or tries to chase them. I have to be alert and keep the leash very tight when I see a big guy walking by so Momo does not annoy him. (For Momo, Shawn is the No.1 in this house, and he does not behave like that when he is with Shawn because he knows Shawn is the strongest.)

I learned a lot of lessons from these incidents, and as Shawn always tells me, I want to tell dog owners that they must be really responsible for their dogs. I was walking Momo this morning. As we were walking on the street, a dog, which was left in the backyard of a house nearby without a leash and the owner's supervision, saw Momo and suddenly ran toward us! (Their backyard has no fence.) As running toward us across the street, the dog was almost hit by a car, but fortunately the car avoided him. Then he kept running after us barking and almost bit Momo. I stopped walking and tried to take the dog back to the house where he belonged to. Finnaly the dog owner heard us and got out of the house. I told him that the dog kept following us and that he should put the leash on the dog outside and it's the law. He just ignored me and went back to the backyard with the dog (still unleashed). I know people who got sued due to similar accidents caused by unleashed dogs.

As a dog lover, I am sad to tell you that we are one of the few dog owners in our neighborhood who put leash on our dogs when letting them out. Even if not many dogs are as protective as Momo or the dog that chased us this morning, we don't want our precious ones hit by a car or get hurt on the street.

Well, without knowing my concerns, Momo is peacefully taking a nap by my side now. That's all for now...

Nobuko & Her Lovely Cake

Nobuko & Her Lovely Cake
Originally uploaded by momohall.

This is the cake I got for Nobuko's birthday a couple of weeks ago. (Well, it was Misae & Nobu who got it. Arigato gozaimashita!)

It was very delicious! Tirimasu, I believe. Yum, Yum!

(Yum was an easy phrase to use; I always get confused whether to use oishii deshita or oishiikatta. Some day I may fully learn Japanese....)

The Iida Family in Tokyo

The Iida Family in Tokyo
Originally uploaded by momohall.

My friends who live in Tokyo....Anika, the baby....Sayuri, the mom.....and Mark, the dad (in the background wearing a white t-shirt).

Wish we all could be this happy.

: )

I think I scare children.....

I think I scare children.....
Originally uploaded by momohall.

....the picture says it all! On my last trip to Japan, I met up with some friends from Atlanta, Mark & Sayuri.

This is their very cute daughter Anika-chan.

Dinner with Nobuko's Parents

Dinner with Nobuko's Parents
Originally uploaded by momohall.

I had dinner with Nobuko's family during my last trip to Japan. Nobuko was worried, but I did ok with my limited Japanese (thanks to Ayako) and my trusty dictionary.

Now if I could only tell you what I ate......

: )

WTF!? Only in Japan.....

WTF!? Only in Japan.....
Originally uploaded by momohall.

Another example of something you will only see in Japan....WTF!?

Sometimes the "cute" culture there is just way too much.

I guess it is easier to cut-up for fruit salad!

: )