Another week has gone by and therefore there are more current events to talk about. Without further delay let's get right into it!
Election Season
It's election season here in Okinawa and although I have no idea what anyone is running for and of course I cannot vote all I can report to you is that I really cannot wait until it is over. Now, I realize that many of you might be asking yourselves what problem I could possibly have with election season. Maybe this is because in your country you have different practices than they do here in Japan. Let me explain. Here in Japan the candidates do not call on the telephone or run TV ads (as far as I know) but rather to broadcast what they are going to do if you elect them they purchase these vans, put loud speakers on the roof and drive around town. This would not be so bad if there was only one candidate nor would it be bad if they were not emergency siren grade sirens. Generally speaking each of these candidates at least has one of these vans for each route. For example I know that there is one route that comes up past my house (as it does everyone else's house) and then another route that goes down by AEON Big Express down the hill from me (You can see it in the sunset blogs that I post). So imagine that during the day and evening about every 20 or 30 minutes you have one of these vans driving past your house with the volume on these loud speaks saying the same phrase over and over again. "TOKASHI, TOKASHI, TOKASHI, TOKASHI, TOKASHI," . . . . . "OYAMA OHIYOUGOSAIMASU TOKASHI TOKASHI" Goodness it makes you want to rip your own head off. The biggest problem that I have, however, is that right outside by house is a parking lot and they will park the vans there and broadcast as loud as they can so that it can reach the entire OYAMA area. Seriously I am not kidding. Because I am up on the hill I assume that they figure it's the best spot. Problem is that it is so loud that you have to shut all of the windows and even then you can still feel the walls shaking.
There are not many things in Japanese culture that I think are just inconsiderate of the people around them but this is the one that I can truly say I do not think is appropriate. The reason that I say this in particular is not because of my experience with it but because the Japanese are always so quiet and considerate of others. As it is in my neighborhood you could hear a pin drop and we have a lot of older people as well. This is all put aside , however, during this election time.
AEON's New Operating Hours
Here in Okinawa AEON is one of the largest shopping centers with the best prices around. For the most part AEON has everything that you need. From groceries to furniture to CD's to books it's a one stop shop. Until recently the hours were 0900 (or 1000) however there has been a recent change in the hours which will now allow shoppers to begin at 0700. Of course this does not mean that all areas of the shopping centers will open early but at least the grocery part will be open so that more people can complete their shopping before work.
I am personally really excited about this because doing groceries early is a very great advantage especially here in the summer time. I am looking to taking advantage of this. During the summer the earlier I can get out the cooler it is and the less difficult it is to get my grocery shopping done. I am excited about this. Unfortunately this will not be something that is permanent and it will change with the end of the summer in September. Until then I am sure that many will benefit from this change.
Stolen Manhole Covers
Some drivers skills were put to the test when they realized that there were manhole covers stolen in the Naha and Tomigusuku areas of Okinawa this week. In a span of 4 days 36 manhole covers were stolen causing traffic accidents and a lot of frustration. Luckily I was not one of the people who had encountered this and it is a very good thing because I am not sure what I would have done if I had accidentally driven into a manhole which was open.
This story was interesting to me because personally I understand how heavy these manhole covers are and I can not imagine how a person could in the middle of the roads take some of these manhole covers. The reason that I say this is because the roads here in Okinawa seem to always be full of some sort of traffic especially in Naha. I am not sure if there has been any update in this case but I am interested to find out what the person would have done with the covers.
World War 2 Cave Found in Montobu
As many who are familiar with Okinawa know this small island was the battle ground during WWII for a battle known as "The Battle Of Okinawa". Although it has gone by other names as well such as "The Typhoon Of Steel" the facts still remain the same. Of course there are very many resources out there discussing the details of the battle but I will only go over one which is relevant to this story. During the time of the battle the Imperial Japanese Army had civilians (some Okinawan others Korean) carve out tunnel systems (also referred to as caves). This tunnel system was carved by hand with very limited tools. Over the course of the battle these tunnels were used for the Japanese military to move through the mountains to evade the American military. Of course the story continue, however, this is where I am going to stop our history lesson for now. In the southern part of the island, where a bulk of the tunnels are and were used, you can even visit some of these tunnels.
Unfortunately many of these tunnels are no longer safe to visit because they are no longer structurally sound, however, in Montobu recently a tunnel/cave was found which is in immaculate shape. Currently the is research being conducted to find out who was assigned to this area which will be exciting to find out.
It is always interesting to find out when more history is uncovered here in Okinawa. Of course there are always sad stories that come along with war times, however, I like most of the Okinawan people feel that it is important to ensure that the past is not forgotten so that you can learn from the past. What I found fascinating was that there is a 74 year old man who remembers these tunnels being constructed. That in my opinion is amazing.
THANKS FOR READING!
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Beating the Heat
If you come to Okinawa and are going to be here during the summer months you will soon realize that Okinawa is a hot and humid place. In fact the heat is really minor to the incredible humidity that you will encounter here. Although our temperatures here are in the 80's and 90's throughout the summertime it is not uncommon for us to have on the up side of 80 or 90% humidity. Because of this we find ourselves doing a number of things to try and deal with the weather. Between carrying around face towels and various products which will help us attempt to stay cool.
In a video which was posted on the OkiNinjaKitty Youtube Channel I had explained some of the products that I use and find helpful during the summertime. These products are common and can be found anywhere but they are so incredibly helpful.
Now I do understand that some people don't like to try Japanese products for a number of reasons. Personally my thought is go ahead and try them and see how they work for you. I felt the same way when I first got here figuring that there is no reason to spend extra money on products because who needs them right? However, one day I found myself picking up one or another of these products and when I did I realized that when in Rome, do like the Romans.
Anyway, check out the video and maybe you will feel like you can try out some products during your time here.
In a video which was posted on the OkiNinjaKitty Youtube Channel I had explained some of the products that I use and find helpful during the summertime. These products are common and can be found anywhere but they are so incredibly helpful.
Now I do understand that some people don't like to try Japanese products for a number of reasons. Personally my thought is go ahead and try them and see how they work for you. I felt the same way when I first got here figuring that there is no reason to spend extra money on products because who needs them right? However, one day I found myself picking up one or another of these products and when I did I realized that when in Rome, do like the Romans.
Anyway, check out the video and maybe you will feel like you can try out some products during your time here.
Friday, June 8, 2012
Fan Mail Friday! YEN
It's FAN MAIL FRIDAY over here at OkiNinjaKitty. What's Fan Mail Friday? Well, throughout the week I read all of the comments that I receive as well as any emails that I receive at okininjakitty@yahoo.com as well as anything that I get over at the Facebook. I then try to answer as many of them as possible. Of course some of these answers can easily be answered with a simple comment but for those who require a bit more of an in depth response you can expect to hear back from us in blog form as well as VLOG.
A super fan of ours known as MSOld7 asks:
This is a great question!
So before I get into any of these details I think it's important to know that when traveling to any country it is important to ensure that you are bringing at least some money that you retrieve from a bank in your home country or some cash that you can exchange at the airport. Of course getting foreign currency will be different depending on the banks in your home country although in the US I understand that you can call your bank and set up a time to pick up a set amount of currency. If that's not your style bringing cash with you will ensure that you can change out that currency once you get to the airport. There are sure to be currency exchanges. I understand that Narita, Haneda, Osaka and Naha all have places where you can exchange currency so you shouldn't have a problem there.
Now let's talk about when you are on the ground and are actually starting your vacation. Since you are in Okinawa you have a TON of advantages that you might not have in other parts of Japan. The first advantage is that there are various places where you can get yen. If you have access to the military installations you can get yen from the ATM's on the bases. If not that's ok! You can exchange dollars for yen at various banks through Okinawa or even at yen exchange machines which are located in areas heavy with Americans such as Mihama's Make Man store and the AEON in Mihama as well. There are also ATM's available at almost every convenience store here in Okinawa (Lawson, FamilyMart or Cocoa). Not all of these ATM machines may not work with all ATM or bank cards so you may have to look around but this should not be too much of a problem because these konbini's are all over the place.
If you don't have any yen on you or if you want to shop without the restriction of yen you can use plastic at a variety of places here in Okinawa although this is not something I would advise as a reliable way of paying for things. Most restaurants do not take plastic (credit card). There are some that do and when they do they usually will take most of the major credit card companies so you will not have to worry there although these places are not as common as in the US which means your options will be limited and you might not be able to eat anything you want. Shops also may or may not take card. It depends on their preference. It is always a good idea to ask before you start to shop/eat which you can do the difficult way "cer-re-di-ka-do de-har-ratte-mo-ii-desu-ka" which is how I asked until I was informed that I could talk like a regular human and say something like "ca-do de ii desk ka". Or if you are like the many who get on the spot and can't seem to remember what the heck you are supposed to say you can always take out the card in one hand and make an "a-o-k" sign with the other and you will also be able to get your point across. Of course it is always good to learn the language if you are going to be here for a long period of time but let's face it. . . . our memories don't always serve us the way we would like.
There are places which will almost never take credit card which include road side stands, convenience stores and vendors. Grocery stores are also not known for taking card unless they are big companies. AEON for example will take credit but San A will not. Again, just ask. It's always important to ask.
For USD you are also in luck when here in Okinawa. There are places out in town that will take USD. These places are USUALLY (and I stress usually because there could be other places out there which do not fit this mold but I don't know off hand) food places. It is important to remember, however, that the places which take dollars have the ability to determine the rate at which the dollar to yen is for their business. One place you go may have an 80yen to 1 dollar conversion where as another place along side them may give an even 100yen to 1 dollar conversion. This is completely up to the business and you as the patron should always be cautious of what you are using to pay for what you are purchasing. It is arguable that in most cases paying with yen will benefit you more, however, there are some very rare cases where the business with take a bit of a hit for more business. (An example of this is some of the tanning salons here in Okinawa which still do a one to one yen rate). Of course it is completely up to you. There are some cases when I just use the yen and others when if I have some dollars in my pocket I might use that even if the rate is not that great.
Overall I would say that it is very much the luck of the draw while here in Okinawa. Your best bet is to have everything with you at all times and that way you can ensure you never have to turn away from a store because they don't happen to take the method of payment you have available to you at the time!
Thanks so much for reading this post I hope that I have offered some insight to using various types of currency here in Okinawa. If you have any more comments and questions please feel free to leave them in the comments below or email me at okininjakitty@yahoo.com
A super fan of ours known as MSOld7 asks:
Can you get yen anywhere or do most places take plastic or USD?
This is a great question!
So before I get into any of these details I think it's important to know that when traveling to any country it is important to ensure that you are bringing at least some money that you retrieve from a bank in your home country or some cash that you can exchange at the airport. Of course getting foreign currency will be different depending on the banks in your home country although in the US I understand that you can call your bank and set up a time to pick up a set amount of currency. If that's not your style bringing cash with you will ensure that you can change out that currency once you get to the airport. There are sure to be currency exchanges. I understand that Narita, Haneda, Osaka and Naha all have places where you can exchange currency so you shouldn't have a problem there.
Now let's talk about when you are on the ground and are actually starting your vacation. Since you are in Okinawa you have a TON of advantages that you might not have in other parts of Japan. The first advantage is that there are various places where you can get yen. If you have access to the military installations you can get yen from the ATM's on the bases. If not that's ok! You can exchange dollars for yen at various banks through Okinawa or even at yen exchange machines which are located in areas heavy with Americans such as Mihama's Make Man store and the AEON in Mihama as well. There are also ATM's available at almost every convenience store here in Okinawa (Lawson, FamilyMart or Cocoa). Not all of these ATM machines may not work with all ATM or bank cards so you may have to look around but this should not be too much of a problem because these konbini's are all over the place.
If you don't have any yen on you or if you want to shop without the restriction of yen you can use plastic at a variety of places here in Okinawa although this is not something I would advise as a reliable way of paying for things. Most restaurants do not take plastic (credit card). There are some that do and when they do they usually will take most of the major credit card companies so you will not have to worry there although these places are not as common as in the US which means your options will be limited and you might not be able to eat anything you want. Shops also may or may not take card. It depends on their preference. It is always a good idea to ask before you start to shop/eat which you can do the difficult way "cer-re-di-ka-do de-har-ratte-mo-ii-desu-ka" which is how I asked until I was informed that I could talk like a regular human and say something like "ca-do de ii desk ka". Or if you are like the many who get on the spot and can't seem to remember what the heck you are supposed to say you can always take out the card in one hand and make an "a-o-k" sign with the other and you will also be able to get your point across. Of course it is always good to learn the language if you are going to be here for a long period of time but let's face it. . . . our memories don't always serve us the way we would like.
There are places which will almost never take credit card which include road side stands, convenience stores and vendors. Grocery stores are also not known for taking card unless they are big companies. AEON for example will take credit but San A will not. Again, just ask. It's always important to ask.
For USD you are also in luck when here in Okinawa. There are places out in town that will take USD. These places are USUALLY (and I stress usually because there could be other places out there which do not fit this mold but I don't know off hand) food places. It is important to remember, however, that the places which take dollars have the ability to determine the rate at which the dollar to yen is for their business. One place you go may have an 80yen to 1 dollar conversion where as another place along side them may give an even 100yen to 1 dollar conversion. This is completely up to the business and you as the patron should always be cautious of what you are using to pay for what you are purchasing. It is arguable that in most cases paying with yen will benefit you more, however, there are some very rare cases where the business with take a bit of a hit for more business. (An example of this is some of the tanning salons here in Okinawa which still do a one to one yen rate). Of course it is completely up to you. There are some cases when I just use the yen and others when if I have some dollars in my pocket I might use that even if the rate is not that great.
Overall I would say that it is very much the luck of the draw while here in Okinawa. Your best bet is to have everything with you at all times and that way you can ensure you never have to turn away from a store because they don't happen to take the method of payment you have available to you at the time!
Thanks so much for reading this post I hope that I have offered some insight to using various types of currency here in Okinawa. If you have any more comments and questions please feel free to leave them in the comments below or email me at okininjakitty@yahoo.com
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
"Racism" in Japan: My take on this topic
There have been a few videos recently by some various people in the JVLOG community regarding racism in Japan. As I have never talked about this topic before I figured that today was as good a time as any. To begin this post I should mention that although I have spent short periods of time in other parts of the country most of my experience comes from being in Okinawa so please keep that in mind while you are reading this post.
I am going to just cut to the chase; I don't really think that racism is a "thing" here in Japan. That is not to say that it is not out there but it is truly my belief that the term "racism" is used almost as a buzz word rather than a truly descriptive term of what is being experienced by a particular person. This is why you will see the word in quotes in the title of this post. To be honest I feel that most cases of "racism" here in Japan by foreigners can be broken down as follows:
90% People who misunderstand you.
9% People who are just jerks regardless your race
1% People who are actually racist by definition
The 90%: People who misunderstand you.
When I say "misunderstand" I am not simply talking about language although that part does exist. I am talking about people out there who do not understand your intentions as a person, your abilities or your culture. This could be for a number of reasons but the ones that I believe (from my past experience) are the most common are stereotypes of a culture and examples being made by the "louder and prouder" (let's say) of our culture. One of the common things that people will say is that they were given a fork at a Japanese restaurant rather than chopsticks like everyone else. Another example of this might be given a limited menu which is in english and more catered to the palate of an American. Neither of these cases are because of a person thinking you are incapable of doing things like everyone else but rather giving you a helpful hand rather than watching you suffer through eating a salad with chopsticks. While we are talking about restaurants let's talk briefly about "Japanese Only" signs that may be on store fronts or on the doors to restaurants. From experience this does not mean that you have to be a Japanese person to enter, what this means is that Japanese Language is the only thing that you are going to find behind this door, chances are they do not have any English speaking staff and please know that before proceeding. This is especially important when you go to various restaurants because once you sit down to that table you may receive a menu that does not have a lick of English on it or even photos. This not only turns out embarrassing for you who is sitting there without a clue (if you don't speak or read Japanese) but it is uncomfortable for the staff who are not prepped to handle English speaking customers.
There is another commonly used example "racism" in Japan is the denial of getting an apartment here in Japan. (DISCLAIMER: If you are one of my readers who is in the US Armed Forces what I am about to describe does not apply to you because there are agencies who are here in Okinawa and elsewhere I am sure designed to work directly with you because of your Military affiliation.) There are many people out there who have discussed this but I wanted to add in my experience with this topic. When I was looking for an apartment I was denied the ability to to rent from various places here on island. In most cases the agencies were very open with us, not in a disrespectful way, but in an informative way because we had inquired about it and they were openly honest. Every agency that I spoke with explained to us that it is risky to have (non military) foreigners live in their houses and apartments. Keep in mind that many of the apartments and houses here are owned by private parties and not big corporations there fore when foreigners don't properly understand how to take care of tatami or do not follow rules such as how to put out trash the price often has to be paid by the landowner. There is also a problem here in Japan of foreigners picking up and leaving without following the proper processes or paying bills and then disappearing. The person who then has to pay for this is the landowner. Of course it is important to look at this from the eyes of a business owner rather than immediately feel as if you are being singled out. After all would you take that type of risk?
You may even find yourself denied service from certain companies, usually high end, which might require you to sign paperwork. If this paperwork is all in Japanese the company will be hesitant to work with you because the documents that they you to protect themselves and you as the customer won't be understood. This is one that I had experienced in the past with a jeweler. I wanted to get a ring resized and I knew that it was something many people are hesitant doing because of the design. Unfortunately I was told that they could not do it, although I was aware that they could from referrals. It wasn't because of my race/culture or otherwise but rather because they most likely didn't know how to communicate what was required and the risks and likewise I didn't know how to communicate that I understood that there would be risks and it was ok. Thusly both parties respectfully withdrew from the situation. No hard feelings, no problems.
The last thing that I want to touch on in the "misunderstood" category is being stared at. This is another one that I hear a lot about. The fact of the matter is that yes there are people out there who are going to stare at you but to be honest in my opinion that is not without good reason. If you are of European decent in any way you need to consider that your chances of being a giant over here are pretty good. I'm 5'7" and I can easily see above a crowd and that's if I am not wearing heels or anything that brings me closer to sky scraper status. Then there is the matter of if you are very overweight or if you just simply have curves you are going to be looked at because you are different. People all over the world do the same thing and in fact I can say for sure that in the US if you saw someone like Dita Von Tease walking down the street as if she came out of a 1950's magazine you would give a second glance too. It's something you are not used to seeing and likewise it is something that the people here are not used to see and you stand out. The truth of the matter is that you can make this better or worse for yourself based on how you choose to alter your appearance. For example if you are of African American descent and you choose to wear blond hair I imagine you are going to get a lot of looks just as someone like myself who chooses to die their hair a dramatic red is going to get looks. You are outside of the norm. Does dealing with these situations ever get uncomfortable? Maybe. I think that it honestly depends on your personality. If you are the type of person who is not used to standing out in a crowd this is going to be difficult for you. Of course there are things that you can do to prevent the number of looks you get but that is part of adapting to your new environment. More about this later.
The 9%: Jerks Without Boundaries
Japanese people are just people like anyone else on the planet and that being said there are jerks who are out there just like you would find anywhere else. Although we like to think sometimes that the culture of Japan prevents people from being out right rude and disrespectful to human kind they are out there. I have encountered some of these people in various situations such as at the airport recently when I was standing out of the way and yet still run into by about 5 to 6 people who just simply did not want to deviate from their path. Of course the first reaction might be "wow this person is picking on me in particular" for some people but as I looked at that person continuing down the lobby I noticed that they were ramming into other people as well. Racism? No just a jerk. There have been other situations when I have noticed this type of thing as well where a particular person simply treats others with disrespect regardless of race. It's rare but it's out there.
The 1%: Actually Racist
Truth is I can not say that I have ever encountered anyone who is just for no reason whatsoever racist towards myself or others I have been with. Being that as I said above Japanese people are just people I can guarantee that there is racism out there but I just do not feel that it is something that is in any way widespread.
The Conclusion
The fact of the matter is that your perception of how people are treating you is the biggest factor in whether or not you consider yourself a victim of racism. From most of the stories that I have heard and researched it seems that this idea of racism was almost created to somehow explain something that wasn't fully understood in the first place. The unfortunate part about this in my opinion is that people continue on the path of creating these bad situations for themselves which gives them a bad attitude and the way they most likely act fuels the stereotypes that may have been created causing this problem in the first place. This is what I mean when I describe this situation as a vicious cycle.
My opinion is that the first thing to do is take a step back and self reflect before making and judgements. Do you speak enough Japanese to explain to that waiter that you don't need a fork and that chopsticks are just fine? Is the way you are dressing going to cause you to catch the eye of some who might think it's out of the ordinary? Is the group of people you are with being loud and disruptive or making the people around you uncomfortable? And the most important in my opinion: Am I creating an image of foreigners that others may not want to be portrayed as?
There are so many other things that I would like to comment on but I feel that this has gone on long enough for one entry and to be completely honest I think it's time for me to head out to the grocery store and get some food so I can eat breakfast. Thank you so much for reading and considering what I have said above. I hope that what I have said allows those of you who might be experiencing something like this to take a look at the situation in a different light and hopefully make your experiences more enjoyable.
I am going to just cut to the chase; I don't really think that racism is a "thing" here in Japan. That is not to say that it is not out there but it is truly my belief that the term "racism" is used almost as a buzz word rather than a truly descriptive term of what is being experienced by a particular person. This is why you will see the word in quotes in the title of this post. To be honest I feel that most cases of "racism" here in Japan by foreigners can be broken down as follows:
90% People who misunderstand you.
9% People who are just jerks regardless your race
1% People who are actually racist by definition
The 90%: People who misunderstand you.
When I say "misunderstand" I am not simply talking about language although that part does exist. I am talking about people out there who do not understand your intentions as a person, your abilities or your culture. This could be for a number of reasons but the ones that I believe (from my past experience) are the most common are stereotypes of a culture and examples being made by the "louder and prouder" (let's say) of our culture. One of the common things that people will say is that they were given a fork at a Japanese restaurant rather than chopsticks like everyone else. Another example of this might be given a limited menu which is in english and more catered to the palate of an American. Neither of these cases are because of a person thinking you are incapable of doing things like everyone else but rather giving you a helpful hand rather than watching you suffer through eating a salad with chopsticks. While we are talking about restaurants let's talk briefly about "Japanese Only" signs that may be on store fronts or on the doors to restaurants. From experience this does not mean that you have to be a Japanese person to enter, what this means is that Japanese Language is the only thing that you are going to find behind this door, chances are they do not have any English speaking staff and please know that before proceeding. This is especially important when you go to various restaurants because once you sit down to that table you may receive a menu that does not have a lick of English on it or even photos. This not only turns out embarrassing for you who is sitting there without a clue (if you don't speak or read Japanese) but it is uncomfortable for the staff who are not prepped to handle English speaking customers.
There is another commonly used example "racism" in Japan is the denial of getting an apartment here in Japan. (DISCLAIMER: If you are one of my readers who is in the US Armed Forces what I am about to describe does not apply to you because there are agencies who are here in Okinawa and elsewhere I am sure designed to work directly with you because of your Military affiliation.) There are many people out there who have discussed this but I wanted to add in my experience with this topic. When I was looking for an apartment I was denied the ability to to rent from various places here on island. In most cases the agencies were very open with us, not in a disrespectful way, but in an informative way because we had inquired about it and they were openly honest. Every agency that I spoke with explained to us that it is risky to have (non military) foreigners live in their houses and apartments. Keep in mind that many of the apartments and houses here are owned by private parties and not big corporations there fore when foreigners don't properly understand how to take care of tatami or do not follow rules such as how to put out trash the price often has to be paid by the landowner. There is also a problem here in Japan of foreigners picking up and leaving without following the proper processes or paying bills and then disappearing. The person who then has to pay for this is the landowner. Of course it is important to look at this from the eyes of a business owner rather than immediately feel as if you are being singled out. After all would you take that type of risk?
You may even find yourself denied service from certain companies, usually high end, which might require you to sign paperwork. If this paperwork is all in Japanese the company will be hesitant to work with you because the documents that they you to protect themselves and you as the customer won't be understood. This is one that I had experienced in the past with a jeweler. I wanted to get a ring resized and I knew that it was something many people are hesitant doing because of the design. Unfortunately I was told that they could not do it, although I was aware that they could from referrals. It wasn't because of my race/culture or otherwise but rather because they most likely didn't know how to communicate what was required and the risks and likewise I didn't know how to communicate that I understood that there would be risks and it was ok. Thusly both parties respectfully withdrew from the situation. No hard feelings, no problems.
The last thing that I want to touch on in the "misunderstood" category is being stared at. This is another one that I hear a lot about. The fact of the matter is that yes there are people out there who are going to stare at you but to be honest in my opinion that is not without good reason. If you are of European decent in any way you need to consider that your chances of being a giant over here are pretty good. I'm 5'7" and I can easily see above a crowd and that's if I am not wearing heels or anything that brings me closer to sky scraper status. Then there is the matter of if you are very overweight or if you just simply have curves you are going to be looked at because you are different. People all over the world do the same thing and in fact I can say for sure that in the US if you saw someone like Dita Von Tease walking down the street as if she came out of a 1950's magazine you would give a second glance too. It's something you are not used to seeing and likewise it is something that the people here are not used to see and you stand out. The truth of the matter is that you can make this better or worse for yourself based on how you choose to alter your appearance. For example if you are of African American descent and you choose to wear blond hair I imagine you are going to get a lot of looks just as someone like myself who chooses to die their hair a dramatic red is going to get looks. You are outside of the norm. Does dealing with these situations ever get uncomfortable? Maybe. I think that it honestly depends on your personality. If you are the type of person who is not used to standing out in a crowd this is going to be difficult for you. Of course there are things that you can do to prevent the number of looks you get but that is part of adapting to your new environment. More about this later.
The 9%: Jerks Without Boundaries
Japanese people are just people like anyone else on the planet and that being said there are jerks who are out there just like you would find anywhere else. Although we like to think sometimes that the culture of Japan prevents people from being out right rude and disrespectful to human kind they are out there. I have encountered some of these people in various situations such as at the airport recently when I was standing out of the way and yet still run into by about 5 to 6 people who just simply did not want to deviate from their path. Of course the first reaction might be "wow this person is picking on me in particular" for some people but as I looked at that person continuing down the lobby I noticed that they were ramming into other people as well. Racism? No just a jerk. There have been other situations when I have noticed this type of thing as well where a particular person simply treats others with disrespect regardless of race. It's rare but it's out there.
The 1%: Actually Racist
Truth is I can not say that I have ever encountered anyone who is just for no reason whatsoever racist towards myself or others I have been with. Being that as I said above Japanese people are just people I can guarantee that there is racism out there but I just do not feel that it is something that is in any way widespread.
The Conclusion
The fact of the matter is that your perception of how people are treating you is the biggest factor in whether or not you consider yourself a victim of racism. From most of the stories that I have heard and researched it seems that this idea of racism was almost created to somehow explain something that wasn't fully understood in the first place. The unfortunate part about this in my opinion is that people continue on the path of creating these bad situations for themselves which gives them a bad attitude and the way they most likely act fuels the stereotypes that may have been created causing this problem in the first place. This is what I mean when I describe this situation as a vicious cycle.
My opinion is that the first thing to do is take a step back and self reflect before making and judgements. Do you speak enough Japanese to explain to that waiter that you don't need a fork and that chopsticks are just fine? Is the way you are dressing going to cause you to catch the eye of some who might think it's out of the ordinary? Is the group of people you are with being loud and disruptive or making the people around you uncomfortable? And the most important in my opinion: Am I creating an image of foreigners that others may not want to be portrayed as?
There are so many other things that I would like to comment on but I feel that this has gone on long enough for one entry and to be completely honest I think it's time for me to head out to the grocery store and get some food so I can eat breakfast. Thank you so much for reading and considering what I have said above. I hope that what I have said allows those of you who might be experiencing something like this to take a look at the situation in a different light and hopefully make your experiences more enjoyable.
Monday, June 4, 2012
Top 20 Tourist Locations, Brown Sugar Cola, Ospreys and More: This is Current Events.
It's Monday and that means it's time for "Current Events".
As this is the beginning of these new segments I have been thinking about ways to make these segments better and more interesting for those of you who are reading. In today's blog and eventually VLOG you will find that we talk about some of the current events here in Okinawa as well as some other current events in the JVLOG community. I hope that this is an improvement.
Okinawa Aquarium one of Top 20 Tourist Attractions in Japan
An organization in Hiroshima Prefecture has announced that the Okinawa Aquarium is one of the top 20 travel destinations here in Japan. I imagine that this is no surprise to those who have visited the Okinawa Aquarium before. If you have never been to the Okinawa Aquarium before let's talk a little bit about it. This is not just an aquarium, this is a vacation destination. The area known as the "aquarium" is an aquarium, gardens, beach and outdoor eating area. The area is amazing in and of itself is amazing but this is before you even look at the building that is the aquarium itself. The building was actually featured on Modern Marvels which was an amazing show and you should check it out if you have not already. Now going in to the building itself you will see some amazing animals including whale sharks (which are personally my favorite) and a variety of other sea life which are all in the oceans surrounding our little island. The amazing things, however, is the tank that they have which is considered the largest in the world. Looking at it is feeling like you are standing on the bottom of the ocean floor because of it's massive size. This is a must see for anyone coming to Okinawa and in fact I have been told that this is also one of the destinations that school children visit when they are traveling to Okinawa from the Main Islands. It is no surprise for Okinawa's Aquarium to be listed in this top 20 but then again it is pretty awesome to hear that something we have here on Okinawa is one of the must-see attractions in the country.
Osprey's Coming to Okinawa
If you know Okinawa you know that we have a heavy military presence here by the US. If you are a follower of my work you may know that I have not focused so much on the politics and details of what happens here as far as the US Military goes. This is not because I have any particular political stance or because I want to avoid the comments that people may have on these areas. The honest reason is because I don't want my blog and VLOGS to be mostly about the military presence and politics and trust me there are so many of these situations that it would take over much of my blog and VLOG. That doesn't mean that I will never talk about anything like this and hence why I am writing about this right now.
As many of you may know there is a base here in Okinawa called MCAS Futenma which is known by many as a dangerous base. There are many reasons for this but for the sake of time I will not discuss that at this time. Nonetheless there is a new aircraft that will be deployed here to Okinawa in the near future known as the Osprey. This is a very interesting aircraft which can take off like a chopper and then fly like a jet. Unfortunately although these are awesome and interesting planes there have been a lot of crashes and malfunctions that have happened during the development of this aircraft. This coupled with the recent crash of an Osprey in Morocco has not make anyone feel really warm and fuzzy about the aircraft coming here to Okinawa. To be completely honest I do share concern with those who are worried about these aircraft. The reason for this is very basic. Honestly I live around the area of the flight pattern of these aircraft and I am very aware that they fly extremely low and in bad weather. It doesn't really matter your position on this or that there are times when you have concern.
It has been reported that Okinawa officials are going to receive training regarding Osprey Crash Training although I am not sure of any other details. I will keep you posted if I hear anything more about it.
Brown Sugar Cola
As I reported last week there is a new kind of brown sugar cola which is going to be released today. I am not sure where this cola is going to be sold although I am thinking that it may be in the vending machines like other drinks of this kind. I will be searching today at the end of the day and I will report back to you and let you know if I find what I am looking for.
JLand Kev/Bussan Kevin: "Teacher gets suspended for giving 0's"
I watched a video this weekend posted by Kevin who is one of my favorite and I date to say (because my memory doesn't always serve me the best) first JVLOGGERS that I had ever watched. He was reporting on a story which basically said that a teacher in Canada had been suspended for giving their student's zeros in class. These students had not attended class or completed assignments and therefore this was the reason that they had received these marks, however the school had what is called a no zero policy which basically means that the students are graded on the work that they pass in and not on the work that they don't. Kevin being an educator obviously had an opinion on this as do I which is what I wanted to report to you now.
To be completely honest as an educator myself I think that this is only to be described as sad. This concept that this school has in place basically says that if out of 10 assignments if a student passes only one of them in and gets 100% they get a total grade of 100%. I do not understand how on earth this is beneficial to the students in any way whatsoever. How are students going to have the capability to succeed in life after school if they are being taught with such soft principles as this? Now I will add that I do not think that all of these kids will be failures nor do I think that all of them are failures for not coming to class or passing in work but in my opinion it is a concept of "if you can't do the time don't do the crime". Silly I know but if you don't pass in work, you get a zero. That's my opinion at least.
So ladies and gentlemen that is today's current events. I hope that you all enjoyed this post! Don't forget if you have any questions or comments please feel free to shoot me an email at okininjakitty@yahoo.com contact me via Facebook or cheek out the youtube page. Have a great night.
As this is the beginning of these new segments I have been thinking about ways to make these segments better and more interesting for those of you who are reading. In today's blog and eventually VLOG you will find that we talk about some of the current events here in Okinawa as well as some other current events in the JVLOG community. I hope that this is an improvement.
Okinawa Aquarium one of Top 20 Tourist Attractions in Japan
An organization in Hiroshima Prefecture has announced that the Okinawa Aquarium is one of the top 20 travel destinations here in Japan. I imagine that this is no surprise to those who have visited the Okinawa Aquarium before. If you have never been to the Okinawa Aquarium before let's talk a little bit about it. This is not just an aquarium, this is a vacation destination. The area known as the "aquarium" is an aquarium, gardens, beach and outdoor eating area. The area is amazing in and of itself is amazing but this is before you even look at the building that is the aquarium itself. The building was actually featured on Modern Marvels which was an amazing show and you should check it out if you have not already. Now going in to the building itself you will see some amazing animals including whale sharks (which are personally my favorite) and a variety of other sea life which are all in the oceans surrounding our little island. The amazing things, however, is the tank that they have which is considered the largest in the world. Looking at it is feeling like you are standing on the bottom of the ocean floor because of it's massive size. This is a must see for anyone coming to Okinawa and in fact I have been told that this is also one of the destinations that school children visit when they are traveling to Okinawa from the Main Islands. It is no surprise for Okinawa's Aquarium to be listed in this top 20 but then again it is pretty awesome to hear that something we have here on Okinawa is one of the must-see attractions in the country.
Osprey's Coming to Okinawa
If you know Okinawa you know that we have a heavy military presence here by the US. If you are a follower of my work you may know that I have not focused so much on the politics and details of what happens here as far as the US Military goes. This is not because I have any particular political stance or because I want to avoid the comments that people may have on these areas. The honest reason is because I don't want my blog and VLOGS to be mostly about the military presence and politics and trust me there are so many of these situations that it would take over much of my blog and VLOG. That doesn't mean that I will never talk about anything like this and hence why I am writing about this right now.
As many of you may know there is a base here in Okinawa called MCAS Futenma which is known by many as a dangerous base. There are many reasons for this but for the sake of time I will not discuss that at this time. Nonetheless there is a new aircraft that will be deployed here to Okinawa in the near future known as the Osprey. This is a very interesting aircraft which can take off like a chopper and then fly like a jet. Unfortunately although these are awesome and interesting planes there have been a lot of crashes and malfunctions that have happened during the development of this aircraft. This coupled with the recent crash of an Osprey in Morocco has not make anyone feel really warm and fuzzy about the aircraft coming here to Okinawa. To be completely honest I do share concern with those who are worried about these aircraft. The reason for this is very basic. Honestly I live around the area of the flight pattern of these aircraft and I am very aware that they fly extremely low and in bad weather. It doesn't really matter your position on this or that there are times when you have concern.
It has been reported that Okinawa officials are going to receive training regarding Osprey Crash Training although I am not sure of any other details. I will keep you posted if I hear anything more about it.
Brown Sugar Cola
As I reported last week there is a new kind of brown sugar cola which is going to be released today. I am not sure where this cola is going to be sold although I am thinking that it may be in the vending machines like other drinks of this kind. I will be searching today at the end of the day and I will report back to you and let you know if I find what I am looking for.
JLand Kev/Bussan Kevin: "Teacher gets suspended for giving 0's"
I watched a video this weekend posted by Kevin who is one of my favorite and I date to say (because my memory doesn't always serve me the best) first JVLOGGERS that I had ever watched. He was reporting on a story which basically said that a teacher in Canada had been suspended for giving their student's zeros in class. These students had not attended class or completed assignments and therefore this was the reason that they had received these marks, however the school had what is called a no zero policy which basically means that the students are graded on the work that they pass in and not on the work that they don't. Kevin being an educator obviously had an opinion on this as do I which is what I wanted to report to you now.
To be completely honest as an educator myself I think that this is only to be described as sad. This concept that this school has in place basically says that if out of 10 assignments if a student passes only one of them in and gets 100% they get a total grade of 100%. I do not understand how on earth this is beneficial to the students in any way whatsoever. How are students going to have the capability to succeed in life after school if they are being taught with such soft principles as this? Now I will add that I do not think that all of these kids will be failures nor do I think that all of them are failures for not coming to class or passing in work but in my opinion it is a concept of "if you can't do the time don't do the crime". Silly I know but if you don't pass in work, you get a zero. That's my opinion at least.
So ladies and gentlemen that is today's current events. I hope that you all enjoyed this post! Don't forget if you have any questions or comments please feel free to shoot me an email at okininjakitty@yahoo.com contact me via Facebook or cheek out the youtube page. Have a great night.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Typhoon season is here. . . . bring on the typhoons!
June 1st marks the beginning of the typhoon season here in Okinawa and this year Mother Nature has wasted no time in reminding us of that fact. Marwar is this season's first tropical storm out in the ocean and that means that it's time to bunker down and get some of the items you need to safe during this season.
The fact of the matter is that I honestly have not been the picture perfect example of what should be done during the typhoon season this year. I have found myself not stocking up on what I should be and truthfully that is just not a very good thing at all. Nonetheless I do will do what I have to do here shortly to ensure that everyone in my house is safe in the event that there is a big storm and we can't get out.
Today's weather is also reminiscent of the typhoon season. We are experiencing off and on rain which is something that we experience anyway in the rainy season but that being said I suppose that is why the two seasons go hand in hand. So yeah that's basically all that I have to report on the typhoon. I apologize for this not being the best blog ever but I will have to make up for that at another time.
The fact of the matter is that I honestly have not been the picture perfect example of what should be done during the typhoon season this year. I have found myself not stocking up on what I should be and truthfully that is just not a very good thing at all. Nonetheless I do will do what I have to do here shortly to ensure that everyone in my house is safe in the event that there is a big storm and we can't get out.
Today's weather is also reminiscent of the typhoon season. We are experiencing off and on rain which is something that we experience anyway in the rainy season but that being said I suppose that is why the two seasons go hand in hand. So yeah that's basically all that I have to report on the typhoon. I apologize for this not being the best blog ever but I will have to make up for that at another time.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Fan Mail Friday!
Today is Friday and you know what that means. . . . it's FAN MAIL DAY! On this day I will be taking time to discuss some of the comments and other "mail" that I have received from viewers so here we go.
On my video talking about outdoor activities in Okinawa I received a comment that said:
I live in Ginowan. Short sweet and to the point but a question answered nonetheless.
I also received a comment on my Youtube page which said
I am so glad to hear that you are planning on coming to Okinawa. Truthfully, however, as much as I would love to offer advice on a good ryokan to stay in I honestly don't know of any. Okinawa is small and many of the places one might visit don't require overnight stays so I never find myself in the market. The only hotel that I have ever even had experience with was the Beach Tower Hotel in Mihama which is beautiful. When my parents came out this way they stayed in this hotel and loved it so I can mention that, however, I do know that it is western style with beds and such so not necessarily what you are looking for. The only piece of advise that I can offer is have a good idea of what it is that you would like to do while you are here. This will allow you to determine where you really want your hotel to be. I personal would go for a location in the central Okinawa area only because the travel distance to some places like up north or down south is literally cut in half where as if you are in Naha and want to go to Hedo for example you will find yourself exhausted from the long trip and traveling through traffic at the end of the day. So that is just something to think about.
I have also been getting various questions regarding weather in Okinawa which you can see I have responded to here in this blog post. In the upcoming VLOG that will go along with this post you can also hear me talking about the weather also. Thanks so much for reading and thanks so much for the messages and mail. If you would like to shoot me a message in the future please feel free to at okininjakiity@yahoo.com or check out the Facebook page. Have a great weekend everyone!
On my video talking about outdoor activities in Okinawa I received a comment that said:
nice to know Ive been stationed here a few weeks and only have been visiting bars, im a look into all the outdoor and water shit, sounds fun ! where do u live in Okie ?
I live in Ginowan. Short sweet and to the point but a question answered nonetheless.
I also received a comment on my Youtube page which said
Hey, K! My wife and I are visiting Okinawa in November, I've found several ryokan online, but since you are kind of a local, I thought I'd get your opinion: can you recommend any traditional, futons-on-the-tatami lodgings? We were thinking of Naha and then doing day trips.
I am so glad to hear that you are planning on coming to Okinawa. Truthfully, however, as much as I would love to offer advice on a good ryokan to stay in I honestly don't know of any. Okinawa is small and many of the places one might visit don't require overnight stays so I never find myself in the market. The only hotel that I have ever even had experience with was the Beach Tower Hotel in Mihama which is beautiful. When my parents came out this way they stayed in this hotel and loved it so I can mention that, however, I do know that it is western style with beds and such so not necessarily what you are looking for. The only piece of advise that I can offer is have a good idea of what it is that you would like to do while you are here. This will allow you to determine where you really want your hotel to be. I personal would go for a location in the central Okinawa area only because the travel distance to some places like up north or down south is literally cut in half where as if you are in Naha and want to go to Hedo for example you will find yourself exhausted from the long trip and traveling through traffic at the end of the day. So that is just something to think about.
I have also been getting various questions regarding weather in Okinawa which you can see I have responded to here in this blog post. In the upcoming VLOG that will go along with this post you can also hear me talking about the weather also. Thanks so much for reading and thanks so much for the messages and mail. If you would like to shoot me a message in the future please feel free to at okininjakiity@yahoo.com or check out the Facebook page. Have a great weekend everyone!
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