Quirks and Quotas

Finally, a chance to update after many busy days getting settled into my university environment. I now feel that I've truly moved here because I just today changed my cell phone billing address to my dorm room; what makes this monumental is the nasty fact that my first month's bill was apparently sent to my old address and not forwarded, leaving me with a disconnected & useless phone for the past twelve days. But, of course, that is now blessedly over--I am free to have my personal space freely invaded and rack up insanely expensive charges again.

One funny thing over here is the urinals, and I must ask approximately 75% of my readers to bear with me here. In America things are fairly standard; you use the facility and flush, period. Here, however, as soon as you approach the basin a jet of water comes down automatically and washes it for you. Seeing as there is an automatic flush as well, the initial jet has no actual function aside from assuring the soon-to-be-user that everything is sanitary. The logical next step, which is probably only a few years down the line in this politeness-conscious society, is to attach a voice which says "Please forgive our unsightly facilities and the time it takes to clean them for your use."

Another unique country feature is the meditation practice company workers do on the train.

Just kidding! As you can see, these two gentlemen are clearly dozing in public with no thought whatsoever for the safety of their belongings. Can you do that on Amtrak or a bus? Now here's the real question: why? I think two parts of the reason for the situation here is a uniformity of social training and expectations which lead people to believe that they can do this without being disturbed. Another small piece of the puzzle is that trains over here are generally so crowded that a thief would have a very hard time moving away from their mark quickly.

Here are a few statistics about my stay so far, should you care to read them.

Number of host families: 3
Host families who have let me stay the night: 1 (2 if you count my
pastor's family)
Number of self-performed haircuts: 2
Price of a 3-month commuter pass to my church's train stop: $25
(half-price student discount)
Price of a 5-pack of apples: $2.80
Karaoke experience: Once, following summer language program with
all my classmates
English songs chosen: U2's "Pride (In the Name of Love)"--a little too
high-pitched for me--and Stevie Wonder's "Golden Lady"
Visits to sushi restaurants: 4 (all kaiten...see the cuisine post)
Visits to McDonald's: 0
Visits to TGI Friday's: 2...and my church friends made me do it, I
swear! Come on: if everyone was going there for dinner hang-out
time and you wanted to join them, would you bring your own food
or sit there & starve it out? Even cheapskate me is not quite that
ascetic. And the quesadillas are pretty good after months without Mexican.