The liquification of my life (otherwise known as yesterday)…
“Strange and mysterious things, though, aren’t they- earthquakes? We take it for granted that the earth beneath our feet is solid and stationary…But someday we see that it isn’t true. The earth, the boulders, that are supposed to be so solid, all of a sudden turn as mushy as liquid”.
-Haruki Murakami, After the Quake
Everything was very sudden, and I left my homestay today.
The Battle Over Underwear…
My homestay mother came into my room to tell me that I have to hide my underwear on on the bottom of my laundry basket. She said that women’s underwear and stockings are very shameful things in Japan. Meanwhile, I have to fold her husband’s underwear, her 23-year-old son walks around in his underwear all the time which makes me quite uncomfortable, but I can’t leave my underwear on the top of my laundry basket in my own room. (Her explanation was that someone might see in through the window.) I snapped. In probably my most daring act, I spoke to my host mother in English for the first time I can remember. I said: “That’s so stupid,” turned around, and left. She exclaimed “ehh?” I said nanimonai (nothing) as I was already halfway up the stairs to my room. She appeared at my door 10 minutes later holding my electronic Japanese-English dictionary, which read the Japanese translation of stupid. We fought about underwear. I told her I wanted to leave.
But I don’t really…
I’ve made arrangements to stay for two weeks at a teacher’s residence at my school (during which time I will happily and spitefully string my underwear around my room as I please), then I will take a deep breath, gather my patience, and go back. The family really is very good to me, I just seem to have lost myself this week. There is a point where “accepting other cultures” ends, and the universality of gender oppression begins. I just can’t put my finger on it yet.
Other news…
Keanu has yet to call me
~me~ at 5:12 AM
Bursting the gaijin bubble…
Right, so Saturday night was Astrid’s birthday party in Harajuku and Roppongi. Sometimes I feel like Astrid and I are living entirely different post-university lives with the exception that we both managed to end up in or around Tokyo. I mean, she is a part of this distinct subculture of English teachers in Tokyo who are not exactly in Kansas anymore but are not quite immersed in things Japanese either due to the prevalence of each other. They’ve built intensely close relationships with one another, probably because it gives a sense of stability and helps ease homesickness all the way over here. I am very much not a part of that clique, as I live in a homestay and have limited contact with other foreigners due to my strong desire to learn Japanese. I sometimes envy Astrid and I wish I could have good friends here whom I can just call when I’m upset or whatever, but this is what I wanted. The good news though, is that I think that I’ve done my time with the books by now, and can study instead by going out and trying to make Japanese friends. Actually, I met a Japanese guy who looks like Keanu Reeves on Saturday night, and gave him my phone number. I’m not sure if I should expect him to call…
~me~ at 6:26 AM