My Review of the Movie "My darling is a foreigner" (ダーリンは外国人)

About a month ago...

As we (the Miyako collective of ALTs and friends) were saying goodbye to two of our own at the bus station, one of our Japanese female friends suddenly handed me a DVD. First off, at the age of Netflix and Hulu, I didn't know that disc media still exist. But more importantly, I was baffled not only by the appearance of a DVD (since I never asked her for it, nor did I know she had this particular movie), but also by her movie choice. The movie title was ダーリンは外国人 (daa-lin wa gai-koku-jin), or "My darling is a foreigner".

I think this movie is about a radioactive dinosaur-looking monster fighting giant bats,
or maybe giant robots fighting undersea monsters from another world? 

Right away, I was taken aback. Coincidentally, I had heard of this movie a few days earlier; it came up on Facebook as we were brainstorming topics for our weekly local radio show. But the title leaves nothing to the imagination - it's about some Japanese woman dating a foreigner. What's our friend (who's around the same age as my girlfriend and I, and is dating a white dude) trying to tell me?  Was she having some weird fantastical ideas about my current relationship?  Was she privy to some secret Japanese female wisdom?  Did my girlfriend put her up to this?  Suspecting this as some sort of crazy cross-cultural message, the hamster wheel in my brain was on overdrive, scurrying for a reason.  But, at that moment, I accepted the DVD and thanked her.

Back to the present...

On a Friday night with nothing better to do, I finally decided to watch the movie. Actually, I had attempted to watch the special features earlier this week, at the suggestion of my girlfriend. However, we gave up after she couldn't find the specific segments that she recommended* and I got bored.

* I found them on YouTube 2 days after.

Well, the movie stars Mao Inoue, of the Hana Yori Dango J-drama fame, who's one of my favorite Japanese actresses. So that sold me the movie. However, I had read the wiki article and reviews for the movie, which didn't put it in a stellar light. Now, expecting a movie full of lovey-dovey baloney, I would entertain my friend's request and see what kind of delusional nonsense the movie shows about romantic relationships with foreigners.

Comes with a short manga from Saori Oguni, plus a picture of a favorite actress of mine.

A little background about the movie...

"My darling is a foreigner" is based on a manga of the same name, which is based on the life of its creator Saori Oguri. The movie focused on Saori's (Mao Inoue) evolving romance with an American named Tony (Jonathan Sherr) and budding career as a manga artist, spliced with silly but heart-warming moments of cultural misunderstanding and nuances. The plot dealt with some perceived issues with Japanese-foreigner relationships, such as acceptance by each other's family and the infamous uchi-soto concept, and some general male-female understanding struggles.  Some common foreigner stereotypes, such as the obnoxious douchey American male, were used.  Language barrier wasn't an issue, since Tony was fluent in Japanese.  Still, the movie had a few foreigner gags.  For example, when Tony asked a Japanese person for directions, he insistently refused to talk to Tony, saying "Sorry, no English", even though Tony was speaking perfect Japanese.

My review... (Warning: spoiler alert)

So... I thought I was going to rip this movie a new asshole, but I was wrong.  After getting through the initial love-dovey scenes, the substance of the movie took over.  And it's relatable substance.  For example, when Saori brought Tony to meet her family for the first time (at her sister's wedding, even though he insisted on a more proper way), I recalled how I felt when my girlfriend brought me to meet her parents.  When Saori's father voiced his disapproval of their relationship, I thought (and am still thinking) about whether or not my girlfriend's family will actually accept me.  Sure, I've been to her house for Christmas, New Year's, her little cousin's birthday party, her sister's graduation party, met most of her family in Miyako, etc.  But, behind the scenes, what do they really think?  That... I worry.

Finally, the part where Saori decided to go to America with Tony to meet his family creepily mirrors my current experience, as my girlfriend and I are planning a trip back to meet my family in a few months.  I won't delve into the part where he proposed to her; it's still too early (at least that's what I think).  Through these plot mirrors, I can see myself in the position of Tony, except that I'm not Caucasian or fluent in Japanese.

So yea, I was wrong about the movie.  I suppose since it's based on real experiences, it would be easily relatable.  One of the complaints about the movie was that it stayed too faithful to the manga creator's experiences, thus limiting its creativity. But I think for the story to be believable and relevant, it can't afford to be too creative (then it would just be fiction); most cross-cultural couple's encounters aren't fantastical Cinderella stories. It definitely won me over, but not enough for me to watch it again.

Conclusion...

"My darling is a foreigner" turned out to be a good movie. It's a cute, feel-good story with real struggles, plus I got to see Mao Inoue. I'll be sure to thank my friend whenever I return the DVD to her.

Some Female Wisdom

Spring break is almost over... nooooo!  Time to reflect and complete these half-done blogs before I'm busy with work again.



One of the places which we visited during the New Year's holiday

Back in New Year's holiday, I was on vacation with my gf.  Looking back, I realized that I learned a few things on how to travel.  Now, I've been known to do lots of travelling: been to many places, seen/done/eaten many things, and landed in many situations, from amusing to downright difficult.  Above all, I've built a reputation as a frequent traveler.  So I was a bit surprised by the new and useful tips from her.

 

Well, I guess we always have room for improvement.  The teacher became the student.  Wax on... wax off...

 

For our 5-day trip, I brought my 5.11 Tactical Rush 72 backpack.  It's full of compartments and pockets, and weighs a bit by itself.  It was half filled for the trip.  When my gf arrived to pick me up, she was shocked by how big my bag was.  She even tried it on, but quickly dropped it.  I was just as surprised, by how little she brought.  She was basically using a school backpack plus her usual messenger bag.

  

* In these photos, my 5.11 backpack is empty, while my gf's purple backpack is full.


 

What are her secrets?

 

 

1. Compression bags

 

These bags can be bought at 100-yen stores.  They come in various sizes and in packs of whatever: the smaller the size, the more you get.  Unlike the ones that I remember from As-Seen-on-TV, you don't need a vacuum to suck out the air.

 

Then, I remember having a stash of compression bags, tucked away in my closet... 



One of my bags has a vacuum hole.  That sneaky bastard...

Normally, I just roll up my clothes.  However, I gave the bags a try on a recent trip to the Kanamara Festival in Kawasaki.

The verdict: It was a 2-day trip, so I only brought an extra set of clothes and a bath towel.  The space saving wasn't significant, but it helped.  An added benefit was organization: the compression bag separated my clothes from everything else in my backpack.  I'll remember this handy tip from now on.

 

2. Doing laundry every night

 

One of the things which my gf asked, when we were booking hotels, was whether or not they have washing machines (I didn't give it much thought at the time, but it made sense in hindsight).  Every night, when I was passed out on the bed, she was doing laundry.  For our hotel in Osaka without washing machines, she did laundry in the bathroom sink, with a small pack of detergent she carried.  She was even nice enough to wash mine, every night.

In the winter, hotels usually have heat on pretty high, which makes the rooms dry; our clothes easily dried overnight.  Because of this, most of my clothes were left unused, and became dead weight.

* Tip #2 may not work out too well if we were staying in hostels or travelling outside Japan.


This is me when it comes to laundry during a trip.

 

That's it!  They seem like no-brainers, but after years of travel (mostly alone), I was stuck in certain ways, I've forgotten things, blah blah blah.  Sometimes, a bit of female wisdom is what an old stubborn fool needs.

 

5 Things I've Gotten Used to in Japan

Today marks 2 years since I set foot in Japan, not as a tourist or student, but a member of the workforce. Looking back, I realize that many things which I once thought was strange or impossible had become everyday life. I've mostly adapted to Japan's way of things.

The topic of getting used to things in Japan is nothing new; you can probably find dozens like it on the blogosphere. However, I'd like to believe that each person's experiences abroad are unique, including mine. 

From the list of things I've gotten used to in Japan, here are my top 5:

1. More veggies
2. Less alcohol
3. Suit everyday
4. Trash sorting
5. Black coffee

1. Eating more veggies (and a bigger variety)

I had never been a big fan of vegetables. Maybe I had some bad experiences with them when I was little. Until adulthood, the only veggies that I could tolerate were the frozen mixed variety and whatever were mixed into a Panda Express dinner. OK, I like edamame, but that's hardly an improvement.

Then came school lunches in Japan. A hefty portion of every school lunch is... veggies! Main dish, side dish, soup... all have veggies - carrots, radishes, eggplants, tomatoes, etc. Children here learn about veggies at a young age, and even have field trips to plant and harvest them. My students often ask me what some random veggies  are called in English, and I would struggle for answers because I had never seen or heard of them before. My work isn't safe from the veggie loving curriculum either; every year, few of my English lessons focus on veggies. Because I live near farm country, some schools occasionally hand me free veggies.


Typical school lunch in Japan - veggies in everything, plus rice and milk; although
it's my first time seeing an egg roll here (courtesy of perpetualexplorer.com)

In other words, veggies in Japan are almost unavoidable, but I have come to like them.
 

Yep... I eat all these veggies now.

*Same thing happened with fish, except I still can't figure out what fish is what.

2. Drinking much less

In Japan, it's (almost) zero tolerance for drinking and driving. Japanese law states BAC under 0.03 is acceptable, but the police has a lot of discretionary power on this issue, and the judge will almost always side with the police. Nowadays, DUI can land you up to 3 years in jail or $4,400 (not ¥) in fines. Best to ditch your car keys if you plan on drinking.

Now, this isn't a concern if you live in a big city, where public transportation supports hefty drinking habits. However, it's a bit different in Miyako. I live about a 40-min walk from city center, where most of the bars and pubs are. Although other ALTs and local friends don't mind being DD, I don't want to play that card too often.


Too much fun on a night out?  In a big city, you can count on public transportation.
Elsewhere, it may be a long walk home or an expensive taxi.  (courtesy of tofugu.com)

Back in America, I would grab a beer after work. But now, if I drink, I'm confined to my apartment for the night. If I need to pick up supplies for a lesson next day, as I often did because I'm a procrastinator, then I'm screwed.

Nowadays, I don't drink often, because it's a hassle.  


3. Wearing a suit to work, every work day

Before Japan, the only times I wore a suit were during job interviews and my friends' weddings.  At work, I wore jeans and a polo shirt.  I owned only one suit, and kept it in pristine condition for 6 years.  Suddenly, I'm wearing it for work every day.

This was probably one of the most difficult adjustments for me, not just because I had never worn a suit to work before.  I teach children, and I'm supposed to be fun and active in the classroom.  A suit is sort of counter-intuitive for such a job, but I dealt with my misgivings over time.

Within 2 years, I had to get another suit.  Luckily (and surprisingly), they are one of the things which aren't expensive in Japan.  Guess I should thank all those drunken salarymen for feeding the suit economy and keeping prices down.

  

 You worked hard for the past 2 years, my 3-button buddy (Left). Now say hello to your new 2-button brother (Right).



* To be clear, even though this is Japan, I don't work on weekends. Also, unlike many Japanese salarymen, I change out of my suit as soon as I'm off work.

4.  Sorting out trash

One of the daily life things that confuse every new arrival to Japan (that I know of) is the sorting of trash. When I first moved in, I was given a big colorful poster about trash sorting and the collection schedule for the year. The pictures on the poster, which show different types of trash, were helpful, but each type comes with various rules and exceptions, in Japanese. It was overwhelming to look at and time-consuming to translate.

  

 Paper, plastics, bottles, cardboard, and any category imaginable - you can find them in Japan.

Three usual problems associated with trash sorting are:

1. Which day to throw out what
2. What belongs to which category of trash
3. How trash is disposed of

Which day to throw out what... One day is burnables, another is plastic only, etc. Not everything is collected weekly. The trash schedule depends on neighborhoods within a city. If you miss a day, then you have to wait until next time or go to the dump yourself.

What belongs to which category...  On many products, the label has symbols which tell you what part of the product belongs to which group. However, many things are ambiguous. For example, not all papers are considered recyclable. Some are only burnable, newspapers are bounded and thrown out separately, etc.

How trash is disposed of...  In Miyako, newspapers are separate from other papers and bounded with paper rope. Not nylon, not wire, but paper rope!  Also, you have to buy city-specific, color-coded trash bags; it's not like in America where you can just reuse Wal-Mart bags.

There were a few times when I took recyclables to the dump, only to be told that they are burnables! The time to sort the crap, the money to buy the bags, literally thrown away (into a furnace). What f***in' geniuses thought of this system? For all I know, a giant boat takes the bottles and recyclables and dumps them into the ocean.

After 2 years, I may not be used to the rules, but I'm used to the hassle.


5.  Black coffee, please!  No cream and sugar.

Coffee is the life blood of a working professional. I used to down cups of it a day in school and in my previous job. Both involved hours of mentally exhausting computer work, so I needed the caffeine. But it always came with cream and sugar.

If you think Japan changed that, you're only partly correct. At most of my schools, I would be served either green tea or coffee with cream and sugar. So it wasn't my schools that changed my cream-and-sugar habit; it was my girlfriend (in Japan).

Through some female wisdom, I became convinced that black coffee is healthier. It made sense: cream and sugar add (unnecessary) calories, and if I drink that style of coffee daily by the liter, the extra calories add up. Since my girlfriend converted me, I also noticed that most Japanese teachers drink their coffee black only.


Mismatched couple's coffee mugs

Because other teachers at my schools mostly drink black coffee, I had found single-serving creamers which went unused for so long that they spoiled, which might explain some of my mysterious stomach ailments at work. Since that discovery, no more cream in my coffee.


Conclusion:

There you have it - the 5 most notable things I've gotten used to in Japan. No life-changing, soul-shattering revelations; just mundane stuff that are different from my past. The keyword is "my" - my journey to Japan, my new life, my unique experiences. Maybe on the next living-in-Japan anniversary, I'll have something better to write about.

A Tale of Two Airports

First post in 2015.  Hope y'all had a great New Year's.

For winter break, the gf and I decided to go to the Osaka area, specifically for USJ (and the new Harry Potter ride).  We even rolled in the new year in Osaka, quietly and peacefully in our hotel room.

After days of eating, walking, and running, it's time for us to go home.  A few years ago, I would've added "unfortunately".  But, I have become more of a homebody since, and nearly a week of eating out, taking public transportation, not sleeping in my own bed, and endlessly spending money on everything made me miss my place in tiny Miyako.  I would even go as far as saying that it's home, which is what it has become in past 2 years.

 

Let's set the backdrop.  The Osaka area had been surprisingly cold during New Year's.  We were shivering when we went to USJ.  It was cold enough for us to splurge on a pair of Spider-Man poncho blankets, and we were still cold afterwards.  We found out later that much of Japan was hit by huge snowstorms, except for Miyako.

 

We were flying out of Osaka (Itami Airport) in the evening.  With about 30 minutes before takeoff, we got the unpleasant news that our flight was cancelled.  I was on the toilet when I got that notification.  That immediately sent us into scramble mode, had me running out of the bathroom.  I have had many unfortunate experiences of dealing with this, as recently as last year, so I was a bit calmer than the gf.  Luckily, airline people spoke English, the gf speaks Japanese, and ANA is good with taking care of its customers.  Flights out of Osaka were booked up until Monday (not acceptable), but we could fly out of Nagoya the next day.  After quickly working out a way to get to Nagoya that night, we took that option.

 

While the gf talked to the ANA counter person, I reserved our shinkansen tickets online.  When you reserve online, you still need to pick up the paper tickets at a JR station, or at least that's what my past experiences told me.  However, when I got to Shin-Osaka Station, the JR counter person told me that I couldn't pick up the tickets.  He said that the JR online booking system can only be used for JR East, which is everything eastward from Tokyo; Osaka is very far west from Tokyo.  Although I can book tickets for trains throughout Japan, I have to pick them up at the JR East service area, which wasn't possible in our case.  The gf, always concerned about my well-being, split off to get me food while I was in line, so I had to stall for her to come back.  I was getting very frustrated, because while he was very patient, he kept repeating the same "you can't pick up tickets here" line and offered no other solutions.  I couldn't seem to convey the urgency that we need to get on the train that leaves in 30 minutes.  When the gf returned, the solution of buying new tickets at the counter and canceling my reservations by phone suddenly appeared.  Normally, I would be even more pissed.  But today, I was just grateful to make it through, so I coughed up the money and thanked him for entertaining our troubles.

 

The rest of the night went smoothly; the gf had booked a hotel near Nagoya Station while we were on the bus to Shin-Osaka Station.  However, the real drama had yet to come.

 

Next morning, we had trouble finding the bus stop for the airport shuttle, and barely made it.  When we arrived at the airport, we couldn't find the ANA counter.  Then, the dreadful realization came upon me: does Nagoya have more than one airport?

 

Thank goodness for smartphones, which saved us from asking real people and the resulting embarrassment.  As it turned out, Nagoya has 2 airports, and our flight was at the other airport, which is on the opposite (south) end of the city.  The ANA counter person at Osaka had told us "Nagoya Airport", and Google Maps showed us this (wrong) airport when we inquired with "Nagoya Airport", so we were none the wiser.  Probably that person didn't know either.  We should have checked anyway... I mean, Nagoya is one of the biggest cities in Japan, why wouldn't it have 2 airports?

 

With 90 minutes before takeoff and the other airport being 45 minutes away by car, we had no choice but to take a taxi.  It was the most expensive taxi ride in my life, but we got a nice tour of the city of Nagoya from the expressway.  When we arrived with time to spare, and had enough money to pay the bill, we were very relieved.  The correct airport, Chubu Airport, is new and enormous, and I was in awe.

 

The rest of the day proceeded smoothly but hectically.  We shuffled from one form of public transportation to another, with little time in between, before finally reaching Miyako in the evening.  The gf and I joked that we took almost every form of transportation in Japan in the past 24 hours.

 

The plus side of all the shenanigans: this view of Mt. Fuji from the airplane.

 

 



In hindsight, I think the real plus side to this unexpected adventure is that the gf and I worked together to solve a common problem, instead of panicking and arguing.  If anything, it may have made our relationship stronger, and gave us vacation stories to tell.  Unfortunately, the gf wished to have nothing to do with Nagoya for a while.

 

And let's not forget the most important lesson: Nagoya is a city of two airports!