Small Things

Sent: Sunday, August 01, 2004 9:39 PM
Subject: Weekly Email

This was a slow week and not too much to write about. I always learn something though. Here are a few of the things I learned:

• My regular oven is also a microwave - a space saving feature. I didn't know I had a microwave because all the writing is in kanji.
• When they carry the portable shrine (makoshi) they bounce it up and down. The reason they do that is because the god is "rowdy" and he is supposed to like it
• The rope that hangs around a shrine is made from rice straw for good luck and because rice was so special to the diet
• When you dip sushi into shouyu (soy sauce) you are supposed to dip it fish side first so the rice does not crumble. Actually, I thought I was doing fairly well until I learned that. Now I am having trouble with the rice crumbling.
• The Japanese equivalent of cheap gin or white lightening is called shochu and it used to be a working man's drink. Except now it has gotten trendy kind of like tequila or fancy vodka and they sell expensive versions.

It has been hot but a typhoon (real name is taifuu) came through and cooled things off a bit. They usually aren't much more than some good rain (ame). Sometimes there is a pretty strong wind (kaze ga tsuyoi). My Japanese isn't much better but a few of the guys at work have not taken it upon themselves to teach me inappropriate language. I think they are finding it entertaining.

I hope things are going well for you....