Stumbleina

Traumas, Tribulations, Travels and Tomfoolery Down Under

Thursday, January 19, 2006

Aftermath...and my own Utupia,..Nippon-isu

I like Japan a lot. I like its clean crime free streets, how nice and reserved people are with crazy good natured mental monsters ready to come out when they drink, the super cute innocent school uniforms, the simplicity and beauty of the food, their awe of foreigners loud and relaxed ways, their ability to work like trojans and never complain, the surreal kitsch anime, the crazy layers fashion, the charmingly bad English.
Yes, folks I am experiencing the rosy glow of someone who's just been back to their own country and had a good, albiet eye opening time.
I know the ridiculous inflexability, rigid bureaucracy, fear of anything out of the ordinary, saccharine love for cuteness that borders on insanity (especially amongst 30 year old women), racism, starchy mingo food, maytrdom at work, two faced personalities, timid mouse and skebeness will soon begin to grate but for now the positives are shining through.
People in Britain are f#cking rude and loud, especially if they have a job where you're suppost to be polite to people. The sheer disrespect of other people and public space is disgusting, the food is (mostly) artery clogging on toast, people are Xenophobic and proud of it, people settle for crappy jobs and give a half arsed try at them moaning as much as possible along the way.
However, you can't ignore the amazing array of fantastic, easily accessed brilliant music scenes, the vibrant and world class comedy, setting the world to rights in a dingy pub, a tacky club afterwards where you make a tit of yourself dancing to abba on a vodbull high, random and life affirming conversations with complete strangers, the camaraderie of the workplace, the perfected British art of tacking the p%ss and the fact that there’s nothing better than a brew and a bacon buttie in the morning.
Thus poses my dilemma. I don't think I'll ever be completely able to exist in either country and not compare it to the other. In England they don’t say "itadakimasu" before eating, they don’t wait for everyone to Kampai (lovely touches, methinks) BUT in Japan they don't have kebebs at 3am or central heating. (essential for living, surely)
Therefore I want to create a new country, an amalgam of the best bits of both Nippon and Igirisu where the yakitori is fresh alongside the bangers and mash. Where you can just as likely meet a bowing obaasan than a raging alco tramp. Where everyone cares about their work, but has a good old moan about it too accompanied by biscuits and pocky. NIPPON-ISU anyone?!

7 Comments:

At 3:23 pm, Blogger . said...

Great post. But I think Mr. Huxley would be turning in his grave with that spelling of Utopia. Spelling anarchist. :P

I can honestly see myself working and living anywhere in Asia/Europe/America/Australia for a few years at a time each place.

 
At 4:16 pm, Blogger Kat said...

sounds like a plan steph. not america? i am a spelling anarchist (that or im thick and shouldnt be a english teacher!)

 
At 6:07 am, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hun, I love you loads and that is why I'll be frank...stop putting things in boxes, at the end of the day your home is whatever you make it. I'm sure deep inside you know where you want to be in the future. The Uk isn't all scallys and people throwing up in the street, if I remember rightly I did see some drunken throwing up in the street whilst in Japan lady! (and it was a young Japanese lad!!!)

 
At 6:09 am, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Anyway, it's World Cup year...you should come home x

 
At 11:14 am, Blogger Kat said...

good luck lousie. If i stay it will be nice for us both to be weird third years. Sam, I like the tough love approach but the fact is that even if i don't recontract I probably won't come home for very long. gomen ne (sorry) its a big world out there...

 
At 1:56 pm, Blogger Sarah said...

wow..i am not feeling so nostalgic since coming back..i wasn't so shocked with peoples attitudes back home because that's how it always was..combining the two countries would be great but then it would just muddle it all up..i like japan because it is 100% japanese while i am here, even including the frustrations..and i like home becuase it is 100% home and how i left it. hummm..i guess i am tossed up between the two things... but interesting view on the subject...

 
At 11:58 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm not fussed where you end up just felt like somebody had to stick up for the UK. Whatever you decide to do is cool with me as long as you're happy x

 

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