Sep
3
Just another blog entry
Filed Under Newspost
Carebears
Yesterday I condemned some of the rules and regulations the university has been enforcing, so I will now dedicate a few paragraphs to talk about the other side of the coin. Truth be told, although the tutelage does sometimes go too far, it is understandable due to big cultural differences and the volatile nature of foreign students.
While there are no nominated tutors for specific exchange students like we have at my home university, the staff of the Center for International Education is doing an outstanding job supporting us in every possible way. The whole office seems to be currently working from early morning to around 10pm, something that would probably never happen in any other society.
And as busy as the staff is handling all the official issues, they are also catering to our every whim. In addition to that, innumerable volunteer Kansai Gaidai students are keen to help us in adjusting to the new surroundings, helping us with trivial every day issues and guiding us around town.
Feel the noise
The Japanese society, and when I say society I mean Hirakata-shi, which happens to be the only place I’ve actually seen, encompasses huge contrasts. Residential areas are incredibly silent. No matter what the time is, people seem to prefer not to be seen or heard.The area around seminar houses is so quiet that I feel ashamed to use the brakes of my bike which tend to make an annoying screech when pulled so that they actually slow you down. I was afraid I might give an old lady a heart attack when I had to stop my bike to avoid running her over on a steep and relatively narrow sidewalk.
In contrast to the silence surrounding residential areas, once you go downtown, all hell breaks loose. Political cars drive around freely shouting undecipherable propaganda to all passers-by, loudspeakers in bigger markets incessantly apprise you about new discounts and enthusiastic shopkeepers try to attract customers by yelling welcome messages in the standard monotonous Japanese-shopkeeper-tone. Not to mention pachinko parlors.
Completely off-topic, I’ll also mention this as a warning to future generations: If you’re not used to eating rice too often and you come to Japan and start eating it three times a day, for lunch, for dinner and for fun, it will affect your gastrointestinal functions. Just a heads up.
-Antti