Sick For The First Time In Japan/ Halloween Party

Saturday Nov. 8th
Cloudy

In the past few days I’ve been feeling sick. I must have caught something after the Mid Year conference. It must have been starting at 530 and ending at 1 that really messed me up. That and all of the rufie coladas I unintentionally consumed…probably. But I started feeling bad on Thursday night after a job and dinner. Because I felt like crap, I made sure to go to the 7 eleven to get a “sickness” mask. I roll over to school and walk into the Friday morning staff meeting, and immediately the Kyoto Sensei gives me a look like, “Man, you are not THAT Japanese. Take that thing off you fool.” Then he asked me if I had a fever in Japanese and I nodded, walking over to my desk. “Its all part of the plan.” I wanted to make them think that I was sooo into work that I would not call in sick and just do it, that's what she said. But I think I screwed up when I started looking for information on Japanese Driver’s licenses because I’m thinking about getting a scooter. Rothwell insists that scooters are “Camp,” but I’m sure that once I get one, people will be “keen” on getting them too, at least the ones without cars.

Last night, despite the accumulation of phlegm and disgustingness, I decided to go to the Halloween party at EstEst. Now I didn’t really want to go, but because I had waited to use my Pooh-San costume, I couldn’t not make an appearance. First thing I hear when I get in there is “KAWAII!” from some random Japanese women, but the bartender had also managed to get a full body Pooh-san costume too. I told him, “Well…one of us has to go change.” But because the guy doesn’t speak Japanese, he just gave me the stink-eye all night. The other bartenders were all dressed in drag. Now I was very confused, because a lot of them actually looked like women… and I had a boner… NOT. But seriously I wanted to bang them…ummm.

I went home early, after spending 25 bucks on ginger ale and one cassis orange, and passed out when I got home. This morning I woke up feeling worse than before. I think I’m completely useless when it comes to living by myself. I was telling this to one of the other JETs last night. My apartment is always in a state of utter chaos. I have to lay my clothes on the couch, my desk, dresser, and because that space is very limited, they also go on the ground. Being at home and living in the house, or the apartments before, I was completely fine. Maybe because you have to consider everyone else you live with, and how they don’t want to have your boxes in their face. All up in that. Their fricken face.

Cultural Notes:

1. Mid-Year Conference – Conference where all the JET’s in the prefecture meet up and discuss things pertaining to our roles as assistant teachers.
2. Sick Mask – A white mask that covers your mouth. Usually seen worn by doctors, and Chinese people with SARS.
3. Camp – Homo-sec-sual.
4. Keen – To like/want/willing.
5. Kawaii – (Kuh-why-ee) – Japanese translation of “cute.”
6. Pooh-san – (Poo-Sah-N) – The name that Winnie the Pooh goes by in Japan.
7. The House – Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity House. 742 W. 28th St., Los Angeles, Ca 90007