Sumo stable

I went to watch the sumo practice last weekend. Not the real competition yet. But it's very near from now. The training was intense. None of the sumo fighters actually stop and do something else during the practice. Not sure if it's very hot for them inside, they were sweating and panting heavily inside. Maybe they are just too fat that they are too insulated.

I have noticed that the moment the sumo wrestler wearing the white loincloth enters the training ground, everyone look at him at start to behave more cautiously. The man in white loincloth is the wrestler with higher rank. He came in a bit later and when the other wrestlers have a training match with him, they perform all the proper ritual. Unlike training with other wrestlers in black loincloth, which was more informal. It seems to be like everyone takes the ranking really seriously and having a higher rank can give you more special privileges such as coming for the practice later. I’m just not used to all these, if I meet someone with greater seniority, I would just treat them like everyone else. I do respect such culture of respecting someone of greater seniority, not everyone can treat another person extra special all the time.

When they stop, they did the cool down exercise, sumo style. The training place is really simple and nothing fancy. But they seem to be ok with it. Nothing fancy. I think I need luxury more than I thought. I really don't want to live like this. I value my privacy. Not going to live with so many people together. Macam rumah setinggan!

Fashion

I really don't understand the fashion trend here. Everyone look like a baby doll. Everyone has the same style. That ends up making think that all Japanese girls look the same. All laces, ruffles, nothing woman-like. At some point it makes me feel like all their ultimate goal is to look like this French doll.

 

Their make-up is always the same. Cheeks heavily blushed and pink small lips. I've seen some that have so much blush on their face, it actually looks like baboon's ass. Sometimes it makes me wonder if personal style exist? Or it's going to be just another style of doll? Yawn... Maybe I should just check the people out in Harajuku. They have crazy style and they can be so different. I actually like the sight of it. It makes me feel like no one is wearing "uniform" that never exist. It feels like everyone is wearing uniform because they all have the EXACTLY SAME style.

Mild-looking Fierce Small Talk

Like the title suggest, this is definitely an oxymoron. I was on the train, coming back from Tenjin after meeting Kota. I wore a very low cut blouse. The some おばさん on the train was talking about my blouse and they made those disgusted faces as if I'm a stripper, prostitute or something. It was so obvious that they were pointing at me and talking about me and my blouse. Really?! This is such an useless and unhealthy conversation. They should not do it in my face. Talk to me if you got problem with me, but secretly talk in front of me. They are always welcomed to talk behind my back. So that I don't have a chance to negatively judge them in my heart. Feeling negative makes me feel unhappy. I rather not know and continue to be ignorant.

I bet if I'm this guy on the train, they gonna melt! All the おばさん gonna be all like, OMG! He's so hot! I'm melting... <3

 

Their nose will bleed if I look like this.

Anyway, I still think that I have the freedom to wear whatever I want at any time I like. Nothing is going to stop mehhhh~

My first typhoon

All the classes after the third period today are cancelled due to typhoon 24. I received this message just several hours before that and I was thinking, I’m lucky that I went for groceries yesterday. Or else I would have to either eat nothing or go to each of my friend’s room to ask for food. I went back to my room right away after the class. The first thing I do is to start cooking for lunch. Poor me, my potatoes are burnt a little today.

I fell asleep right away after my lunch. About two hours later, I was woken up by the loud swishing sound of the wind. There were nothing crazy happening yet but such chaotic atmosphere is created in my mind. I could imagine that things are flying everywhere, people who is still outside is going to have a hard time. This is the first time I experience typhoon. I don’t know what to expect at all. I just stay indoor and stay safe.

There’s a moment that I just feel like looking outside the window with a cup of hot cocoa on my hand and think about how comfortable is it inside. Light up some jasmine scented candle with low light. It could be nicer to play some vintage romantic songs like La vie en rose by Edith Piaf at the background.

But I just scraped that idea off and do my piled up homework.

The typhoon move away from Kyushu island tonight and I have to go to classes the next day. I'm a bit disappointed but this is better than replacement class.

Banking in Nishi-ku, problem with shouganai

I went to the bank today hoping to pay for my dormitory rent and deposit. I know Japan is a cash community, but I didn't know it's to such extent. The rent and deposit is not a small amount of money that people would carry with them just like that. So, I was trying to pay with my credit card since the dormitory is operated by a company called nasic. However, it was not possible, they don't even allow me to withdraw my money using master card in the international ATM machine. It's called international and master card is said to be allowed. Every ATM machine rejected my card and said that it's not valid. If such transaction is not possible, why advertise it?

So I was thinking that maybe I can do it at the counter. I was wrong. All they say is that they can't do this. To my surprise, their excuse is "This is a countryside, such transaction is not possible, sorry" and "shouganai". I don't understand why is that even an acceptable excuse. Back in Malaysia, I can get all kind of banking service in a small bank branch in the countryside, Kulim, a small and isolated place in Malaysia with only 1 mall, which basically has almost nothing. Yet a town here, Gakkentoshi that is bigger than Kulim can't do anything useful? I really find this frustrating. Isn't this an highly advanced country? Especially in term of technology. Can't the bank just connect with foreign banks?

For now, I will assume Japan to be a non-gaijin-friendly country. Probably this is just my way of shouganai about their shouganai attitude.

I'm not impressed.

Maybe I do not understand the Japanese mind enough yet