Orly Japan?

Since there wasn't much of a weekend, and my blog is a little small, I thought it'd be best to do a little segment on things that make me say "yay," or "WTF Japan?" There may be more of these as my time progresses, only time will tell.

Anyway, let's start with the "yay," section or as I say to myself "How Japan and I are secretly twins separated at birth."

Twins Separated at Birth:

1. Coke and Lemons. If there are two things that I like more than anything else as a late night snack, it's a good coke or a good lemon. Together, these two things are god-like. So I'll have you know I was humbly surprised by such things as a lemon in my coke drink, or the fact Japan even sells Pepsi with a twist of lemon (not coke, but it's a good substitute when coke is not around.)  Add a little salt is you feel the need there isn't enough in your life, I know I do. Speaking of lemons...

2. Lemon drinks. As much as I love lemons, I understand that having them all the time is not the best idea in the world, and that's where Japan has my back. Lemon drinks, tons and ton and tons of lemon drinks. My favorite so far, of course, comes from Suntory: C.C. Lemons. Supposedly it has 70 lemons, that's seven tens, worth of vitamin C. I'm know sure how much Vitamin C I'm suppose to have a day, but I think this drink will have me covered.

3. Silent Transportation. You know what I hated as a kid? Being on a bus, an it wasn't because of the ride itself. No, it was far worse. It was the extreme amounts of yelling going on between everyone. I heard this behavior carries on into the adult world when you pay for your public transportation. But not in Japan, because Japan doesn't care about conversations and would kindly like you to shut up. For the most part anyway. If you're on a bus, or train, full of international students expect much the same as your childhood days. Sometimes expect it from Japanese teenagers, but even then they aren't so loud as you fill as if you need to slap them.

4. Walking everywhere. I feel so much better at the end of the day, when I walk home from my college and my feet are sore. I feel a little less...lazy, and a little more as if I've done something worth while.

5. Grocery Store Sales. If you love sales, and you love buying cheap food in a place where it's hard to come by, Japan is the the prefect place. Well that is, after seven in the evening. Yes, yes, I know it's scary and dark out and all that great stuff, but they have food that's going to expire at the end of the good. Food that I know, and you know, can last longer than a day. Food that has been discounted enough that your wallet is happy at the end of the night. I love discounted food, and it loves me.
Anyway, I believe that's enough for one blog of likes and dislikes, and now for the wonderful times of "WTF Japan," or as I like to call it:

Japan must be Trolling

1. Road Signs, who needs those? I do Japan, I do. There's nothing I like better than having a little dinky map telling me where to go and no signs that say I'm going the right way. The last time I check, it was a good idea to always put nice little signs to let people know they were going the right way, especially when that place is something major like a college. Take for example, the University of Mount Union. I have signs telling me 30 miles away telling me I'm going in the right direction. Some may call it culture shock, I call it a bad case of trolling.

2. Everything is so expensive. And I don't mean "I can't buy this anime set, it's like over nine thousand dollars," no I mean a packet of meat is going to cost you roughly six American dollars to buy. And it may, or may not, feed two to three people. I haven't really discovered that one yet, I'll tell you how it goes. On the plus side, crab meat is super-cheap at the moment. And I don't mean my American standards, I mean it's about eighty cents for eighty-one grams.

3. Dryers. I think it's bad enough I have to pay to use a washer and dryer, I mean come on it's not a laundry mat, it's the shower room. However Japan loves taking my money. I feel that if Japan is going to take my money, then he should at least give my properly heated dryers. Yes, yes, I know save the environment, cost of lowering the heat is super awesome savings, and all that great junk--but what is the point in telling me I should user the dryer and then hang my clothes outside? How about I skip that step and just hang them outside? Ha ha, I'm on to you, you little troll...

4 Hot. Cold. Hot. Cold. You basically have to chose one or the other. I have yet been able to be in a room that had Air Conditioning and not freeze. There have been times that I found it a little cold, turn the A.C. off in the Seminar House's Computer Lab, only to have it turned back on as soon as a R.A. walks in. I'm cold, sir, please leave it off. On the same token, once I step out of the computer lab I'm met with a heat wave. It's hot, it's how I warm up, but jeeze Japan can't we have a place that's a middle ground?
I believe that pretty much covers everything for now, I do have one creepy story about my weekend! It was a late, humid, night and I was alone in the computer lab. I was tired, not wanting to sleep, but finally forcing myself to leave. I shut the down the computer and gathered my belonging and thought: "Hey with all this stuff I'm carrying, I think I'll take the elevator." And so I set out on my journey to the elevator. It was right in front of the computer, really, so the journey was quite short but to my amazement, the elevator doors were open and waiting for me.

Now, while I was pretty weirded out by it, I stepped in hoping for the best. When the doors closed, I wondered if this was going to be the twist from M. Night Shaymalan's Devil. I believe it was, as I got safely to my floor. The End.