Day 14: Fixing Japanese English One Sign at a Time

Another busy day, up at 7:30, on a shinkansen (Bullet train) by 9:00, at a speech contest by 11:00, speech contest till 15:00 and then not back to my town till 18:00, ramen then back home at 19:30. Then of course a nap.

My night was spent in an Irish pub that may have never seen an actual Irishman. It was wall to wall Japanese people with a sprinkling of gaijin (外人, Literally outside-people). Oh and the delights of certain gaijin. I spoke to a Czech man who advised me to get an Asian wife (His was sat next to him the whole time and never spoke once), he said they are better than western women because "They don't have confidence and free will to argue and moan and disagree, they just do what they are told. Western women with their ideas, and opinions and egos..... no get yourself a real wife"

It's sad to see men who are so eager to admit that they don't want to date a human being. But unfortunately this was not the first time in Asia that I have experienced men with this very reason for being there. I escaped his company when a Japanese girl came up to me and said "Help me" as a Japanese guy was groping her. Of course I did, and I spoke to her and her friend for a while, turns out they loved the UK and had been a few times. But this was proof, men are dogs everywhere!

Anyway, after the bar I got myself a special dinner to counter the fatty and unhealthy noodle soup I have been eating for weeks.

That is an Avocado Whopper! Avocados are healthy right?

 Always healthy! By the end of this month I'm gunna be so svelte and buff!

In the morning, I was up quickly as I had to get a train, however as an English teacher I did have to stop by the reception that had the below sign and make a correction. I also left a note explaining the correction.

I couldn't find an appropriate pen, so it looks ridiculous

Dick move? Perhaps. Better English? Indeed. This is A very common error in Japan, i would say 90% of stores say "Close" instead of "Closed"

A few hours later I was at my student speech contest. Imagine about 20 Japanese students making speeches in English with drama student hand movements and usually some strange intonation. Don't get me wrong, they do wonderfully, I mean you try coming from a language that doesn't use gestures or change tone at all and have to learn all that we find so natural and then on top of that speaking in another language! Damn, these kids are all under 18! Really makes you question your own achievements. 

Then lunch, this was lunch:

The chopsticks were so cute and tiny. Or my hands have grown.

Yup,  thats a vending machine that gives you frozen food then microwaves it right there for you. It wasn't amazing but it was edible and a first for me. 

Then, speech contest, student came 3rd (Very well done!), grabbed a coffee with my students and teacher, got a shinkansen back to my old ramen haunt. 

Haven't seen this in a while

Then my phone died, so no after picture. Oh and my teacher, said this to me today "Are you really eating ramen every day" *Looks at me* "Because you don't look like you have, I mean you..." I finished the sentence for her "fat?". And in all honesty she is right, I really haven't gained anywhere near as much weight as I expected. But we shall have to wait until the final weigh in, it's like the biggest loser in reverse.