The Japan thread

[Lisnaholic]

^ Yeah, three mins of education is all it takes to become snotty!

[OccultHawk]

Originally Posted by Lisnaholic

^ Yeah, three mins of education is all it takes to become snotty!

Rural Japan has narrow roads that weave through mountains often terraced for rice farmers. The stores and domiciles often are cross between an oriental New Jersey and rustic charm. And once you get on the northern side of the geographic boomerang you can expect 4 very distinct seasons.

Spoiler for “LargeImage”:

I know that picture lacks the uniform, and very attractive, results of European urband planning, but I’ve spent some time in this particular town and found it visually pleasing in its still MILFY urban decay. Although come to think of it, it looks a bit spruced up here.

[The Batlord]

Originally Posted by OccultHawk

Rural Japan has narrow roads that weave through mountains often terraced for rice farmers. The stores and domiciles often are cross between an oriental New Jersey and rustic charm. And once you get on the northern side of the geographic boomerang you can expect 4 very distinct seasons.

Spoiler for large image:

I know that picture lacks the uniform, and very attractive, results of European urband planning, but I’ve spent some time in this particular town and found it visually pleasing in its still MILFY urban decay. Although come to think of it, it looks a bit spruced up here.

Neat.

[Lisnaholic]

Yes, that's a nice photo; beautiful mist on the hills and some of the buildings look pretty good too. Of course being in a country will give you a better perspective than a 3-min video. I wonder what you were doing there, OH?

[OccultHawk]

I taught English there and in Pusan (now to my annoyance Busan), Korea for about a decade total. Most of the time in rural Japan.

[Zhanteimi]

Originally Posted by OccultHawk

Most of the time in rural Japan.

Oh you poor man.

[OccultHawk]

Originally Posted by Zhanteimi

Oh you poor man.

I loved it. Hours everyday were spent in solitude with my Walkman and booze walking from job to job through rice fields and I knew several little spots where I could sit next to the sea and nobody ever once came walking by. I found two abandoned temples that I would could easily enter. I spent hours in there listening to Coltrane. One had part of the roof missing from a typhoon I figured and I could lay in there and watch the sky. I had an ALT / JET gig and they didn’t give a **** what I did. I’d just say I’m off to such and such elementary school. Drop by and give some kids a high five and then roll off. They were paying me to nomad around these tiny villages. At first they offered to drive me everywhere but I always refused.


One time for some reason I had to stay a week in a mid size city when I had that job. There were like 7 other ALT/JETs who had to do it too. We had private hotel rooms like a quarter mile from the office we had to meet in. All we had to do was check in, do whatever we wanted all day, and then check out. We could leave or just hang out there in a room just for us reading and bull****ting. And this one American girl actually chewed out our boss and told him she refused to check in and out. I tried to talk to her. I told her it was just a bureaucracy. He was told by his boss we had to be there. If we refused he got in trouble and it was a real job for him. She still said **** that no matter how good something is you should try to make it better. I understand the girl was bothered by the lack of rhyme and reason to the situation but it was like seriously we’re getting paid to say good morning and goodnight. I mean ****. I ****ing loved it though. I sat around and read books all day that week. The other English teachers all hated me. They would whisper lunch plans and not invite me. I didn’t know why but I didn’t give a **** either. I didn’t eat one meal or go for drinks with any of them once.

[Lisnaholic]

Originally Posted by OccultHawk

I loved it. Hours everyday were spent in solitude with my Walkman and booze walking from job to job through rice fields and I knew several little spots where I could sit next to the sea and nobody ever once came walking by. I found two abandoned temples that I would could easily enter. I spent hours in there listening to Coltrane. One had part of the roof missing from a typhoon I figured and I could lay in there and watch the sky. I had an ALT / JET gig and they didn’t give a **** what I did. I’d just say I’m off to such and such elementary school. Drop by and give some kids a high five and then roll off. They were paying me to nomad around these tiny villages. At first they offered to drive me everywhere but I always refused.


One time for some reason I had to stay a week in a mid size city when I had that job. There were like 7 other ALT/JETs who had to do it too. We had private hotel rooms like a quarter mile from the office we had to meet in. All we had to do was check in, do whatever we wanted all day, and then check out. We could leave or just hang out there in a room just for us reading and bull****ting. And this one American girl actually chewed out our boss and told him she refused to check in and out. I tried to talk to her. I told her it was just a bureaucracy. He was told by his boss we had to be there. If we refused he got in trouble and it was a real job for him. She still said **** that no matter how good something is you should try to make it better. I understand the girl was bothered by the lack of rhyme and reason to the situation but it was like seriously we’re getting paid to say good morning and goodnight. I mean ****. I ****ing loved it though. I sat around and read books all day that week. The other English teachers all hated me. They would whisper lunch plans and not invite me. I didn’t know why but I didn’t give a **** either. I didn’t eat one meal or go for drinks with any of them once.

^ That's a very interesting insight into an earlier OH. I love the made-for-movie stuff about rice fields, the sea and Coltrane on the headphones in forgotten temples. Sometimes life delivers these unexpected gifts of special time, and you have conjured one up really well. I almost wish I was there myself, learning to love the sidewalks and enjoying the unstructured time in an exotic location.
That girl bleating about clocking in didn't know how lucky she was and the teachers who didn't invite you along didn't know what they were missing, imho.

[The Batlord]

Originally Posted by Lisnaholic

That girl bleating about clocking in didn't know how lucky she was and the teachers who didn't invite you along didn't know what they were missing, imho.

OH says he smells so they probably made the right choice.

[Zhanteimi]

Originally Posted by Lisnaholic

and enjoying the unstructured time in an exotic location.

Blech. It's lame.