Observations, again

• Last night there was a man urinating in public. I have heard that this is not nearly as rude here as it is in the US. True? No? I dunno. It weirded me out, but then again I've probably freaked some people out by eating an ice cream walking down the street. It's just different.
• I have really no concept of social class here in Japan. I can't tell who's rich and who's not, which neighborhoods are upscale, which stores are cheap. It's very interesting. In the US it's fairly easy (alarmingly so, I know, because it's generally based on stereotypes which, we all know, are a Bad Thing) for me to tell a farmer from an office professional from a tradesperson from an unskilled worker. But here I have no idea. The cues from hairstyles and teeth and smoking and clothing types just aren't the same.
• I have seen a couple of American cars on the roads here, and they look so strange going down Japanese streets. Well, the Mustang wasn't so bad, but there was this hulking Ford truck coming down a narrow neighborhood street the other day, and I though sure it would flatten everything about it. It looked ridiculous.
• I cannot find bar soap. I can find dishwashing liquid, powdered laundry detergent, and soft hand soap, but I don't think I've found one bar of soap. This is strange, because I see soap holders everywhere in 100yen stores. I know it's out there, I just can't find it. And I'll be needing some soon, too. Better hurry.
• I see so many people doing small maintenance type jobs here. You wouldn't believe the teams of landscapers and trash collectors. They're absolutely everywhere. Going to class I often pass troops of about eight middle-aged gardeners trimming the hedges, using little scissors to keep trees neat, blowing the clippings off the sidewalks, etc. I guess that's what makes all the storefronts and gardens so tidy. I kind of have this attitude of "Don't they have anything better to do?" though. That's a bit disturbing. They wouldn't be doing it if it wasn't useful work to the society; I guess as an American I just don't quite value a manicured pine tree the same way they do in other cultures.
• The Japanese are notoriously proud of having four distinct seasons, which I used to find absurd. "Yeah, them and the rest of the temperate world," I thought. But now I think they may have something unique. See, at home, the Vernal Equinox really means nothing; spring starts long before mid-March, in many senses. And Christmas? Definitely in the MIDDLE of winter, not three days after it starts! Maybe--probably--it's just coincidence, but it was hot and humid all the way up until Shuubun no Hi, the first day of autumn, and then it suddenly cooled down and became beautiful. The leaves started changing color within maybe three or four days of the equinox. I'm probably reading way too much into it, especially seeing as how this is just one change of seasons I've experienced here in contrast to 80 seasonal changes in the US. But still, I was amazed at the accuracy with which the weather followed the calendar regarding seasons.
• Some things here are exactly the same as at home. I really want to emphasize that. I keep talking about how things are different, but in the grand scheme of things, it's all very similar. Right now, for instance, I'm sitting on a rolling desk chair in front of a round table, my computer plugged in to the wall nearby, with air conditioning, fluourescent lights, linoleum floors, a television with too many remote controls, and a pile of unused loose change in the corner free fo anyone's taking. It's not that different from home. People are people. Places are places. I talk about what's strange to me because I find it remarkable; there's a lot here that simply isn't at all surprising, so I don't mention it. Sure, there's the mysterious tea ceremony Japan and the fast-paced Akihabara electronic Japan, but there's also the Japan of shopping for lightbulbs and toilet paper. I live in Lightbulbs and Toilet Paper Japan. I just write about Geisha and Tamagotchi Japan.