Saturday night I decided to go check out a yakitori that I have been wanting to visit for a while. It’s not the usual place, Denya, but one a little farther away to the north of my place.
I was talking with Kuniko the other day about my plan to go visit it, and she was surprised that I would go alone. Other people have expressed surprise that I went to Denya alone the first time I went there almost three years ago. What’s the big deal?
I walked out to the place, and stepped in the door. My first impression was that they spent a lot of money on the atmosphere. It was fairly dark, and well-decorated. The yakitori grill was behind clear glass surrounded by curtains and sho-chu bottles. I could tell that it would be a little more expensive than a visit to Denya.
A lady came up and asked me how many people, and when I said “one” she asked, “One? Just one?” I took a seat at the counter, and I was the only single in the place.
The menu was fairly simple, and I tried a couple of different items. Overall it was a little healthier than Denya, and the prices were quite a bit higher. The flavor was good, and I was able to eat and drink quite a lot. After four beers I was able to speak Japanese like a native with one of the servers, who was curious where I came from and what I was doing.
Kuniko got back fairly early, around 10:45 p.m., and it sounded like she had a good time with some of her ex-coworkers. I guess some of the people that were hoping to be there couldn’t make it – everyone is busy.
Sunday morning I had to get myself out of bed and leave a warm beautiful woman sleeping in the bed behind me, to go to work. I had no classes today, so it was just a matter of walking to the train station in the rain, walking to the school from the train station in the rain, and then setting up shop at my desk and working on vocabulary and reading.
The more I listen to my surroundings in the staff room, the more I understand. It’s very easy to let the Japanese flow all around you – for me to understand it I need to actively listen. It’s harder than it sounds. The good news is that with more and more practice I am able to catch what’s going on around me.
The teachers in the first year group where I sit have a real camaraderie, they joke and laugh and are much noisier than any of the other teacher groups. They tend to really tease one of the young teachers, a math teacher named Ageshi sensei. He good naturedly takes all the teasing, and I think he does a lot to deserve it. It’s a lot of fun to listen in and see what grief they are giving him. On Friday afternoon he had left early from school, and today everybody was saying “It’s been so long since I’ve seen you last,” etc. etc.
There’s a bit of real bite in what they are saying, though. Taking time off in the Japanese workplace is seen as a burden to your coworkers. The power of peer pressure drives people to stay at work, even if they are finished or don’t need to be there (or need to be somewhere else with their family).
Kuniko picked me up after school and we went over to her parents to hang out and celebrate Kuniko’s birthday. We had a good time over there, and as usual ate way too much and brought home lots of vegetables and sweets from her family. I got a big bottle of sho-chu from her Dad, and some beers, too.
Now we’re back and heading to bed. At least I don’t have to worry about a tough Monday. I did Monday on Sunday.
