Our main mission at school this week was trying not to offend anyone, accidentally of course. There are so many subtleties that you need to look out for over here in the work place. Like, take suggestions seriously, because they’re not actually suggestions after all. And, there is no good reason for being late to work so make sure that you have two or three alarms set and one or two backup modes of transportation ready each and every day. And as I learned on Wednesday, you do not talk about last Sunday’s historic national election in the work place…oops…sorry…I mean, gomennasai.
Okay, quiz time. What kind of bicycle does Jon use to get himself to school? A.) a mountain bike. B.) a ten speed. C.) A bicycle with a big basket on the front, a grocery rack on the back, and a bell. I would love to tell you that it isn’t C but I can’t. Believe it or not, the type of bicycle that I have is the most sought after bike in all of Japan. In this country, practicality is king. O.K., next question. How many hours per day is the average Japanese middle schooler actually at school? A.) 7 hours. B.) 9 hours. C.) 11 hours. The answer again is C. But don’t feel bad for these kids, much of their day is spent doing club activities and sports. They get plenty of socializing in and they don’t have any time left to thug around and get into trouble after the school day is over. I kind of like it, as long as I get to leave school before they do (usually around 4pm or 5pm). Keepin' this show rollin'...What does one Japanese person say to another after one sneezes? A.) Nothing B.) Bless You C.) Don't do that again (in Japanese of course). The answer is nothing. Why? Because it's absurd to draw attention to something that could be viewed as embarassing? I really like this philosophy myself. I wish we followed this one in the U.S.. Okay, last question. You still have a chance to get at least one right. In an average box of cookies containing ten cookies (yes, that is the typical size around here), how many wrappings and/or trays are contained within? A.) three B.) thirteen c.) five. Well, if you include the box itself, it's thirteen. Each individually wrapped cookie sits in a tray that is sealed inside a plastic wrapper which is all housed inside the exterior box that you see on the shelf. In a country that founded the lean methodology (i.e. being more efficient and cutting unnecessary waste) this one really makes you scratch your head. However, this does help control binging.
I think you copied my quiz idea. The one I wasn't sure of was the wrappers. Wow. What a waste of materials. I've seen people here with surgical masks and knew about that. I also thought it was considered polite. When can I call you? Abrazos! Mami
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