There goes Christmas

I haven't been blogging in a while, I admit. But my activities the last weeks haven't been that thrilling at all actually. I've been celebrating Christmas, that's the main event I suppose. This year there was no snow, depressing. But still, quite nice anyway. My two sisters, Stina and Sofia came home and it's been a jolly week indeed of gluttony. Because yes, that's what we've been doing; eating and drinking alot. Herring (our version of sushi, raw herring in weird sauce), meat balls, ham, turkey, whiskey, hot chocolate with rum, julmust, port wine, fruit cake, red wine, white wine, Jansson's (potato gratin with fish in it), chocolate, toffee, some more chocolate, sausage, porridge and all those other things that make you gain like 623 kilos in one week. At lunch at Christmas eve we eat the traditional "Christmas table" which really contains only meat and potatoes. When the evening comes though, it's time for the rice porridge, eaten with milk and sirup. To compensate (which we failed at) for all this food we have been taking nice walks around the neighbourhood. It's been cold but refreshing. After a cold promenade, we usually feel that we are worthy a cup of nice coffee, and some more sweets. Yay... Well, otherwise it's fine here in Sweden. We have a very nice Christmas tree, two little kittens and also my sister Stina's cat Pellerin was here. He is a very large (fat, actually) cute cat who's quite friendly. He didn't like the kittens though, and they didn't like him either. They are growing bigger and bigger, and they are getting messier and messier. Soon they will tear down the house. My older brother didn't come home this year, since he and his wife are home with their child. I try to study some Japanese now while I'm having a lot of free time. But it's slow, and the stuff I have to learn for the work I am going to do this spring is mainly vocabulary that concern computer things. And I know nothing about that. I don't even know what the Swedish words mean. Shit. Well, my employer has read my CV and he didn't complain, so hopefully they're not assuming that I know too much about the subject already. I'm intending to go to Japan in the end of January, which feels like an eternity. I miss Tomoya bigtime and one month more will be hard...Now I'm going to watch some Monty Python with my sister.

Back in snowy Sweden

I came home to Sweden yesterday, and damn, it was cold. On the way from the airport to my house it started snowing and when I got up this morning everything was white.I have, as usual, a lot of culture shocks. The first one struck me in Paris when I changed flights. On guy in the passport control was about as eccentric as the "computer says no"-dude in Little Britain. He took my passport, opened a random page, whitout looking at it, and gave it back to me without a word. Nice. Many people at the airport were rude (or rather, not extremely polite) and I started missing Japan immediately. The positive thing about that though, is that when people are very kind and polite here, they actually mean it. The cabin attendant at the flight from Japan (she was French) spent like 5 minutes explaining about Charles de Gaulle and how to find the terminal for my connecting flight, even though I didn't really ask. She didn't look bothered at all, but actually said something like "Come over her, lets look at the map!" with a happy voice. I like her. I mean, whenever Japanese people are polite it's just a part of their culture or profession, and they might hate you more than everything, but will treat you as a god anyway. Who knows, maybe my Japanese boyfriend is dating me just because it would be rude to break up. Over to Sweden. It's cold outside and the air is extremely fresh and nice. The smell of winter and snow is one that I had long forgotten and I couldn't contain my mirth when I stepped out of the car into our garden to fill my lungs with cold winter air. The air inside the house is also special. Since I didn't spend christmas at home last year, I had totally forgotten about the smell from hyacinths and also the wonderful shine from the advent stars and candle sticks in the windows. Today I have been taking a little walk in the snow and realised that it's impossible to get any farther away from Tokyo than this. When I got back in I started making christmas cookies and listen to Swedish radio, elements I have been missing. But then what? I have been busy all day doing swedish christmasy things, but after this there's not much more to do. My sister is coming home this weekend, which is something to look forward to. Until then I just have to play with the kittens, the two new family members. They are 4 weeks old and the cutest little things in the world. Still, they are a little too afraid to run around and be crazy in the house, and are basically eating, sleeping or wrestling with their mother, Putti Putti. But I think that in one week or so, they will be all around the house, climbing everything and everyone around them. One thing I know for sure is that this year, we will have to put the ornaments in the christmas tree a little bit higher up than usual.

Last day in Japan

So, tomorrow I will fly to Sweden. I haven't really realised that yet, maybe because I still haven't really realised that I went back to Japan after the summer. So, I'm not nervous at all. I'm starting to get used to all this flying around and I'm not too scared about losing hand luggage, missing my connecting flight or all those other things. Besides, it seems like I will come back to Japan in the end of January, and since I sort of miss my family and am looking forward to spending christmas at home I'm not too depressed. It's a little sad though that Tomoya has been spending a lot of time the last week to plan the company's bounenkai (year end party (or, translated word by word: Forgetting the year - party)). The first year employees have to do some sort of performance on the party, and Tomoya is supposed to do magic or something. He seems to be looking forward to it, so that's fine, but after (and today before) work they have meetings for planning the event. Today he left the apartment at 6.30 and wont be home before 11 in the night. The event is tomorrow night, so of course they are doing the last planning. But, for me it's a little sad since I'm going home tomorrow and wont see him for at least one and a half months, maybe more. Today I went to Shinjuku to buy the last souvenirs. One part of Shinjuku is covered in illuminations. I like these penguins, and unfortunately that's all I have to show this time...
Well, I suppose I'd better go packing. I can't really get myself to do it (I can't get my ass out of the wagon, as we say in Sweden).

Interview and Gingerbreads

It's been an eventful weekend. Besides Tomoya's interesting golfing trip, we have been baking loads of gingerbread and lussekatter. First, Tomoya's golf trip. Well, since he was golfing for the first time in his life, he didn't expect it to go too well, when he was called by his company to join his co-workers for golf this Saturday. But besides from participating, the company wanted something more, which was not announced in the invitation. He was actually tricked into arranging the entire competition next year, just because his score wasn't too good. Of the 40 company members who came to play, only 5 of them were first year people. And none of them knew that when they came to the obligatory golf competition, depending on the score you would get, you might be forced to arrange next year's event. Tomoya is more tired than ever of that stupid company. Well, with some luck he's not there next year.
Over to nicer things. This weekend we had a baking event at the Taniai mansion. We made gingerbread, lussekatter and drank glögg (hot red wine with christmasy spices). But besides from doing a lot of Swedish things, I got some nice Japanese experiences as well. For example, picking mandarins and persimmons in aunt Taniai's garden. I think it's hard to realise for the Japanese, but really, it's extremely exotic to go out and pick your own mandarins for a Swede. Yum yum. All of the Taniais were extremely impressed and delighted with the cookies. I was praised a lot by the 95 year old grandmother who is so happy every time I come to visit them. She often asks me;
- "Is Spain cold?"
- "I don't really know, because I am from Sweden, but yes, now it's even snowing in Sweden".
- "Ah, not Spain, Sweden you say." "Do they have mandarins in Spain?"
- "Yes they have, but in Sweden, where I come from, we can not grow them, only buy them."
Well, I really can't blame her. "Spain" is much easier to say than "Sweden" and besides, I'm used to being taken for a Swiss girl all the time anyway. It's quite cute.Today I had a interview at a small IT venture company. I was expecting something like a small cosy office with sofas and nerds in clothes that were fashionable 10 years ago, since I knew that there only work about 10 people. But when I entered the office I was placed in a hot, sterile conference room without windows. I was to wait, and soon two Japanese salary men entered the room and the interview started. It went much better than I had expected, and they seem really interested and considered my Japanese "paafekuto". I hope that I'm not expecting too much, but maybe I can stay another half a year in Japan, working and learning more. Suddenly, the future came to look a little brighter...

At the subway in Tokyo: Please do your drunken behaviour at home!

Stuck in autumn

It's autumn, perfect autumn. Cold, crisp days with blue clear skies, to be substituted by fog and rain once in a while. The leaves on the trees are red, just as they are in any country in the world when the autumn comes, but still, Japanese love to praise their red leaves and spend their money on going to a mountain or forest where there happen to be trees. I think, that within the square kilometre that surrounds my house back in Sweden, there are more red trees than in the entire Japan. Well, they are masters of overrating their own country. But then again, who isn't.
So, during these chilly autumn days I've been busy looking for work and studying Japanese. In the mornings I go running, the usual sling along Kanda river. It's a little bit lonely, and lately Tomoya has been returning late every night, although his boss wants him to go home earlier. There is more work than time I suppose. Since I'm not working now I don't have too much money either, which limits my pleasure budget to a coffee a day. That means, that even though it's Friday today, I'm at home watching TV and waiting for Tomoya. He is currently out buying clothes and equipment for tomorrow's golf trip, to which he forced to attend . I think though, that when he comes home he has to go straight to bed since he needs to get up at 4:30 tomorrow to be picked up by a co-worker who will take him to the closest golf lane. Which would be some hours away, I reckon. Well, no reason to be negative. Who knows, it might be fun to golf, although I myself would hardly call it a sport, but rather a waste of money and a weird and complicated way of perform a normal promenade. But who am I to judge other peoples hobbies. Anyhow. I'm currently searching for another internship to do in Japan during the spring. Actually, some companies seem interested, and I have an interview planned next week. But still, how easy is it to get inspired to stay here, when it is as grey and lonely as it is? At least I have my little Japanese girl friends to chat with and hang with at cafés. Sometimes we meet for a coffee and a snack at Starbucks or some other café that offers good coffee. I'm also reading a lot nowadays. Right now I'm in the middle of Jane Austen's Emma. It's a nice novel, and makes me long for England and fluffy dresses á la the transvestites in Little Britain. The thing I am looking forward to the most right now (besides from celebrating christmas in Sweden with my parents and dear sisters(and the cats)) is this weekend's sine long planned gingerbread and Lussekatt baking. I will go to Tomoya's parents' house tomorrow, while he is golfing, to prepare the gingerbread dough. We will bake the cookies on Sunday, and since we also have real Glögg (Glu wine, kind of) to accompany them, the first of Advent (as we Swedes call this Sunday) might feel really christmasy. I must admit though, that I do suspect that the glögg might be swapped for green tea and the gingerbread for rice crackers, but "one takes the custom to where one comes", as we say back at home.

Nande mo neee

So, my internship has come to an end. It's been 6 fun weeks, and I've learnt alot, Japanese and other stuff as well. Last Wednesday we had a farewell party at nice sushi bar in Nagoya, and it was really fun. I felt quite appreciated. I returned to Tokyo last Friday and now I have 3 weeks of holiday. I'm going to study for my JLPT (Japanese language proficiency test) that I have in the beginning of December and also try to find another internship or something to do during thi spring. This weekend Tomoya had a test in accounting on Sunday morning, so the entire Saturday he spent studying. Sunday afternoon he had to work and didn't come home until 7. Working on Sundays, that's just too depressing. Japan is depressing. This and yesterday morning I've been jogging along the river some meters from our apartment. Today I ran something like 3 kilometres. On the way I saw 4 homeless guys sleeping on benches or crouching in a bush. That's even more depressing than Tomoya working on Sundays. There's a lot in this country that's quite questionable. Like the discrimination against, or rather for, foreigners. Look at the picture and you'll see what I mean. Interesting. It's not unusual though.
A good thing about Japan though, is as always the food. Autumn is the nabe season. Nabe is maybe the easiest and maybe the tastiest food there is. You take the nabe sauce you want, for example sesame taste, salt, soy sauce or soy milk, heat it with water and then put in the vegetables you like. It could be anything really, cabbage, carrots, mushrooms. Easy, plain and really tasty.
Well, my life right now is not the most interesting. The next planned thing is a "1st advent" celebration at the Taniai's, including gingerbread and lussekatt baking on the 30th of November. I think it will be fun.

Discrimination?

Halloween and Christmas

JIMTOF, the tooling exhibition is finally over. It's been 6 stressful but fun days. My work mostly consisted of explaining the ice sculpture in our booth to curious Japanese visitors. I've been practicing my Japanese a lot and I’ve also met many interesting people. Some people came in the morning to watch the sculpture, and then returned in the afternoon when it was finished. Our booth was popular. Another of my missions was to be in charge of our Yellow bag competition. At the exhibition we handed out yellow bags, and 5 times a day I went to find someone with one of those bags, present him or her with an iPod Shuffle and then take a picture in front of the ice sculpture with the happy winner. It was fun, since many winners got really happy. But some though, just said "I don't want no iPod" and fled. Weird. I've also been told, like 235 times that I'm fluent in Japanese. By some, when I've been having longer conversations, and by some when I've only said "Konnichiwa", which is the word for hello. It sort of makes the compliment pointless in the end, and I'm not sure if I'm really good at Japanese or if it's just a way for the Japanese to be polite. Anyhow. The work alone hasn't been the only nice part. I've also met a lot of nice Swedes who came to Japan only for this event. The Swedes from the Ice Hotel in Jukkasjärvi were really nice, and I got a long particularly well with Tjåsa, the ice sculptress. I took her to a sky bar in Shinbashi one night, were we had dinner while watching Tokyo from above. One funny tradition about Japanese exhibitions it that every company has its own presentation girls. We had ours aswell, ofcourse. They were dressed in Yellow and were wearing white boots with high heels. Once in an hour they held a presentation about some of our tools, something that they of course knew nothing about, but they had somehow managed to learn the texts and presented it perfectly. Interesting. Some other companies had ladies that must have been Russian or so. Miniskirts and 20 cm high heels on a 2 meter tall, fake blond girl. And this is a tooling exhibition, not even cars or motor cycles. Well. This is Japan. Last week was Halloween, by the way. There have been preparations everywhere; cookies in orange in the bakeries, decorations in the shopping windows and pumpkin costumes in the stores since over a month ago. But, the day of Halloween, the 31st, the only thing that happened was that the orange changed into red. I was in a shopping mall at that very day, and there were Christmas trees everywhere. I think Japan is the most extreme country in the world when it comes to commercialism. It was the same thing with Christmas last year, and it will be the same this year as well. The good part though, is that this year I'm spending Christmas in Sweden. All the built-up Christmas spirit will come in handy when I get home to a probably rainy Sweden in the middle of December. The Christmas spirit actually got me the day before yesterday, when I had my first Gingerbread Latte at Starbucks. It tasted exactly as it did last year, and since the time around Christmas in Japan might have been the funniest time in my life, it made me feeling quite sentimental. I'm planning on going to Starbucks today as well. They even play Christmas music, but it makes me quite happy and confident about returning to Sweden quite soon. So, today I'm having a Starbucks date with Haruka, a girl from the university I went to. Tonight we are probably going somewhere to celebrate Tomoya’s birthday that was yesterday. I had bought a lot of presents and a nice cake, but since he was out on a forced drinking party until 3 A.M. the night before, he didn't manage to eat any. Well, maybe next year.