Boxing Day Round-up

Well, it's boxing day now and I'm off to work tomorrow. I think during the Christmas season is the only time I feel I touch of culture shock. My way of surviving it this year - of coping - is to keep it as low key as possible and focus on the upcoming New Years celebrations. I felt I was fairly prepared having spent Christmas 1999 in Japan, knowing what to expect helped keep from being too homesick or culture shocked.

One large factor that causes culture shock is that I am acutely aware that I am away from family because there is almost no family focus on the holiday season here. I don't know how many times I was asked if I was spending time this year with my girlfriend (negating the first question of asking if I have one) and if we spend the holiday with significant others in Canada. I have to explain that Christmas, in my family - is a time for family - while not being with my family. The holiday's rewards seem to go to businesses and advertisers that cater to couples over Christmas (but maybe this is just my cynical interpretation). But what else is there to do - when in Rome - I joined in the fun.

Christmas Eve turned out to be a blast even though it started very late. Tori Sei, a restaurant run by my close friends the Suzuki family, was closing early after catering to many Christmas parties over the last couple of weeks to have their Christmas party (with I was graciously invited to join). I actually had no idea what to expect and this will be revealed as I relate the story. I went to their shop at 8:00 PM Christmas eve. While the last bit of cleaning was being finished, there was still one customer left; a women working with a radio station in Obihiro (77.8 FM) that was going to be doing a live broadcast from Tori Sei and - late - other venues around Shikaoi (it was all done by cellphone). So she talked, and laughed loudly, next Mr. Suzuki got to say a couple of words, then, of course, the phone was passed to me, and I said "Merry Christmas" to everyone out there in radioland. I just had to take a picture because it so surreal. Soon after that episode had finished the lights were turned off and everyone was ready to go to dinner. I was directed to get in a van and told that we were going out for Yaki Niku (sort of Japanese BBQ). It was only after we had just gotten away that I was told that we were going for Yaki Niku all the way in Obihiro. (Man, I am always the last person to know.) Anyway, it's just as well because it was getting late and most places in Shikaoi close early and we were just starting the evening. Below is a picture from dinner, of which I got home very late from.



As mentioned, Christmas was very lowkey. I opened a package from home that had everything I had wanted which had arrived only the day before in the afternoon. I also went for a run in the afternoon because I thought it was neat (and surreal) that everything else here was continuing as normal and wanted to take advantage of it. At the Shikaoi Sport Center there was still the normal traffic of school clubs practicing in the gym. It was just as well that I got a headstart at burning off some of the gigantic sushi dinner that I was to eat that evening. I was able to wrangle two cute girls - my friends Yuki and Natsue - to join me for Kaiten zushi in Obihiro. We laughed and ate a ton and it was delicious. (Note the pile of plates. I tried to make the picture look noble but it really underscores what a pig I was.) In the triumphal picture of me I am holding my favorite sushi (my last piece for the evening I would like to add in my defense); my specially ordered toro tuna with no wasabi, just about the most expensive thing you could order. Freud would say the sushi was my attempt to get as far away from a Christmas dinner as possible.


For boxing day I just hung out, writing this, reading some, eating Chashu Ramen... I made Yaki Soba with carrots and broccoli and pork dinner. I was able to talk to my parents twice over Christmas. Which was very nice because normally once I hang up the phone I remember all the things I wanted to say and all the questions I wanted to ask. Once on my Christmas morning. And then again on their Christmas night (my boxing day afternoon). I felt very relieved to share their Christmas with them. I also talked to my Grandma M. from Calgary, which was a nice surprise. To the left is a picture of me talking to my Mom on her Christmas evening. I am holding some of the chocolate she sent which, after the photo and phone call, I ate. Work is going to be very slow until the middle of January because all of my schools are out and there is still New Year's holidays between now and then. I hope to fill some of that time with some visits to to my various kindergartens. So that's Christmas in Japan. Sorry it was not filled with lots of funny little culture foibles, but it would be dishonest to say that it was. I guess one thing is that all month I have been asked if we eat Christmas Cake in Canada - what ever that is. (I suspect another case of over zealous marketing in this as well.)