Interesting Cultural Exchanges and Bras

Okay so I was invited to go to a baseball game this past Tuesday which was really fun and I plan on covering that in another blog but what I want to address here are a few hilarious and intriguing moments that occurred prior to making our way to said game.

To Holla or Not to HollaRight, so for those who do not already know, there is an incredible difference between the concept of the verbs 'holler' and 'holla'. According to dictionary.com the former is defined as:

• to cry aloud, to shout, to yell
• a loud cry used to express pain or surprise, to attract attention, to call for help, etc.

The latter, according to the Urban Dictionary is defined as:

• for a man to express interest in a particularly impressive female specimen
• a term used to try and talk to or try and "hook-up" with a female

Now add all those connotations together and try to explain them in plain Japanese. Difficult isn't it?Clark, one of my fellow students, who happens to be a male, tried to paint a picture for the group of female e-pals we were with but couldn't exactly get it across so I stepped in. I proceeded to convey the idea of hollering by yelling incoherently and they understood, giving us the verb in Japanese. Then, using my creepiest voice and facial expressions I got really close to Hono, one of our e-pals, and said "Hey girl, how you doin'?". Immediately a look of feigned terror spread across her face, eyes opened wide and she squealed "Kowai!" [こわい] or scary. Sanami, a friend of Hono's, asked what happened so I did the exact same thing to her and, once again, got the same reaction as the other e-pal Yumi started cracking up. Side-splitting laughter occurs. Okay, well after most of the laughter subsided I assured them that on some occasions it is not that weird but I feel fairly certain that they are now well acquainted with the concept.

Yakezake [やけ酒]

If you are familiar with the kanji you see above you will know that this next topic is indeed alcohol related. It is also relatively sad but also a unique point of comparison between both Japanese and American culture. The term yakezake is defined as "drowning one's cares in drink; drinking in desperation" -  something not all too unrecognizable in America where on occasion drinking to excess is considered a cathartic pastime. In Japan, however, one uses the term to refer to the occurrence of a specific event - breaking up with one's significant other - and the resultant activity thereafter.

I learned this term in passing and found it intriguing that there is one word to describe a time of such sorrow and upset. Off the top of my head I cannot think of its equivalent in English so by all means clue me in. That being said, I believe that that is one of the most beautiful characteristics of a language. The fact that it possesses words or phrases that convey so much more meaning than a whole paragraph could hope to get across is astounding. Some might find the possibility for ambiguity and confusion frustrating but I think that when the use of that one word or phrase truly matters there will not be any room for misunderstanding. True fact.

(Flashback to the movie Lilo & Stitch when Stitch reveals his humanistic side by expressing his understanding of the word 'Ohana' . . . *tears up*)

Peach John

This last point is a brief explanation of #16 on my Japan bucket list. http://www.peachjohn.co.jp/

Peach John is, by and large, the Japanese equivalent of America's Victoria Secret. An very staggering difference lies in the concept of what sexy is in each country. I have come to believe that 'sexy' in Japan has less to do with wearing revealing or attention-grabbing clothing and more to do with subtly accentuating one's characteristically feminine body parts using cute attire. I say cute because a lot of the lingerie leans more towards floral, frilly lace and pastel colored designs.

Even though I have it down as 'Visit Peach John in Tokyo Area', unbeknownst to me there was a Peach John literally two train stops away in Minami-Funabashi (which, by the way, has THE biggest mall I have ever set foot in and the awesomest book store [Book Off Super Bazaar]). Thus, despite the technicality I will call this goal accomplished.

Well that's all for now. Be on the look out for the baseball game and one other earlier event soon.
じゃまた！