alcohol balls, japanese hay fever, and office politics.

MIND - My friend just returned from Australia and as I was walking her to the station after a great dinner, two drunk men approached us and started talking away in Japanese sprinkled with English. Of course, we were "beautiful." Never mind I was wearing my work outfit which makes me look like a burglar. Hey, it's still cold here! They asked general introductory questions, "Why are you come here to Japan?" "Where are you from?" "Do you know Osaka #1 food?" And they invited us to a bar I have seen many times on my way home. My friend looked scared and said she had to go home, but if she was willing, I would've shot the shit with them for sure! Heck, my single word Japanese would be harder for them to decipher probably. To alcohol balls---helping people overcome fears and build friendships.

BODY - Japanese hay fever symptoms include a night time cough, yellow/green phlegm, and sore throat. I went back to my doctor who had a sub doctor filling in and I was told (after much deliberation and quizzical looks) that I had "phlegmingitis." Yah, that's what I said. Maybe he meant laryngitis? I don't know, but hey, he was giving me drugs. A company employee happened to be in the receiving room and was recruited by the nurse to explain my prescription med dosages. Two medications were for symptoms I specifically said I didn't have. I was told it was a "set" so I couldn't refuse part of it. Was I at McDonald's?

Tetsuya explained it this way. "It's Japanese style. You don't have now, but maybe later, yes, you having headache and fever. So you take all, okay?" A bilingual coworker of mine graciously shared her insurance covered meds for allergies (we have been having parallel illnesses for the past three weeks). Meanwhile I will start wearing the mask and if I feel adventurous, I might even spring for the plug/mask "set".

SPIRIT - As I was cutting the one hundredth and something magnet for a craft idea gone wrong, I started brooding over things that I didn't like. It's so amazing how quickly thoughts start a revolution up in your head while crafting. Anyway, I had a flashback of my library days and every time that comes up, I have to go through a mental process of literally bringing myself down from that negativity. I had to 1) let myself be angry for a little while 2) accept the situation that is and 3) drive myself to use my time more wisely so that I don't obsess over the work part of my life. Easier said than done, right? It's funny how much thicker the manual of "unwritten" policies is than the real policy manual. I need to do something independently.

LANGUAGE BARRIER OR CULTURAL BRIDGE?

ASK TET: What do you think about the state of the global economy right now?

Before, I think, my image America is working hard people is get more big money. Yah. Then recession. Now I know only high ranking peoples have many moneys. So, bull$hit America. Same Japan. After second war, Japan thinking is America is best. But GHQ education is loser thinking. So America is strong, but Japan government is like child. Politician say "Mmm, I don't know this way or this way." So no change. But America is fast! Obama is "Don, Don, Don" is change. Yah. And I vote for Obama too because you don't know Fedex location. (He took me to mail my absentee ballot.)

What do you think about foreigners who live in Japan?

My thinking is good things. Japanese basement (foundation) is only Japanese thinking. America long time ago is Black, White, Europa, I don't know. But now, America is many: Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, many cultures. America is mix. So thinking is many cultures. Foreign people in Japan is good because my thinking is....(hand gestures for expanding). But my thinking is different.