Salty Chocolate in Japan

So, I was returning from work last night when I decided to make a quick stop at the local 7-11. I was just looking to pick up some milk but ran across something odd enough to catch my eye. Now, in Japan I have found some pretty strange snack food, yet a salt and chocolate candy bar may be the strangest thing yet. There are many things which fit well with chocolate. Peanut butter is always a favorite mix of mine. Yet, can salt provide a enjoyable taste with chocolate?


I was hooked by this idea and picked up a pack of salty crunch. Once I got home I showed this stuff to the gal. She laughed at me for buying such a strange item. Despite her mocking me she also wanted to give it a go. So, after dinner we decided to give salty crunch an official taste test.

So...how is it?

Well, to tell the truth the salt taste is very light. The chocolate over powers most of the salt. Only after chewing it up did I get a sensation of salt in my mouth. After two or three though, I did experience a surprise tingle which did, oddly enough, add to the chocolate a bit. A good point of this odd snack is that it does provide a rather crisp texture due to the salt additive. It is by far packing a little more crunch as compared to other crunch type of candy bars.


Would I try it again?

I am not so sure I would give it a second go round. I expected more from this little snack and it kind of let me down. The salt part seems to be just a hook to get people to buy the chocolate. The additive provide almost nothing in the way of taste. The texture can be had by other means than salt.

Give it a go and let me know what you think.

In Tokyo You Must Escape Sometimes

I have been living in Tokyo for around a year and a half now. I have learned a lot, as well as, grown up a bit too. It has had it ups and downs but I am still here standing tall. To be honest, this is my first time to live in a large city on a long term basis. While I have adjusted to the fast pace of city life pretty well, I have discovered that it is sometimes hard for me to find time to get away from everything.

Back in good old West Virginia, it was easy for me to get away from everyone and be by myself. All I had to do was jump in my car, head for the woods, and I could be all by myself for as long as I wanted. In Tokyo, running off into the woods is not an option. Never the less, I have found ways to get away from people.

One of the things I do is trek off into Yoyogi park from time to time. If you walk a bit from the entrances at Shibuya gate and Harajuku, there is a lot of out-of-the-way spots to get some peace and quiet. I like some of the trails deep in Yoyogi park. Sometimes I grab a few beers from the quick stop at Harajuku station and walk down the trails. I do not run into a lot of people on the trails. Although, I do see homeless tents set up from time to time. Oddly enough, I do not see the homeless coming out from these tents so often. I guess they just hide out in them for most of the day.

When I get lucky enough, I see something really off the wall in the less traveled parts of Yoyogi park. One time I ran up on some guy slumped over a tree with a bottle of Jack in his hand. At first, I thought he was passed. I grabbed a stick and poked him a bit. To my surprise he stirred ever so slightly. I will never forget what he said to me, `Women, drink, give me more!` This happened at 3:00 pm in the day.

There are, of course, the lovers who decide to take a romp in the park. There are many stories about this kind of behavior, yet few people can say they have actually seen or done this kind of thing. Well, I have seen this kind of playful behavior go down at Yoyogi park. You will usually never see this kind of stuff going down at the more popular parts of Yoyogi park. It almost always goes down in the less traveled sections of the park. While I have, unwillingly and unexpectedly, caught a few people having a little fun in the park, only one couple sticks out in my mind. I had wondered down an odd path I had not noticed before. It was a pleasant day and I was just floating in the wind so to speak. As I was heading around a bend in the path a heard heavy breathing of both male and female nature. I expected to have the misfortune of seeing two people making out or something. What I did see was some older gentlemen having his way with a young gal; fully butt naked. The young gal screamed and hide behind the older gentlemen as he attempted to cover himself. All I could really do was laugh and make a quick exist from the area.


So, traveling to the deeper parts of Yoyogi park is a good to get away from the normal insanity of Tokyo; while running head first into the more unseen insanity of Tokyo.

Paper VS. Computer--Digital File System at Work

If every office was like the one seen in the picture I am willing to bet no one would complain about changes in daily operations. Yet, topless office ladies are the stuff of dreams and not reality. I could only guess as to the reaction of customers walking into a branch and seeing such a sight. We would be shut down in a matter of hours. The media would have a field day attacking us. Not the mention what the ministry of labor would have to say about the change in dress code. None the less, we are currently going though the growing pains of transitioning from a paper system to a digital file system.

I came into work recently and was greeted head on with a new system I had no idea how to use. There had been a few memos floating around about it, but I was under the impression that our branches were not going to be included in the new system. Sadly, I was very wrong. In my effort to be a professional, I grabbed an info packet on the new system and sat down to start using it. It was trail by fire but I learned how it works. I had to reassure the gal I work with that we could figure this whole mess out. She gets on the phone and calls a fellow co-worker from another branch trying to get the low down on the new system. This proved to be a very good thing indeed. She found out a few tricks to make the system work better. By the end of the day both of us got a good working knowledge of the system.

So, the confusion of trying to apply a digital file system brought up an interesting thought in my mind. Which is better; a paper or digital file system. There are advantage and disadvantages of both.

Paper System:

Advantages:

1) You have hard evidence--a paper trail proves beyond a shadow of a doubt what has been happening with each students progress; it also give hard evidence of who has been doing their job.

2) Changes can be made on the fly--Just a quick cross out with a pen and all is good.

Disadvantages

1) Difficult is share information across branches--if a student transfers you have to start the process all over again. No one knows what was happening, with respect to the progress of the student, from one branch to the next.

2) Time--Trying to do all the paperwork on one student in ten or so minutes is a real pain in the ass! It is hard to get reports done for five students and then prepare to teach five more students in around ten minutes tops!


Digital System:

Advantages:

1) Speed-- A digital system really speeds up the process of updating records and filing reports. It gives us the ability to get a lot more done between lessons.

2) Space Saver-- This is a big one indeed. Imagine is you will, trying to keep track of 100 plus records in a space the size of two toilets. In that space you also have instructors, books, various materials, promo adverts storage, in-house records, and other random shit. It really helps to get all of those bulky student records out of the way.

Disadvantages:

1) System errors--What do you do when the computer system fucks up? Imagine you are trying to update students files and the system decides to not only prevent you from make any needed changes from the original lesson plan, but also not allow you to save anything. You no longer have a back-up system because the paper system has been done away with; your fucked.


2) Those who control history--There is also the issue of trusting the information you put into the system is safe. There are people who will have the ability to change any information on the master sever. One person with revenge on their mind might decide to delete your work and make you out to be a lazy bastard. There is also the issue of teacher relation privacy. A paper system allows instructors to comment about students in a manner no student should ever see. With the digital system every student will be able to see what the instructor is commenting about the lessons.


So, for better or worse a digital system is going to become the norm. Over time I suspect it will become favored by most people in the company; I hope.

Like a Mad Dog in Heat

You know, there is working hard, working your ass off, and then there is working in Japan. People in this nation work themselves to the bone at times. I used to be surprised and often wondered why people work so hard in Japan; until recently. If you just work as an instructor in Japan you really do not have to do so much to do your job well. If your lucky, or cursed, enough to break into management it becomes very clear as to why people have to work so damn hard in Japan. Truth be known, people are fucking lazy! For every one over worked person in Japan, there are at least 10 who do not do shit. If you show any ability to be a leader people will flock to you and load you down with work. There seems to be a general attitude of `Oh! He gives a shit. Give him all the work.`

So, I am sorry to burst people`s image of the hard working Japanese people. They only look like they are working hard all the time. For as many people you see working there ass off, there are twice as many people just going though the motions. I have learned this hidden fact of life in Japan from experience working in the land of the raising sun. I have seen people so quick to take the position of, `Look! It seems like he knows what is going on. Lets just follow him and do everything he says. If things fuck up it is his fault not ours.` So, they will follow you until things actually do fuck up. At that point, suddenly no one knows you and everything is your fault. I know some of you think I am kidding but this shit actually happens. You have to be very careful working in even the lowest level of management in Japan. People will screw you over in ways you could never dream of in the west.

Slowly, I have learned how to survive, yet I still makes mistakes sometimes when dealing with my Japanese counter-parts. One wrong word or move and your in the dog house until they feel you are worthy of notice again. This unique experience is something I never dealt with in America. I usually always knew exactly where I stood with upper management in America. If they did not like something I was doing they told me directly. In Japan it seems as if they do not do this kind of thing. If they have a problem with you, they do not tell you. Instead, they plan out a way to make you suffer for doing something they do not like. You have to play a damn guessing game in order to `feel out` where you stand with Japanese managers.

The best to do is never ask questions. If you do ask questions be very careful how you word your it. If you come to them very directly and straight forward they usually react in a negative manner. The Japanese seem to care about their own emotions a lot. In many cases, it depends on how they feel with respect to how serious they take you. It is a very different professional environment to say the least.

Overall, I am enjoying these challenges. Everyday something new happens which blows my mind, at the same time, motivates me to understand and carry out duties handed to me.

Beautufil Days are in the Here and Now

Many people say that they hate summer time in Tokyo. Main reason being the ungodly heat the city generates in the summer months. I remember last summer very well. While it did get hot as a whore house on payday; I had one hell of a good time. It is much more easy to get out and about during summer in Tokyo.

I may be from the mountains, yet I hate cold weather! I have survived many blizzards in the mountains in West Virginia. No matter what kind of evil winter I toughed out in West Virginia, I still developed no love for cold ass weather. A winter in Tokyo is kind enough to spare me the hell of endless snow; although the wind and cold temperatures are not fun to handle. All of that is behind me for at least the next few months.

Anyway, I am wondering why anyone would complain about hot weather? Whenever I start to think it is too hot I remind myself of the bitter cold winter. I would much rather prefer it to be too hot, as opposed to, it being too cold. All the blank high buildings casting tall shadows on the cold gray streets below is a real downer during the winter. Winter has a way of sucking the life out of Tokyo at times. There is also the fact the hanging out at Yoyogi park loses all of its fun during the winter.

Anyway, summer is now here and I am damn glad. I can do more stuff and enjoy life more. There is no more cold wind and low temperatures to slow me down.

The Duality of My Tokyo Life

Back in September of last year I wrote about the Duality of Tokyo. Tokyo really is a city with two personalities. It is like being in two different cities. Yet, I have noticed a change in my own personality. Humans, by nature, process the ability to have duality in our personalities. We can change depending on our situation and personal emotions. This is a unique trait in the animal kingdom, found only in humans.

So yes, I have noticed a big change in the duality of my personality since moving to Tokyo. It is almost as if I am two different people at times. The person I am at work is very different compared to the person I am outside of work. I work at least five days a week; in rare situations even nine or ten days in a row. On these days, I wake up and start the process of becoming a corporate dick for a private English language company. It was not by custom to wear a suit and tie most days until I started living in Tokyo. Actually, I had very little interest at all in suits back in the states. These days, I have to put some effort to look all prim and proper before heading off to work.

Once I am in full suit and tie I must behave in a manner which is odd for me.I tend to be very straight laced and polite. I let a lot of things go for the sake of doing my job and maintaining the `right` image. I can feel myself become a very different person. I am more gentle and thinking about business, making money, and doing my best to be a quality teacher. At the time of doing all of this there is one thing I am not thinking about; the person I am deep down inside. I know this may sound strange but at times I feel as there is a switch in my brain. Ｉturn `it` on and off at a moments notice. In the past, before Tokyo, I never really found myself doing this kind of thing. These days it seems to be second nature to me.

So, am I cracking up or is all of this meant to be of sorts? Have I found some strange balance? One thing is for sure; I have become two different people. Yet, I wonder who is the real me. Well, in time I will understand such things much better. For now I am trying to enjoy the ride.

Tokyojin really need to chill

For the past several days I have been hanging in Hamamatsu. It is pretty far removed from Tokyo. In Japan, I spend most of the days knee deep in the insanity that is Tokyo. I have to admit, Tokyo has the ability to drive even the most stable person a little nuts. It is a pretty hardcore city; in fact it is the largest city in the world. Well, being away from Tokyo for a few days has open my eyes to something important; Tokyojin really need to chill the fuck out!

Brfore I go any further, let me just say that I love Tokyo. It is one hell of a city. I really get into all the excitment and adventure Tokyo provides. Everyday something happens which feeds my need for chaos. Yet, there is a certain attitude within a lot of people living in Tokyo which gets under my skin from time to time. It seems to be the habit of far too many people in Tokyo to eat each other alive. People will wait for you to say something they can use to make you look bad, while at the same time, make themselves look so good in front of others. I have tried so hard to understand this thinking but I still struggle. At times living in Tokyo is like being in a den of hungry lions. Someone is going to get eaten.

I guess this comes from the nature of Tokyo in general. It is a real fast city. People tend to gave little issue with stomping down anyone who gets in there way. They call it being polite, but in reality it is nothing more than being a bully with a coy sense of manners. People are able to get away with this kind of behavior because Japan has a passive society. While I have adjusted to the stance of,` I am stomping you in the mud because you are getting in my way; this is for your own good because I am the best thing since sliced bread,` it still gets under my skin from time to time. The crazy thing is, this attitude is usually not acted out though violence. It is a mental trip of talking shit in a manner which is coy and uptight.

Here are a few examples:

You are at a pub talking a rather attractive J-gal. Another dude joins you at the table. He also wants her attention. He will start to point out every little thing wrong with the way you look and give `advice` on how you can be better.


You are at a business dinner/drinking meeting. You are having some success networking with a important counter-part in your company. A fellow co-worker sees that you are making the right connection with the right person. Feeling that he may be getting pushed out of the loop, he/she will start to point out all the good things he/she has been doing; which you have not been doing.


You are enjoying a night out with a new friend. They decide to bring along one of their friends. You are getting along well with your new friend. The other person, feeling that you might become more popular, starts to point out all the fun things they can show you in Tokyo, while at the same time, giving you crap for not knowing about these things.


There are just a few examples but I think you get my point. So, Tokyo lets just relax a bit...Okay. It is not the end of the world if you are not the center of attention all the time.