beach

On the train on my way to the beach today an old woman came up to me and complimented my white white skin.
I felt guilty that I was on my way to damage it a little. But, I am wearing a hat and sunscreen.
Not gunna go in the water...so Im not really sure why Im here.

Tokyo Sciene Museum

You can see my pictures from my trip to the Tokyo Science Museum here.

Say My Name

I never thought much about the pronunciation of my name before moving to Japan. I do remember I would get annoyed at Jon every once in a while because I thought he over-pronounced the tt's. It was like he was making a tsk tsk sound at the end of my name.

I, myself, end Jeannette somewhere around the n's.

Since I am in Japan and have all this official paperwork that needs my name written out in characters rather than letters, I had to choose between Ja-net or Je-net. I chose Je. I believe it is for the reason that everyone, including Motto, pronounces my name Ja-net. Or more often, Jaa-netto.

And then there's the Janet mix up. My students always get a big laugh whenever that name pops up in a textbook. I have to explain the difference to seven year-olds; Je-net vs. Jan-et.

Loads of people I have met here have exclaimed, "JANET JACKSON!" after I introduced myself. Surely we non-Asians don't look that much alike.

I thought maybe I should ask my parents how to say my name, have each of them vote. They did it to me after all. Then I remembered, neither of them have ever called me Jeannette. It's either Jen or Jenny (how sweet). I know for a fact my father doesn't even know how to spell my name.

So I was just lying in bed, mulling it over, repeating Ja-net, Je-net, Ja-net, Je-net, trying to remember how I ever pronounced my name before I moved to the land of katakanaization.

So, kids, I've decided it's Juh-net. I will inform Motto in the morning but will continue to let my students call me Japanetto, Gianetto, or Jaa-ne-sensei.

チャチャチャ

Originally uploaded by JimmyJaneSays

More pictures of Hanami on Flickr.

Wow

You're lucky you cant read Japanese.

Fashion!

How would one use this particular type of clothing? Foot goes in one hole, neck through another?
But what do I know about style, I'm shopping with a backpack on.

More on Japanese Students

Motto came home today with a 12 pack of pink toilet paper.

It's his last week of work teaching, and he brought on a few students to a yaki niku buffet for a goodbye lunch. Motto told me he spent 3,000¥ on lunch and then when he came back to the office later there was a 12 pack of pink toilet paper waiting for him. The office lady must have said who it was from.

When I pressed Motto for more details about why they would buy him a 12 pack of pink toilet paper, or what he thought it meant, he just shrugged and said he felt lucky, because we could really use the toilet paper.

"Why are you writing about my story?" Motto just asked me, "It's normal."

Welcome to the Dollhouse

Today, a room of 3 and 4 year-olds sat in a circle around me screaming as many mean Japanese words combined with "sensei" as they could. It was like something from a nightmare, where you're totally surrounded and just being mocked. By babies. They were dying with laughter and couldn't be controlled. They would get real close to my face if they thought they had a good one. I just sat there at one point, not trying to stop them, because it felt so surreal.

I'll give you the highlights in English:

"Breast-sensei!"
"Glasses-sensei!"
"Stomach-sensei!"
"Ear-sensei!"
"Penis-sensei!"
"Monkey-sensei!"

I can't remember all of them, and there were probably a few I couldnt understand.

(sensei means teacher, they usually call me Jeannetto-sensei)

Hey Kids!

Minnie has a delicious treat for you! Yum fun!

SUD!!

Well, ladies, my blog posts are about to get a lot shorter. You see, nerds all around the internets are cracking their backs and rubbing their bellies and choosing not to trade a master knowledge of memes for unhealthiness anymore. I first heard about this trend from my friend Frederik and soon Krijali was joining in. If the two most otaku people I know are doing it, surely I want in.

Yes, I am talking about the stand-up desk. Or SUD, as I am now calling it (coin!).

So yesterday (actually three days ago, I'm writing this post in 5 minute intervals*) I transported everything out of my big Japanese closet and plopped it in my tatami room (Motto is thrilled), leaving me space for my very own SUD! So far, so good.

I'm not sure how long image editing projects or the total overhaul of my website (in hand coded CSS) will go, but I'll wait a while before I get into that and give my muscles time to adjust. If muscles have memories, they need only remember 3 years ago when I stood at a cash register 8 hours a day. Drawing on receipt tape and brown bags.

Unexpected results: tweets (@jeannetto) are instantly more unbearable; I haven't written a single email (sorry mom); my kitchen is damn clean.

Other results of computer geeks around the world abandoning their chairs may be: less sarcastic responses on forums when you ask a question; your IT guy may soon be able to kick your ass (or at least make it to your desk); bandwidth will be freed up for poor people in Africa. Et cetera.

But like any internet trend, or health kick I go on, what goes up, must come down.

*psych! I wrote this all in one go.