Chopsticks

This week we are taking our AOB course. That stands for Area Orientation Brief. It's required for everyone just arriving on this base. It lasts an entire week, and includes topics such as Japanese History, Culture Shock, Sumo and other Japanese arts, Using Japanese Trains, Language, Table Manners, and of course it covers all the activities on base we can participate in like the gym, swimming lessons, martial arts, etc.

Here is a shot of the martial arts demonstration. That is a Japanese Kendo teacher and one of the Navy dudes (in the armor!!!) getting his ass kicked:

The entire week has been completely fascinating! Learning about the history and culture has been so interesting. I feel like I could explore the country for the next 10 years and still never learn all there is to know.

However, my biggest take-away so far is that there are about 1,000 ways in which you can insult a Japanese person and yet you will never know it if you've done it because they are so stoic and polite! This is, in itself, fascinating and is just one of the ways they are so different from us. I mean, if you make someone mad in America, you will pretty much know it right away, even if the person tries to pretend they are not mad. But here? Probably not! I could think about just this aspect of this country for days it is so fascinating to me. This is also somewhat scary considering we are all probably walking around insulting people left and right without realizing it.

Take bowing, for instance. Apparently you are not supposed to actually look the person in the eye when you bow. This is a grave insult. Unless you are a Sumo wrestler or are doing Kendo, in which case you MUST look your opponent in the eye when you bow. Also, you must return a bow at the same level or lower? Otherwise that is disrespectful.

Oh, and the gift giving. We are supposed to go over to our neighbors' when we move into our new house (we move on October 2nd, by the way!) and present them with a gift. However, it can't be TOO big of a gift because otherwise that person feels obligated to give a gift back and then you end up giving gifts endlessly to each other. And don't EVER open the gift in front of the person who gives it to you. Or tear the paper of the packaging. Or throw the paper (the paper!) away in front of the giver. Insults! The lot of them!

Also, Japanese carry around name cards with them that they trade when they meet people. (This is SO 1950's South to me!) There is a specific order you are supposed to go in when you introduce yourself: say the Japanese phrase for, "Hello, I am Shelley, it's nice to meet you," then bow, then hand the card with both hands to the person. If someone gives you a card, you must take it with both hands, and don't fold it, for god's sake! That means you are rejecting their card. And don't put it in your pocket. Either hold it respectfully or put it into your special card carrying case. (Purchase these at the local dollar store!)

And the chopsticks! This one is really good. There are 2 things you must NEVER do with chopsticks: 1) leave them sticking straight out of your rice bowl, and 2) pass food between one set of chopsticks and another. Both of these things are things they do during funerals. WHAT?!

Oh, and you are supposed to be mostly silent (no talking, yelling, talking on the phone, etc) when you are on the trains. They are going to LOVE me when I travel with the boys, let me tell you what.

But again, you will never know you are offending them because they basically just stare straight ahead and don't acknowledge any of these things when you do them. And I'm sure there are so many more things than this that I don't know!!! I have probably offended the entire country by now, and I've only been here 2 weeks.

Anyway, after I take this driving test I'm going to have to study up on all these things so I can try to be a polite citizen!

In closing, here is a Japanese lady in the restaurant we went to yesterday who is probably offended: