Regular readers of this blog know that I am on the Japan Exchange & Teaching (JET) Programme. As such, every once in a while, I'm forced to go to something called a team-teaching demonstration. And while it is a day I'll never get back, I do tend to learn something. These events take place in cities nowhere near where I live, so often I I have to leave my apartment ridiculously early in the morning, to ensure I get to this particular school.
I know... why don't I leave a day early and spend the night a a fellow AET's (Assistan English Teacher's) place? Truthfully, I think the women know I will probably try to sleep with them - and while that isn't usually a problem, I'm sure they'd like to get a good night's sleep considering it's probably them that is giving the demonstration with a Japanese teacher of English.
Stay at a guy's place? While NOT homophobic, the thought never even entered my mind. If I wasn't going to get laid, I didn't need to be in a hurry to get anyplace.
Ego?
Oh yeah.
The lack of action for the first 25 years of my life were in the past. The future is unwritten. All we have is the present, so waste it not. I love zen Buddhism. I also love presents, but neither are part of this blog.
Anyhow... just so you know... I did spend the night after the demonstration with a lovely woman named Amanda - and her friend Letitia - though both of them were just friends and fellow JETs.... meaning they didn't want to sleep with me. That's fine. It's always good to know where you stand. Of course, it didn't mean squat to me, as I wanted to sleep with them... in keeping up with my long-standing horniness.
This blog is about things I learned while spending a day or two at a team-teaching demonstration.
So... what have I learned? Well... one should never wear a silk shirt whenever there is a chance you may sweat. As well... as the team-teaching demo is in the city of Ashikaga-shi in Tochigi-ken (see map above), I learned that the students at this junior high school make my students look like a bunch of idiots.
I also learned that no one in this damn city knows what the "kaga" of Ashikaga means. "Ashi" means leg or foot, or something like that.
And, hanging around with Amanda and Letitia, I learned that Ouija boards are fascinating when played with gorgeous women.We had the pointer whipping around and it was pointing to letters - though whatever the message was to me, it was garbled. Letitia... her message from whomever was something that scared her. Were we forcing it... I know I wasn't moving it.
Oh yeah... I also learned that the Japanese say the word 'ne' a lot. And that's what this blog is about.
Once I noticed the 'ne-ing', that's all I was able to notice. After every sentence that mentions the weather (every other sentence in the average Japanese person's vernacular), the Japanese add the word 'ne' to it... actually, it's true regardless of the topic.
This point was actually hammered home by Letitia and Amanda as they used a sing-song voice a la the Japanese women to drive me nuts. These two babes added the word to every possible conceivable sentence. In fact, there was more 'ne'-ing from these two fillies than there was from the last three Kentucky Derby sinners combined. Of course, that's just a guess. I have no idea what manner of talk goes on behind closed stable doors, but if I did, I imagine it would sound like this:
"Whoa - did I blow by Mister Magoo, neigh.
I was fast, neigh?
I'm going to neigh now.
Neigh.
That was a good one, neigh?
That smells, neigh?"
Still, these AET's were parodying the Japanese - or was it horses? On the way back home via the train, I decided to listen in on some of the Japanese conversations. Luckily for me, it was around 5PM on a Saturday, so the four-hour school club activity had just finished. I had ample high school girl subjects to study... uh, their speech, that is, and not their legs... though I did notice that only 47% shaved their legs, but that 100% of them have blotches or bruises. Too much club I fear. Although these little fillies had lovely hair and cute uniforms, their constant stamping of feet and ne-ing made me wish I had a riding whip and some spurs... er, just for some light entertainment purposes, and not anything remotely deviant... much.. .well, hardly at all... and who's going to tell? It's a good thing no one can read my thoughts.
Now... where was I? Oh yeah. Those girls also used the word 'ne' after every sentence.
Actually, the Japanese ne-ing and sucking of air through their teeth (when they don't want to say "no" to you - it's lie they are thinking about it...), is not any more annoying than hearing a Westerner "umm-ing" or "uh-ing" or saying "like" or "y'know". Worse yet, Westerners (not cowboys) think that "Dumb Blonde" jokes are funny.
Somewhere trying to remove the bleach from my hair, ne...
Andrew Joseph
Today's song is by Bob & Doug McKenzie - TAKEOFFYOUHOSER and features singing by Geddy Lee of Rush from Toronto.
PS: Here a video of Bob & Doug from the SCTV television show. While Canadians may still say 'eh' often, we're not nearly as stupid as the guys in the video. Maybe. HEAR
PS: When I first heard the Japanese saying 'ne' a lot - it really bothered me - until I realized every culture has its weird speech patterns and slang, ya know what I mean, eh? Now take off, you hoser!
