VS Hostess

January is the baddest month for bars and restaurants in Japan.
Because most people used much money for drinking in December, we think January should be the cheaper month. So, we don't go for drinking so much.

But, if others pay money for drinking, we don't have the reason to avoid the oppotunity of drinking. Especially if our company pays money, drinking is the right an duty of labourer.
I went to drink with my customers recently. It must be a WORK. So, of course, I don't pay money at all.

We went to Yokohama. I didn't know a good drinking place there, but my customers knew very much. I followed them. In general, when drinking with customers, I should be a host. So, I have to arrange the time, place and everything for drinking. But, this time was opposite. It was a rare case.
We went to a new izakaya, and enjoyed good raw fish and a lot of Japanese Sake.

After a while, we became drunk.
One of my customer started to say " To be honest, your company's price is expensive!"
I was also drunk.
"No, you are getting good service."
Price or Service is a subjective matter. So, we can't reach complete conclusion at all.
Our argument was just a chat.

On 1st izakaya stage, my customers paid money. This was a rare and rare case.
I had to invite them to a next stage. But, as I wrote above, I didn't know a good place in Yokohama. So again, my customers took me another place.

The place was an old-style small bar. We call such a place "Snack", in Japan.
There were four hostesses there. They served us for drinking.
Their average age was perhaps over fifty. The head hostess must be over sixty. As you can imagine, the place was very classical and antique.
My cutomer had kept his own whisky bottole. We drunk his whisky. It meaned our drinking cost was almost zero. We enjoyed Karaoke in the Snack. I had to sing old Japanese songs, because the audiences were not young.

I could enjoy this drinking time, but this was also a WORK. So, I shouldn't be treated by my customers. Thus, I ordered another new whisky bottole for them. Of courese, I payed it. (Correctly, my company payed it.)
The price was 30,000 yen!
I knew the net price is under 3,000 yen. I was very suprised. However, I couldn't have cancel my order.

Maybe, most people might think why we drink in such an expensive place? I think so too, and I don't usually come to this kind of place.
This kind of place is a community for the people with power.
In fact, some customer I met in the Snack were company's presidents. They don't like a cheap and noisy drinking place for young people. I can understand matured hostesses are good for them.

I think this drinking was an impressive experience for me.
Now I can't forget the sixty-years-old head hostess with a sparkling red shirt.

VS Laffy Taffy

Laffy Taffy is a famous American candy.
(See: http://www.hometownfavorites.com/laffy-taffy.htm)
I got it as a suvenier from America by Lance. Before his going back to America during his holidays, I requested him to buy typical American sweets, which is very very sweet.

Laffy Taffy is not strongly sweet. But, once I eat it, it is difficult to stop it. Today, I'm enjoying it with "Mt.Fuji" whisky, which is very strong, 50% degree.
Laffy Taffy has some tastes. I love Banana taste. It's fitted to whisky very much.

American feels nostalgic to eat it? I, Japanese, can't. But, The taste is enough to remind me of my childhood. Maybe, the sweets like Laffy Taffy are not healthy. However, children don't usually take care of their health. So, unhealthy foods are the symbol of youth. When I look at the sparkring yellow colour of Banana taste Laffy Taffy, I can go back to my childhood days.

Two jokes are written on the package of Laffy Taffy.
They are Q&A style.

Q:WHAT IS A CAT'S FAVORITE COLOR?

A:"PURR-PLE."

Q:WHAT IS A BUNNY'S MOTTO?

A:"DON'T FROWN. BE HOPPY"

Q:WHAT DID THE NOODLES SAY TO THE BUTTER?

A:"DON'T TRY AND BUTTER ME UP."

Q:WHAT DO YOU CALL TWIN BROTHERS?

A:"A SUNSET."


Mmm, I can't get laughing points. They are jokes for kids.
My English level might not reach kid's level. I have to study more.

VS Mt.Fuji

I've ever climbed Mt.Fuji twice. It was too taugh work.
I don't know the reason, but Japanese loves Mt.Fuji.
My climbing was only in summer season. It is good for ameteur climbers. Because, when the bottom of the mountain is is summer, the top is in winter. The temperature of the top is under zero.
Thus, in winter season, only professional climber can climb the mountain.

Cimbing Mt.Fuji is not difficult. We don't need a special technique to climb it. It is like walking on a long slope. But, the slope is long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long and looooooooooong. Honestly I don't want to climb it more.

However, if you've never climbed Mt.Fuji, I recomend yu to climb it.
Maybe night time climbing is better, because you can watch the sun rise from the top of the mountain. It is very beautiful.
When I climbed it, fortunately everytime the weather was good and the view from the top was very clear. Even though I said "I don't want to climb it more.", I will challange to climb it again this year. Why? Mmm, I don't know.

Recently I am drinking a whisky, which name is "Mt.Fuji". It is 50% degree. It's too strong! But it becomes popular now in Japan.
In Japan, today is the holiday for the people becoming an adult, 20 years old. I want to recomend new adults to drink this top level alcohol. It is very bitter.

VS Shrine

I spent my new year holidays in my home town, Kyoto.
As many Japanese people do so, I ate Ozouni, a kind of stew, on the first morning in this year.
After that, I went to a shrine with my friend.

Going to Shrine sometimes becomes controversy, but It is a traditional work for a new year in Japan. Actually, for most people including me, it has not strong religious meaning. It is just for enjoying a new year's atomosphere.
Fortunately for me, there are a lot of shrines in Kyoto. So, I can go to some shrines easily. I went to the closest shrine from my house. The place was very crowded. I and my friend tried to reach the shrine, but we gave up soon. If we were more religious men, we couldn't gave up reaching it.

However, I donated a small money for the shrine later. The money was very very small, but my friend couldn't understand why I donated money, because I am not religious. My aim was only for preserveing a historical heritage. So, I paid 10 yen for the shrine.

Near the shrine, we drunk Ama-Sake. It is an old-style hot Sake, which is mede of Sake, suger, ginger and water. I tried it then for the first time. To be honest, the taste was shit! I couldn't finish a glass at that time. But, Ama-Sake is very popular in the place like Shrine, and many people drink it. I hope I can get fortune by drinking it.

This year, I can get 10 days holidays because I've worked for my company for 10 years.
It's a long time. I am surprised at it. This year's biggest mission for me is to use the holidays effeciently.