Already three months has passed since I began to live here, St.Louis. The time goes fast. However, almost everyday, I still meet a surprise with finding some differences with life-tempo between US and Japan. I wish to be used to be here and wish to live "smartly" with every items, while I also feel that in some part of my mind refuses to accept everything and to be "all-American". Is it my final life style to get used to behave as an American? Maybe not. US is originally multi-race, multi-language nation. To persist one's own way is the best way to live. This is my conclusion I got now.

When I made a signature on a receipt in Japanese, almost 80% of cashers surprize and gaze me, and half of them require me to show my credit card again. This is fun. On this moment, I feel that I am Japanese. This moment, I feel my identity.

Life in US is full of wealthy. Every price is inexpensive than that in Japan. This may because of wide country, rich nature resources and strong dollars,... I could find that only pens and MO-disks are high-priced. I now turned to think the all prices in Japan are so crazy. People may regard virtue as saving money for every items and spending money on leisure. However, I also found that one can not live comfortably without car. If you have no drivers license card, you can not identify yourself. People throw their letters into post from their drivers seats, also withdraw their money from drivers' ATM machines. People who take a public bus is sometimes looked down from society. Incredible amount of coke and potato at fast food restaurants. Unbelievably fat people. A full of throw-away goods. .... Whenever I noticed an implicit rule here, I cannot help feeling a kind of unmatched awareness.

To say in a word, they are "rough" and without a precise sensitivity. But, at this moment, I have not enough English conversation ability to explain this point to them. The more days gone by, I found that I can speak less English. I feel mortified when I saw a three-years-old kid understand English than I.

When I visited the Netherlands seven years ago, I did not feel such an emotion. At least, I did not think such a mismatched feeling. During two months, I spent using English with full of fun. Is that because I was young? Or is that because there were some Japanese friends or because all people are not native English speakers? All experiences are new and I might be flexible to accept their culture. Or I might be only a long-term traveler.

Recently, I read again an essay by a mathematician Masahiko Fujiwara. Some part of it I do not like it for his writing techniques. But when I found that I am following his experiences 25 years ago, I turned to be happy. (Of course, not the items on gambles or dates.) He describes the American as an orchestra, only be harmonic in a total sound.

US is extremely a country of claim. If you hesitate claiming, you lost your rights. Everyday I regret not to say one more word to guys around me, so I decide to say a lot of words on the internet-web pages.

Thanks for readings.

Social Security Number

(Under translation)

Peace of Mind

(Under translation)

Units

(Under translation)

Abbreviation

Let's begin listing up abbreviations in the column of "personals" in the newspaper.
S/single, D/divorced, H/hispanic, W/ white, B/black, A/asian, NA/native american, J/jewish, C/christian, G/gay, ISO/in search of, WW/widowed, N/S non smoker, N/D non drinker, N/Drugs drug free.

Now let's see some exapmles. First three are "seeking man".
Attractive, open-minded SBF, 29, seeks similar S/DWM, for casual dating or possible long-term relationship. I enjoy fine dining, movies, spending quiet evenings at home.
Sexy, senior citizen DWF, 60. 5'3". 120lbs. very young- looking. ISO DWM, preferably 55-60, who is down to earth, honest, affectionate, has varied interests and likes to have fun.
Financially secure GWM, 44. brown hair, brown eyes. smoker. Like boarting and fishing ISO same in Male. 20-48. who's honest and trustworthy, for possible relationship.

Wow. Next is from "seeking woman."
Sincere, athletic, humorous, romantic DWM, 36. 6', 180lbs. fun-loving, business owner, varied interests. ISO honest, attractive weight proportionate S/DWF, 23-39, sense of humor. Serious inquiries only please.

It's also a fun to check how they describe themselves. How will you write down in your case?

We will remember

We will remember

10% of what we read
20% of what we hear
30% of what we are spoken
40% of what we say
50% of what we see
60% of what we are shamed
70% of what we discuss with another
80% of what we experience
90% of what we teach another

How much percentage of what you eat?

Emoticons

When we put a nuance in electronic mail, putting emoticons is one of popular idea. In the latest Time, April 21 issue, Michael Krantz introduced some variations of it, so I cite him without any copyright transfer. The foundamental format may be :-) in US, and ;-) express wink and smile. Examples are;

:'-) I'm shedding a tear of joy
3;-} I'm giving you a devilish leer
:-X My lips are sealed
:-O I'm shocked
@}--->---- Please accept this rose
%*} I'm drunk
-:( I have a Mohawk
:-P I'm sticking my tongue out at you
+O:-) I'm the Pope

On the other hand, in Japanese mail, we express our face normally horizontally. As far as I know, we use as follows. (I'm afraid your machine might not have all fonts for those.)

(^_^)Å@
(^_^;
(^_^ÅU
(-_-)
m(_ _)mÅ@expressing sorry with hands toching ground
<(_ _)>Å@expressing sorry with hands toching ground deeply
(-_-;)
(€_€ÅU
(..)
(.."
(;_;)
(€_€§)
Å_(^^)Å^
Å_(^-^)Å^
Å_(^_^)Å^
Å_(^o^)Å^
(?_?)
(*_*)
(@_@)
(Åd)
(ÅÜÅÖ)
(#_#)
(þoþ;)
ÅR(^°^;)Ém
Ñv"
ÅR(^°^;)Ém
ÅR(^°^)Ém
ÅR(#_#)Ém
ÅR(*_*;)Ém
(*^_^*)
(*^^*)
(*^.^*)
(^O^)
(f^^)
(~_~)
(ÅBÅB)
(ÅKÅK)
(ÅEÅE)
(ÅE_ÅE)
right(€_€ )Å@
( €_€)left
thereÅR(€_€ )
Å@( €_€)/here
ì (-_-x)
(^"^)

You must feel some culture difference between Japan and US. (^_^)

Wizard of Oz

Dish TV

Sorry, under translation.

Shortwave Radio

Sorry, under translation.

"Exactly the right place to hit"

I hit my head, lost my short memory, and stayed in the hospital a couple of days. My daughter gave me flu (strep throat), and when I was feeling fever, I fell down to the floor from back of my head. Rika, my wife, says that I got a conscious immediately, but lost my memory for recent two weeks. And what is worth, I seemed not to be able to remember my conversation five minutes ago. You guess right, exactly wrong place to hit. Rika says that she got scared, called up friends of us, and took me to the hospital. However, during the way to the hospital, I seemed to keep asking Rika, "Excuse me again, but why Ms. A is here?", "What the reason for me to go to the hospital?", with indicating the way to the hospital in the car.
The reason I am using "seems" a lot here is because I still do not remember at all the day all day. Doctors checked my blood, marrow, CT-scanned my brain, and told us, "The results is negative. You will recover soon.". Rika felt released only for couples of seconds until I said "I feel pain in my back, check it please.", with indicating the place I got a shot in my back. Rika turned to be in the hell again, since I did not remember I got a shot. I feel sorry to her now.
In the hospital, I was cared only for my strep throat. I never heard a medicine for recovering memory. Doctors and nurses asked me what the day today and who is the president of US, whenever they came. What a stupid question, I thought at that time. But now I guess a man in loosing his memory is tha most optimistic guy because he does not recognize he is loosing his memory. So I was not scared, felt fine everytime, no anxiety to my future.
Next day of my hospitalization, I felt sleepy all day. During my nap, I had a nightmare. I could not judge what is real and what is virtual. Then all those fractional memories became continual, and I remember until the day before I hit my head. After I realize that I lost my memories, I knew the seriousness. Did I lost all abstracts of papers I read? Did I still remember the access code to supercomputers?
At last, I recovered only losting the memory of the day I felt down. It took a week for me to get a power to come back to my office, but I have no further troubles. Therefore I have four new proverbs. (1) protect your head always. (2) surprize at great self- recovering ability of the brain. (3) the way of research by exchanging e-mail files remain powerful in such a situation. (4) you will not be blamed for absent if you say your brain is not good condition.