Wisdom Teeth 3 and 4

This morning, lost my remaining two wisdom teeth! Hooray! My jaw actually lines up again--it's the weirdest feeling.

So this time I did the thing the American way, with as much pain killers as possible. I felt woozy in the morning and had trouble waking up because of the meds. Then at the dentist they gave me more to relax me, and also put a needle in my arm. Technically I wasn't totally out, but I could essentially sleep through the operation.

I remember everything about checking in and paying with my credit card. I remember the song "Material Girl" was playing in the waiting room. When I went to the back they gave me a blanket and we had some discussion about what movie I wanted to watch. I saw the beginning of 50 First Dates.

Maybe I went to the bathroom because I remember some discussion about the out of order sign on the nearest bathroom, and the staff said it would be ok to use the close bathroom anyway. And I didn't look when they put the needle in my arm. It pinched a little bit, but I didn't want to get nervous.

Then during the operation I remember a few things like, "We're done with this tooth now," "Hold still," but it really felt like fifteen minutes even though it must have taken over an hour to pull two teeth.

After they finished I came out into the waiting room and my mom asked how I was feeling, and I said fine, because there hadn't been any pain.

We had agreed earlier to stop by Carl's Jr. so I could get a milkshake, because by now it was around noon and I couldn't eat anything before the operation. I also remember eating the milkshake in the car and feeling a little carsick, like, "Yeah, shouldn't have eaten this." Then I went to my room to sleep and woke up around 3:00.

For the life of me, I can't remember if we went into the restaurant or if we used the drive through, or anything about the drive home. I don't remember saying anything, but who knows, people are supposed to talk off their heads. It's like a big chunk of the morning just disappeared.

Back in America (For Two Weeks)

Wow. I think my body and mind have gone into culture shock. Complicated by the fact I arrived in America on earlier on the same day that I left Japan. So this has been the Monday that never ends!

Also it's raining!!!! What's up with that?

I hear after you've been away from home for a while you're supposed to come back and think everything's so much smaller... I came back to my old room and was like, "Wow! Everything's so much BIGGER than I remember!" Really, I feel like a child dwarfed by the huge mirror, wardrobes, bed, and bookcase. I think this room could eat my room in Japan and spit it out.

But both look like the same style, so that is a little comforting.

Other impressions of America: it's bizarre to be seeing foreigners all the time. People look like cartoon characters, not normal people. Whenever I see an asian person, I think, "Oh, they're normal...no wait, they might be Chinese..." And everybody's SO LOUD in English! My ears and eyes are being assaulted.

Stores feel really weird because everyone's so informal. I feel so awkward blabbing out my order to the salesclerks.

One day at home and I'm already homesick!!!!!

On the bright side, Starbucks is cheaper.

Shortcuts

Instead of trying to translate English into Japanese I just type my best guess in Japanese into google translate and see if I get a meaning close to my intended one.

Same with looking up kanji online. Instead of starting with an english word, I just start typing in hiragana and see if the first set of kanji is the correct meaning. 

By exploiting technology, I have come closer to understanding the Japanese spirit.

My Room Again

As you may note, the pinkness level is slowly increasing.

New futon cover for summer. 

Also new stand mirror, courtesy of sharemate who is moving out and trying to get rid of a bunch of stuff.  Also put pink lace on the bottom of the closet curtain.

Actually, this view is nearly the same, just daytime.

What They Say, What They Mean: Japan edition

There are some linguistic differences between Japanese and English that appear even if you're speaking in the same language.Therefore, here is a chart which may or may not accurately reflect differing degrees of certainty between the two languages.


"Maybe..."

America: "Possibly..."

Japan: "Probably..."

 "I think..."

America: "I have a random thought."

Japan: "I am reasonably certain that..."

"It's better if..."

America: "Here's a suggestion."

Japan: "You are about to hear my final opinion on the matter. Take it or leave it."

In short, you can generally* feel safer about a Japanese person's guess than an American's absolute fact. As Captain Kirk once said.


*By which of course I mean in almost every case.