An old assignment.
Yes, a second entry for today. This one is of a literary nature and is a testament to how I've improved as a writer. (That is, when you compare this piece, which was written in . . . 2004, I believe . . . I'd have to find the print-out for it . . . to something I've written recently.)
Your eyes skim over the nearly empty display and you sigh. You’d been hoping that the supply of pocky would be replenished when you came in but no such luck. The shelves remain stubbornly empty. Even the strawberry-flavoured Japanese soda has not been restocked. It just isn’t your day for Japanese treats.
‘Ah well,’ you shrug as you pick up your book and DVD selections and purchases from other stores off the floor. ‘Maybe I can get something when I head through Chicago. There’s a Japanese import store there . . . somewhere.’
You pay for your selections and say, “Arigato” when the cashier comments on your outfit. Your bags in hand and money supply reduced to a few dollars in change, you head for the parking lot. People stare as you walk by, your white dog ears and red haori out of place among the casual wear of denim shorts and tank tops that have announced summer is here. You ignore them as you walk by. It is America, after all. If you want to wear a headband with dog ears attached, you can. You’re not hurting anyone. You’re simply being yourself.
As you walk outside, you’re greeted by a gush of warm, humid breeze - relief from the cool of the mall’s air conditioners - and you skirt around a puddle of water, trying not to get your feet, or your outfit, wet. It’s a little too warm for the costume itself but you don’t care about that, either. You were in the mood to wear it and, let’s face it, you are who you are.
After rummaging through one of the many bags and pulling out a brand new CD, you start your car. The disc in the player, you drive home, listening to some J-pop and trying to sing along as best you can, your Japanese poor but improving, and thinking about the things you want to do, going to Japan among them.
You don’t know why but you’ve always had a slight fascination with the Japanese culture. It may have stemmed from the popularity of animes and American cartoons that have Japanese characters or it could be from the fact that you desire to know more about them. You’re probably one of the few females that you know who think that Japanese men are actually rather cute and you wouldn’t mind dating one . . . if the right one came along.
Yes, Japan. You plan to visit there someday but you just haven’t decided how. As a tourist? Yes, that’s always a good possibility but you don’t want to be like most Americans who travel abroad. You know the kind. The ones that wear the loud Hawaiian shirts and speak too loud when they think someone can’t understand what they’re saying. Hell, they do it to their own countrymen as well. Annoying. You’ve also thought about a teaching career in Japan. The thought of living there is enticing and you know that you want to go. And soon. The possibilities play around in your mind. Someday you’ll settle down on how you’ll get there. Someday but for now . . . you’re content to buy pocky and botan rice candy and watch your animes and study the culture. What good is going there if you don’t something?
Your eyes skim over the nearly empty display and you sigh. You’d been hoping that the supply of pocky would be replenished when you came in but no such luck. The shelves remain stubbornly empty. Even the strawberry-flavoured Japanese soda has not been restocked. It just isn’t your day for Japanese treats.
‘Ah well,’ you shrug as you pick up your book and DVD selections and purchases from other stores off the floor. ‘Maybe I can get something when I head through Chicago. There’s a Japanese import store there . . . somewhere.’
You pay for your selections and say, “Arigato” when the cashier comments on your outfit. Your bags in hand and money supply reduced to a few dollars in change, you head for the parking lot. People stare as you walk by, your white dog ears and red haori out of place among the casual wear of denim shorts and tank tops that have announced summer is here. You ignore them as you walk by. It is America, after all. If you want to wear a headband with dog ears attached, you can. You’re not hurting anyone. You’re simply being yourself.
As you walk outside, you’re greeted by a gush of warm, humid breeze - relief from the cool of the mall’s air conditioners - and you skirt around a puddle of water, trying not to get your feet, or your outfit, wet. It’s a little too warm for the costume itself but you don’t care about that, either. You were in the mood to wear it and, let’s face it, you are who you are.
After rummaging through one of the many bags and pulling out a brand new CD, you start your car. The disc in the player, you drive home, listening to some J-pop and trying to sing along as best you can, your Japanese poor but improving, and thinking about the things you want to do, going to Japan among them.
You don’t know why but you’ve always had a slight fascination with the Japanese culture. It may have stemmed from the popularity of animes and American cartoons that have Japanese characters or it could be from the fact that you desire to know more about them. You’re probably one of the few females that you know who think that Japanese men are actually rather cute and you wouldn’t mind dating one . . . if the right one came along.
Yes, Japan. You plan to visit there someday but you just haven’t decided how. As a tourist? Yes, that’s always a good possibility but you don’t want to be like most Americans who travel abroad. You know the kind. The ones that wear the loud Hawaiian shirts and speak too loud when they think someone can’t understand what they’re saying. Hell, they do it to their own countrymen as well. Annoying. You’ve also thought about a teaching career in Japan. The thought of living there is enticing and you know that you want to go. And soon. The possibilities play around in your mind. Someday you’ll settle down on how you’ll get there. Someday but for now . . . you’re content to buy pocky and botan rice candy and watch your animes and study the culture. What good is going there if you don’t something?