私は私の微積分を知っている ( I Know My Calculus)
It's hard out here for a pimp...and for Japanese women not in the pimping profession, apparently. You gotta be kawaii like 24/7, even when you're doing decidedly un-kawaii things like taking fat poops. You gotta throw on the bee keeper suit to protect yourself from the sun, and put on a plethora of whitening products to make sure you've giving Casper some competition in the pale-ass department. You may even have to wake up at the crack of dawn (or before) to make equisite, themed bentos for bastards who probably don't give a shit and will eat that shit in two seconds flat. Aging is like the worst thing of all, though, possibly even more so than it is in the USA. At least in the States, career women in their 30s aren't necessarily seen as lepers to be avoided at all costs. Here, though, once you've sailed past 25 you're like damaged goods. People be all like, "Damn, grrrrl, what's wrong witchoo?!"
One of my co-workers working with another team turned 29 about three months ago. She's really pretty, has a great laugh, seems like she's nice...but she's also serious, very much about her work, and a hardcore chain smoker. At any rate, she's also very much single. This has been a hot topic around the office lately (it least it has been with my people). I personally think it's fine and dandy to work your ass off and get your paper up, but this is Okinawa. Being 29, single, and having 0 kids (instead of the requisite 5 by the age of 22) is kind of strange. The word on the street is that she's feeling the pressure, and has given up finding a boo the old fashioned way. Or rather, she's given up finding a boo the currently fashioned way, and is instead looking for a boo the legit old fashioned way...by turning to a match maker and setting up and arranged marriage.
ARranged marriages are more commonplace than I thought. About 10%-30% of marriages in Japan are arranged, and I'm guessing they work out because the divorce rate is low in Japan compared to other developed countries (then again, who knows how many couples stay together out of fear of being stigmatized). Me? I'd feel like the Prince of Zamunda did if I had to resort to an arranged marriage. Sure, maybe my arranged boo would perfectly match what I look for in a woman (huge boobs and a sense of humour...I'm easy to please), but what if she turns out to be vacuous and I have to get on a plane and go to another country that I randomly picked by spinning a globe with my man-servant to ind my bride?! Hilarious hijinx would ensure, but I'd rather save myself the trouble and just flirty my ass off until I figure out who's worthy of my booty.
Buuuuuut I'm not an almost 30 Japanese woman being pressured to get married and start a family of satobiki farmers so...