My car is aptly named "Minica." You just try to fit two average-sized humans in the back seat. Especially with the front seats adjusted so I can drive without having my knees blocking the steering wheel.
On occasion, two adventurous gaijin will smile and assure me that it is no problem, they can fit in the back just fine. This is always said before they have tried to enter the vehicle; never from someone who has already been in my back seat.
The back seat might have seat belts. Maybe. I have yet to find them. Once a friend was trying to buckle himself in using the front passenger seat belt. It is an easy mistake to make, as the front seat belts originate from behind the back seats.
Perhaps Minicas ship standard with no back seat seat belts. Sure, sensible people wear seat belts. But what sensible person would willingly get in the back seat of a Minica? No doubt that was the car makers' reasoning.
The front passenger seat definitely has an advantage for the lucky person who has won "Rock, Paper, Scissors." The glove compartment is FULL of delicious canned coffee! Cool and refreshing in Winter, toasty hot in Summer. That is my doing, sadly not a standard feature of the Minica.
However, a garbage truck like beeping whenever the car is in reverse IS a standard feature. Watch out, everyone! My raccoon sized vehicle is coming at you! Of course, people familiar with the Minica know they have no need to move due to any danger. My car could not dent an orange traffic cone. Rather, the beeping is simply a polite request to move out of the way so I can back into a parking space.
Gas mileage is wonderful (important - check those gas prices) and the car drives wonderfully! Both side mirrors fold compactly into the body of the car, and can be popped back out with no damage! This is a very useful tool as the roads here do tend to be narrow. My mirrors double as a "you are too close to the wall" alert mechanism. Imagine my surprise and relief when I first discovered this feature!
The Minica will grow on you, though, and there is no doubt how much I appreciate my car. Without it, I would be missing out on so much of this beautiful country.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Driving in Japan Part 1: Tips
Having lived in countries with steering wheels on the right hand side of the car, I was a bit nervous about what to expect while driving in Japan.
It takes a while before you stop entering the vehicle and trying to drive from the passenger seat. Often, the lack of a steering wheel is a sufficient reminder. If you realize this before you try to get into the car, you can save face by acting like you meant to open the passenger side door to put your bag inside. This does not work if you are empty handed.
I must say, first of all, that I am thrilled to be able to drive in Japan. I am extremely fortunate to have the use of a car, and to be partially re-imbursed for gas fees (about $4 a gallon). Public transportation is excellent, but having a car gives you 24 hour freedom to go almost anywhere in Japan! The big islands are all connected, and many little islands, too.
That having been said, here are ten things you must remember when driving in Japan...
1. That red sign? The upside down triangle? It is a stop sign. Even if you do not recognize the writing on the sign, you are still required to stop. This took me three months to realize.
2. Always, always, always back into parking spaces. I don't know why. All the other cars are neatly backed into their spaces, and your car expects to be treated the same. If you see a parked car that was not backed into a space, it usually belongs to a gaijin. On the other hand, this can make it very easy to find your car in a crowded parking lot.
3. Highways are nice, but expensive! If you have a carful of people to share the cost with, it can be cheaper than the train. If not, take smaller, local roads. You may get lost, but unless you are near a volcano, you will never stumble upon a dangerous neighborhood.
4. Beeping can be complimentary! If you pull over to let someone pass, or allow someone to pull out in front of you, a short beep means, "Hey! Thanks for being so nice!" Longer beeps heard after running a stop sign (see #1 above) or cutting somebody off do NOT mean the same thing.
5. Waving, bowing or flashing your emergency flashers for a short time can be used in place of the short beep to thank someone. Eye contact is not necessary.
6. Ditches. Japan is a water-rich nation. And the water is managed partly using huge ditches at the sides of smaller roads. Best to avoid getting too close to them.
7. Parking is very uptight. Often a uniformed assistant or two will stand in the parking lot with a reflective, um, stick (?) and direct you to the parking space of his or her choice. Don't hurt their feelings. Just bow and do as you're told.
8. At night, most businesses will chain their parking lots off so that no one can park overnight. This is very irritating, as most of the chains are difficult to see in the dark and are only discovered after you are halfway in the parking lot with the chain on your hood. If you are going fast enough, the chain will snap, or the posts that anchor the chains will pop up out of the ground and drag noisily behind your car until you stop. Ahem. Of course, I am just guessing at what WOULD happen in such a situation.
9. No left or right turn on red. Even if there are no cars for miles. Ahem. Kilometers.
10. The police will stop you if you are driving erratically. They will drive behind you and use a loudspeaker to apologize and politely request that you please pull over, if it is not too much trouble. Do not let their politeness confuse you. You really do need to pull over.
It takes a while before you stop entering the vehicle and trying to drive from the passenger seat. Often, the lack of a steering wheel is a sufficient reminder. If you realize this before you try to get into the car, you can save face by acting like you meant to open the passenger side door to put your bag inside. This does not work if you are empty handed.
I must say, first of all, that I am thrilled to be able to drive in Japan. I am extremely fortunate to have the use of a car, and to be partially re-imbursed for gas fees (about $4 a gallon). Public transportation is excellent, but having a car gives you 24 hour freedom to go almost anywhere in Japan! The big islands are all connected, and many little islands, too.
That having been said, here are ten things you must remember when driving in Japan...
1. That red sign? The upside down triangle? It is a stop sign. Even if you do not recognize the writing on the sign, you are still required to stop. This took me three months to realize.
2. Always, always, always back into parking spaces. I don't know why. All the other cars are neatly backed into their spaces, and your car expects to be treated the same. If you see a parked car that was not backed into a space, it usually belongs to a gaijin. On the other hand, this can make it very easy to find your car in a crowded parking lot.
3. Highways are nice, but expensive! If you have a carful of people to share the cost with, it can be cheaper than the train. If not, take smaller, local roads. You may get lost, but unless you are near a volcano, you will never stumble upon a dangerous neighborhood.
4. Beeping can be complimentary! If you pull over to let someone pass, or allow someone to pull out in front of you, a short beep means, "Hey! Thanks for being so nice!" Longer beeps heard after running a stop sign (see #1 above) or cutting somebody off do NOT mean the same thing.
5. Waving, bowing or flashing your emergency flashers for a short time can be used in place of the short beep to thank someone. Eye contact is not necessary.
6. Ditches. Japan is a water-rich nation. And the water is managed partly using huge ditches at the sides of smaller roads. Best to avoid getting too close to them.
7. Parking is very uptight. Often a uniformed assistant or two will stand in the parking lot with a reflective, um, stick (?) and direct you to the parking space of his or her choice. Don't hurt their feelings. Just bow and do as you're told.
8. At night, most businesses will chain their parking lots off so that no one can park overnight. This is very irritating, as most of the chains are difficult to see in the dark and are only discovered after you are halfway in the parking lot with the chain on your hood. If you are going fast enough, the chain will snap, or the posts that anchor the chains will pop up out of the ground and drag noisily behind your car until you stop. Ahem. Of course, I am just guessing at what WOULD happen in such a situation.
9. No left or right turn on red. Even if there are no cars for miles. Ahem. Kilometers.
10. The police will stop you if you are driving erratically. They will drive behind you and use a loudspeaker to apologize and politely request that you please pull over, if it is not too much trouble. Do not let their politeness confuse you. You really do need to pull over.
Searching for Baseball
Ah - Baseball in Japan! Yakyu, they call it. The game is exciting, fast paced, beautiful. TV coverage of Yakyu here is beautiful. Radio coverage, also.
MLB coverage, not so much.
I watch Japanese TV coverage of the MLB. They show highlights from all of the teams that have Japanese players.
Only the teams with Japanese players.
And footage only of the Japanese players.
It shows their at bats, their fielding, their responses to getting a hit, etc. The at bats are shown from every angle, again and again and again...
So it looks like teams have 9 identical septuplets coming up to bat while at the same time doing all of the defensive work and/or pitching. Occasionally, if something awesome happens the same game that does not involve the septuplets, they will show it.
Johan Santana has a one hitter against the White Sox? Awesome! But much more importantly, Tadahito Iguchi is playing 2nd and doing all of the batting for Chicago!
In all fairness, the coverage here in Japan of the North American MLB is a million times better than the North American coverage of Yakyu.
Just miss my MLB baseball, is all.
MLB coverage, not so much.
I watch Japanese TV coverage of the MLB. They show highlights from all of the teams that have Japanese players.
Only the teams with Japanese players.
And footage only of the Japanese players.
It shows their at bats, their fielding, their responses to getting a hit, etc. The at bats are shown from every angle, again and again and again...
So it looks like teams have 9 identical septuplets coming up to bat while at the same time doing all of the defensive work and/or pitching. Occasionally, if something awesome happens the same game that does not involve the septuplets, they will show it.
Johan Santana has a one hitter against the White Sox? Awesome! But much more importantly, Tadahito Iguchi is playing 2nd and doing all of the batting for Chicago!
In all fairness, the coverage here in Japan of the North American MLB is a million times better than the North American coverage of Yakyu.
Just miss my MLB baseball, is all.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
My first adventure in blogging
My first real blog post, and I somehow got my language bar stuck on Simplified Chinese. Did not appreciate my English coming out as garbled characters. Will try again tomorrow!
Here I go
Thank you, Stacked Librarian, for the big idea. This is totally experimental, we'll just see where it goes...
I am here in Japan learning about life, and it is time to document everything. Or almost everything. After all, a nomad has to have some secrets.
I am here in Japan learning about life, and it is time to document everything. Or almost everything. After all, a nomad has to have some secrets.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
