12-15-2003, 01:36 PM
My dinner tried to escape on Friday.
There is a concept in Japan of "Fresh". Fresh generally means they come and present it to you, in earnest. You admire the food and see its quality before they cook it (at which time, it could be just any old food and you wouldn't know any better, but that's another story)...
So, my dinner tried to escape. They set the plate containing what used to be a live jumbo shrimp in front of me. It looked fresh; quite impressive. Suddenly, the tense of the prawn changed from "used to be" to "still is" as it flung itself skyward in a desperate attempt for survival.
The phrase, "off the cool plate and onto the burning hot tepenyaki plate" suddenly crossed the poor shrimp's mind as it began to thrash around trying to find a place more suitable to an entirely shrimp way of life. Failing, it soon was cooked up, served with a bit of lemon and quite delicious...
On another note, Japan is becoming quite a haven for Punk Music. Yes, you remember -- that stuff from the 1980s where disaffected, disenchanted youths went out and made noise? Well, in Japan, they're at it -- albeit 20 years late, but still...
Back in the heyday of Punk, Japan didn't have any decent punk bands. Back then, what could they be angry about? Sure I guess you can get angry and annoyed at the world, but singing songs about how you've got a good job for life and everything you ever need 'cos the system is going to take care of you just doesn't make for very good punk. That's more...um...pop music then punk.
So, now days you have punk bands showing up where they can play. This is in front of places like train stations where they can belt out music without annoying too many people. People gather around and listen to these kids playing. The strangest thing to watch is that you have 2 or 3 of these bands, but they don't compete against each other. There's none of this "We're louder and punkier then you" sort of attitude.
They're still *polite*.
They take TURNS playing.
Okay...now they have something to be pissed off about. Jobs are lacking and Japanese are starting to have to face the idea that you don't have a job for life. Nobody is going to look after you...
But taking TURNS? You have got to be kidding me. That is NOT punk....
There is a concept in Japan of "Fresh". Fresh generally means they come and present it to you, in earnest. You admire the food and see its quality before they cook it (at which time, it could be just any old food and you wouldn't know any better, but that's another story)...
So, my dinner tried to escape. They set the plate containing what used to be a live jumbo shrimp in front of me. It looked fresh; quite impressive. Suddenly, the tense of the prawn changed from "used to be" to "still is" as it flung itself skyward in a desperate attempt for survival.
The phrase, "off the cool plate and onto the burning hot tepenyaki plate" suddenly crossed the poor shrimp's mind as it began to thrash around trying to find a place more suitable to an entirely shrimp way of life. Failing, it soon was cooked up, served with a bit of lemon and quite delicious...
On another note, Japan is becoming quite a haven for Punk Music. Yes, you remember -- that stuff from the 1980s where disaffected, disenchanted youths went out and made noise? Well, in Japan, they're at it -- albeit 20 years late, but still...
Back in the heyday of Punk, Japan didn't have any decent punk bands. Back then, what could they be angry about? Sure I guess you can get angry and annoyed at the world, but singing songs about how you've got a good job for life and everything you ever need 'cos the system is going to take care of you just doesn't make for very good punk. That's more...um...pop music then punk.
So, now days you have punk bands showing up where they can play. This is in front of places like train stations where they can belt out music without annoying too many people. People gather around and listen to these kids playing. The strangest thing to watch is that you have 2 or 3 of these bands, but they don't compete against each other. There's none of this "We're louder and punkier then you" sort of attitude.
They're still *polite*.
They take TURNS playing.
Okay...now they have something to be pissed off about. Jobs are lacking and Japanese are starting to have to face the idea that you don't have a job for life. Nobody is going to look after you...
But taking TURNS? You have got to be kidding me. That is NOT punk....