T.I.J

Have you seen Blood Diamond with Leonard DiCaprio? Well its about a diamond smuggler in war torn Africa, this cheeky chappy has a very flippant attitude to the bloodshed, tragedy and corruption that goes on arround him: It can't be helped, it's the way it is, because TIA... this is Africa, my friend.

Things here in Japan make my blood boil, way past the second stage of culture shock, still things just don't add up. Fortunately if it doesn't make sense it can be answered with three simple letters: TIJ (This is Japan).

Let me show you.

Q:Why is it that people here will evangelise about how safe Japan is but all I ever hear about is dismembered ex-pats, escapee suspects and 17 year olds decapitating their mothers?
A: TIJ

Q: It's my weekend, mine to spend however I choose. Yet I need to fill out a form to tell the school I work at that I will be staying at a friends for the weekend. It's like I'm checking in with my mother giving her my school mate's mother's number so they can call if they get worried... what the fuck?
A:TIJ

Q: I go to the trouble of making someone a present, in this case let's say a CD of pictures from the year. I hand it to the recipient with all the requisite humility that such an act requires here and because it's not wrapped in cheap, tacky wrapping paper its looked upon as worthless and hardly a word of grattitude is uttered. So it's not the thought that counts?
A: Of course not... TIJ.

You see, every question pertaining to frustration which is felt by living in Japan's backwater can be simply answered thus: T I J.