Golden Week ga suki desu

Yes, it`s come around. A two-day week WOO-HOO! If anyone deserves a massive run of national holidays, it`s the Japanese. Funny bunch...the teachers always say to me "You must be exhausted", when they work at least three times as hard as me...

...this is one of the conundrums about Japanese people. Many publications try to dismiss their legendary uniqueness, but they all admit that they`re very different. It`s hard to tell, when they make comments like "You must be exhausted" to a non-Japanese, whether they`re doing it out of their general politeness & amiability, or if they believe the hype about themselves - that they are generally considered unique and inscrutable. That most Japanese work like a dogs mum is a given. Does this mean they consider that the rest of the world isn`t used to putting in as many hours? A moot point on it`s own, but the question is raised again when they marvel at my ability to use chopsticks - are they saying it just to be friendly, or do they really believe that no-one in the western world can use chopsticks? The same goes for my absurdly limited Japanese language skills - the fact that I can fumble around reading and writing the easiest (ie, limited in number) two of their THREE alphabets leaves all of them exhaling in an "I`m impressed" sort of way. Or maybe I`m thinking too much about a few isolated incidents that were really rather nice...

...but I`m straying from the point - Golden Week, and what an aptly named week. Today was Midori, or Green Day (Do you have the time to listen to me whine? Actually, if you`re reading this, you`re probably not rushed off your feet at the moment). This comemorates the birth of Emperor Showa, who died in 1989. The name of the festival comes from the fact that Showa really loved plants. On this day the Japanese celebrate nature, which probably means they`re all getting drunk in a park somewhere (sounds like an English bank holiday) - this will explain why Kawasaki city was relatively deserted today...I have not the funds to travel to a park OR get drunk. Oh well, payday on June the 1st...

On tuesday, it`s Kenpo Kinenbi, or constitution day, where they celebrate (?) the amendments they got to the constitution after the hammering of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Simple stuff - the Emperor renounces all executive powers & becomes a symbolic figurehead...if you really want to read the Japanese constituition, it can be accessed thus.

Wednesday is my favourite - Kokumin no kyujitsu, or between day, or "let`s just have a day off" day. A law says that any day inbetween two bank holidays is automatically considered a holiday. Who says the law is an ass?

Then on thursday it`s Kodomo no hi, or childrens day, but more accurately, boys day. This is when families display koi carp streamers & samurai dolls and pray for the future success of their sons. Lest cries of sexism be abundant, girls day is on the 3rd of March. Actually, Japan is most definitely a "men first" country. England being a ladies first country, I`ve spent a great deal of time outside doors with my female colleagues, the both of us gesturing politely towards the door and saying "dozo" quite a bit.

And if you want to find out more, why not look at this useful and informative website, where I got pretty much all the info for this entry...and a happy bank Holiday weekend to the lot of you - I`VE GOT THREE MORE, BWA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!