00:11
The last time I was in Tokyo was, what, November 2019.
That's, that was a while ago. That's almost three years ago.
I keep forgetting that half of my PhD happened in pandemic.
That's crazy to think about it.
Yeah, but yeah, so I'm very excited obviously and apparently Japanese government just
dropped the requirement for the 72-hour prior negative test results for everybody returning.
So now because I'm fully vaccinated, I can just go back with my vaccination card,
which is a huge plus because now that sort of like the worst part of pandemic kind of is over,
my university stopped testing, giving out free tests to students and I checked and if I were
to get a PCR test, I need to shell out, what, $150, maybe $200 out of my pocket.
I mean, maybe my insurance covers it, but that would have been a pretty expensive thing to do.
So I'm glad that that's not the case, but I was going through, it's like
what do I usually do when I go back?
I've been not living in Japan since, oh, since I was maybe consecutively since I was 15.
So I'm like a pro Ichijikikoku ryokousha.
You know, throughout middle school and high school, you know, it's with the family.
So that's never usually an issue.
But since I moved to the U.S. for my college undergrad, I would have to come alone and
return by myself, which means limited suitcase availabilities.
And also like with the schools, you know, you can't be away for like a month like you used
to when you were in high school.
Um, so, yeah, actually in my high school times, I really enjoyed
Actually, I did it in daigakusei too.
I came back for summer.
Like, if I wasn't doing internship and stuff, I would do some baito.
Because like the summer in U.S. schools are like
03:02
Oh, it's really long.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
What kind of, what kind of arubaito did you do in Japan?
I did katekyoushi and juku koushi.
Yeah, I figured out quickly that teaching makes a good money.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, it does.
Especially, especially for English classes.
Because, I mean, it was interesting and challenging in its own way,
which we can maybe talk about in a separate episode.
But it's like katekyoushi is like easier in a way because you can tailor to just that one student.
Whereas, whereas juku, because I was a temporary person,
I need to fill in for a bunch of other people.
Like when the regular teachers go to summer holiday, I came in to help them out.
So I don't know the history of these students.
I don't know, you know, anything.
And they don't know me.
So like kind of just have to like step in and do what they've been doing.
And hopefully that they like it.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
But other than, yeah, so this time I'm only here for two weeks.
Maybe, maybe like, you know, 15, 16 days, but something like that.
And I am, I have already booked my haircut.
I think that's something I always do when I return to Japan.
Just because I don't trust people here to handle Asian hair.
And I don't know if you had this issue when you were in the US, but.
I used to cut my hair myself.
Yourself?
Yeah, yeah.
That is brave.
I, I don't have the guts to do that.
But I always get my hair cut.
Do like, kenkou shinda mitai na yatsu.
Because in Japan, like, everyone has a kokumin kenkou pokken or something, right?
So like, kuyakusho kara shikyuu keigan no ken, ken, ken, ken, ken san toku.
Kite kudasai tte iu no ga kitetara, I just go.
And just really appreciate how cheap medical cost is in Japan as opposed to the US.
And what else?
Well, like, of course, I meet my friends.
But at this point, most of my friends who are there are my, you know, my middle school,
high school friends.
And some, mostly Japanese friends, actually.
06:00
I don't, although this time I am meeting a friend I met here who is currently in Japan,
teaching English.
Oh, yeah.
So I'm excited to catch up with them.
But usually I'm going back to Japan to see my Japanese friends.
And I think I am definitely like a kisetsu no fuubutsushi to them.
Yeah.
I have a seasonal material, just like, ah, sorosoro asami kaete kuru kana.
But it's this one, this time is the longest,
three years is the longest time I didn't go home for ever since I moved out of Japan.
So, sasugani hisabisa ni natte te.
Yeah, some of my friends are like, nishi no haha.
Can you believe that?
It's so insane to me.
Suddenly, they have two kids.
I know.
I mean, so many people, like, three years can do so much.
And, you know, many people got married.
Um, and stuff.
But I think, I think they kind of appreciate, like, it works really well for me because
for them, it's like a puchidousoukai, you know, it's like,
they also don't necessarily hang out with this group of friends on a daily basis.
You know, they have work, they have family, they have other obligations.
And unless they live nearby, your school friends, you know,
aren't the ones who hang out with all the time.
But when I am back, it's like, well, Asami's back, so let's get together.
And because I have limited days, it's usually
more efficient for me to meet multiple people all at once rather than one-on-one
so that I can at least see them around.
And so, so I think, you know, it's surprising that
uh, my friends still bother to hang out with me after being away for so long.
But I really appreciate that.
Like, every time I return, every time I let them know that,
hey, I'll be in town, you know, they try to make time out of their busy schedule.
Yeah, I'm looking forward to see you too.
Yeah, looking forward to see you too.
Yeah, you'll be nice.
My hair, when I see you, my hair will be like this short.
Oh, okay.
It will be very short.
Yeah, yeah.
So yeah, no, it's a podcast, so people can't see.
But like, currently, my hair is up to like...
So long.
Up to my hip, almost.
Like, definitely under my navel.
Isn't it heavy?
It is.
It is heavy.
Not only my hair is long, but it's also...
There's a lot of them.
Yeah.
And my ponytail actually looks like a umano shippo, you know?
09:08
It's kind of ridiculous.
And I keep vacuuming around my house only to find like, you know, big strands of hair.
And because each of them are super long, they look so visible.
And it really annoys me.
But I wanted to donate my hair.
So I was...
It usually works, like about a couple of...
Every...
Once every couple of years, I have long enough hair to donate.
Donation, yeah.
Yeah, but I only do that big chop in Japan.
Like, I do not trust people here.
So yeah, like, I'm a terrible customer to my hairstylist,
because I only come back like once every two years or three years.
But I always go back to the same guy.
Yeah.
So those are things.
And then I guess eating.
Eating things, of course.
And what do I usually get?
Like, I always have like a few restaurants that like my family favorite
that we go to together.
I feel like the Chinese food in America might be more authentic.
I don't even know.
I think so, yeah.
At least they look like it's the Chinese people cooking it, right?
But sometimes I want like...
Like, it's probably not a real Chinese food.
But it's really good.
I don't think so.
Yeah, yeah.
I like Japanese chuko, so yeah.
Yeah, yeah.
And a lot of the okashi that isn't ridiculously sweet, like over here.
And what else?
Yeah, I just have a lot.
But I think unagi is always on my top list of things that I want to eat.
Because, you know, this day and age,
if you pay, you can have good sushi in America.
You can have a decent, like...
And like, I'm not cooking creative enough to do it on my own.
I've never heard anyone, yeah, I've never heard anyone making an unagi at home, exactly.
Or like, ramenとかもなんかアメリカにもあるけど, it's like 一杯二十ドルぐらいする。
12:08
Yeah, it's so expensive and the taste are a bit different from, you know, what we can get.
Yeah, it's like, it's not bad, but it's definitely not worth 18 dollars.
It's so super, super expensive.
Yeah, yeah.
So I think, yeah, generally just want to eat, cut my hair, meet my friends.
Yeah.
Like, here, you know, I am in my jeans and t-shirts or sweatshirts every day,
and, you know, I'm going to be in the lab anyway, so it doesn't matter.
But, you know, when I'm...
Oh no, I'm going to disappoint you because I'm, you know, I haven't changed.
You just carry over the American style.
Yeah, yeah.
I completely forgot how to do おしゃれ, you know.
No, like, when I see my sister and stuff, it's like...
Yeah, I don't know, I lost it and, you know, I just stayed, I think.
It's okay, this is the time to use your 帰国史上カード.
Just like, ちょっとアメリカ帰りなんです。
It's been two years, but still you haven't come back to me.
Yeah, you know, you can say that you recently got back.
Pandemic skews the time perception of everybody.
Pandemic, because of the pandemic.
Exactly, exactly.
So you technically have only been back for a few months.
Right, yeah, that's why I haven't done おしゃれ for a while.
All right, well, I'll see you soon in Japan.
Yeah, see you soon.
That's it for the show today.
Thanks for listening and find us at EigoDeScience on Twitter.
That is E-I-G-O-D-E-S-C-I-E-N-C-E.
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