Bowling, American Style.

[parasitegirl]

I underestimated how captivated Miyazaki Sensei was with the idea of "bowling American style" with a beer.

When we arrived at Young Bowl I noted that there was no beer for sale at a bar or in the vending machines. I thought that was the end of that! Silly me with my American ideas of liquor laws!

Miyazaki Sensei arrived and asked "Beer?"

He went to the vending machines and announced "No Beer!"

He then disappeared.

He returned from a quick trip to a convini with a bag of beers and stuff.

"Beer, Beer, Gin tonic, Beer, Beer, Ume Shu, Beer! American style!" And gave drinks to whoever could drink and was not driving (zero tolerance for drinking and driving here) insisting "American Style!"

Now, there was no way I was going to ask my American questions about how is it you can openly bring in and imbibe alcohol in a place that doesn't have a liquor license because that would open up those moments where I sound like a martian and teachers want to know if I am kidding. "And then at a certain time, and it varies from state to state, you cannot buy alcohol. We have no alcohol vending machines that work on the 'honor system'. We can't walk around in public with an open can/bottle, much less public transport, and we sure as hell cannot bring alcohol into a location which cannot legally sell it and strat openly drinking..." This is viewed as crazy talk.


Miyazaki Sensei

I would later go on to explain that flipping off pins and yelling "Fall, you mother fucker, FAAAAAAALLL" is not so much a sign that I am upset, but is part of how I play most games...and may also count as American Style bowling.

One more reason to love Miyazaki Sensei: When he gets really drunk he talks about his two sons and how much he loves them.

Comments

[counterword.livejournal.com]

Swearing at the pins is compulsory in american style bowling.

[parasitegirl.livejournal.com]

Good!

Sometimes I worry that I pass of many of my bad habits as "American Style..."

[gator74.livejournal.com]

Same difference :)

[georgelicious.livejournal.com]

I'm going to have nightmares about this "sober bowling"...eegads.

[parasitegirl.livejournal.com]

I don't fall prey to "culture shock" often but...yeah. It opened a whole new world to Miyazaki sense. it reminded me of those nights when I realized that after a horrible lesson with my evil ex-dance teacher I could get a beer or a chu-hi from a VENDING machine and drink it on the TRAIN home.

It begs the question of why exactly the bowling lane near me is open 24 hours...what sort of freaks get together at 3 am and bowl WITHOUT beer. (I suspect homeless people with a little money on cold nights, people who have missed last train but don't have a date for the "Will" love hotel, and something similar to the "Dennys/Perkins" crowd) The nearby Dennys (yes, Japan has Denny's but they are different in horrible ways) isn't open 24 hrs.

(edited to add)

Oh, hell. I'll give you more nightmares. You know what the Denny's in Japan don't have? American Breakfast Food! No pancakes! No hash browns! No waffles! No Moons Over My Hammy!...only tiny french toasts and Japanese breakfast foods.

[georgelicious.livejournal.com]

No Moons Over my Hammy????

///fail

[parasitegirl.livejournal.com]

I remember a visiting friend freaking out about the 7-11's not having Slushies. I don't care about slushies, but I kept shouting "See that, that looks like a normal Denny's...but NO PANCAKES!"

Much of my first few years were about things that looked familiar and betrayed me.

"Mmmmmm! what a lovely baguette!"

(crunch)

(spit)

"Why the fuck is this lovely baguette filled with dehydrated salmon flakes? WHY, GOD, WHY?! I trust no one and nothing!"

[elcucuyfeo.livejournal.com]

My God I still have nightmares about it....

The slurpees could have been plum or mango flavored but at least something cold and slushy!!!

And yes no pancakes in the denny's Lordy lordy...That was almost as bad as mistaking the really hot pepper for salt!!

[bluemoonsaga.livejournal.com]

no pancakes !! i think swearing IS american style.

[downrightamazed.livejournal.com]

He's cute! Is he that cute in real life, or is the photo being kind to him? 'Cos he's totally cute. I can't tell if he's hott from that photo, but definitely cute.

[parasitegirl.livejournal.com]

He is an amazingly cute man.

His naturally cute and a little sexy looks are made even hotter by the fact that he has come to love the English program so much that he''s one of the teachers who prepares long lessons plans ( which I translate) for teaching solo.

He has done 2 "Pirate" themed classes where he dresses up like a pirate and commands kids to hunt treasure around the school ( in English)...and he teaches 6th graders. They are usually jadded but they love English class with us.

He also did the "Stranger danger" English class where he crawled through a window dressed like a "suspicious man" (Who made everyone laugh...but oh well) and then ran out of the room, changed into a cop costume and came back to see how well the students could sketch the indentifying clothing of the stranger.

[etler.livejournal.com]

You can actually have open containers on Caltrain. In fact, you can have hard liquor. There's an informal drink train every week that has high levels of participation. Compare this to BART though where no food or drink of any kind is allowed.

[the-mouthpiece.livejournal.com]

Today the VP of the company decided we're all going bowling. Yes, even compulsory bowling upholds the tradition of swearing at the pins.

It's just that strong of a tradition.