Cup-griping ambassadora!

[parasitegirl]

It really is cultural. I really am a drinking-coffee-in-motion rep!

Yesterday Takai Sensei asked me how to use an insulated tumbler. You know, those insulated coffee containers with the sippy hole... At the end of the year Japanese stores fill with huge "grab bags" of mystery products for a set price low. These can be anywhere from 10$ to 300$ bags, depending on the store. Takai sensei bought a Starbucks mystery bag and got a mug, an insulated tumbler, a small lap blanket and some other stuff. He knows that I have a similar tumbler because it comes to school with me every morning.

He pointed at it and asked me what I kept in it...if the coffee came from home or from Tullys...was it hot or cold....We honestly had a discussion about it keeping hot hot, cool cool, and protecting your hands from the liquid inside. I discussed drinking coffee while walking, or the fact he could fill it with what he liked, coffee or diet soda, and drink and drive his way to school. Then he explained why he was askign all these questions. He is now convinced that he got a very good mystery bag.

Stunning.

I didn't talk to him about priming the tumbler on cold mornings with some boiling water, he's not ready for that yet. Baby steps.

Comments

[artemisia-danst.livejournal.com]

my nephew is in japan this year. i look forward to both his and your updates (he has a blog too) labeled coworkers (he works for toyota). priceless.

[frankie23.livejournal.com]

I've always wondered about this, but a few years back I read a book written in the 80s about McDonalds and their early history. In it there's a chapter detailing their expansion into Japan, and how at the time there was a strong cultural taboo against eating and walking or standing, which Ronald & co had to fight against, for some reason or another. I kinda wrote it off as just people making shit up, or misunderstanding something, but now I'm curious. Any ideas?

[parasitegirl.livejournal.com]

That is 100% not made up. No walking and eating here. Taboo. Rude. Unseemly. Exceptions are occasionally made for ice-cream and festival foods.

I had problems eating and walking in public when I went to America. Wanted to hide it

[frankie23.livejournal.com]

Interesting. I've asked other people who've been to Japan about it, and they looked blank, but you're obviously a lot more immersed in the culture than most. Thanks for confirming that. Any idea of the background behind it? Is it just unseemly, or is there some obscure historical reasoning behind it?

[miss-binkowitz.livejournal.com]

Prob just that eating/drinking is a private function and we don't do other private funcions in public so why do that one?

[parasitegirl.livejournal.com]

That probably, the the outside is dirty. There's a reason we take our shoes off indoors.