low-class LECHERS

the other week, i had mused aloud to tracey about the differences between rinkadink trucks in japan and in america.

since nobeoka has a lot of rice paddies, there are many farmers who drive around in shabby little white flatbeds, quite similar to ones you might see gardeners driving around back in the states.

however, said american trucks are almost always filled to the brim with men leering out of the windows at any unfortunate female who happens to be nearby. in delightful contrast, in japan, when you catch the eye of the truck driver, he will inevitably bow politely and continue on his merry way.

SO. MUCH. BETTER. america, get your act together.

anyways, despite the occasional stares or dropped jaws, i really appreciate that men are overall very demure in japan. as far as i know (KNEW), men don't blatantly stare women up and down, no one whistles at girls, there's no outrageous yelling of comments at women walking down the street.

DISILLUSIONMENT #92854: my first encounter with a drive-by cat-call.

so i was walking to the miyazaki city train station saturday morning, when a car with two twenty-something or thirty-something dudes with dyed hair and shaved eyebrows pulled up next to me. typical yankee-types (yankee here means like bad boy, haha).

"HI!" the driver shouted, as his friend leaned out the window to leer at me. flipping GRINDS MY GEARS.

"hi," i responded without a smile, rolling my eyes for good measure (i'm becoming a lot better at being a biotch now that i've encountered a few creepos).

they continued driving slowly to keep pace with my walk. i looked straight ahead while they jabbered to each other, then the driver called again, "HI!"

i turned and gave them my best "you are fools, die in a fire" face with a flicky sarcastic wave (i should have remembered sarcasm is a lost art here in japan). the guy mimed for me to take out my earphones, as i was listening to my i-pod, and when i loudly said, "BAI BAI," he asked in japanese where i was going.

"nihongo wakarimasen," (i dont understand japanase) came my reply. they sped up a bit and were turning left. i had an inkling they might circle the block to talk to me more, so i crossed to the other side of the street.

i was right. they reappeared, saw i was turning right, and did a goofy u-turn so that one more time they could drive past me while shouting in japanese and grinning wildly. honestly, i was so irritated that if i'd had a brick in hand i would've chucked it.

and so ends a rather tame tale of young male idiots. i wouldn't have posted if i hadn't been so surprised by it--it was very unjapanese! also, i think i've become really soft as a result of living here. it's time to resume being my stone-cold killa, ice queen self. oh wait..

world class marshmallow,
riri