A Comic Evening

Though UML is the largest gaijin venue in the park, we do have several Japanese natives in our team. One of the fellas who plays Beetlejuice in our show is very active in theatre outside of USJ. He had invited the Monsters cast to come see his most recent performance project and six of us obliged. We walked in the door from work at about 6:15 with a plan to shower, get ready and meet downstairs at 6:45. Mind you, there were three women in this group. I don't know who we thought we were kidding... I did manage to make it downstairs before everyone had assembled, took one look at the fabulous Japanese heels my castmate Morgan donned and decided to run back upstairs to trade my cute little red flats for my burnt orange, snakeskin 5 inch stilettos. By the time I got back downstairs, the rest of the group had assembled and we hopped on our bikes, (yes, in heels) and rode to the subway station. Right as we made our way through the ticket line, we heard the familiar melody announcing the train's arrival. We ran up the stairs to the platform and got onto the train.

We all checked our watches nervously, fearing that we would be late, (a HUGE faux paux in Japanese culture), while two of our cast members who were more experienced at navigating through the local subway system studied the map "Beetlejuice" has given to us to find our way. We had to make one train change and, once again sprinted to our next train barely making it before the doors closed. Once we arrived at our final stop, we climbed the stairs to the street and went in search of the venue. A good mile and a half walk later, we discovered we had in fact gone (WAY) too far and doubled back. All of three of the girls were whining while the guys laughed at our funny little prances in our 5 inch footwear. After passing the small street where the theatre was hidden a good three times, we finally found the place. Before we went inside we were handed a plastic grocery bag and instructed to take off our shoes. This is fairly commonplace in Japan, what was funny was there was no foyer for us to take our shoes off in. Instead, we had to take them off, stand in our bare feet in the street and then track the dirt that clung to them inside the theatre with us. We couldn't help but chuckle at the irony.

Once inside, we snuck into our seats. The production was in full swing. Japanese humor can be very over the top, so even though we had no idea what the characters were saying, we were all fairly entertained. The problem was, we were often watching with a puzzled expression when the rest of the audience erupted into laughter. What's more, we were often laughing when the Japanese spectators looked on in silence. There were often moments where the cultural divide in the style of humor and performance was so great, it was all we could do to keep from laughing in an effort not to appear rude or disrespectful to the performers on stage. There was even a moment where I looked and saw tears rolling down the cheek of one of my companions as his shoulders shook in silent laughter. Regardless of the language barrier and foreign style (no pun intended), we were able to appreciate the actors who were obviously committed to their work and delivering a top-notch performance. Our very own Beetlejuice portrayed the villain masterfully. After the show, we got to give him a hug, take a photo and express our love and support. He was very touched that we had come to his performance. We said goodnight and started home.

On our walk back to the train station, we laughed together about the downright absurdity of the spectacle we had just observed, but agreed that it was undoubtedly a job well done. It was at that moment I made the mistake of making the statement, "I am not running anywhere else tonight in these heels." Sure enough.... as soon as we got back into the station, our ringleader for the evening shouted, "Train's coming!!!!" and we started our race all over again. Each time we ran for a train, we seemed to have to climb or descend more stairs than the last set and scamper frantically through longer corridors than the ones we had navigated before. By the time we reached our final train, we all collapsed exhausted onto the benches inside and did the only thing we could do, dissolve into a fit of uncontrollable laughter at the sheer ridiculousness of the entire evening. Since we hadn't had a chance to eat anything throughout our hijinks, a few of us stopped into a local favorite restaurant to finish the night off with some great food and great conversation.

It was definitely one for the books. Stay tuned for the next adventure! :)

Lessons in literacy.

It’s a strange thing, being a foreigner. I’ve never really experienced a language barrier to the degree that I do here in Japan. Even the time I spent in China a few years back doesn’t really compare because all of the supervisors I worked directly under at the Venetian were English-speaking foreigners as well. Here at USJ, out entire stage management staff and tech crew is Japanese. Very few speak English and even fewer speak it fluently.

My life outside of work is no exception. Sure, Kaigandori house is made up of English speaking performers like myself, but I do find myself spending a lot of time out and about apart from my cohorts. I find that I become the most keenly aware of how very different I am when I take the subway in the early evening when most are getting off of work. The subways are very crowded at this time and I tend to be the only fair-featured redhead in a sea of dark hair and business suits. The subways get very crowded around this time of day and it’s always a strange experience being packed in so closely to people with whom you cannot communicate. I’ve always been one for small-talk and making polite conversation with strangers. Not having the ability to connect with people like that has been an adjustment.

These factors have all contributed to my decision to study the language. They offer a free weekly Japanese class for those of us at Kaingandori House who wish to partake. Our teacher doesn’t speak a word of English to us, so it is unlike any other language course I’ve ever taken. In addition to the class, I’ve picked up a handful of Japanese books in douzo and have been studying it further on my own. I’m particularly excited about my decision learn to read and write the Japanese characters in addition to speaking the language. I’ve made flashcards and have designated my breaks between shows at work as time that I study. It’s a funny thing, learning to read Hirigana, because even though I am starting to be able to read the symbols and sound out the words, I don’t actually understand what the words mean. I need to step up my efforts in building my actual Japanese vocabulary. One of the most practical applications of the language I am looking forward to is being able to read the labels of the various products at the supermarket. I love to cook, and having to rely on the pictures on the labels has severely reduced the variety of ingredients I’m using.

I had a very small victory in my efforts to study the language this week. There was a new hair and makeup girl I hadn’t met yet helping me get ready for my show a few days ago and I asked her name. She told me her name was Aiko. After a moment or two, I realized that I already knew the symbols for all of the sounds in her name so I decided to attempt to transcribe it in Hirigana. My attempt turned out to be a success! I was able to correctly transcribe her name after simply hearing her say it! Such a small victory, but a HUGE motivator to continue in my studies.

I never would have imagined a need to learn the Japanese language in my life, but I am thoroughly enjoying the process. It’s going to make life beyond the walls of Kaigandori house a lot less lonely. :)

Superfans

On the first day of our orientation here at USJ, we were told that Monsters was one of the most popular shows in the park. We were told that there were people who came weekly, daily and sometimes hourly to see our production. We were told that they would get to know the routes we take through the park to get to and from our venue. We were told they would try to offer us gifts and that it was in our best interest to politely decline.

It is one thing to hear about the superfans. It is another thing entirely to experience the superfans firsthand. Our first show on Saturday really opened my eyes to the phenomenon. I was surprised and bewildered when I realized that most of the people in the first 4 or 5 rows of the audience were doing every step of the choreography with us from their seats. At first it surprised me and took me out of my show for a moment. I quickly regained focus when I realized that these people probably knew the show better than I did at this point, and that I had better get it right because they would be sure to know if I missed anything.

The next show came, and I saw many of the same faces in those first few rows. This started to make me even more nervous for a moment, but the anxiety passed when I realized how much they were enjoying it. Everywhere I looked in the 800 seat house, there was a sea of faces smiling from ear to ear, clapping and singing along with the music. They are incredibly fun to perform for because they LOVE the show so much. Every single superfan in the audience knew that we were a brand new cast. Everybody came with eager expectation to meet the new group and choose their favorite monsters from this year's lineup. I was baffled when friends posted links on my facebook page to superfan's blogs which had already been inundated with beautiful photos from that day's performances.

It's strange. I had been told that there was a celebrity status of sorts here in Osaka linked with being a USJ performer. I have never felt more like a rock star in my life. Don't get me wrong, I'm not being chased by screaming fans and paparazzi, (or whatever the japanese word for paparazzi might be,) but I do notice people watching me as I walk through the park. I was even stopped for a photograph with a fan's young daughter on my second day of performances. I was dumbfounded that this woman could recognize me under the low brim of my hat and sweats. It's such a drastic difference from the dramatic make-up, massive curly wig, fishnets and high heeled boots I wear in the show. Not to mention the fact that I had only appeared 4 times total on the UML stage and I was ALREADY being recognized. It's flattering, to say the least.

I don't understand how a 20 minute show in a theme park can bring people so much joy that it keeps them coming back time, after time, after time. Part of me wonders what may be missing from their lives that they assign such a significant role to the Monsters show and the performers in it. But then, I remember that people like the superfans are the reason I do what I do. If coming into a crowded theme park and watching me sing "I Will Survive" 5 times a day brings a little sunshine into the lives of these people, then I gladly give them my all at every single performance. After all, their smiles, cheering and applause bring more joy to my heart than would probably make sense to most people. Who am I to judge?

Seat warmers, sound machines and vending machine lattes

Jet lag.

I woke up around 4 this morning and managed to get back to sleep for a couple hours. When 6 AM rolled around, I gave up and decided to get up and unpack. I managed to get pretty well settled into my cozy little apartment, do a short workout and make myself breakfast before rushing downstairs to the lobby for 9AM orientation.

So far, one of my favorite parts of life in Japan is getting around on my bicycle. I definitely think that I will enjoy the active lifestyle that comes with one of my primary modes of transportation during my stay. Today was an absolutely GORGEOUS day out and our group biked to the ferry where we headed over to the park for a very long day of company policy education. We were all in good spirits though and managed to laugh a lot through the whole process.

One thing I have learned already is that Japan is the land of abundant convenience. I suppose when a country has as many people as Japan does, there is no choice BUT to implement such accommodations. Everywhere you look there are vending machines with anything from cigarettes, to bottled water to HOT (and DELICIOUS) instant coffee. And it's CHEAP too. It's about the equivalent of $1USD for a piping hot cup of just about any kind of coffee drink you could want. They've even got caramel macchiatos in these machines. It's pretty great. :)

The funniest discovery we made today by FAR was in the public restrooms. As soon as you close and lock the door to the stall, a sound machine kicks in with waves or running water to mask the sound as you do your business. Not only this, but we were startled at first, to discover that the seats are equipped with seat warmers to make your experience more comfortable. Suffice it to say, we all had a good laugh about this together throughout the day. Why, I ask you, haven't we adopted the same amenities in the states? It really does round out the entire experience. lol

(Forgive me if this entry seems awkward or disjointed. Jet lag has reduced my brain to utter mush. I just wanted to make sure to write while this stuff was still fresh in my mind.)

I look forward to tomorrow and whatever new adventures the day brings. :)