tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3533986275392579293.post7290457275533838202..comments2023-10-19T00:31:30.098+09:00Comments on Always leaving things unfinishe: The cake that broke the gaijin's back.Corinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17837500129573276985noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3533986275392579293.post-51351953709582441872011-12-25T18:50:35.479+09:002011-12-25T18:50:35.479+09:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12966350839212372203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3533986275392579293.post-57930457779050690632011-02-04T12:47:51.676+09:002011-02-04T12:47:51.676+09:00"He was actually quite nice to me after that...."He was actually quite nice to me after that... Should try comparing everything to surfing..."<br /><br />Fucking genius! I woulda got that one. I wax my board all the time when I'm back home in Waikiki.<br /><br />Use that angle whenever you need. I bet it works almost everytime :)Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14244086663441014048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3533986275392579293.post-82638960660500457002011-02-01T12:08:22.977+09:002011-02-01T12:08:22.977+09:00Hi, I hope the day turned out alright in the end, ...Hi, I hope the day turned out alright in the end, you didn't sound too bad on the phone! Wish I could have come, I needed to get my A in G sooner. Fail.<br /><br />You can get large packs of coconut, but it's the longer stuff, but it does the trick, I get it in Fadie's, the coffee and restaurant supply store, you must have something like that up there.<br /><br />I would have got the cake and one of those crappy wiggly icing pens GW was talking about and some boxes of marble candy and squeezed the wiggly icing all over cake and covered it with the marbles or sprinkles or something. <br /><br />But I know that's not the point. Doesn't matter what it is actually, we all get to that point sometimes, when something drives you over the edge and you just need to rant and rave about the WHOLE country!!! They come and go, I can't remember what my last one was, it was only last week though...Rachelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17321189743948194204noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3533986275392579293.post-33937003134183686382011-02-01T01:26:32.291+09:002011-02-01T01:26:32.291+09:00I feel your pain! Life in Japan is frustrating as ...I feel your pain! Life in Japan is frustrating as hell at times for an Australian woman -you're doing the right thing by writing about it and getting it all out.<br />Happy Birtnhday to Ash. He's lucky to have you as a mum.Kymnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3533986275392579293.post-27152169947821797622011-01-31T20:49:21.709+09:002011-01-31T20:49:21.709+09:00Hi! I'm de-lurking to comment on this one. My ...Hi! I'm de-lurking to comment on this one. My theory is that since it's us women who do just about everything we could probably make things easier on ourselves by living in our home country. That way, at the very least we might be able to trick ourselves into believing that our husbands would help more if not for the language issues/if they knew how things worked! And if things all went pear-shaped there would always be violet crumbles and lamingtons on hand to cheer us up!<br /><br />Anyway, I hope Ash's birthday party was awesome and that Ryota was suitably impressed!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3533986275392579293.post-59221353107228834882011-01-31T01:47:59.836+09:002011-01-31T01:47:59.836+09:00I can't imagine how hard and frustrating it wo...I can't imagine how hard and frustrating it would be to live in a foreign country. Hopefully the birthday party was a success.Just Plain Tiredhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17370008595700891854noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3533986275392579293.post-22300443415620069412011-01-30T15:48:09.400+09:002011-01-30T15:48:09.400+09:00It's like you want to take really good care of...It's like you want to take really good care of your surfboard but it's made of a material that needs special compounds you've never heard of to maintain. AND all the instructions are in a language you don't really understand. AND you're taking it out surfing in a spot you've never been before surrounded by locals who surf there every day. AND you need to provide your surfboard with lots of extraneous doodads (such as towels and bags of varying sizes) that need to be made, labelled (in the foreign languge) and folded neatly. Then washed, dried and reassembled daily. Plus other doodads you've never heard of for special events you've never heard of. And if you get it wrong, you fear that you or your surfboard may be ostracized by the other surfers for the next decade or two.<br />Okay, so I've never actually surfed. <br />But I have two kids in kindy who bring home at least 20 papers to be read and 26 items to be washed, dried, and reassembled every weekend. About two thirds of that on other days. I feel your pain! <br />Happy Birthday!Xanahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15455990012935032853noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3533986275392579293.post-11118737584753076372011-01-30T12:42:20.666+09:002011-01-30T12:42:20.666+09:00The Costco staff sound stupid. How hard would a pl...The Costco staff sound stupid. How hard would a plain cake be? I hope the party goes well.Sarahfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17570295122864601160noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3533986275392579293.post-1769469160971723572011-01-29T23:20:27.330+09:002011-01-29T23:20:27.330+09:00We must be phsycically linked or something, becaus...We must be phsycically linked or something, because I just wrote a "get-me-out-of-here" post today, too!<br /><br />I have no one to blame but myself, for not staying in San Francisco, but hindsight is 20/20.L.https://www.blogger.com/profile/13437332749627332216noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3533986275392579293.post-11795189842353719032011-01-29T22:11:29.427+09:002011-01-29T22:11:29.427+09:00I understand how you must have been peeved off at ...I understand how you must have been peeved off at the staff in costco. I hope you managed to get a cake for the party. For my daughter's birthday last yr, in the absence of a decent sized oven, I made a huge cheesecake as we had a ridiculous number of guests round for a party. Perhaps too late for this year...<br /><br />Too long in Japan...I know how it is with the hoikuen stuff. My hub leaves everything to me and I get frustrated at muddling through each language and cultural obstacle they throw at me. But I do think that being a foreigner is an advantage sometimes because we can play the "zenzen wakarani" card. Nobody seems to question my selective understanding of Japanese either! Though dealing with endless hoikuen letters really does stress me out some days too. Seriously, who really has the time when they are in full time employment?<br /><br />I hope your "Nihon Boke" phase passes. Starting a new business must be a hell of a stress on top of raising a child in a foreign country. <br /><br />Have a lovely party tomorrow.Chrysanthemum Mumhttp://chrysanthemummum.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3533986275392579293.post-29851319471947386922011-01-29T20:37:06.793+09:002011-01-29T20:37:06.793+09:00Even in australia, I could never work out the syst...Even in australia, I could never work out the system at my son's school. Like they'd send a notice home saying they were having a bbq and I'd turn up expecting to buy food but all the other mums would have known that (somehow... telepathy maybe) and would have prepared picnic food. Arrgghhh I'd have been totally screwed in a different language. <br /><br />And seriously, why could they not sell you a blank cake? Jeez!Kathrynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08699328937978331608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3533986275392579293.post-90324109765954366052011-01-29T20:20:22.079+09:002011-01-29T20:20:22.079+09:00next time you go home or get a package from home g...next time you go home or get a package from home get some cake decorating pens - they are HEAPS easier to use than the pathetic Japanese ones that leave the writing like like three year old has written it. Bloody costcos for not bending a bit and at least giving you a cake with no writing. <br />I'm sure the party and whatever cake you sort will be fabulous. And that you'll be posting a 'dare I say...' post again in five years and ten, and fifteen... :)<br />Have a great day tomorrow.gaijinwifehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00713629788800228270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3533986275392579293.post-90790836739969180562011-01-29T19:55:23.348+09:002011-01-29T19:55:23.348+09:00I completely agree with a lot of what you are sayi...I completely agree with a lot of what you are saying. There are so many basic things that you just never seem to be able to find when you really want them! <br />In terms of the PTA etc. I personally think we are at an advantage in not knowing the system. After being bullied into being the stupid PTA chairperson at my children's kindy I soon learned that although there are very set ways of doing things there are also many people who want to change the systems, but as they are Japanese they don't feel they can do anything different. Us "foreigners" however can make suggestions that are listened to, make zillions of mistakes without people thinking twice about it and basically change a few things that would otherwise continue in the same outdated way for the next 100 years. That is my experience anyway... hopefully things will pick up for you soon - I'm sure you will have a great party with a fantastic cake!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03671659320538901131noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3533986275392579293.post-24849911643690371422011-01-29T19:27:16.359+09:002011-01-29T19:27:16.359+09:00Dare I say... I have been thinking that for the pa...Dare I say... I have been thinking that for the past fifteen years or so. And I'm still here. It isn't always easy. All I can tell you is, the longer you wait, the more difficult it will get to make the move. Follow your heart. But for now.. Happy Birthday!F.https://www.blogger.com/profile/01203418068958646089noreply@blogger.com