ObviousGuy's Journal: Soup/Rice positioning

Lingqi was mentioning in his journal that his sleeves sometimes get soup on them because of the way food is arranged in the Japanese custom.

The layout of the food always dictates that the rice be on the far right with the miso soup should be to the right of it. Obviously, reaching over the soup to get to the rice puts the sleeve at risk of dipping into the soup.

However, it seems that Lingqi has only been told half of the story and still has to learn the other half of eating etiquette. The proper way to eat rice is to pick up the bowl in the left hand and hold it throughout the meal except in circumstances that make that position physically impossible. The proper form is to rest the owan on the 1st and 2nd knuckles of the middle and ring fingers and hold the top with the thumb. This gives a solid grip for when you need to reach halfway across the table to reach the last piece of karaage (which you should be leaving for someone else, but that's another etiquette lesson).

It is not so much that leaving the bowl of rice on the table and scooping it from there is impolite (hidoi) so much as it is bad mannered (gehin).

As for the shower heads, the reason it moves is because Japanese people do not take Western Style showers (though this is changing with ofuro-less 1K apartments). They rinse, soap up, then rinse again holding the shower head. They do not shower with the head racked. My guess is that it is easier for them to grab the low-placed showerhead than the higher one, which is why you always end up with the showerhead on the bottom rack.

Offtopic response.

[Xerithane]

May have found an inlet into Japan. Met a guy working at a Japanese company who is in Portland for a while. They're looking for native English speakers to give technical presentations. Woo.

I think it's based in Tokyo, which sucks as I don't want to live in Tokyo. Just thought I'd let you know. If something more firm comes out of it I'll write a JE.

Hakujin ni Tokyo!

*grumble*grumble*

[ObviousGuy]

I hate Tokyo.

I need to move to a place where I won't get lung cancer from breathing the air.

Re:*grumble*grumble*

[Xerithane]

I need to move to a place where I won't get lung cancer from breathing the air.

There is always LA. I do have to say that Seattle, for it's size, has pretty good air. It's all because of the winds coming off the sound, but it's pretty nice up there. Although the smell of fish gets old.

Are you permanently in Japan, or are you planning on coming back to the US?

Re:*grumble*grumble*

[ObviousGuy]

I really like Seattle. They say the traffic is terrible, but I lived on the Eastside and it wasn't as bad as they make it out. The DC Beltway is MUCH worse and longer. Driving between San Jose and San Francisco is a much deeper level of hell than I-5 or I-405 through Puget Sound could ever reach.

The plan was originally to ship me out here for two years and then afterwards let me figure out if I want to stay at the Japanese department or quit the company entirely (no guaranteed position at the home offic

Clarification?

[Caoch93]

I'm sure there's a difference between "impolite" and "bad mannered" as you're using them...could I trouble you to make the distinction more clear? I'm merely curious.

FYI, I saw your journal when you linked it from a comment in lingqi's journal, so you're now on my list-o-friends. ;)