I finally did it. I made a big enough mistake that someone got visibly angry with me. I knew I should have gone back to sleep, but because I was wide awake at 7 am I decided to get up and try to get some things done. Laundry wasn't a problem, but taking out the trash was. The Japanese take their trash very seriously. For example, plastic bottles must have their contents emptied, wrappers removed, and caps taken off before they can be placed in the recycling bins. Glass cans are divided based on color, and cardboard, newspapers, and "burnable" garbage are not the same thing. Plastic is separate from paper, paper can be combined with what was once edible, and so on.
What I didn't fully understand was where and when trash had to be taken out. Apparently, Mondays and Thursdays from 7-8 am is when plastic and other non burnable garbage can be taken out. All burnable garbage must be taken out on Wednesdays during the same time. Today, however, was Tuesday. And not knowing this, I placed my trash bags outside the designated place. I left them there and continued on my way.
Dance class came and went. We learned the dance Yoonkyung and Hiroko made up a few weeks ago, and we practiced more of the Indian dance sensei taught us last week. After that, we met with Bea for lunch. During the lunch period I received two calls from a number I didn't recognize. Since I didn't know the number, I didn't pick up. However, the calls continued even after I returned to the dorm. I was just getting out of the shower when the person called two more times. Finally, I picked up. The person on the other line told me to meet them right away. I didn't exactly understand who it was, but I heard "come to the genkan" so I left my room in search of the mystery person.
Turns out that it was the "house mother," the woman who oversees the dorm, who had been calling me. She found my trash that morning and was pissed that I had left it outside where the deer and other animals could possibly get to it, and that I had taken it out on the wrong day (God forbid). I have no idea how she knew it was mine, but she marched me over to the trash collection area and showed me how to separate everything, then stressed the dates and times to me, all in rapid Japanese. All I could do was apologize as I tried to keep from bursting in to tears.
As a result of this run in, I was late to Beginner's Japanese. We practiced using particles, adjectives, ordering in a restaurant, and read another manga strip. Business Japanese was just as difficult before. The teacher gave us situations and had us choose the best response out of multiple choice. It was a relief when class ended because I was absolutely starving. I guess I didn't eat enough at lunch. I was glad Bea was with me when we walked back into the dorm because I was afraid of running into the house mother. It was somewhat encouraging when Bea told me she and Tabea had a similar problem with the garbage last semester, but I really don't want anyone holding a grudge against me for what I felt was a simple mistake! I am glad throwing out the trash isn't as difficult in the US!
What I didn't fully understand was where and when trash had to be taken out. Apparently, Mondays and Thursdays from 7-8 am is when plastic and other non burnable garbage can be taken out. All burnable garbage must be taken out on Wednesdays during the same time. Today, however, was Tuesday. And not knowing this, I placed my trash bags outside the designated place. I left them there and continued on my way.
Dance class came and went. We learned the dance Yoonkyung and Hiroko made up a few weeks ago, and we practiced more of the Indian dance sensei taught us last week. After that, we met with Bea for lunch. During the lunch period I received two calls from a number I didn't recognize. Since I didn't know the number, I didn't pick up. However, the calls continued even after I returned to the dorm. I was just getting out of the shower when the person called two more times. Finally, I picked up. The person on the other line told me to meet them right away. I didn't exactly understand who it was, but I heard "come to the genkan" so I left my room in search of the mystery person.
Turns out that it was the "house mother," the woman who oversees the dorm, who had been calling me. She found my trash that morning and was pissed that I had left it outside where the deer and other animals could possibly get to it, and that I had taken it out on the wrong day (God forbid). I have no idea how she knew it was mine, but she marched me over to the trash collection area and showed me how to separate everything, then stressed the dates and times to me, all in rapid Japanese. All I could do was apologize as I tried to keep from bursting in to tears.
As a result of this run in, I was late to Beginner's Japanese. We practiced using particles, adjectives, ordering in a restaurant, and read another manga strip. Business Japanese was just as difficult before. The teacher gave us situations and had us choose the best response out of multiple choice. It was a relief when class ended because I was absolutely starving. I guess I didn't eat enough at lunch. I was glad Bea was with me when we walked back into the dorm because I was afraid of running into the house mother. It was somewhat encouraging when Bea told me she and Tabea had a similar problem with the garbage last semester, but I really don't want anyone holding a grudge against me for what I felt was a simple mistake! I am glad throwing out the trash isn't as difficult in the US!
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