If you're used to driving everywhere, getting around can take some getting used to in Japan. I guess Ryan isn't quite there just yet. Did you have any trouble adjusting to walking everywhere in a new place?
Mai really wants to know what's up with Staring Lady's stare but I don't think we want to know the answer yet. It has to be more than just because Karl is a tall foreigner. Maybe one day we will all find out what's behind her crazy eyes. Until then, enjoy the fun! CLICK HERE AND SHOW YOUR SUPPORT BY LIKING MY FACEBOOK FAN PAGE.
I'm not sure Staring Lady ever really left. You might have noticed her in the background of previous comics. This is the first time Mai gets a taste of the power of her stare though! CLICKE HERE TO GO TO THE FIRST APPEARANCE OF THE STARING LADY!
It may be the polite thing to do but it's certainly not the easiest. I really enjoyed drawing the lady cut in so quickly in the second panel. She must be a pro. IF YOU'RE LOVING MY COMIC, PLEASE CLICK HERE AND LIKE MY FACEBOOK FAN PAGE!
I'm always surprised with how normal it is for elderly women in Japan to cut in front of you in line. It took some getting used to at first but it seems like people just respect the fact that they've earned the right to do what they want. Have you experienced this before?
When you're adjusting to living in another country, sometimes you just have to accept that there are some things they do better than your home country. I'm sure there are many more important things than making tasty eggs but...this is a comic strip after all. CLICK HERE TO LIKE MY FACEBOOK FAN PAGE!
Here's another food one for you to figure out! Why are Japanese eggs so good? Also, why are they so orange? Have any egg stories or knowledge? Let me know in the comments!
This comic is funny to me because I find that Japanese people love to bring up what is different about foreigners and rarely talk about what is the same. I guess Kenji thought he was thinking deeply in this one. What have your experiences been?
I'll let you ponder the meaning of the message. Kenji is such a deep thinker. CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW MY MESSAGES ON TWITTER!
This one really happened! There was an earthquake during the Kabuki performance I went to! I couldn't believe it! It was actually the first of many earthquakes I would be in while living in Japan. The actors were so cool to just pause in the middle of their poses and wait for the quake to finish and then continue on. I couldn't stop thinking about how crazy the earthquake felt and how unsure I was of how much stronger it would get while it was shaking. After the performance we checked the news and they said it was 4.5 on the Richter scale so not a huge earthquake but for me it was pretty big! IT WOULD BE BIG IF YOU CLICK HERE AND LIKE MY FACEBOOK FAN PAGE!
I remember when my co-teacher took me to see Kabuki and, as an artist, I was so amazed by the entire experience! Just like Karl said in the comic, the costumes, sets and makeup were beautiful and the acting and posing was very powerful. It felt nice to experience Japanese history and really feel the culture during the performance. Japanese people can have trouble understanding what the actors are saying because they use old forms of the language. They speak in a special "Kabuki" sing song like way that can make it difficult to hear the words easily. If you visit Japan I encourage you to see a Kabuki play!
Sato sensei's husband must be quite a guy. A guy that doesn't appreciate the arts. Karl is pretty open to new experiences so find out next week how their Kabuki "date" goes. CLICK HERE TO LIKE MY FACEBOOK FAN PAGE!
I remember being surprised that all of the actors in a Kabuki play are men. It made me feel upset that women were not allowed to act in them but also amazed that such a strong part of Japanese theater is still around today. I was also amazed by the magic of lots of make up! The next few comic strips are going to be based on the true story of my first time going to a Kabuki play with my English co-teacher. Hope you enjoy them!
I really love chocolate chip cookies. Finding tasty ones in Japan can be difficult. Japanese desserts are not as sweet as the ones in American. When I found a brand called Country Ma'am, I was hooked! They are tiny chocolate chip cookies that are actually sweet and delicious. Each one is individually wrapped, like a lot of food in Japan, and I really have to eat several to equal one regular sized American cookie. Please let me know if you've found any other good chocolate chip cookies sold in Japan. LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS SECTION OR YOU CAN PUT UP YOUR SUGGESTIONS ON MY FACEBOOK FAN PAGE!
It's sad that we don't trust Tanuki to be sincere but more often than not, he has a selfish agenda attached to his caring ways. This strip also helps to establish Tanuki's difficulties with using his magic that will come more into play in later strips. GIVE ME A FOLLOW ON TWITTER!
Tanuki fails again with using his magic. Cookies in the toilet? That's more like an epic fail! PLEASE DON'T FAIL ME AND CLICK HERE TO LIKE MY FACEBOOK FAN PAGE!
I thought it would be fun to play with Tanuki's magic and how he struggles with using it well. His love for cookies can get him into some pretty sticky situations! CLICK HERE AND FOLLOW MY MAGIC ON TWITTER!
I actually like the taste of milk in Japan. At first, I did wonder why my cereal tasted so strange. When I took a sip of milk only, I thought it was spoiled. When I bought another carton and tasted it, I figured that milk must taste different in Japan for some reason. Still good but different.
If dragons live long lives then I guess he can wait for his meat and pastries. Sorry, no big battle for the Black Samurai this time. At least they had an easy time getting rid of him. A lot easier than it will be for Karl to put back some of those pastries. Do you guys love pastries in Japan as much as I do?
Let's all remember that J and Ryan are competing to see who will be picked to continue working in the Japan office for a full year. It's also good to remember that Ryan has no problem with using his popularity with the boss to his advantage. I'm sure it's made easier by the fact that J doesn't usually treat him that well. Will J and Ryan always be friendly enemies or... frienemies? Probably. YOU CAN BE MY FRIEND BY CLICKING HERE AND FOLLOWING ME ON TWITTER!
Fried Chicken and Sushi is a Blog and humorous comic strip about living in Japan and Japanese pop-culture.
© copyright 2010 - Khalid Birdsong All Rights Reserved.
