Fishy Gift Giving

It was very hard to get up this morning. The cold, the dark, the warm, warm bed. The fact that i didn't get to sleep until way too late last night. But there are students who ned me. Well, they need the English i provide. Well, they need some of the - screw it. I'm going back to bed.

Just a couple more weeks of crazy busy and then i can relax a bit. Catch up on some stuff. Take the time to ZZzzz...

I received my winter gift from the head of GaiDai this weekend and we had some of it at diner last night. Salmon and capers! Good stuff. And since he is the unseen overlord of the university, there is fortunately no need for me to reciprocate (as there would be if there was a personal element to the relationship). It was very generous of him/them/the institution/whatever.

The tradition of winter gift giving in Japan, called お歳暮 ("oh-say-bo"), dates back quite a ways. One student informs me that it was actually brought over from China and involved the lunar calendar in some way. Nowadays it is done in teh first couple weeks of December. There is also a summer gift giving season called お中元("oh-choo-gen"), usually given in July. That one is often fruit or beer.

I like gifts. I like both the giving and the receiving. I don't, however, like all the obligation and rules. And, as with all things in Japan, there are oh so many obligations and rules. Ah well.

Slammin' Salmon!!












Symian is: could really use another four hours sleep.
Currently Reading: Oishinbo
Currently Listening: "See You" - Superfly
Kanji of the Day: お歳暮 ／　おせいぼ　／ winter gift