Valentine's Day

You see, in Japan women give all the presents, the men don't really do anything. I'm told that this is the only way it was ever going to work over there, although it seems to me to leave the guys totally off the hook. Women will go out and buy gifts (usually chocolates or something they made a scarf or that kind of thing) for the guy's they have a crush on. The guys don't need to do anything, sort of a Sady Hawkin's day.

I, being totally oblivious to this strange twist of convention, and caught up in the glow of the marketing and festivities that surrounded the event in Japan, decided to buy the girls I knew little boxes of Godiva chocolates. As it happened, Valentine's Day fell on our weekly meeting at "The Bar" in Machida and I was so excited to give them out as a surprise gift. Sitting with my guy friends, I was told how things work over there. There was no way the girls would come, as a girl being seen alone on Valentine's Day was embarrassing.

They guy's were feeling sorry for themselves and checking scores... Who got the most chocolates, did the girl they liked get them something, it was chilling. I could see what it must be like to be a woman in the Western world on Valentine's day, but it was pretty pathetic to hear grown men whine over chocolates. They said it was fair, since if -- and the if is significant here -- if they liked a girl who gave them a gift they would get them something for White Day.

White Day (March 14th) is the day the guys, after the girls have stuck their necks out, decide to reciprocate to the girl of their choice. So the girls have to wait a month to see if their overtures bear fruit. That must be a sucky four weeks.

I hear in Korea, they do a very similar thing, they added a Black Day (April 14th) for those who struck out. They all go out together and commiserate over Jajang noodles, which are appropriately black. I wonder where I can find a nice Korean restaurant around here that serves them.