Furniture of Fear
There is something strangely fun about carrying furniture in Japan. Twice in the past week I have had to do so, and it has amused me both times.
This past weekend a furniture store a few blocks from my apartment was having a gigantic sale. Some stuff was so cheap，I really have no idea why they were bothering to sell it. Since I went into the “damaged goods” section of the store, well, I just got some really good deals on really ugly furniture.
Anyway, as we all know, I don’t speak Japanese. I didn’t really have an idea how to buy the furniture here. I couldn’t walk up to an employee and just say “hey, I want that” because, well, I don’t have the language ability. Since it was a giant sale, there were employees everywhere, but for some reason, none of them would even look at me, instead opting to help the young Japanese couples pick out the furniture for their new homes. I realized that if I wanted to make a purchase, I had to take the initiative.
I found out later that, when buying furniture in this store, you’re supposed to pick what you want, they’ll write your name on a tag and place the tag on the piece, you go downstairs and pay for the furniture, and then they have some guy bring it down to you in an hour or so. Not sure why it takes that long, but it does. That’s what I found out now.
Lacking any other way to make my intentions known, I found a filing cabinet I wanted on the 5th floor, picked it up, and just carried it downstairs to pay for it. Or run off with it, I wasn’t sure. The store was packed with customers and employees, and every one of them had the same look on their face when I would come barreling towards them with a filing cabinet: complete terror. Conversations would just completely stop as they would stare at me in awe and fear. Once I almost ran a guy over, as he was caught in my path like a deer in headlights.
After paying for my filing cabinet, I carried it home, and then returned for me. The woman at the front door saw me returning, and from the expression on her face I could read her mind: “Oh shit, he comes back, and now he’s going to kill us all.” I purchased another piece of furniture, this time an uber comfy chair, and the process repeated itself. In face, the process repeated several times throughout the day. I think maybe I should try to blend in more and not scare people, but this is just too much fun.
I had more fun with furniture and freaking people out last night. A JET in a nearby city had just moved, and for some reason, after moving, she had an extra couch she was giving away. Ray decided he needed a couch, and so the deal was made that if he comes get it, he can have it for free. Last night we went to get the couch.
Now, first let me say that this is a Japanese couch. It does not resemble, in any way, the sofa you have sitting in your family room right now. It’s small and rather uncomfortable, but it’s what you can get here.
The trip from the girl’s house back to Ray’s involves this process: a ten minute walk from her apartment to the bus station, a 15 minute bus ride, a 15 minute train ride, and then another 5 minute walk to Ray’s apartment. Now none of this is overly difficult, as the couch is exceedingly light and easily transportable. The problem was taking the couch on public transportation. After some debate, we decided that the best way to go about getting the couch to Joyo was for me to walk with it in the lead, and I just gaijin smash my way through any problems. It worked remarkably well.
Walking to the bus station was no real problem. We just looked like we stole a couch and were trying to get away, none too quickly though. We received a plethora of stares, but overall nothing all that interesting. We got off the bus at the train station, which is a really busy station so there was no end of people who became uncomfortable by the mere presence of a gaijin carrying a couch through the crowds. Much of the rest of the trip was uneventful. We received uncomfortable stares on the train, and once when I smiled back at the stare, a guy got up and jogged out of the car, looking a little worried. Coming down the stairs at our stop, two young women were talking at the bottom. Once they noticed us, the one girl stopped in mid-sentence to give us a look of complete confusion. I winked at them, which prompted much giggling and then the camera phones were out, taking pictures of what I can only assume is a unique sight in Japan.
This past weekend a furniture store a few blocks from my apartment was having a gigantic sale. Some stuff was so cheap，I really have no idea why they were bothering to sell it. Since I went into the “damaged goods” section of the store, well, I just got some really good deals on really ugly furniture.
Anyway, as we all know, I don’t speak Japanese. I didn’t really have an idea how to buy the furniture here. I couldn’t walk up to an employee and just say “hey, I want that” because, well, I don’t have the language ability. Since it was a giant sale, there were employees everywhere, but for some reason, none of them would even look at me, instead opting to help the young Japanese couples pick out the furniture for their new homes. I realized that if I wanted to make a purchase, I had to take the initiative.
I found out later that, when buying furniture in this store, you’re supposed to pick what you want, they’ll write your name on a tag and place the tag on the piece, you go downstairs and pay for the furniture, and then they have some guy bring it down to you in an hour or so. Not sure why it takes that long, but it does. That’s what I found out now.
Lacking any other way to make my intentions known, I found a filing cabinet I wanted on the 5th floor, picked it up, and just carried it downstairs to pay for it. Or run off with it, I wasn’t sure. The store was packed with customers and employees, and every one of them had the same look on their face when I would come barreling towards them with a filing cabinet: complete terror. Conversations would just completely stop as they would stare at me in awe and fear. Once I almost ran a guy over, as he was caught in my path like a deer in headlights.
After paying for my filing cabinet, I carried it home, and then returned for me. The woman at the front door saw me returning, and from the expression on her face I could read her mind: “Oh shit, he comes back, and now he’s going to kill us all.” I purchased another piece of furniture, this time an uber comfy chair, and the process repeated itself. In face, the process repeated several times throughout the day. I think maybe I should try to blend in more and not scare people, but this is just too much fun.
I had more fun with furniture and freaking people out last night. A JET in a nearby city had just moved, and for some reason, after moving, she had an extra couch she was giving away. Ray decided he needed a couch, and so the deal was made that if he comes get it, he can have it for free. Last night we went to get the couch.
Now, first let me say that this is a Japanese couch. It does not resemble, in any way, the sofa you have sitting in your family room right now. It’s small and rather uncomfortable, but it’s what you can get here.
The trip from the girl’s house back to Ray’s involves this process: a ten minute walk from her apartment to the bus station, a 15 minute bus ride, a 15 minute train ride, and then another 5 minute walk to Ray’s apartment. Now none of this is overly difficult, as the couch is exceedingly light and easily transportable. The problem was taking the couch on public transportation. After some debate, we decided that the best way to go about getting the couch to Joyo was for me to walk with it in the lead, and I just gaijin smash my way through any problems. It worked remarkably well.
Walking to the bus station was no real problem. We just looked like we stole a couch and were trying to get away, none too quickly though. We received a plethora of stares, but overall nothing all that interesting. We got off the bus at the train station, which is a really busy station so there was no end of people who became uncomfortable by the mere presence of a gaijin carrying a couch through the crowds. Much of the rest of the trip was uneventful. We received uncomfortable stares on the train, and once when I smiled back at the stare, a guy got up and jogged out of the car, looking a little worried. Coming down the stairs at our stop, two young women were talking at the bottom. Once they noticed us, the one girl stopped in mid-sentence to give us a look of complete confusion. I winked at them, which prompted much giggling and then the camera phones were out, taking pictures of what I can only assume is a unique sight in Japan.
posted by S A B at 5:31 AM
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