Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Some people do not have manners?



I grew up in the Japanese society.


I was taught that when calling friends on the phone and another person answers always greet them before asking the friend.  


If I am making a business phone call needless to say I used to tell my company's name and my mane as well.




However since I have lived with my husband , sometimes his coworkers would call our house as well as his friends.


Even I had met them before most of them just say "Is OO(my husband ' name) there?"
(without greeting me)



It makes me feel like a telephone operator !



Is this normal or are they rude?



When that happened I would always  say

"May I ask who"s calling?"  





In Japan even elementally children know telephone etiquette.

Although  these days there may be less opportunity to call somebody's house for them because of       texting and e mail.    



 









Sunday, February 1, 2015

The differences between Japanese and American youth baseball practice.


We have  two teenage boys who played 3-4 years Japanese youth baseball leagues starting at age 10.

Upon returning to America , we noticed huge differences between American and Jpanese practices , games, and tournaments.

Mast club teams in Japan the couches and managers are not paid.

That is not the case in America Elite youth teams.


In Japan these managers and coaches are regarded almost as saints by the players parents.

The parents in Japan take rotate and turns during various support team year around from 8 am to 6 pm

Sat+Sundays and holidays.

Because they have to take care of ordering take out (BENTO) and water, umpire games and help  prepare and rake the field.

They serve coffee or tea  to the manager and couches.

Every parent is on a rotation schedule.

Other indirect support jobs are arranging practice games with other team , managing the teem money,
reserving fields , reserving hotel room the team travels to tournaments , etc.



Japanese managers and couches act like Army Drill Sergeants .

When they address players  the players have to take their baseball caps off and stand at attention.

When some japanese professional players say they they never thought baseball practice could be so much fun like it is in America.


Why is Japanese baseball practice like being in the military ?

One reason might be that during world war 2  the Japanese Government did not allow people have any
entertainment like sports.

People who loved baseball told the government that  baseball practice would make the children physically and mentally strong enough to become soldiers in future.

Though the war is over the army style of practice remains.