The Even Greater Tokyo Region

The Re-beginning

I remember the very first time I traveled back to Holland as an 11 year-old. I remember driving away from Schiphol airport and somehow being surprised that the grass in Holland was also green. Sure, I hadn't learnt about photosynthesis yet, but I was not making a scientific discovery. It was simply an observation that different countries really weren't so different as my cartoon-watching background had prepared me for.

Many people in this world are too keen to focus on the differences between countries and cultures. I too, have been guilty of this in my last two years in Japan. Japan is now behind me, and Holland is ahead of me, but I don't want to continue the banal- and often damaging or disparaging habit of simply pointing out our differences. I would rather talk about the simple universal truths. Sure the grass might be a little greener on the other side, but we all bleed red and we shouldn't eat yellow snow.

So, to start off, I want to write about the things that Japan and Holland share in common, for example, they are both extremely different to each other.

One is big, the other is small.
One is short, the other is tall. (height and nose-wise)
One has gays, whores and grass, the other has none of that, at all.

The great thing about stereotypes is that it doesn't require any original thinking. For me and you. For example, I can say that I live in Holland, less than an hour from Amsterdam. Then I can laugh, as if that was a witty joke. "Haha, it is funny because I am less from an hour away from legally getting high, legally getting married to another man and then being legally euthanised. Holland is great."

Thinking for yourself is hard, man. The only reason I came to Holland is to try get into a Masters Course at University. Leave me alone, Gosh!

But two full days after arriving, I think I am ready to venture outside. I need to get some fresh air while the weather holds. Tomorrow the forecast is looking peachy. Apparently, until tomorrow it has been "typical" Dutch weather, which is apparently similar to "typical Scottish weather" and "typical Toyama weather" and "typical NZ West Coast weather", and any other place that prides itself on crap weather.

So on those rare occasions when I do leave the house, I will be checking how green the grass is, if everybody bleeds red, and generally keep an eye out for the things that show that we are all the same. And that thing is: stupidity.