so i cried my heart out over a fry-pan that is worth 580 yen (which is worth SGD7.56362 according to xe.com)

i feel so sick and tired of the Japanese culture suddenly and i am seriously considering the implications of working here in a different culture as a foreigner.

For nerei and yihao, I shall blog a small part of my sad story.

*the story of a 580 yen fry-pan that made me shed a liter of tears*

A good friend of mine (Zoom-san) from Vietnam made the Vietnamese spring-roll for me last month. It was so delicious that I asked her if she would teach me some day, and she said ok. Another Indonesian girl (Y-san) asked Zoom-san to teach her as well, so we all picked a date - Saturday afternoon - to learn how to cook this delicious Vietnamese new year food.

Since I'm going to buy my own ingredients and cook, I was thinking of cooking for Aki and Yohei (2 Japanese friends) who invited me to go out for hanami (Sakura viewing near a shrine) on Sunda.

So on Friday after class, Zoom-san and I went to the supermarket and spent 3 hours getting good ingredients. There was a lot of time that was spent elsewhere as well, such as accompanying her to the bank because she needs to transfer money, as well as waiting for the school bus because there's only 1 bus per hour.

I was really happy and excited about learning how to cook, as well as cooking for Aki and Yohei.

So Saturday I arranged all my schedules in a way such that I have ample time for cooking - the three of us spent over 3 hours in the kitchen chopping ingredients and rolling rolls. In the process I injured my finger with a deep cut but I was still in great mood - thinking that the food will turn out good and all my time and effort and money (and blood) will be worth it.

So we were cooking in Dorm II (where all 3 of us stays). But the thing is this - I don't have any cooking utensils because I usually use rice cooker and my electric pot to do wonders. So Aki who stayed in Dorm I said I could use his fry pan. I would be cooking for him anyway. So I took the fry-pan out of Dorm I and brought it to Dorm II to fry the rolls I took hours to make.

At 7p.m., the time Aki, Yohei, and I agreed to meet in Dorm I kitchen, I was really excited. I carried everything over to Dorm I kitchen and found nobody there, while in my mind I could hear Zoom-san nagging at me that it must be eaten while hot or else the taste would be VERY different. Even microwave would not undo the taste.

I started feeling a bit anxious, so while waiting for them I started to bring bowls and chopsticks out so that they could eat immediately when they arrive. After waiting for a while more, they finally stroll their way in slowly. I didn't mind. I was still very excited and hoping that they would say how delicious the spring-roll was. (The girls and I tried it in the kitchen and it was REALLY great!! Honest!)

They continued to take their time and I was like "hurry up!! lets eat lets eat!" I was still all happy and excited. I hurried up and fill their bowls with rice. Aki made miso soup and I quickly filled their bowls with soup.

Then.. Yohei took a bite and said "This doesn't taste like spring-roll, it taste like meat patty". I was still happy and said "oh come on, its Vietnamese food!! Please appreciate it!"

Then Aki started drinking the soup he made, and said, "oh my soup taste so delicious!"

I started to feel a bit sian... and I said "hurry up and try the spring roll".

He ignored me and continue drinking his soup... after half a bowl of soup, then he took his first bite of spring roll, which he said, "Oh my soup is still better. How long did you take to make the spring roll?"

I said "3 hours shopping, 3 hours making, + some idle time here and there"

Aki then said, "You are not smart, eh. The best food should be delicious and simple to make, like my soup."

I didn't answer him and felt like I have been half an idiot at this time.

Then Aki saw his fry-pan, which I placed on the table near where all our foods are. Aki then said, "Omg, you used my fry-pan without telling me!!"

Yohei then said, "Oh, apologise!"

THEN I got a bit angry, saying "But you said I could use it anytime!"

Then he said "YES BUT I didn't say you could use it anyWHERE!! This is Japanese common sense."

....

I am here, sitting inside the kitchen of a place named "INTERNATIONAL university of Japan".

I know this is Japan. BUT I am not a Japanese. Not even 1%.

SO yeah, I don't have their common sense.

I am a Singaporean after all, and I am proud to be a Singaporean.

....

Then the both of them kept telling me how I should apologise and it is all my fault. I was thinking, oh F***, I wasted 6 hours and I have no F***ing idea what I was doing here.

I refused to apologise, and asked them to explain to me what I did wrong. He said I could use it anytime. If he didn't want me to use it anywhere, he should have told me so. I didn't kept the pan for more than a few hours. Besides, I used it to cook FOR him. He knew that I don't own a fry pan and he knew that I would need a fry pan to fry spring roll. AND he told me I could use it anytime.

FUMEEEEEE!

I couldn't continue eating and sat there for 5 mins while they both continued eating and Aki continued to praise his soup, while Yohei went to get a range of sauce and start pouring onto the spring roll which he repeated commented how it tasted like meat patty.

After 5 minutes, I dont know why but my tears start rolling down my cheek. I didn't want to cry in the kitchen so I walked out of the kitchen and sat in the cold. I was hoping that Yohei could come after me. We are such close friends after all. In the end my tears accompanied me for 30 minutes in the cold.

I went back to my room after that, and more terrible things happened. I end up spending the rest of my weekend crying...