My siblings and I used to joke while in Saint Petersburg about the “little work” jobs that existed there just so that nobody would be unemployed. Such jobs could include, for instance, an extra guard in every single room of every single gallery in town, who would remain on a chair all day without muttering a single word. Jobs the world could do without. In Japan, plenty of businesses are over-staffed. Sometimes I get the feeling that some workers are there just to welcome people and contribute to an echoed a capella that welcomes and wishes you goodbye, thanks you for ordering, thanks you for being able to walk, thanks you for being able to put rubbish away, and basically thanks you for existing. One quickly learns to just ignore whatever they say, so I am not really sure whether this degree of politeness does any good; locals don’t seem to give many fucks either. Another funny example of unnecessary workforce is having two four humans watching out for every parking exit that leads into the street crossing the sidewalk. They brandish two red laser sticks and stop pedestrians from walking when there is a car going out.
They overdo gratitude displays, and many other individuals do things we have yet to decipher; guards in the bank move their hands and arms like a robot even they are alone, the lifeguard at the pool performs a few ninja hand seals when transmitting messages to his coworkers, and every worker at every bar or pub has some chip installed in their heads so that, anytime another worker says something in a melodic way, they repeat such message like an echo.
And then there’re maid coffees… I initially rejected the idea of visiting one due to my disapproval of such sexist places, but I chose to give it a try to know what it really was. Basically, young girls wearing some make up and maid uniforms treat you like a rich kid who needs large amounts of affection. We ordered a couple of beers, and the waitress sung a blessing with a little bit of choreography when she brought them to our table. Such choreography usually means doing cat or rabbit-like movements with your hands while shrugging one’s shoulders, to look more “cute” to the desperate customer. If you order french fries, they sing for about two minutes while playing with the hot bag of fries, waiting for it to cool down. I could barely stop laughing awkwardly every time. It was just another group of three guys and us in the place, so I am sure there is a whole lot more to explore and experience in a maid coffee, but I will pass on doing so. The coffee we visited is called Maidreamin’, in Akihabara. It was not cheap, but the prices were more than reasonable. Maid coffees are usually absurdly expensive (given the fact that the food is average and in small quantities).
Now, before finishing this entry, let me introduce you to the Japanese green soybeans, the delicious edamame (枝豆). Edamame is a dish of immature soybeans in a pod, which are boiled or steamed, and served with salt. I am terribly addicted to this, and the fact that you can get them absolutely everywhere -bars, restaurants, izakayas, or in ready-to-eat bags at 24h convenience stores- is very dangerous for my budget. Every time we visit a grocery shop, I can’t resist taking a couple of bags along. If my plan fails and my careers reaches a dead-end, I am probably starting an edamame business in Europe.
