The Musicks in Japan

K: So, lately I’ve been thinking about working remote, and… for me, it’s a mixed bag. I haven’t been doing it that long. I’ve been – so, I’ve always offered Skype session. C: Right. K: I think I’ve talked in the past about how bad I suck at e-therapy, so I don’t do it. C: […]

K: So, lately I’ve been thinking about why I am the way I am. C: I think about that a lot, too. K: (laughs) C: Why is she so fabulous? K: (laughs) So, I have a lot of weird dichotomies in that I’m severely disabled and… I have a rare blood disease called hereditary coproporphyria, […]

K: So, lately I’ve been thinking about the patriarchy. C: Yeah? K: Yeah. (laughs)  C: They’ve been thinking about you, too. K: Yes. So, I really enjoy your definition of patriarchy. And the reason I really enjoy your definition of patriarchy is because I think so many people, when they hear it, they think that […]

K: So, lately I’ve been thinking about the pressure to have religion in the United States versus the pressure to have religion in Japan, and I think it would be helpful for the folks who aren’t in Japan, or maybe even some that are – the folks who are not in Japan and maybe even […]

K: So, lately I’ve been thinking about LGBTQIA+ and the importance of the plus because I’m part of the plus. I’m pansexual, so, L is for lesbian, G is for gay, B is bisexual, T is for trans, Q is for queer, I is for intersex, A is for asexual, and you can be one […]

K: So, lately I’ve been thinking about what it means to be tolerant and moderate, and what it means to be tolerant and moderate as an expatriate living in a host country. And what it means to be tolerant and moderate in the United States. Because I find that being tolerant and moderate in the […]

K: So, lately I’ve been thinking about what it means to be an immigrant and moving (coughs) sorry. And moving to Japan. And I also want to say I’m in the middle of going through dental… reconstructive surgery on my mouth, and I’m in a lupus flare. So, if my voice sounds a little bit […]

(Content note: Violence, murder, sexual assault) K: Lately, I’ve been thinking about letting people in and dropping down my wall, and being really vulnerable. I want to say the process started about a year ago. When did I come out as hard of hearing? C: I think it’s been about a year. K: Okay. Part […]

K: So, lately I’ve been thinking about a blended topic. (laughs) So I feel like I’m already starting off with a digression, but it’s Japanese technology and failed expectations by expats. Is kind of what I’ve been thinking about. And… I think that’s because of the state of the world, and a lot of my […]

K: So, lately I’ve been thinking about how we keep our marriage happy. C: Like… this is something we have talked about off the podcast.  K: (laughs) Well, because, like, the quarantine – and we’ve been in quarantine for a long time together. And I think what’s working in our favor is that you really […]

K: So, lately I’ve been thinking about last week’s episode. I just can’t get it out of my mind. C: It was immemorable. Or very memorable? K: (laughs) C: Unforgettable? K: So, I have a lot of… ignorance and bias that I’m… working my way out of. And, so, my – one of the biggest […]

K: So, lately I’ve been thinking about how bad this party sucks.  C: The party that we’re at. K: So, I have this thing whenever things in my life aren’t going well – I have this phrase that I say. And it’s from, I think, either a Beastie Boys song or – I think it’s […]

K: So, lately I’ve been thinking about moving. And… would we ever? C: Okay, good. I’m a little bit relieved. K: (laughs) C: I don’t think we’re moving. This is not a good time. K: This is a pretty big place for just two people. Not big by American standards, but by Japanese standards, it’s huge. Like the White House huge for two people. But… for Japanese standards wise. For American standards wise, this is a comfortable retirement condo.  C: Yeah. I agree with that.  K: Yeah. So, do you think we’d ever move from here, or do you think this is our forever home? C: I can’t see us moving from here to somewhere else in Nagoya, so I think if we were moving cities. K: (laughs) Yeah. No. We are not – (laughs) Why would we move from here to somewhere else in Nagoya?  C: I don’t know. K: That’s so wackadoo.  C: Yeah, I don’t know. And I don’t see us becoming snowbirds or… sunbirds or whatever. K: What are you talking about? Why are we becoming birds? C: Like, snowbirds are people who go to the snowy places in the winter for skiing or whatever. K: Okay. C: And I think they call them sunbirds for like people who go to Florida during the winter for the sun. K: I think you’re making something up. C: I am making something up, but I’m not sure which one.  K: Okay. (laughs) Because we – we’re definitely still going to travel. C: Oh, yeah. K: You owe me a trip to New Zealand, man.  C: I do. K: Yeah. I want to go to New Zealand. C: Yeah. K: Like, for visiting, not for living. C: Right. K: But I – and, looking at New Zealand, and I think because I’ve been looking at New Zealand a lot – I’m kind of attracted to it. Like, it looks like a good – I don’t know – they’re really courting retirees. I feel like they’re courting us. C: Yeah, I feel like they K: We’re not retirees, but they’re still courting us. C: I feel like they damaged their reputation a little bit. K: Okay, how so? C: Because, back near the end of March, they said, “our borders are closed. As of now.” K: (laughs)  C: “If you’re here, tough shit.”  K: (laughs) I shouldn’t be laughing. Okay, here’s the thing: I do not think the pandemic is a laughing matter. It’s very serious, but I laugh when I’m surprised. C: Yes.  K: So, you guys just heard my awkward, inappropriate laugh because I’ve just been shocked by something. Because I don’t know how to feel about it, so I crack up laughing. C: Yup. K: (laughs) And it makes me feel so insensitive. It makes me feel so uncomfortable, but I can’t help it. C: Mm. K: So, now you guys have just experienced what Chad’s been dealing with for twe- over twenty years.  C: Yup. K: Poor, poor Chad. C: It was a thing. They sent out a message.  K: (laughs) I didn’t know which thing you were saying is a thing. Like, New Zealand or me laughing at your pain. Or me laughing at really horrible news. C: Both are things. K: Yeah. C: But they sent out a message saying, “wherever you stay tonight, that’s where you’re staying. So, make sure” K: Wherever you’re what? C: Wherever you stay tonight, that’s where you’re staying.  K: (laughs) What are you talking about? Wherever – what are you talking about? C: So, let’s say you were having a sleepover with your friend.  K: Uh-huh. C: That’s where you would have to stay for the quarantine.  K: No. That’s not real. C: Yeah, that was real. K: No, that’s not real. C: Yes. Yes. It was a big thing

K: So, lately I’ve been thinking about how Japan has changed in the past – I think of it as the past 16 years because I came over by myself for six months, as the Musick Notes know. And… then we emigrated together as a family fifteen years ago. C: You came over fifteen years ago. We emigrated together as a family thirteen years ago – well, we’re here in Japan, so we immigrated, but. K: Thirteen? C: Yes. It’s 2020 K: What are you talking about? C: It’s 2020, and we all came over K: Yeah. We’ve been here 14 years. C: And we all came over in 2007. K: Okay. C: 20 minus 7 is 13. K: So, then we went for permanent residency when we had been here for 12 years? C: 11 years. K: 11 years. Okay. Alright. So, I don’t know our timeline, so you guys should really trust Chad on timelines. So, please, duly note for the record that I am saying Chad knows something mor- better than I do. C: Wow.  K: Right? Coming right out the gate with that. That’s like – I know, Musick Notes, your heads are just spinning right now like, “what? Chad knows something better than Kisstopher that isn’t math?” But then I guess that is kind of math. C: That is kind of math, yeah. K: (laughs) C: Subtracting one year from another. That’s kind of math. K: (laughs) For me, I just feel like I’ve been in Japan forever because this is my home. I had a really dear friend of mine – I was talking to them the other day, and they were like, “I just want to go back to Gifu.” They live in Nagoya, but they want to go back to Gifu because they just want to go home. And Gifu is home to them. C: Why don’t they go back to Gifu? Gifu is like thirty minutes away from here, so that’s why I’m K: Work. C: Oh, okay.  K: They work in Nagoya, so. C: Yeah. K: Everybody just kind of – a lot of expats just live where they can find work. C: Mhm. K: And don’t really get to pick their city until they get enough experience. And, usually, it’s like five years’ experience at anything you do. It’s between one- and five-years’ experience, and then you can basically pick your city based on whatever it is you do. I think. C: And that’s kind of strange to me because employers here, generally, will pay your transportation up to a certain amount. So K: Yeah, but not everybody has a commute in them. C: Yeah. I guess that’s it.  K: Because I don’t have a commute in me. Like, I seriously – we got – where my office is located is literally ten minutes away from the house, and some days that’s a struggle.  C: See, and I find that ironic because I work from home a hundred percent of the time now. K: Yeah. Whoop. C: My last job was like 90% of the time, now it’s 100% of the time. And not just because of social distancing or anything. I’ve just worked from home the last ten years or so. K Yeah.  C: And I could totally handle the commute. Because, when I was working in the Bay Area, I did long commutes every day. K: Okay. No. Pump the breaks. Your commute is literally three steps long. C: That’s what I’m saying. K: Is that you can handle the three steps? You’re courageous enough because sometimes, sometimes, your commute is like a good twenty steps. C: Yeah, if I go in the other room. No, what I’m saying  K: If you work from your nap room.  C: Right. K: Because I’m outing you as having a nap room.  C: Yes. K: Oh my gosh. I’m going to call you something. I can’t help it. C: Don’t do it. K: I’m going to do it. C: Don’t do it. K: I can’t help it. You’re a napper. Ohhh. Them’s fighting words. Chad’s just lik

K: So, lately I’ve been thinking about basically what everybody’s been thinking about, and that’s the novel – the new, novel corona virus, or COVID-19. And we really struggled with whether or not to even do this episode to begin with. We’ve avoided talking about it for the past month, even though I’ve been on quarantine since March because, as many of our Musick Notes already know, I have lupus and hereditary coproporphyria. What lupus is is – it’s a blood disorder that causes your immune system to attack yourself. And one of the treatments for lupus is to take immune suppressors. I am not currently on any immune suppressors, but were I to contract a virus, I would most likely die from it. I’m at a higher risk of dying from it. And you have asthma – which I feel like you live in denial about your asthma. We have an emergency inhaler that you have to use several times a year.C: About once a year.K: Okay.C: I don’t live in denial that I have it.K: Okay.C: But I know very specifically what it is, and I have allergic asthma.K: Yeah.C: Because, when I was a kid, it was unclear what kind of asthma I had. It was just, “you’ve got asthma. Take craptons of medicine.”K: Yeah.C: But when I was 17, I joined the air guard. And then, within a couple of weeks, went to Lackland Airforce Base and had an asthma attack and died. So, they – after you die in basic training, assuming you get brought back, they test you to figure out why before they kick you out. So, they did stress tests – like having me run in full fatigues and everything. And having me inhale various allergens. And when they got to the one that shut down my lungs, which was ragweed, they stopped and sent me home. So, I know that at least ragweed causes me severe asthmatic reactions, but there are some pollens here in Japan that do, too.K: Yeah. So… it’s… the end of April, and COVID is just – in terms of the pandemic level – we’re just starting to see an indication that the pandemic aspect of COVID is not skipping over Japan. And, so, we live in the city of Nagoya – which is southwest of Tokyo – right? We’reC: Yes, that’s right.K: Yeah. Southwest of Tokyo.C: Nailed it.K: (laughs) If you’re a Musick Note, you know it’s rare that I know where Nagoya is located, and that’s in the prefecture of Aichi. And theC: Which is the Chubu region or the Chugoku region – both of them mean central, so we’re in central Japan. Of the main island.K: And I think it’s really cool because the mayor of Nagoya has not been messing around since March. So, at the beginning – I want to say about – by the second week of March, the mayor of Nagoya had shut all of the schools.C: And it’s interesting because I know the mayor – like, socially, I know him.K: Yeah. And I’ve met him, too.C: Yeah. And he is… not the person I would’ve expected to take it seriously.K: Well, that’s because we always meet him in social settings where we’re drinking and having a good time, and everything’s really relaxed.C: Yes.K: So, to me, I feel like we’re very lucky to be in a city that has a mayor who’s on top of things, and I’m really enjoying the mayor’s response and the mayor’s attitude. I’m really enjoying the governor of Aichi’s attitude. And I feel very fortunate to live in an area in Japan where the prefectural government and the local government are both taking it very seriously. In March, we were having difficulty finding beds for individuals with… COVID-19. I call it COVID-19. I know some people call it the novel virus. Some people call it the corona virus. I call it COVID-19 because there’s a bunch of different corona viruses out there, and this is corona virus number 19, and the abbreviation’s COVID-19. So, sorry if it works your nerves, but that’s what I call it.C: So, actually, the corona virus – or the novel corona virus 2, or SARS – I think it’s novel SARS-COV-2 is the virus. And COVID-19 is the illness that you get when