Swing Batta, Swing Batta

Fukuoka, Japan

 

Take me out to the ball game. 

Take me out to the crowd. 

Buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks.  

I don’t care if I never get back.  

For its root, root, root for the home team.  

If they don’t win it’s a shame.  

For its one, two, three strikes, 

You’re out at the old ball game.

Yes, that’s right; we went to a Japanese baseball game.  Feeling a bit conflicted on who to cheer for every time because the home team may have been the Softbank Hawks, while the rival team was the Rakuten Eagles, but they were also the very the team that was staying in the same hotel as we were.  However, in the end we cheered for the victorious Hawks winning the game 5-0 over the visiting Eagles.  

 

And unlike American baseball games where there is the 7thinning stretch accompanied by the singing of Take Me Out to the Ball Game, here large yellow balloons were released, only to be followed by large white balloons at the conclusion of the game in the 9th inning.  

 

Throughout the game as well, it was more like an American football game with the battle of the bands and cheerleaders that made their short appearances on the field before and after the game and during the 7th inning balloon releasing.  

 

Nothing is too short of surprising me here.  Some things are very similar, while others are a bit strange.  However, it is definitely something to learn from and add to my list of life experiences.  

 

Also, if you are ever in Japan here a few things that I have picked up on these last few weeks of being here:

 

-Trains and busses are silent even at rush hour.

 

-When you are trying on clothes make sure you take your shoes off before stepping into the stall and for women, you are given face covers so our makeup does not rub off onto the clothing.

 

-Women’s fashion is a lot different here.  They are very conservative and wear almost nothing that is revealing.  High wasted pants, blue jean shorts, loose fitting shirts, and high heels with everything is your typical women’s fashion.

 

-For men, you basically do everything in a suit that consists of a black jacket and pants and a white shirt. 

 

-You can use an umbrella for everything, rain or sun.  Yes, the sun’s rays are avoided as much as possible here, from umbrellas to special gloves, to even arm sleeves.  

 

-There are two stores that you can literally find everything you could ever need at: Diaso (everything is 100 yen or $1.00 unless it is otherwise marked) and the Loft (similar to Target)  

 

However, this is far from everything, but a good place to start and believe it or not, but our time is ticking away here.  Only four more cities to go before returning home for few short weeks; off to Hiroshima we go.