Analysis of Tales from ..

Tales of my working life in Japan          曽達

Tales from a Boysan

Japan Japan Hostess Bar
So excited! To be employed here
Russians coming
Is everything ready
Is the Dancepole sturdy?
Two dancers Topless
Two hostesses

Manager tall and thin
Checking every little thing
Ferrari ashtrays
Cushions comfychair sofa
ShouchuwhiskeybrandySoda
Snacks in a dish
What's this one? dried fish

Once before he was manager
In a Hostess bar in Osaka 大阪
One day gathering courage
Took a chance with honesty
Ran off with a sum of money
Caught him in Hokkaido
Dragged him back to work once more

Russians are here! Two at first
Blonde and brunette dancing girls
Dancepole Steady?
She struts on Stage
She is all the Rage!
I have introduced her in Russian tones
Through parted curtain like a peephole

Russians are here! Two more
Hostesses, slightly younger
They drink hot Coke
But life is not all bliss
Put up with drunken Idiots
Cannot leave should that be sought
Owner holds each girl's passport

The Platter's are coming！ Prepare a platter
One singer is the descendant of an original singer
Is everything ready?
All set for a soulful event
Uh-oh flyers not sent
Call my friends said don't stay home
Called all friends in my mobile phone

Japan Japan Hostess Club
Such joy to work in a girly pub
Surrounded with GIRLS!
Catering for everyone
Girls here under twenty-one
Light cigarettes Make pleasing chatter
Laugh and smile and possibly
arrange a business matter

～        ～        ～        ～       ～     

Tales from the Trench
Plumbing construction in Japan           

５metres deep     五メートル
It's cold out   Warmer down
here
Cold small balls of snow
None down here  
The warmth of the Earth
Out of the Cold

Juki driver is an ace, looking    easy
Hardly a need to shovel         
Fast safe accurate strict     
lean on my shovel               
Thrown a track?                  
Retracks it it's like a trick  

Seven metres underground
７メートルだぞ
Lowered a small juki down
To dig the remainder
A small juki down
The Large one did not reach
Jobs like these, some firms
go under

Darker complexion  Hair on the Frizz
Definitely gang material
Yodasan
Distinctly gang material
Company trip plane arrives
Disallowed entry to Guam

Three abreast in a Hino
Two tonne dump truck
No belts, that's OK
Excellent Dump Truck
Over the crest Police! Reach
for belts in unison
He sweeps arms wide  Safe

Daytrip 1 job done and back
Leakage in Pipe
DOwn  Down down
Where is the pipe?
Didn't find it till Dark
Eleven thirty got back to Town

Sunday dig cul de sac
Line up laser
Foreman climbs out of manhole
Believe in Laser
Half trench dug Boss arrives frowns
Climbing out must have kicked it with his boottoe

～        ～        ～        ～       ～

Tales from the Classroom

So excited were we we were
Meeting our Supervisors
Our  shidoushuji   指導主事      Teaching Supervisor      
Eating zarusoba in a traditional restaurant
I heard one say
I am moving House and have
many belonging
Oh dear Do you have enough room?      I have five rooms

Arrived at work punctual not late Today is teacher meeting day  Was met at the Entrance 玄関
and told You have no business here today
I could write correctly your signs for Open School
Yes but most would not understand them though thankyou

Riding to school Ah what
a thrill    but this road gets steeper and it is getting Steeper STILL
Finally arrive atop a Hill
Dripping and Soaking in SWEAT thru and through
Class commencing imminently   Gather my
breath and say Good Morning Class How are you today?

Mountain village mountain school
Green green Trees thick growth  I have been lodged in Hotel Rifure where refreshing and rejuvenation is on order this day
Matsutake on the menu tonight  delicious mountain Delicacy  I do believe it is in
each dish  I am most Pleased!

Met at the Station  short
drive to school  But why has she stopped in the centre of the intersection?
Oh no she glances my way coyly  and smiles  And I decided that on my next School Visit that I would mount a bicycle
Surprised it only took an Hour

These memories I Cherish
sweet memories of faces
Laughter friends children
Snow Rain Mountains
tanbo 田んぼ rice paddy 畑 vegetable patches Flowers cicada tombo 蜻蛉 dragonflies
kabutomushi  甲虫 rhinoceros beetle
Japan japan beautiful enigmatic Japan

Tales from the street  Matsumoto
         曽達                 松本   

Keep in front of the Sweeper
Cans Wire Large Obstructions
Get them out of Here!
Keep in front of the sweeper
Anything that is in the way
How bout this? No that's ok

Curves on a country road
Cleaning up rubbish Filling a load
Curves on a country road
Are gathering points for leaves and debris
He learnt this over time
you see

Down to the Border
Checking each curve and corner
Down to the Border
We should check our workload, Agree?
Yes, perhaps stop at the border for a coffee

～        ～        ～        ～        ～

Tales from the 加工場
                           Kakouba

What do think you're doing?
Selling oil?
It means slacking off
taking things easy
Dandori Dandori!
Preparation   get things in Order
Strict they are Will give you
a smile a nod, a konnichiwa
but when work is on,
Business is the order of the Day!   

Yard foreman looks at his
watch
１０ AM
Not knowing I am still craning bars
Purses his lips as though to kiss and looks my way
Not a kiss but a cigarette it is
that time of Day
It's SMOKO
Three breaktimes, smoko  lunch  midafternoon, then home at five
Cover the STEEL
SHUT the gate
Bye to the Boss
See you again tomorrow

The pain the Pain!
Tsuufuu
Painwind they call it otherwise known as Gout
Pain if the wind blows across
Pain if even it slightly touches some cloth
Went to the doctor who looked me up and down and said
Make a note of this Nurse, I believe, our patient has Goat
He proceeded to ask where I felt the most pain
Drew a cross with a biro and injected me right there and then

New Year   Celebration   Good Cheer
Gantan
White paper hanging cut into strips
We are weeding the Steelyard
Foreman asks why the dandelions?  they are Crying
Humid day and unlike the men at the Genba 現場 we are treated to watermelon or ice
Time to go home and spend days with family
Temple at midnight then
明けましておめでとうございます❗
Akemashiteomedetougozaimasu❗