Flightless Bird, American Mouth

If you haven't been under a rock for the last few weeks, I'm sure you're well aware of the global economic crisis that is going on. As an American student living abroad, I've had to see the buying power of my budget slowly wear away to a heinous 90 yen to the dollar. I wish I could say it's a relief not being in the midst of things back home especially with regards to being a recent college grad in the job market and so forth, but if anything it's somehow more depressing.

Seriously, this 円高 (yen appreciation) will do nothing for your appetite and worse to your food budget. While I appreciate the schooling I'm getting in economizing (which I think I've adapted to fairly well), I'm beginning to resent the self-imposed guilt I feel when I occasionally buy "expensive" things like milk, meat, and fruits. Seriously, since when did eating non-dollar store food become a crime?

This isn't the first time I've been abroad when it was especially worrisome being a U.S. citizen in a foreign country. My homestay in Okayama came the school year after the Sept. 11th attacks, during which time a good majority of headlines were dedicated to the "War on Terror" and the resultant distaste towards anything (or anyone) American. While Japan provided a safe haven against most types of discrimination, I'll venture to say that no matter what country you go to, there's no escaping a je ne sais quoi unease... of not being in touch with things 100% ... as if something really important or serious could happen and you wouldn't hear about it until much after the fact.

Clearly, this is a different situation from then. But there's still that sense of worry. What will happen while I'm here? What kind of country will I be coming back to? I think that's the risk of going abroad for a year. You can't predict a global economic meltdown or what new scandals will arise that make you cringe to yourself when you admit to new acquaintances "Yes, I'm from that city/state/country."

Alas, it's hard to see the silver lining... but I don't want this post to be a total drag so I offer up Natalie Portman & Rashida Jones' solution to this whole mess.

NATALIE PORTMAN & RASHIDA JONES Speak Out by Natalie Portman

Side note: Incidentally, Rashida Jones has been to a barber/hair restoration place down the street from my apartment! I pass by the place everyday on my way to IUC and had just assumed that the owner was a big fan, but then I read her autograph and it says "Thanks for the new hair!" Crazy, right? This is the last place I would expect a TV star to pop by in Yokohama since my neighborhood seems to be mostly residential and only occasionally frequented by businessmen, but I stand corrected. Maybe?