企画(笑)、何それ？イクメン、本当に？
[ SCRIPT ]
Hey Mason, happy Thursday. Spontaneity and making plans on the spot, unless it's your family, is difficult here. Like, I remember, even going to Yosemite. "Hey, let's go to Yosemite." We'd go up there, and you got to wait for a while for a camping spot maybe. Someone leaves and you go on (in). Even in San Francisco, I'd be like,
"Hey man, how's it going? Hey, what are you doing today?"
"Oh yeah, let's do something. Not today, ok."
"Hey dude, what's up? Oh yeah. You free?"
"Cool. Hey, let's go meet in the park."
I'd be tooling around San Francisco, just knock on a door.
"Hey dude, what's going on? Wanna go do something?"
"Come in have a drink?"
Here that doesn't happen. Here it seems like you need to plan things, weeks out! Everybody's schedule is so packed and so tight with stuff! Even a friend of mine I live really close to, it's like, "Hey man, let's get together."
"Ahhh, no. We're busy."
"Well, how about next weekend?"
"No." "Next weekend?" "No. I'll let you know."
Like, six weeks later. "Hey, ok, how's your schedule in July?"
I'm not a planning sort of dude. So, that's been kind of a learning, cultural difference for me to get used to over here. I'm learning how to plan better, yeah.
There have been a couple things on my mind lately. One of them is this whole concept of Ikumen. The first time I had heard Ikumen, I was at a park and playing with Peanut. She was really young, maybe one and a half or two. And some old ladies were watching us. "Oh, how cute. Oh, you're such an Ikumen!" I was like, "Oh, cool! Thanks." (I) Go home, ask my wife, what is that?
Ikumen, it's this new phrase, well it came out about a decade ago. Iku: childcare. Men: men, in English. Or otoko: men, in Japanese. It's this concept of, Japanese men should be cool fathers, and help take care of the child, and do household chores and pitch in. There was this promotion. Like the Ministry of Health, this campaign to promote this image. And I'm thinking, "Well, yeah!" Do the dishes. You know, do the laundry, change the diapers. Take a bath with your kid, right! Go to the playground, give your wife a break! I mean, they do so much, mothers! It's crazy!
So, for me, I don't know if it's me as a person, or me as an American, but yes, fathers, husbands should take part in family chores and family business. It's not that hard of a concept. The fact that the government had to promote this just boggles my mind. It really blows me away!
So, and I know there's some differences culturally, but in general, fathers should be active in kids lives, right! And, shouldn't be praised for it! It's not a "oh, you did such a good job, what a great guy!" I do what I should do. It's not a favor. It's just being part of the family society, right? OH, don't get me going!
Anyway man, so what do you think about some of these things? How's it different for you, between Japan and America? Taking a bath with your kid, or reading a book with your kid, or sleeping, co-sleeping. Do you do it? We did it. (I'm) curious about what you think about these things. Alright man, see ya next week.
Aight, peace!
Vocabulary Match:
Spontaneous / Plan / Concept / Campaign / Chore1. ___________ = decide on and make arrangements for in advance.
2. ___________ = a routine task, especially a household one.
3. ___________ = performed or occurring as a result of a sudden impulse or
inclination and without premeditation or external stimulus.
4. ___________ = an organized course of action to achieve a goal.
5. ___________ = an abstract idea.
Synonym Match
Complete the Sentence
Comprehension Questions
1. Is Stephen a planner? 2. What does Stephen think about the Ikumen campaign? 3. What does Stephen think fathers should do?
Discussion Questions
1. Do you plan things? 2. Would you be bothered if a friend showed up unexpected? 3. How often do you see your friends and family? Do you make plans with family or just drop in?
Phrases/Idioms:
1. Boggles my mind / Blew me away / Blew my mind: Completely shocked or surprised. To strongly affect someone with surprise, wonder, delight, etc. To amaze or overwhelm someone. 2. On the spot: Without any delay; immediately. 3. How's it going?: This is another way to say "hello" or " how are you?". 4. Tooling around: To wander around (some place) aimlessly or idly, doing nothing in particular 5. Don't get me going: to get someone excited; To get someone talking excitedly. 6. Don't get me started: someone has much to say about a particular subject, but implies that you may not really want to listen everything that they have to say.
Comments