JAWing On – Life on Okinawa

Sometimes people’s comments can be quite amusing. Take a person who thinks that a facility should go by the “no rules” system. This is one of the most ridiculous suggestions a person can give a business operator. Just imagine what the consequences of such a move would be. And when the comment comes from a woman, I’m even more astonished! If someone really thinks rules established to provide equal treatment of all customers, consideration for the band and all customers, and the comfort and safety of everyone in the facilty are too many rules, than maybe that person SHOULD go to another facility. I doubt that you will find one that doesn’t have some form of safety catch, no matter what they profess as their operating system. Many night-time facilities are forced to use bouncers to enforce the rules, because SOME customers can’t control their own behavior! If someone sees this as excessive or “rude” (which covers a heck of a lot of ground) on the part of the club operator, than so be it. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but they are not entitled to perform behaviors that disrupt or destruct a business. Despite what some people try to profess, rock ‘n’ roll music is not a passport to idiotic behavior and the majority of rock lovers know it!

It seems every year there is someone who is dissatisfied with the path their life has taken. For some reason or another, the holidays only magnify the discontent. This year, one of those unhappy people thought they would ruin other people’s enjoyment by closing the bar entrance shutter. So when some regulars came to the bar to have a relaxing Christmas Eve, it appeared the club was closed. These childish and selfish grinches need to face-up to the fact that they are where they are in life because of their OWN choices, and no one else’s. If a person doesn’t like the direction their life is taking, they should do something CONSTRUCTIVE to change it towards a direction that better suits what they do want for life. And let those people who are satisfied with the choices they made in life enjoy it!!!

One of the more pesky things about owning a bar on Okinawa is the constant interference of special interest organizations – the tourist groups, hostess bar owner groups, musician organizations, etc. Even if you are just trying to run a small but pleasant “Mom and Pop” type place, there is always someone trying to get you to conform to their image of what the place should be. (Which usually this means in a manner that is more beneficial to their own interests.) The problem with these types of organizations is that they want to control every aspect of what YOUR business is about!

I have a thought for those people who think they have a right, for whatever reason, to ignore a business’ rules. What if you were to think of the business as a country. The “citizens” of this country work hard and put their hearts into creating a way of life that they believe in. Say there is a group of people who don’t like that business’ rules and beliefs. So this group thinks they have the right to ignore those rules and impose their own beliefs onto that business. And say on occasion the group commits physical acts of destruction, creates means of interrupting the business’ normal way of operating, or even implies that if the group doesn’t get what it wants trouble will ensue. How does this group differ from terrorist organizations that threaten other countries? If this were your business would you give into the demands? Or would you stand-up for your right to run your business free of outside demands?

Oh man, it’s cold season already. And I’m getting hit with the first wave again. Oh well, just like this summer, at least I’ll get over with it quickly. In case you haven’t noticed by the past two Pet Peeves, changes have been happening on Gate 2 Street and more are looming on the horizon. We had a change in guitarists this year. Al has moved his Harley shop up north. Rumor has it that the number of available bands is on the decrease so the number of night clubs with live music has decreased accordingly. However, there still is a wide array of night clubs for those seeking the “Wild On” type experience. But Live Music Bar JET is NOT one of them!!! What the club IS about is decent vintage rock music and mature-minded people who know how to appreciate and enjoy it without getting into other people’s faces or trying to become the main attraction! Luckily that is the type of customer we normally get at the club. Our customers come from all walks of life and range from parents of service members visiting from stateside to young cola-sipping musicians who want a chance to gain knowledge about rock music through observations of live performances. Because of past events that have happened this year involving people who were unable to control their behavior, dancing by males is limited to couples consisting of one male and one female only. Also, and this shouldn’t even be an issue, nobody is allowed to bring in beverages of any kind from outside of the club! So if you are into exhibitionism, x-rated or “adult” entertainment, mosh pits, sardine-packed night clubs, meat markets, or lack of common sense manners, you’ll be better off just passing us by.

I often get asked why I don’t let people bring their own beverages into the club. I really think that’s pretty self-explanatory. Inevitably I get someone who thinks they’re going islander and tries the “…but that’s not the local way!” on me. Well anyone who has been here long enough would know, the owner and/or manager of the facility decide which “system” is appropriate for that particular club. For some clubs that means “No Americans” for others it means somewhere around a one thousand yen cover charge. At Live Music Bar JET, it means no outside beverages allowed.

Another thing one hears over here is the “I have a brilliant idea” person(s). My question to them is: if that idea is so brilliant, why don’t you use your own funds, time, and energy and open that club yourself?

As mentioned before, there is an aspect to the local culture that many people are unaware of due to their limited knowledge of the language. The all too frequent insult masked as some polite comment or compliment. In example, as I was busy performing my work duties at the club this past weekend a local customer expressed her “appreciation” to my husband for providing her and her friends with the opportunity to see “an American” working. I don`t know of very many people who wouldn`t consider this an insult! Yet, because it is masked as a compliment to my husband`s “control of his woman,” it is not considered a direct insult, therefore it is inappropriate to directly act upon it. The locals, being non-confrontational, use the passive-aggessive method instead and such a comment would never be said straight to my face.

1) If all you have to talk about in life is me, you have a very pathetic existence.

2) The bar is just that, a night club. I am not there for your viewing enjoyment and ongoing commentary. I am there to do a job, in this case prepare drinks and clean the club. If you want to watch animals, go to the zoo!

3) Americans have been on Okinawa for 60 years. If you weren`t so closed-minded maybe you would have had the opportunity before now to see first-hand that there are many similarities between people fulfillng work roles, even if the techniques are different.

Living in Asia as a Western women can have its trying times. One of the more common ways it can be trying is when men think you agree with the typical Asian bar practice of accepting obnoxious behavior for money or drinks. Asian men do everything they can to promote this demeaning behavior as the “acceptable” manner in which women should act. Western men eat it up! I’m not a women libber, but I do think that the only time that gender matters is when a person is looking for a mate. Other than that, people are people (male or female- no matter what race, nationality, or social status). I don’t judge people by how much money they try to throw at me, but by their actions! (And trying to throw money at me is not an attractive behavior.) In Asia, Western men loose track of this simple, but basic, standard. The most common way to attack the nonaccepting female is with, “If that’s how you want to conduct business!” To me business is more than just the bottom line. It entails the type of people and the practices one deems as acceptable to set the tone of a business. Here are some things these “men” should consider ( since they seem to be without a partner for the night):

1) The old adage of “sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll” is a dinosaur. Anyone who hangs-on to that belief is not worth the trouble of knowing – being associated with that type of person gives a one nothing but excuses and grief !
2) If you are flirting with me you must be pretty hard-up!!! (I’m not being self-deprecating but realistic-I’m 48 years old and my husband of thirty years owns and works at the same club!)
3) Maybe you wouldn’t be partnerless if you took a closer look at your attitude and behavior-an obnoxious drunk is not charming nor cute no matter how much money the person has!
4) If you think Asian females don’t understand just how desperate you are, try a Western dutch-style relationship with them (not going to happen!!!!!!).

As a small business operator on a small sub-tropical island, one of the more difficult aspects of operation is the lack of basic supplies. A few times a year, I like to through minor surprise events which require a certain amount of decoration. We have the usual events, Halloween and New Years, and for the past two years I’ve also thrown in the Unofficial Start of Summer Celebration. When trying to order party supplies, I am faced with persons on the other end who lack international procedures. Not everyone is comfortable with using credit card information online, especially with so many security risks. Yet the sales personnel at these companies inevitably get totally confused when trying to organize a system which includes payment by international money order. With globalization through the internet, one would think it to be in the best interest of these companies to review their Standard Operating Procedures and set-up a SOP that includes the market of individuals at companies who prefer not to use credit card info over the net.