Grin and Bear it
...written on 01.03.02, @ 11:51 a.m.
Thu January 3, 2002
I peered into the four rectangular boxes I held, fanned out like cards in a poker game. Hmmm, I thought, do I go for the 60's daisy one or the blue one with pink ears with brownish and mauve aztec designs, or maybe the green and yellow paisley . . .?
I went through all the boxes in my hands and on the convenience store shelf and finally picked the one that most appealed to me, paid a little over a dollar for it, and took it home.
It was just like the article I read had said too. I felt like one of the many school girls in Japan who buy these bears packaged in boxes with a small bag of candy covered chocolates, tense with anticipation as the little laminated book attatched to a string at the top of its head is opened to reveal the birthdate inside, and then shoulders dropping with the exhaled air of disappointment to find out that the aztec clothed miniature teddy bear named "Rumi" didn't share my birthday of November First, but rather that his birthday was January 7th. Well, I guess we should have a party in a few days to celebrate, huh, Rumi?
I'm sure the inventors of "365 Days Birthday Teddy" at Meiji Confectionery Company are celebrating. So much in fact that they now have available a part two edition of their marketing brainchild. Each 365 Days Birthday Teddy bear has a unique design and birthday, and since the purchase of Rumi, I have bought one other bear. It was yesterday on my jaunt out with my friends, Akari, Brian and Brian's friend Rosie. I forget its name, but the bear's birthday was June 17th and I gave it to Akari who said she had a friend whose birthday fell on that day.
We had stopped at a convenience store for snacks and cigarettes (for Brian). This particular store didn't have cigarettes, but we loaded up on the snacks and drove off to Tarui, excited about participating in another Japanese New Year's ritual "shrine visiting".
We were headed for one of the largest shrines in Japan. Before we got there however, Akari pulled into another convenience store that had many cigarette vending machines outside and Brian got a pack and went in to get another drink as well.
As he climbed into the back seat he handed me another 365 Days Birthday Teddy box. I laughed and posed the question "How much money do you think people are willing to spend to actually find one with their birthday on it?" Akari said that there was a pamphlet out that showed all the bears with their birthdays and that her friends had one. I said THAT wasn't any fun and with great mischief, shook the box with the 365 Days Birthday Teddy in it and asked, "Ok guys, what day do you think it is? March 20th!" I said, starting the guessing game. The others shouted their guesses and we had all chosen dates in the Spring, April 4th, May 22nd, May 25th, perhaps hoping that our subconscious wishes could obliterate the weighty bitter cold in our mountain valley.
I unwrapped the teddy from its plastic cocoon and dramatically opened the little laminated book attached to a string at the top of the head of the burgundy and white quilt squared bear with baby blue felt ears, arms, and legs, a combination that I myself would have never chosen, but which Brian did because he likes blue.
I looked at the little red print proclaiming "Ryouma's" birthday and screamed . . .
"It's MINE! It's November FIRST!"
Everyone in the car erupted in cheers . . . just like it said in the article.