Lesson 83 : Japan, the Heaven of Vending Machine

[MTM 운영자]

[Japan, the Heaven of Vending Machine]

If you need it, they've got it. All you need to do is insert coins, make your choice, and wait for your selection to appear with a thud sound. In Japan, there are more than 5.5 million vending machines and they recently added one more item to the list: canned ramen. "Sapporo Ramen Kan" is flying off the shelves, and its manufacturer UMAI plans to produce additional 60,000 sets of 24 ramen cans later this year. Experts say that the popularity of vending machine has something to do with the cultural traits of the Japanese. "People want to buy things without having to talk to others, or making a scene over this and that," says Japanese sociologist Masahiro Yamada.

Since the 19th century, the coin-operated machines have been selling every imaginable thing in the world. Today they even sell a steaming bowl of stew, lobsters, underwear, charms, cotton candy, fruits, flowers, and DVDs. In case of cigarettes or alcohol, vending machines require people to scan their ID cards. They read the birth dates on the cards and even recognize fake ones. When the machines are short of goods, built-in chips call up maintenance workers.

***Discussion questions

1.       Have you been to Japan? Did you see many vending machines? What kinds of things did you see in the vending machines in Japan? Was there anything you thought interesting?

2.       What kind of things do you think you might want to buy from vending machines?

3.       What kinds of things would you rather not by from vending machines? Why not?

4.       What do you think of the sentence above: experts say that the popularity of vending machine has something to do with cultural traits of Japanese. What about Koreans? Do we have similar cultural traits?

5.       In the case of cigarettes or alcohol, you must have your ID card scanned. That means even underage people can buy these if they have use their parents or other older people’s ID cards. Would it be a bad idea to have a cigarette or alcohol selling vending machine? Would there be any means to have these vending machines without the problem?

***Dialogue : A Mid-life Crisis

Bella: I think my husband is going through a mid-life crisis.

Russell: What makes you think that?

Bella: He just traded in his car for a very expensive sports car, and he’s filling the house with gym equipment.

Russell: Uh oh, that’s a bad sign. Do you know what may have triggered this?

Bella: I’m not sure, but he was passed over for a promotion at work a couple of months ago, and his new boss is 15 years younger than he is.

Russell: That would do it.

Bella: What really worries me is that he’s been talking about quitting his job altogether and becoming a full-time writer. He always wanted to become a successful writer.

Russell: That’s sounds familiar. When my brother went through a mid-life crisis, he spent a lot of time reflecting on his life and regretting giving up music to get a full- time job. He saw himself as being washed up and he was fed up with everything.

Bella: What did he do?

Russell: Well, he’s probably not a good example of what your husband would do.

Bella: Don’t beat around the bush. Just tell me.

Russell: Well, if you must know, he got a divorce, married a woman half his age, and tried to start a rock band.

Bella: Oh, no! That’s just what I was afraid of.

Russell: I’m sure that won’t happen with your husband. You two have a great marriage.

Bella: I thought so, too, but you never know.

***Key words and Expression‎!s

l       mid-life crisis 중년의 위기

 A mid-life crisis is an emotional state of doubt and anxiety in which a person becomes uncomfortable with the realization that life is halfway over. It commonly involves reflection on what the individual has done with his or her life up to that point, often with feelings that not enough was accomplished. The individuals experiencing such may feel boredom with their lives, jobs, or their partners, and may feel a strong desire to make changes in these areas.

l       traded in   ① 장사하다 ② ~을 웃돈을 주고 신품과 바꾸다

l       triggered  to start (a train of events, actions, reactions, etc) in motion.

l       reflecting  to consider it carefully

l       washed up  1 exhausted; lacking in energy.
          2 done for; at the end of one’s resources.
          3 said of plans, etc: to have come to nothing.
          4 (especially all washed-up) slang finished; unsuccessful.

l       fed up  bored; irritated

l       beat around the bush (덤불 주위를 툭툭 쳐서) 짐승을 몰아 내다;슬며시 염탐하다, 에둘러 말하다

Ex) Stop beating around the bush.─ Okay. I´ll cut to the chase.

                          말을 빙빙 돌리지 마―알았어, 요점만 말할게

Ex) Get to the point, instead of beating around the bush.

회피하지 말고 요점을 말해라

Ex) Stop beating around the bush and answer my question.

변죽만 울리지 말고 내 질문에 대답하시오.

l       if you must know 《구어》 (그렇게) 알고 싶다면 가르쳐 주겠지만

l       you never know 《구어》 어쩌면, 아마도