Category Archives: Culture Shock

On Finding a Rubbish Bin in Japan

Posted on February 8, 2012 by

My coat pockets are filled with scraps. I dredge up chewing gum wrappers and konbini receipts when I fish for change. There’s no garbage on the street, but there aren’t garbage cans, either; everyone just carries their trash with them. … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture Shock, Weird | Tagged , | 12 Comments

My Dragon Week: On Being Bored in Japan

Posted on January 26, 2012 by

Wherever you go, there you are.

Posted in Culture Shock, Fun, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

On Being Selfish in Japan

Posted on December 7, 2011 by

I remember my high school French club. The kids smoked too young, wore black turtlenecks and talked about Camus, or more precisely, “spoke of Camus.” The German club ate strudel, listened to unbearable polka and occasionally invaded the French club.

Posted in Culture Shock, Teaching, Tradition, Uncategorized | Tagged | 6 Comments

On Awkwardly Consoling Japanese Schoolgirls

Posted on November 9, 2011 by

There are only so many things I know how to say in Japanese. I’ve learned that none of them can stop a 15-year-old Japanese girl from crying.

Posted in Culture Shock, language, Teaching, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

On Demonic Umbrellas and Japanese Banking

Posted on October 26, 2011 by

In Japan, many ATMs work from 9 to 5 and get weekends and holidays off. That’s better than most humans get. And the reason, I suspect, has more to do with ghosts than any bank is willing to admit.

Posted in Culture Shock, Shinto, Shrines, Thinking, Tradition, Weird | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

On Japanese Probability

Posted on October 12, 2011 by

“I think the students might be busy after school, so perhaps they won’t come to our meeting. I’m not sure. But if that’s the case, we’ll have to cancel the meeting for today.” In English, this sentence means nobody really … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture Shock, language, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 14 Comments