Category Archives: Culture Shock

On Demonic Umbrellas and Japanese Banking

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 , , , , , | 8 Comments

On Japanese Probability

“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 , , | 21 Comments

Notes From a Malaysian Road Trip

Malaysia terrifies my mother.

Posted in Culture Shock, Travel, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

On Not Being Funny in Japan

The first rule of making a joke in Japan is to resist. It will never help you.

Posted in Culture Shock, Fun, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 8 Comments

On Being Vegetarian in Japan

Most Japanese people don’t think twice about eating living animals. Or more accurately, they think, think again, then go ahead and eat them anyway. The savagery of dining starts small, with bars where you catch eels from a pool to … Continue reading

Posted in Culture Shock, Food, Uncategorized, Weird | Tagged , , | 38 Comments

On Roller Skating in Japan: Notes on One Year of Culture Shock

This month marked my first year in Japan: My Japanniversary. My first year as an expatriate felt a lot like a bad prom date. I was incompetent, needy, never quite sure where to put my hands.

Posted in Culture Shock, Fun, Homesickness | Tagged , , | 2 Comments