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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.
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 communication, japan, japanese language
21 Comments
Notes From a Malaysian Road Trip
Malaysia terrifies my mother.
On Not Being Funny in Japan
The first rule of making a joke in Japan is to resist. It will never help you.
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 japan, japanese food, vegetarian
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.


