10 Things I've Adapted to in Japan

1. Close, whizzing by, missing-by-just-a-hair traffic. I have no fear of cars driving next to me as I walk down the road. This, of course, will have to change before I return to the Land of Crazy Drivers.

2. Silence and relative peace on public transportation.

3. Wearing makeup everyday. I'm really not much for makeup, but just about ever girl in Japan wears some sort of makeup, so you feel super conspicuous without it.

4. Absolute strangers smiling and greeting you (though I still have trouble implementing it in real life...).

5. Being stared at like a wild animal in a zoo (though it still irritates me).

6. Seeing women carry parasols on the street and while riding and texting at the same time.

7. Delicious cafeteria food that looks nice as well!

8. Posing with the peace sign for pictures

9. Dollar stores that sell useful things with quality.

10. Being able to sleep on public transportation and not be judged or molested for it.

Bonus Fact!

11. The fact that grades aren't everything.

Ten Reasons to Return to America

1. Mexican Food

2. Low prices (in comparison to Japan and keeping the exchange rate in mind)

3. Ovens

4. Beloit

5. My friends and family

6. Clothing that is designed for my body type

7. Shoes my size

8. Low humidity

9. Not being questioned about my lack of boyfriend

10. Laundry machines—the ones in Japan are so rough—and dryers (working ones don’t exist in Japan [which is why everyone has balconies for drying clothing])

Meet Okaasan

For those of you who didn't: Okaasan and Hannah

So, some of you may have noticed that I finally put a picture of Okaasan up on the blog.

To commemorate this momentous occasion, here is a list—yes, a 10 things list—about Okaasan.


10 Things You Didn't Know About Okaasan:
 

1. She takes my "eat anything" policy and changes it into a "food challenge" - in the end, she cooks and I get delicious cooking. We both win. :D

2. She is very enthusiastic about teaching and correcting my Japanese. She’s trying to remove my Midwestern twanging accent, and I wish her the best of luck with that. :D

3. She has a slight pixie haircut that looks adorable and stylish on her.

4. When working in the house, she wears an apron over her clothing.

5. She works out at the local gym several times a week.

6. I have not yet seen her get mad with my bumbling attempts at living Japanese-style.

7. She gets ridiculously pleased when I leave her thank you notes in the laundry basket (I mean, she does my laundry. And I’m 20. How does that not merit a thank you note?).

8. Her cooking is divine, even if she gives me very large portions.

9. She lets me help “make” dinner by cutting usagi ringo (rabbit apples) under her guidance. One time she even let me serve myself my own rice.

9. She has two sisters who love travel and Thai cooking with kale in them.

10. She’s a great host mother to me. I just hope I’m a great host student back to her. :D

10 Things I've Learned About Life While Living in Japan

1. Those Japanese women aren’t just paranoid about the sun. Hirakata is closer to the equator and getting sunburn on your face, but not realizing it (and just thinking you’re flushed), will always equal pain when you try to wipe off your sweating face. 

2. Always carry around a handkerchief with you. And bring a spare as well; you never know when you’ll need it. 

3. Umbrellas can be used for sun as well as rain. And you’ll need it for both during typhoon-season. 

4. Gifts are the best way to reaffirm your friendship with someone, especially during a first meeting. 

5. Ignoring someone’s very existence on the bus isn’t rude—it’s polite. 

6. No, the bus really isn’t going to run you over, it’s just very close. 

7. Sidewalks are for the weak. 

8. Just smile and nod; you can bullshit your way through anything. 

9. Some things take patience, other things also take patience. Being impatient will give you both bad results and some confused stares. 

10. Talking to people helps organize your day. 

And a bonus 11. If you do anything wrong, it’s because you’re a gaijin. Don’t worry, they’ll forgive you.

10 Things I'm Noticing in Japan

1. The color for the cross walk is red and green: red for stop and green for go. At least in America, red is for stop and white is for go. 

2. Lights and air controlled by a switch have little green lights on if they’re off and red lights when they’re on. I think this is so you know you have the green light to press the switch if they’re off. I keep on mixing them up though… 

3. Street addresses are weird. Instead of having all the numbers in numerical order, I think the houses and buildings were numbered by the time they were built. Con-fus-ing! 

4. My nail polish is chipping a lot. I think it might be the new brand I’m using… 

5. The yen is still rising to the dollar. >.< 

6. The buses and trains are so quiet. I mean, you can practically hear people breathing on it. No one talks. 

7. There are slippers for inside the house, there are slippers for the bathroom. You never mix the two up. You never use your house slippers (or god forbid) your shoes on the tatami, or you are an uncultured barbarian.

8. Even if I can’t understand the Japanese, I can still understand the TV…and the kids’ shows. 

9. Seminar House 3 is built in such a way that you cannot tell what the weather is like outside unless you listen very closely or manage to find a window to look out of. 

10. Japanese bicyclists, motorcycalists, mopedists, and drivers in general. Are. Insane. Always look to the right before crossing a street, parking lot, or even sidewalk.

Just a note before this: the weather has been fine, if  a little rainy this past day. I think the real storm's going to hit tonight.