Two years ago, I was going to go to Norway by student exchange. I told everybody; friends, family, colleagues, cousins, and people I just met. My friends were excited for me. It became a conversation starter. Christmas, birthdays, and paychecks went to saving for it. But as the financial reality materialized, the vision deteriorated. This […]
Culture
Particularly Japanese Quirks
You know, there are some things that Western culture does that are just plain weird. Take “bless you” for example. Why do we say “bless you” after someone sneezes? Are you showing your gratitude for the mucus projected into the heavens? Or are they in trouble? Indulging further, why do Americans* feel the need to […]
Hyper-Practice Japanese While On Vacation
Traveling and vacation are similar in theory but very different words in practice. One might think that if you don’t know the language well enough, you should just stick to your mother tongue until you’ve ‘studied enough’ to come back. Or even the converse; that you can’t go to Japan until you’ve mastered conversation and […]
A No-Nonsense Guide To Japanese Trains
Japanese Trains are confusing. I mean, really confusing. Just look at this map of Greater Tokyo by JR Trains.