A Forum for my observations

So, it took me long enough to finally create this to air my thoughts. Been busy taking Japan all in, sometimes I forget to breathe. It's been a bit over a month since I arrived in Japan, and I feel quite comfortable living here. Other than my inability to communicate in the native tounge, and not having a job to keep me occupied, I can say so far that this experience has been a wonderful change of pace and environment. There's so much to learn, so much I plan to do, and I often get frustrated because things aren't happening as quickly as I would have them. Which is not my usual character. I guess it's time to exercise my patience once again.

Since I've been here, I've seen and discovered a half a dozen Shinto shrines and Buddist Temples, seen even more rice fields, learned how to use the train system(mostly in Japanese Kanji I can't read), visited Osaka about four times, finally had sushi, oishii(delicious!), eaten okanomiyaki(the regional dish of Nara), ride my bike daily, got hooked on Sumo wrestling on TV, cook just about every evening, help judge a Highschool English Speech contest, made friends with a local farmer whom I buy my produce from(though, we can't speak to each other), met some Westerners I've played music with, saw a band, Sharks and Seals, in Osaka, had some of the best Italian food in Nara, learned how to change a bike tire, made friends with my airplane neighbor Jeff, got hooked on my new keitai(cell phone), help teach Erin's classes for two weeks, and learned a little bit of Japanese.

Japanese people put mayonaise on alot of stuff, though the mayonaise here tastes different, more tangy. I've been in the habit of adding mayonaise to my cooking now.

Rice costs more here than in the States, which I think is weird, since there are so many rice fields everywhere. I wonder if there is a hidden store for locals that sells rice dirt cheap.

Most fish at the supermarket still have their heads on, which isn't too weird for me because I grew up eating fish that way. Ocotopus and squid is common food too in the fish section. They also sell tiny, dried fish in bags, like the dilis I used to eat as a kid in our champorado(Filipino chocolate oatmeal) for breakfast.

Most Japanese kids learn 6 years of Enlgish in primary school and junior high.

Soy sauce in Japanese is syoyu, pronounced like "show you". I guess in this area we live in, Kansai, there are more frequently used varies of soy sauce. I wikipedia-ed soy sauce, and Japanese cuisine uses 5 or so different varieties of the originally Chinese condiment.

My keitai(cell phone) can read barcodes, has GPS, is an MP3 player, and supposedly I can purchase things using my phone by just waiving it over a sensor in certain stores, vending machines, and other places.

Tommy Lee Jones advertises a cold coffee drink here called Boss.


Japanese TV is as wild and weird as you might imagine it to be.

My shoe size is 27 1/2.

Little primary school kids wear yellow hats as part of their uniforms. Every student, in primary school to HS, were uniforms. Our friend Keiko told us some private schools even hire designers to make their uniforms. Japanese people are so stylish.

People are pretty serious about their hairstyles here.

Syrup is expensive here. Especially maple.

Fruit is expensive here. I saw a catalope for almost $40. Average is around $8-10.


Japan is not as advanced in computer technology as the US or Europe. I think they spend their technology on more gadgets and personal items, like cell phones that can locate you with GPS and pay for a can of Kit-Kats and the vending machine. , or dancing robots that can sing to you and answer your questions. Creepy.

There's not central heating or air conditioning in almost all the buildings here.

Cards(like greeting cards) with yellow and white on them are for funerals or wakes. Oops!



Japanese people do not use dryers. I guess our shower has a heating vent function where you dry your clothes in the winter. Other than that, it's hanging out the window.

Grilled eel is damn good! Oishii!

There are a lot of pastry and bread stores, also regularly located at the train stops.

A loaf of sliced bread at the supermarket comes in 4, 5 or 6 slices. It makes the best french toast.