Yes, I've transformed in all aspects, mostly for the best.
I can't post a pic, I have no software for my digital camera.
My Japanese is so much better. I'm not completely fluent, due to a limited vocabulary. But I can speak and understand Japanese, to an extent one could describe as conversationally fluent.
The people here have an accent I'm not used to yet. It's like learning English from a textbook with a teacher from central America, and then moving to New Zealand or Scotland. They speak English there, but it's a little different. I'm learning the Chinese characters, right now I'm at a 4th grade level.
Go live in another country, you'd like it, and you can learn so much about your own habits and culture by looking from the outside. I too want to spend time in a Spanish-speaking country. But I'd like to learn Spanish first.
This country has much that needs to be adapted to America. One big theme that we could learn from is the Japanese ability to cram all these people into a tiny space. This is beyond urban planning and development, but transportation, public health, and even simple matters of etiquette and manners.
I have seen capsule hotels, I've never stayed in one though. Next time I'm in Tokyo, I'll try to report, assuming it's not cost prohibitive. I think it would work if we were willing to sacrifice the creature comforts of a normal hotel room.
You'd also have to make it cheaper than say, a motel 6. Cheap enough to make it worth it, somewhere like 10$ a night. And even then, people might spend the extra money just for the comforts. Pure speculation though.
Where it would really be good money is at an airport or big train station. Set up a normal stall like one would have a restaurant, but put capsules in them. Boom, the money rolls in.
All my internetting is done from school, I don't have a computer of my own (such a good idea -- no sarcasm). My own room stays warm, but I keep the heat up around 80 to counteract the lack of insulation. The schools, in efforts to save energy, only heat the classrooms and teachers' rooms. Otherwise, the kids wear thick wool uniforms, so they stay warm.
There's so much here that they need to have in America. It's remarkable. People could make good money bringing things back.
But I'm not staying past March. Bigger fish to fry, let's hope.
Fascinating. And yes, speaking Spanish would be helpful. I think I have the vocab. I just need to soak in conversational Spanish for a month or two, or a year, and I'd be fluent I'm sure. Yes, I am extremely interested in the Japanese use of space. Is it pleasant? I was in a hotel room a little while ago, and I looked around and thought "why am I paying for all this crap? I'm not going to use that desk and chair. I don't need a private bathroom. I'm not going to use that iron and ironing board. I'm not going to use that coffee maker. I could be in a capsule and use the extra money for alcohol and women." Yeah, it would have to be really cheap. My research suggests they'd be about $24.99 plus tax, but $10 would be cheap enough for people to not even hesitate. Yes, an airport or trainstation would be golden. That would be enormous money. Mind boggling money. Interesting. I was thinking downtowns so people who've drunk too much can crash near the bar instead of driving or calling a cab, but I think that would be a less profitable market. Tell me about the cool things! Where are you going after March?
capsule hotels are an interesting idea, but i think there’s another issue or two that you’d need to address. even at $10, you’re going to get people hesitating-not because of the price, or attachment to creature comforts, but for pragmatic safety concerns. as americans we’re used to so much space to begin with, and people often aren’t trusting of the good intentions (or foresight) of corporations and businesses. you’d want to have a very good plan in case of fire-clearly posted-because people who are concerned about sealing themselves into a death trap to sleep may not give you a chance to explain your safety measures before turning away. people can repress their slight claustrophobia as unreasonable, but accompanying fears (varying in their degree of reasonableness)-fire, suffocation, noxious fumes-would need to be addressed by you.
similarly, if you cater to drunk people, potential sober clients may wonder how sanitary your capsules are. you’d need some way of turning away those who are so far gone that they’re likely to soil your capsule, cause that’d be unpleasantness all around.
at airports, though, people are exhausted and craving to get out from under the fluorescent lights and away from other people. plus, they’ve been feeling like cattle or luggage for the past many hours (perhaps excepting the first-class fliers, who aren’t your market anyway). their resistance to such an idea is going to be greatly lowered. and the fact that there are pretty much always people around and awake in airports would also help with any fears.
I can't post a pic, I have no software for my digital camera.
My Japanese is so much better. I'm not completely fluent, due to a limited vocabulary. But I can speak and understand Japanese, to an extent one could describe as conversationally fluent.
The people here have an accent I'm not used to yet. It's like learning English from a textbook with a teacher from central America, and then moving to New Zealand or Scotland. They speak English there, but it's a little different. I'm learning the Chinese characters, right now I'm at a 4th grade level.
Go live in another country, you'd like it, and you can learn so much about your own habits and culture by looking from the outside. I too want to spend time in a Spanish-speaking country. But I'd like to learn Spanish first.
This country has much that needs to be adapted to America. One big theme that we could learn from is the Japanese ability to cram all these people into a tiny space. This is beyond urban planning and development, but transportation, public health, and even simple matters of etiquette and manners.
I have seen capsule hotels, I've never stayed in one though. Next time I'm in Tokyo, I'll try to report, assuming it's not cost prohibitive. I think it would work if we were willing to sacrifice the creature comforts of a normal hotel room.
You'd also have to make it cheaper than say, a motel 6. Cheap enough to make it worth it, somewhere like 10$ a night. And even then, people might spend the extra money just for the comforts. Pure speculation though.
Where it would really be good money is at an airport or big train station. Set up a normal stall like one would have a restaurant, but put capsules in them. Boom, the money rolls in.
All my internetting is done from school, I don't have a computer of my own (such a good idea -- no sarcasm). My own room stays warm, but I keep the heat up around 80 to counteract the lack of insulation. The schools, in efforts to save energy, only heat the classrooms and teachers' rooms. Otherwise, the kids wear thick wool uniforms, so they stay warm.
There's so much here that they need to have in America. It's remarkable. People could make good money bringing things back.
But I'm not staying past March. Bigger fish to fry, let's hope.
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Yes, I am extremely interested in the Japanese use of space. Is it pleasant?
I was in a hotel room a little while ago, and I looked around and thought "why am I paying for all this crap? I'm not going to use that desk and chair. I don't need a private bathroom. I'm not going to use that iron and ironing board. I'm not going to use that coffee maker. I could be in a capsule and use the extra money for alcohol and women." Yeah, it would have to be really cheap. My research suggests they'd be about $24.99 plus tax, but $10 would be cheap enough for people to not even hesitate. Yes, an airport or trainstation would be golden. That would be enormous money. Mind boggling money. Interesting. I was thinking downtowns so people who've drunk too much can crash near the bar instead of driving or calling a cab, but I think that would be a less profitable market.
Tell me about the cool things!
Where are you going after March?
Reply
similarly, if you cater to drunk people, potential sober clients may wonder how sanitary your capsules are. you’d need some way of turning away those who are so far gone that they’re likely to soil your capsule, cause that’d be unpleasantness all around.
at airports, though, people are exhausted and craving to get out from under the fluorescent lights and away from other people. plus, they’ve been feeling like cattle or luggage for the past many hours (perhaps excepting the first-class fliers, who aren’t your market anyway). their resistance to such an idea is going to be greatly lowered. and the fact that there are pretty much always people around and awake in airports would also help with any fears.
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