really sucks. It took two weeks before I could stop biting my tongue because the first word that jumped to my mind was Japanese and not English. And I don't even speak Japanese that well ( Read more... )

As you may or may not know the Japanese have a lot of set phrases that are polite to say throughout the day. Living alone, I don't get to use the ones for leaving and coming home but I do have to say the ones at work. For example, I say a loud "Good morning!" or "Ohayogozaimus" to everyone in the teacher's room every day ( Read more... )

Over the last two years I have learned to be extra choosy when it comes to who I hang out with here in Japan because it is way too easy to be sucked into "friendships" that are based solely on the other person wanting free English practice. One guy in particular used to ask me relentlessly to teach him English and when I explained that I already ( Read more... )

Went and got my hair cut today. This after weeks of gathering the courage and looking up hair related vocabulary. I didn't have a spectacular experience last time at what is essentially the Japanese version of Great Clips so I decided to try for the place next to my house the Hair Stage. A little old lady who has gotten me wet on more than one ( Read more... )

Japan has gone crazy over swine flu. I thought I was a hypochondriac but I don't even compare to the Japanese. My sister sat on the plane in Narita for almost an hour while health officials came through, kitted up in full body suits and masks, and took everyone's temperature. A red dot meant you had to stay for further testing. No dot meant you ( Read more... )

First let me say, I am no where near being overweight. And yet, Japan isn't the best place for me mentally when it comes to my body image. I've never had a problem with my weight before. I was slender in high school, gained some weight in college, lost it and a little more in France after college, was starting to creep up again due to my office ( Read more... )

Am officially re-contracting for a third year in Japan. As official as an "I intend to re-contract" statement can be. I can still decide not to sign again anytime before actually signing again but it would be pretty jerky of me to do so ( Read more... )

After living in two foreign countries and visited numerous others, let's just say if you want to play charades, you better hope I'm on your team ( Read more... )

Thanks for the comments on my earlier (and now deleted post.) Homesickness has been hitting me hard lately ( Read more... )

Something that would never happen in an American classroom ( Read more... )