Narrative Essay
I knew this was a bad idea. While going to Japan for a month looked like ti was a good experience, I didn't realize how much of a culture shock I would go through until I actually got there and talked to people.
If I had stayed in my apartment, it would have been like I never left home, apart from the fact that instead of carpet, I had straw tatami floors. I had a kitchen the size of a school desk and the bathroom had a tub but the showerhead was on the other side of the room. If I left my bed out I wouldn't have had room to unfold my table to do homework and if I had homework left out to do the next day, I wouldn't have had room to unfold my bed. I felt like I was living in a closet. But with a window.
I had come to Japan for a month of language study. While I only had one class at the nearby Waseda University, I also had to sit in on other language classes as sort of a teacher's aide. I was there to get real practice in my Japanese but everyone at the university only spoke to me in English. To some this would have been a nice thing, but not everyone I talked to had the best grasp of the language. Even if I asked a question in Japanese my answer was most often in broken English with wild hand gestures.
The first time I was invited to a classmates house, I managed to remember my culture information and took my shoes off before I stepped out on the entrance. This brought 'ooh's and 'ahh's from the family I was visiting. I would soon get use to this happening as nearly every Japanese person I talked to complimented me on my Japanese and every time I did something considered normal to a Japanese, they would be surprised.
After a week of this I was getting mildly annoyed at everyone acting like this but I knew that it would be incredibly rude to voice my thoughts. Instead I went for walks through the town after a hard day at school. Night in Japan is completely different than it is in Minnesota. When I lived in Minneapolis, going out at night was often not a good idea. In Japan it is almost the opposite. The bright lights, many people, and low crime rate, made the town at night a relaxing yet rejuvenating place.
If I had stayed in my apartment, it would have been like I never left home, apart from the fact that instead of carpet, I had straw tatami floors. I had a kitchen the size of a school desk and the bathroom had a tub but the showerhead was on the other side of the room. If I left my bed out I wouldn't have had room to unfold my table to do homework and if I had homework left out to do the next day, I wouldn't have had room to unfold my bed. I felt like I was living in a closet. But with a window.
I had come to Japan for a month of language study. While I only had one class at the nearby Waseda University, I also had to sit in on other language classes as sort of a teacher's aide. I was there to get real practice in my Japanese but everyone at the university only spoke to me in English. To some this would have been a nice thing, but not everyone I talked to had the best grasp of the language. Even if I asked a question in Japanese my answer was most often in broken English with wild hand gestures.
The first time I was invited to a classmates house, I managed to remember my culture information and took my shoes off before I stepped out on the entrance. This brought 'ooh's and 'ahh's from the family I was visiting. I would soon get use to this happening as nearly every Japanese person I talked to complimented me on my Japanese and every time I did something considered normal to a Japanese, they would be surprised.
After a week of this I was getting mildly annoyed at everyone acting like this but I knew that it would be incredibly rude to voice my thoughts. Instead I went for walks through the town after a hard day at school. Night in Japan is completely different than it is in Minnesota. When I lived in Minneapolis, going out at night was often not a good idea. In Japan it is almost the opposite. The bright lights, many people, and low crime rate, made the town at night a relaxing yet rejuvenating place.