So, this has been my first week in Japan and I have been really busy! With all the work I've done I still have other important stuff today so it's like the work never ends. Just trying to get used to Japan, and the rules is a hassle and then on top of that just trying to understand what everybody is saying is really tough. I also have jet lag and have been waking up at around 5:30~6:00 every day. Sometimes I wish my Japanese was good enough and I had the confidence to just go on my own and do all the stuff I need to do....but maybe I'll do that after I get a bike. In Japan EVERYONE has a bike and I think it's impossible to go anywhere without one. In America, that's one of the differences I think, everyone has a car and walking somewhere can take you at least 30min to an hour. In Japan though, everyone has a bike. The public transportation is very good but in the city I'm in, Mitaka, it's just really convenient to have a bike. Some other differences from the US I've seen are
1) Trash: The Japanese take trash very seriously and there are specific rules to throwing out trash. You have to separate paper, plastic and cardboard, burnable material and such. In America, we recycle but it's not so strict. I'm just used to throwing everything into one bin and throwing it out to get picked up the next day, so I'm still trying to get used to it
2) Bath: In America I don't know anyone that doesn't take a shower. The showers for the most part are combined with the bath but most people just use the shower. As kids, I remember taking baths but not so much anymore. In Japan in the dorm I'm staying in, where you shower is set up like the Korean 찜질방 that I went to last summer. So instead of taking a shower standing up, I do it sitting down and with other people....it might sound weird but once you get used to it, it's not so bad.
3) Rules: In Japan, the first thing I noticed when I got here is how many rules there were. There’s a specific rule for everything and it's really strict. Coming from America, there are rules but there not really strict. You follow them, and there are exceptions, it's just a really laid back country. Going to Japan, I kind of miss this aspect of my country T^T!!! I'm such a laid back person and when I went to Japan it's like "you have to do this, this way no exceptions, follow the rules"
4) Temperature: In Japan right now, I think this is the worst weather I've ever experienced. It's so humid here it feels like I'm in a sauna 24-7. Right now, for the first time in my life I'm praying for it to become winter so I won't have to take a shower 500 hundred times a day because I wake up sticky every morning. In America summers are hot but I think the heat it more intense and not humid...so I guess the sun is stronger there than in Japan, but this tropical climate in Japan makes me feel like I'm in a rain forest or something and the slightest breeze is like a gift from the gods or something LOL
5) The exchange rate: America's economy is in the shit right now. I realized that when I came here. When I first exchanged my money in Japan I got ¥33288 which is around $330 if the exchange rate was even, from $400 that I gave them. I feel like I'm getting ripped off every time I go and exchange my money! I really hope America gets its act together because I'm suffering over here!!!
Well I can say one of the hardest things for me being here this week has been the language. I'm really trying hard to study and learn but every time I do that something new always pops up. However, I think speaking everyday in Japanese even though my structure is wrong is still good practice. Everyone in the dorm says I'm really good at Japanese but I think it's just because I don't have an accent like other 外人's but most of the time I'm struggling to understand what everyone is saying. Today, I went to this church service that was mandatory to attend for new students. When I walked in, they gave us these head sets that was connected to someone that translated the sermon. I was really inspired by this and I think that's what I ultimately want to do when my Japanese gets good enough.
1) Trash: The Japanese take trash very seriously and there are specific rules to throwing out trash. You have to separate paper, plastic and cardboard, burnable material and such. In America, we recycle but it's not so strict. I'm just used to throwing everything into one bin and throwing it out to get picked up the next day, so I'm still trying to get used to it
2) Bath: In America I don't know anyone that doesn't take a shower. The showers for the most part are combined with the bath but most people just use the shower. As kids, I remember taking baths but not so much anymore. In Japan in the dorm I'm staying in, where you shower is set up like the Korean 찜질방 that I went to last summer. So instead of taking a shower standing up, I do it sitting down and with other people....it might sound weird but once you get used to it, it's not so bad.
3) Rules: In Japan, the first thing I noticed when I got here is how many rules there were. There’s a specific rule for everything and it's really strict. Coming from America, there are rules but there not really strict. You follow them, and there are exceptions, it's just a really laid back country. Going to Japan, I kind of miss this aspect of my country T^T!!! I'm such a laid back person and when I went to Japan it's like "you have to do this, this way no exceptions, follow the rules"
4) Temperature: In Japan right now, I think this is the worst weather I've ever experienced. It's so humid here it feels like I'm in a sauna 24-7. Right now, for the first time in my life I'm praying for it to become winter so I won't have to take a shower 500 hundred times a day because I wake up sticky every morning. In America summers are hot but I think the heat it more intense and not humid...so I guess the sun is stronger there than in Japan, but this tropical climate in Japan makes me feel like I'm in a rain forest or something and the slightest breeze is like a gift from the gods or something LOL
5) The exchange rate: America's economy is in the shit right now. I realized that when I came here. When I first exchanged my money in Japan I got ¥33288 which is around $330 if the exchange rate was even, from $400 that I gave them. I feel like I'm getting ripped off every time I go and exchange my money! I really hope America gets its act together because I'm suffering over here!!!
Well I can say one of the hardest things for me being here this week has been the language. I'm really trying hard to study and learn but every time I do that something new always pops up. However, I think speaking everyday in Japanese even though my structure is wrong is still good practice. Everyone in the dorm says I'm really good at Japanese but I think it's just because I don't have an accent like other 外人's but most of the time I'm struggling to understand what everyone is saying. Today, I went to this church service that was mandatory to attend for new students. When I walked in, they gave us these head sets that was connected to someone that translated the sermon. I was really inspired by this and I think that's what I ultimately want to do when my Japanese gets good enough.
No comments:
Post a Comment