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onesentiment
Joined: 22 Nov 2007 Posts: 45
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Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2008 3:11 am Post subject: 101 Lessons learned in Japan |
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I'll start:
101. Sometimes speaking single words is better than speaking broken Japanese sentences.
100. Buy in bulk so you don't have to go to the supermarket every day.
99. Even the smallest details of details can cause a big fuss at work. |
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Shonai Ben
Joined: 15 Feb 2003 Posts: 617
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Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2008 3:13 am Post subject: |
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98:Japan has 4 seasons
97:Japan is not a theme park
96:Japan is a safety country |
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AgentMulderUK
Joined: 22 Sep 2003 Posts: 360 Location: Concrete jungle (Tokyo)
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Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2008 4:41 am Post subject: |
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Apparently its still 1960...
...with cell phones that have fallen through a wormhole from the future of 2008. |
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gonzarelli
Joined: 20 Jun 2007 Posts: 151 Location: trouble in the henhouse
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Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2008 4:43 am Post subject: |
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95. You're not nearly as cool as they say you are.
94. The longer you stay in Japan, the longer you stay in Japan. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2008 5:37 am Post subject: |
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93. People are always willing to put up a Japan-bashing post. |
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gonzarelli
Joined: 20 Jun 2007 Posts: 151 Location: trouble in the henhouse
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Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2008 6:41 am Post subject: |
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92. You don't know what you got til it's gone.
(missing Japan) |
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onesentiment
Joined: 22 Nov 2007 Posts: 45
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Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2008 4:51 pm Post subject: |
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This is not about bashing Japan, this is about helping others realize things they may not have noticed.
91. Nods don't mean yes, it means they're listening. |
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Mapleblondie
Joined: 29 May 2008 Posts: 93 Location: Canada
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Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 12:19 am Post subject: |
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90. When you are referring to yourself, you point to your nose rather than your chest. |
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Zzonkmiles
Joined: 05 Apr 2003 Posts: 309
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Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 12:21 am Post subject: |
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90. Life in Japan is much better and much easier if you learn Japanese.
89. Life in Japan is much better if you don't restrict your friends to the ones you work with.
88. Ramen is good.
87. Bicycles are necessary.
86. Cigarette smoke is not as irritating as you used to think it was.
85. That 3 to 5 year mark when you're not quite a newbie but not quite a long-termer is very awkward and thought-provoking. |
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onesentiment
Joined: 22 Nov 2007 Posts: 45
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Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 2:40 am Post subject: |
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Zzonkmiles wrote: |
90. Life in Japan is much better and much easier if you learn Japanese.
89. Life in Japan is much better if you don't restrict your friends to the ones you work with.
88. Ramen is good.
87. Bicycles are necessary.
86. Cigarette smoke is not as irritating as you used to think it was.
85. That 3 to 5 year mark when you're not quite a newbie but not quite a long-termer is very awkward and thought-provoking. |
haha, these are really good. It narrowed down a lot of what I've learned during my time here, especially 87 and 89. |
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gonzarelli
Joined: 20 Jun 2007 Posts: 151 Location: trouble in the henhouse
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Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 3:55 am Post subject: |
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84. If you unleash the wrath of a Japanese woman (esp if she's your wife), you have the right to remain silent. |
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Canuck2112
Joined: 13 Jun 2003 Posts: 239
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Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 8:11 am Post subject: |
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83.) "Sleep" is not a bodily function, rather, a hobby.
82.) Japan actually produces some world class whiskey. Who'd have thunk?
81.) The beer here, with a couple exceptions, isn't very good.
80.) Most stares here have no genuine malice behind them, even if they look like the do.
79.) The gap between 3kyuu and 2kyuu on the JLPT is wider than the grand canyon. They really should make a "2.5 kyuu". |
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Squire22
Joined: 06 Jul 2005 Posts: 68 Location: Shizuoka, Japan
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Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 9:06 am Post subject: |
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78.) When told that doing something might be a "bad idea" it usually means they absolutely don't want you to do it, under any circumstances.
77) Red lights at traffic signals, don't always mean stop. (People seem to keep driving through the light for about 10 seconds after it has turned red)
76) Although they are called "100 Yen Shops" most things are actually 105 Yen, so don't act outraged when the clerk asks you for something like 315 Yen...
75) You really shouldn't even attempt to survive the winter without a heater or the summer without aircon.
74) When people are really trying to speak to you in English, and their English really isn't great, resist the temptation to switch it to Japanese despite the fact that you may be thinking "This conversation would be so much easier in Japanese, I know I could do it, rather than this rubbish English, ggrrrr!". They are trying to communicate in a foreign language, it's not easy, be nice, be patient, they will feel on top of the world if they believe that they can have a dialogue with a foreigner.
73) Your experiences with people here really does affect the way they approach and think about other foreigners that they haven't met yet. |
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markle
Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 1316 Location: Out of Japan
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Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 11:14 am Post subject: |
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Canuck2112 wrote: |
83.) "Sleep" is not a bodily function, rather, a hobby.
82.) Japan actually produces some world class whiskey. Who'd have thunk?
81.) The beer here, with a couple exceptions, isn't very good.
80.) Most stares here have no genuine malice behind them, even if they look like the do.
79.) The gap between 3kyuu and 2kyuu on the JLPT is wider than the grand canyon. They really should make a "2.5 kyuu". |
onesentiment wrote: |
This is not about bashing Japan, this is about helping others realize things they may not have noticed. |
Seems not everyone got that memo..... |
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onesentiment
Joined: 22 Nov 2007 Posts: 45
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Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 1:13 pm Post subject: |
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markle wrote: |
Canuck2112 wrote: |
83.) "Sleep" is not a bodily function, rather, a hobby.
82.) Japan actually produces some world class whiskey. Who'd have thunk?
81.) The beer here, with a couple exceptions, isn't very good.
80.) Most stares here have no genuine malice behind them, even if they look like the do.
79.) The gap between 3kyuu and 2kyuu on the JLPT is wider than the grand canyon. They really should make a "2.5 kyuu". |
onesentiment wrote: |
This is not about bashing Japan, this is about helping others realize things they may not have noticed. |
Seems not everyone got that memo..... |
haha, i've read much worse. |
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