Job Discussion Forums

onesentiment · Joined: 22 Nov 2007 Posts: 45

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.

Shonai Ben · Joined: 15 Feb 2003 Posts: 617

98:Japan has 4 seasons
97:Japan is not a theme park
96:Japan is a safety country

AgentMulderUK · Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2008 4:41 am Post subject:

Apparently its still 1960...

...with cell phones that have fallen through a wormhole from the future of 2008.

gonzarelli · Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2008 4:43 am Post subject:

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.

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

93. People are always willing to put up a Japan-bashing post.

gonzarelli · Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2008 6:41 am Post subject:

92. You don't know what you got til it's gone.

(missing Japan)

onesentiment · Joined: 22 Nov 2007 Posts: 45

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.

Mapleblondie · Joined: 29 May 2008 Posts: 93 Location: Canada

90. When you are referring to yourself, you point to your nose rather than your chest.

Zzonkmiles · Joined: 05 Apr 2003 Posts: 309

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.

onesentiment · Joined: 22 Nov 2007 Posts: 45

gonzarelli · Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 3:55 am Post subject:

84. If you unleash the wrath of a Japanese woman (esp if she's your wife), you have the right to remain silent.

Canuck2112 · Joined: 13 Jun 2003 Posts: 239

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".

Squire22 · Joined: 06 Jul 2005 Posts: 68 Location: Shizuoka, Japan

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.

markle · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 1316 Location: Out of Japan

onesentiment · Joined: 22 Nov 2007 Posts: 45