Job Discussion Forums

[lupin71]

Hey just curious as to how left handed people are looked upon in Japan. For instance I use my chopsticks in my left hand and I've been told that's not the right way to hold them. Also I voluntarily teach english to japanese students and when I write something down for them they always seem amazed at the fact AI'm left handed. A silly post I know but I'm just curious.

[Gordon]

I don't think it really matters, they may stare at you, but if they do it could be for a number of reasons.

[king kakipi]

Yes, Jkun, that annoys me to. Half the population seems to wear masks (before SARS made them 'fashionable') which I always thought, on previous trips here, was some sort of super-courteous way of not spreading germs when they coughed or sneezed. Now that I am living here, and I have seen 'the other half' spray their germs everywhere I think the mask wearers are probably just protecting themselves............

[Mike L.]

Don't expect linear thinking of any sort here!

[Celeste]

Regarding smoking:

In Fu kuoka, it is now illegal to smoke outdoors downtown! Our municipal buildings have also just gone smoke free as of this April. (Being a non-smoker who works in a municipal office, this is a godsend for me. Before april, I often had to open the windows to try and air out my office if we had had a meeting of school principals or vice principals, because the air purifiers couldn't handle the smoke from that many cigarettes at a time). Downtown, we now have guys wearing green armbands carrying ashtrays and ticket books making smokers butt out and writing them a ticket.

[Gordon]

I like seeing people carryying little portable ashtrays around. They look like little plastic pockets. Very funny looking.