Job Discussion Forums

[Yawarakaijin]

Is there anything you hated when you first came here but now love? Anything you loved when you first arrived but now can't stand. I'm thinking more of things along cultural lines/certain experiences as opposed to " I use to hate natto but now I love it".

examples:

I never used to mind girls wanting to date me just because
I was a gaijin. Now quite frankly those kind of girls are a
big turn off.

I found the small apartments really hard to get use to at first
but after putting a few dollars into mine and realizing how
much crap I used to have and did not really need I quite like
my apartment and am very comfortable here.

[ndorfn]

Yeah, like you, I'm suprised I could adapt to living in an apartment. I still miss having a garden to grow veges and mullies, but I don't stress about the lack of space now.

And the girls thing too, like you said.

Also, I've become very concious of making too much noise. From not caring less about cranking up the guitar whenever, now it's more likely to be the neighbours who are disturbing the "wa" by being noisy.

[Le Creature]

[Yawarakaijin]

Just to avoid stepping on anyones toes/getting that inevitable "you can't make generalizations like that", all I am going to do is offer my opinion. It seems to meet that I meet about 3 different kinds of women here.
The women who are extremely easy to meet. Read that as almost any Japanese woman who has spent some time and overseas. Don't always read to much into that.. they may "have it bad for foreign men" or they may simply be wanting to keep up their English.
The second group, and sorry to burst anyones bubbles, are the type who could not give a rats ass about gainjin males. They are too busy with their make-up and manicured nails and have absolutely no English whatsoever so if you are into that type of girl you better have the time and the Japanese ability to "woo" them. Sadly I would honestly say that these type of women tend to be the majority.
Third type and the ones I find most enjoyable are simply the average Japanese women who do not have any set opinion either way on foreign men. You treat them well and have enough Japanese to hold a conversation and share your thoughts with them and it can be very rewarding. That said, they seem the hardest to meet. Whenever I go out I seem to meet only the ones previously listed above.
I would be curious to learn of anyone else's ideas on the matter.