Don't be shy!

I'm continually amazed by so many Japanese students' inability to speak to a group of people. I have been in a small school club at my university in Japan and even some of the most outgoing people find it difficult to speak in front of more than five people. The club I'm in consists of no more than 30 people all of which have been friends for the last several months. Besides the few leaders of the club hardly anyone ever speaks up. Half of the meetings I am unable to understand through the rapid pace of every one's Japanese, however, sometimes I feel obligated to interrupt everyone so that a new voice or opinion might be heard. I can very easily see how business in Japan is done through authority roles expressing ideas and the majority quickly following without hesitation. If I ever get the chance to teach in Japan I think I am going to stress public speaking for all the students. And for any Japanese out there who are interested, don't be shy! Please!

Order gets sickening

Sometimes in Japan its easy to feel overwhelmed with order. Almost every worker knows their job perfectly, so perfectly if you might ask them to perform something out of the ordinary they usually say no. Rules are also followed to a T. The other night at a local festival with thousands of people of everywhere in the streets and alcohol flowing, the local police made sure every person knew where to be and definitely where not to be. In these high traffic situations often seen in Japan the few foreigners there always receive a few orderly yells "Move GAIJIN". This order to the way things work around here can become overwhelming at times and become somewhat sickening.

Parrallel Synchronized Randomness (PSR)

A term recently brought to my attention through the movie The Science of Sleep. "P. S. R. Parallel Synchronized Randomness. An interesting brain rarity and our subject for today. Two people walk in opposite directions at the same time and then they make the same decision at the same time. Then they correct it, and then they correct it, and then they correct it, and then they correct it, and then they correct it. Basically, in a mathematical world these two little guys will stay looped for the end of time. The brain is the most complex thing in the universe and it's right behind the nose. Fascinating! " The reason I have been reminded of this is that lately in Japan it happens to me almost every day. Unfortunately for me it's not connected to a lover as Stephane thinks in the film. Instead rather an embarrassing, sometimes dangerous experience where either on my bike or by foot I almost crash into someone.

America is dangerous

Does every Japanese person think that everyone in America really carries a gun around with them all day. The other night my host mother actually asked me this question. I just laughed and said no. It scares me a little that this is what some foreigners really think of America.