But first, before I get to Japan, I must direct you to this video. You can thank me when you`re done laughing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMH0bHeiRNg%20
A few things unique to Japan:
I don`t find myself rehearsing what I`m going to say to the clerk before entering stores at home. At least, not as much as here:)
Camouflage trees. At least, I`ve never seen them anywhere else. There are these trees here that shed their bark in such a way that they look exactly like army camouflage, in green. And with the varied shades. I wondered where the idea for that pattern came from. (sorry I don`t have a digicam)
Twenty-two year old men who giggle. Well, I`ve only met one here (a student), but a giggling guy in Canada would surprise me.
Shortening words to make new words. We come up with slang and nicknames sometimes, but we wouldn`t change "personal computer" to "pasocon" or "convenience store" to "combini", would we?
Bicycle parking lots. (very common)
Car parks that rotate like ferris wheels so your car is up in the air as it waits for you. Probably deters thieves.
UMM, shrines. Pretty boring to me by now, they`re so common and I saw so many last time. Their like churches in Canada, I guess. Once you`ve seen one, you`ve seen one. But the worship would be totally different.
Shinkansen. Pretty freakin` cool train.
Postal money accounts. Same as bank accounts, but at the post office. I don`t know if there is any difference. Easier to send money home from, maybe.
Japanese English. A constant source of amusement and bewilderment. For example, I copied this off a vending machine:
COFFEE and SOFT DRINK Freshly brewed coffee and delightful fresh our mind and soften our heart. They are indispensible to us
Yeah, coffee and soft drinks are indispensable. A good grammar text apparently is not.
6 comments:
hahahahaha.... so... the vending machine was just a tease? The contents were indispensible? hahahahahahhaaaa
(yes, I've been lurking...)
to funny! I love the Korean English here... I need to get some samples to take home. Glad you are settling in over there!
I'm actually glad that you guys don't shorten words. That would make it so much harder for people like me. We in Germany do that. And we also have Postal money accounts. So I guess we are more Japanese that North American .... :)
It's always good to read about you!
Sabine
I recall the giggly Japanese International Students at U of W years ago. Interesting cultural behaviour. The Japanese men didn't seem to have the same sense of personal machismo as North Americans (but that was over 20 years ago...man, I'm SOOO old).
but cheryl, soft drinks ARE indispensable to you! one, at least. how's the coke over there?
Pretty good. And it doesn't cost any more than at home. It doesn't come in bags, though.
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