GOLDEN WEEK OFFERS A GOLDEN TICKET TO TRAVEL

May is a wonderful time to be in Japan! Sakura are blooming in the north, the frost is finally gone, and people start going outside again. I must say that spring is by far one of my favorite seasons, but Japan has just encouraged my love for May (which just happens to be the month of my birth). Despite my bias to the fifth month of the year, I can’t help but love it even more when Japan offers me three public holidays that are so conveniently situated right next to each other on the calendar. That’s right folks, the first week of May in Japan brings Constitution Memorial Day, Greenery Day, and Children’s Day.

This wonderful cluster of “no work” days is referred to as Golden Week. You can probably infer from the name what exactly Constitution Memorial Day celebrates, but it is interesting to note that Japan’s present Constitution renounces war. In fact, Japan’s “army” is called a Self-defense Force and adheres to Pacifism. Greenery day is just what it sounds like as well. The day is a celebration of nature while the last day, Children’s Day, is a celebration of children growing older. It used to be focused on boys only, but now it is for all children. On this day you’ll find carp streamers or flags flying all around Japan. The carp is a fish that can swim upstream and even up waterfalls, so the Japanese relate the powerful fish to success in life.

I can personally appreciate all of the traditions that these holidays bring, but to be honest, the greatest thing about Golden Week for me is the time off work and the opportunity to travel. For my first Golden Week in Japan, I chose to travel to the Miyagi and Yamagata prefectures. I decided to make this adventure on my own, so I set out on May 1^st with just my car and me. I had arranged to stay with a fellow JET who lived near Ishinomaki in the Miyagi prefecture. Through the JET program, we have something called the Tatami Timeshare, which is basically a list of people and where they live. Through this database, you can arrange to stay with other JETs for cheap accommodation during your adventures in Japan.

This blog entry will be a bit different, as I will be discussing my personal travel experience rather than the culture of Japan. To start off my trip, I headed to Monou town near Ishinomaki, Miyagi. The road trip took about 4 hours, but the drive was beautiful and it was nice to be exploring a bit on my own. After meeting my host for the first time, we headed out to Ishinomaki where we enjoyed visiting the Mangattan (comic museum dedicated to a local artist). I’m not a huge fan of Japanese manga (comics), but it was cool to see the museum itself. Outside of the museum were beautiful sakura trees that were in perfect bloom. That was honestly more exciting for me, but the manga cartoonist is famous in Ishinomaki and was a must-see since I happened to be there. After having our fill at the Mangattan, we headed to the top of the city (literally). There was a park with hundreds of sakura, but the trek up to the park was intense. Despite the “hill of death” that our kei car (small engine car) had to endure, the view was amazing and totally worth the trip.

On my second day in Miyagi, my host and I traveled for an hour to Akiu Waterfall. Personally, I’d say the trip wouldn’t have been worth it had it not been for our cold soba lunch and the onsen we visited afterwards. I’m a bit biased with waterfalls though because I’ve actually climbed one. This particular waterfall was pretty, but you couldn’t get very close as the path was blocked. After our sightseeing, we headed to Ichinobo onsen, which is now my FAVORITE onsen in Japan. (Granted I haven’t been to many.) For 1500 yen ($15), you enter the hotel, are given a yukata (Japanese robe) to walk around in, and you can enjoy the onsen for as long as you please. There was a men’s indoor onsen, and two outdoor onsens. (See the pictures) We relaxed all day because at 8:00 the outdoor onsens switched genders so the men could visit the big outdoor onsen… and it was worth the wait! The onsen had five different baths and they were all overlooking a river that was flowing past you. My favorite part was a “standing onsen” where the water was deep enough that you just walked through the pool with warm water standing up to your shoulders. I was in heaven, and my experience was only made better by the free massage chair that was in the lounge and the café where we enjoyed green tea cake with coffee and ice cream.

Unfortunately, I eventually had to leave the onsen, so after a night’s rest I headed to the famous Matsushima. Japan has 3 scenic views, and Matsushima is one of them. It is a cluster of islands that have pine trees on them, and when looked at from a high altitude, is a breath taking view that will leave you stunned. My enjoyment was again amplified by another café that provided me with chocolate torte, crème brulee, and coffee while overlooking sakura trees and Matsushima Bay. To end the day we had Sendai’s famous dish of gyuutan (cow’s tongue), which is actually rather tasty! You can’t leave the Miyagi prefecture without trying a plate of cow tongue and a bowl of ox tail soup.

On my final day in Golden Week, my host and I headed to the neighboring prefecture, Yamagata. Here there is a famous mountain, Mt. Zao, which has a crater lake at the top of it called Okama. Unfortunately, I think it would have been more enjoyable during the summer because it was still cold at the top. While we were driving to the top, we encountered about three different seasons’ temperatures. At the top of Mt. Zao the wind could literally blow you over, but it was still a great adventure. Okama was a little frozen still and we had to somewhat “ski” down part of the mountain in our shoes to reach a good view (my host may or may not have taken a little spill). Luckily we were able to stop ourselves and take a few pictures before starting the hike back up to the peak. After our mountain adventures were complete, we headed back down into Yamagata to experience a sulfur onsen, Dairotenburo. It was by far one of the most “open” onsens I have been in, as the walk down to the entrance allowed anyone (boys and girls alike) a clear view into the men’s onsen. When you got naked at this onsen, you were on view for all to see. Luckily I had gotten over my shyness long ago in my onsen experiences, and the bath was thoroughly enjoyable. Despite the “peeping toms” walking by (even though they couldn’t help but see into the bath), the onsen is a nice spa that provides ample room to wade around in. The water at the top bath is hotter than Hades, but if you like the heat, that’s where you want to be.

To end my trip we went into Sendai city, which is a good place to do some expensive shopping. They have everything from Gucci to Zara. My trip was mostly focused on nature, so we walked around a bit before heading off to Kappa Sushi for dinner. The next day I packed up my belongings and headed back to Akita. Golden Week had been a success and a nice break to the school year.

LIFE IN A FISH BOWL

I knew at the time of signing my contract that teaching in Asia would come along with great responsibility, but what I wasn’t aware of was just how much entertaining I would be doing. Though I wasn’t trying to break into the entertainment business with my career move, it’s often where I find myself, dealing with both the good and bad that comes along with it.

Most of the time, I enjoy my life here. Akita is a beautiful place to live, my job is fulfilling, and I have made wonderful friends. As an American in Japan, walking down the street elicits heads to turn in order to see where I’m going, what I’m doing, who I’m with, and what move I’ll make next. Those that are tactful manage to just stare out of the corner of their eyes, but it seems the older population are not afraid to stare you down as if you’re something from another planet. And often, I feel like I am. There is no doubt that just being in Japan has increased my “coolness rating”. In fact, there’s even a little joke among the expatriate teachers here… “If you’re a 6 in America, you’re a 9 in Japan.”

My students have proven this little joke true. The majority of my students treat me like a rock star, and everything I do is “interesting” or “cool”. If I wear sunglasses one day while driving to school, all of my kids comment on them and how amazing I must be to have such a pair of shades. I can have days that leave my head feeling ten times heavier from all of the compliments I receive or smiles I am given from others around me. In short, the celebrity treatment is wonderful, and it often adds to my day a feeling of importance in the world. But there is the other side of the spectrum that makes life in the spotlight a bit more difficult.

Not only am I expected to teach, but also I am to be on show for all to see. Students expect your lessons to be outstanding and fun, even when you’re given the most boring of topics to cover. If you have a lesson that is solely based on academic learning, they think there must be something wrong with you, and all of the glamour fades quickly.

Outside of school, making friends can be difficult. If you can manage to get past the shyness that is automatically created when Japanese people encounter foreigners, you still have to worry about whether or not the friendship is genuine. It is common for those that do approach us to be looking for free English lessons. Now please understand that not everyone is like this… it’s just something to look out for.

Besides students and friends, other people just tend to treat you like a zoo animal. I’ve had people stop their grocery carts in the store to just stop and stare at me. You are constantly in a fish bowl, and it always seems like someone’s looking in.

I think the worst part about all of the attention is that you can just never “get away”. After almost a year of living in Japan, at times I can’t help but feel like a celebrity running from the paparazzi. Now don’t get me wrong, I know that I’m no A-list celebrity, and I’m not to the point of attacking a cameraman or shaving my head for the tabloids. However, having constant attention does take its toll. If I go to the store, a teacher at my school may come up to me the next day and say, “Hey, I heard you went to the grocery store yesterday.” This little piece of information is supposed to be a conversation starter, but in reality, it just leaves me feeling awkward and a bit like I have a stalker. I know most people mean well, but imagine if you could never have privacy except in your own home.

Nine times out of ten, I am thrilled to have someone talk to me purely because I am a foreigner. This type of interaction can often lead to future invitations to cultural events or new friendships. But every once in a while, I find the attention a bit overbearing and frustrating. For example, yesterday I was just having a bad day. I was exhausted at school, my students were not cooperative because they had been tired, and the weather was dreary. All in all, it was just “one of those days”. After school, I wanted nothing other than to just relax at the park, enjoying some hanami (cherry tree viewing). As I reached the park to meet another English teacher in my town, I walked into the park to find a festival going on. This would be nice in every other situation except for the fact that the majority of my students from all THREE schools were there. I saw the uniforms and I knew my night of tranquility was at an end. My name was shouted out among the masses and waves were enthusiastically shot at me. I automatically put the smile on my face that teachers always do and said “hello” about 400 times as each student came up to me during my walk through the park.

In the end, I still love my students, but it would have been nice to get away for the evening after such a long day at school. I guess that’s something you just accept when becoming a teacher at three schools that all surround the town you live in. Most of the time I love seeing my kids outside of school because it’s when they show their “true selves”. Even though that night wasn’t the most ideal evening to encounter all of them at once, I must admit that despite my mood that particular evening, they could still make me laugh… And I still felt pretty cool.

WHERE GOING TO DINNER LEADS TO MARRIAGE

Throughout my time in Japan, I have found myself surrounded by people who are talented in many aspects of Japanese culture. Naturally, I want to learn as much as I can while I am in this foreign country, so it is my first instinct to ask them to share their talents with me. In most parts of the world, this is a perfectly natural expression of interest, but here in Japan, sometimes simple invitations will lead you to a heap load of trouble.

You see, Japan has very clear gender roles, and it is very rare that these roles intermingle. As a foreigner, I find that having the desire to learn Japanese cooking is an anomaly because men just don’t cook here. (Of course, you’ll find your chosen few, but the woman is to come home from work and take care of all domestic responsibilities.) As a quick reminder to my readers, I am in the backwoods of Japan, so this may be changing in other parts, but I do know that this lifestyle is still widely accepted in this country where the male is the dominant gender. (To all of my feminist friends, feel free to start screaming from the rooftops.)

How does this affect me? Well, along with these gender roles comes the clear definition of friendships and dating. While not unheard of, it is still very rare that women and men are just “friends” with each other unless the group of friends are a bunch of couples. Even then, the Japanese marriage often consists of a clear set of friends for each partner and it is not often that those groups socialize together. The husband has his friends, the wife has her friends, and they often have separate lives outside of the home. Women don’t attend the men’s work parties, friendly outings, or ritual get-togethers and the same goes for the frequent female gatherings.

So imagine me, a foreigner just looking for friends of any type, who finds a female friend who loves to cook. As mentioned above, my first reaction is to ask her to teach me the art of Japanese cooking. After all, I live here and shop here so my options for foreign cuisine are limited and expensive. After suggesting that we get together and cook sometime, I find that her face changes to a curious grin and shows signs of intrigue. My red light immediately goes off flashing violently in my mind as I can tell I may have just got more than I bargained for. It is later that I discover that friendships between a man and woman aren’t common in Japan, so an invitation to get together outside of work is often misunderstood as a reason to be with the other person “alone”.

Imagine my surprise to learn that I may have just given the idea to this woman that I was interested in her. As one can probably imagine, I was walking on eggshells for the next few weeks while I was around her. I had successfully showed interest in dating someone without even trying. A useful, albeit passive, technique for many had created some drama for me in the workplace.

Luckily, not much time had passed until I managed to break the cultural divide and become closer friends with her. It was then that I told her about the difference in cultures for gender roles, and we had a good laugh about the whole ordeal.

So perhaps you should learn from my mistake… tread lightly when it comes to opposite gender relationships in Japan. Even if you’re interested in the other person, dating is not taken lightly here. You may unexpectedly find yourself at a harmless dinner only to discover that you’re actually on the pathway to marriage.

WHERE A BIRTHDAY SUIT IS ALL YOU NEED

Looking around, I find myself in a winter wonderland that is one of the most picturesque sights I have ever witnessed. Mountains with snowy peaks surround me on all sides, pine trees have two inches of snow covering their branches, birds fly overhead struggling with all of their might against the winter wind, and beautiful white powder falls from the sky to coat the ground in a pattern that only mother nature can accomplish. As snowflakes fall on my face, they melt instantly from the steam that is rising from all around me. My body, which is sitting in one of the warmest baths I’ve ever been in, welcomes the cold water that the snowflakes leave behind. I lift my arm up out of the water, and it’s as if my body is smoking from an invisible fire on my skin. I’m as close to heaven as I could ever be on this earth.

Despite the bitter cold, I am as comfortable as can be in the Japanese onsen that I have traveled miles to enjoy. In this peaceful state, I forget the stinging cold walk I had to endure to get to the bath, and I lay back letting the warmth take away all of the stress from my body. The bliss that I feel can only lead me to one conclusion. The Japanese onsen is a magical thing!

An onsen by definition is a natural hot spring, but the word onsen often refers to the hotels and resorts that house these pools of paradise. Japan is known for their onsens because it is a country that is basically made from hundreds of volcanoes. I guess at least one good thing comes from these scary natural behemoths! The natural hot water that courses through the veins of Japan provides one of their greatest tourist attractions… the Japanese onsen.

One’s first experience in an onsen can be a stressful experience, as many things can prove to be in a foreign country with a completely different culture. But once the onsen etiquette is acquired, the experience is hard to match in comfort, beauty, and relaxation. Upon my arrival at the onsen, I pay my small fee of 700 yen, and I am given two towels. We are separated into groups of men and women (though this is not ALWAYS the case), and we enter our separate changing rooms. There, a small wicker basket or locker is waiting for me, and I strip down to my birthday suit leaving my belongings in the basket. Out of politeness, it is a good idea to try and cover up with your small towel out of modesty, but you’ll find that some will stroll around the resort with no fear. Being naked is something that is not looked at as awkward in this culture, and many have been going to onsens since they were children. It is definitely something a foreigner will have to get used to, but the reward is worth it! If you are clearly foreign, you can ignore the stares you get from just about everyone in the room. They are only curious about the foreign body, and being stared at is something you’ll get used to after a short time in Japan. Tattoos are often forbidden in onsens, but if you can cover it up, you’ll usually be okay.

After a quick walk from the changing room, I enter the onsen area where there is a small area for showering. I pick up my stool, set it in front of my mirror and showerhead, and take a seat. It is there that I must wash my hair and entire body before entering any of the pools. Once again, be sure you do this because you are being watched more than the average Japanese person! After I am completely cleansed, it is there that I am free to enjoy the indoor or outdoor onsen. Unfortunately, this particular resort has a decent walk to the rotenburo (outdoor onsen), and the birthday suit doesn’t provide me much protection from the chilling cold. I briskly walk down a flight of stone steps that may or may not have been colder than ice, and I make it to my destination.

The decoration was well thought out. The entire area is made of large uneven stone, Japanese lanterns are scattered throughout the room to provide minimal light, two walls are missing to allow snow to fall in and to provide a beautiful view, and large rocks are in the spa to provide seating. I feel like I was transported back in time to a beautiful Japanese castle.

I crawl into the onsen and just relax. Personally, I can’t take much more than a half hour in the pool as the water is incredibly hot, but it’s a wonderful half hour. As my body reaches a temperature that it can no longer stand, I raise myself out of the bath and prop up against a rock. The cold air cools my blood and it isn’t long before I want to submerge myself yet again.

After my body is completely relaxed and all tension has disappeared, it is time for me to shower yet again before returning to my normal attire. I leave the onsen without a care in the world and with muscles that feel like they’ve been massaged for hours. Nothing can touch me or excite me. I am at peace.

As of now, I’ve been to about five different onsens. My area in Japan is known for them since I live in the mountains, and I’ve even tried unique onsens where you are buried in hot sand for 15 minutes before your bath. Each experience is unique and leaves me wanting more. I have future plans to visit many onsens including a few at the top of the Japan Alps and other mountain ranges where the view is spectacular, looking over valleys and mountainsides. If you ever visit Japan, be sure to add this “must see” to your itinerary!

SO LONG, FAREWELL, AUF WIEDERSEHEN, ADIEU…

The end of the school year in Japan brings along the parting of ways for many within the school system. If you’re a teacher in Japan, you can’t get too comfortable with one school because the Japanese education leaders believe that teachers should be transitioned from school to school every 4-8 years. If you’re a part-time teacher, you may be moved every 1-4 years.

Within the teaching profession, there are two types of teachers… those that have passed the teaching exam, and those who still try every year to defeat this close-to-impossible test. To give you an idea of just how difficult this exam is, every year over 100 applicants take the test but only a handful pass. It is definitely a frustration among the teachers in my school, and it is discouraging for those who fail because no real explanation is given as to why they didn’t make the cut. It is a common belief in this area that the Akita exam is so difficult because there are so few children to teach in the Akita prefecture. This assumption makes sense because the decreasing population in this part of rural Japan has caused many schools to close in recent years. Part-time teachers are a steal because they are paid less, and they can have a lighter course load than full-time teachers. What is the saying? “Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?”… or at least at a discounted price. I think that could apply here if the rumors a true.

But I digress… the point of this entry is to discuss the goodbyes I have had to say in the past week. At my base school, I will say farewell to one of my favorite co-workers, Midori-sensei. She is being moved to an office job in Akita city, which is about 1 hour from my town. The city is actually two hours from this school, so her commute will not be the most ideal situation. I will personally miss the sweets she so often brings me in attempts to expose me to Japanese culture! Within this school, I have also lost another English teacher and the business teacher who has become a friend to me. Luckily, both of them are moving to Nishime High School where I also work, but I won’t see them as often as I work there far less than this school.

For the most part, teachers are moved within an hour commute of their home, but a few of the unlucky teachers are moved farther within the prefecture. For example, a science teacher at my school has to move his home because he was transferred to Yuzawa, a town that is about 2 hours from here. Given that they just found out their transfer information last week and the new year starts next week, they have little time to uproot their lives and get settled again. Can you imagine going through this every few years?

Along with the transfers come farewell ceremonies and enkais. Over the past few days my school has had their formal goodbye through a ceremony with all of the students. The strangest sight was seeing all of my manly baseball boys crying during the baseball coach’s goodbye speech. Yet even more shocking was the fact that the baseball coach cried and had to stop his speech. If you take a step back, you can understand the emotions that may be running through both teachers and students. In Japan, teachers are like parents. Students are at school from 7 in the morning until 8 or 9 at night. (If they’re in a club.) The baseball team is no exception to this as they are often the last students at school, practicing in the dark. The coach has the upmost respect from his players, and the players have a mixture of fear and love for their coach. Katsuta-sensei, often referred to as “scary” by his students, is definitely an intimidating man, but he is also very friendly. Watching him choke up on stage almost jerked a few tears from my eyes as well as he is one of the few non-English speaking teachers who tries to communicate with me.

Just this past Friday we said our informal goodbye with a farewell enkai. Again, each transferred teacher gave a goodbye speech, and drinks were poured for him or her all night. We thanked them for their efforts, wished them luck in the future, and toasted their accomplishments.

As I walk into work this morning, I find empty desks and gifts on my desk thanking me for my time teaching with the ones that are leaving. It is sad to see so many people leave, and I am of course nervous to see whom I will be working with in the future. I guess it’s all up in the air for now, but we’ll keep our fingers crossed that the new teachers are half as good as the ones that I’ve lost.

IN THE BEGINNING

Every once in a while I am reminded of why journaling is so great, and this past weekend was one of those instances. As I sat in my apartment on a lazy Monday (I had Monday off thanks to a national holiday), I was trying to entertain myself by watching movies and reading a bit of classic literature. As I grew tired of reading my novel by Austen, I went to the bookcase only to come across my journal. It had been a while since I looked through the contents of my past memories, so I decided to take a stroll down memory lane.

Now this particular journal is not very old since I started it when I moved to Japan, but nevertheless, memories are easily forgotten if we don’t remind ourselves of them now and then. As I flipped through the worn pages (it’s been through a lot!), I came across a quote that I recorded just before I left Japan. The quote is by Samuel Johnson:

The use of traveling is to regulate imagination by reality, and instead of thinking how things may be, to see them as they are.

As I peruse over the words, I can’t help but think of the truth that they hold. We can dream about the world as much as we want, but until we take action and explore the unknown, we will never know what is truly out there.

I laugh at my first entry in the journal. As my eyes take in each sentence, I can remember the excitement I felt at the time the ink first touched the page. I can’t help but think how right I was about my decision, even though I was incredibly scared with the idea of leaving everything that was familiar to me. It is this memory that I will share with you now. I hope you find it entertaining and possibly gain some insight into my thoughts during my last few months in the United States:

May 3, 2009

And the journey begins. I spent the last six months applying and waiting for an acceptance letter to the JET programme, and finally, it is official. I will be taking another life adventure and will be moving to Japan as of July 25^th.

Am I crazy? Possibly. I am quitting my job, and the business world in general, to go teach English in Asia. I justify my actions every day that I still work at “my company”. “This industry” is definitely not my cup of tea, despite the fact that I am often complimented on how talented I am at my duties. I have been unhappy for a while now, and I’m tired of waiting around for my life to change on its own. I truly believe you have to take destiny into your own hands sometimes… so I did.

Not to be critical, but every day I see people who are unhappy with their life, yet they refuse to take action. I do not want to be one of those people who look back only to regret decisions they never made or actions they never took. Even if Japan is the worst experience of my life, at least I won’t have the question “What if?”

Am I scared? At times. But I’d have to honestly say that excitement overpowers any feeling of doubt or fear. Life is too short not to take chances. The fears I have are of family members being hurt, growing old, or losing touch while I’m away, but all of these things can happen with me in Chicago. Living in fear is no way to wander this earth. Instead, I will wander with curiosity, intrigue, and adventure. I will answer my questions with experience. I will explore for new questions to ask. And I will take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself during my journey.

I never thought I’d have the chance to travel like this again, so I’m ecstatic to have the opportunity. Traveling was a dream I gave up for other dreams, but life has a funny way of working out. I’ve learned the best thing to do is just catch the wave that is this life and ride it out. Don’t have expectations as they rarely work out as you wish. To close, I’ll leave you with a quote from a movie… “The easiest way to make God laugh is to tell him what you have planned for your life.”

No more planning… just living in the moment.

Why is this entry so important to me? It’s because everything I said I still believe to this day. Japan has been an amazing adventure, and it’s not even close to being over. I’m thankful for my decision every day, and reading this again inspires me to push myself even further in my curiosity for the unknown. Not just traveling, but also to explore things I’ve never done, information I’ve never learned, and talents I’ve yet to acquire. There is so much to do, and life is too short!

DIDN’T YOUR MOTHER EVER TELL YOU, “PLEASE SLURP YOUR FOOD!”

Over the past few days, I have been in the company of someone who is visiting Japan for the first time, and this experience has reminded me just how different things can be here to a newcomer. One thing in particular that I found funny was how reluctant foreign visitors are to slurping their food in public. In Japan, slurping is a natural habit that occurs at every meal, and there is nothing rude about it!

Just last night I was at an udon restaurant with my visiting friend, and this particular Japanese food is rather difficult to eat for someone who isn’t accustomed to using chopsticks. For those of you who aren’t familiar with udon, it is a mixture of noodles and soup. The udon noodle is rather thick compared to other Asian noodles, and it is quite long. Our particular meal was niku udon, which consisted of udon noodles, beef and the broth. This dish proposes a challenge to first timers since you not only have to grab a slippery noodle, but must also get it onto a spoon without splashing the soup all over your table.

Watching my friend was entertaining to say the least. Given the fact that he is absolutely horrible with chopsticks, the meal moved at a slow pace. After getting enough laughs out of the ordeal, I recommended he try getting a piece of noodle in his mouth and then slurping the rest. The look I got was rather funny, and it came along with a complete refusal to slurp his meal. (That is until he got so tired of dropping noodles and splashing himself that he finally gave up and slurped.)

Now this may not be a significant Japanese experience, but it is funny to think about how accustomed I’ve become to a different life style. If you had suggested that I slurped my food a year ago, I also would have looked at you like you were crazy. Now I find it natural. In fact, slurping is a compliment to the chef in Japan because it shows that you are enjoying your food. Even during a traditional tea ceremony you are to sip your cup three times while making the slurping sound.

While the act of slurping is accepted in the Japanese culture, I realize it can be weird for those that were reprimanded for it during their childhood. Perhaps I’ll experience a reverse culture shock when I move back to America and find that others think I’m rude for slurping my food.