I've made a comprehensive list (not in order) of things I have missed/not missed about being in Japan upon returning from a brief visit to America for three weeks (which was WONDERFUL by the way. I was super jet-lagged the whole time, but in return, I'm not so jet-lagged in Japan. Woot!)
Anyway, to my lists:
Missed
1. The fashion - not all of it makes sense to me but it's so creative with layers upon layers, accessories, the variety of colors/patterns and what not.
2. Cute boys and pretty men - I'm human, don't judge me for this one!
3. Hearing Japanese around me - I enjoy it. I don't know why, but I just do.
4. Cute(r) babies - Now, I'm a sucker for babies of any race/ethnicity/whatever, but Japanese babies are just so cuuuuute! And their little voices in Japanese are so adorable!
5. Mascots - Japan has a mascot for everything and it's precious. Or scary.
6. Politeness - Everyone is so nice. I can feel it.
7. Vending Machines - Delicious juice, tea and coffee for only about $1.10 (rough estimate there) at any street corner, establishment, building, etc.
8.The ability to use my Japanese phone. I originally started documenting this list on my phone in its notepad. This phone is so much cooler than my American one.
9. Engrish - a usually funny attempt at using English. It's everywhere and it makes me smile.
10. The unreasonable amount of small dogs (leaving the airport, I saw a woman with SIX pomeranians...it was the strangest thing. They were all on leashes, but the woman wasn't holding on to any of them. They were just parading after her. I couldn't stop giggling.)
11. Commercials - once you see them, you know what I mean.
12. The use of the word "GET!" in advertisements.
13. ONIGIRI (rice balls, but triangle-shaped) - I had three of them for lunch the first full day I was back; one with salmon, the other with tuna & mayonaise and the last one with shrimp & mayonaise. These fillings are in the middle with dried seaweed on the outside. The Japanese equivalent to a sandwich I've heard people say. So scrumptious.
14. The ability to travel without the main dependence of a car.
15. Being able to walk around at night without a slight worry of being mugged or something along those lines.
Not Missed
1. Asian toilets - I've tried people, but I just can't get into squatting over a whole in the ground. Sorry.
2. The vans/trucks that blast music/announcements (that I don't understand) as they drive around the town/city - they either startle me, wake me up, or annoy me in general.
3. The lack of Mexian food in this country (I made several trips to Chiptole while I was home)
4. Suicide as a common cause for a delay in train schedule
5. My friends and family from home not being here. It was so relaxing to have them so close.
That's about all I can think of - as the days go by, I probably will come up with more for both things.
Have you gotten used to the entire part where you have to carry around your own toilet paper yet? Gehehehe.
ReplyDeleteHah, actually, I don't have to - they have toilet paper everywhere I have been to actually. What they don't have in bathrooms sometimes is paper towels or hand dryers - that's a bummer, lol. You're supposed to have handkerchief for that purpose.
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