Thoughts on Being Back Home

I'll save my big "Reverse-Culture Shock" for when I come home permanently in the Spring. For now I'll just jot down a few observations.

It seems to me that many people, when returning back to the U.S. after visiting Europe or Africa, often comment on how they are shocked by all the materialism. People returning from Japan don't often say this. The materialism in Japan is just as bad or maybe worse than in the U.S.

There are, however, 3 things that I notice every year, and, from my conversations with other ex-patriots, seem to be held in common with most people returning from Japan. I noted these on the blog about this time last year, but I'll recap them again with some brief thoughts.

1. The lack of politeness. Shoko was very shocked by this, and it was noticable as soon as we got on the plane. The American flight attendents looked at you with mild annoyance whenever you asked for something, instead of bending over backwards and apologizing like a Japanese flight attendent would do.

But the nice thing about America is that, although we might not be as polite as the Japanese, we are often a lot friendlier. Shop clerks and waiters will often make small talk with you about various subjects. This doesn't happen in Japan.

When I first arrived in Japan I would try and make small talk with the convenience store staff as a way of being friendly and of trying out my Japanese. "How is it going? Very busy tonight? Nice weather today, huh?" I was doing this for over a year before someone told me that it is considered very strange to do this in Japan.

Shoko always gets a big laugh out of this story. "What were you thinking?" she asks. "Everyone in those stores must have thought you were so weird." After being in America for a few days she said, "Now I can see why you would do that."

2. The feeling that everyone I see is someone I know. I keep having to remind myself that I don't know everyone in Grand Rapids, even though everyone's face has a way of looking familiar after a year in Japan. There were a couple times in particular when I could have sworn I saw someone from high school, and almost went up and said something to them, but wimped out at the last minute. I'm still wondering.

3. And lastly, everyone in America seems really fat. I think this every year. Not too much to add this year.

And now some additional Random Observations:

*Okay, there actually are Starbucks everywhere. I take my previous comments back. I'm not sure if I just never noticed it before, or if most of them are new in the past five years. I suspect the later.

* I've been telling everyone in Japan that Sushi isn't popular in America, but I noticed a lot of Sushi places around Grand Rapids. Again, I'm not sure if these are new, or if I just never noticed them before.

* Ditto that for Japanese Anime and Manga. Every book store I went into had a huge Manga section. Do I just notice these things more that I've been to Japan, or has it increased in popularity a lot in the past 5 years?

* As Sarah noted on her Blog, during the time I was back West Michigan was officially the least sunniest place in the world. In a way though I think I've missed the cloudy skies of West Michigan. I hate always having to scrounge around for a pair of sun glasses before I can leave my apartment in Japan. Japanese people always ask me why my eyes are so sensitive to the sun, but now that I know West Michigan is the most un-sunniest place, I think I have my answer.

* My sister would want me to say that she never screamed at me once this trip. (She wrote the same thing on her blog). There were a few times when she raised her voice, but I've agreed not to count them as screams.

Link of the Day
Japan Times gives its picks for the best of 2005 in Japanese music. If you're interested in getting into Japanese music (and why spend your whole life just listening to Western Music when it's such a big world), this might not be a bad place to start.