... you find it hard to take time off work for personal reasons like going to visit your parents or having babies.
... it seems strange to see a dog with no clothes on.
... you start to analyze everyone's personality according to blood type.
... your favorite beer snack has tentacles.
... you’re not surprised to have to sit in the bank for the whole of your lunch break just to pay one bill.
... you automatically make a peace sign when anyone points a camera at you.
... you bow at passing traffic when you want to thank them for letting you cut in front of them.
... you are no longer annoyed by people praising your chopsticks skills.
... you visit an aquarium and catch yourself thinking how good everything would taste as sashimi.
... you sniffle rather than blowing your nose.
... you can feel the cool breeze of autumn in early August.
... you think, "Those plastic drawers look nice!”
... potato salad in a sandwich doesn't seem odd anymore.
... long-grain rice tastes weird.
... green doughnuts and purple bread are normal.
... you buy an otohime for your own house because you can't physically use the toilet without one.
... you realize that in recent movies from your home country you have no idea what some of the slang means.
... if someone asks you to do something you don't want to do, you suck your teeth and say "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh, soooooooooooo nanda," and then you say it again.
... you no longer feel like grabbing an air rifle every time the election trucks drive through the neighborhood.
... you’re disappointed if the ENT doesn't suck all the snot out of your nose with a suction wand.
... you’re rushed off to the hospital and overhear the paramedic inside the ambulance on the phone to the hospital saying “Nationality? I think she's a Japanese, but her face looks foreign....!”
(With grateful thanks to Kathy, Cath, Laura, NT, Jo, Janina, Jennifer, Linda, Christine, Bo, Mel, and all the other members of the wonderful MIJ community, who came up with the much longer list from which these are taken.)
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6 comments:
I identify with so much of what you wrote! My mom gets so sick of me making a peace sign when she's trying to take a picture of me when we're home to visit.
It's good to know that it's not just me!
Most of these ideas aren't mine, Sarah - they're by the various MIJ members listed at the bottom. But yes, they're all so true!
I have only visited for 3 weeks, 1 in Osaka, but even I can recognise some of these. Thanks for the reminders of a happy visit.
Very funny,
In -76, I was an exchange student, traveled all over, but lived in Osaka (Ikuno-ku -- not the loveliest part of Osaka.). I remember the first time I attempted the use of a "squat" toilet I about threw out my hip!
I also laughed everytime when asked to say "cheese-oo" when pictures were being taken.
Sooo true!
"Don`t those plastic drawers look nice!"
Words that have come out of my own mouth in the past month! LOL.
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