1. I really like the toilets. There is definitely something to be said about them...I wonder how much it would cost to install one in my home...
2. I will miss being referred to as Mr. Tyrer or hearing Nimo explain how he loves fry fishing.
3. It was very nice to get home an have meals that did not consist of fish and rice. In Japan, it didn't matter what the food was, it tasted like fish and rice.
4. I formally want to apologize to Buddha for any material or content deemed inappropriate on this web site. Maybe this apology will convince Buddha to let my bowels function normally after a week of torture.
5. I love walking into Japanese stores and restaurants and being greeted. It's almost as if you are being sung to...When leaving, they sing out "Arigato gozaimassssssssssssssssss" in a very pleasing tone. If I had to do one thing over, I would have recorded this because it makes me smile every time I think of it.
6. I have learned not to determine the date of events based upon what people are wearing. Since we brought limited clothing, it may appear that we went fifteen different places on the same day because we are wearing the same clothes as two days earlier.
7. I have a new appreciation for what it must be like to be on a reality television show like Survivor. For 3 weeks, I was surrounded by the same people in a country where I knew nobody else. While we knew none of the other "contestants" entering this ordeal, it feels like many of them are now family members after sharing so many details and events with them. There is definitely a deep level of bonding with some of them that I would not have expected.
8. Despite all of the food that I ate, I ended up weighing three pounds less when I returned. With that said, I wonder what the real weight would have been without my stomach virus.
9. It seemed that every group had their own secret joke. I had "Soka" (Oh really?), Eniwa (Anyway), Shibuya (Just sounds fun to say), etc. The sad part about this is that nobody back home appreciates it because it really isn't funny. I guess you had to be there...
10. Japan is a very homogeneous society. Being different from 99% of the population creates a lot of staring by everyone. If you are a tall woman with blonde hair, expect stares...some might even ask to feel your hair (at least in the schools they will). If you are a black person, expect the stares twice as much...
11. I didn't think it was possible to watch as much CNN as I did in three weeks. That was because it was the only channel that was broadcast in english. And, I honestly did not watch much of it...it was background noise...
12. How come a country that is so environmentally friendly (recycling, no paper towels in bathrooms, etc.) insists on wrapping every single item you bought individually? When purchasing items in a gift shop, every item was presented to me in a beautiful display of paperwork.
13. While everyone thinks that Japan is so technologically advanced when compared to the United States, I was disappointed in the level of technology that I saw. I really feel that, on the whole, the U.S. has a higher level of technology use in schools and homes. I think this may be the result of Japan's ability to produce items that are later bought by us.
14. During our last week in Tokyo, we were able to help some poor person in the subway. We showed him how to read the map, buy a ticket, and enter the train station. That's when we knew we had made it and it showed how far we had come!
15. Despite the hustle and bustle of people in Japan, it is amazingly quiet! When people talk to each other, it is at a low level. Personally, I love this...It was a bit embarassing hanging out with a loud group of Americans at times.
16. I was thoroughly impressed with the responsibility of the students in the schools. I can't help but think what would happen if we entrusted my 10th graders with the things that 6th graders were expected to do in Japan. I think there would be a revolt.
17. There is a general level of respect given to people in Japan. While this is often too formal for my blood, it was very nice to know that it was an expectation.
18. There are two personalities shown by people in Japan...the formal side and the informal side. Especially in Tokyo, you will not see the informal side unless you are singing karaoke or drinking a beer.
19. Japan is a VERY structured society with norms that will be followed. I think there is a certain level of tolerance given to foreigners who break these.
20. I realized upon my return that I had been giving the peace sign incorrectly the entire trip. From what I've seen, the palm should be facing towards those people who the sign is being given to...
21. This whole trip seemed a lot like summer camp.

And on that note, I think it is time for you to hear from me...coming up in the next journal are my innermost, deepest feelings about Japan. Pull out the box of tissues.