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May 14, 2011 Hi, Shingo!I assume that you already heard and saw the news about Osama Bin Laden having been killed by the US military and people in the United States going crazy and celebrating his death. I'm aware that some people in Japan think that Americans are crazy to be so happy about someone's death even though he was a criminal. But what I want to tell you in this letter is that not that people in America are happy about his death and President Obama's decision. As far as I know, there were no celebrations here in SF as people did in NYC. I mean, this doesn't mean that I'm on Osama's side; however, many people around me don't believe that he was the person who caused or planned 9-11. There is a controversy that the American government planned that incident. Anyways, I won't go into the story right now. Like this, in America, there are differences in people's behavior and attitude depending on what part of the US they are in. In general, people in California are laid back and easygoing, and people on the east coast are fast paced and seem to be unfriendly sometimes. People in south are slow paced and have good manners. The laws are different depending on the state as well. Each state can make its own laws. A state is like a an independent country. I love living in California, and San Francisco is the best of all. Many people describe SF as being in a bubble, separated from all the conservative nations and systems. (Most of) the people are liberal and progressive. I've never experienced racism here; however, Asians are becoming a majority of the population here in SF. We also don't have big commercial stores like Walmart and Target. SF is an awesome and beautiful city! You should come to visit me soon!!  April 7, 2011 Hi, Mom!How are you? Today, I had a very interesting experience. I was on the bus going to my school, and a Filipino guy started to ask me if I was a Filipino as well. -- Yes, in America, it's is very normal that strangers start to talk to each other on buses, streets, etc.-- Anyway, going back to the subject, I said no to the man, and he asked me where I'm from. I told him that I'm Japanese, from Japan. Then the man started to talk to me about the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear power. While he was still talking to me, he suddenly pulled out a $100 bill from his pocket and asked me to donate the money for him. I automatically but nicely said, "You should do it in Japantown by yourself."The man said something like that he already has donated somewhere but he wanted me to donate for him.. After he put back his money in his pocket he continued to talk to me, and when he was getting off the bus, again he said he wanted me to donate the money for him. I said that it's not a good idea to give a hundred dollars to a stranger. However, shortly after he left, I started to wonder if it was very unkind of me. Maybe I should have kept the money and gone to Japantown for him?? I don't know what was the right thing to do. This incident reminded me of an article I read recently somewhere; a Japanese girl was doing a fundraising for the earthquake on a street in America and a man tried to donate a hundred dollars to her. The girl asked the man what if this was fraud, and he wasn't worried. The man said, "No Japanese person would do that,"and donated the $100. The point I want to tell you through these stories is that (and I also found out myself after I came here) people in America and overseas are very fond of Japan and Japanese more than we think or are aware of. When I first came here, I didn't have any background or credit history, but I was able to rent an apartment by myself only because I was Japanese. The landlord thought Japanese are good people and that it was OK to rent the apartment without any credit history whatsoever. This is all because our ancestors and forerunners made and left this great reputation behind for us, and what I or we can do, at least, is to retain it, not to ruin it. Right now, I am also taking Asian American History class and learning how much hardship and discrimination those Japanese forerunners went through when they first came to this country, and I am so amazed how different it is now. Once again, I think it's because of their hard work and behavior. I am so thankful not only to our ancestors but also the people here for accepting us. Recently, after the disaster, my Japanese friends and I feeling a surge of patriotic spirit more than ever as we are in a foreign country. There are some things that we can see about our country only by living outside and these sometimes make us feel proud of being Japanese even more than probably you guys in Japan feel. March 18, 2011 Hi, Mom.How's everything? Everybody here is very worried and compassionate about Japan. I got many e-mails, calls and text messages from friends concerned about you and the rest of my family and friends in Japan. I read an article about how Japanese people don't forget to respect each other despite the situation and didn't have riots after the disaster, not like other countries, such as Haiti after the earthquake and New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. When my American friend told me about this article, my first reaction was "Of course! Riot!? It never happens in Japan. It's almost like attempting such a thing is not in our head or even conceivable." That was the first time for me to realize that not having a riot after a disaster is worth praise in foreign countries. I am now more proud of being Japanese than at any other time. Helping other people, having respect for others under any circumstances, especially in this kind of situation, are normal for us, nothing special. I wonder what would happen if we, here in San Francisco, had a disaster like this. When I was discussing with my friend what we can do right now to prepare for a disaster, such as water and food, she said we're going to need to have a gun to protect ourselves. I said, "No way!!" at first but maybe it is not such a crazy idea. It doesn't mean I'm going to go and get one; I don't want to keep a gun in my house. But it's possible that it becomes chaotic here and very dangerous. I just hope that the American police and military will keep things under control if it happens, and I will escape to Japan as soon as possible... This is one of the reasons why I don't want to get American citizenship since we are not allowed to have dual citizenship. Keeping my Japanese citizenship is like my best security blanket… I wish I can go back to Japan right now and help people and animals in Sendai… March 10, 2011 Dear Shingo,How are you? Here in America, most people don't take off their shoes in the house. Yes, I know it's gross. Coming from a country where most people even separate and wear different slippers for bathrooms in the house, it is hard to adapt this custom... Of course, I still take off my shoes and wear slippers in my house here. But many people who come to visit us don't take their shoes off despite the sign I posted on the front door, saying "Please take off your shoes :)". People just don't even notice it or otherwise ignore it. What is wrong with them?? I educated my boyfriend as to why it is dirty not to take off shoes in the house, and now he has the habit of taking them off. He sometimes still forgets but I always "nicely" remind him. But the problem is that he forgets to remind his friends, and he has a lot of friends who come to visit. I think western people don't have the same idea about the inside of the house and outside streets, and for them the inside of the house is an extension of the street. I always wonder how they don't think that it is filthy and unsanitary to go into the house wearing shoes with which they might have stepped on dog poo or people's urine, and the next second they walk around with bare feet and then get inside of the bed with the same dirty feet. It is a mystery... I have to keep telling myself "dirt won't kill you" to get by my life in America... February 27, 2011 Hi, Mom!Today, I want to talk about accessibility facilities in the America. Disabled people in America are very well provided for. For example, here the buses are really old, and they don't introduce new facilities as often as they do in Japan, but still they are equipped with lifts which lifts up a person with wheelchair into the bus. Stores are always accessible to those people as well; there are no gaps or differences in levels at the entrance, I think this is enforced by law. The other day I saw a store which had five steps inside, and right next to it there was some sort of heavy-duty looking machine. I asked what it was, and they told me that was a lift for wheelchairs. There are always slopes right next to or near stairs in public places also. This country is very wheelchair friendly, and I think it is related to their love of "independence" policy. However, sometimes I wonder if all the people in wheelchairs really need to be in wheelchairs. I often see very obese people in wheelchairs. If they are too obese to walk and have to depend on wheelchairs, I think it creates a bad cycle. The wheelchairs will take away their opportunity to exercise and make them even more obese. Old people as well, I see many old people on scooter-like wheelchairs. It takes away their ability to walk. Though it might be better than staying home all day, they should try to walk as much as they can. We don't see this that often in Japan, and I think it's a great thing. I hope you'll keep exercising and stay healthy, go out, have fun with your friends just like you are doing now as long as another 40 years!! Love, Yukari February 11, 2011 Dear Yasuo-kun,I want to write about driving cars in America in this letter. Here in California, to obtain a driver's license is surprisingly easy, not like in Japan where you have to go to driving school for a few months and pay at least 100,000 yen($1000). Here all you have to do is practice driving with someone who already has a license and go to DMV with an insured car. You have to take a written test first, but after you manage to pass, you can then go on to the streets and drive around. It is so easy and kind of hard to believe, isn't it? Also the rules are different. One thing I think Japan should learn too is that you can turn right on a red light. It makes sense, doesn't it? Of course, after you make sure no car is coming from the other direction though. But if there's no car coming, it's kind of silly to wait for nothing to turn, isn't it? Another cool thing is that the freeways are really free! You don't have to pay a fortune to go far like on the freeways in Japan. Sometimes you have to pay tolls for bridges, but except for that, you could even across the country without paying for anything except gas. And freeways are very wide here. There are usually five to six lanes. And signs are obvious to understand, not like the Japanese ones that you have to remember marks to understand what they mean. On the other hand, there are so many bad drivers here. It could be very stressful. However, even if you bump someone's car, if there's no major damage on it, most people don't care. I remember in Japan if you bumped another car, even if there was no damage to it, it was a big deal. I think here, cars are more from necessity and are a daily commodity, but for the Japanese, cars are more as a part of fashion and status (I'm not saying it's not the case here at all). In fact, you see many cars that are really old and beaten. This is because Americans think as long as it still runs, it doesn't matter how it looks... And I admire that way of thinking. I think Japanese people are way too materialistic sometimes! Talk to you later! February 8, 2011 Hi, Mom!Here's what I think is really interesting about America. Here in America you have to tip whenever you get a service, like in restaurants, hair salons, spas and hotels. It is usually 15-20% of the original price. Wow! Weird, isn't it!!?? On top of that, here in San Francisco the sales tax is 9.5%, so when you go out for dinner you pay almost 30% more on top of the meal price. It is crazy! I've been to many other countries but America is the only place you have to pay so much for the service (which, many times, not that great). What I don't understand is that they get wages. In San Francisco the minimum wage is now $9.92 and it's not bad! Why they can't be happy with it!? I really don't get it. They are not doing that hard a job. Sometimes they only take orders and come to ask if everything is OK once and bring checks at the end. Other harder job like carrying the plates and bussing tables are for somebody who is lower than waiters. And if you don't leave any tips, you are looked at as if you were a criminal! Every time I go back to Japan I get surprised and even moved with how polite, helpful and hard-working the waiters are, and the best part is that they are not looking for tips! We get much better service in Japan. What is up with that!!?? That's why when American people ask me how expensive it is to travel to Japan, I tell them it is not that expensive, especially for food, ands and on top of that, the sales tax is only 5%. Oh, but I might have to change that comment now because the US dollar is so weak recently. It's never been this bad... I cannot go back until it turns back to how it used to be or at least closer to it ... sigh... I miss eating real Japanese food without paying a fortune! And, of course, moreover, your cooking! January 26, 2011 Hello, Brother,How are you? Here's one thing I think is cool about the U.S. People here are very friendly. The first day when I came to this country, I was surprised when a woman said "Hi" to me on the street. At first I thought, "Do I know her?" But of course not! I didn't know anybody here except my friend who came with me on the trip. My friend and I both thought, "Oh my God! The person said hi to us!" As you know, this is so rare in Japan, or maybe I should say in Tokyo because some of my Japanese friends told me that people are friendlier in the suburbs. In Japan, people don't talk to you unless they know you... I love that part of this country… I feel so much more comfortable talking to strangers, asking questions about directions and such. People open doors for you, start to chat at a bus stop, etc... I feel like people here are more relaxed. I'm not saying people in Japan are unkind, but they are just not relaxed, I think. At the same time I hear the opinion that Americans are rude and unfriendly from some people, especially people from different countries. When I hear that I am surprised and start to think what a cold society we have in Tokyo, which can make me think even Americans are friendly and nice! But I still think people here are friendly enough, and that makes me friendly and nice to others also. I like it. You should definitely come to visit me and feel this yourself! Chao chao, Yukari |