tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730822.post1238145753830297870..comments2024-03-28T19:45:50.194-07:00Comments on the joy of sox: Sleeping On The Floorallanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04673233312198832937noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730822.post-14520070447411579982007-05-30T20:01:00.000-07:002007-05-30T20:01:00.000-07:00Zen, that's interesting. Japanese tourists often w...Zen, that's interesting. Japanese tourists often wear gloves in foreign countries out of germ fear. <BR/><BR/>Different snow?! Yeesh.<BR/><BR/>I was thinking --<BR/><BR/><I>It is different from Japan. People [here] keep their shoes on and that is how it is.</I><BR/><BR/>-- that he should come to Canada.laura khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05524593142290489958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730822.post-54699043084048921642007-05-30T13:27:00.000-07:002007-05-30T13:27:00.000-07:00I lived in Japan for three years. One of the rathe...I lived in Japan for three years. One of the rather annoying things one's exposed to are these weird explanations as to why the uniqueness of Japanese culture (or customs, or weather, or physique) creates incompatibility with other countries, especially Western countries. Sometimes there is some truth to the explanations, but more often it's an expression of Japan's exaggerated sense of itself as a cultural singularity.<BR/><BR/>For example, foreign ski makers have always had a difficult time getting their products into the Japanese market. This is commonly explained along these lines: "Japanese snow is different from snow in other countries. Their skis aren't made for our snow and don't work as well on it." (Buuuull-shit!)<BR/><BR/>Another one: Japanese people don't need sunglasses as much as white people do because their dark irises absorb the light better so not so much light goes into the pupil. (This one I grudingly accept.)<BR/><BR/>Anti-bacterial products are another thing you hear a lot about in Japan, so this awareness about germs is pretty pronounced. At any rate, who knows why Dice-K got the 'flu, but this explanation has a rather familiar ring to it.Zenslingerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06040836002694584468noreply@blogger.com