Quote:
Originally Posted by RobinMask
Ah, sorry it's taken me so long to read your reply, my main computer is shot to hell 
It's interesting to compare the initial experience to the latter experience; in a way it's kind of what I'd expected people to feel, because as you said it's kind of hard to feel pure excitement each and every day. I imagine it's kind of like visiting any other country, where at the end of the trip there's a longing to be both home and to stay longer, like pros and cons? I guess the futon trouble would count as a con, lol. Out of curiosity, what were some of your perceptions of the country that changed? I guess your experience was a good one, else you wouldn't have returned, but was there any negative sides that you discovered in your time there?
Sorry for the questions, I guess I'm just rather curious. There's so many people whose initial reactions are of intense excitment, but like with any country there's so much good and bad, so it's just interesting to see how these experiences change. I wonder what people's perceptions are of the 'real' Japan. I suppose at the end of the trip one might feel either jaded or optimistic, so it's just interesting really . . . anyways, thanks for replying  |
Yes, you're right in your first paragraph. Definitely pros and cons about staying and going like anywhere else. And for me with Japan at least, it doesn't hit me that I'll actually miss it until I'm at the airport going home. Not that I didn't like the experience, but it's one of those things that you don't realize until you're almost gone.
No problem about the questions, I love answering them on this kind of topic
Just as long as my list doesn't get boring :L
1. Initial: Tokyo looks great!
Changed: Tokyo isn't
THAT special...
Okay so this is something lots of people say but I didn't think about it until I was there. I thought Tokyo would be an amazing, special city. But it's quite simply.... not. Don't get me wrong, it's VERY unique, but at the end of the day it's just another city. Even unique places like Akihabara lose their charm after a few visits. I
much prefer out of city places.
2. Initial: The people will be perfect!
Changed: Uhh... why are you all acting as if you'd all rather jump off a cliff than talk to me?
I made a thread about this one somewhere. Basically, the people in the city are not as warm, friendly and welcoming as they're portrayed to be. For example, going up to someone in the street and asking the time (in full Japanese too) would result in the almost walking off ignoring me... but only JUST deciding that they may as well. Even when they did, they had very evasive body language. I was also blatantly ignored once.
3. Initial: There'll be hardly any English anywhere!
Changed: Oh my... there's WAY too much English everywhere...
So some people may disagree with me here, but this is truly my opinion. There was English everywhere. Just... everywhere. Signs in English, Trains in English, information in English, menus in English, doors in English, billboards in English, companies in English... you get my drift. :L
What was weirder was that outside of Tokyo, down in Kamakura, there seemed to be even
more English! I honestly don't know how that happened, but I was quite surprised with all the English everywhere. And not in a good way... I was kinda hoping to get away from it and practice my Japanese. The only good point is that no one seemed to speak it, and whenever shopkeepers etc spoke to me or asked me things, it would
always be in Japanese first and foremost.
And of course, I thought futons = good, but futons = no no no good >.<
Those are a few I remember off the top of my head that stick out most... I'm sure there's more than enough reading to be done in this post for now anyway!