Major life events such as births, weddings and funerals often come with unique cultural practices around the world. You can learn a lot about a culture by studying these traditions and customs. But, what about proposals and engagements? Yakko and I realized this is not something that’s often discussed and Read more…
When tourists come from Japan, they often find tipping a pretty foreign concept. How much do I tip? Where and who do I tip? How do I tip? It can get a little tricky. It’s also tricky for Chieko after she’s had a drink or two. 日本から来た旅行者の頭を悩ませるのがチップ。いくら支払えばいいのか？誰にいつ、どうやって支払えばいいのか？結構厄介なものなのです。実は少々お酒が入ると Cheechan にとっても厄介なこと。 In Read more…
One of the challenges of growing up bilingual is when words pop up in your head that you want to say in one language, but there’s no adequate translation for it in the other language. For example, as Japanese children, we are often told, “Shikari shinasai!” or “Chanto shinasai!” But, Read more…
While coffee is pretty universal, have you ever noticed it’s a little different everywhere you go? Even within the United States, there’s a huge range of coffee from weak diner coffee to Starbucks. 珈琲は今となっては世界的な人気を博してますが、地域によって少しずつ違うことに気づいたことありますか？アメリカ国内でもその違いは大きく、日本のアメリカンコーヒーを更に薄くした超薄いコーヒーからスタバ系のものまであります。 In Japan, they have blend coffee, which is a little stronger than American coffee and is Read more…