7 Ways I Fcked up in Japan
I've been in Japan for exactly four months now, and to say it's been that long already is mind-blowing; time has flown by.
It's certainly been enjoyable so far. However, a few times, I've probably acted like a typical 外人, a.k.a 'gaijin' ('outsider' or 'alien' in Japanese).
Unintentionally, of course.
So, Let me Cut to the Chase and Tell you How:
Kept Saying Please Instead of Thank you.
Thankfully, this only kept happening within the first two weeks. Yes, I knew the difference. Yes, I understood how to say both please and thank you.
Did that stop me from accidentally saying 'please' countless times after I'd been served? No.
I face-palmed about 5 seconds later every time.
Bought a Weird Paste.
You must understand that going food shopping as a foreigner in Japan can be like stepping through a minefield.
It said 'protein' on the packaging in English, which automatically led me to assume it was a protein bar.
Once I got home, I discovered it was the strangest-looking paste thingy. I gave it away.
I accidentally Ate the Plastic on a Nigiri.
Do I have any idea how to open them? No.
Do I still have any idea how to open them? No.
To ensure I don't make the same mistake, I yank off the whole packaging now, making my Japanese friends cringe every time.
These are super tasty, by the way.
I Could Not Flush the Toilet.
Hear me out on this one, and don't get me wrong, I felt terrible whenever it happened. But have you seen the toilets here?
Some come with about 50 buttons, which I've only explored about 10/15.
It would be easy if the buttons were identical everywhere, but they're not. Something tells me that pressing every button isn't a good idea either.
Got Lost on Public Transport.
The Tokyo subway was a little overwhelming at first.
But honestly, this is probably the most forgiving f*ck up because who sometimes doesn't get lost in a foreign country? Nor is it something that worries me too much.
Especially when we're only a Google search away from sorting it out and getting back on track - and as long as I don't accidentally end up in a Yakuza hideout, it's okay.
I Accidentally Ate My Cereal With Yogurt.
As I've said before, buying things in Japan can be tricky when you need help understanding the packaging.
So yes, I ended up eating my cereal with what I think was some liquid yoghurt - which I threw out swiftly after, as it tasted gross. I still need to figure out what that was exactly.
I Did My 20-Minute Gym Induction Over Google Translate.
I guess this isn't a f*ck up, and it happened over my first two weeks here. I struggled with the language barrier a lot at first.
Although one thing I can say is that the gentlemen who showed me around had a lot of patience and went above and beyond to try and help. Lovely guy.
Of course, I've also been doing my best to continue learning Japanese.
Ultimately, Tokyo has been a fantastic experience, and soon I'll move to Osaka.
Although being in Japan has also given me time to focus on growing my online coaching, finally putting my energy towards building a website for it too, and the countless other plans I have for Kairos Online.
Online coaching is something I enjoy a lot, and I can still help you get the results you want without any geographical limitations.
Why don't you also join the team?
Even if you're just remotely interested. Whether you want to continue working out at home or head back to gyms once they open later this month.
Just fill out the Inquiry Form in the link below, and we can discuss any curiosities you may have.
Click here to get the ball rolling.
Speak soon,
Leo
