This page is a comparison between my home, Medina, New York, USA and where I lived in Japan for four years, Osaka City.
IN MEDINA  |
IN OSAKA  |
| The drinking age is 21 and highly enforced. |
The drinking age is 20 and nobody cares. |
| Girls have a better fashion sense than guys. |
Girls have a better fashion sense than guys. |
| The majority of people have never ridden a train. |
Everybody rides the train, like it or not. |
| Grandmothers dye their hair back to their natural color. |
Grandmothers dye their hair purple. |
| The only bowing done is at the HS talent show. |
People bow all the time. |
| White people are abundant. |
There are very few whities. |
| Earthquakes are rare. |
Earthquakes are common occurances. |
| Most guys are not in touch with their feminine side. |
Most guys are very in touch with their feminine side. |
| Being overdressed can be embarrassing. |
There is no such thing as overdressed. |
| Cheating on your wife is grounds for divorce. |
Cheating is almost expected. |
| Metric what? |
Feet? Pounds? Cups? |
| People hate President Bush. |
People hate President Bush. |
| You can leave your shoes on in the house. |
Take your shoes off, or else. |
| When someone doesn't like you, you know it. |
You never know what real thoughts lie behind their polite smiles. |
| Gadgets are a little expensive and kinda lame. |
Gadgets are cheap and cool. |
| Slurping noodles is rude. |
Slurping noodles is fine! |
| The police patrol the streets routinely. |
The police wait in their box for the criminals to come to them (and they do!) |
| I don't own a bicycle, I owned a car. |
I have no car and ride my bicycle everyday. |
| Eighties hair bands were cool in the 80's. |
Eighties hair bands are still cool. |
| Prostitution is illegal and discouraged. |
Prostitution is illegal but overlooked. |
| Obesity is not a disease, it's a lifestyle. |
Being obese is shameful. |
| Most people are pretty dumb. |
Despite what you think, people are dumb everywhere. |
| Down-blouse. |
Up-skirts. |
| The customer is always right. |
The customer is usually wrong. |
| Daisuke Matsuzaka is a decent baseball player. |
Matsuzaka Daisuke is the best player in the universe. |
| I haven't taken a bath since the second grade. |
I bathe in public with old dudes. |
| Drive on the right. |
Drive on the left. |
| Perverts get punched in the face. |
Perverts get away with groping. |
| Nerds can't score. |
Nerds can score repeatedly with chicks out of their league. |