Budou

Things I am getting used to:

The garbage - They are very organized with garbage here.  I have three different bins and a separate section for cardboard.  You bring your trash from your lunch home with you.  You don't throw it away at school.  If you buy a Starbucks and carry it out of the store, chances are there will not be a garbage anywhere and you will have to carry it home.

Walking - I walk everywhere.  We live on a really huge hill that we walk everyday.  I probably spend 2 hours almost every day walking to or from somewhere.  I am not talking about the walking you do at work or at home.  Instead of a driving, I walk.

Bathrooms -  I guess it is custom to bring your own handkerchief into the restroom.  If not you are usually using a community towel.

Light switches - They are usually on the outside of the room.

Grocery shopping - Most people buy their groceries the day they will eat it.  You don't stock up like in America and just go once a week or so.  

Air conditioning - Most houses have wall units in each room.

Fat - They eat a lot of fat on their meats.

Slippers - You wear slippers inside the house.  Shoes are not to be worn in a house.

Ovens - Most japanese homes do not have an oven.  We don't.

Japanese - You cannot even begin to understand how difficult the most basic of things can be to operate or buy because it's in japanese.  Remotes, alarm clocks, microwaves, washer and dryers, milk, butter, certain vegetables.  

Food - The raw stuff is still hard to eat. However, a lot of foods are different than what you expect.  Things you think will be salty are sweet.  Things that you think are sweet are savory.  

Fruit - It's a dessert here.  So my students think it is odd at times for me to eat it at breakfast or eat it first during lunch.  However,  IT IS DELICIOUS!  The fruits are huge here and so much tastier.  My favorite fruit in Japan are grapes (Budou).  They are so big!  You don't eat the skins of them though.  You eat them almost like you would eat a cherry, except instead of spitting out the pit or seed, you spit out the skin.