[steven]

I definately feel similar about roads... sometimes they are just too confusing. They don't have street names-- but they sometimes have numbers (where I am at least) and those numbers often bare little meaning to Japanese people (besides a couple of the really big streets). I've learned that each intersection has a name, though. It's ironic because now that I can read them and know that they're there, my eye sight is getting worse making it harder than ever. That's why I just got a navigation. That being said, though, it seems like everyone is really helpful in helping me out if I get lost and ask them. I've had a couple of instances where people point me in the wrong direction though, so I always make sure to get a second opinion.

I also don't quite understand why people have to be at work so much. Working from 6:30 AM until 11:00 PM and living 45 minutes away seems insane to me... There are a couple of my coworkers who do this routinely. They also go to work on weekends for probably half a day. I can understand staying an extra hour or two after work every day, but doing the gauntlet day in and day out seems detrimental to your health and can't possibly be good for your job performance.

Another thing that gets to me sometimes is when people are literally smoking a cigarette and drinking alcohol telling me how to be healthy. It's ironic and hilarious and all... but it seriously makes me wonder.

And dirtyroboto-- I've heard that spacial awareness one a few times before... a canadian guy who used to live here always said that same stuff. I personally don't see it a lot where I am (relatively). In california it was MUCH worse than I've ever seen it here. In fact, people here seem to be SUPER aware and are always curteous about things and will apologize if they mess up. I think you have to be at least a little bit spacially aware to drive through some of these streets, you know? In california everything is jumbo sized, so the second things get a little bit cramped, then there's gonna be accidents(whether it be while driving or walking). There is the ocassional jackass exception to what I just said though... sometimes you get some real birdbrains-- but I think that they're a lot less common than what I've experienced elsewhere.