mtfester@netMAPSONscape.net wrote:

> Hallvard Tangeraas <inv@lid.email> wrote:
>> >> I'd like to know more about how life is in Japan for
>> >> non-Japanese: the good and the bad, and what you're
>> >> comparing with.

> OK, everything's smaller; chairs, bus seats, etc. Seems trivial, but it
> wears on you after a bit.

I expected this as well when I visited Japan, but didn't find it to be 
the case, and I'm not tiny either (pretty slim I guess but about 1.8m 
tall). What are you comparing with -which country for example?
I'm from Norway.


> People generally dress a little bit better; again, seems trivial, but
> it's a difference.

Yeah, I noticed that young women almost *always* wear high heels. Even 
walking out in the countriside, in the woods by Mt. Fuji I met women who 
wear shoes like that! :-)
And yes, people dress pretty nicely, but that goes for a lot of Asian 
countries.


> People are out alone later. Generally a good thing.

That surprises me a bit to hear. Japanes people are generally seen as 
people being taught to do everything in "groups" as opposed to being an 
individual, but perhaps I'm mixing things here.
I've met Japanese people on my trip who couldn't find any way to 
understand how I could cope by travelling alone. They would NEVER do that.
Is there a lot of loneliness?


> You will be discriminated against; how you handle it is up to you.

In what kind of situations?
Is it because of ignorance and communication problems, or that those who 
do that simply hate foreigners and are pure racists for whatever reason?


-- 
Hallvard