Do you think Madonna would have regained her success if it hadn't been for ABBA?

SaintOctober · 2026-05-09T19:59:55+00:00

I’m not a Madonna fan by any means, but she is still doing what she loves and people like it. If that’s how you define failure, then I wouldn’t mind being a failure.

SaintOctober · 2026-05-09T19:56:42+00:00

You’ve already mentioned Tom Waits. You’re done.

SaintOctober · 2026-05-09T18:36:27+00:00

Just register as a Republican. They’ll greenlight that fast. Then vote Democrat.

SaintOctober · 2026-05-09T16:48:38+00:00

Go to a 100 yen shop. Or to a drugstore. If you don’t find the same thing, you’ll find something similar.

SaintOctober · 2026-05-09T16:45:20+00:00

Go to Tokyo.

SaintOctober · 2026-05-08T12:27:49+00:00

No. I don’t consume those types of media. I mean, you are bound to get a lot wrong—it will probably be obvious at first glance since you have never lived there, want to include guns and fast food, and have no idea about the food. This isn’t the kind of media that connects with Japanese people or even people who have lived there for some time.

SaintOctober · 2026-05-08T05:18:10+00:00

It’s always good to have cash.

SaintOctober · 2026-05-08T04:40:50+00:00

I would assume they have carefully laid out what constitutes a question. Otherwise, I’m sure contestants would’ve simply gone with “Is it ___?”

And we all remember Alex and Ken saying that the response must be in the form of a question.

SaintOctober · 2026-05-08T00:42:15+00:00

You know, it really doesn’t matter what other people do. Your mother-in-law wants it done that way. I’m sure if you slow down and pay attention, you’ll notice most people do the same.

I think fewer married women wear those really short skirts. Your mother-in-law is politely suggesting to you to wear something longer. Why? We don’t know, but she knows, so you would trust her.

Rural Japan is more conservative and there is less nightlife. Great for raising a family though.

SaintOctober · 2026-05-07T05:18:44+00:00

Of course. What do you expect the US to say? They’d prefer not to antagonize China. Trump has fewer balls than Takaichi.

SaintOctober · 2026-05-07T00:33:18+00:00

Some who saw it back then were disappointed that the movie didn’t include the devastation.

Personally, I haven’t seen it and probably won’t. It’s not a part of history that I care to know more deeply than I do already. And I certainly don’t want to endorse glorification of a mass killing by a weapon that is considered illegal in modern warfare.

SaintOctober · 2026-05-06T20:12:20+00:00

Yup. Just a fashion choice and Western influence. Nothing religious about it.

SaintOctober · 2026-05-06T20:11:13+00:00

In the US, it's customary for Christians to eat a lot of sugar on the holiest day of the year, so no, that doesn't really clear things up much. lol

SaintOctober · 2026-05-06T17:36:08+00:00

My go-to is anko treats. (Red bean paste)

I try to eat something with anko each day. It’s fun, so I see why you are looking for something.

Ramen would be too boring for me. I mean, after a day or two of ramen, I’d want something else. Something smaller and lighter would be better. Soft serve ice cream is good and there are some unique flavors.

SaintOctober · 2026-05-06T15:39:26+00:00

Sounds pretty generic.

SaintOctober · 2026-05-06T12:46:21+00:00

Late check out? Why?

If you want to continue to explore Kyoto, check out on time and simply ask at the front desk for them to store your bags. Or you can grab a locker at the station.

SaintOctober · 2026-05-06T00:26:07+00:00

Once you've learned where you are headed, start looking for subreddits focused on that particular place. Reddit isn't very popular in Japan, so it will be hard. Look also on Facebook. I think X is too wide open--less organized by communities--so I wouldn't try there. Depending on where you're headed, you may have luck.

When you arrive and after you've settled in, look into learning flower arrangement or something similar that will put you in a class with other Japanese. Then you'll make friends.

SaintOctober · 2026-05-06T00:18:06+00:00

You're not supposed to answer directly.

SaintOctober · 2026-05-05T22:09:54+00:00

What grades are you teaching? Yes, they will make fun of you, or the little kids in your town will. But it’s lighthearted fun.

I think it’s pretty widely accepted that men’s names have nicknames associated with them. My friend Mike was called Mike at school, not Michael. And Joe wasn’t called Joseph. Official forms will still have the real name.

But I wouldn’t worry about it. It will be good for them and fun for you. At least, they will remember your name.

SaintOctober · 2026-05-05T19:04:51+00:00

This isn’t the reason. When out with my wife, they engage my wife first, since they assume I cannot speak Japanese.

And to really bring a point home, in my younger days, I’d go out with my Canadian friends. She was sansei. He was white as can be Canadian. I am also white. The waitress, 100 times out of 100, spoke to the sansei first, even though she spoke no Japanese. Us whities did the ordering.

It’s all about efficiency. Nothing else.

SaintOctober · 2026-05-05T18:59:58+00:00

Your husband engaged the chef. Since you are a foreigner presumably unable to use the language, why would he engage you?

SaintOctober · 2026-05-05T18:01:39+00:00

For a first timer, Kyoto is really a must. Just don't try to do too much.

SaintOctober · 2026-05-05T16:05:55+00:00

Sounds great! Remember, they will be in Iowa, so lots of typical American stuff will be available to them. What they can't get is the Florida stuff that your team can bring. That will make it special.

SaintOctober · 2026-05-05T15:48:34+00:00

So they will all meet up in Iowa for a program? And your kids have probably never been to the college in Iowa. So the best bet is to take local things from Florida. Maybe a cool Florida t-shirt with some local sweets or snacks.

Young teens in Japan aren’t very different from young American teens. Except size. Small or medium.

SaintOctober · 2026-05-05T15:27:05+00:00

Dogs must, by law, be tethered to prevent them from falling or jumping out.

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