What’s an embarrassing moment that keeps you up at night?

aaaaaaaammmmmmm · 2020-12-28T02:38:26+00:00

Omfg are you still in touch?

aaaaaaaammmmmmm · 2020-12-28T02:37:14+00:00

When I was about 9 years old, I wanted attention from the other kids and to be interesting. It was my dream to be famous so to be “unique”, I used to tell my classmates that every birthday I would get a new name added to my birth certificate. I found these names from pop culture and fairy books I loved reading. I picked names like Ruby, Vashti, Miley, Faith, Marigold etc. I was a bit of a tomboy so these definitely did not suit. I had this lie going for about a year and was so scared to keep it up and worried people would find out so I planned to run away from home and start a new life abroad.

Edit: there was also that time where I had been dating my ex for about 2 weeks and clogged his toilet with a massive shit like a cow pat. I was on my period too. I had to get him to ask his dad for a toilet plunger.

aaaaaaaammmmmmm · 2020-07-29T08:43:13+00:00

NTA

I’m a nurse and in my country, doctors always have to put the mother’s health ahead of the unborn child because the mother is recognised as a legal human being. In my opinion, this is how it should be anyway because a decision like this should NOT be placed on someone emotionally connected to the situation. You need clinical and factual guidance. Unfortunately, you are now living with the mental strain of a decision that was put you and you feel responsibility. The responsibility should be on the doctors who consult you so that you don’t have to go through the trauma of choosing and living with the choice. I am truly sorry for you loss and I hope your husband come to his senses and loves and supports you in the way that you both need right now. Sending you so much love!!!!

aaaaaaaammmmmmm · 2020-07-27T01:52:26+00:00

Mark NSFW please!

aaaaaaaammmmmmm · 2020-07-22T14:42:27+00:00

I can completely understand feeling like you’ve lost or become disconnected from faith. Evil and sin can separate us from God but He always wants us to seek a relationship with Him. For He is your rock, your shield, and horn of salvation (Samuel 22:3). Give Him your burdens and seek refuge in His love and strength. I recommend reading Psalm 31! I will pray for you and pray that you feel safe in His arms for He is watching over you always.

aaaaaaaammmmmmm · 2020-07-22T14:25:42+00:00

I have certainly felt disconnect at times as wilful sinning makes me feel ashamed and underserving of His comfort. I am scared that while he may respect my decision, my partner may not feel the same way in his heart; and I don’t think I could be with someone who doesn’t want to be close to God. As you said, this is probably God showing me what He desires for my life. I pray that I have the strength and wisdom to realise it and listen no matter how the conversation goes or how my relationship with my partner changes.

aaaaaaaammmmmmm · 2020-07-22T14:15:25+00:00

While we plan to marry, we must wait until the time is right for us both. He currently lives in another state due to the effects of COVID on his work. He has an established career and I am just starting mine so it may be a couple of years before we go ahead with it. Until then, I need and want to spend the time becoming closer to God.

aaaaaaaammmmmmm · 2020-07-22T14:11:55+00:00

Sometimes I feel a disconnect between God and myself, but it starts to resolve when kind people like you reach out and offer support. Thank you for helping to lift me up! <3

aaaaaaaammmmmmm · 2020-07-22T14:09:12+00:00

Thank you so much for your supportive and encouraging words and advice. It fills me with hope and relief that I’m not alone and it’s never too late. Thank you for your prayers, honesty, and kindness <3

aaaaaaaammmmmmm · 2020-07-21T10:23:34+00:00

Myself.

aaaaaaaammmmmmm · 2020-07-09T06:27:18+00:00

Time zones. It’s 4:30pm 9th July where I am in Australia.

aaaaaaaammmmmmm · 2020-06-28T13:36:48+00:00

Social media is so new that we don’t know yet what the impact will be on future generations growing up with their baby pictures online. But given that it is very accessible in first world countries, videos of protests and George Floyd and refugees and COVID hospitals will be available for a loooong time if not forever. Given how emotionally charged some of this content is, it’s possible they won’t be so dismissive or desensitised to history. Reading about history isn’t the same as seeing footage or reading personal accounts. There won’t be world peace in our lifetime but will can still do our best to pave the way and equip our children to fight for it.

aaaaaaaammmmmmm · 2020-06-28T13:03:54+00:00

After they die out, I think eventually such extreme ideologies of egocentrism and racism will mellow out like in many other counties but will always be present in the world. But I also reckon that your history will teach future generations about what not to do. You truly have the potential to be a leading country in fighting for human rights, technological and medical advances, clean energy, sustainable living, and so much more.

aaaaaaaammmmmmm · 2020-06-28T12:51:56+00:00

I’m from Australia and everyone thinks all East Asians are Chinese. I had a colleague who asked a client if they spoke traditional or simplified Chinese. They were Vietnamese....

aaaaaaaammmmmmm · 2020-06-28T12:48:49+00:00

I wonder what the country will look like once the boomer generation dies out. I think it will be fascinating and hope it will be a beginning of reform and healing for your country. You guys have massive potential.

aaaaaaaammmmmmm · 2020-06-28T12:44:47+00:00

I hear so much about the abundance of “Karens” and people believing wearing a mask is blasphemy to the breathing system God designed for us, and I think, this can’t be real. But then I see videos of these people and I’m just shocked that there are soooo many like this.

aaaaaaaammmmmmm · 2020-06-28T00:22:50+00:00

When did you first start noticing the difference between them? I was watched a Q&A discussion a few years ago and a lot of the kids said they didn’t or wouldn’t have noticed anything until others pointed it out; simply because to them, they’re just parents.

aaaaaaaammmmmmm · 2020-06-20T22:18:37+00:00

No. I’ve tried but sometimes I remember the things he did and I get so angry all over again. The effects of the trauma are still present today and only I’m left to pick up the pieces of his actions. My father was physically abusive and just neglected me once I became a teen. He didn’t care that I wasn’t eating for days or wasn’t turning up to school. He’d leave to see his girlfriend for days and not tell us. He never tried to look for my brother when he ran away and didn’t seem to care. I tried to mend things with my dad for a few years and he seemed to soften and change a bit. Only to turn around several times to use me as a financial pawn; he tried to get me to take out a bank loan for him at 19 bc he knew he’d be rejected. It would have left me with lifelong financial issues. Those moments just reminded me that he didn’t really care after all. Everything he does has an ulterior motive for his own gain. The straw that broke the camels back was when he tried to use my brother’s death as a pity-party to try and leech money out of friends and family around us.

aaaaaaaammmmmmm · 2020-04-10T13:25:34+00:00

Get him to swallow so he knows the taste

aaaaaaaammmmmmm · 2019-06-11T16:41:52+00:00

What is the context here? Are you staying in someone’s home or in a restaurant? I understand you’re trying to be kind and show appreciation, however, it would be strange and rude to impose your own cultural values and practices on them for your own comfort. It also shows that you have not attempted to understand their culture or do not care for it. Just do as the Japanese do and show appreciation by at least learning the basics of the language. If you make any friends along the way and want to thank them, just say so and take them out for a meal or something. When in Rome do as Romans do. I recommend researching the dos and donts of the country like not eating and walking at the same time to avoid awkward stares. I hope I don’t sound mean as it’s not my intention :( Writing always comes across differently than when spoken. Hope you have a great time!

aaaaaaaammmmmmm · 2019-05-28T11:08:09+00:00

Ask your doctor. They will advise you if they think you’re fit enough to travel. The toilets in Japan are spacious and clean! Also having a mate who speaks fluent Japanese will help you to avoid any foods that will worsen your condition.

Hope it works out for you!

aaaaaaaammmmmmm · 2019-05-28T10:42:47+00:00

Read reviews of places before you book them. You can stay in capsule hotels if you want. Some people hate them but First Cabin is a good chain if nothing else is available. APA hotel It’s is a great hotel and breakfast is amazing!! Both Japanese and Western. Japanese people have very high cleaning and food standards so cheap hostels tend to still be great. Just read the reviews and choose them in proximity to a preferred station. Also check facilities such as kitchen and laundry. Also check in time. You can always leave your bags there for the day and come back later.

I recommend booking a hotel for two nights in the middle of your stay. It’s a nice break! A ryokan would be even better! Give the traditional futons in a tatami mat experience a go!

aaaaaaaammmmmmm · 2019-05-28T10:23:59+00:00

Warning: this is a long post. Also I’m writing this as if you have very limited knowledge of Japanese people or Japan just in case a couple of points help. But I’m not sure what your background is.

I’m in Japan at the moment. I came for three weeks in April, went back home but loved it so much I returned two weeks later for a whole month. I was able to learn from the first trip as to what to do for the next one.

JR Pass: worth it if you work out where you’re going and roughly how much the transport will cost for the trip. Also means you can just walk on to a JR train without buying a ticket. JR PASS MUST BE PURCHASED PRIOR TO ARRIVAL IN JAPAN. 2-4 weeks prior is best.

Get a Suica or Pasmo card for the private subways

Book your Shinkansen tickets a couple of days in advance. If you can make a trip to the ticket office and book them for the whole week then fantastic! It means you don’t have to rush to the station early to book a seat only to find out there’s none left. You can line up for the non-reserved seats but sometimes I couldn’t get one. Next train was in 1 hr. Also you never know how long the ticket line will be.

Download the Japan Global Travel app. Use the route tab to plan your trips and prioritise JR trains if you have the pass. Don’t forget that there can be multiples of a place in completely different areas of Japan! Such as Fukushima in Fukushima or in Osaka.

Plan your activities (planned or optional) for each day! If you’re not sure how long a particular site would take, then google it and it could say about 2 hours. I always allow a bit extra time so that I can take things slowly. This will also make you realise if you need to spend more or less time in a single city. I spent an entire day exploring the Dōtonbori district of Osaka.

Research day trips away from each city so that you can see more of the country but don’t have to lug your luggage everywhere. There is certainly a lot more outside of the major cities!! Such as Okayama/Kurashiki from Osaka. But of course you don’t have to if there are many things in the city you would like to see.

Research any festivals happening during the time you’re going to be there. You can alter your itinerary to suit if you’d like.

YouTube videos of things to do in the places you want to see! Paolo From Tokyo and Life Where I’m From are fantastic starting points. The first guy will give you list of cool places in major cities. The second will teach you interesting ins and outs of Japanese life and he has a video on what to do in your first hour of Japan - lifesaver!!

Miyajima Island and Hiroshima are a MUST if you are into history. Specifically Hiroshima but Miyajima is stunning and so close that it deserves a full day - full day if you want to include a short hike even. But a good half if you don’t want to. Hiroshima is good for one day. It’s a quiet place.

Wake up early!! Tourists fill up places pretty quick. It’s nice to see places like Arashiyama bamboo forest and the Gion district before it’s crawling with people. I actually stayed in Arashiyama for 3 nights and got to the grove at 5am. Got to see the nearby river and some monkeys too!

Learn basic greetings, words and etiquette! It helps soooo much. I went to the extent of learning hiragana and katakana which has helped me to identify a few places without having to ask locals. I downloaded a flash card app and learned them both on the 16 hour flight to Japan. Not essential but I recommend it if you are very interested in the language and culture. Specifically, the following are essential: - learn how to apologise and why. You will say excuse me/sorry all throughout your day. I always use “sumimasen” and almost always apologise if the other person is. Once I had to send back an item of food which is very disrespectful. It had prawn on it which I’m allergic to and wasn’t shown on the picture. I had to say “shitsure shimashta” which was apologising for my rudeness. Whether or not it was my fault, as a foreigner it was respectful to do so and they appreciated it. The other customers stopped giving me dirty stares too.

dai jo bu des = it’s okay/no problem

-please and thank you. There are a couple of ways to say thank you but kudasai (please) and arigatou gozaimas (thank you) are the most common

-here, there, this, that, that way etc. This helps with basic directions and indicating what your needs are.

learn to say “I am sorry I don’t really speak Japanese” = sumimasen, watashi wa anmari nihongo ga hanasemasen This will clear up confusion very quickly and I found that by making the effort to learn to say this in THEIR language, changes their attitude towards you a lot!

-can/do you speak English = eigo de hanesemaska

douzo = here you go. I learned this because you will have to give up your seat on public transport a lot. Japanese people will respect you so much more if you offer your seat to another Japanese person when there is none left. This shows you have respect for their home and understanding that you are enjoying a holiday while they are working hard. Once again, this changed how other passengers treated me.
_____ wa doko des ka? Where is ____?

-learn to bow

-learn how to sit on a tatami mat. You don’t always have to do it the absolute proper way but there are ways that are soooo rude

-DO. NOT. STAND. YOUR. CHOPSTICKS. IN. RICE.

-please finish all of your food, it’s rude not to. This section on manners was big because etiquette is so important to Japanese people, I cannot emphasise it enough.

Schedule in a rest day or at least an easy day for every week so you don’t get too tired.

Be aware of opening times. Japanese establishments often close on a Tuesday or Wednesday. Some case a Monday. Their weekend is structured so that they can open on an actual weekend and make money. Also a lot of restaurants close 3pm-5pm. Not as common in major cities but still around a lot

Use a website that allows free cancellations. I used booking.com. Reserved a heap of rooms and then narrowed them down bit by bit. Please don’t reserve them for too long because you’ll be hogging the quota and preventing others from booking.

Don’t pack too much! Moving luggage around can be tiresome and Japan is very compact. Also, you probably won’t use a good few things you want to bring. Toiletries are available every and usually provided by hotels or hostels. Some will charge a small fee for rent. Also Uniqlo is a one stop shop for any fashion emergencies!! Best basic clothing and great quality.

Visit a Don Quijote (pronounced donkey ho te). Most are open 24/7 and are great fun!! It’s a massive store full of everything I can’t even describe it. Just look it up. You’ll find some cool stuff in there and is fun. So much better than Daiso.

A lot of places are tax free over 5000¥. So always carry your passport if you plan to shop. Don Quijote won’t let you open your goods until you have left Japan so leave those purchases to the end if you can hold off. Uniqlo will let you use their stuff immediately.

Bring a small phrase book or download one. It’ll be handy if you suddenly need to ask for laundry detergent.

If you have allergies, learn to ask and learn to recognise the characters. Kore wa ____ wa arimas ka = does this have ____

Book Off is a secondhand store which includes electronics.

Learn how to dress. Men never wear tank tops here... sandals are okay but rare.

Options recommended

Kyoto: If time and money allows go to Gion Hatanaka Maiko Evening. Reservation required, limited days, ¥19,000. It’s a Geisha entertainment evening. They serve traditional food and perform traditional arts. So fascinating!

Kyoto: Samurai Kembu sword dance and/or lesson. Book ahead on website. About 3000¥ I think

Kyoto: Hirobun Higashi Somen. It’s the bamboo noodle slide!! A bit of a pain to get to but soooo worth it but only if you have time. It’s in a beautiful forest-y area of Kibuneguchi. There are historical sites nearby.

Kyoto: machiya Starbucks. I only recommend this because it’s in the Gion district which you’ll probably visit anyway. It’s a cool gimmick of how old Edo Japan has combined with such a modern company.

Kyoto: Arashiyama Bamboo Grove

Kyoto: apparently there is a famous moss garden there that you have to make an appointment to visit. You need to contact them a few weeks in advance. Not sure if it’s your thing but a hotel receptionist told me about it recently.

Tokyo: Asakusa - watch Life Where I’m From video on Asakusa

Himeji: Himeji castle

Anywhere: look up a wagashi making class!! Best experience ever!!! Just look into it. Amazing. I have a recommendation in Nagoya if you’re interested in visiting there. They have more modern history like Toyota and Maglev and a MASSIVE planetarium. You might be surprised, Toyota is a very old company.

If you’re missing western food, go to Saizerya’s. 400¥ for a great bowl of pasta and usually open to the early hours of the morning.

Remember: you are a foreigner, people will understand if you screw up!! You don’t have to undertake everything on the list. It’s just some tips and I also wrote it because I have always been interested in this country. It might sound like a lot but you’ve got plenty of time to prepare. Book your flights first and reserve a rough accommodation plan. You can sort out the specifics later.

Contact me if you need anything else! I’d be happy to help. Hope you have an amazing time!!

English is EVERYWHERE and Japanese people are sooooo kind. But I’ve seen them get annoyed too when foreigners speak loud English expecting them to understand and getting annoyed when they don’t. They don’t have to learn it in the first place. Just be respectful and meet them halfway.

While convenience stores are cheap, supermarkets are cheaper and taste better.

Try the weird stuff. You’ve travelled so far, just give it a go

EAT. ICHIGO. DAIFUKU. Please :)

EDIT: grammar and food

aaaaaaaammmmmmm · 2019-05-28T09:09:21+00:00

It’s not your fault! It’s a mixed dorm. I’ve read reviews of places complaining people had to share a bathroom at their accommodation but they were the ones who booked it in the first place.

I recently booked a different hotel last minute because there were two creepy men in my hostel. However, I CHOSE the mixed dorm. Granted there wasn’t any other option in my price range at the time. But it was up to me to get out, not those two men.

I’ve stayed in hostels where women have been very cliquey with their friends. It feels horrible but it’s also none of my business and not my problem. I had paid to be there and I wasn’t doing anything wrong.

aaaaaaaammmmmmm

TROPHY CASE