I did really gain an appreciation for the strong work ethic of the Japanese people. I had the opportunity to teach English every week ... They'd been learning English, some of them since elementary school. Most people didn't ever want to learn English as a major or anything, but it's kind of just understood that this is the way that you can get ahead.

270

I remember my second night. I got my first taste of sushi. It was revolting. We kind of jumped right into the cultural experience.

249

Despite the cultural boundaries, it was easier to live overseas. They would go out of their way to help me. I learned a lot from their culture, and they have a lot that America lacks.

198

I realized that I'm not special anymore. I'm just a number. That was hard. I was used to being in this school of 200, and then I go to Georgia where there are about 1,500 students.

180

[The Japanese] have their clocks down to the second; they're never late, so it's always very dependable. It's annoying to come to America and wait for the two-hour late plane, and that never happened in Japan.

98