When I came to the U.S., I was befuddled by the word “great”. Everything seemed to be great in the U.S. A great weekend, great restaurants, great kids and dogs. I wondered if “great” meant that things were actually great? Or were people just saying “great” in order to gloss over their true feelings and … More Pride and love
Many Asians who are new to the U.S. say, “There are rows and rows of houses with beautiful lawns. Amazing! This country must be very rich.” For those who are not accustomed to the American suburb scenery, we may look rich. But I’m feeling poor. And this is not just because of my bank account. … More To feel rich
I don’t clean my kitchen until my kids come home from school. Obviously, I don’t aspire to be a good homemaker. But I have another reason for not being tidy. If the kitchen is clean and their snacks are ready, my kids will quickly eat it and disappear into their rooms. But if I’m busy … More Baby steps
If I were a millionaire, I would hire someone to shop for me. I don’t mean a personal shopper who buys fancy clothes for you. What I desperately want is a person who helps me with shopping, catering to my family’s mundane needs. Everything from groceries and light bulbs to shoes, cold medicine, and clothes. … More Shopping in the suburbs
The morning of Nov 5, I woke up at 6:30 am. I walked down to the TV room and saw 5:30 am on the DVR display. I felt lucky: daylight savings was over. I made tea, read a book and fell asleep on the sofa until I heard the familiar sound of the coffee maker … More Pliés
“Who are you?” A man asked a little girl in front of me. In his view, he was helping her find her identity. She said, “I’m a unique person. I’m a person who likes new ideas and different ways of doing things.” But it wasn’t what the man expected. So, he kept asking “who are … More Identity crisis
My family and I were having lunch in Japan with one of my high school friends. She said, “Do you remember the school festival where we dressed up as a prehistoric man and woman?” I searched for a picture deep among my high school memories. And then realized that we didn’t have smart phones back … More Perfection and perspectives
“This is strange,” my daughter said as we sat in my father’s living room, “Why do Japanese need to find a Japanese in a remote foreign country?” “I don’t know.” I felt a pang of guilt; I should know why. We were watching TV in Japan and the program went like this. A Japanese comedian … More Imagine that!
Japan is a very good place to live if you have friends or family there. There’s a lot of kindness and good will to go around. I recently spent time with my father in Northern Japan. My daughter needed to practice piano, but my father didn’t have one. I casually mentioned this to one of … More Aunt Sato and her hydrangea
If I was asked twenty-five years ago, “What is the most difficult thing you have needed to adjust to in the U.S.?” I would’ve answered, “The weather.” The first place I lived in the U.S. was Arizona. Arizona’s dry weather was powerful enough to turn pine needles into hazardous objects that could puncture and deflate … More Acclimatization to America