When I first came to the U.S. in 1992, many people asked me “Are you Christian?”  My husband’s friends would look at our wedding picture with me in a white dress, and assume that I was Christian.  “No, I’m not.  It was simply the cheapest way to get married.”  My frank response startled them.  So, … More Life and harmony and a missing part

The sun was already down; the days get much shorter in September.  I walked through a soccer field to go to another field in the back.  Boys were scattered around the field, but as I walk closer, they gathered into a tight circle.  I thought the practice was already over, but I heard the head … More A lukewarm soccer mom

I was having dinner with one of my business partners.  He ordered his regular drink, his version of cosmopolitan with detailed instructions. “No problem.” The waiter answered and left. “I always feel strange about this.  ‘No problem’ seems to imply that I gave him a problem.”  He shook his head. I felt the same way … More No problem!

I grew up in tatami rooms.  My mother cleaned tatamis, first wiping them with a wet cloth and then drying them with a dry cloth.  Carpets could be changed easily, but tatamis remained there for a long time.  I loved tatamis, but I would wonder how clean they were. When my parents built their house … More Be clean and feel clean

During the lunch hour of one of the training programs that I delivered for a group of Japanese managers, an HR manager, who was also a Japanese, approached me. I asked, “Is there anything you’d like me to cover during the program?” “No. But, can you educate American employees?” “Of course. What’s on your mind?” … More Things that tick us off