as written by Melissa Kartini
We’re all familiar with the Western version of Valentine’s Day, where the couple would go all out to celebrate their love. This would often involve flowers, chocolates, a fancy dinner and an exchange of gifts. It is a special day for couples, as they would carve out time on this day just for themselves. And …
This is part of a culture shock series that I’m doing for Japan and Malaysia. Please expect to see posts like these being posted whenever exams are approaching because apparently, I’m bad at time management. — This one was a bit difficult for me to come up with a list for. Surprising, I know, because …
Photo by melissakartini This is part of a culture shock series that I’m doing for Japan and Malaysia. Updates for “Reverse Culture Shock: From Japan to Malaysia” will be extremely erratic as I’ll mostly be based in Japan for the foreseeable future. — I know, I know, I haven’t even been living in Japan for …
Coming out fresh from Haneda Airport, one of the first things to hit me in Japan was the atmosphere in trains. This was last year in March, and it was my first time in Japan. Yet it was that specific air that has managed to make an impression on me till now, almost 2 years …
Photo by melissakartini One of the most interesting aspects of Japanese culture that you’d immediately pick up upon arriving is their love to dress up. It is rare to see a Japanese person who is not dressed to the nines, even if it’s for something as simple as a trip to the grocery store. What is …
Since I’ve been studying at a Japanese language school in Tokyo for about half a year now, I thought that it was about time to write about it. At first, I wasn’t exactly feeling this particular topic, but I suddenly realized that this might be something that more people would want to learn about. After …
When it comes to studying abroad, we all know about the usual challenges that comes with it. You know, about how it’s tough to be away from loved ones, especially when a major event like death occurs, or how distance causes certain relationships to drift apart. Though rewarding, the experience of studying abroad is not …