The Foreign Exchange Program

In this episode, we go over a couple of preconceptions both of us had about the US and Japan before moving abroad. Now that we've both lived overseas for quite some time, we also reflect on if those stereotypes hold up or not. Thanks for listening! 

*Here's some information I found about the "Metabo" Law that requires waist measurements for Japanese employees in a certain age range during their annual health checkups: https://medium.com/illumination-curated/the-country-that-taxes-people-for-being-too-fat-356cacdc1d32

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In this episode, we talk about the various ways we address people in English and Japanese. We also get into how these titles reflect the relationship with the person you are referring to. Some titles can make you seem closer or more distant with people, so you'll want to be careful what you call somebody if you're learning how to speak English/Japanese! We hope you enjoy. Thanks for listening!

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Now that both of us are fully vaccinated, we are able to share our experiences getting the COVID-19 vaccine while living abroad. We discuss how to sign up, what the process of getting the vaccine was like, attitudes towards vaccinations between the two countries, and we even compare our vaccine cards! Thank you all for listening. Be kind and stay safe!

Japan vaccination rates source: https://vdata.nikkei.com/newsgraphics/coronavirus-japan-vaccine-status/

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In this episode, we're continuing our examination of the education systems in Japan and the US. We're talking all things high school this time. From part-time jobs and AP classes to prom and college entrances exams, we've got you covered. We also tackle the big question that's been on everyone's mind: how realistic of a portrayal is Mean Girls the movie? We hope you enjoy!

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In this episode, we're continuing our 4 part series that takes us through the similarities and differences of education in Japan and the US. Our focus this time is on junior high, or middle school. Here is where we really start to notice cultural values come into play as schools start to shape young students into the adults of the next generation of each respective country. We hope you enjoy!

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In this episode, we're beginning a journey that examines the similarities and differences of education in Japan and the US - starting from elementary school up through university. Enjoy part one of four, where we discuss all things elementary school - from subjects we study, to how our academic performance is evaluated, to what we wear and more! 

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In this episode, we talk about the various ways courtesy and respect can be expressed in Japanese and English. As you may or may not know, the Japanese language has numerous formalities and levels of politeness that non-native speakers often struggle to wrap their heads around. And while formal language certainly exists in English, it's not always taught explicitly in a school setting to Japanese learners, leading to some confusion or doubt when trying to speak politely. We touch on how these challenges have affected our personal language learning journeys and more, so don't miss out!

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In this episode, we discuss the ins and outs of experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic while living in a foreign country. We open up about when we first realized the severity of the situation and how it impacted our lives. We also share what we were impressed by and disappointed in when it comes to the response of the places we live. 

We plan to record other episodes in the future that focus specifically on vaccinations as well as the Tokyo 2020 Olympic games. Be sure to stay tuned if either of those topics interest you.

**DISCLAIMER** This episode was recorded in May of 2021. All information regarding COVID-19 was current to the best of our knowledge at the time of recording.

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In this episode, we highlight some key differences in customer service between the US and Japan. Disparities like these also tend to create some reverse culture shock for us when we visit our home countries, so we touch on those experiences as well. We also reflect on how these differences represent bigger cultural trends within the two countries. 

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