I've lived in Japan now for almost 9 months. And what have I gained during this time? Here is my top 10. (note: the following list is very trite)

1. I finally, after months of hoping I'd never have to touch one again, learned to drive a stick shift. Although most people rave over and profess great love for a manual car, I see it as a lot of unecessary extra work. I am a lazy being.

2. I learned to say "I can't speak Japanese" in Japanese. Watashi wa nihongo de hanashimasen. Very useful, particularly when you look no different than
the natives.

3. I also learned to say "I'm Canadian" (Watashi wa Ca-na-da jin desu) and a
very sloppy way of explaining my parents are Korean. I used this phrase to
prevent the locals from thinking I am mentally challenged.

4. I perfected the art of looking confused and bewildered whenever anyone attempted to speak to me in Japanese. To accomplish this, simply widen your eyes and then furrow your brow. Follow this by shaking your head while apologizing (either in Japanese or your native tongue). I began inadvertently studying this craft in China and have worked extensively at improving it during my Asian travels.

5. I learned to read Hiragana and Katakana. I would describe Hiragana as the curvaceous alphabet. Katakana is it's rather angular sister. As with many siblings, while there are differences, you can tell they're related.

6. I developed an unhealthy negative attitude towards Kanji, a distant relative to both Hiragana and Katakana. Kanji is a tease, sometimes enticingly simple and yet disturbingly complex.

7. I've become increasingly fond of Japanese fashion. I find myself wanting to wear multiple layers, perforated pastel-coloured mules, insanely uncomfortable stiletto heels, brightly coloured striped knee-socks, long shirts that could double as dresses, and arm warmers. I mean c'mon, arm warmers?? I bought three pairs!

8. I discovered I don't like udon. This is a great tragedy since udon shops are a dime a dozen here and the cheapest meal to be had. I've tried on numerous occasions to reconcile myself to the thick-noodle-in-fish-broth mixture but to no avail. I just don't enjoy.

9. I can now waste countless minutes rifling through the menus on my cell phone. Exactly what new thing I think I'm going to discover after 6 months is
beyond me but I still do it.

10. That better sushi is to be had in Vancouver. Admittedly I haven't tasted too much sushi here, being rather pricey, but what I've had wasn't anything to write home about. I actually look forward to eating at Sushi Boat in Calgary again. It's too fun to watch the endless line of boats float by, holding various pieces of sushi.