Sylvia Saracino « GaijinPot Blog Network: Japan’s best blogs

Sylvia Saracino's Posts

Pop a (pretty difficult) squat: October 21st, 2009By Sylvia Saracino; Here is a challenge for you: try to squat just like the little boy in the picture. He was tired of walking all over the zoo and decided to just rest for a second. Notice how his knees are touching and his feet are perfectly flat, yet he had no problem balancing his weight for » Continue Reading; CommentsComments

Suika what the…?: October 15th, 2009By Sylvia Saracino; Summer is now just humid haze in the back of our minds, and as winter approaches, I can only hope that it brings with it a public spectacle that will entertain me even half as much as suikawari. This traditional past time is reminiscent of the Mexican piñata, interesting enough to occupy small children and » Continue Reading; CommentsComments

BYO Blanket: October 8th, 2009By Sylvia Saracino; When the temperature drops outside, the universal human reaction is to bundle up and crank the heat. In Japan, however, the ability to raise the thermostat must not be taken for granted in every situation. In many public schools, for example, no matter how low the mercury drops, the corridors of those gigantic cement academic fortresses » Continue Reading; CommentsComments

Ekiben there, done that?: September 29th, 2009By Sylvia Saracino; As you are probably already aware, train travel is extremely efficient here in Japan. It is a part of daily life for many people and newcomers to this country quickly adapt to the remarkably user-friendly system. This is all well and good, but did you know that the Japanese railways can be just as beneficial » Continue Reading; CommentsComments

Japanese face covers keep clothes makeup free: September 25th, 2009By Sylvia Saracino; Barring confusion with a still from some shopping mall horror flick, this photo from a Japanese dressing room might be rather self-explanatory. Whenever women want to try on clothes in Japan, they will usually find a box of nearly transparent fabric slips in the corner of the stall. Though they strongly resemble the fabric softener » Continue Reading; CommentsComments

In the closet: September 24th, 2009By Sylvia Saracino; One day, I was supposed to visit a friend of mine. By the time I got to his house, he was no longer there. In an attempt to compensate for his inconvenient absence, his mother (yes, he still lives with her, as do most Japanese people these days…) randomly insisted on showing me the inside » Continue Reading; CommentsComments

Yakult Lady: September 18th, 2009By Sylvia Saracino; Once upon a time, America had a special place reserved for women known as Avon ladies. They went from door to door, selling confidence in the form of cosmetics products to housewives and grandmothers across the country. It was a novel way for an average woman to make her own money and experience a little » Continue Reading; CommentsComments

Lost? No translation necessary!: June 24th, 2009By Sylvia Saracino; Living abroad at different times in my life has enabled me to have so many unique and eye-opening experiences. Although some of them have been “special” in a bad way, most have just been special. Case in point: that creature in the photograph above. Soon after I started my new job, a » Continue Reading; CommentsComments

The clear winner: June 18th, 2009By Sylvia Saracino; At certain times throughout the year, Japan feels less like the “land of the rising sun” and more like the kingdom of the constant downpour. Luckily for me, the most popular trend in Rihanna’s accessory of choice is a sweet, clear contraption with a sturdy white handle. This kind of umbrella » Continue Reading; CommentsComments