Hey guys!
Sorry it took so long to make this second half!
Today I’m going to talk about things you should be careful about in America.
First of all, American and Japanese bathrooms are different.
There are places in America that only have showers (and not bathtubs).
Also, we don’t typically have drains in the bathroom floor; they’re only in the bathtub/shower.
So you have to be careful about letting water overflow
from the bathtub because it will flood the bathroom.
Even if you know that, there are still some Japanese people who accidentally do it anyway.
A certain cat-loving man once did it to me…
In the kitchen, you shouldn’t place hot pots and pans directly on the counters.
In Japan a lot of kitchen counters are metal so it doesn’t matter,
but here you can damage and burn the counters.
If you do burn the counter, you can try using toothpaste to get rid of it.
You should also be careful with electronics because the
voltage in America is a little bit higher than in Japan.
Japan is 100 volts, while America is 120 volts.
Most things are okay, but for some things that you a lot of
power you might not want to use it on the highest setting.
For example, when I use my Japanese hair dryer on the
highest setting, it’ll start smelling like it’s burning.
You don’t need a plug adapter, but be careful about the voltage.
Also, America is very much a country for extroverts.
Shy or quiet people are sometimes treated like something
is wrong with them by people who are naturally outgoing.
People might ask you, "Why are you so sad? Cheer up!" when you're just having a normal day.
But if you just smile and greet people warmly
then they shouldn't misunderstand you like that.
Most people here also have a stereotype image of Japanese people being
really polite and reserved, so I don't think it should be a problem!
America is very warm and open, and it's normal to talk to strangers here.
People sometimes start conversations with you while you're waiting in line at a store,
and frequently waitresses and cashiers will try to have a conversation with you.
If you don't want to talk you can just smile and nod without responding much.
They will assume you're shy and sometimes they will leave you alone,
or if they're talkative people they might just keep talking to you without reading the atmosphere.
Some people might be extra interested in learning about your culture and where you're from.
But they're just trying to be friendly!
America isn’t as safe as Japan, so make sure you keep an eye on your things.
For example, if you leave your purse or something on a table someone could easily steal it.
You also shouldn’t leave expensive things out in the open in your car—take them with you.
And there are some places in America where it’s not a good idea to go walking around at night.
Ask someone you know about the cities you plan on visiting.
There are some differences, but if you take note of the things I mentioned you shouldn’t have many problems.
There are a lot of people here who don’t really care, either,
so don’t let it get in the way of enjoying yourself.
As always if you have any questions, please leave them in the comments!
Thank you for watching!