There is a lot you can learn about a country when you spend ten days with someone who has had a completely different upbringing in a foreign culture.
This summer I participated in a cultural exchange program called High School Diplomats, where I was paired with a roommate from Japan who had never been to America before, just as I’ve never been to Japan.
My roommate was Yuto. At first, Yuto didn’t say much, and it took a lot of effort to encourage him to say anything. After a while, I realized that this was not because he had very little to say, but because in his culture he had been brought up to be reserved rather than talkative.
During lunch one day, I learned about the Japanese word “mottainai.” This term translated into English conveys a sense of regret after being wasteful. Yuto explained that the idea can be exemplified by eating every grain of rice in one’s bowl, and isn’t followed as strictly in America, where people are often wasteful with what they have.
Though our cultures and upbringing varied, I took a lot away from Yuto’s explanation of his culture and this exchange program.
I learned there are times where it is appropriate to be reserved and there are appropriate times to be talkative and outgoing, and I’ve also made efforts to implement mottainai into my everyday life. This eye-opening experience at High School Diplomats has been life-changing.