Will Miss #514 - skinny Santas

Santa didn't used to be fat. This is something that I learned with a little research. It seems that the image of Santa which has become quite popular comes to us courtesy of Coca-Cola. They thought that a jolly, chubby Santa was more fun than a severe, skinny one. I don't know if the rotund Santa is popular worldwide, but I do know that that is the only way that I ever saw him growing up in the U.S. and that is the way in which he's generally portrayed in popular culture.

In Japan, Santa is depicted at times as amazingly slim and trim. That's because they are working with the mannequins they have and they don't care about padding him out to fit some Americanized image. Besides, the Santa costumes at hand were sewn with a Japanese physique in mind. If you're going to dress up a figure, you don't want to have to custom order an outfit for the portly gentleman.

Among the many things that said, "Japan" to me, were the skinny Santas that popped up in various displays. I miss seeing the slender Santa as one of many little reminders that Christmas is something rather different in Japan.

Will Miss #19 - New Year's being a real holiday (reflection)

One of the things my students used to tell me was that they were interested in how I viewed parts of their lives as remarkable. We don't know what may look weird or unique to others until we experience another perspective. This was absolutely one of the best things about living in Japan. It made me feel more alive every day to be so aware of my surroundings.

Of course, as time goes by, you notice less and less because what was once novel is now mundane. This process is so slow and unconscious that you don't notice it until you go back to America after 23 years and realize that you grew so acclimated to the ebb and flow of life in Japan that you are more synchronized with their life than life at "home". Such is the case with holidays.

I grew used to the rhythm of time off and holidays in Japan and I've found that I not only miss the New Year's break, but all of the holidays they have that we don't. The American holidays take me by surprise, and I find it hard to get into the spirit of them. I absolutely miss the holiday schedule and how it shaped my life in Japan.