Key words and phrases:
be knocked out: to be unconscious or in a state of sleep
take for granted: to forget to appreciate because something seems always available
insomnia: a condition that prevents a person from being able to sleep
get (something) rolling: to get something started, moving forward, set in motion
vast majority: a very high percentage of
affirmative: positive, “yes”
unprecedented: never occurring before, happening for the first time
prowess: skill
unapologetically: proudly, without shame
Hello friends.
I hope that you enjoyed the golden week break.
Please forgive this late entry. I was knocked out with a cold and my voice is just starting to recover. That explains the husky voice. Apologies. Being sick was an important reminder that nothing matters more than health and it is not something that we should take for granted.
Before the golden week break, one of our in-class discussions was related to insomnia and the importance of sleep for good health. In the discussion, I asked each group, a simple question to get the discussion rolling. That is, “How many of you are good at sleep?” In each group, the vast majority of participants raised a hand to indicate the affirmative.
This surprised me for two reasons. First, no one asked what I meant by “being good at sleep.” Secondly, and more interestingly, it was unprecedented to have, in some cases, entire groups of Japanese people admit that they are good at something. Typically, if you ask a Japanese person if they are good at something, even when it is obvious they are good at it, the default response is “not really.” So why were so many people willing to admit their prowess at sleep?
We did an in-class reflection on this question and it seems that sleep is something that people cannot judge others about. Therefore, people can confidently say that they are good at sleep, without fear of being judged. I thought this was an interesting fact and I was happy to see that Japanese people, generally regarded as some of the most humble people on the planet, can occasionally display pride. I’ll continue to ask questions to find out what other hidden “talents” Japanese people possess, ones that they can unapologetically admit to being good at.
Wishing you health and happiness, always.
Mark Tofflemire
Tailor Made Inc.
mark-tailormade@gol.com or toffy@gol.com
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