For those of you who got the Flight of the Conchords reference in the title- Good for you! haha... if not, you can always youtube it.
I am grateful that I am studying abroad in Japan but there are times that I regret studying here in Keio because 1) Living in Tokyo is very expensive 2) there are not that many classes at Keio to choose from so I end up taking classes that I am not really interested in. I am having a lot of fun with my other friends and meeting many wonderful people but the Japanese society in general is quite stressful. This invisible pressure may not be noticed by everyone but I feel it because I grew up in Singapore and Hong Kong where there are similar pressures by the society to fit in. This feeling is very hard to explain to people who don't grow up in that kind of environment. Not only are you expected to fit in but you are always constantly being judged all the time- especially in public places by random strangers.
I lived in the US for 4 years and I forgotten how intense this pressure could be. It is not paranoia but just something that some people are oblivious to. To be honest, I am kind of envious and wish that I have the luxury of not being aware. Sometimes, ignorance is really bliss.
This is not to discourage anyone who wants to come to Japan for their study abroad. I am still having a really wonderful experience but it's just something that bothers me from time to time.
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