"Abe suru"

The prime minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, recently resigned after less than a year in office. His resignation came out of the blue, was ill-timed, badly announced and basically irritated the whole country. My host Dad told me that people are now using the verb "to pull an Abe," meaning to quit or give up something suddenly and without warning.

Only in Japan

I witnessed all of this in a week, and it's only Tuesday! It finally hit me: I'm in Japan.

Only in Japan do people say things like, "San Jose? Hmm, isn't that near the Grand Canyon?"

Only in Japan do you see random people dancing in costumes and you don't know why.



Only in Japan do you hear this announcement at the train station: "Good afternoon customers. Because there was a suicide on the tracks today, the trains are extremely delayed. We apologize for the inconvenience."

Only in Japan do you walk into a room and hear someone exclaim, "Woah! She's not Japanese!"

Only in Japan do middle-aged men walk up to you and ask for your cell phone number so you can "teach them English." Riiiiight. English huh.

Only in Japan do you see a sign that says "Woody Happy" above a lumber yard.

And other Engrish: