haven´t listened yet BUT can I say I love culture classes especially with a handful of “specialized” vocab thrown in

happy weekend all!

Being a silent listener up to now, I thought this might be a good opportunity for my first comment. AFAIK, the idea behind the “50% rule” is to keep and reinforce a relationship. On the other hand, paying back your gift completely means that you’re even and that you don’t owe each other anything. So if you give back 100%, this could be interpreted like you want to cut the ties.

maxiewawaさん、it’s a bit of a cultural thing (size of housing in japan).
部屋・へや is used for small apartments for 1 person, because they are typically one-room apartments in Japan.
but if you & your gf get an apartment together which is bigger, she won’t use 部屋・へや anymore. in this case she might just say 家・いえ・うち.　

i, too, have heard of “heya” instead of apartment. I guess it’s different in the UK, where i often say “flat” because it is usually on a level of a building. regardless of size. ^^;; in nyc, i think everything is an apt..even if it is one room.

and, i know, that for me, i do like to introduce myself to my neighbors. whether they ever talk to me or not. at least they know i am about. I think,perhaps, it’s a non-american thing? dunno.

Dear Peter & the gang,

Well, I have what the your group mentioned, paid a hefty upfront of 6 months to move in to a brand new 3 storey apartment comprising of 15 units including mine. Of course with a Guarantor.
Then I moved in last October 2006, and there was only 2 people moved in to this new apartment. The 2nd storey, corner, single Japanese guy neighbour and myself, a single foreign lady at 3rd storey corner unit. I did not carry out this “greet & gift” things, thinking that it will be more dangerous for a lady to approach & introduce yourself to a guy (imagine the whole new block of apartment, only two of us). Moreover, my country does not practise this.

A couple of days passed, it was pretty good and I felt ii kimochi to stay in this quiet place. After two weeks or so, the one and only neighbour of mine started to make “noises” like closing the window loudly and his loud and heavy footsteps. At first, I thought he is a SUMO size guy where his footsteps tremble the whole apartment (as far as I am concerned, I can feel the vibration in my unit when he walks around in his house).

Actually he is just a skinny short guy when I tried to look out from my window in some morning, when heard his footsteps going down the staircase to see if my neighbour is a SUMO!

In December 2006, I went back to my country because it’s too cold in Japan and came back to this apartment again in April this year. (cos I have paid a year rental to my trusted guarantor). Now I am back, and learned that all the rest of 13 units was occuppied. And there are all Japanese. Here comes the next headache, the next door unit on my level, lives a fat guy, and he usually comes back around 10 ~ 11 at night as I would hear a “bom” sounds, 2 to 3 times when he opens and closes his balcony window and entrance door.
Here is my question, can I call a police or inform the house agent to complain about this matter, estate management? Or should I approach him directly as I would’nt want to! What should I do?? I usually sleep around 10pm and was awake by the noise from this 2 LOUSY Japanese neighbours.
I am getting very exhausted and furious!

Sorry for the wrong message posted. Please advise and earnestly waiting for your reply.

Thank you and gambatte!

Thanks Marky for your reply

Well, too bad! I think I have to tolerate for another few months or so before I go back to my country.

But please don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean to ask my neignbours to stop sneezing or walking (it is rediculous to do that and NO OTHER HUMAN BEINGS has THE RIGHT to STOP people from doing so).

What I don’t understand is that, back in my country I have Japanese colleague who is so WELL MANNERED that I fall in love with the Japanese culture and find the Japanese are so lovable. And that was the reason I came to Japan to explore more about this Gentle and Nice country.

But when I am here, facing these two inconsiderate Japanese neighbours, I am totally “BIKURIMASHITA” by their INCONSIDERATE behavour - -BANGING the sliding windows loudly and walking like a KINGKONG in the night where the floor shaken like earthquake multitude 3degrees.

Generally the majority of Japanese I met are so far pretty “SHINSETSU”, that’s a bonus during my stay here so far

…….