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[00:00.63] Warren: So Antoinette, you’ve been living in Japan for a while now, right?

[00:03.88] Antoinette: Yes, that's right.

[00:05.38] Warren: Well, can you tell me, do you like to use chopsticks or forks and knives more?

[00:11.88] Antoinette: It depends on what I’m eating really. For the most part, I enjoy using chopsticks. They are easy to use.

[00:19.88] I don’t have to worry about cutting anything.

[00:22.63] And especially if I’m eating Japanese food, which tends to be chopped in small pieces, small bite-size pieces, chopsticks are perfect.

[00:30.63] But when I’m eating Western food or spaghetti, I prefer using Western-style utensils.

[00:37.13] Warren: Oh okay, that makes sense. What about sleeping, do you like to sleep on like a Western bed or a Japanese futon?

[00:45.13] Antoinette: Actually, it depends on the season.

[00:46.88] Warren: Why is that?

[00:48.38] Antoinette: Well, in summer, I prefer sleeping on a futon. It seems cooler than a bed.

[00:53.88] But in winter, I love a cozy, plush bed with lots of pillows and quilts or duvets. And yeah, I like to feel cozy.

[01:04.38] Warren: That sounds nice. Okay. How about having shoes on or off in the house?

[01:09.88] Antoinette: Hmm, I like to go barefoot – well, with socks. My feet get cold.

[01:18.63] Warren: Well, do you use slippers?

[01:19.63] Antoinette: No.

[01:20.88] Warren: Okay.

[01:21.63] Antoinette: I find slippers uncomfortable unless they are the kind that fit your foot.

[01:25.88] They’re not actually the correct size for my foot.

[01:30.38] Warren: Oh, I see. So Japanese slippers are a different size from you.

[01:33.63] Antoinette: They are one-size fits all and I just feel like kicking them off anytime.

[01:40.38] Warren: Right. Okay. How about, you know, in Japan, a lot of times people sit on the floor, but you don’t really do that very much in the United States.

[01:49.88] Do you like sitting in chairs or on the floor more?

[01:53.13] Antoinette: I like both actually. Again, it depends on the season. The floor is so nice and cool in summer, and I like just feeling that coolness.

[02:01.13] But in winter, I want fabric underneath me, and I want cushions that tend to act – provide a barrier for cold wind.

[02:11.38] Warren: Right, right. Eating out is a little different, too. I think in Japan, you tend to share all the meals that you have but maybe back home you usually just buy one meal.

[02:22.63] Antoinette: That’s true. Maybe I’m a germ-phobic American – I don’t know. I like eating my own food. I don’t like to share.

[02:29.13] If it’s one huge serving plate that’s meant for several people, then fine. But I like just having my own plate of food.

[02:38.38] Warren: Oh, okay. There’s one more. What about having a shower or a bath? I think in Japan, they usually have like a detachable shower-head and you can shower yourself before going into the bath. What do you prefer?

[02:54.63] Antoinette: Well, I like showers, either way as long as the water is hot. Whether it’s detachable or not, as long as the water is hot, I like showers.

[03:07.13] And I like having water run down my body. That’s a pleasant feeling. But I also like sitting in a hot tub of water but not for too long.

[03:17.88] Warren: Well, what about the bathtubs because I think they are different sizes, aren’t they?

[03:22.63] Antoinette: They are. I like the fact that Japanese baths allow you to sit in water up to your neck.

[03:28.13] But I also like the fact that Western-style baths allow you to recline in the water.

[03:35.38] Warren: Right. You can stretch out more.

[03:36.88] Antoinette: So you can stretch out, yeah.

[03:37.88] Warren: Oh, okay. I see.

[03:38.88] Antoinette: That’s a hard call.