Other Things To Consider When Writing About A Country/culture Not Your Own:

Other things to consider when writing about a country/culture not your own:

Maybe it's obvious, but there are some things that I think people might overlook when writing a story that takes place in another country or culture that can actually be very important to look into. I might make this into a series, but as I mentioned in the tags of my last post, one of the most common things I seen people overlook in stories about other countries is the education system.

As I'm only really familiar with American and Japanese school systems, I'm only going to be speaking about those. However, I think this is worth looking into for any culture that you're unfamiliar with!

Unlike the American school system, wherein the school year starts in August/September and ends in May/June with some breaks in between, Japan's school system ends and begins in spring. The first term ends in July, with summer vacation going for just over a month (about 40 days), then continuing into the next term of the year. They have winter, spring, and summer breaks, but none for fall/autumn (at least not for public or international schools; I'm unfamiliar with private schools, but I understand that they operate a bit differently).

The school week is also different. Most schools operate on the standard Monday-Friday schedule, but with the addition of classes every other Saturday. This can vary to some extent depending on the school, but for the most part, this is standard for most high schools and middle schools. On top of that, many students from middle to high (and some elementary) schools are in "cram schools" or extracurriculars (which are technically not required but socially kind of... expected??), which take place after usual school hours and/or on weekends.

Speaking of grade levels, those are also different. "Kindergarten" students are 3-5 years old (this is not considered part of elementary school; more like Pre-K). Elementary school spans from 1st to 6th grade, middle school is 7th to 9th, and high school is 10th to 12th. Which is why many anime/manga will refer to "third year" as the highest high school grade level; they are not graduating younger, the grade levels are just shifted.

So if a character is referred to as a "first year" in high school, they're actually about 15-16, not 14-15. And unlike America, skipping grades or testing into classes isn't allowed. Not that it's rare; it's genuinely NOT allowed, no exceptions given. So regardless, there is no explanation for a 14-year-old to be a high school first-year in Japan unless they've straight up faked their birth certificates/were adopted and didn't actually know their correct birthday until recently. And considering how rare adoptions are in Japan and how difficult it is to make edits to the registry in city hall... those are both unlikely. This is why testing into schools/getting into the "good schools" in high school matter so much in Japan; they're not talking about private schools, they're talking about getting into a school with a more rigorous academic system so that they aren't bored out of their minds in a class too slow for them (also because it looks good to colleges and universities, but that's another post).

That being said, up until recently, the age of adulthood in Japan was 20; this changed a few years ago to 18, but it is worth mentioning, as that would affect characters who have graduated/reached adulthood prior to this change. Side note, the drinking age has not changed; it is still 20. This would affect things such as college applications and the decisions around those, since applicants weren't (until recently) considered legal adults. Especially since most schools don't allow their students to have jobs while in school without their permission (if the family is financially struggling, the parents might tell the school, which would give them special permission to work part-time). This affects things such as financial autonomy, social expectations (it's considered embarrassing to have a job in this context as it implies you're extremely poor, and most teens don't tend to be proud of that). There's much more to be said; uniforms, the extent of control the school/staff have on students off school grounds, social expectations, etc. but this isn't meant to be the essay that it's become so I'll just leave it here.

In conclusion, make sure to look it up! You'd be surprised how much you'd find from such a seemingly innocuous, seemingly unimportant topic. This barely scratches the surface on the differences in these two school systems alone, as well as the many socioeconomic strings attached to them. There's likely way more differences with cultures that are especially on the other side of the equator, with different weather patterns etc. causing differences in schedules!

Coffee Break! [tag game]

HOLD UP-

WHAT'S THIS??

NEW TAG GAME YOU SAY???

Time for your characters to take a break from all the things they're going through and have a bit of bonding time(?) with coffee and/or other drinks that bring a sense of comfort. If they stay at home, who would make the drinks ready? Or, where would they be able to order a coffee or a tea? Would they go in a coffee shop or would they go somewhere else? Would there be any interesting conversations happening or would there be awkward silence? Who would be the first to leave?

@yesireadbooks @anonymousfoz @holdmyteaplease @writeblr-of-my-own @a-had-matter @firesmokeandashes @albatris @halfbit @enne-uni @guessillcallitart @midnight-and-his-melodiverse @smol-feralgremlin and everyone else who wants to do this :D

screaming, crying, ripping my hair out at the fact that my WIP is NOT giving what it's supposed to be giving

OST Tag Game 2

Thanks to @da-na-hae for the tag! Sorry this is late lol. Since I used Crown of Blood (unofficial title) for the last OST tag game, I'll be using Asteria Heights this time.

Opening: Purely based off of vibes/melody, Puppet Loosely Strung by The Correspondents or Death Valley by Fall Out Boy are my best offers at the moment lol.

Honestly maybe a song that's more alt-rock or pop-rock might work? Asteria Heights is a murder mystery, but like. It's funny. So something at least rhythmically upbeat with probably lots of guitar, even if the lyrics might be a little dark.

Ending: The Tithing Man by The Blasting Company fits the story lyric-wise, but I feel like vibe/melody-wise the song is a little meh. I can't think of another song off the top of my head (or in my playlists) that really FIT, so.

(Gently) Tagging: @anoelleart, @mysticstarlightduck, @hyba, @aalinaaaaaa, and literally anyone else lol

Coffee Break Tag Game

Thanks so much for the tag @athenswrites! For this tag I'll be using my WIP Asteria Heights.

"Large iced caramel frappucino and a spinach and feta sandwich, please. And then for the next order, could I get a small americano and a golden apple tart? Thank you." Meg paid before claiming a seat. With business being surprisingly slow this morning, it wasn't long before her orders were ready. Aven arrived not long after, bags deep and hair disheveled. His eyes lit up at the sight of his friend- or more specifically, the coffee she'd ordered for him. "Thank fuck." He collapsed in his seat, seemingly turning boneless. He made grabby-hands at the coffee. Meg snorted, but handed it to him anyway. It was only then that he scowled, scrutinizing the cup. "Why is it so small?" "Because you know damn well that that's the largest you're allowed to have." Aven squawked. "Allowed?! I'm a grown ass man!" "A grown ass man that's barely five feet and lives off caffeine and Takis." "One; the burn keeps me alive. Two; I eat other things." "That's true. Like candy. And the leftovers you steal from me." "You know what? If you're just gonna be an ass, I can leave." Despite his complaints, he made no move to actually do so. Meg grinned. "After I bought your order? I don't think so. You're sitting your ass down and we're spending the day together. You owe me a hangout after last week." She didn't mean it, but she did. With all the bullshit that happened this past month, Aven owed her a normal weekend; especially after he'd double-booked himself and ended up ditching her for Nina. From the way a smile threatened to overtake the fake pout on his lips, it was clear he wasn't going anywhere.

(Gently) tagging: @fayeiswriting, @theunboundwriter, @da-na-hae, and @paintedbutton (and anyone else who's interested)!

I'm late again!

Meg has several pets, technically. She speaks to animals, so she has "animal friends" such as Michael the raccoon. Her mom also has a turtle.

Kairi had a dog, named Aki. Adrasteia.... she's not into taking care of things, so if she had one, it'd likely be an exotic animal for status/vanity reasons.

Blorbo Blursday #6

Would your character ever own a pet? If so, what and why? If not, why not?

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