BigCeltic1977 comments

Drinking is the new smoking. For years Big Alcohol and friends in government kept this from everyone. Alcohol causes cancer.

I usually thank the clerk. It’s natural to do that for me. The service can be robotic in Japan but at least the person serving you is somewhat present. Back in the UK it is as if the customer is interrupting the conversation that the clerks are having. Sorry to inconvenience you, but can you serve me please? Thanks!

Banning drugs is like banning sex. Good luck with that.

I once gestured to a teenager sitting in a silver seat that an old person standing nearby may want to sit there. The teenager gave me a look and then went back to their phone. I then tapped them on the shoulder and said “move”. They seemed annoyed but did get up. Afterwards, I thought, “what are you, the manners police? You wouldn’t do that to someone bigger than you!”

Alcohol causes cancer.

What is meant by the word “nightlife”? Prostitution? Pub snacks? Soaplands? Imagination Clubs? Fashion Health? Karaoke? Dance clubs?

i eat an apple every day. It can be expensive in the summer but it’s a good habit.

What government and Big Alcohol doesn’t want the masses to know.

I grew up in the suburbs of London in the 1970s, and it was still fairly rare for there to be more than a handful of non-ethnic English kids in a class. The inner cities were a different story where large numbers of newcomers had made their homes in the 1950s and 60s. Japan is nowhere near those levels. Mixed race children are going to be a rare thing for a long time yet in Japan. This young lady is a pioneer. Japan is changing very slowly.

I remember trains on the Yamanote Line that had all-standing cars with flip-up seats during rush hour. What happened to them? So much space is wasted by seats. I prefer to stand as I'm sitting for more than 12 hours a day. Other people think a train is a place to sleep. I prefer to sleep in a bed.

I find the lack of a break/refreshment room rather odd. You can hardly head off to Starbucks when you feel like it. My previous company had one and it was nice to go and grab a drink, chill and maybe have a quick chat with whoever is around. Now there's just a drink machine in the lobby. The smokers can loiter outside but the non-smokers would look lazy hanging out using their smartphones. Some people use a meeting room for lunch, others eat at their desks. Some go out. But breaks? There aren't any. Unless you count those trips to the toilet with smartphone. Some people even sleep in there. I once saw a guy taking a laptop into a stall. Come on! Nobody is that busy.

I used to live with a girl who snored, never cleaned and spent all of Saturday morning in bed. Deal breakers.

Why buy when you can rent?

"Money..." I'm sure the band had nothing to do with this. Yeah, right.

Foreigners in onsens drinking beers that they bought in the lobby. Shouting to each other across the bath. Time to exit. Actually, I'm surprised only one person mentioned the tattoo taboo. An old friend from the UK visiting me in Japan got the universally understood crossed hand "dame" sign when he tried to enter the onsen in our hotel. They were having none of his explanation that his "sleeves" contained Japanese koi carp and cherry blossoms. He'd been prowling around the hotel in a T-shirt all day thinking he looked hard.

When I was in my 20s and 30s I saw moving in together as a natural step to take in a relationship. It nearly always led to the end if it after a couple of years. I enjoyed the home-cooked meals, company and shared expenses, but we fought. I've been single a while now and prefer it in many ways, including the living situation. I would not be in a rush to share my space again. My ex was terribly untidy, rarely cleaned and worst of all, snored. If you can afford to live alone, it's better in many ways. Especially if you are the kind of guy who can take care of himself.

I'm sure Jennifer has a point about the media but it is very hard to feel sorry for her. There are millions of people around the world working two or three jobs just to survive. Has anyone else wondered when this whole Hollywood celebrity fantasy life will come to an end. There are far too many of them, living lives of unimaginable luxury. They seek fame and fortune and then when they achieve it, they complain.

52% of "Brits" got more than they bargained for. They voted Leave and got the added bonus of Theresa May. As for the people commenting about her foreign spouse policies, I always say to people that if you don't want to live in Japan (that means retire and die here), don't marry a local. You'll never be able to leave once kids come along. You'll never convince your wife to leave her parents behind. Your wife probably won't pass the English test that is required for UK residence. Oh, and you won't be able to afford it. Think very carefully.

Great that he won Wimbledon but he is likely to stay at number 2 for the rest of his career. We should get some good battles between him and Djokovic, but we know who is likely to come out on top.

I once went to dinner with a girl I met online. During the meal she kept asking me if it was ok to order more food or another drink. I got the message. When it was time to pay, she slyly went and waited outside. So I treated her like a prostitute and asked if she wanted to go to my place. I was just trying my luck. She agreed to and we went back to mine for a roll in the hay. I woke up a few hours later to find her fully dressed going through my bag. Luckily I'm wise to skeezers and my wallet was safely hidden.

When people say that it is better to be married and have children when you get older I always wonder how they know that. They have only experienced being single in their 20s, 30s. It's actually pretty good in your 40s. I would never tell a married guy that he would be so much happier if he were single. How can I judge that?

I'm surprised by the result. I'm surprised the Elites allowed this to happen. Usually when they make their minds up about something they close ranks and make sure the media, etc., play along. Maybe next Trump will be allowed to become president.

From 19 to 39 I went from one relationship to another, expecting the next one to lead to marriage. After turning 40, I thought I'd stay single. It's been five years now and I've never been happier. Kind of like being a teenager with money!

I was looking around the office yesterday and noticed that the new female recruits all seem to be fairly attractive. The majority of older female employees are strong willed, single and not. I'm guessing they are the undesirable leftovers. They are kind of married to the company and work really hard. I'm a little scared of them.

On a family holiday as a child, I was refusing to eat my dinner and my father sent me to stand outside the camping car as a punishment. I stood crying outside the door and made sure a kind neighbor heard me and came out. They knocked on the door and my father (obviously embarrassed) let me back in. I guess these days the patent would give in and let the child have their dessert first. Most parents are too weak to stand up to their own children.

She should stick to the modelling. Her tennis career is over. A totally dishonest sportsperson.

Five more to equal Roger. He'd have to win all of the next five majors, an impossible double calendar grand slam. If he spaces them out he'll be well over 30 and unlikely to win. Check the stats, very few grand slam wins for players over 30.

Let's face it, thousands of cabs driving around the city throughout the day and night cannot be efficient. It's very easy to hail a cab in Tokyo, but imagine how many are just driving empty so that this is possible. Something like Uber could reduce the number of cars on the road substantially.

Young Japanese children are spoilt, especially the boys. Their parents try to please them all the time, and cater to their "moods". The children never hear the word "no". This changes when they enter Elementary school where shame and embarrassment are used to ensure kids behave.

I agree with Clueless. A kid left by the side of the road would walk along the road in the direction of the car not head into the woods. The father seemed really unnatural when interviewed in his car. I could hardly believe he was really the father. He seemed too calm, as if it was not a big deal. If he was lying, it would have been better to stick to one story not admit you were lying and then come up with another one. Or perhaps that's what he wants the cops to think. If the kid is out there, I hope he walks in a straight line, he'll hit the coast eventually.