Today there are tests at my school. I find this a little strange, since the students haven't actually had classes yet. So I asked my teacher why they have tests now. She said that they want the students to study hard during the whole vacation, so they tell them there will be a test in the first week. The first year students are tested on things they learned in elementary school. It all seems a bit silly to me, especially given that grades don't make any difference at all.

Japanese people need to learn how to relax. Everything they do is dedicated to keeping themselves incredibly busy. The kids study during vacations and the teachers have to come to work every day. When the kids aren't studying, they're doing club activities and sports, even during vacations. Only in the last few years have students stopped going to school on Saturdays, too. The teachers still end up working weekends, because all the sporting competitions are on weekends instead of in the afternoon.

Even the Japanese vacations seem to be very packed. First we fly to Rome. Then the next day we'll fly to Paris. On the third day, a train to London and then a flight home at night. It's a bit of a job to be on vacation.

I think it's good to have some downtime to relax in. I think I miss that most out of family holidays. Just relaxing is good for your spirit. Most of my vacations here tend to be in new cities or countries, so I don't want to relax as much as see exciting things. That can be fun, but often I end up more tired after the vacation. I hope I'm not turning Japanese.