SisterVibes
A podcast hosted by three sisters in their 40s with a lifetime of stories and insights to share. From growing up in Japan to now living across three continents, we've gone through life's twists and turns. Join us as we dive into our cherished childhood memories, offer our unique perspectives on a wide range of topics, and recount our humble experiences living in different parts of the world. Despite long distances and scheduling conflicts that have kept us physically apart for years, we're here to give you a glimpse of what it's like to have sisters, regardless of the miles that separate us. Are we still the same as we used to be, or have we grown and changed along the way living in diverse locations? Stay tuned; we hope you’ll be entertained!
SisterVibes
21. Wellness by Design: How Cultures Shape Health
This episode explores how culture shapes our well-being—spotlighting Japan, Germany, and the U.S. to uncover rituals and habits that lead to healthier lives. From Japan’s deeply ingrained school rituals and collective health mindset, to Germany’s national embrace of rest, balance, and natural remedies, we contrast these with America's more medicalized, individualist approach.
Thanks for listening! Don't forget to review SisterVibes and subscribe so you won't miss our upcoming episodes.
Follow us on Instagram @sistervibes_podcast.
Website: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2279605
Big shoutout to Allison Gray for generously granting us permission to feature her song, "Off My Mind" (from Ep 05).
I gotta get you out of my system. I gotta get you off of my mind. But how do I move on when no one compares? They only keep me occupied. I gotta break these chains that bind me. I try to shake them off so desperately but you pull them tighter, string me along. It's sad, but I'm so gone.
Speaker 2:Japan is known as one of the healthiest countries in the world. It's one of the blue zones, basically A location where people tend to live longer than 100 years old, or there's a concentrated population of people who live Especially Okinawa right. Yeah so Okinawa is one of them. So I thought today we could talk about health and wellness in general for different countries. So should we start with Japan first? Yeah, what do you guys think? What's?
Speaker 3:the secret.
Speaker 2:What's the secret?
Speaker 3:Well for sure, people in Japan drink green tea almost every day, right, that's true, it's like a lifestyle, almost everybody. I don't know if that's a secret or not, but that's one thing pretty much everyone does. In Japan Also, kids in the summertime, instead of having water in their water bottles, they have cold barley tea, almost like guaranteed. It's not very common to have like water in the water bottles for kids. In the summertime they have barley tea yeah, you know which is decaffeinated especially for kids.
Speaker 2:I feel like culturally it's embedded as part of you know, your daily life. As an example especially I think we talked about it in episodes a while back about the kids at school, how there's always a checkup, for this was when we were in elementary school. I don't know how it is in secondary schools, but routinely they would check how long our nails were. Do you remember this? No At all. Okay, I don't remember. Or make sure you have handkerchief and a pocket tissue in your pocket.
Speaker 3:Like hygiene wise, they always checked as well.
Speaker 2:Right. Wearing a mask to school is normal, like if you're sick, you don't want to make other people sick. If you're coughing, it's a mask on.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you always had it on hand. Like to school, kids always had a mask, like a personal mask washable, reusable, right.
Speaker 2:And then every day at school. You know, after lunch all the kids cleaned the entire school. So each group were assigned to clean different things in the classroom or outside of classroom, like office toilets, all that.
Speaker 3:Yeah, the kids were the janitors. There was no janitor in school because the kids participated in cleaning every day.
Speaker 2:So I feel like, since we're young like we're, we're constantly surrounded by this. I mean, it's not something that you think about per se, but it's just like part of your life.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and do you remember like starting kindergarten? Kids are taught how to garden at a young age and then they talk about I remember tomatoes, for example, and you grow it, you would watch it, and then talk about it, journals, basically like every day, what happens, how it grows and all this stuff and then even when you go into elementary that was very common, like each grade, I think right would do a project where they would garden like some sort of vegetable or plant and they would sometimes use it in the school cafeteria right Lunch.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's a lifestyle over there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the food is freshly made like lunch every single day in the morning by the cooks, and kids do grow some of these vegetables and such that are used in the lunch.
Speaker 3:Yeah, they're so healthy and yummy. Yeah, and even in children's book they talk about like they'll have like suggestions in the front or the back of the book that's like, oh, make sure you turn the light on when you read, or just little reminders, you know.
Speaker 2:I remember making a poster during elementary school about brushing teeth too.
Speaker 3:Yeah, like health and there's always signs that kids make in schools that'll say something about health related things. Do you remember, like even how to eat bread? Like make sure you don't take a huge bite into the bread. Like no, you take. Remember, like, even how to eat bread? Like make sure you don't take a huge bite into the bread. Like no, you take bits off with your hand and eat it not like shove it in your mouth you don't remember
Speaker 3:that no, I just remember that, because it was like posters that kids would make and then you know, they would put it in schools. Yeah, but when you explain it like this, this sounds so extreme, doesn't it?
Speaker 1:yeah, it's even in workplace too.
Speaker 3:They really enforce people to take the stairs and not the elevator. They'll exercise before or at work.
Speaker 2:Right, I think hygiene is also big. Like you said, culturally, you don't wear outside shoes indoors.
Speaker 4:Oh yeah, same with school, even at school, that's true, you have to switch it to indoor shoes, and then we also had gym shoes that are separate from indoor shoes.
Speaker 3:That's true. The kids had to carry all the time weekly, right? It'll stay at school for a week and then you bring it back, and then you wash them and then you bring it back on Monday again.
Speaker 2:Yep, and we had to wash it ourselves outside. What else? Obviously the food itself also, I think, less highly processed food. Obviously the food itself also, I think, less highly processed food. People like to eat fish more so than any other protein, or tofu even.
Speaker 3:Well, it is so good though, because it's the whole country is an island, you know, so everything's so fresh when it comes to seafood, so it is so delicious, I feel.
Speaker 2:Even like side dishes every meal. Encouraged anyway to have different types of vegetables, even snacks. They're not sugary desserts even yeah yeah not too sweet yeah made with rice, or yeah.
Speaker 3:And public transportation is very, very common in japan, so people are always walking or biking to the public transportation or just in general, they're taking their bikes or walking to the public transportation or just in general they're taking their bikes or walking to wherever destination they're going. Like that is very, very common. My kids tell me you're so extreme, and I'm like no, this is normal, like how I grew up. I guess it's not normal in the U? S though, but it is very normal over there. You know, people are very conscious of health and dining and all of that.
Speaker 4:Sumi. What do you think? Yeah, you guys very much, said it all.
Speaker 3:Anything that at work that you thought they would enforce?
Speaker 2:Didn't we talk about how people nap at work? Or didn't you say something about how there are places where you can nap?
Speaker 4:Yeah, in certain places. Well, where I used to work at, they would encourage you to take small naps, like power naps after lunchtime, right, I think, like for about 10 or 20 minutes. So yeah, it's very normal to see someone sleeping, like putting their head down on their desk and just sleeping.
Speaker 2:Right At a workplace, right. What about medicine wise?
Speaker 4:What about it?
Speaker 2:I feel like pharmacists. They don't give out so much Like.
Speaker 3:it's always in smaller dosage it's like herbal medicine is the way they like to do it in Japan. What is that word? That's really Kampo, yes, kampo. Herbal medicine method is, like, always more encouraged over there, isn't?
Speaker 2:kampo more like Eastern method, like more chinese yeah, I think it came from right I think it started, but it's commonly practiced in japan.
Speaker 3:Now japan is like known so much more for it. But yeah, I think it started in china, the idea. But I mean, I think we share very similar cultures, obviously, but I know it's a huge thing in j. I mean even my nail tech actually. She was telling me oh, my mom has cancer, but I heard that this amazing medicine, herbal medicine, all natural, that could potentially help and cure cancer. And she's like and at this point I want to like try anything. So she was saying it's like a product from Japan and it's from a certain type of seaweed in Okinawa. They like dry it and make it into a powder I don't know what else they do it to it, but apparently it has this miraculous power. She was trying to obtain that, I remember.
Speaker 4:I remember Okasan used to rub aloe. Yeah, oh yeah, On us whenever for bug bites. Yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and I remember one time specifically, when we were staying at her aunt's place and I got a huge mosquito bite. It was so massive and she just grabbed a plant of aloe and then rubbed it on it and then, literally, it was like it seemed like an hour later or so it was gone, like completely gone. I'm like, oh my gosh, it's gone. I just remember being so shocked because it was massive. It just like got so big.
Speaker 2:I feel like in Japan people don't take any supplements. It's not part of vitamins and all that Actually it's becoming more popular.
Speaker 4:Yeah, it's becoming more popular these days, oh really.
Speaker 2:It's probably because there's so much more processed food that's available. Maybe I mean considering, you know there's a lot of international folks living in Japan too, and variety of foods that are available probably nowadays versus it probably wasn't as much.
Speaker 4:One thing I just remembered if you go to, like train stations, you know they encourage you to take the stairs, and what they would do is so you, you know they encourage you to take the stairs and what they would do is so you have an elevator or you can go up the stairs, and if you choose the stairs, they will say how many calories you have burned by, you know, climbing up those.
Speaker 3:Yeah, Really Like average calories, yeah, you burn some somewhat calories.
Speaker 4:That's interesting.
Speaker 3:That's a good incentive Because it kind of depends on the person. But that's an average calorie. Wow, that's interesting. When I tell my friends in the US it just sounds so extreme over there. You know what I mean. But it's like a common thing over there.
Speaker 2:It's normal. I know in the past we also talked about 中体操, which is basically in the summer.
Speaker 3:I don't know if it's to this day kids do this in school, but during the summer days, apparently, they don't I heard they don't anymore oh wow, that's what I heard. Well, you should tell me if it's true or not.
Speaker 2:I heard it, yeah that's true After you have the baby. Yeah, you tell us, but we used to wake up early. I think it started at six o'clock in the morning this during summer break yeah, yeah, every single day. We had to wear this like a little card around our neck. We had to get it stamped every single day to prove that we were there. There was always parental figure there. It wasn't a teacher. Um, we would meet in nearby park and we do this choreographed exercise exercise.
Speaker 2:Yeah, probably like 10-15 minutes or something. So even in the summer we didn't sleep in. We got up early enough to make it to this thing. Yeah, I feel like it's just part of culture.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean because it was so normal. It didn't seem like a drag to me, you know, like it wasn't like I got to get it, it was like okay, that's what you do, like you wake up and you do it Like first thing it was what time do you? I think we had to meet before seven, right at the park.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I think it was like it started from six, so we woke up like around five something no, I don't think so.
Speaker 3:I think I think it was before seven, like right before seven.
Speaker 2:I don't feel like it was six, I feel like it was six, two, but you know that comes on every single morning still in japan on the radio and I think it's six, I thought but, but anyway. It's like nationwide it goes through radio and it's like a music that you follow. Everybody knows in Japan if you've grown up there.
Speaker 3:At the pool too public pools when they mandate you to take a break every hour for like what 10 minutes or something and before you get back in they play this song so you can stretch and exercise and then you get back in, and I used to hate that time when I was a kid where I had to take a break because it's mandatory.
Speaker 4:Some workplaces actually play this music and they make you exercise before you start working.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's a good idea.
Speaker 4:One of the companies that I used to work at. They did that yeah.
Speaker 3:I was like, oh my gosh, yeah, and if we translate that song like it's literally, we call it radio exercise is what it's called, but yeah, but you know, what's not common in japan is for people to go to the gym and work out at the gym yes there are people that go to the gym and, yes, there are people that sign up to become members, but not very common, which is very interesting.
Speaker 3:People are not interested in getting buff over there. In that sense, they are very health that sign up to become members but not very common which is very interesting. People are not interested in getting buff over there. In that sense they are very health conscious. But I've never worked out in a gym before, yeah yeah, I mean that's so common over there, for most people don't go to the gym or has never been to the gym in Japan.
Speaker 2:Yeah it's such a Western thing, I think, is that common in Germany, in Japan? Yeah, it's such a Western thing, I think Is that common in Germany. Yeah, people do go to gym. But I feel like you have to make up somewhere to try to stay healthy and I feel like if you're not growing up in a culture that you know you do these things, it's habitual almost. You have to make it up somewhere to stay healthy and I feel like going to the gym is the Western solution, somewhere to stay healthy and I feel like going to the gym is the Western solution. Perhaps you know, like, for example, in the US, like you can't walk everywhere unless you live in the city. Like you said, public transportation that's also difficult if you don't live in the city and so there's no opportunity perhaps to walk as much. You have to go to the gym to make up for all those exercises that you didn't do or you couldn't do. But I feel like also in Japan, more people are going to the gyms.
Speaker 4:Maybe my husband has been going to the gym for over a year now. Yeah, well, because he was about to hit three digits.
Speaker 3:In kilograms In kilograms In pounds. In weight.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because you should hit three digits in pounds. But if you want to lose weight quick, I mean, that's a quick solution. Rather, maybe it's not like consistent, habitual things that you do, it's just like okay, I've gained weight, I need to lose weight, let's hit the gym.
Speaker 3:Or I need to build more muscles, or I mean there are, and then there are people that are, you see, in the U? S, for example. That are the ones that are into fitness, are really into fitness, you know, and they watch what they eat. Yeah, huge gap, I feel. People that are fit, are super fit and they are very dedicated and they eat well and all that stuff too. But it's funny because I've noticed even ones that are super fit in the US and super health conscious, they feed their kids the complete opposite of what they want to eat, though you know what the kids want to eat, which is so bizarre to me. Oh, because kids won't eat healthier food. I don't know if it's because they won't or if it's because that's the norm here, you know.
Speaker 3:Just, I see that a lot and I think that's so strange, like you are such a healthy person, you don't want to feed your kids healthy food too.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know. But you know, I feel like also some kids are just are not used to eating these things and maybe they won't eat. Yeah, again, that's just normal, yeah. And even kids meals. They're more catered to kids. They refuse to eat healthier food, maybe because that's not part of the kids meals a lot of times. I think, sumi, you mentioned this, but people in the us are big on therapy therapy as in like mental for mental, like counseling, yeah I guess this is like to maintain mental meant to be mentally healthy.
Speaker 3:But you know, even like if, even if you don't need a therapist in your life, it's a good thing for you to. I think you know, go see a therapist just so you can like keep aligning yourself mentally healthy.
Speaker 2:I think these days maybe the health is it's not changing, but it's it's also talking about not just physical health but mental health.
Speaker 3:For sure that's so important too, yeah, although I think they do kind of go hand in hand too in my opinion but for sure you need to have strong mental health to be able to maintain everything else in life, I guess.
Speaker 4:I think Japan is way behind when it comes to taking care of mental health.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean, suicide rate is so high in Japan, unfortunately.
Speaker 2:And why do you think that is? Why is the suicide rate high? Why Do you?
Speaker 3:feel like people are feeling pressured and then also to talk about your mental illness is not like kind of frowned upon over there or seen a certain way A?
Speaker 4:little bit. I think it's hard for people in Japan to say, okay, I'm stressed, I need some rest, or, you know, I need a break, because it's kind of thought like the more you work, the better, kind of mindset. Or you're more respected, yeah, and if you say, okay, I can't do this anymore, then you're considered maybe weak or, yeah, not very useful I mean even as children, I think academically they are very stressed over there in japan yeah, you are expected to do well, so that's a lot too, I think it's very common to go to.
Speaker 4:Is it cram school, like after school like?
Speaker 2:yeah, yeah. Tutoring on top of schooling, or not tutoring.
Speaker 4:It's very common for kids to kids in japan to go to those to keep up with school yeah come on.
Speaker 3:We have come on here in the us, but really um, but it's not very common mm-hmm. It's almost like every kid in Japan goes to like after school.
Speaker 2:I guess in Japan. Yeah, you don't talk about how to keep your mental health in check, or maybe people talk about it.
Speaker 3:I think more people in Japan, in my opinion, live to work, whereas US it's more like you work to live. And oh, speaking of medicine, and all that we talked about earlier in Japan, how they try to do more herbal method, and all that we talked about earlier in Japan, how they try to do more herbal method in the US, I feel that it's the complete opposite, where I've gone to the doctors many times and they really push medicine on you, even when you tell them I don't need that medicine, like I remember, for example and I remember because it's narcotics when I went to get my wisdom teeth pulled, the doctor was like, ok, I'm going to prescribe you Percocet because you're going to need it for the pain. And I was like, oh, no, no, no, no, I don't, I don't want Percocet. Don't, don't prescribe Percocet to me.
Speaker 3:And he's like, oh no, I'm going to write it because you're going to need it. And I'm like'll have it in case you need it. And he still wrote it, the prescription. Of course I don't have to fill it. But you know I was like, oh, that's just crazy, but that happens all the time, where I always tell them I don't need it, I don't need that yeah. So in general, I feel like they really push medicine on you, even if you say I'm good, and tying it to a weight loss. Ozympic is super popular in the U? S right now, where it's, you know, injection to lose weight.
Speaker 3:But, a lot of people say, well, it's for my blood pressure or whatever. But also weight loss for reasons you know but, I, just I. That thought scares me to inject anything like that, and you don't know the long term effects and you know I don't. It's just so unnatural, it's just crazy to me.
Speaker 2:Mm, hmm, yeah, you're trying to fix the problem. I guess the quickest, the most convenient way to do it perhaps. But you know, I feel like a lot of people struggle with weight. But I also don't blame it on the people necessarily Because, like in Japan, you grew up with all these things already. You know, you already have this healthy, conscious living. But you know, you only know what you know and I feel like if you grow up eating certain foods or processed food, it's difficult to get away from that.
Speaker 3:And especially in Western diet. Of course it's so hard to like if you grew up a certain way and what's normal to you is normal you know, and it's just crazy for me that I'm considered so crazy and extreme here when it's so normal.
Speaker 3:You know how it was for us, because the kids always tell me Mama, you're so extreme with health and da, da, da. And I'm like no, I'm not, I'm not. It's normal maybe here in the US to do the complete opposite, but that's not normal in Japan or a lot of other countries, to be honest.
Speaker 2:Yeah, what about Germany, germany? I feel like the first thing that you notice here is that people take work-life balance very seriously. So, like I said, grocery stores close on Sundays, so that's like a resting day for people. A lot of people walk on Sundays. It's also a quiet day, so you can't really like you're not supposed to be, like throwing, recycling away or vacuuming, for that matter, and I think that's great, because we were just talking. How you know, people do overwork in Japan, and there's actually a term that's used, which is death from, you know, overwork, karoshi. I think people do a very good job here.
Speaker 3:Balancing that, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:And also there seem to be more vacation days here, even kids I think, what I noticed is that, um, the kids in the us and germany have almost about the same amount of break, vacation days, but I think in the us there's longer summer uh days that are off versus in Germany, germany is like a month, I think in the US two months, two to two and a half something like that Right Three months.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so that gets allocated throughout the year. So especially in Bavaria, though, because it's a Christian state, there are more Christian holidays Celebrated. Yeah, and there are more public holidays here in our state than any other state, so that means that you know kids are off longer here.
Speaker 3:Do they have shorter days of school?
Speaker 2:Yeah, kids do actually. So our son goes to all day school, which means that he's there until 4.30 every day, except on Fridays. It's almost like a half a day.
Speaker 3:And wait. What time does he go in? What time does school start School?
Speaker 2:starts at 10, after 8 at his school and then he's done at 4.30. Okay, but here if you go to a state school then usually some kids are done by, I think, before lunch or some days after lunch. So early, that is so early, but they get more homework. The work-life balance people take very seriously, and health resorts there are tons of them. It includes like thermal baths, mud treatments, physical therapy, dietary counseling which I think people in the US also do like exercises, rest. Those are big here. They also have like family hotels that are big in Germany where if you have smaller kids you can still take a break if you take them there, because it's designed for parents to kind of relax. So the children are usually babysat or they go into some program or activities, so they spend time separately. So there are a lot of them and I think that people also love sauna here, more so than the average, you mean.
Speaker 2:More so than average. You have to go in completely naked, though, however.
Speaker 3:Not even a towel. Not even a towel. Even a towel. No, is that normal?
Speaker 2:I don't know. In germany, yes, even at the pool, saunas are big. A lot of people go to pool to go to sauna oh.
Speaker 3:So do they get in the pool at all, or they just actually are there to just sauna?
Speaker 2:I don't really know to be honest, but I think people tend to do, but they have it usually what are the benefits?
Speaker 3:I think it's good blood circulation or something right yeah?
Speaker 2:and I think you sweat a lot getting toxin out of you.
Speaker 3:I believe yeah.
Speaker 2:I think so, and there's also like hot and cold water treatments. They also have that in some hotels. Germans see wellness as not as an indulgence, but they see it as more preventative. Like I said before, a lot of people walk on Sundays. Tomomi, one time you said why are people not overweight? Because a lot of people drink beer, because people walk a lot. People also bike a lot here, even to work. So you see a lot of people on bicycle. But in general it's a bike-friendly city, so there are bike lanes usually.
Speaker 3:I mean where you live or in general, everywhere, In general that's nice, so they're designed specifically for people to bike.
Speaker 2:I mean, it's not everywhere, but it's pretty good. There's a lane specifically for people on bikes or scooters and for medicine. Here I feel like it's similar to japan. You have to speak to a pharmacist a lot of times even for, like you know, painkillers like ibuprofen or paracetamol. Like you have to ask even, yeah, over the counter stuff, right, yeah, that you can buy in the us, you cannot buy it here. That is so interesting, it's whole foods. So doctors are tend to be more conservative and prescribing antibiotics. Sometimes you have to kind of ask them if you could have it. Some doctors will say no, you don't need it. A lot of times like this is the opposite of, I think, how the US is, and generally the approach is more natural and homeopathic, maybe sort of like Japan.
Speaker 3:Yeah, speaking of when you were talking about, like the pool and stuff, and how it's common in Germany to have sauna somewhere too. It just reminded me that in Japan, public pools they always have an area where you have to rinse your body off hygiene. You have to like immerse your body or you go through showers oh my gosh, I hated those. I know those are so cold, but you have to go through that to kind of cleanse yourself before entering the pool. Same here, okay.
Speaker 2:Except it's shower you have to take a shower. It's usually designed so that you go into the locker room and then you go through the shower.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so you cleanse your body before you go in and also they have, like the eye cleaning fountains at the pool.
Speaker 1:And I don't see that.
Speaker 3:I don't see that in the us I've never seen that in the us, where you can clean your eyes.
Speaker 4:I always have my eyes closed for those that defeats the point.
Speaker 3:I think they even had it for um our school right, like even the eye cleaning fountains, because we had uh yeah pool classes too for pe, our school had pool, so if you were to catch a cold, in.
Speaker 4:Germany like, if you're a child, what would your mom make you Like what's like a typical?
Speaker 2:meal for the kids. Yeah, I think big thing is tea.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I was going to say I didn't know that Germans drank tea.
Speaker 2:There are like different types. Depending on the sickness they have different types of tea. So I think tea is big and I don't really know per se. But yeah, I know that people are big on teas, mm-hmm.
Speaker 4:I would guess like for the US it's like chicken noodle soup, right, it's like a typical yeah, or is that?
Speaker 3:yeah?
Speaker 4:mm-hmm, they do have some japan will be like porridge rice porridge, which is not my favorite yeah that might be.
Speaker 2:People are also big on opening the windows here, so even if it's winter for air circulation purposes, a lot of people open the windows because you guys don't have like central air or anything usually right, it's not very common, no, Not very common Nowadays. You start to see them Not central, but one of those space units per room. That's a big thing.
Speaker 4:You know how I go to the clinic now, because I'm pregnant. Now I go once every two weeks, but it's mandatory to wear a mask for you.
Speaker 3:What does that when you go in because you're pregnant?
Speaker 4:or no? No, for that's just the general rule for the clinic what about regular like anywhere hospitals?
Speaker 3:do you have to wear a mask?
Speaker 4:I feel like some still require you to wear a mask, especially after after the pandemic, but not all hospitals.
Speaker 2:I wonder why they make you wear it at the clinic.
Speaker 3:They don't want you to get sick and pass it on to the baby.
Speaker 4:Right, they don't want any sick people to come and pass it on to other pregnant women or babies. Even if you go to the supermarket, they will still have those sanitizers.
Speaker 3:Well, I know that in japan the mindset is very much like I gotta take care of others health like I gotta be conscious of other people's health.
Speaker 3:So it's always been that approach where, like, if you're sick you have to wear a mask, even before covid like this is like how we grew up is like if you are coughing you have to wear a mask so you don't give it to somebody. Um, yeah, that's always been the approach in japan. It's like, oh you, you gotta care for others around you their health, not just yours. Here, it's more my health over yours. So well, that sucks for you.
Speaker 2:You know that kind of thing the COVID is interesting because I think every country reacted differently, but certainly I'm very sure that Japanese people were on top of it as far as just you know being collaborative, because it's just how people race there. Respect for others, like wearing masks, is nothing, because that's not a foreign thing. Germany there were different types of masks that eventually people had to wear oh yeah, like you said, certain ones were enforced or something, right yeah? Like medical masks at some point were accepted or something, yeah, at some point.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I know that everybody was scraping to try to figure out what. You know how to keep ourselves not get it, but I'm sure in japan people are very good about it yeah, everyone's so used to it yeah so do.
Speaker 4:A lot of people in germany have therapists like do they go and see a therapist? Is that a common thing?
Speaker 2:I think it's not an unusual thing, but I don't know how common it is either. I believe that a lot of the expats they go to a therapist. I know that, but I'm not quite sure if the locals do that. In the next few months, we'd love to hear from you. We want to gather your questions and ideas for future episodes. In fact, in one of our upcoming shows we're doing something special. We want you to help kick off the conversation.
Speaker 3:Whether you've been with us for a while or this is your very first episode, we're sure you've got some questions or maybe even thoughts on past episodes that you'd like to share. It doesn't have to be anything deep, it can be a one-liner. You may be wondering how do I reach out?
Speaker 4:It's easy Just scroll down to the episode description and click on the first phrase Send us a text. It might be in color or underlined, depending on the platform you're using. Click on it and it open up a messenger where you can send us your text.
Speaker 3:Don't worry, we get them anonymously, unless you choose to sign your name at the end, and if you'd like a shout out, just let us know who you are when you send your message.
Speaker 2:We can't wait to hear from you, and thanks in advance for taking the time to reach out. We appreciate each and every one of you for listening to the sister vibes.
