"Monster in a Ryokan"

This essay begins with a statement, "A monster is a relative thing."
Mary Roach is a writer visiting Japan and this is about her experience in a Japanese inn called a 'Ryokan'.

It began with her wearing her wet muddy shoes inside, making all the people working there cringe. Then she continued wearing the wrong slippers in the wrong rooms and tripping over all the low laying furniture feeling more and more like Godzilla in a very fragile world.

Thinking that she can finally relax and take a bath, she gets into the tub, washes up, and rinses. Only on her return to her room does she see the pamphlet of "how to's in Japan" discovering that washing with soap in the tub is a big, big no-no. She is almost relieved when she notices that she is wearing the toilet slippers in the bedroom, knowing that she can't break anymore customs, as she has already broken them all.

1. "A monster is a relative thing" was a great way to give an effective feel for the rest of the essay and give the reader the viewpoint she is writing from.

2. The comparisons she gave between American and Japanese culture were great examples anyone would have understood the point of her observation, regardless if they knew a lot or nothing about Japanese culture and customs.

3. She presents herself as Godzilla in Tokyo. Not only is her body build differently, her mannerisms are American made. She depicts herself from a Japanese viewpoint of loud, clumsy, and messy.

4. We enjoy one an others travel stories because they are something that everyone has and can share to bring people together.