Thanks Petina

I should add that I think Japanese people's reluctance to say what they are thinking is a good thing and one of the reasons I live in Japan!

Westerners telling everyone everything they think about everybody and every subject makes western countries a bit to confrontational for me!

The problem comes when Japanese people have learned English but have not really learned how we communicate in English.

When speaking Japanese, the style of communication is different.. so not being direct is not such a problem.

But when Japanese people speak English well but then don't tell us something important that is on their mind.. it is frustrating and feels rude to us.

One moment all smiles and everything is wonderful.. the next moment it is the end of the world!