I don't have a lot of choice about being gawked at...especially in a country where I'm nearly a foot taller and 250lbs heavier than the average person. heh That was almost always the first question anybody asked me when I was there, and I had two people say I was the largest human they'd ever seen in their lives.

Part of the problem I had with Japanese was that I was too rushed, I didn't have the time to just let stuff sink in and practice. Or at least I felt tht way. I think if I'd just done that I would like have done better in the classes and much better at learning the language.