Several countries have been praised for their effective pandemic responses. Countries and territories run by women appear to have had effective measures as the virus moved beyond China.

President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan was one of the first to identify the danger facing her country. Restriction of flights from mainland China and increased manufacturing of personal protective equipment, such as masks, were among her first aggressive responses. New Zealand’s Jacinda Ardern was even more assertive, enforcing a countrywide lockdown before any casualties were announced. Meanwhile, Icelandic Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir offered free testing to all residents, whether they had symptoms or not. She also employed a tracking system to avoid shutting down and strangling the economy. “So, each of the leaders you mention brings a combination of compassion and rigor, I think, to the way that they’ve engaged the public, you know, fact-based, evidence-based, science-based, early, but also really showing empathy and speaking to the humanity of what’s at stake here in the crisis,” says the former US ambassador to the UN.

Evidence from around the world suggests that a disproportionate number of female leaders have been successful in this regard during the current pandemic.

My host family always has a Japanese-style breakfast – nori, natto, miso soup, and rice. I’m fine with them, but yesterday, my host family took me to a ファミレス (casual restaurant) to give me a chance to enjoy some Western food. They ordered ホットケーキ, フライドポテト, and ブレンド. I was confused but ordered the same. The waiter came back with pancakes, French fries, and coffee. I also noticed some strange and interesting desserts on the menu, like チョコバナナパフェ (chocolate and banana sundae) , ソフトクリーム (soft-serve ice cream), and シュークリーム (cream puff). After breakfast, my host father suggested a Viking dinner. I didn’t understand what Viking meant, but I’m curious.

So far, I have learned lots of these words. My teacher says they’re called wasei-eigo; deceptive words that look like real English but are not in reality. I find them confusing, but it’s not a bad thing. It’s the first step to learning something new.

My advice to you: don’t be surprised if native speakers look confused when you use wasei-eigo.

I’m Steve, a 16-year-old high school student from the US. I came to Japan to study Japanese. My time in Japan wasn’t easy, and I have had a few confusing experiences. I have discovered many Japanese words come from English, like “spoon” (スプーン) and “table” (テーブル). At first, I thought learning Japanese was a piece of cake because these words are written in katakana, and they were easy to recognize for me. But I realized that the situation is much more complicated.

Last Sunday, I stepped into a coffee shop and ordered a caffè latte. I was asked if I wanted a マグカップ (mug cup). I thought it was a choice between a cup and a mug since they are quite different. But that was not the case. I later learned that マグカップ simply means “mug”. There was another time when I ordered a glass of サイダー (cider). Cider means apple juice in the US, but I got confused when the waiter brought me a soda pop.