Dream Houses

I had my freshman students write about their dream houses. Not surprisingly, in this cramped country, most of them wrote of big houses with big lawns and big TVs. A lot of them mentioned a view of the sea. A few mentioned traditional Japanese features like tatami mats and outdoor bathtubs. I was a bit surprised, however, that a number of them included accomodations for their parents. When I was eighteen, I did not dream of living with my parents forever. Going back to the dependence theme, I wonder if they are thinking their moms will do the cooking and cleaning, or if they are thinking that they will be taking care of their parents.