Since teaching English in Japan came up in conversation, I'll throw in a funny story.
I taught English in Tokyo as a young man. Had no clue how to teach, they just hand you a book and tell you to get with it. I should point out, the three things we were never allowed to discuss in the classroom were sex, drugs and World War II. Rock-n-roll was fine. Just no sex, drugs and war.
My highest-level class during my first month of employment was a pack of 8 housewives in their 40's. At that point in my life, I considered them all quite old. However, they spoke at a pretty advanced level and could carry on decent conversations. It was an enjoyable group.
One day, we were working on hypothetical questions/second conditionals. The conversation steered towards bad habits such as smoking, chewing fingernails, etc. I asked the group....
'"Ladies, if there was one thing you wish you could stop doing right now, what would it be?"
The class thought about it very quietly for a moment. Finally, one lady had an answer.
"You know, I really wish......I could stop.....masturbating."
Total silence.
I didn't know what to say. Without even thinking, I asked "Oh, really? Why?"
"Oh, it's just so troublesome. I started when I was in junior high school. Every month, my back hurts. I get cramping.......'.
I immediately realized her mistake.
"Oh, no. You mean menstruating. You wish you could stop menstruating."
"Ah, yes. Menstruating. That's right. I wish I could stop."
Now several hands shoot up and one student asks....."Sumimasen, what is 'masturbating'?"
Now I'm extremely embarrassed with where this is going. I quickly answer...."Ah, sex....one person." One student then realized the Japanese translation. "Ah, masu o kaku!" and they all broke out in laughter.
Another student asked for the spelling. Reluctantly, I spelled it on the board. As I turn around to carry on with class, my British supervisor walks in to check on my lesson. You couldn't have timed it better. To say she had a look of horror on her face would be an understatement.
Another student, in front of my supervisor, then asked me to explain menstruation. How do you answer this question to a group of women? Now my boss is mystified. How did a lesson on second conditionals turn into a lecture on masturbation? I simply asked the original student to explain it in Japanese. Again, they got a good laugh mainly due to my discomfort at the situation. I was convinced now that I was getting the boot. Fortunately, that didn't happen and I wasn't deported.