More Differences
I received a lot of positive feedback and emails from my recent blog about the differences here versus America. I love hearing from people that read the blog - even if it is only one little line - it lets me know people are out there! Since the “Differences” blog only touched the tip of the iceberg, here are a few more. These are for your benefit as well as mine. I have a feeling that all these things will soon become normal to me and I will forget the awe I felt at discovering them.
Utilities - We pay all the same utilities here - gas, electric, water, cable, internet, phone. Here’s the difference - we pay ours here at the convenie - or the convenience store. Like Starbucks in the US, there is a convenie on every corner here. When you get a bill in the mail it has a barcode on it, which you take into the store and they scan it like a bag of chips or something. You pay your bill and go on your way. Another nice thing is that when the meter reader guy reads our meters, we get a little ticket so we always know how much the bill is going to be before it gets here.
Garbage - Garbage here is still strange to me. I have not fully wrapped my mind around all the intricacies yet. I am sure that I am putting things in the wrong places. Here is the gist - garbage here is burned. We do recycle, but the number of things that we recycle is limited to milk cartons, cans, food trays, and plastic soda bottles. Everything else gets burned. It’s pretty crazy to me, but I guess that living on an island with limit space a landfill is not a viable option. Garbage is collect twice a week, and the garbage truck plays music over a loud speaker while it is en route all day - akin to the ice cream man. (As a matter of fact, that is what I thought it was the first time that I heard it.)
Tampons - they don’t use them! It’s crazy! I have seen one, maybe two stores that even sell tampons and you are looking at paying about $12 for 25.
Driving etc.- We drive on the other side of the road here. We also drive from the other side of the car. It’s a little strange to get used to. Passengers in the front seat are required to wear seat belts but the rest of the car is off the hook. Car seats are not required and babies and small children are often just held on laps, even in the front seat. Like the US, it is illegal to talk on the phone while driving here. You want to know what drivers do instead? They watch TV. While driving. Cars here are mostly new - due to regulations and crazy high registration fees for older cars (among other things). New cars are equipped with satellite systems for navigation and television. I cannot tell you how many people I have seen driving down the road with TV shows on right in front of them. It is no wonder so many bikers get hit here! Fortunately, the driving is pretty slow...probably because they are watching TV.
Tipping - not allowed. Love it! I may have already mentioned that, but, it’s worth mentioning again.
I guess that wraps it up for now - I saw my second old guy openly peeing on the street yesterday. Still kind of baffles me - why not just go inside? Why stop riding your bike in the middle of the sidewalk to get off and pee?
Oh wait - one more crazy thing - Snack girls! I guess maybe they are not so crazy, as this is something that happens in so many places...but it is certainly different from the world that I left. Here there are girls called “snack girls”. They work in “snack bars”. (Please forgive me if I err on details here - not an area of expertise, although I am fascinated...). The idea is that a man pays a large cover charge ($50 I’ve heard) to get into a snack bar. There he has the privilege of sitting with a much younger and very pretty girl for conversation. Of course, he is to buy all her drinks. Once he finds a snack girl he likes, he can make regular dates with her take her to dinner, etc, all whilst his wife is at home. Yes, wife knows about the snack girlfriend. Yes, the relationship with the snack girlfriend can and sometimes does turn intimate. Yes, husband openly does this, there is no shame. What? I guess it is basically an escort service, but so open? So common? You don’t have to go down a dark, back alley to find a snack bar, they are openly just there. Maybe I’m naive, but to me, this is just not...ideal? Normal? Not sure what the exact word I am looking for here...
I’m done now. Night!
Utilities - We pay all the same utilities here - gas, electric, water, cable, internet, phone. Here’s the difference - we pay ours here at the convenie - or the convenience store. Like Starbucks in the US, there is a convenie on every corner here. When you get a bill in the mail it has a barcode on it, which you take into the store and they scan it like a bag of chips or something. You pay your bill and go on your way. Another nice thing is that when the meter reader guy reads our meters, we get a little ticket so we always know how much the bill is going to be before it gets here.
Garbage - Garbage here is still strange to me. I have not fully wrapped my mind around all the intricacies yet. I am sure that I am putting things in the wrong places. Here is the gist - garbage here is burned. We do recycle, but the number of things that we recycle is limited to milk cartons, cans, food trays, and plastic soda bottles. Everything else gets burned. It’s pretty crazy to me, but I guess that living on an island with limit space a landfill is not a viable option. Garbage is collect twice a week, and the garbage truck plays music over a loud speaker while it is en route all day - akin to the ice cream man. (As a matter of fact, that is what I thought it was the first time that I heard it.)
Tampons - they don’t use them! It’s crazy! I have seen one, maybe two stores that even sell tampons and you are looking at paying about $12 for 25.
Driving etc.- We drive on the other side of the road here. We also drive from the other side of the car. It’s a little strange to get used to. Passengers in the front seat are required to wear seat belts but the rest of the car is off the hook. Car seats are not required and babies and small children are often just held on laps, even in the front seat. Like the US, it is illegal to talk on the phone while driving here. You want to know what drivers do instead? They watch TV. While driving. Cars here are mostly new - due to regulations and crazy high registration fees for older cars (among other things). New cars are equipped with satellite systems for navigation and television. I cannot tell you how many people I have seen driving down the road with TV shows on right in front of them. It is no wonder so many bikers get hit here! Fortunately, the driving is pretty slow...probably because they are watching TV.
Tipping - not allowed. Love it! I may have already mentioned that, but, it’s worth mentioning again.
I guess that wraps it up for now - I saw my second old guy openly peeing on the street yesterday. Still kind of baffles me - why not just go inside? Why stop riding your bike in the middle of the sidewalk to get off and pee?
Oh wait - one more crazy thing - Snack girls! I guess maybe they are not so crazy, as this is something that happens in so many places...but it is certainly different from the world that I left. Here there are girls called “snack girls”. They work in “snack bars”. (Please forgive me if I err on details here - not an area of expertise, although I am fascinated...). The idea is that a man pays a large cover charge ($50 I’ve heard) to get into a snack bar. There he has the privilege of sitting with a much younger and very pretty girl for conversation. Of course, he is to buy all her drinks. Once he finds a snack girl he likes, he can make regular dates with her take her to dinner, etc, all whilst his wife is at home. Yes, wife knows about the snack girlfriend. Yes, the relationship with the snack girlfriend can and sometimes does turn intimate. Yes, husband openly does this, there is no shame. What? I guess it is basically an escort service, but so open? So common? You don’t have to go down a dark, back alley to find a snack bar, they are openly just there. Maybe I’m naive, but to me, this is just not...ideal? Normal? Not sure what the exact word I am looking for here...
I’m done now. Night!
Thanks for my morning lessons on Japan! Keep them coming!
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