Before moving to Okinawa, Japan...I had my ideas about what things I would encounter. Most of those ideas came from the movies...a few from people who had lived here before. But mostly those people talk about how much you'll love it, or sites to see, etc. Nobody really talks about the little things that are part of the picture.
The idea for this post came as I was standing waiting for a woman to arrange this bouquet of lilies:
I bought at my favorite flower place:
When you buy unarranged flowers from a florist, you can specify whether you'd just like them wrapped in newspaper (to take home for yourself) or wrapped more attractively (for a gift) for a tiny extra charge. I was bringing them to a friend for her birthday, so I opted for the wrapping. I was watching her tape, tape and re-tape the bouquet with each twist of the cellophane or addition of a ribbon, and I thought, "Man they use a lot of tape here." Really, a lot of wrapping in general.
While it's traditional to bring your own shopping bags to the grocery store (some will charge you for their flimsy plastic bags if you don't bring your own) almost every single item I purchase gets it's own plastic wrapping from the cashier...and each of those she securely tapes shut. If I've opted for one of their bags to carry it in...that gets taped shut, too...whether you are at the grocery store, a bakery, a hardware store or the 100 Yen store...there's a whole lotta tape! I don't think I remember standing at even one register equipped with its own dispenser of tape in the USA. Here, every employee has her own roll, I'm certain of it.
Running. Short distances or long...in heels or sneaks...whether you really need to hurry, or just want to appear to be earnest...there is running involved. It's like boot camp all over the place. (Trivia: In boot camp you are not allowed to walk anywhere. You must "double time" between points A and B. You are also not allowed to sit on any furniture...but I digress.)
Mayonnaise. I am serious. These people LOVE them some mayonnaise! (Maybe THAT'S why they run everywhere.) It's on sushi, burgers, sandwiches, slathered on deep-fried chicken cutlets...you name it...and LOTS of it. (Ugh!) When we were fairly new to the island, we ate at McDonald's just for the experience. It goes without saying, I was NOT expecting my teriyaki burger to be oozing mayo all over the place. (And yes, I bought this one just for the picture. Jake would only eat it after I wiped all the mayo off.)
Cellphone charms. These are mine. My collection is modest. I started with the Shisa-riding teddybear, then I won the beaded Hello Kitty, purchased a can of Pringles just for the Pringle charm...and a friend gave me Anpanman for my birthday. It's not uncommon to see an Okinawan with a softball-sized bulge in his/her pocket or purse from a collection of charms.
Since I'm already thinking of several others (but want to be done for now) I think this might be another recurring post...Stay tuned!
3 comments:
Mayo….ugh. Is there anything more nasty in the world to put on a burger?
I have to say that living in a foreign country could be quite the challenge when you start to miss some of the things which are only available in the U.S. Good thing McDonald's always has your back, right?
I can't wait to see what else you will write. I find this stuff so fascinating. What I remember about our visit to Japan from Korea is that they don't eat unless seated. Even in amusement parks. SO clean. I can believe the one about tape, Koreans like to wrap things up with tape as well. What about the individually wrapped things to eat? I could go on and on as well...
It's funny, though...McDonald's here is nothing like the USA. OK, I take that back...the fries are exactly the same, but everything else is local. The patties are a beef/pork combo (lots of people say they are kangaroo meat...but I don't buy that). You can't get a chicken sandwich, but you can get some kind of weird fatty fish I'm afraid to try. It's a good thing I like most Japanese food...and when I need American, there is always Chili's on the Air Force Base.
Kelly...that is true. Eating is done in the proper place. Most places don't have garbage cans (except restaurants do) so you take your garbage with you. Some of the wrappings and accessories are mind-blowing. My daughter got these little ice cream treats (like dibs, only a bit bigger) and they came individually set in something that looked like an ice-cube tray...with a little plastic pick to stab them with so you don't get your fingers messy. Surprises everywhere!
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