Idiosyncracies

One of the reasons for visiting a foreign country is to experience first hand the differences between "us & them". Some things are obvious. The Japanese are like the Brits - they drive on the wrong side of the road. Often, it's the subtle things. You are supposed to put your money for a transaction in the little tray, not hand it directly to the cashier - faux pas. Japan is super modern and quite westernized but they do have their quirks. At least they're quirks to us. These are sometimes the makings of fond memories.


	Above & Left: The language barrier is always a fun target. Though the safety sign is grammatically correct, no one would chose this wording. Above Right: Fake food. No matter how unappealing it looks (the image really doesn't do it justice) restuaranteers feel compelled to put fake food out as examples of what they sell. Not very appetizing. School kids were everywhere and school uniforms are obligatory. Masks were also everywhere and were particularly visible among the school kids. Masks are relatively common in Asia due to pollution and many people use them to alleviate hay fever symptoms. With the advent of H1N1 however, surgical masks have become especially common place.


	Japan is a very densely populated island nation. While it is quite possible to escape crowds, if you go anywhere popular or touristy, you will be subject to sea of human bodies. The little guy on the right was working as a construction barrier. Have you ever seen anything so cute?. I know they exist in the US but these car parks, sort of an automobile lazy Susan, are common place in Kyoto. I find them fascinating.