I just got back from a business trip to Japan. Among other things, they drive on the wrong side of the road - I got the chance to experience it for myself. Fortunately, I was given an American car to drive, so I only had to deal w/the wrong side of the road thing and not also driving on the wrong side of the car. Everywhere I drove, I’m thinking, “left, left, left…” The most dangerous part was pulling out into traffic and looking the wrong direction.
I did get the chance to drive a Japanese car with the controls on the other side of the car. Of course, they’re not just on the other side of the car, they’re mirror images. Luckily it was an automatic, but the wipers and blinkers were on opposite sides from what I’m used to. Even though I expected it and was watching for it, I turned on the windshield wipers when trying to signal for a left turn. I guess that should be a signal in and of itself. If you’re driving behind an American in Japan in broad daylight and the wipers come on…watch out…he’s coming left!
On a side note, I got a beverage at the Starbucks in the Tokyo airport. See if you can figure out what I ordered:
J
I was eating lunch at the food court the other day and was reminded of the old saying: “Measure with a micrometer, mark it with a grease pencil and cut it with an axe.” Arguably, that’s a weird place to think of that, but let me explain a bit:
How many people put their cup under the ice dispenser and then decide they got too much ice? Come on…it’s a lot of people. I know you’ve seen it. I haven’t done any statistical analysis, but I bet at least 50% of the people put ice in the cup, decide it’s too much and then dump some out.
Everyone seems to precisely measure how much ice should fill their cups against an imaginary, yet very thin “comfort line.” Where does the “comfort line” exist on your cup? Can you not live w/the extra 1/2 inch of ice in your cup. Do you feel like you’re being cheated? Come on!! They have FREE REFILLS at almost every place you eat. Just deal w/it for the first cup of Diet Coke. I bet when you go back for the second one, the ice level will be almost perfect!
Of course here’s my favorite sequence:
1) Fill cup with ice
2) Decide you have too much
3) Dump some ice out
4) Realize you’ve dumped too much out
5) Put more ice in to get it to your “comfort line.”
6) Realize, you added too much ice AGAIN because you couldn’t control the amount of ice that comes out in one quick “tap”
7) Accept the amount of ice in your cup because now you’re too embarrassed to dump out more ice
8) Fill the cup w/Diet Coke and become pleasantly surprised when you go back for the refill and the ice level is perfect.
I used Diet Coke in this story because it’s my beverage of choice. Regardless of the type of soda, you’re going to see it…keep an eye out!
J