When you flit between the U.S. and Japan a lot, you can sometimes find yourself coming unglued culturally. I was in Tokyo yesterday on business, enjoying the best American-style cheeseburger in Japan at the Hard Rock Cafe, and when it was time to leave, I had a mini-stress attack as I tried to remember how I was supposed to pay. Should I ask for the check and pay at the table, as in the U.S., or take the receipt to the cash register near the door and pay there, as is done in Japan? I wasn’t sure which custom went with which country for a moment, a fact that was no doubt exacerbated by my strange surroundings. Another area with the potential for cultural goof-ups is driving. Although it’s not that difficult to learn to drive on the left (just make sure you’re closer to the center of the road than your passenger, whichever country you’re in), it’s a constant challenge to remember which side of the car to get in, and I’ve gotten quite good at nonchalantly strolling around to the other side of your car after trying to get in on the wrong side. Similarly, although automobile controls are identical no matter what country you’re driving in, the turn signal and windshield wiper controls are reversed between the U.S. and Japan. This increases the likelihood that I’ll accidentally turn my wipers on when making a turn, usually when a group of attractive girls happens to be watching me.
