bullet trains, police stations, wrong buttons and chocolates
By hereandthere
@hereandthere (45651)
Philippines
December 1, 2017 9:07am CST
a relative was recounting her visit to japan recently:
1. "we rode trains everywhere," she said. so i asked, "what's it like riding the bullet train?"
she said you won't really notice the speed, but your ears will pop several times, just like when you're in an airplane.
2. when they tried to find a police station to report her lost wallet, she saw a sign of a person with a hat and knocked, but they were shooed away.
turns out it was the train engineer's office!
3. as they were claiming her lost wallet, they saw police and emergency services rushing.
they were told that tourists who use the spacious toilet stalls for those with disability tend to push the emergency button, mistaking it for the flush button!
4. she wasn't able to buy any pasalubong (souvenirs/homecoming gifts) for her co-workers.
i told her you either give everyone something, or don't give anyone at all so everyone's equal.
she said she will try to look for meiji meltykiss chocolates, so i told her to go to daiso, the japanese chain store here.
19 people like this
21 responses
@LadyDuck (458260)
• Switzerland
2 Dec 17
@hereandthere I suppose that everybody knows that those chocolates are for sale in your country.
1 person likes this
@much2say (53958)
• Los Angeles, California
2 Dec 17
My Filipino friends went to Japan earlier in the year. They laugh at me because I've never been there before . . . they went there on a side trip while they were in the Philippines. They said they either walked or used the trains too - and everybody there does too . . . no wonder the people there are all skinny, they said 
.
I know those Meltykiss chocolates . . . I don't think our Daiso has it, but our Korean market does .
.
I know those Meltykiss chocolates . . . I don't think our Daiso has it, but our Korean market does .3 people like this
@much2say (53958)
• Los Angeles, California
3 Dec 17
@hereandthere
I usually do the hyphenated thing and just say Japanese-American so I don't have to go through the whole explanation . . . but some people (ever see the discussions here?) sort of get offended by that - they say anyone born here shouldn't use such hyphenation (they say we were born "American", therefore we should just say we are American).
I usually do the hyphenated thing and just say Japanese-American so I don't have to go through the whole explanation . . . but some people (ever see the discussions here?) sort of get offended by that - they say anyone born here shouldn't use such hyphenation (they say we were born "American", therefore we should just say we are American).1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
3 Dec 17
@much2say we have such 'distinctions' here, too, ex. the chinoys (filipino-chinese) and mestizas (usually spanish but now with more foreign nationalities). i think you'll always have that duality, but maybe your grandkids or greatgrands will not.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
2 Dec 17
yeah, i was about to say that in my discussion about multicolored mylotters - how you're the real japanese but you're in the us all your life, while there are several non-japanese mylotters based in japan.
2 people like this
@jobelbojel (34729)
• Philippines
2 Dec 17
#3 is funny. I could imagine how funny it is when the emergency service is coming her way.
3 people like this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
2 Dec 17
i guess it's understandable if the flush is automatic. i think they should put signs to avoid mistakes.
1 person likes this
@asfarasiknow (3341)
• Bournemouth, England
17 Dec 17
@hereandthere Yes, labelling those buttons more clearly could save the emergency services a lot of time and money. There could even be serious consequences if a real emergency happened somewhere and the emergency services were busy elsewhere with a false alarm.
1 person likes this
@Letranknight2015 (51532)
• Philippines
2 Dec 17
So, you are in japan now. Well, I hope she gets her wallet there, they don't really have this finders keepers attitude.
3 people like this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
2 Dec 17
not me, my cousin. yes, she did get her wallet back.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325854)
• Rockingham, Australia
2 Dec 17
@hereandthere Poor soul. That is very sad. What a nightmare for her.
1 person likes this
@Shiva49 (26204)
• Singapore
2 Dec 17
@JudyEv I cannot wish it on my worst enemy though I have no enemies!
I almost lost it at Paris while boarding the train but then my "deep pockets" and my precaution in covering it with handkerchief saved the day for me! I shudder to think of the consequences of losing it at that time - siva
4 people like this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
2 Dec 17
there are toilets like that here, too. when you step away from the bowl, it flushes.
1 person likes this
@JustBhem (70555)
• Davao, Philippines
2 Dec 17
@hereandthere
But not unlike Japan right?
1 person likes this
@allen0187 (58444)
• Philippines
2 Dec 17
Those are great stories!
Daiso is a good Japanese store. I visit it once in awhile looking for some quirky Japanese stuff.
1 person likes this
@allen0187 (58444)
• Philippines
3 Dec 17
@hereandthere I think those are the two prices that they have for all their items.
2 people like this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
2 Dec 17
the one near me only has 2 prices - 88 and 66 pesos
2 people like this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
3 Dec 17
@allen0187 and they cleverly put the 88 items near the cashier while you're waiting in line, and put the 66 items at the other side of the store. hehe. i go there to buy laundry net bags, shoe inserts.
1 person likes this
@cahaya1983 (11121)
• Malaysia
3 Dec 17
Had a good laugh reading #2 and #3 . Is the emergency button and the one for flushing situated very close to each other that they often mistake the two? Oh and I love shopping at Daiso by the way!
. Is the emergency button and the one for flushing situated very close to each other that they often mistake the two? Oh and I love shopping at Daiso by the way!1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
3 Dec 17
my guess is the flush was automatic so there's no button to make it easier for the elderly or disabled. what do you like buying at daiso?
1 person likes this
@cahaya1983 (11121)
• Malaysia
3 Dec 17
@hereandthere Stationery, decor, containers and sometimes kitchen utensils too.
1 person likes this
@sishy7 (27169)
• Australia
2 Dec 17
Probably like your username... both @hereandthere
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66857)
• Philippines
2 Dec 17
she is naive, but maybe if i were in her shoes, i will look ignorant than her.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
2 Dec 17
sorry. look naive and ignorant about what?
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
1 Dec 17
exactly!
yes, she did get her wallet back.
3 people like this
@acelawrites (19273)
• Philippines
1 Dec 17
"pushing the wrong button;" that could be funny but understandable. Is there any English translation there? (especially for flushing the toilet seats?)
3 people like this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
2 Dec 17
i don't think so because she said those that did it were also surprised at the commotion they caused
1 person likes this
@thislittlepennyearns (58140)
• Defuniak Springs, Florida
1 Dec 17
They sell those chocolate here.
3 people like this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
2 Dec 17
yes, she did. there was another tourist there to report their loss, too, and were elated when they learned she was there to claim her wallet.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
2 Dec 17
@YrNemo yeah, especially since it's her first foreign trip.
1 person likes this
So she bought the pasalubong from the Philippines instead of bringing them all the way from Japan?
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
2 Dec 17
it was her first trip out of the country and she was laughing about everything now
1 person likes this
