Am I jaded?

This has been weighing on my mind lately, am I jaded toward kind people or are the Japanese condescending towards me?

This is what has happened to me, many times, but it happened to me yesterday and motivated this blog. I was at the post office mailing a package with some fragile items in it. As you may know, when you mail things internationally you have to declare what is in the package (so you can never send a surprise gift overseas, unless you lie I guess) and when I told them that the package contained fragile items the two post office workers behind the counter both widened their eyes and started asking me stuff in Japanese. What were they asking? I don't know, I don't speak Japanese. But one disappeared behind the counter and came back with bubble wrap motioning towards me. I then understood the point, had I wrapped up the fragile items to prevent them from getting broken in shipment? Why, yes, I had. Now, here is the rub, were the postal workers being nice and concerned about my package arriving safely (something that would never ever happen in the states, they would just throw the box in the bin and let it go), or were the postal workers looking at me like a retard who couldn't think to make sure that the fragile items were packed safely and securely.

And this isn't the first time I have felt this way. Jessica needed a new suitcase when she went back home (because she bought a TON of stuff while she was here) and when we purchased it the cashier was insistent on showing us how the suitcase worked. As in, this is how you zip and unzip the zippers, and if you want to extend the handle you flick these two little knobs and then, THEN, you pull the handle up, and there are wheels on the bottom for you to use if you want to roll the suitcase. Yeah, thanks. Was he being nice or was he being an ass?

Do Japanese people think I am a big dumbass or are they just too nice for me and so unlike Americans that I can't understand it? Is this the culture shock that I had heard about?










I am so confused.

Also, a wonderful chance for me to put up gratuitous pictures of me making question faces.

Thank god I am wearing socks.