The biggest culture shock was moving from the US to Japan. Let me give you a few examples that have touched my heart.
- Train It's very quiet on the train. Except for occasional quiet conversations, you’re using your cell phone or something. It’s a far cry from someone in the New York subway who speaks loudly, speaks on a cell phone, plays an instrument, and so on, like an American. Now, a few months after arriving in Japan, you can tell who has just arrived by the loudness of their voices on the train.
- The children go to school alone. Every day I see a four-year-old taking a train to school, crossing the street with his hands held high so that those driving him can see him. If you let a four-year-old go on the streets of Los Angelis for even five minutes, people will say you’re crazy.
- I pay for my electricity, phone, and water at 7-Eleven. It feels very strange that in the US they did everything online.
- Bicycle and walking. The transportation system is so efficient here that I rarely drive. I have a small car, but I've only been here twice to get gas in six months.
- All in an orderly line. Bus stops, train stations, convenience stores, concerts, etc. Japanese people are good at forming orderly lines. In the US, people stand here and there even if there are landmarks where people should stand and line up while waiting for a bus. Even though you were the first to get a good seat on the bus at a bus stop, someone standing somewhere other than the landmark still blocks you.
- Mask!? When people are sick, they wear masks on their faces to prevent others from getting sick, and to protect themselves when others get sick. In the US, when you get sick, you walk around coughing at everyone (though of course not by design)
There is much the world can learn from Japan.
Edit Dear friends of India, thank you for your comments and insight. I didn't expect to receive so many comments from India in my response.