[ExI] Abandon all services

[Stefano Vaj]

On Nov 10, 2007 3:07 AM, spike <spike66 at att.net> wrote:
> Explain please.  What problems do Japanese girls have in the US?

Not living in the United States, nor being a Japanese girl, my
evidence in this respect is purely anedoctical. :-)

But for instance, as I read once pointed out in an article and as it
actually corresponds to my personal experience, the body language
which in Japan is considered to mean "leave me alone" (to recoil
slightly, lowering your chin, smiling and staring at the other party)
is reasonably interpreted as...  inviting in many western countries,
which would seem to rise quite many opportunities for cultural
misunderstandings... :-)

But let go back to Italy. There is a buffet. The typical Italian
plunges directly towards the dishes or the trays carrying what he or
she is interested in. If he or she is not rude, this is done with some
subtlety, but the real point is that if you stand instead in a line
walking before the buffet, you are likely to get quickly frustrated,
and will consider the other guests as being uncivilised. On the other
hand, the Italian system is not necessarily less effective, since
there is no real point, that is, other than social custom, in crowding
a waiting line before the appetizers when all you want is a dessert
and nobody is currently at it yet.

Another trivial point. The polite way to get on board on a cab is in
Italy to walk around the taxi and to open and keep the door to the
lady travelling with you (something that may already be considered as
patronising elsewhere, unless you are the chauffeur). If traffic does
not allow that, it is best to hurry to climb in it first, because the
manouvering involved in getting on the opposite side seat may be
unconfortable in small cars, and because you are supposed to end up
with the lady sitting on your right. It is my experience that in the
US, or for that matter the UK, the rule is reverses, as offering your
lady friend the opportunity to climb in first is given priority.

Of couse, Amara's scenarios are much more complicate than that, but
being an Italian I can figure pretty well what exactly went wrong.
This of course does not mean that many aspects of our way of life
should not be improved, besides cheese, I mean... :-)

Stefano Vaj