I love to visit other countries and see the people living there. My husband and I sometimes go on cheap tours abroad. If I were younger and had more money, I could have traveled more adventurously. When I was young, I had neither time nor money. And even now, I don't have much money and I can't leave home for very long. But I enjoy walking around the foreign towns and talking with people there.
The best place we visited was Uzbekistan. Its culture on the Silk Road was interesting, and the people were so friendly. The country seemed not so rich, and the life of the people in their folk clothes wasn't modernized very much, but they looked happy. We saw no streetchildren, no beggers on the streets. Even though how beautifulI the the scenery is, or, how interesting the history is, I can't enjoy the trip when I see those people.
There ia a problem with trips abroad. When I go to other countries, I always feel embarrassed with the custom of 'tipng'.
Some twenty years ago we went to America for the first ttime. At a restaurant in the hotel in L.A. a waitress was kind enough to give us some information about Disney Land. Thanks to her, we could enjoy the park with our son, and the next day we wanted to say "thank you" to her. But she never came up to us, never smiled to us. We didn't understand what was wrong, but later, I understood. The reason she was in such a bad mood was that we didn't give her any tip! Her kindness and her sweet smile was for a large tip!
For us, Japanese, kindness requires no repay. We try to be kind not expecting any repay. If I would change my attitude about my job because of small money, I would not be respected.
In foreign countries I always have to worry about waitresses' smile or porters' greeting whether it is for money, or from their heart, and it makes me unconfortable. At the same time I often see that cashiers and clerks are so sullen. I wonder if I have to ask them, "Would you please sell this to me kindly?"? They don't have to wear any smile to the customers because they don't expect any special money from the customers for their smile. I feel a little sad. Smile and kindness makes everyone happy without money .
Some says that their wages are low and it is figured to include their tips. It's strange and not fair. The company or the owner should pay them enough for their work since the owners get enough money from their customers.
OK, I try to respect your 'tipping' custom and give some tip to the people who do small ruoutine work for me. But how do you hand your tip in a refined manner? Old Japanese people feel it's rude to give bare bills or coins to someone. Do you always put coins and small bills in your pockets? Women don't do it, so, where do you have small money for tip? It takes too long to open my handbag, then open my wallet, grab some coins from it, and count them. Are you always calculating the amount of tip when you are eating at a restaurant or talking with porters, like, "Ten percent? No, her smile is nice, fifteen percent. Oh, she is winking to me, it should be twenty." Isn't it a tiring job?
You might ask me, " If Japanese are kind without expecting repay, then please explain the news about the politicians and money." I'm sorry, but I have never seen such big money. Show me that big money, then I might change my idea.
