Would you like some anxiety with your bills?

I think overall, Japan has been a wonderful experience. I've accomplished so much including learning to read the Kana, picking up a few Japanese words and phrases and driving on the "wrong" side of the road. There are times though when I feel I would like for the floor to open up and swallow me.

One of those times was today. The Japanese bills for my water, cell phone, electricity and gas are rather complicated. I mean, of course I can't read most of the bill, but I understand the amount I need to pay. But its not the amount or the Kanji....by complicated I mean the bills have more perforations, tears and folds than any piece of paper should. I never tear the bill in any way. I read the amount owed and fold it back up until its time to pay.

Today, I take my stack of bills up to the convenience store. (Side: Paying bills at the convenience store, is...well...convenient...I wish they'd let us do this in the US, then we wouldn't have to worry about online security or mailing checks.) I have a pile of bills in my hand. In front of the line to pay are five little kids all buying candy. Of course, the kids are being kids and paying in exact change using the smallest denominations, so this takes forever. Next is a woman who apparently had done most of her grocery shopping at the convenience store. Then me, with my handful of bills. Behind me is a very busy looking man in a suit and tie with just a sandwich. With each transaction I can sense him becoming more and more impatient.

As I reach the head of the line, I hand the cashier my stack of bills. He very meticulously opens them all and lays them flat, the entire time speaking Japanese, which I assume he's saying, "Hello! How are you? I see you have bills to pay!" or some other small talk. Then he begins the process of tearing all the bills at all the appropriate perforations. He scans all the bills into the system and then asks me to press a green button on the screen facing the checkout line. Button pressed, he hands me my receipt. I walk away thinking the transaction is over. About ten seconds later I hear loud yelling in Japanese. I mostly ignore it. Then I hear a loud: "HELLO!"  I turn. It's the businessman yelling at me. The cashier still has my bills on the counter. I forgot, some of the perforated sections go back to me, stamped as proof I paid. The businessman looks REALLY impatient at this point. Man. I wanted to die. I mean, it's no big deal, but in the US, I could have apologized and laughed about it. Here, I just don't know what to do, but keep my head down and mumble "Gomenasai" or "I'm sorry."

I think the hardest part is going from a place where you know EVERYTHING, the social customs, tone of voice, non-verbal cues. To a place where everything is foreign. I get so easily flustered sometimes so it's hard for me to recover from tiny slip-ups. I'm working on it though. In the very newar future, I'm going to start taking a series of Japanese college-level courses to help improve my ability to speak and understand.

Also, don't let anyone fool you. On a whole the Japanese are nice and polite, but not everyone is like that. Just like in the US....there's all kinds of people.

Oh well, time to soldier on and keep learning.