At the one gathering where we had over 30 people including a lot of kids, I noticed the shoes were in a disarray and remembered the story that Susan Murray told me while we were visiting them in Hiroshima of how surprised she was the first time she had people over at their place because as they came in and took off their shoes, they stooped back down, put their shoes together, and turned them around so that they were all facing in the same direction (toes to door, heels to house). Seeing the shoes here made me smile and just reminded me again of how different so many of even the seemingly small things of our lives are going to be different once we're in Japan.
After a wonderful Japan-themed dinner and our presentation, it was time for dessert! Everyone got excited at the prospect of green tea ice cream - yummy! Of course, the kids were the first to stand in line and get their green scoops of ice cream. But then, one by one, the kids started complaining that the green tea ice cream tasted weird... Sure enough, the green tea ice cream was actually AVOCADO ice cream!!! =D The brother who bought it, rushed into an Asian store, picked up a tub of ice cream with green scoops on the lid, paid, and left the store. Even the ladies serving the ice cream assumed that it was green tea ice cream until the kids started complaining. The poor dads ended up having to eat most of the avocado ice cream. I didn't try it but apparently it wasn't bad. ;)
Assumptions are a funny thing. I'm sure we'll have many such mishaps once we're in Japan and end up with things we thought was something else!
Hey Jenny, my observation would be that, when it comes to placement of shoes, housewives and businessmen will be careful and arrange them appropriately. Kids will drop them and run, and that will probably continue until they reach the point in their life where they have to become "responsible". :-)
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