If the United States is my mother country, Japan must be my father country. And as it often is between kids and parents, I sometimes find myself in the middle, wondering which one is right, which one to listen to.
When I ride my bicycle down the street my mother country says: "Can't these people ride any faster? It's unnatural to ride a bicycle sooooo slowly." My father country points an accusing finger at me while saying: "You're the one who is late! These Japanese people are so punctual that they have to slow down so they won't get to their destination too early!"
When I walk into a cafe and see that the "keiki setto" is 700 yen, my father country says: "Wow! A piece of cake and delicious coffee in a beautiful china cup for only 700 yen! What a bargain -- order two." But my mother country butts in with: "That tiny piece of cake and half a cup of coffee for almost 7 bucks? You must be out of your mind!"
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