Umm...adjusting

Things that make me go ‘umm' (cultural differences that may take me awhile to get used to):

1. The frequency of Japanese people bowing--even while speaking on the phone!
2. High schoolers’ obsession with Disney characters, music, movies
3. HAI = YES This confuses me since “hai” sounds like the English greeting, “hi.” Why are they saying hello but walking away?
4. Changing shoes to enter/exit a building
5. Rice fields packed into whatever space that isn’t cement.
6. Cars driving on the left side of the road. I hadn’t realized how habitual it was for me to look left-right-left before crossing the street. Now I bike on the left side too—tricky. More than once I’ve almost gotten in the driver’s side of my supervisor’s car!
7. Toilets: You stand how?! Some day I will muster the courage.