You Know You Have Been In Japan For Too Long, If ...
I was still a little shook-up from the treatment administered by Matsuda-san, and it must have shown. “Why don’t you get some fresh air?” was the polite Japanese suggestion.
An Infiniti G37 Convertible was the appropriate way to enhance the flow of seaside breeze around my still pale nose. I sat down. Buckled up. Pushed start. Put the 7 speed automatic into drive. Put my hands on the steering wheel. However …
… there was no steering wheel. The spot where they have a steering wheel in countries such as Japan, the UK, Australia, Hong Kong, Thailand, and the U.S. Virgin Islands gave me a nicely appointed, but nonetheless blank stare. I sat in the right place.
But I was slipped an export model, with the steering on the left. Sheepishly, I traded places. Everybody pretended not to have seen.
Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.
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I also have had my shares of LHD and RHD cars (respectively 3 and 1 currently) and i frequently open the passenger door, or drive on the wrong side of the road... But you can't match the French cars. They don't change most stuff ... My RHD Clio has the bonnet release on the passenger side (close to the door) same for the seatbelt warning light (at the left of the satnav screen, so on the passenger side), the handbrake is closer to the passenger seat too (they squeezed the cruise control main switch there). Plenty little details, but at least the wipers are wiping from left to right, unlike the previous model!
Every so often when walking out to the car my wife, who is Japanese, goes and stands next to the driver's door. (I was going to write "my Japanese wife", but that sounded like I had multiple wives of different nationalities). I say, "Oh, are you going to drive?" She says: "matigaetta." (whoops- wrong side.)