The other side
They drive really funny cars over here. Actually they drive perfectly serviceable, fuel efficient, space efficient cars over here. If Americans were smart they'd pass a law against anything that doesn't get 30+ miles to the gallon and start making smaller cars like these. Sure, there'd have to be some drive-out period of 10 years or so, but hey, a law like that would reduce reliance on oil that's getting a whole lot more expensive these days and help our environment. What's wrong with that? But I digress (or maybe this next part is the digression...)
Japanese cars do right hand steering and always stay to the left. It's really a small thing, but it's really throwing me for a loop. The first couple of days, when I was being driven around the base for in-processing, I would always go to the American passengers side. My quick witted companion would then ask "So, are you driving, then?" I would mentally berate myself and then do the exact same thing next time.
But that was to be expected. I don't go to the wrong side anymore, but I get really worked up just watching people drive. I always look to the American's drivers side and don't see anyone, or expect people to get in accidents every time they turn into the "wrong" (right) lane, and things are twice as bad when I'm observing cars coming from multiple directions. Sometimes I can hardly remember which side is the "right" side and which is the "wrong" side.
The worst thing is that I'm starting to apply this whole "other side" business to things it isn't applicable to at all. Things like language and music. Then I catch myself, mentally berate myself, move on and do the same thing 10 minutes later.
I think I need more sleep.
posted by Sam G. @ 9/21/2005 05:34:00 PM
7 comments
7 Comments:
Umm... How do you apply "other side" thinking to music and language? Saying "left" when you mean "right"? Reading the bass clef as the treble cleff? Blowing into the bell instead of the mouthpiece?
Just wondering.
BESS
gnidaer ekil tsuj s'tI
ro) ?thgir ,hguoht ,werbeH
gniwarD" koob taht rO .("?tfel"
".niarB eht fo ediS thgiR no
-Gomuri pere
At least you're not in Australia, everyone drives upside down there.
So do most countries other than the US of A drive on the left? France? I remember driving on the left (in a left steering-wheel Pinto) when we visited Grand Cayman back in the early '80's. We didn't have to deal with very much traffic, though, and everyone drove kind of crazy anyway. We fit right in!
--JEG
Yah, I'm pretty sure just about everybody besides the US drive on the left side. Though, I guess I'm not entirely positive.
My other side thinking was applied in a more of a rationale rather than a reason. I would think about Japanese sentence structure and why it was different and then say "oh, it probably has something to do with the same reason that they drive on the left." Then I would realize how absolutely absurd that sounded in my head.
With music it came more with arpeggios I have been practicing. I would play the I chord, the IV(46) chord and then the bVI(6) chord (all major chords that use the same root note, i.e. C-E-G, C-F-A, C-Eb-Ab). That last chord has such a different quality that I started thinking of it as an "other side" chord. Again, ridiculous and the product of a mind that needed a little sleep.
France drives on the "normal side."
BESS
I was under the impression that it was only the UK (and possibly Australia - not sure on that one) that drives on the left side of the road. Guess we can add Japan to the list as well. AFAIK all the Western European countries drive on the right (excluding the UK).
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