Thanks to the "green" project, I was able to recall several minor yet embarrassing incidences I had when I backpacked with my friends in a few countries.
First encounter: Japan.
Japan is a beautiful country; Beautiful sceneries, beautiful people and beautiful streets. Those were my first few impressions when I arrived at Narita Airport the very first time. However I will soon learn that maintaining Japan’s “beautifulness” in terms of its cleanliness is more than troublesome. I and two other friends arrived in Kyoto as the first stop to meet up with another Singaporean friend who had been working in Japan for the past one and a half year. We were warmly welcomed by his landlady when we entered their traditional looking “mansion”. (Yes, it was like walking into a samurai anime.)
That night, we had a little party in his room eating chips and drinking a few cans of beer. After that, in a “Singaporean style” I placed all our garbage into one plastic bag, tie it up and placed it at one corner of the room. My friend, after seeing what I did, told me to quickly pass him the garbage. He then pulled out a few slightly filled trash bags and started taking out all its contents. My two other friends then gathered around and asked him what he was doing. That was when he started explaining: “In Japan, people are very conscious about their garbage and they are always sorted neatly into different categories according to a refuse disposal guidebook given by the government. When I first came here, I did what you did too and never knew what I did wrong for a few months until I met my neighbour while clearing out rubbish one day.” He continued as he sorted our beer cans and chip packages, “She told me it was plastic collection day and why I was throwing out milk cartons. I was lost. She then continued “So you are the culprit that made the landlady sort your garbage every time haha”. It was only then that I learn that throwing out garbage was so troublesome here. Only on designated days designated garbage will be picked up and disposed off, and the worst part is that Japanese will never point out your mistakes as it is considered rude for them. I can only learn after making this mistake for a few months. No wonder every time I bring out my garbage in this semi translucent plastic bag, I was always closely watched by the others. It was so embarrassing.”
After his explanation, he even showed me the mini booklet of the garbage categories, ranging from combustibles to recyclables. I can imagine that if he were not there with me, I would have handed the mixed garbage to the landlady and never know what was wrong while she sorted my mistake quietly after I leave. I was so impressed by how the Japanese deal with the troublesome garbage disposal sorting (Singaporeans could not even handle three categories of garbage haha), but yet at the same time disapprove of their over “politeness” in not pointing out mistakes. I feel that if I were to really learn about their culture, it will take me a long time if I were to learn them outside books.
Second encounter: New Zealand
Similar to the above incident, I came to New Zealand some time later in the future. New Zealand is also a very eco friendly country and all their citizens are very careful with their garbage too. In their homes, they have a place for grinding biodegradable garbage which is connected to a chute sending the ground garbage to a collection container for making fertilizers.
This time I was on board a ship cruising out to sight see. An adult in his late 40s soon caught my eye. After drinking his can drink, he flattened it with his heels and placed the flattened can in his pocket and tied the straw on his waist belt. I felt a little surprised, but after seeing a few more of such case, I decided to walk up to the man to cure my curiosity. “Hello sir! Great day today isn’t it? May I ask, why do you keep the flattened can and the straw? Can you change it for something later on?” He gave me a puzzled look but soon caught on my friendliness as he smiled and answered “Why, it is for disposing them off later on of course.” Not knowing what he really meant and not wishing to disturb him further I spoke a few more unrelated sentences with him and ended our conversation. My answer only came when the ship docked and I saw him walked towards a recycling bin, removed the straws on his belt and cans in his pocket, and throw them respectively into the correct sections. It was only then that I realised my question was such a stupid question, but the man still answered my question warmly which I was very grateful. I feel that if the New Zealanders were to come to Malaysia (especially my hometown) it will be a bad shock to see Citizens dumping waste into rivers at the back of their homes.