@camposddc Oh god, bowing.... it kills me to my soul! Let me explain: I consider myself a reasonably polite and friendly person (for an American), but being a big dumb lumbering gaijin moo-cow, often I will make mistakes like wandering into a department store that is closed (often right past a friendly sign that will state in three languages, "We Are Closed"). Then rather than yelling at me, as would be reasonable, the shop owners will instead apologize for not making it clear enough that they were closed, by apparently putting on a fireworks show or building a neon display that spells it out,and bow deeply to me... at which point I will apologize and bow back, forcing them to do the same, etc, etc, et-frickin'-cetera. My shame will not let me leave without expressing proper contrition, but I'm certain if I were to commit seppuku there I'd mess it up somehow, and inconvenience them more.
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@camposddc Oh god, bowing.... it kills me to my soul! Let me explain: I consider myself a reasonably polite and friendly person (for an American), but being a big dumb lumbering gaijin moo-cow, often I will make mistakes like wandering into a department store that is closed (often right past a friendly sign that will state in three languages, "We Are Closed"). Then rather than yelling at me, as would be reasonable, the shop owners will instead apologize for not making it clear enough that they were closed, by apparently putting on a fireworks show or building a neon display that spells it out,and bow deeply to me... at which point I will apologize and bow back, forcing them to do the same, etc, etc, et-frickin'-cetera. My shame will not let me leave without expressing proper contrition, but I'm certain if I were to commit seppuku there I'd mess it up somehow, and inconvenience them more.