EASTERN WAYS

Waikato Independent, Volume XXXIV, Issue 3110, 30 January 1934, Page 3

EASTERN WAYS

SOME STRANGE CUSTOMS NEW PLYMOUTH MAN'S IMPRESSIONS Mr C. C. Ward, of New Plymouth, speaking to a Tarauaki Herald reporter with reference to his tour abroad and more particularly to his visit to Japan, says that the Japanese do many things directly opposite to the ways of ' 'foreigners." For instance, books begin at the back, the word "finis" being put where we begin our books. In addressing a letter the country .town and locality are given first and the name last. The Japanese say "four or

throe" instead of "three or four' 7 ; carpenters plane towards instead of from themselves. In sawing a log a Japanese would saw towards himself and would proceed to saw from underneath instead of from the top side. "When greeting each other Japanese people bow repeatedly, holding their breath, which is a sign of respect. "There are no chairs, tables or bedstead in a Japanese home. They work, cat and sleep on the floor. Before entering a Japanese home it is the custom to take off your shoes; while at the entrance of a Japanese store you will see many pairs of Japanese shoes, the owners of which are inside shopping. "In Honolulu, 'Wrestling to-night' is advertised as 'Bassling to Nitc,' schedule is pronounced 'skcdule, 7 and aluminium as ' a-loom-a-num'." ' While Mr Ward was in Honolulu nearly all the electric trams discontinued running and were replaced by up-to-date motor buses. "In Honolulu," proceeded Mr Ward "bananas, pineapples and eocoanuts grow on the roadsides. Pineapples are grown very much like cauliflowers, being planted out in rows, and as the fruit matures it is surrounded by flaxlike leaves. "In Manila," continued Mr Ward, "the: Filipinos wear their shirts outside their trousers almost to the knee. The material used is often floral printed voiie of bright colours. "As you walk along the shore of Manila Harbour you see the remains of the Spanish fleet, rusting twisted b-Iks which wore dri-e.n ashore and destroyed »v Admiral "Dewey during the Spanish-American War. # "Tn Japan white is worn at funerals and black at weddings. A Japanese bath is exactly like a copper as we use for washing clothes, only larger. As 'they lie snuglv set in the bath the lire is burning below heating the water. "The Chinese girls in Hong Kong do not wear stoekings. They wear sandals, which show their toes and tinted toenails.