Here I am again... it's been a busy week, but I'm back! This is my little message, not sure if it makes some sense, but then again, I'm trying! I would like to share something else with you all, please read it... hope you like it.
Far away... so close
I remember the first time I was asked to remove my shoes and put some sleepers before entering into a house in Montreal, I was so surprised that they had to explain me that recently Montrealers have adopted the habit of letting the dirt outside and let's face it, with a weather like this, it's a good idea. Winter boots, rainy shoes and summer dirt on a living room are a matter of the past! I love it, honestly, I do, specially when doing my cleaning, no more struggling with the floors.
This imported habit is getting so deep on the city that you can see new houses being designed including a proper space for taking your shoes off before coming in; in older buildings like mine, we improvise by putting a small carpet on the entry and small shelves, we do what we can. Weird, isn't it?
About different cultural habits, there is one that shocked me a little bit too when coming to Montreal. From my Latin American background I have always greeted my friend by a quick kiss on a cheek and sometimes a soft hug, so this friends cheek kissing thing it's pretty normal for me... but in here, Montreal friends kiss on each cheek, Latin friends kiss and hug too and some Europeans kiss three times (even among males); and then there are some cultures where there is not friends kissing at all.
And that my friends is a short example of how close and far we are to each other... but don't worry, when I meet you I'll remove my shoes and respectfully bow.
By the way, this is my treat for this week... I'm a big fan of the classics!
My favorite book for children is "Momotarou".
ReplyDeleteMomotarou is a hero.
He is very cool!
There are many books of Momotarou, which one you recommend to me?
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ReplyDeleteJizou is one of the thing that we can see only in Japan, I think.
DeleteI read many stories about Jizou when I was a kid and my best story about Jizou is KASAJIZOU.
In that time, there was Jizou on the way back from my school.
It was winter, very cold, so I covered the Jizou's head with my towel and expecting he would come to my house with a lot of presents. But nothing happened at that night.
I remember the first time, the first day staying with a homestay family in Vancouver, I couldn't see the place putting my shoes when I entered the house. I could see only stairs.
And the homestay family they put their shoes on each stair that it looked like a show window.
I was thinking that which stair I should put my shoes at the moment.
I just read a short English version of the Kasajizou story, adorable!
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