Fili’s world

There's no denying that eastern and western cultures are different. As an Israeli writing about Asia I believe one of the biggest differences between representing countries of each culture are when contrasting the Japanese culture and the Israeli culture.

Here's a funny bit from Nafka Mina - an English written blog by an Israeli who in touch with the Japanese culture - comparing Israeli oriented flights to Japanese ones : 

• On the Israeli flight, 10 minutes after the "boarding completed" announcement (i.e. all passengers on board) was made, people were still fumbling with their bags and standing in the aisles. On the Japanese flight, everybody was seated.
• Throughout the Israeli flight, except for take-off and landing (first and last 20 minutes of the flight), most of the aisles and the area near the galleys were blocked by people standing and talking to each other. On the Japanese flight, the aisles were free throughout the flight except for the occasional person hurrying to/from the bathroom.
• The one time I needed the bathroom on the Israeli flight I had to wait in line for 5 minutes. The three times I needed the bathroom on the Japanese flight I never waited.
• The bathroom I frequented on the Israeli flight had paper towels on the floor and the toilet was not flushed by the previous user(s). The bathrooms I used on the Japanese flight were spotless (there might have been some water drops near the basin, I'm not sure).
• I sat near the galley (exit row on both flights). Throughout the Israeli flight I kept hearing the "ping" sounds that warn the flight attendants that someone pushed the call button. I never heard one "ping" on the Japanese flight.
• As the plane was approaching the gate, and upon hearing the pursar utter the words "flight attendants, all doors in park", almost all passengers on the Israeli flight jumped from their seats and dove for the overhead compartments to fetch their bags. Needless to say, the "fasten seat belts" sign was still on. On the Japanese flight nobody moved before the "fasten seat belts" sign was off.

I know EXACTLY what he's writing about, I couldn't have put it better myself. The cultural differences are gigantic, and while it might seem to you that the Japanese alternative is the nicer one (it does to me :P) I believe most Israelis I know wouldn't have it any other way thinking the 'Japanese style flight' is too cold - lacking emotion and spirit. An Israeli friend once asked me after I complained about an Israeli style flight - "Are the flights suppose to serve us or are we suppose to serve the flight?". A totally different perspective of the world.

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(BTW - to give a strong contrast to the cold Japanese description, here's a funny bit I got in email recently showing how fun and crazy Japanese folks are - Video link . Do check this one out.)