It was at a take-out dim sum place in San Francisco Chinatown where I was struck with a realization that there’s a big cultural difference between China and Japan regarding “待つこと (waiting).”  It was lunch hour, and the place was 活気に溢れる (bustling).  I didn’t know what I wanted at first, but even after I decided, it became clear that I was not going to get anything for a long time.

I spoke no Chinese, but they didn’t know that.  I have an Asian face, and they expected me to speak Chinese.  I mumbled “sorry, I don’t speak Chinese,” but that was かき消される (drowned out) in yelling and shoving.  I looked around trying to find out if there’s any system in this chaos.  Everyone was talking at the same time, and no one was 順番を待つ (waiting for their turn) in line. In fact, a line didn’t exist.

Fortunately, I found a familiar face, my 中国人の同僚 (Chinese colleague), among the crowd.  She asked me what I wanted and yelled my order to the salesperson in Chinese.  If I didn’t find her there, I might still be waiting there for my turn.

Another time in Chinatown, I was waiting for a Muni, 38-Geary, at a バス停 (bus station).  I looked around but no one was forming any lines.  I felt uneasy and 場違い (out of place).  Someone spotted a bus in a distance and started shouting “San bar! San bar!”  I realized that meant “38.”  The bus arrived, and everyone was crammed at the door 一斉に (at once). 

Things are much different in Japan.  People know where to form lines on train platforms.  There are separate lines, one for the approaching train, another for the one coming after that.  The rush hour train stations may seem 無秩序 (chaotic), but there is an order people 辛抱強く従う (patiently comply) with.

I used to know one place in Chinatown (a huge dim sum restaurant) where they have you wait in line.  There’s no physical line, but they will give you a number and will call your number when your table is ready.  They tell everyone the 待ち時間 (wait) is 15 minutes, and I don’t know how, but it usually is 15 minutes.  “San bar! San bar!”

You may say when in Chinatown, do as the Chinese do.  OK, but sometimes, I don’t mind hanging out by a tree and waiting for Goto-san forever.  That seems to be more like マイペース (my pace), and I’m それでいいと思う (good with it).