Welcome to America

I left Japan on Thursday after work for a short trip home to the States. When I come back for a visit, I am always curious what about the US I will "notice." Japan seems normal to me now, but my memory of the US is also normal. Coming back I always notice things about the US that I didn't remember - that strike me as weird.

Last time I was here, I was worried I would be overwhelmed with reverse-culture-shock, but really the only thing I noticed was roadkill. I have never seen roadkill in Japan - but then we also don't drive in Japan.

This trip, after landing in Atlanta, I was struck by how friendly everyone was - people talked to each other in the customs line and on the airport train - even if they were strangers to one another. It was really nice to feel like my fellow Americans are so welcoming.

The Atlanta airport has a unique setup in international arrivals, which involves re-checking your luggage after customs, and taking the airport train to the main arrivals terminal were you re-claim your bag and exit. On the airport train, I had a little confusion about which stop to get off at, and a man offered his help.

We started talking, and he stated that Atlanta is one of the best airports to fly into internationally. I was surprised he said this, because I found it extraordinarily confusing (what with re-checking my bag and all). He said he felt Atlanta is a lot better than LA or San Francisco, and I agreed that larger airports sometimes have more delays, but I am happy flying into San Francisco or O'Hare (I don't have any experience with LAX's international terminal).

And then he said something that just blew my socks off. He said,

"At least they don't line you up on the tarmac with machine guns like they do in Tokyo and Bangkok."

Now, I happen to have experience with the Tokyo and Bangkok airports. In fact, of all the foreign airports in the world he could have picked, he got two out of three of my most-visited. I have never once been "line[d] . . . up on the tarmac with machine guns" at either (or any other) location.

I was surprised. I told him that I thought he was wrong. I told him I live in Tokyo. He ended up backpedaling about Tokyo (sort-of), but stuck to his guns on Bangkok (HA - pun intended). I told him I have been to Bangkok many times. He said he actually visits a town south of Bangkok - Hua Hin. I told him I have been to Hua Hin several times.

At this point, I'm sure half our train car was listening. I tried to be polite, but I couldn't just let this go. I kept asking him "REALLY???" He did not back down - but he didn't offer any concrete examples either. And seriously, what does visiting Hua Hin have to do with the legitimacy of his machine gun story?

Then the train got to my stop and I got off.

This interaction really bothered me. It was eerie that I had been to every place he mentioned - did he just think I was making it up that I had been there? Did he actually get lined up on the tarmac (which must have been decades ago)? What exactly is he doing, that he ends up getting lined up on the tarmac? Is he going around telling people in the US that in Tokyo and Bangkok they arbitrarily line foreigners up with machine guns when you get off the plane? What kind of information is he spreading about Asia?

Americans are friendly. They offer help to strangers. They will chit-chat with you in the train. I'm trying to view this incident as my opportunity to educate Americans about Asia. But really, I wish this American would have just kept his "information" to himself.