When in Rome do as the Romans do

When in Rome do as the Romans do

About 3 years ago, when I was a high school student, I went on a school trip to the UK. It was my first time to go abroad. Before then, I knew only about Japanese culture. I had been so worried about British culture, before I went there.

One of main things which I was surprised at was the habit of tips. One day, I went to a restaurant with my friends. We were talking for about 2 hours. We had been enjoying lunch. After we finished lunch, one of my friends put some money on the table. At first, I thought she had left her money. So, I told her ‘You left your money here’. However, my friend told me ‘ I didn’t leave my money. It was a tip.’ I didn’t know about tips. Therefore, I was surprised. I had never tipped before then because there is no habit of tips in Japan. However, after I knew about that, I tipped at a restaurant or a hotel. I also tipped when someone helped me.

My stay in the UK was just for 4 days. However, I made an effort to adapt to a British custom as in the saying ‘When in Rome do as the Romans do’. I think it’s important, because of showing respect to a country. Now, I’m in New Zealand. Of course, there are a lot of customs which are different from Japan’s. It is sometimes difficult for me to adapt to New Zealand’s customs. However, I make an effort to adapt.