Things that Make Ya Go "Hmm..."

I have been creating a mental list of all the things in Okinawa that you would never see or hear of in the States.  For example, only in Okinawa would you see:

1. The Cheeseburger-on-the-Dashboard:  Okinawans love to decorate the dashboards of their cars.  It's weird.  Most commonly you will see very large stuffed Cheeseburgers, which I think is hilarious.  Second-most-popular award goes to Long-Furry-White-or-Pink-Fluffy-Material-Covered Dashboard. 

2. "I'm Old" stickers:  If you are over 75 it is a law that you MUST put one of these stickers on the back of your car to "warn" people.  Of what? That you are old, I guess.  They also have them for new drivers, but those are optional. Hmm...

3. Parking in the Middle of the (Very Busy) Street: Perfectly legal and absolutely acceptable.  See picture below:

And, only in Okinawa would you NOT see:

1. A Detailed Road Map.  They just do not exist.  And the maps that do exist are completely vague.  More like X marks the "in this general vicinity" spot.  Given all the back roads, alleyways, etc., this is a problem for me.  Given that I spent my life in Virginia tied to my Garmin and Yahoo! directions, this is a very large problem.

2. Street Names.  Like in the U.S., every street has a sign and it's labeled "Duff Avenue" or whatever, again they just do not exist.  It baffles my  mind.  So directions consist of "Turn lef at the SanA (grocery store) or 3rd stoplight on your right."  Most of which are incorrect, which results in me spending half my Okinawan life being lost.

3. Car Seats.  I've mentioned this before, but it's worth repeating.  They just don't believe in them.  You'll be parked at the stoplight and there will be a 12-month old and a 3 year-old hanging out the front passenger side window grinning from ear to ear!  The few who do use them will put them in the front passenger seat, rear-facing, while other adults ride in the back. Interesting theory there.

I'll try to find more pics of these interesting things for you to really see.  Until then, I'll be out on the streets finding my way around :)