How Can I Get to the Post Office? (4-1)

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I have a special rule for travel: Never carry a map. I prefer to ask for directions. Sometimes I get lost, but I usually have a good time. And there are some other advantages: I can practice a new language, meet new people, learn new cus¬toms, and the like. I can find out about different "styles" of directions every time I ask, "How can I get to the post office?" Here are some illustrations of those differences.

Tourists are often confused in Japan. That's because most streets there don't have names; outside big cities, people most often use landmarks in their directions. For example, the Japanese might tell travelers something like this: "Go straight down to the corner. Turn left at the big hotel with the sushi bar and go past the fruit market. The post office is across from the bus stop--next to the fast-food fried chicken place."

In the United States, people might give directions in different ways according to their region or community. As an example, in the countryside of the American Midwest, there are not usually many landmarks. There are no mountains, so the land is very flat; in many places there are no towns or buildings for miles. Instead of landmarks, residents of the flatlands will tell you directions and distances. In the states of Kansas or Iowa, for instance, people will say, "Go straight north for two miles. Turn right, and then go another mile in a northeast direction. "

On the other hand, people in Los Angeles, California, have no idea of directions or distance on the map. Residents of this Pacific coast area are almost always in their cars, so they measure distance in time. "How far away is the post office?" you ask. "Oh," they might answer, "I guess it's about five minutes from here." You say, "Yes, but how many miles away is it--or how many kilometers or blocks?" They rarely know--or can seldom say.

Sometimes, people in the European country of Greece do not even try to give directions; that's because tourists seldom understand the Greek language. Instead, a Greek may motion or gesture or say, "Follow me." Then that person will lead you through the streets of a city to the post office.

What if a person doesn't know the answer to your question about the loca¬tion of a place? A New Yorker might say, "Sorry, I have no idea" and walk away quickly. But in Yucatan, Mexico, not many residents answer, "I don't know." People in Yucatan may believe that a quick "I don't know" is impolite; they might stay and talk to you--and usually they'll try to give an answer, sometimes a wrong one. A tourist without a good sense of direction can get very, very lost in this southern region!

One thing will help you everywhere--in Japan, the United States, Greece, Mexico, or any other place. You might not understand a person's words, but you can probably understand the body language--the facial expressions, gestures, motions, movements, and so on. He or she will usually turn and then point. Go in that direction and you'll find the post office--maybe!