I care very much of small stuff in daily life,
which sometime make me wonder, stress and laugh. At the end, these might leads new
learning. One of things is about feet.
I am not talking about its smell or shape.
I care manner related to feet.
Philippines is part of Asia. So once people
enter the house, they remove shoes. However, every time, I see someone wears
shoes at the same time some people do not. These shoes or slipper are not for
inside room, these are obviously for outside. In fact, I saw these people just
came inside the house with shoes. Then, they do not remove after all.
For some reasons, I could not find it is nice.
First, it is not hygienic. Shoes surely bring darts from outside. One does not
wear got these darts. Besides, if there is a baby in the house, surely baby is crawl
on his or her hands and knees, eventually baby got darts too.
Second, it is for me not so respectful.
This second reason come from my cultural background. If you get enter the house
with shoes on in my cultural context, it is also sign of insult. In movies,
Yakuza enters someone's house with their shoes on.
What is wrong with shoes? Person with shoes
often seen after funeral. Casket is carried by several people, at the time
people cannot afford time to put in and out their shoes. So, people associated to
this, then people think it is bad luck.
I do not judge these who wear shoes inside
house. But I was so disturbed sometimes.
Steps of your feet
I care person steps over others' body.
Especially person steps over higher than butt of elders. This action was
strictly prohibited among family members. It is related to superstition.
So when I saw this often here, I felt uncomfortable
then I almost stop them doing so but I tried not.
And I care person place his or her feet
(especially with shoes) to something holy or important such as family member's
pictures and so on. When I was child, I was not allowed to put my feet to the
family alter even the alter was elevated and my feet did not reach at all.
Are these too much?
Not at all for me because I grew up with unwritten rule, these are part of my
life.
Concept of in and out
Associated to mentioned above, I think one
of significance of Japanese house structure is having a space attached to front door, which is called Genkan(玄関),the place to remove shoes receive guests and clear the boundary in and outside our house.
Some says we usually do not show feet especially sole because it is possibly
dirty. But removing shoes is a sign of openness and acceptance too. Anyway, in Japan all visitors are not accommodated in the room. Hosts sometimes receive a guest in genkan.
There are several reasons of explain why we need to remove our shoes but it may also come from simply practicality because shoes damage floor and
tatami floor.
Whatever the reasons, I do not still get used to house
not having clear boundary with shoes and without :D I may get used to it or when I have own place, I will create a genkan space!
Why I care this small thing? because how I grew up.
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