Bow to your Sensei

When I lived in Japan in the late eighties, whenever I met someone new there was always an awkward moment while we decided how the introduction was going to be handled. To bow or to shake hands?

I was an American kid living in Japan so I was inclined to do the Asia thing and bow. Invariably the Japanese person would do the American thing and extend his or her hand to shake mine. We usually ended up bowing and then shaking hands.

In Hong Kong, it’s not an issue. Nobody bows. At least not to me they don’t.

Occasionally, from behind the counter at the electronics or the department store I might get a little head nod that could pass for a mini-bow.

But no full-fledge Richard-Chamberlain-in-Shogun style deep bows.

I kind of miss it.

-Jack