Dueling cultures

Let's see... how many cultural faux pas can I make in 27 days? Starting with the shoe thing, I think I gave the housekeeping staff in the hotel a heart attack when I didn't take off my shoes to drop off my groceries in the fridge while they were cleaning. There are these enormous yellow slippers that come with the room. They say "sanitized" on a little card near them. Usually, I put on my own slippers in the room. On my first day, I mistakenly walked upstairs onto a polished floor in a little shrine before realizing I should have bared my socks. Tatami mats are a big signal to doff your shoes too. In some establishments, they have bathroom slippers that have to stay in the bathroom. You could end up changing your footwear 4 times in the same house! I leave my shoes outside the classroom each day and change into tabi socks for class or to walk onstage.....Watches and rings are to be stowed before class and tea ceremonies. You might scratch the tea bowl or the fan, and you shouldn't be looking at the time.....Eating on the street or in front of a convenient store (konbini) is a no-no although some of the teen-aged Japanese do it at times......If one is in a calf-length or shorter skirt or dress, one wears hosiery -- even in this heat. Bare upper arms, cleavage, bra straps, etc. are not to be seen - but the school girls roll their uniform skirts just like my girls do!......Class begins each time ON TIME with kneeling before the teacher, fans placed on the same side of the tatami mat belt as one's knees, bowing low and saying, "Onegai shimas" (if you please). Class ends the same way but with the words "Arigato gozaimashita" (thank you for what you did) Everyone seems able to get the words out before I can! No water bottles on the tatami mats or wet clothes after being caught in a rainstorm (I bring an extra set now, just in case) Woe be to she who inadvertently stands on the belt of the tatami too - a major infraction of the tatami-do!.....Never face the bottoms of your feet toward the teacher when sitting - or anyone, for that matter. The most correct way to sit is "seiza" (sp?) - legs folded under you and sitting on your heels, although cross-legged with the soles facing away from the teacher is acceptable for tired foreigners....The program administrator kindly made my class a dvd of our teacher doing our dance. My e-book has no dvd player in it, but we had been told that we could use the library at the Kyoto Art Center to watch videos. So I asked the librarian if I could watch this dvd there, and she said, "Yes" which I think meant "no". After 20 minutes, the administrator came flying in and told me that this was against the rule, and only the library's videos were to be watched on the library equipment. I've since negotiated a place to watch at my hotel fortunately......No photos in National Heritage spots or Shinto shrines, but most Buddhist temples allow them. No "scribbling" (sketching?) at Nijo Castle either.....Offer and take business cards and gifts with 2 hands, and don't open a gift in front of the giver unless they urge you to do so. Even then, admire the wrapping for a long time first. The Japanese are really big on wrapping. When you purchase a fan, for instance, it may go in a special sheath that is then wrapped in tissue, then more paper stickered shut, then a bag. Then they'll ask you if you want another bag with handles!..... Chopsticks etiquette is a whole other entry!