Accuracy vs. Practicality

So, I've signed up for a "food service" thinking this would open my culinary opportunities here in Tombara. The local super-market is far less super than one might imagine - more like a just-barely-market. It has about 5 aisles with almost exclusively Japanese food. They even try to pass off this sugary peanut-flavored reconstituted cardboard spread as Peanut Butter. I was able to acquire some Skippy up in the city, but I have yet to find something that's just peanuts.

Anyway, the food service seemed like a good idea. I thought since they have a weekly catalog of specials that's almost as big as the New York Times, that they would have lots of foreign food, or at the very least, things one just can't find in the boonies. After I signed up and started getting my newspaper of a catalog, I quickly began to realize that they don't have anything that I really want to buy. Feeling bad about this, however, I order things for time to time. Two weeks ago I ordered Pizza Bites and other sundry goods. The total came to 1,519 yen. I gave him 1,520 yen and told him not to worry about the 1 yen since he didn't have any change. He was uncommonly apologetic about the whole thing and I tried to explain the 1 yen wasn't important to me. To put this in perspective, 1 yen is about 0.85 cents. Yes, less than a penny! Why was he so apologetic? I didn't want 1 yen in my pocket anyway!

Well, guess what showed up at the school yesterday. Yes, the 1 yen. It cost them FAR more in the envelope, the salary of the person to write out the envelope, and the postage to mail it. Now, honor and appearance are everything here, so I can understand the logic of why they wanted to send it. But, what actually compelled them to carry it through? I have no idea. Considering how expensive Japan is, I think even if they had to refund my entire order it would have cost more to actually do it than the lost revenue from the sale. Some things will always remain a mystery!

Michael
:-)