In Canada, it seems we tend to automatically move to the right when walking. We drive on the right hand side of the road. Escalators are usually on the right side. And when passing people while walking, everyone automatically moves to the right so it's an easy, mindless activity that runs smoothly. There are collisions, but in my world, it's usually because I'm not paying attention. It doesn't work like that here for me.
As you know, you drive on the left here. Escalators are usually on the left, although not always. I'm trying to figure out ever since I moved here whether people automatically walk to the left or if there is actually no norm at all for walking. And I'm paying attention!
I've been testing this out for months. I started to purposely walk to the left once I realized I was encountering head on collisions with people when I walked to the right. This seems to work... for the majority of the time... which is 50+% of the time... but not necessarily 60% or 90% of the time. So that leaves my neurons shaking almost half the time! Being less agile these days with a big growing belly, it's not as easy to jolt over to the right after purposely walking to the left but the person aiming for me is not moving. So I've been having a lot of these left, no right, no left... just stand here and let them pass.... moments.
I am actually wondering if there is indeed a norm, but it's so multicultural here that the norms are different in different parts of the world, so we have a mixture of people automatically moving to the right and people automatically moving to the left.
This is a big enough wonder for me these days that I'm dedicating a blog entry to it. I even did a little research and found that there is actually research done on oculomotor activity while walking! Apparently, you can know which side the on-comer is going to walk on by where he or she is directing his or her gaze. If your on-comer is looking to the right, your brain will tell you to move to the left, and vice versa. Hmmm.... maybe my oculomotor activity ability has decreased during this time of pregnancy. Orrr... maybe in this culture, people don't gaze so directly, and I just can't figure out if they are looking to the right or left.
Regardless, my daughter and I seem to be the only ones that have noticed this phenomenon. Maybe it's just me, actually, and I'm influencing my daughter. I am certain though, that my flip flops are wearing out. I've slipped on the left flip, nearly flopped, and cut my right toe in the exact same place - twice.
Terry and I are off to Hong Kong tomorrow, while my daughter is galavanting around the Himalayas in India. I wonder if they walk on the left or the right in Hong Kong?
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