Fail in the Gap

Among my very first experiences in Japan was shopping. The fashion is really great here, and there are countless (and I mean that quite literally) of women's clothing shops. I remember finding the Gap for the first time, and feeling somewhat relieved as one naturally would after finding something familiar in a place where so many things seem alien. But that familiarity would be short-lived. I waltzed in, found some things to try on and shuffled off to the dressing room. The attendant, a very nice and pretty young girl, showed me to my room. But before she drew the curtain, she handed me a neatly folded square of tissue-paper and said something (I presume was an explanation) in Japanese I couldn't understand. Now, at the time I hadn't the slightest idea what this paper was for. Behind the curtain, I held the square in my hand and stared at it for a while, trying to figure out what its purpose was. Don't ask my why, because I don't have a problem myself in that area, but the first thing I thought it could be was a towel for armpit-sweat. Or maybe foot sweat? Oh jeeze, I have no idea. But I did know one thing, when I came out of that little room, the attendant would expect that I used the paper for whatever its used for. So after trying on the clothes, I stuffed the mystery paper into my bag, and sped off hoping the attendant wouldn't ask for the paper back, or come to notice I'm not smart enough to figure out how to use it. A few weeks after that, though slightly jaded, I ventured off into the dressing room of a small Japanese clothing shop. And, as I feared, I was handed the dreaded square of tissue paper again. Deja-vu. Here I am again behind the curtain, bewildered. I looked up, and there they were: directions (with pictures) on how to use the tissue paper. Turns out it is a face cover for women to wear while they try on clothing to prevent makeup from smearing on prospective garments. It really is a very sensible idea, as I can't count how many times I have seen rejected shirts in the States on sale because of makeup smears all over the collar. Japan: land of common sense. Props.