"the little things"

Writer is in England. She went to New Zealand to see her friends and family for a couple of weeks.
The first episode is about the jorney from London to Wellington.
During the first leg, she took quite new airplane. It was so luxury and had big personal TV screen.
However she took older airplane during second leg. It means she was bak to standard.
Tv screen was palm-sized. She really missed big screen.

The second episode is about bus-riding culture.
In small place like wellington, people who get off the bus always say thank you to driver.
However it is difference in big cities like London and Tokyo.

She said "you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone" and realized that it's more that I didn't know what I had until I saw it again.

Article:
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/shukan-st/english_news/essay/2010/ey20100312/ey20100312main.htm?print=noframe

I read this and felt.......

I have same experience!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
When I was in England, I always felt that british men are so kind.
Because they always keep opening the door and wait.

I'm Japanese and it is not normal in Japan and also America.
However It have became common since I came back from England.
I usually do it and I expected that men do so, but it wasn't...

I had never used a bus till I went to England. However recently I have oppotunity to ride a bus.
As writer says, it was same as liverpool that people say thank you to driver.
In Japan nobody says thank you to them, but I keep doing I did in Englan.

so then I really really miss England.


words:
"Missing something as trivial as a TV screen made me wonder"

trivial(取るに足りない、ささいな) : A trivial matter will turn into a big fight.

"I had already grown attached to my large screen and felt a little sad at its loss."

grow attached to(愛着が湧く) : When we rebuiled house, Granpa have grew attached to the house and couldn't move house a couple weeks.

*grow(育つ、大きくなる)attach to(付着する、くっつく)
This is a restored oyster reef, where oysters like to grow attached to other oysters.