Driving Sticker

Today, I finally learned what those yellow and green stickers are called; you know, the ones Japanese put on their cars to warn other drivers of their inexperience on the road. They are called wakaba stickers. And according to my blogger friend Mieko, wakaba means, "young leaves". Interesting, isn't it? It actually does apply because the sticker looks a lot like a leaf and "young" represents the lack of expertise.

The first time I saw a wakaba sticker was when Ruther and I watched a Japanese drama. It really made an impression on me because here in the Philippines, the only way you could tell you are behind an inexperienced driver is because of a huge signboard on the car saying "CAUTION: Student driver" or you could see that it's a car owned by a driving school because of the painted signage on the car itself. However, for those drivers who are not yet savvy on the road, we really can't say who they are until they stall in the middle of the street or drive at the speed of my grandmother's gait. So yeah, I think these wakaba stickers are a great idea. I actually have a cellphone accessory that has a wakaba design but I gave it to my brother because he likes yellow and green together. He is however, a great driver so good thing he doesn't know what it meant. =D

I'm thinking, the next time I visit Daiso, I'm getting a wakaba sticker just because it's a great idea. I figure, I can always use it should I decide to live in Japan years from now. =D