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Tis hot, tis not cold
It seems the rainy season hasn't even bothered coming, like every year I've been in Japan. People talk of the rainy season as being some big inconvenience, but I think it's just an excuse to complain about something. It never really rains anyway, during the rainy season. It rains for a few days off and on, but nothing to warrant the title, "rainy season". Maybe I'm missing something...
Anyway, it's like an oven outside. I went on my bike to the shops but that's about all I can handle tonite. I feel I've let the "cycling team" down. I'm sorreeee!
I've been thinking a lot these days about being a foreigner in Japan. I try to think what it would be like being a minority in England or France, and I'm convinced that I have it easy. But easy, isn't always easy. Paranoia can set in and your whole outlook can change in an instant without realising what has happened - like a Ninja attacking your brain. Where once were friends, enemies appear. Sometimes it annoys me that people cannot just accept each other as different, instead of different and bad. The Japanese always have this certain fear of foreigners, which either dissipitates upon introduction, as I often find, or worsens due to misunderstanding or conflict. Their fear is often due to shyness, lack of confidence or a feeling that foreigners have a different way of doing things that is incompatible with the Japanese way of doing things. This last one annoys me most. Grrr. Grrr. No, the Japanese way of doing things is not so different from every other culture on this planet. Sure, there are big differences, but we all share basic theories on politeness, tact and kindness and so I have no doubt that we can all get along nicely...unless you're a complete arse! I once had a student's father tell a co-worker that foreigners are meant to be "WHEHAY COME ON!!HOW ARE YOU??!!!" ie. really loud, noisy and obnoxious. What? Where? Can anyone be that stupid? I think some Japanese think all foreigners are Hollywood actors on a publishing shoot. But for the most part, once the ice has been broken, I am greeted with kindness, so I suppose this feeling of being feared initially, is something I will have to accept. I've never had it before, being a small kinda guy, so it's strange and tires me sometimes. But as I said, I have it easy...
Time for a Haiku:
I saw a monk on the train,
his back straight.
I slouched and closed my eyes.
posted by PA on Thursday, June 24, 2004
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