2009-11-23, 23:33 | Link #1281 |
Hopeless Dreamer
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: On bended knee asking Belldandy to marry me
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Something a little different. Autumn scenes across Japan. A nice collection of photos.
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/photospecials/graph/autumn/ Too bad they don't have hi-rez versions.
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2009-12-19, 22:16 | Link #1284 | |
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Boston
Age: 35
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Snippet from an article on being foreign on Earth today.
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2009-12-20, 02:14 | Link #1285 | ||
Honyaku no Hime
Fansubber
Join Date: May 2008
Location: In the eastern capital of the islands of the rising suns...
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You either are or you're not. It's simply an object of subject which is unknown to you, including humans. (Eg: Mexicans are foreign to me, first time I saw one (a family tbh) was in Georgia, which was an object of fascination to me) As for Japan, well they got a long way to go still, but I guess things improve little by little over the years?
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2009-12-23, 13:48 | Link #1287 |
Obey the Darkly Cute ...
Author
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: On the whole, I'd rather be in Kyoto ...
Age: 66
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Different sub-topic - here's an interesting article on japanese pop culture about Mamoru Oshii, the film maker who did "Ghost in the Shell" and other flicks. He has an interesting new title out called "Assault Girls" which sounds like it might be appealing entertainment for japanese action fans and gamers.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-b...0091218r1.html
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2009-12-23, 23:20 | Link #1288 | |
On a sabbatical
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Wellington, NZ
Age: 43
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Anyways, it's the Emperor's Birthday. He should wish for the longevity of the monarchy, as the LDP has always been supporting the monarchy, but with the DPJ, he could see his descendants being thrown out of Chiyoda soon enough. I hope it happens. It's been too long, and for a descendant of Zainichi like us, we feel that it's ridiculous that he's still there in Chiyoda.
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2009-12-24, 01:25 | Link #1289 |
PolyPerson!
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Northern VA
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"The Japanese believe their language to be so difficult that it counts as something of an impertinence for a foreigner to speak it."
Is that true?" When I started trying to teach myself so's to talk to my mother in law better, I NEVER used Japanese around her, other than teaching the cubs to call her "Obachan", which she was absolutely tickled by. he said just me making the effort would mean a lot to her. I mean I want my son to learn it, seeing as he wants to go into robotics engineering and IMO Japan's the place to go (plus he's 1/4 japanese ffs), but is it really viewed as an affront for non-japanese to speak it? While we're on the subject, are half-breeds and the like (aka my hubby and kids) still looked down on?
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2009-12-24, 08:35 | Link #1290 | ||
Honyaku no Hime
Fansubber
Join Date: May 2008
Location: In the eastern capital of the islands of the rising suns...
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A foreigner can speak one word of Japanese and get the auto response of; 'nihongo wa jouzu desu ne?' No matter where you're at in the country, you'll hear it. At some point, it begins to feel patronising. They also beleive that we cannot use chopsticks or eat any of their food (well there's a few common items that gaijin tend to hate) - If you've lived there for less than a year or just visit as a tourist and pull off basic convo sentences, they cannot mentally comprehend why we can speak the language without having lived in the country for at least 5 years. It's their own language complex with English working against them at the end of the day. Quote:
They appreciate when they don't have to resort to English, they visibly breathe a major ass sigh of relief when they find out that I can more or less handle daily convo level, it's a huge weight of their mind and they relax better, so learning is all good. - As for half breeds, it's probably harsher if they hold a Japanese surname, look Asian but were born/raised in the West. Your kids would be considered American, your hubby may have a harder time with it, but they'd check out his name first before investigating further. At the least he'd have to deal with preconceptions (well, we all do), but as to what kind, depends on his experience in the future.
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2009-12-24, 14:56 | Link #1291 |
Obey the Darkly Cute ...
Author
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: On the whole, I'd rather be in Kyoto ...
Age: 66
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My wife (sansei) plans to have t-shirts made that say "Made in America" in kanji for her visits there. Because they're absolutely going to brainlock when they ask her something in Japanese, *I* answer (the tall scary hagaijin), and she opens up with her Texas drawl.
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2009-12-24, 21:23 | Link #1292 |
On a sabbatical
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Wellington, NZ
Age: 43
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That's nothing. Wait till the Nihonjin see a ZAINICHI speaking ENGLISH better than them. They'll faint because Nihonjin think their English is the best in Asia. Of course they're wrong.
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2009-12-25, 01:39 | Link #1293 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
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I don't know why they even bother teaching English. Most people don't get above "crash course in tourist language" level. I've met people with good English though and even then it is like 2/50 college students I met.
As for chopsticks when I was studying abroad all the non-Asian students had the best chopstick etiquette and posture. I was finally determined to fix my chopstick posture. |
2009-12-25, 08:02 | Link #1294 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Land of the rising sun
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Japanese thinking their English is the best in Asia??? Talk about trolling, as for the Mikado being a descendant of Zainichi? Again when does a person becomes a Japanese and STOP being a descendant of an immigrant, five, ten, twenty generations? As for monarchy, the European royal family does not have such thing as a "pure" royal blood line since most intertwined through political marriage between countries during the medieval era which is the same in Japan. |
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2009-12-25, 08:40 | Link #1295 | ||||
On a sabbatical
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Wellington, NZ
Age: 43
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2009-12-25, 09:01 | Link #1296 |
Silent Warrior
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Netherlands
Age: 38
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Japanese in the business industry seem to speak perfect fluent English. Wayy wayyy back I used to work part time in a souvenir store(hey it beats part timing at McD's). We had a fair share of Japanese visitors. They where either completely incapable of speaking English(we used the Universal language of hand signs) or really good. After talking to the fluent in English about the Japanese English skills. I found out that the people that came to Amsterdam for work are able to speak English fluently. They where also surprised when I told them that most Japanese are bad in English. I also recall talking to quite a few guys about football, who where pretty good in English as well.
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2009-12-25, 09:14 | Link #1297 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Land of the rising sun
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Me too since at one time or the other people moved into this island 10 years ago or 100,000 years ago., what is the difference? |
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2009-12-25, 09:51 | Link #1298 | ||
On a sabbatical
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Wellington, NZ
Age: 43
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2009-12-25, 12:47 | Link #1299 |
Obey the Darkly Cute ...
Author
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: On the whole, I'd rather be in Kyoto ...
Age: 66
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Meh, I don't have any problem with the idea of a symbolic head-of-state in tune with cultural heritage. You just need to keep your hyper-nationalist nuts medicated
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2009-12-25, 15:55 | Link #1300 |
Junior Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
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I have a theory (based on experience, I studied abroad) that being white in Japan is a lot like being black in an upper-class, mainly white, liberal area of the states (like where I grew up): people are respectful of you, but a bit cautious (mainly of offending you), but the fact of your race is hard to get around.
Being black in Japan is like that only moreso: your race is always an issue, but it's still rarely a negative. |
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culture, discussion, japan, japanese culture |
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