凄い上手 - Sugoi Jouzu - Amazing skill!
Recently I've been engaged in a very short debate with Andy about the way Japanese people react to foreigners using their language - one almost universally receives hearty congratulations for displaying the most elementary linguistic hoop jumping, so readily that doubt is cast upon sincerity.
This is something I noticed just weeks after my arrival...reading back, those entries betray a wide eyed bubble of enthusiasm, a sharp contrast to some of the black rage I've since experienced...at worst, being complimented for being able to say "yes" in a foreign language is patronising, insulting and makes a mockery of ones efforts to communicate.
However, the consistency of this response makes me think that there's more to it . Also, the remnants of my faith in humanity convince me that not even a society as unconsciously racist as Japan can be so uniformly condescending.
Since the dawn of Japan, the backbone of this society has had everybody mucking in and working on labour intensive rice production. With such an impetus, it's vitally important that everybody gets on with everybody else, even if it's only on the surface. In all probability, such freely given praise is a reflex - they don't even think about it, being neither complimentary nor patronising.
All this was churning about whilst I was doing my shopping. As I'd finished, I was unlocking my bike, and an elderly lady next to me apologised for having the audacity to be potentially in my way (she wasn't in the slightest). In Japanese, I replied "no, no". She looked at me and noticing that I wasn't Japanese did a double take. The inevitable resounding compliment arrived. Considering what I had just been thinking about and the conclusion I'd reached, I had no choice but to laugh in her face. I thanked her and cycled off, utterly bewildered.
Labels: anger, culture (shock), I wasn't expecting that, Japan, language
posted by Shining Love Pig @ 8:01 am
sake belches: 4
4 Comments:
Being pissed off all the time takes a lot of energy doesn't it? In my less fraut periods I try to find the time to think of ways of dealing with the shittier situations that don't leave me feeling wrecked. Ommmmm. Etc. (I'm feeling quite relaxed at the moment. Different story tomorrow though, no doubt ;) )
You know, I've thought about it alot, because I've gotten upset about it myself.
But, because it's not just to do with language, it can't be patronizing. If it was limited to complimenting rudimentary grammer that'd be easy to write off, but it's... everything. Don't you also get these "wow, you can eat soba?? and SUSHI?!?" or "great chopstick skills!"
and I think it's not just their attempt at reflixively being nice (they ARE very courteous to each other indeed) , but an extension of their hospitality to strangers. I mean, to see a foreigner and be hospitable is nice, sure, but it IS racist. It is permanently our first week in japan, and if you have kids that are born and grow up here, it will be there's too.
But... it is friendly racism, isn't it? Fuck, I dunno.
I think that if your Japanese linguistic skills were at native level then you would have nothing to worry about! There sounds to me like there is a lot of paranoia and perhaps a little of an inferiority complex going on here.
At the end of the day if someone compliments you for trying to speak their language, its a human way of trying to fill awkward space while you fumble around looking for a way to try and get past thank you and hello. Maybe next time try making a point of articulating yourself using uncommon words and local vernacular and grammar. If this is too hard for you then perhaps its time to understand that people are just trying to make you feel good about what you actually DO know and maybe accept that we are just Gaijin after all. 頑張って!! ^^
Well, it HAS been four years since this post. But thanks for bringing me back to this blast from the past! I don't remember reading this, or commenting. I especially don't remember the horrible typos in my writing. "There's"?!?!?!?
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