oo 1 Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 OK so`I got the Skyliner at Ueno Keisei. It was fairly full, but no-one sat next to me. Then we stopped at Nippori and the train was really filling up. Then this middleaged salaryman-type comes up and sees that his seat is next to me. Pulls an annoyed face, then `shouts out (in a fairy loud voice - people could hear) "gaijin, ka?" as if it was the most annoying situation he had ever had to face. He actually stood for the journey by the doors rather than sit next to me. Link to post Share on other sites
daver 0 Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 you should have responded in an even louder voice "hai gaijin desu. fashisuto ka?" then maybe a good punch to the nuts would have helped the issue. Link to post Share on other sites
bobby12 0 Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 in those situations just remember that they have completely humiliated themself and it has no bearing at all on yourself. the best way to respond is to totally ignore them and not fall to their level. Link to post Share on other sites
indosnm 0 Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 I just wonder if he was going to Narita if he was travelling? Will he do that on the plane? I couldn't ignore what he said.. a smart remark would have been thrown back his way for sure. Link to post Share on other sites
daver 0 Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 yeah i would like to agree with the "ignore it, he lost" philosophy, but it seems to me like if that is the case he certainly wasn't aware of his loss. and if he was, loosing face in front of his peers was a better alternative to sitting next to you. how f#@ked is that? i am with Indosnm on this one, a smart, clever, biting reply, then completely ignore anything else he attempts to do or say would have been my approach. Link to post Share on other sites
snobee 0 Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 My stock reply to the 'gaijin' inference is, "Chau, Chau - Australia-jin desu" Never had a response to that. Link to post Share on other sites
scouser 4 Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 Someone I know goes the explosive, confrontational way. Stands up and confronts the ojisan with some loud and fast abusive English, leaving ojisan in a state of fright. Rather, er, counterproductive if you ask me. Link to post Share on other sites
daver 0 Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 counter productive yes, but i imagine quite satisfying at times. certainly, just sitting there and taking it isn't very productive either though. hmmmm, where is the line? Link to post Share on other sites
SKI 15 Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 That kind of outburst though will only reinforce any beliefs about "gaijin" being agressive, etc etc. Link to post Share on other sites
powwwers 0 Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 thats nah good oo, totally sympathise with your feelings. i think most (non-japanese) people who live in this island nation have experienced something similar at one stage or another. i just try and put it down to `experience`. try not to dwell on it and keep in mind that not all japanese are like him. story: today i went for lunch to a chain ramen shop. it was pretty chokkers. i made me way to the counter and sat patiently waiting to have my order taken. about 5min. had passed when another customer walks in and sits two seats away and waits patiently also. about another 5min. elapsed when one of the waitresses made her way to our section. now he knew i hadn`t order cos i was still checkin out the menu, as was he. both of our body language suggested we were ready to order but the waitress takes his order and makes her way to another section. i continued to sit there for about another 3-4min. then i got up and left!!! i was dartin this guy some pretty dirty looks before i left. how hard would it have been for him to say, "this dude was here before me." ?? by no way peeved at tha shop or staff. this is just yet another experience to go in the book! nb: went around the corner to a local family run ramen shop and thoroughly enjoyed my meal and service Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted July 26, 2006 Share Posted July 26, 2006 Sorry, I just can't believe the naievity here. I grew up in a white country, in a town where we were the only non-white faces. This is just .... dunno, unbelievably naive. Link to post Share on other sites
kintaro 0 Posted July 26, 2006 Share Posted July 26, 2006 Naive? Who? oo or the asshole racist? Hey thursday, I grew up in a non-white town in a half white country in a predominantly Japanese third generation American neighborhood, And well, I don't see your point. Who cares what color your neighborhood was? I don't think oo is spewing naitevity but rather frustration with ignorance. The only loser in this scenario is the asshole racist. I mean, he has to wake up everyday being himself. I guess they say ignorance is bliss though, I dunno, 'spose you wouldn't know, eh? Link to post Share on other sites
oblivion 5 Posted July 26, 2006 Share Posted July 26, 2006 Yeah who exactly is showing unbelievable naivety here? The Japanese dude? Link to post Share on other sites
oo 1 Posted July 31, 2006 Author Share Posted July 31, 2006 Not me that's for sure. I don't think the guy was either. He was just showing stupidity and ignorance. Link to post Share on other sites
minus 1 Posted August 1, 2006 Share Posted August 1, 2006 He sure was. Even though I want to ignore that kind of thing, it still annoys me and really saddens me. Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted August 2, 2006 Share Posted August 2, 2006 how bout, yokatta yokatta, anata/omae/ossan kusai da yo Link to post Share on other sites
gerard 6 Posted August 2, 2006 Share Posted August 2, 2006 This doesn't change the fact that the guy on the train is an ass, but many of us are really lucky to be white foreigners. The vast majority of discrimination that I've seen has worked to my advantage... even over Japanese people. It would be tough being Chinese or Indian, etc. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted August 2, 2006 Share Posted August 2, 2006 It is not tough being Chinese in Japan. Though it might be if you're mainland Chinese. Link to post Share on other sites
gerard 6 Posted August 4, 2006 Share Posted August 4, 2006 It seems like it's tough to find work if you're a foreigner and not a native English speaker. I know a few highly educated Asians who are here for thier spouses but can't find any work and are really frustruated. Meanwhile, a lot of Japanese are lining up to pay white guys 5000 for English lessons. The other day I recommended a good Japanese teacher to a friend of mine who seemed to really want to learn Japanese. The conversation went like this; "How much is it?" "3000 yen and hour" "No... that's way too much money?" "How much do you get to chat with that doctor guy for an hour?" "... Oh right. I see your point." Link to post Share on other sites
slow 0 Posted August 4, 2006 Share Posted August 4, 2006 On the way to Haneda airport on my road bike last weekend, I saw a guy on a cruiser from the bridge. He was just taking off his bathing trunks... Probably he didn't notice me on the bridge but really annoying... surprising. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 Originally Posted By: ger It seems like it's tough to find work if you're a foreigner and not a native English speaker. I know a few highly educated Asians who are here for thier spouses but can't find any work and are really frustruated. Meanwhile, a lot of Japanese are lining up to pay white guys 5000 for English lessons. The other day I recommended a good Japanese teacher to a friend of mine who seemed to really want to learn Japanese. The conversation went like this; "How much is it?" "3000 yen and hour" "No... that's way too much money?" "How much do you get to chat with that doctor guy for an hour?" "... Oh right. I see your point." 5000 yen an hour. Pretty good. What would a white guy get for an hour behind the counter at 7-11? Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 For the life of me I really can't imagine ever being so bored that I'd want to search through a whole lot of old threads and comment on them many years later. I mean just how bored are you thurs?? Link to post Share on other sites
Ezorisu 0 Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 It's his job to find and re-animate dead threads. He's a veritable Doctor Frankenstein... Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 yes. Been slacking lately. Link to post Share on other sites
Mintyjulep 0 Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 more more! Have to say I can't remember any bad intolerance moments from my last visit. Hopefully I don't have any this time around. Link to post Share on other sites
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