r45 4 Posted November 11, 2003 Share Posted November 11, 2003 You know, the "uh, gaijin" stare. What's your way of coping? Just ignoring, sly comments or what? Link to post Share on other sites
Siren 0 Posted November 11, 2003 Share Posted November 11, 2003 Are you concerned when people stare at you? Link to post Share on other sites
r45 4 Posted November 11, 2003 Author Share Posted November 11, 2003 Sometimes it makes me feel a little uncomfortable, as I am sure it does many people. And when I'm tired and not looking my best and just want to do the shopping in peace, it can be a pain. So yeah, sometimes it does. Link to post Share on other sites
badmigraine 0 Posted November 11, 2003 Share Posted November 11, 2003 Check the following, in this order: 1. Is my fly open? 2. Is there a booger hanging out of my nose? 3. Is there a long piece of toilet paper stuck to my shoe? In most cases, it was #1. Link to post Share on other sites
Siren 0 Posted November 11, 2003 Share Posted November 11, 2003 Bad, they are just staring at your flashy ML350! Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted November 11, 2003 Share Posted November 11, 2003 Although, shuffling along looking at your feet, while wiping your nose with the back of your hand and running your hand over the front of your trousers can also draw stares... Link to post Share on other sites
mogski 0 Posted November 11, 2003 Share Posted November 11, 2003 If shes cute, stare back, invite for drink and hope I get lucky! Link to post Share on other sites
Davo 1 Posted November 11, 2003 Share Posted November 11, 2003 I hear you r45. Most of the time it bothers me not one little bit. Usually I ignore it or even have some fun with it. But there are times when it pisses me off quite a bit. I was thinking tonight how odd it is that a)people do it how accustomed and generally tolerant towards it I have become. I was also thinking how much I'm looking forward to going home for Xmas and not having to deal with it for a while. Link to post Share on other sites
jared 0 Posted November 11, 2003 Share Posted November 11, 2003 The other week I was in the supermarket just after work I got the I'm being stared at feeling from 2 ladys. I only seen them from the corner of my eye and couldn't be stuffed making eye contact with the starers as I walked right by them. At the check out I seen them again from a distance and realised that one was a student I had just taught 10 minutes before and the other lady was her mother. I then realsied that they were almost certainly looking at me ready to exchange greetings etc and be intro'd to the mother. How do you explain that you ignore people who look at you. I decided to handle the situation by pretending that it never happened and it seems to have worked. Link to post Share on other sites
badmigraine 0 Posted November 11, 2003 Share Posted November 11, 2003 The converse of this post would be, What do Japanese people do when foreigners stare at them? Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted November 12, 2003 Share Posted November 12, 2003 I missed being looked at with curiosity when I went back to England. It has become so normal to me that I only notice it when it's not there. Not that it's even noticeable most of the time. Link to post Share on other sites
scouser 4 Posted November 12, 2003 Share Posted November 12, 2003 What do Japanese people do when foreigners stare at them? >>>> look at you as if yer mad. Link to post Share on other sites
damian 0 Posted November 12, 2003 Share Posted November 12, 2003 This is not meant to sound as miserable as it does, but I am kind of looking forward to leaving a country where people notice (and care)who is foriegn. I don't like the society that comes with it. I would like to live where a lack of difference and variety is noticed. Link to post Share on other sites
Siren 0 Posted November 12, 2003 Share Posted November 12, 2003 Oh db, I really don't think you should worry too much about that. These are just ordinary folks who are curious about things foreign. If you live in some remote part of NZ or Oz and never set foot outside the town all your life you would stare too if you see a few Buya girls. Link to post Share on other sites
damian 0 Posted November 12, 2003 Share Posted November 12, 2003 You're right there. I would be ashamed to see the reaction of a remote country Australian if a car load of Japanese people rocked up. Nontheless (is that one word or three) I am comfortable living in a diverse society and feel the lacking when I am not doing so. It is just what I am used to, nothin more. Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted November 12, 2003 Share Posted November 12, 2003 Although I'm tired of answering the question "Ahhhh, where you from?", it can be welcome sometimes, and you can always ask it back. When I went to the indoor snowboarding place the other day, a bloke asked me that and I was glad to have an opening to ask him about where he goes boarding. If I looked Japanese and wasn't different, it's unlikely he would have been curious enough to talk to me. So while horribly peasant-like reactions can annoy me, I say vive la difference. I don't find that there's anything particularly sophisticated about studiedly ignoring every difference... Link to post Share on other sites
Siren 0 Posted November 12, 2003 Share Posted November 12, 2003 Difference is sameness, goes the Zen philosophy. Link to post Share on other sites
sweetaz 0 Posted November 12, 2003 Share Posted November 12, 2003 ...stare back...then when they look away...you look away, for a few seconds....then look at them again and when they look...you look away...repeat as required. Get's people all paranoid! HA HAAA!!! (Note: should be avoided when crazy/dodgy person is the stare initiator) Link to post Share on other sites
slow 0 Posted November 12, 2003 Share Posted November 12, 2003 Is this only for foreigners? It happens me, too. It's always girl. I feel very bad and wonder why. Is she lesbian or am I doing something wrong? And why is it always girl?? If it is a guy, that's not so bad... Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted November 12, 2003 Share Posted November 12, 2003 slow, some foreigness has obviously rubbed off on you. And yes, they are all lesbians. Link to post Share on other sites
damian 0 Posted November 12, 2003 Share Posted November 12, 2003 Dont worry Slow, I am also a lesbian. Well I would be if I had a sex change. I would be a dyke with a mattress strapped to my back. Link to post Share on other sites
slow 0 Posted November 12, 2003 Share Posted November 12, 2003 You are so funny, ocean, db. Link to post Share on other sites
damian 0 Posted November 12, 2003 Share Posted November 12, 2003 wakaranai I wasn't joking. Link to post Share on other sites
zwelgen 0 Posted November 13, 2003 Share Posted November 13, 2003 One time I was really hung over and thus had a rather low tollerance level and on the train in Osaka and got the stares. I stared at them fiercely for a while. No reaction. So I made like binoculars with my hands and then pointed at them. They got the message and stopped. Afterwards I felt a bit bad. I mean in Japan I often stared at other foreigners. Oh the curse of the Inaka - "whats that foreigner doing in MY 'hood?" How pathetic Link to post Share on other sites
Siren 0 Posted November 13, 2003 Share Posted November 13, 2003 Quote: curse of the Inaka I like that a lot. Link to post Share on other sites
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