Shibuyaexpat
先輩
- 19 Jan 2005
- 184
- 25
- 38
Having spent almost a year now in Japan, I've been through some seriously embarassing situations. Some of them because I'm simply an idiot and some because I didn't realize or could not initially grasp the social context. Here is one example:
"What I meant is that you smell nice!"
Sitting in a meeting next to a Japanese female colleague who is in her mid-thirties, I noticed that she smelled very nice. After a few minutes, I realized that she smelled like plums (which are my favorite scent).
Now, our conversations in the past were limited to "Konichiwa" and "arigatou gozaimasu" because of my limited Japanese and her limited English. So in an effort to break that barrier, (in my very elementary Japanese), I said (slowly), "you smell very nice." She replied graciously with a smile, "arigatou" (see what I mean about our conversations?).
Then I replied, "you smell like umeboshi."
At this, her eyes completely bugged, her back stiffened and she was preparing for Attack Formation Number 5!
She quietly and demurely responded, "Pardon me?"
Noticing that I had said something wrong, I tried to cover it with "I think plums are very nice. In fact, they're my favorite scent!"
Attack Formation Number 5 became Hulk in Mid-Rage Form (you know, the green eyes, bulging muscles). Luckily, she didn't take a swat at me and simply proceeded to look forward and make it a point that our conversation was over.
Later I find out that it is an absolute sin to comment that a women smell like umeboshi because that is a statement made in reference to an oba-san. (I still don't have a good explanation as to why)
It was only at this time, did I realize that umeboshi is NOT plum, but in fact, pickled plum. ☝
"What I meant is that you smell nice!"
Sitting in a meeting next to a Japanese female colleague who is in her mid-thirties, I noticed that she smelled very nice. After a few minutes, I realized that she smelled like plums (which are my favorite scent).
Now, our conversations in the past were limited to "Konichiwa" and "arigatou gozaimasu" because of my limited Japanese and her limited English. So in an effort to break that barrier, (in my very elementary Japanese), I said (slowly), "you smell very nice." She replied graciously with a smile, "arigatou" (see what I mean about our conversations?).
Then I replied, "you smell like umeboshi."
At this, her eyes completely bugged, her back stiffened and she was preparing for Attack Formation Number 5!
She quietly and demurely responded, "Pardon me?"
Noticing that I had said something wrong, I tried to cover it with "I think plums are very nice. In fact, they're my favorite scent!"
Attack Formation Number 5 became Hulk in Mid-Rage Form (you know, the green eyes, bulging muscles). Luckily, she didn't take a swat at me and simply proceeded to look forward and make it a point that our conversation was over.
Later I find out that it is an absolute sin to comment that a women smell like umeboshi because that is a statement made in reference to an oba-san. (I still don't have a good explanation as to why)
It was only at this time, did I realize that umeboshi is NOT plum, but in fact, pickled plum. ☝