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What do people think about your interest in Japan.


My Japanese is at an low/mid-intermediate level at best but I always tend to do something like this:

me: mata denwa shite kudasai
them: hai denwa shimasu
me: onegaishimaaaaasu

I use 'hai onegaishimasu' like that any time a person has said they'll do something as a result of my request, like when closing down the convo., getting something for me, etc. My feeling is that it confirms understanding and is a polite way to be like 'yes, please do it'. I usually threw it in after the waiter or waitress confirmed my order too. Would that be a correct usage?
 
Back on topic.......

Usually they are rather surprised to hear that I live here.
 
Yes, absolutely the right thing to say!

My apologies for going off-topic again...
 
epigene said:
Yes, absolutely the right thing to say!
My apologies for going off-topic again...
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In person I also sometimes also repeat the phrase with a slight bow after I've been offered help and before leaving the interaction or the room.


Not commonly to wait help, though, since I don't view what they are doing as necessarily in the same light as someone doing me an honest favor.
 
Thanks Elizabeth & Epigene! You both have come to my aid more than a few times. Thanks to both of you for clearing everything up... I save these pages and come back to them, when I have a lapse in memory, so your work is much appreciated!

-m.

ps. also sorry for throwing this thread off-topic.
 
My friends don't mind me speaking Japanese at all, in fact most of them want me to teach them some English.

When I want someone to call me back I usually say "mata, denwakurehenka?"
But that is kansai ben, so for all you hyoujyun goers, "mata, denwa shite" or "mata, denwa choudai" is fine. Also men say this just as much as women "mata, denwa choudai" .
 
In elementary all my friends/classmates teased me for liking Japan (god knows why..) and always called me an Asian-wannabe. Even though 60-70% of my school was Asians... and most of them had interest in anime.

Got to highschool and I was "so cool cause you speak fluent Japanese" (I was a mid level-beginner *sigh*)

Now... they don't care, are proud of me, think it's cool I live in Japan and most of my friends are attempting to learn Japanese. Family loves Japan and can't wait to come visit me in Autumn. ^^ Also helps that they always have 1 homestay Japanese student at home.
 
pika la said:
In elementary all my friends/classmates teased me for liking Japan (god knows why..) and always called me an Asian-wannabe. Even though 60-70% of my school was Asians... and most of them had interest in anime.
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In modern Internet parlance, that is called a "weeaboo", or now more simply, a "wee bee".
 
Most people are ignorant and I have no idea what the difference between Japan and China is. A few friends and family here in Japan often say I eat "weird" stuff and everything.

Of course the occassional joke that I eat dog aswell......(says it all doesn't it)
 

Might I suggest doing a bit of research on the internet to see the differences that you so indelicately pointed out here.
 
Obeika said:
Might I suggest doing a bit of research on the internet to see the differences that you so indelicately pointed out here.
Click to expand...

Wait a minute I completely and utterly screwd up my post.

I ment here in "Germany" many people don't know the difference between China and Japan. How some people think Japanese eat dog and such.

Sorry about the misunderstanding I was still asleep when I did it.
 
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Personally I don't care what my friends or family think anymore as, since they have never lived there for the length of time I have, or even visited for that matter, they will never understand.

Most cannot understand why I lived there and why I will return permanently and do not even take the time to learn or understand and I cannot make them understand no matter how hard I try.

To them it is incomprehensible that I would desire to live in a foreign country and I say to them, although it may be fiction and exaggerated, watch again The Last Samurai, or Shogun, or Dances With Wolves or something similar and you may begin to understand. Still, I feel they never could. It is something that could never be explained.
 
I really like my family and I would like to be close to them. However I hate being in this country. The rest of my family does as well but don't move because of Family. I am not sure if I should move or not but I really want to. However I don't think I should stay in a place I despise for the rest of my life.
 
Whenever I tell people I'm interested in Japanese they always give me the weirdest looks. (So much for the Netherlands being open minded XD)

When I took my Japanese for busy people with me to school once, some classmates of mine - who never even talked to me - started asking me stupid questions and insulting me. I just gave them a dirty look and told them I was learning Japanese not Chinese. They said there was no difference. I simply replied that there was no difference between the German and the Dutch either (not true of course) Then they became all angry and stuff. Funny how that works, eh?

I attend a university of professional education and I have a group of people I work on projects with. One of those people, a girl who I always call she-who-must-not-be-named, is as Dutch as you can be. When she heard I listened to Kpop and Jpop and watched Asian stuff, she went like o.0.

She asked me why I liked asian stuff since I'm not Asian.
ME: Why do you like Spanish food, you're not Spanish.
She: But that's different!
Me:Why?
She: You're black!

Seriously! I would've gonna bitten her head off if my friend hadn't stopped me. So what if I'm black? That means I can't like Japanese stuff? I'm sorry I'm not the stereotypical black female. (and besides...I have Chinese ancestors and am part Javanese and Indian. So take that miss-You're-not-Asian XD )

I usually shrug it off now. It's too tiresome to keep on making sarcastic and witty replies to idiots.
 
Well, my father kind of supports it but never gives up of a hope I will get rid of my interest. Always mocking on the things about Japan, you know, like parodizing the language and saying stupid jokes, but who cares. Mom doesn't say much about it, only that it's wonderful, but not really in a good way, but isn't really stopping me either...lately I rather meet with people with the same interest so I haven't find anyone really annoying except a group of sister's pub friends. For real, they were the most annoying kids ever.
 
Fortunately my family's got into jpop too and I know a lot of people who love japanese pop music, anime or anything related to Japan. I think it gets more and more popular for people to get to know about Japan.
Although I know people who don't like Japanese stuff, but they're also ask about why I love J-pop music and etc. and also says 'Oh can I listen to what you're listening right know? It's Japanese?' but it's just that they try to be friendly, but still like it more than saying rude things about it. Everyone like different things, it has to be that way, we can't be the same, but they should respect other people's opinion.
 
Well



I was first into Zen natural ways of healing.

My family got angry. The Police got angry. Then the internal security got angry.

Two years ago I launched a fashion modest company. I do traditional Kimonos (Wafuku); vest and Hakama.

At the university library where I study everyday, Chinese girls came often to tell me I should learn Chinese instead of Japanese. They have odd response when they see Wafuku.

Reactions in the streets are ranging from laughter, to sympathy, to extreme hostility - specifically from muslims.

 
Re:

My friends are very proud of me because I know some things about Japan. I definitely love its culture, music, entertainment, and especially its language. I've been practicing this language, and really learned a lot! It's good to learn and share what I've learned with my friends, their very glad to here me speak japanese ,and I am still practicing it to be fluent enough!
 
Weird

They have opened a new Chinese Buffet Restaurant. I entered the place and proudly told the girl at the cash register about me tailoring Kimonos. She got angry and told me that if I'd get there wearing a Japanese Kimono, she'll kick me out.

Baka attitude ! In France she can't speak that way, it is against the Law.

 
Lycaenion said:
Whenever I tell people I'm interested in Japanese they always give me the weirdest looks. (So much for the Netherlands being open minded XD)
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Hmm.. I can imagine, everything what is different is wrong here .
As for me, my environment is actually really supporting me in my choice. My whole family think it is exciting that I'm going to study in japan and all, they didn't see it coming because I've always been living a relativly quiet life. As for my friends, one of them got me into Japan and I will be studying in Japan with him, and another one is going to study in China. Others, they can go screw themself honestly, they should look beyond their own eyes
 
It hasn't really come up, to be completely honest. I don't run with a crowd that would find interest in Japan to be weird or anything of the sort. Then again, I don't really speak much of my interests if they don't come up in a discussion or activity my friends & family have. Here's the thing: I don't run around in a kimono, barking off broken Japanese or popularized phrases like, "kawaii" or "neko" or what have you.

I ingest Japanese modern culture on a weekly basis through various manga magazines, airing anime, and I've got a nice collection of English translations of popular Japanese novels, and I am also quite interested in independent mangaka that you might see at Comiket. Beyond all of that, my interest has sorta stagnated. It's picking up again now that I can actually towards the horizon rather than worry about a day or two in the future. We'll see how it progresses from there.
 
It's kind of hard to add to this conversation without knowing a little more. People have written that they have "an interest" in Japan, but have not really described much more than the culture, language or food. I wonder if they have ever really been here to experience those things, or if it is just wishful thinking that what they read, say/hear, and eat back home must be like it really is in Japan.

I also wonder when they say that their friends and family think it is crazy to have an interest in Japan, whether the posters have shown some sort of over-the-top attitude that would attract negative comments, or if their friends and family are area indeed all so naive about the world (as some comments seem to indicate).

Just curious to put things in perspective.

I came here for 5 months in 1985 for a job.
I returned 10 years later as a tourist.
I came again 3 years later in 1998 for a job and have remained here ever since. Except for the trauma from a few family members when I decided on the long-term stay (and that wore off mostly in a couple of years, especially when I announced I was getting married), everyone I know was behind my move, probably because they knew I was mature enough to handle it, and I had had the other 2 experiences. No anime freak, no manga addict, no infatuation over the opposite sex. I write a monthly newsletter to keep people informed about me and to explain Japanese things, thus reducing stereotypes and increasing awareness. Coming from a rural area, this helps a lot. People who I've never met have seen copies that float around and are very interested.
 
well my friends make fun of me for liking stuff about japan. one reason is that they like korea and they feel its funny i like japan. stupid people i say
 
there fine with it, i have been interested for like 10 years so theyve got used to it, they never minded in the first place
 
I don't think most people I know really understand my love for Japanese culture. When I was younger, I used to be more obsessed with the anime and music aspect of the culture, and oh my gosh, I was quite embarrassing with my little weeaboo buddies. Looking back though, I realise I never wanted to 'be Japanese' only to be 'kawaii' like their manga characters -facepalms-

I don't really talk about my love for Japan any more. My boyfriend shares my passion for Japan, and we'll watch movies together and imagine going to Kyoto! That's all I need really!

I don't want to fall into the 'anime freak' category again, because to be honest, I hate most animes! but it is what most people think when you say you love Japan...
 
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