When in Rome...right? :)
Steve just left an interesting comment about dealing with the foreigner label with an Irish perspective. Steve definitely has the advantage here because even though Ireland's main language is Gaelic, English is widely spoken so if someone has something to say about your foreign-ness chances are they have the capibility to say something to your face and you can respond in defense, or not.
Sometimes all you want to do is blend in. I guess I should have mentioned somewhere that I do know some Japanese. I know enough that I get a lot of compliments from Native Japanese speakers. I can also read Katakana, the "alphabet" for foreign words and Hiragana, the phoenitic alphabet that basically sounds out Kanji or those Chinese-like characters. My vocabulary isn't big enough to understand most the Hiragana I can read but it's a start. Most of the Katakana here in Okinawa sounds out American and Italian words so it's all good. The locals are suprised to see an American with a basic grasp of the language, especially an American that is not married to a Japanese person. I'm also very conscious of the fact that a majority of Okinawans wish the American troops and their families could leave (even though this wouldn't be ecinomically feasable for this Ryuku island because if and when we do leave here, tourists from mainland Japan won't spend as much as the longer term residents do) so I do my best to gain the locals' respect by being polite and helpful, a.k.a. nerdy I guess.
So basically if I go into an establishment I always ask, "Sumimasen, Eigo ga wakarimasu ka?" which translates to, "I'm sorry to inconvenience you, but do you understand English?" If the answer is a flat out no or even a "sukoshi" (hmm - I wonder if I spelled that right) which means a little, I will use as much Japanese as I can muster. If the clerk understands what I'm trying to say they either try to respond in the little English they know to help me out or they speak in all out Japanese - fast too. Lately When this happens I can actually catch at least 1 word and try to put it into context. Thankfully this doesn't happen to often because I feel like an Idiot and then I secretly wish I could understand what other people are saying in the background, like I get paranoid and self-conscious.
If you ever visit Japan, just put forth a little effort in communication, try not to be too loud or pretentious and you will have a great time, I promise.
Sometimes all you want to do is blend in. I guess I should have mentioned somewhere that I do know some Japanese. I know enough that I get a lot of compliments from Native Japanese speakers. I can also read Katakana, the "alphabet" for foreign words and Hiragana, the phoenitic alphabet that basically sounds out Kanji or those Chinese-like characters. My vocabulary isn't big enough to understand most the Hiragana I can read but it's a start. Most of the Katakana here in Okinawa sounds out American and Italian words so it's all good. The locals are suprised to see an American with a basic grasp of the language, especially an American that is not married to a Japanese person. I'm also very conscious of the fact that a majority of Okinawans wish the American troops and their families could leave (even though this wouldn't be ecinomically feasable for this Ryuku island because if and when we do leave here, tourists from mainland Japan won't spend as much as the longer term residents do) so I do my best to gain the locals' respect by being polite and helpful, a.k.a. nerdy I guess.
So basically if I go into an establishment I always ask, "Sumimasen, Eigo ga wakarimasu ka?" which translates to, "I'm sorry to inconvenience you, but do you understand English?" If the answer is a flat out no or even a "sukoshi" (hmm - I wonder if I spelled that right) which means a little, I will use as much Japanese as I can muster. If the clerk understands what I'm trying to say they either try to respond in the little English they know to help me out or they speak in all out Japanese - fast too. Lately When this happens I can actually catch at least 1 word and try to put it into context. Thankfully this doesn't happen to often because I feel like an Idiot and then I secretly wish I could understand what other people are saying in the background, like I get paranoid and self-conscious.
If you ever visit Japan, just put forth a little effort in communication, try not to be too loud or pretentious and you will have a great time, I promise.
Comments
even though i'm ethnicly chinese, english has always been my first language and if i went to china now, although i can converse in chinese, if every sign board was in chinese, i would get totally lost.
congratulations on your japanese though. it looks like you have learnt a lot.
all the best for the new year