Kuniko had to go to work this morning, and so we got up around 8:30 and she was gone 45 minutes later. I’ve got a little bit of a headache, but nothing a couple of aspirin won’t resolve.<\/p>\n
Today I’m on cleanup duty and I also need to catch up with my Japanese studies. I was really struck last night by how much I understood of the all-Japanese conversation, but there is a lot more room for improvement. I want to get a little more comfortable with speaking, and I also want to review some of my older grammar books to practice putting simple sentences together quickly.<\/p>\n
There are a couple of blogs I keep up with out there. One that has been interesting for me is Brenda’s blog. She is the American that replaced me in my previous job at Takasago Minami, and it is interesting to see it all through fresh eyes. She is really good about exploring the cultural side of Japan and explaining things as she sees them. She’s also good about not naming names in her blog – something that I did maybe too much back then. <\/p>\n
In her blog she always mentions hanging out with her friends, who mostly appear to be foreigners like her. It really struck me that most of my friends here are Japanese. There are many kinds of experiences that people have living in foreign countries. One common experience is to recreate a bubble of your own culture wherever you are – a foreign friend network, foreign bars and restaurants, etc. Another experience is to “go native” and embrace all things in that country. Learn the language, participate in the culture, and try to fit in to the point of being as much as possible like everyone around you. Those are two extremes, but you can see both of those extremes in Japan. <\/p>\n
Many foreigners I meet in Japan are definitely in the “living your own culture” group. These foreigners can sometimes be pretty bitter or angry because the culture that they live in every day doesn’t mesh with what they are used to with their own culture, and the cultures of the foreign friends they surround themselves with. <\/p>\n
On the other hand I have met quite a few people that have tried so hard to fit into Japanese culture. They do a great job learning the language, praying at temples, and following customs and traditions. Invariably they become frustrated because in the end, they still are not Japanese, and can’t become native Japanese. They will always be treated differently. <\/p>\n
My role here in Japanese culture will always be the foreigner that stands out. I’ll never fit in completely, but that isn’t something I really strive for. I do want to be able to function in Japan just like everyone else – communicate, shop, enjoy life. <\/p>\n
Enough rambling psycho-babble. I’m off to do the dishes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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