Please help me to read this English sentence:

[dogsbody70]

Originally Posted by YuriTokoro

That’s too bad.
If you want to communicate with Japanese people or want to use the Japanese language, post something in this thread, please:
http://www.japanforum.com/forum/japa...acters-77.html

HI Yuri-- I still have not ben brave enough to download the foreign language facility---------- also I need to practice my hiragana a lot more to be able to make sense of what I write.

[Columbine]

Originally Posted by YuriTokoro

I think Japanese ways may seem very rude to you because we don’t hold the door for the next person. In elevator, we don’t push the button for other people.

There is a book titled “Why native English speakers say hello to foreigners”. Your custom seems to be a mystery to Japanese people.

only sometimes. Other times Japanese people seem very polite and considerate compared to British people.

Originally Posted by YuriTokoro

I see. I didn’t think gaijin is a short version of gaikokujin.
Ok, I will say gaikokujin.
What do you think about “gaijin-san”? We often say that with respect.
Is “gaijin-san” also bad?

I think using 'san' helps.

Originally Posted by YuriTokoro

Yes, it happens outside of tourist areas. It meant that people in such places haven’t met many people from foreign countries. If they have opportunity to meet many foreign people, they wouldn’t behave like that.
I apologize as Japanese that most Japanese people need to learn the international manners.
So you have come to Japan? Where did you go in Japan?

Aww, don't apologise Yuri. To be honest, I've experienced much, much ruder behavior in other countries. At least when Japanese people are 'rude' to foreigners it's usually only by accident.

I lived in a city about 30 minutes by train from Osaka. I'm not sure how big it is by Japanese standards; the population is about 400,000, which seems large to me. I really loved it.

Originally Posted by YuriTokoro

Sorry; I don’t see what you mean well.
You mean your friends living large cities and the cities don’t have many foreign people? Which cities?

I have friends living in Sendai and Yamagata. Most tourists don't bother to go there, so any foreigners there tend to be there for work. Both live in areas outside the main city centre, so even though it's a big city, they don't see many other non-asian foreigners.

Originally Posted by YuriTokoro

　I’d like to know more what you think or your ideas.
Why don’t you post this thread?
http://www.japanforum.com/forum/japa...acters-77.html

Ok I'll try it!

Originally Posted by YuriTokoro

I don’t think it’s “everyone”.
However, I understand that you would feel everyone is talking like that, and that you can’t help thinking you are not welcome in Japan.
It’s a sad story.

No, of course it's not 'everyone', I exaggerated. ^^; sorry!
I've never really felt unwelcome, it's just a very strange feeling being in that situation.
My teacher actually explained it very well with this story: when she was first married, she lived in a small town in Japan, and she worked in a bank. Another bank in the town had been having problems with a group of asian foreigners in the area, who had been stealing people's bags. So my teacher's banks put up posters warning people "この地域の外人泥棒に気を付けなさい"、or something like that. But the picture of the 'gaijin' on the poster was an American and looked just like my teacher! So people would see the poster, then see my teacher in the bank, and think she was the thief. When she complained that the poster was misleading, the bank said, "it's just warning about those bad gaijin. Anyone can tell you're a good gaijin!"

They did change the poster in the end, but she said it was very odd doing her job right under this big sign that said that people like her were thieves!

Originally Posted by YuriTokoro

I’m sure that many Japanese people love England.
Most of them don’t know the real England and they just have some romantic images about your country, but we really have a romantic notion of your country and many Japanese people go to England every year. I’ve been there two times.

へ〜行った事がありますか？イギリスで、どこに行きま したか？(W)　Most people around the world seem to have romantic notions of England. I guess only other Europeans don't find us quirky and old-fashioned!

[Koir]

Originally Posted by Columbine

My teacher actually explained it very well with this story: when she was first married, she lived in a small town in Japan, and she worked in a bank. Another bank in the town had been having problems with a group of asian foreigners in the area, who had been stealing people's bags. So my teacher's banks put up posters warning people "この地域の外人泥棒に気を付けなさい"、or something like that. But the picture of the 'gaijin' on the poster was an American and looked just like my teacher! So people would see the poster, then see my teacher in the bank, and think she was the thief. When she complained that the poster was misleading, the bank said, "it's just warning about those bad gaijin. Anyone can tell you're a good gaijin!"

*confused eyeblinks*

*That* would be unsettling for sure...

[mandalina]

Originally Posted by YuriTokoro

Thanks, Columbine!

I see.
We are not told to never point out strangers who are different or talk about someone being different.
I got to know that you never point a finger at people when I was planning to go abroad for the first time. There were many different customs I didn’t know; e.g. holding the door open for the person who is coming after you.
I think Japanese ways may seem very rude to you because we don’t hold the door for the next person. In elevator, we don’t push the button for other people.

Here, like most of out of politeness acts "holding to door for the person coming after" changes from people to people I think. Some can wait for you holding the door or you can find yourself face to face with the door.

[Columbine]

Originally Posted by Koir

*confused eyeblinks*

*That* would be unsettling for sure...

I should probably add that this was a good number of years ago now (mid 1990's?) and not a big town either. But yeah, a very weird situation!

[ColinHowell]

Originally Posted by Columbine

I should probably add that this was a good number of years ago now (mid 1990's?) and not a big town either. But yeah, a very weird situation!

She could have put up a small sign stating "I am not a crook" with a picture of Richard Nixon, but I fear the joke would have been lost on her customers.

[Suki]

Originally Posted by dogsbody70

The thing is-- How can others detect what nationality anybody is until they speak to them?

we have many Europeans coming over here-- especially via the European Union. I could not identify any of them unless I spoke to them.

Oh I can tell where a person is from by just looking at them, and it's usually a quite accurate impression. Stereotypes are not always wrong after all...

But yeah you're right, the best way to tell is by hearing them talk. However, on my last time in England, some people kept thinking I was from a southern state in the US cause of my accent. I got kinda pissed cause I didn't think I had that accent, I've never even been to the states yet I'm told I have a southern accent, how could that even be possible? lol Also, they knew straight away I wasn't British cause, apparently, I say "guess" a lot when talking... that got me confused. But yeah, the point of it all is, sometimes the way people talk mislead you into thinking they're from somewhere when they're actually NOT.

Originally Posted by dogsbody70

MAYBE WE SHOULD ALL WEAR BADGES WITH FLAG OF OUR COUNTRY OF ORIGIN

That would do it, wouldn't it?

[dogsbody70]

our various accents and dialects can be very confusing. Its hard to recognise precisely where a person is from in the UK yet alone from america.


I expect just like anywhere else-- the Japanese have their own colloquial way of speaking.

I admire anyone who truly can tell where a person is from just by looking at them.

I certainly cannot. Of course if one is mixing with many of them from the far east-- perhaps one gets familiar with the differences.


Yes-- I think a large badge with either the countries FLAG or even the name of ones country-- could be really helpful.

Maybe wear T shirts that demonstrate ones nationality.

Now there is a business opportunity. caps would be good also.

[Koir]

Originally Posted by dogsbody70

Now there is a business opportunity. caps would be good also.

It's called "the Olympics".

[YuriTokoro]

Originally Posted by dogsbody70

HI Yuri-- I still have not ben brave enough to download the foreign language facility---------- also I need to practice my hiragana a lot more to be able to make sense of what I write.

Hi, dogsbody.
I have installed the German version. It was really easy.
At first I thought it would be complicated, but it turned out to be very easy.
Why don’t you try!