Mistaken Identity
Since I’ve come back to Japan a lot of Japanese people have asked me if I’m Indian when they first meet me. I’ve been surprised why all of a sudden I am taken for being Indian. Of course my Dad is from India and I generally take it as a complement, as I’ve heard that Japanese people have positive stereotypes about Indians. To be honest I’ve used this to my advantage in the past when someone has been trying to use me as a free English lesson or is generally annoying me. They tend to lose interest if I say I’m Indian etc. However, today I discovered my plan is not without its faults.
My doorbell rang and I opened the door and there were two Japanese men standing there; one young and the other middle-aged. I guessed straight away from their dress and the leaflets they were holding that they were Jehovah’s Witnesses. I don’t have anything against Jehovah’s Witnesses by the way, but I’m not interested in converting or anything. The older man started speaking to me in English and so I told him that I don’t understand English very well. He also tried showing me a page in the leaflet in English and again I said I didn’t understand. After that the conversation went kind of like this:
Older Man: (Turning to a map in the leaflet and points to Japan) We are in Japan. Where are you from?
Me: I am from India.
Older Man: India? So you speak… Hindi? (shows me another page written in Hindi).
Me: Actually the language in the area I’m from is not Hindi.
Older Man: Oh, really? What is it?
Me: Bengali… (realising now where this is going).
To my horror and to the two men’s delight there was a page in Bengali as well! So I pretended to read it and then said that I was Hindu and that finally put an end to their endeavours. I have to say I’m impressed. The Jehovah’s Witnesses are prepared for all eventualities!
My doorbell rang and I opened the door and there were two Japanese men standing there; one young and the other middle-aged. I guessed straight away from their dress and the leaflets they were holding that they were Jehovah’s Witnesses. I don’t have anything against Jehovah’s Witnesses by the way, but I’m not interested in converting or anything. The older man started speaking to me in English and so I told him that I don’t understand English very well. He also tried showing me a page in the leaflet in English and again I said I didn’t understand. After that the conversation went kind of like this:
Older Man: (Turning to a map in the leaflet and points to Japan) We are in Japan. Where are you from?
Me: I am from India.
Older Man: India? So you speak… Hindi? (shows me another page written in Hindi).
Me: Actually the language in the area I’m from is not Hindi.
Older Man: Oh, really? What is it?
Me: Bengali… (realising now where this is going).
To my horror and to the two men’s delight there was a page in Bengali as well! So I pretended to read it and then said that I was Hindu and that finally put an end to their endeavours. I have to say I’m impressed. The Jehovah’s Witnesses are prepared for all eventualities!