(no subject)
Well, yesterday marked the first year anniversary of my living in Japan. It`s strange to think that I have been here a full 365 days. It doesn`t seem that way. Every morning I wake up and it feels like I haven`t been here for long.
Several weeks ago, I had a conversation with someone that had been in Japan for the last 20 years. I`ve been meaning to write about it for some time. Before speaking with him I had a lot of conflict with Japanese culture. From my experience living in the countryside, the city and working with modelling, teaching and hostessing I`ve seen MANY sides of Japan. I`ve met a lot of expats (some with connections to the Yakuza) and I have heard a lot of things I just didn`t want to know. Bottom line was a lot of feelings of resentment towards the Japanese were growing inside of me. I knew it, I didn`t like, so I`m glad I had this little chat with Dominque.
I walked in late in the evening, a little tipsy, saw Dominque working in the lower part of the apartment complex and decided to say hello.
Next thing you know he was explaining to me all his theories of American politics supporting each and every one of his arguments with a website or by recommending a book that he had read. By the end he had me throughly intrigued by many of his theories, although I must admit, I already hate American goverment and already suspect they did 9/11 as well as trying to obtain all middle eastern oil.
I don`t know what it is about me, but I`ve said this for quite sometime: `People are compelled to tell me their life stories.` Not that I`ve ever minded. Truthfully, I`ve always kind of asked all the questions. But next thing you knew he was telling me how he met his wife, how his mother is a doctor and is in Mensa, his travels to 44 countries as well as how he lost his virginity. Later, after 3 and a half hours of chatting, I confided my difficulties with understanding Japanese culture. I brought up the most fucked up things I couldn`t understand. But the amazing part, and to my surprise, he defended them, he tried to explain how and why the Japanese came to thinking this way. I`ve come to the realization that although many Japanese live by certain cultural values, many don`t agree with some of them, but know no different. It also helped me realize what`s REALLY fucked with my own Western culture. A lot more than I anticipated.
God it was such a help.
So finally, I can say after one year...I finally get it.
Several weeks ago, I had a conversation with someone that had been in Japan for the last 20 years. I`ve been meaning to write about it for some time. Before speaking with him I had a lot of conflict with Japanese culture. From my experience living in the countryside, the city and working with modelling, teaching and hostessing I`ve seen MANY sides of Japan. I`ve met a lot of expats (some with connections to the Yakuza) and I have heard a lot of things I just didn`t want to know. Bottom line was a lot of feelings of resentment towards the Japanese were growing inside of me. I knew it, I didn`t like, so I`m glad I had this little chat with Dominque.
I walked in late in the evening, a little tipsy, saw Dominque working in the lower part of the apartment complex and decided to say hello.
Next thing you know he was explaining to me all his theories of American politics supporting each and every one of his arguments with a website or by recommending a book that he had read. By the end he had me throughly intrigued by many of his theories, although I must admit, I already hate American goverment and already suspect they did 9/11 as well as trying to obtain all middle eastern oil.
I don`t know what it is about me, but I`ve said this for quite sometime: `People are compelled to tell me their life stories.` Not that I`ve ever minded. Truthfully, I`ve always kind of asked all the questions. But next thing you knew he was telling me how he met his wife, how his mother is a doctor and is in Mensa, his travels to 44 countries as well as how he lost his virginity. Later, after 3 and a half hours of chatting, I confided my difficulties with understanding Japanese culture. I brought up the most fucked up things I couldn`t understand. But the amazing part, and to my surprise, he defended them, he tried to explain how and why the Japanese came to thinking this way. I`ve come to the realization that although many Japanese live by certain cultural values, many don`t agree with some of them, but know no different. It also helped me realize what`s REALLY fucked with my own Western culture. A lot more than I anticipated.
God it was such a help.
So finally, I can say after one year...I finally get it.