When adult conversation class becomes ADULT conversation class
In eikaiwa class last night, we played a board game that involved answering questions about entertainment, which I, in my naivete, had presumed to be relatively harmless. That is, until one of my students got the question, "What kind of magazines are popular in Japan?"
Bear in mind that this is a woman well over fifty. She's a somewhat new learner, so it takes her a long time to formulate her answers occasionally. She begins, "Manga..."
"Comic books," I correct.
"Yes. Comic books soshite--and... etoo... adult... adult..." She pauses and chews the thought while I ponder if this is really going where I think it is. "Pornography!" she exclaims in triumph, proud at knowing such a big word.
I fight down a blush. "Pornography?"
"Yes. Comic books, pornography, and, etoo... adult comic book pornography."
You heard it here first, folks, straight from the obaa-chan's mouth: Japan loves porn. And boy, do they ever. I mean, it's not like I don't know... I can't go into a convenience store without spotting at least one man in the back casually browsing through the porn, which is as open and free to look at as a copy of Cosmo in the US. You'd think they were picking out that evening's instant ramen with the amount of nonchalance displayed. Also, many restaurants have manga libraries you can read while you eat/wait for your dinner. I hadn't been in the country for two weeks when I first looked over to see an ojii-san contentedly perusing hentai while munching on his curry. I managed to restrain myself both from squeaking in shock and doubling over in laughter, but only just barely. My supervisor, whom I was out to lunch with, gave it as much thought as if he had been reading the sports section of the newspaper.
We also had a special visit last night from my supervisor's wife, who used to teach English and is absolutely freaking stellar--no accent or anything. Earlier in the evening, I got the question, "What kind of books do you think could be dangerous?" I hemmed and hawed because I'm not a fan of censorship and finally spit out a weak answer about how maybe impressionable young people might find things like yakuza or yankees glamorous if they read a book about them. I didn't actually believe it, but I needed to say something, after all. Mrs. Supervisor looked at me and asked, "What about pornography that is not adults? Do you think that could be dangerous?"
I blinked, taken a bit aback by the fact that she just so openly asked about porn. Thinking that I hadn't understood, she continued. "Pornography that is not adults. Do you have that in America?"
I blinked again. "You mean like lolitas?"
"Yes! Do you have a special word for it?"
I was close to sweating bullets because this is high on the list of things you just don't talk about with your students. "Uhm... We call it child pornography. It's not legal in America, and is considered very dangerous."
She jotted the term down in her notebook and smiled. "Thank you." I, very eager to change the subject, passed the dice to the next person.
Cultural immersion teaches you many, many, many things you never thought you would know.
Bear in mind that this is a woman well over fifty. She's a somewhat new learner, so it takes her a long time to formulate her answers occasionally. She begins, "Manga..."
"Comic books," I correct.
"Yes. Comic books soshite--and... etoo... adult... adult..." She pauses and chews the thought while I ponder if this is really going where I think it is. "Pornography!" she exclaims in triumph, proud at knowing such a big word.
I fight down a blush. "Pornography?"
"Yes. Comic books, pornography, and, etoo... adult comic book pornography."
You heard it here first, folks, straight from the obaa-chan's mouth: Japan loves porn. And boy, do they ever. I mean, it's not like I don't know... I can't go into a convenience store without spotting at least one man in the back casually browsing through the porn, which is as open and free to look at as a copy of Cosmo in the US. You'd think they were picking out that evening's instant ramen with the amount of nonchalance displayed. Also, many restaurants have manga libraries you can read while you eat/wait for your dinner. I hadn't been in the country for two weeks when I first looked over to see an ojii-san contentedly perusing hentai while munching on his curry. I managed to restrain myself both from squeaking in shock and doubling over in laughter, but only just barely. My supervisor, whom I was out to lunch with, gave it as much thought as if he had been reading the sports section of the newspaper.
We also had a special visit last night from my supervisor's wife, who used to teach English and is absolutely freaking stellar--no accent or anything. Earlier in the evening, I got the question, "What kind of books do you think could be dangerous?" I hemmed and hawed because I'm not a fan of censorship and finally spit out a weak answer about how maybe impressionable young people might find things like yakuza or yankees glamorous if they read a book about them. I didn't actually believe it, but I needed to say something, after all. Mrs. Supervisor looked at me and asked, "What about pornography that is not adults? Do you think that could be dangerous?"
I blinked, taken a bit aback by the fact that she just so openly asked about porn. Thinking that I hadn't understood, she continued. "Pornography that is not adults. Do you have that in America?"
I blinked again. "You mean like lolitas?"
"Yes! Do you have a special word for it?"
I was close to sweating bullets because this is high on the list of things you just don't talk about with your students. "Uhm... We call it child pornography. It's not legal in America, and is considered very dangerous."
She jotted the term down in her notebook and smiled. "Thank you." I, very eager to change the subject, passed the dice to the next person.
Cultural immersion teaches you many, many, many things you never thought you would know.