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nicenicegaijin
Joined: 27 Feb 2015
Posts: 157
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timothypfox
Joined: 20 Feb 2008
Posts: 492
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 Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2015 11:08 pm Post subject: |
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I liked the article, but felt the comments were harsh - along the lines of - "Trying being brown, I have absolutely no sympathy for this white guy who has it all in Japan."
I don't think this is a very constructive approach to sharing a common problem or experience EVEN IF it is harder for certain minorities in Japan. If anything, we all should speak together to give voice to a common issue. For example, I personally wrote a television station to ask to stop the airing of the "black face" Japanese band.
Even though I am not of African heritage, I took to heart the issue and did what I could to help. I don't know if my letter alone did much - I understand a petition was sent to the station, but I tried.
SO, I think it is much better and more constructive to work towards social change together rather than bickering and dividing ourselves about who is suffering more. I don't think that is the point here... |
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move
Joined: 30 May 2009
Posts: 132
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| Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2015 2:19 am Post subject: |
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| The piece was written terribly. It's a bunch of stereotypes occasionally supported by a cherry-picked fact or two. |
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water rat
Joined: 30 Aug 2014
Posts: 1098
Location: North Antarctica
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| Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2015 5:40 am Post subject: |
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| I haven't read the article yet, but I will. I'm assuming you posted this thread because there has never before been an interesting article in The Japan Times. 非常に多くの友人に感謝します。 (Thanks heaps, pal) |
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stumptowny
Joined: 29 May 2011
Posts: 310
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| Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2015 6:59 am Post subject: |
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Beware of "nicenicegaijin". We have a fraud and a troll amongst us. This user is, in fact, MAteacher, who just rejoined to troll and avoid himself, as many have stated.
Lets see what notable and regular esl'ers are saying about this new troll and fraud:
Maitoshi: "Don't respond to this loser.. it's clearly MAteacher"
rxk22: "Wow, you are def MAteacher. This is really lame"
nightsintodream: "Oh, give over. Everyone knows you're MAteacher. Get a life already."
zues: "nicenicegaijin (or whoever you are), you are an idiot."
You have been warned.. |
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timothypfox
Joined: 20 Feb 2008
Posts: 492
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| Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2015 7:45 am Post subject: |
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| SO back on topic stumptowny, what did you think of the article? I gave my opinion followed by a couple of scathing reactions. Your opinions (regardless of what MAteacher will or will not reply)? |
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water rat
Joined: 30 Aug 2014
Posts: 1098
Location: North Antarctica
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| Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2015 11:47 am Post subject: |
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Okay, I've read it now, or tried to. Seems Japan Times has an unspoilt record of utter blandness and banality.
What I took away from the article is that here are some semi-fictitious (?) gaijin who live in a well off land of polite, clean and honorable folk, have beautiful partners, a place to live and enough to eat and they are still mitching and boning!
The German guy whose GF wants to dump him: do they not have a common language, or is he just so ignorant of her thoughts and feelings that he never picked up on any of this before?
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| Sebastian, a 32-year-old university student with several part-time jobs and 12 years of service in the German Federal Armed Forces, discovered this disconnect the hard way when a Japanese girlfriend he had been together with for a year and had proposed to dumped him because he had “no future.” According to her, his Japanese major was not a promise of a successful career and, not being a native speaker of English, he could not secure teaching jobs. “Why is it always about money?” he asks. |
Why is it always about money!? I thought Germans were supposed to be smart! Or doesn't he even know enough English to understand Madonna lyrics and that we are living n a material world, and his GF is a material girl? Or maybe she just gradually realized what a dummkopf he is.
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Even when they have a steady income, men who do not have a stable job can be harassed. Jack, a U.S. Navy veteran retired after 20 years of service, receives retirement benefits from the U.S. government. However, his Japanese in-laws see him as a leech: His wife is working while he is back at school.
“They just do not get it!” he fumes. “I spent 20 years in the navy working every f——— day. I am tired of explaining that I am getting paid.”
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Gotta love the authentic sailor talk, but I'll bet if he just asked his mum-in-law about her bunions and went to feed the pigeons with the old man a couple times a week, they'd like him fine.
I can't believe either of these guys are "trapped". Sailorboy has his own money, and the German could surely borrow from somebody somewhere and go back to where he came from. Why not, if his girl is dumping him and he can't get a job as an English teacher? They have social programs in his country, don't they? He has friends and relatives back home, doesn't he?
The whole article is nothing but one long whinge about the Japanese (big surprise) being Japanese and having a Japanese view of the world. Well, it's their country, isn't it?
In short, it's just as I have said in the China Off-Topic Forum recently about rampanct public smoking: if they don't like it, they can leave. |
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steki47
Joined: 20 Apr 2008
Posts: 1029
Location: BFE Inaka
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| Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2015 2:11 pm Post subject: |
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| timothypfox wrote: |
| I liked the article, but felt the comments were harsh - along the lines of - "Trying being brown, I have absolutely no sympathy for this white guy who has it all in Japan." |
I caught that as well. Honestly, the whole "it's hard being black/brown blah blah blah" thing is pretty tiresome to me. In the US, I found it whiny and (largely) innaccurate. In Japan, where the locals generally see all of us as "gaijin", it is particularly grating.
But I'm a "privileged white man" so I don't understand their alleged plight.
Back to the original article. I thought the individuals sounded pathetic for the most part. You come to a foreign country with no real skills or job security and wonder why your life/romantic prospects aren't so great.
I am not being mean here as I am in the same boat. I deal with it by learning Japanese, starting a side business and accepting the fact that I am largely replaceable in the job market. Harsh toke, but I don't suffer from any disillusionment. |
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Inflames
Joined: 02 Apr 2006
Posts: 486
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| Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2015 4:45 am Post subject: |
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Great topic, absolutely terrible article.
Just to know, how many of the posters here have foreign friends not from first world countries?
I know a ton of Koreans and Chinese and some Indians and their situation is entirely different. Koreans and Chinese have entirely different doors open to them - if, for example, one of them wants to work at a hotel, they'll get hired really quickly. There's a ton of trade between Japan and Korea/China there are tons of jobs for them. Chinese people can easily get jobs as seishain in shops in tourist areas as well. Most of the Indians I know are basically forced into starting their own businesses and I know a few who have done very, very well.
If someone starts as a language teacher, it is somewhat difficult for them to get out of that. IME a lot of people get caught as a language teacher, then wind up 10 or 20 years later doing the same thing for basically the same salary. They can't even get a mortgage with that! A lot of people prefer getting 250k now instead of slogging it out for a few years to move up the ladder in another workplace and eventually make more.
The ironic thing is that the German guy would probably, if he actually winds up speaking reasonable Japanese, be able to get a good job. |
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