Job Discussion Forums

G-money · Joined: 23 Jul 2004 Posts: 14 Location: Victoria, BC

i have just started my teaching position here in aomori with peppy kids club. are there any other foriengers around here? it is a great city! ttys!

chixdiggit · Joined: 21 May 2003 Posts: 60 Location: ROK

Go to a bar in Hon-cho called the Crazy Horse and you'll find plenty of foreigners. You're right it is a great city so why even bother with the foreigners? The locals are some of the coolest people in the country. I miss it there...not in the winter though. Good luck.
Chix.

G-money · Joined: 23 Jul 2004 Posts: 14 Location: Victoria, BC

thanks chicka, is crazy horse in aomori city? i could def see myself liking this city if i could speak better jap. i am considering taking lessons and meeting people through there. i have also met some jap people from the office. if anyone wants to meet up for xmas let me know.

Marika · Joined: 17 Jun 2004 Posts: 32

Christmas, I know I will be staying here in Japan. Looking forward to really getting to know the area. I'm in Kitakyshu and am hoping as well there are people to hang with over the holidays. I know a lot of people that will be going home. I will be doing stuff with my Japanese friends here but would also like to hang with some foreigners and celebrate Christmas! A trip somewhere would be nice.

Marika · Joined: 17 Jun 2004 Posts: 32

Christmas, I know I will be staying here in Japan. Looking forward to really getting to know the area. I'm in Kitakyshu and am hoping as well there are people to hang with over the holidays. I know a lot of people that will be going home. I will be doing stuff with my Japanese friends here but would also like to hang with some foreigners and celebrate Christmas! A trip somewhere would be nice.

chixdiggit · Joined: 21 May 2003 Posts: 60 Location: ROK

Yes it's a small bar in Aomori City. Lots of foreigners go there on the weekends, or at least they used to. The owner is a Deadhead and a really cool guy. As I said, it's in Hon-cho.

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

zoubaidah · Joined: 03 Jul 2004 Posts: 20

Thank you Glenski for your reminder about 'jap'; at the schools I taught in in New Zealand the standard 3-letter abbreviation for was 'Jse' - worked well and wasn't offensive.
Zee

BradS · Joined: 05 Sep 2004 Posts: 173 Location: Tokyo, Japan

Personally I think "Jap" is as offensive as someone calling me an "Aussie" or someone a "Brit". I've never met a Japanese person who has found this word offensive. Though in conversation I always refer to them as "Japanese" or "people in Japan", when typing online, it's simply an abbreviation, not a racial comment.

guest of Japan · Joined: 28 Feb 2003 Posts: 1601 Location: Japan

That's funny. I've never met a Japanese person who didn't find it to be offensive.

texastmblwd69 · Joined: 25 Sep 2004 Posts: 91 Location: Seoul, South Korea

Hi,

Regarding westerners in the Aomori area, there are tons of them in nearby Misawa (about an hour away by car) as that's the location of a large US Air Force Base. I was once stationed there myself (I'm now a civillian), but loved it very much. Make friends with someone there and they can take you on base which is like a little slice of the USA. You might even be able to get them to buy you some hard-to-find-in-Japan American foods or products at the BX or Commisary. Japan's largest Onsen (hot springs) is also in Misawa. Just outside Misawa is VeeDoll Beach. This beach is the take-off sight of the first non-stop trans-Pacific flight (Misawa to Wenatchee, Washington).

The best place to meet Americans is in the shops and restaurants right outside the main gate of the base.

I hope that helps.

: )

PS Local Japanese were never offended by the term "Jap" and many of them (I was stationed in Okinawa, Japan for a couple of years as well) use the term themselves. I would recommend not using the term as it can offend western sensibilities and not entirely without reason (it has been used by some in a derogatory way).

Lynn · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 696 Location: in between

spidey · Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2004 7:00 am Post subject:

(((spider-sense tingling)))

can of worms spilling over...

I think the point is well taken. Let's move on to the main topic of this stream.

OK?