Job Discussion Forums

Like a Rolling Stone · Joined: 27 Mar 2006 Posts: 872

Anyone who remembers my last exploration of this topic will know it is a bit of a hot potato. But you know what? I was in an izakaya with a lady friend Very Happy

and two oba-sans were sitting next to us and chatting then we talked to them and they kept saying "how is your gaijin san boyfriend?" Shocked

I didn't understand most of wht they said. My lingo is STILL very bad but they sais "gaijin san gaijin san gaijin san nani nani nani..." I was a bit surprised but I didn't make a scene. Cool

Then when we left my lady friend said that she was a Korean and carried a gaijin card so the oba sans didn't know they were talking to TWO gaijin sans Laughing

What do you think about that?

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

Stone,

Sorry, but I won't be taking part in your poll. My answer depends on the situation.

If two foreigners call each other gaijin, it is ok.
If a Japanese calls me a gaijin, it depends on the context and his intonation (and my perceived meaning behind it).
If a foreigner calls himself a gaijin to a Japanese, he is probably unaware that there is another word, or he is being very casual.

Like a Rolling Stone · Joined: 27 Mar 2006 Posts: 872

shuize · Joined: 04 Sep 2004 Posts: 1270

In my view, both "gaijin" and "gaijin-san" get old after a while. But it's nothing I can't live with. When I'm back in the U.S. I make sure to call them "Nips" in return. If I want to be polite, it's "Mr. Nip."

No one has done it in this thread, but idiot foreigners who tack an "s" on to the end to render it "gainjinS," on the other hand, deserve a punch in the throat.

Like a Rolling Stone · Joined: 27 Mar 2006 Posts: 872

Sweetsee · Joined: 11 Jun 2004 Posts: 2302 Location: ) is everything

Hey Stoner,
Guess I've got one coming too because I do that all the time.
No surprise there, eh?

Like a Rolling Stone · Joined: 27 Mar 2006 Posts: 872

Sweetsee · Joined: 11 Jun 2004 Posts: 2302 Location: ) is everything

Thank you Stoner, I resemble that remark.

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

Stone wrote:

Like a Rolling Stone · Joined: 27 Mar 2006 Posts: 872

shuize · Joined: 04 Sep 2004 Posts: 1270

japanman · Joined: 24 Nov 2005 Posts: 281 Location: England

Calm down boys.
Same with any word to describe non-citizens of a coutry. Gaijin, farang in thailand etc, just depends on the context, very simple I think.

TokyoLiz · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1548 Location: Tokyo, Japan

Every evening for three years, I have passed the same hostess club in the front street in my town, and there is a tout or greeter, or whatever you prefer to call him, who stands out front to lure salarimen in for a drink or five.

I never said a word to him until last year. I thought, you know, he's part of my landscape, and though I have philosophical problems with the whole hostessing industry here, I should just take a chance and say hello. After all, everybody's got to make their way in this world, and who am I to judge. We've been chatting every night for a year about local places to go, the neighbour's cats, the bosozoku, whatever.

The other night, after a long day at work, I was making my way home on the other side of the street, in my own little world, grumbling about some petty thing about Japan that bugs me when I heard GAIJIN-SAN! OI! from across the road. I looked on the second call, and there he was, big grin, and he yelled OTSUKARE SAMA! So I gave him a big thumbs up and said thank you.

I used to get all irritated hearing the word gaijin, but he made my day by showing he cared that I'm part of the neighbourhood.