How the West perceived Japan.

[Gramaisc]

This might be of interest - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b064ww32 - considering how much discussion there has been on here lately.

@staffordjas's laddo in Japan might even be interested - as might some of his contacts there....

 

[staffordjas]

Thanks @Gramaisc. Very interesting. Just sat and listened to it and can relate to a lot of it from what son has told me.

He is applying for the Jet program, mentioned ,next Autumn as he hopes to teach English over there the year after. ( He's already doing a course in teaching English as a foreign language alongside his Geography modules )

Picked up on 2 things I need to make sure he knows...... Banks aren't called banks and to make sure his shoes are clean when he goes to meet 'the parents' next week

 

[Gramaisc]

I do hope that he has gone from shop to shop asking for a prostitute.

 

[Maryland]

Fascinating wasn't it? Archive on Four is usually well worth a listen.

Only listening with half an ear, however, I couldn't figure out whether the absence of horrified reaction to the various smutty indiscretions by foreigners was due to the innate politeness of Japanese people, or because they all know there's a very fine line, for a non-native-speaker, between a Minister for Health and what many people think about him and his current colleagues in government. Or is there not as much of a taboo surrounding funny business and thingy and so on?

 

[Gramaisc]

I know someone living in the Czech Republic - he made quite an effort to learn the language.

He went with his girlfriend to her grandparents place - they spoke no English. One of her sister's daughters, about five years old was staying there at the time. The child showed him a picture she was working on. He said, in his pigeon Czech, "You have a nice picture".

Unfortunately, several things conspired against him.....
1, He couldn't recall "obraz", the word for picture.
2, He just filled in by using the English word "picture".
3, He pronounced "Picture", as most native English-speakers do, as "pitcher".
4, "Pitcher" sounds exactly like the Czech word for something that the Forum will not let me type in.

So, he effectively stated to the child that "You have a nice chuff!" ( as the Forum would Bowdlerise it)....

He knew, from the stunned silence, that he had done something, but it was hours before he could get her alone and find out what it was he'd done.....

 

[staffordjas]

Trains run smack on time to the second ...he missed the last one home and ended up staying at one of his friends homes