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Does anybody ever feel like this? - Machine_Gun_Cat - 2009-01-29
Do you guys ever end up speaking in Japanese to one of your Japanese friends in front of your english speaking mates ( out of necessity often ) then get the feeling that they think you're showing off?
Does anybody ever feel like this? - bodhisamaya - 2009-01-29
I have to speak Japanese at work to tourists but I pause and think or correct myself so often it is obvious I am not fluent. I doubt my co-workers are too impressed.
Does anybody ever feel like this? - wccrawford - 2009-01-29
No, but I look forward to a time when I can show off like that.
They won't think I'm showing off, though, because they know I'm not really like that.
Does anybody ever feel like this? - Jarvik7 - 2009-01-29
wccrawford Wrote:No, but I look forward to a time when I can show off like that.Literally all of my friends are Japanese, know Japanese, or are learning Japanese. My weekly drinking parties are spoken in a weird mix of English/Japanese/Chinese/Korean.
They won't think I'm showing off, though, because they know I'm not really like that.
I do get weird looks from strangers sometimes if I'm in public speaking Japanese to a friend though.
Does anybody ever feel like this? - stehr - 2009-01-29
Not if it's out of necessity, but I typically keep my friends from hearing me speak foreign languages. It can be cool to them at first, but I think that it generally gets on people's nerves.
Does anybody ever feel like this? - cerulean - 2009-01-29
I wish I knew a Japanese person... That would be a start.
Does anybody ever feel like this? - Hashiriya - 2009-01-29
cerulean Wrote:I wish I knew a Japanese person... That would be a start.you could always talk to yourself.... then people would think you are just insane haha
Does anybody ever feel like this? - Omnistegan - 2009-01-29
Hashiriya Wrote:It's fine if you talk to yourself, you're only insane if you reply.cerulean Wrote:I wish I knew a Japanese person... That would be a start.you could always talk to yourself.... then people would think you are just insane haha
Does anybody ever feel like this? - kazelee - 2009-01-29
ahh... friends...
*retreats to hole*
*imagines what it would be like*
Does anybody ever feel like this? - Ji_suss - 2009-01-29
kazelee Wrote:ahh... friends...ROTFLMAO
*retreats to hole*
*imagines what it would be like*
Does anybody ever feel like this? - musigny - 2009-01-29
It can certainly attract a lot of attention. I got so used to speaking Japanese with my boss that I didn't notice. One time we flew together and spoke in Japanese for a couple hours. Later I noticed the surrounding passengers had taken notice.
But, if I were to be near a white guy who spoke any other Asian language fluently, I would take notice, Chinese, Thai, Hindi whatever; it's remarkable.
Does anybody ever feel like this? - timcampbell - 2009-01-29
It happens to me if I get a phonecall at work from a Japanese friend. I'll immediately switch into Japanese, since I'm quite comfortable in it and don't feel self-conscious. Sometimes co-workers will comment after, like "hey, were you talking about me?" That sort of thing.
He he he, if they only knew...
The other day I did a language exchange with a girl in a coffee shop. At one point she jumped up to give a rather animated example of -ながら。It drew attention from a number of people around, not only to her, but to this white dude talking back in Japanese as she was gesticulating wildly. If they only knew ...
Does anybody ever feel like this? - kazelee - 2009-01-29
How did she give an animated example of -ながら?
Does anybody ever feel like this? - theasianpleaser - 2009-01-30
kazelee Wrote:How did she give an animated example of -ながら?Hand job ながら "shakuhachi".(Reference to Kanji 1074, choose)
I'm just guessing.
Does anybody ever feel like this? - Raichu - 2009-01-30
I'm not that fluent, and I don't get many opportunities, but I usually pretend I'm less fluent than I am because it solves this problem and a few others.
Does anybody ever feel like this? - EnjukuBlack - 2009-01-30
Machine_Gun_Cat Wrote:Do you guys ever end up speaking in Japanese to one of your Japanese friends in front of your english speaking mates ( out of necessity often ) then get the feeling that they think you're showing off?No, but I've had a similar, if somewhat different experience (does that sentence make any sense at all?)
My boss always calls on me to be the de-facto interpreter between the Japanese staff and (usually new) non-Japanese staff at my company - without ever inquiring as to whether or not they understand Japanese! :mad:
I don't know how many times I've been happily interpreting away when I look at the non-native's face and see this very familiar look in their eyes.
"You understand everything he's saying, don't you?" I ask.
They try to nod politely.
"Ah, well, now I feel like a doofus."
Does anybody ever feel like this? - Virtua_Leaf - 2009-01-30
Machine_Gun_Cat Wrote:Do you guys ever end up speaking in Japanese to one of your Japanese friends in front of your english speaking mates ( out of necessity often ) then get the feeling that they think you're showing off?Not this exactly (I've never spoken Japanese to anyone). But I try not to use Japanese on the internet when it's not necessary, unlike pretty much every other Japan-o-phile on the web, who really are show-offs in my opinion. Bar, of course, this forum (best Japan-related community on the damn internet! Seriously, it's like a utopia here.)
You can really tell who has a quiet respect for the language and country from those who think it's all just one big anime.
I think it's a sad trend that's emerging actually. I was just on Youtube and saw one of the currently most watched videos is a slide show of some cats with 'kawaii' in the title. Naturally, the content had nothing to do with Japan(ese).
I'm just thankful for the internet so I can study on my own. I'd probably get done for serial assault if you put me in a Japanese class...
Does anybody ever feel like this? - snispilbor - 2009-01-30
Virtua_Leaf Wrote:I think it's a sad trend that's emerging actually. I was just on Youtube and saw one of the currently most watched videos is a slide show of some cats with 'kawaii' in the title. Naturally, the content had nothing to do with Japan(ese).For what it's worth, I think with certain groups of young people, "kawaii" has become a natural borrow word in the same sense that "hola" is a borrow word from Spanish. People say "hola" in contexts which have nothing to do with Spanish or Spain or Mexico or etc., just to add some flavor. Same with kawaii.
"Sayonara" is another example, which people have been using as a flavorful alternative to "goodbye" for a long time.
Does anybody ever feel like this? - playadom - 2009-01-30
Yeah, they stole thousands of words from English, it's finally time to get some revenge!
Of course, we might end up getting some kind of nasty loanword volley going on.
Sort of like how we went from Animation ー＞アニメーション －＞ アニメ －＞ anime.
I wonder if the Japanese will do an Americanization of カラオケ and start calling it カリオーキ
Does anybody ever feel like this? - ファブリス - 2009-01-30
Sometimes people click Report instead of Post Reply ^_-
smujohnson Wrote:About 4 years ago I ate sushi at a Japanese restaurant and some white lawyer looking guy in a suit was speaking Japanese to a waitress. I thought he was a showoff and very pompous.
But I intend to do the exact same thing However, my theory is you can do these things to avoid people think you are showing off, and impressive:
1. Speak in Japanese like they do in manga, ie, use colloquialisms. Don't use super polite masu forms after a while.
2. Don't bow and adopt Japanese customs when talking to people, unless they bow at you or something.
3. Don't act overly polite when talking.
I heard one guy on a bus to school speaking fluent Chinese, and he did it all in such a way that you could tell he wasn't showing off in the slightest, nor did I feel like hating him or anything. I was genuinely amazed. And he didn't do any of the stuff I described above... if you had switched what he said to English, you would think his mannerisms were not asian / foreign.
Does anybody ever feel like this? - wccrawford - 2009-01-30
EnjukuBlack Wrote:I don't know how many times I've been happily interpreting away when I look at the non-native's face and see this very familiar look in their eyes.That's awesome. I hope to be in such a situation one day.
"You understand everything he's saying, don't you?" I ask.
They try to nod politely.
"Ah, well, now I feel like a doofus."
Does anybody ever feel like this? - liosama - 2009-01-30
Virtua_Leaf Wrote:You can really tell who has a quiet respect for the language and country from those who think it's all just one big anime.I dont think there are enough anime losers in this world to have an opinion that changes anything or matters...
There are so many more important issues to be concerned about as, such as the ill-educated populace on the misunderstanding of Arab and Islamic culture in the Middle East. I think you will agree here, that this has for more serious implications in our world than having 1 million or so geeks who watch cartoons, browse 4-chan,say "lol-desu" "icanhascheeseburger" yet have no idea of what Japan really is. No one notices them, no one ever will and so who cares?
I don't know why Japan receives so much attention in this respect when every single other country/culture also suffers from some sort of a small group of fans who know near to nothing about the country itself. This really bugs me.
I had this same argument with someone at university in a Japan-culture class. Every single focus point of his argument was somehow related to japan-o-philes. I felt sorry for him having such great concern, over such a small, and insignificant population. While all this time he could have read up on many other more interesting, more intellectually stimulating material on Japan rather than step on worthless losers [heh i jump from anime losers, to insignificant geeks, to worthless losers nice]
Does anybody ever feel like this? - QuackingShoe - 2009-01-30
Hey, a million is tons more than many entire countries and hundreds of ethnic groups. Insignificant population? Burn!
Does anybody ever feel like this? - Pangolin - 2009-01-30
We're talking about kids here to a great extent. What do many other countries and cultures have to offer kids, and to a great extent American kids, in comparison to the lure of anime, manga and j-pop? Such followings of other countries offerings are minute, particularly in respect to kids. Even the output of a culturally accessible country as the UK doesn't compare. I can't think of any to compare with Japan (excepting the US, of course, but I think we are largely talking Americans as the consumers here). That's why Japanese entertainment receives so much attention.
Does anybody ever feel like this? - woodwojr - 2009-01-30
Man, I really hate it when people incorporate snippets of languages they don't know, from cultures they don't know. For example, just yesterday I saw a restaurant with a big sign that said "Cafe" in the middle of Indiana. Nothing to do with France or French culture at all.
And don't even get me started on people who use "vice versa" but can't even tell me how to properly sweeten wine (hint: lead acetate).
~J