Advice regarding rude people?

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

If you think you are being treated poorly, just be glad you aren't Korean. Or African. Or a woman. My experience in Japan (I went there to create an on-line video game) taught me that while superficially polite, on the whole the Japanese would be much happier if there were no foreigners in the Empire of Japan.

[Larry124]

...I'm the low guy on the totem pole...

My guess it that that is what it is and perhaps all that it is.

[CDNSushi]

If you think you are being treated poorly, just be glad you aren't Korean. Or African. Or a woman..

Good thing I'm not a woman born in Korea to African parents...

[dfmacliam]

I agree with everyone else... just say no... and if they want to know more they will ask... and then you reply... ichi doto...LOL... domo arrigato... teasing by the way...

[pdcorlis]

snip... Comes with the territory of being a teacher -- you have a desire to educate...

I hear you brother. As a fellow educator I guess I would offer this. The student must be willing before the lesson can be learned.

Thanks for this glimpse into another culture!

[CDNSushi]

I hear you brother. As a fellow educator I guess I would offer this. The student must be willing before the lesson can be learned.

How true. That reminds me of a famous Zen Buddhist story.

Nan-in, a Japanese master during the Meiji era (1868-1912), received a university professor who came to inquire about Zen.

Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor's cup full, and then kept on pouring.

The professor watched the overflow until he no longer could restrain himself. "It is overfull. No more will go in!"

"Like this cup," Nan-in said, "you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?"

[DTrain]

A suggestion: Make a doorknob hanger, just like the "do not disturb" hangers in hotels. Your office mate can hang it on the outside knob of the office when he leaves. At least people won't come barging in looking for him and disrupt you--they know he's not there when they see the hanger.

[CDNSushi]

A suggestion: Make a doorknob hanger, just like the "do not disturb" hangers in hotels. Your office mate can hang it on the outside knob of the office when he leaves. At least people won't come barging in looking for him and disrupt you--they know he's not there when they see the hanger.

Wow! That's not bad. Not bad at all.... I rather like that suggestion. ;-)

[Marshal Moroni]

I feel your pain. I too teach, and have a Principal who treats me as an "outside person". (Of course it's because I teach in an urban school with a 98% Hispanic population and I'm sort of you almost standard WASP (though not actually a Protestant).

I agree that the short and simple answer may be best, "No". If they want more information (like where he is) perhaps they will ask a second question (Do you know where he is?).

Best of luck and hang in there!

Marshal Moroni

[KD Burke]

In any case, semantics aside, that is also a part of it -- people genuinely are afraid of talking to a non-Japanese. Much of this fear stems from their insecurity with either the prospect of having to talk English, or the foreigner not being able to understand Japanese. In terms of being the "outsider" at the college -- that may be. I'm not sure exactly how I'm viewed as far as that goes. I'd have to give it some thought! :-)

As I pondered last evening, I couldn't help but speculate that perhaps your desire to be helpful might not be reinforcing that "otherness" that causes discomfort. Here is my line of reasoning:

As I understand it Japanese society places great emphasis on knowing one's place within society and deferring to those "senior" to you within a given context. This may be less so than in the past, but I am certain that it is far from extinct. I doubt seriously that a mid-level salary man would seek to "educate" the CEO if the latter should stop by to ask a question. He would simply reply and wait for a followup question.

Perhaps by trying to be helpful, you are exceeding the boundaries they expect you to maintain?