F*cked Gaijin Language Lessons

[American Oyaji]

Some of us have been in Japan longer than others. Some are exposed to some of the language that others have not been exposed to.
Maybe you heard something that you don't understand. That is what THIS thread is for.
So we can get just a little unf*cked.

This isnt just for language, but for social "oddities" that might confuse a newcomer. Like calling greenlights BLUE.

SO, lets unf*ck ourselves just a little.

And Ultra, I think this would make a good sticky thread.

[GargoyleTS]

Okay, kewl idea and thanks.

Now how bout resolving that little logic bomb for me?

[American Oyaji]

What logic bomb?

[cstaylor]

Sorry, Ultra is busy at his new business establishment in Tokyo (according to GG).

[American Oyaji]

Is this true?
Is he working part time, or did he plop down the yen for a franchise?

[cstaylor]

[GargoyleTS]

AO, why the hell are the green lights called Blue????

[Crispy]

When it comes to food, there doesn't seem to be any way to express that you like the food okay, as in, if it was put in front of you you would gladly eat it, without saying that you request it. I learned this with my host family. If I say "hai, kono tabemono ga suki desu" or the equivalent, they will start serving it every night. One time, I was eating and talking to my host sister and she asked me if I liked this particular item, I said "maa maa desukedo..." and she immediately turned around and said to her mom "kirai datte". I left Japan without resolving this...

I heard a good explanation for why the traffic lights are blue. According to my language teacher while I was in Japan, "midori" supposedly only refers to naturally green things, like leaves. Aoi on the other hand only refers to natural blue things, like the sea and the sky. Ao on the other hand is a catch-all for both blue and green things that are not natural, like traffic lights. Sensei thought for a really, really long time before being able to explain it this way.

[GargoyleTS]

So its the counting problem for colors then. I get it. I am not gonna ask about the counting thing, I will simply struggle to learn it.

And oh yeah, Mmmmmm Midori! (Watermelon Liquer here in the States for anyone who may not know)

[Naniwan Kid]

The word I get is "In Japan sometimes green things are also called blue."

[Crispy]

Well, the Japanese apparently see green as a subset of blue, just as we see magenta as a subset of red...or is that just me?

[Taro Toporific]

Well, the Japanese apparently see green as a subset of blue, just as we see magenta as a subset of red...or is that just me?

And that's the reason why the Japanese Drivers Licence Manual in English only has BLUE lights in it's illustrations.


See Tell Tale Signs in the Metropolis archive.

Or read more about " Alternative definitions of 'experience'...

the example of the 'Japanese go-light' was presented. The brief summary of this example is that the color of the 'go-light' in Japan is the same color green as in the US. The interesting fact is that the literal name for the 'go-light' in Japanse is 'blue-light' though. This fact appears to affect the memory of 'go-lights' for Japanese people who move to the US. The longer a person lives in the US the more 'blue' a person reports their memory of the 'go-light'... The language that is used creates pictures in your head and depending on what language is used, different images are created.

[Taro Toporific]

I heard a good explanation for why the traffic lights are blue...

Ok, so why then do Japanese call traffic lights in katakana, 'Shingou'/signals?

Read the full thread here about Blue Shingou, sheesh.
Is katakana Shingou some Brit import or a sign of intential oddity like a car steering wheel is called a'handoru'/handle?

[Taro Toporific]

"Hurry up the light is blue."...say that to a someone from Colorado like me and I'll always will slow down and look for a slow snowplow's flashing blue lights...a real killer on mountain highways.

[Crispy]

[GomiGirl]

Is this true?
Is he working part time, or did he plop down the yen for a franchise?

Bless you AO - I think you will believe anything..
(I mean this most affectionately)

Ultra has returned to his natural habitat for a short while but should return soon.. we hope so anyway..

in his words it was a "stealth departure"...

[GomiGirl]

When it comes to food, there doesn't seem to be any way to express that you like the food okay, as in, if it was put in front of you you would gladly eat it, without saying that you request it. I learned this with my host family. If I say "hai, kono tabemono ga suki desu" or the equivalent, they will start serving it every night. One time, I was eating and talking to my host sister and she asked me if I liked this particular item, I said "maa maa desukedo..." and she immediately turned around and said to her mom "kirai datte". I left Japan without resolving this...

This is a toughie.. Whenever I have even hinted that I like something (or like to try something) my friends/hosts have bent over backwards to provide huge servings. This is a wonderful gesture of true homestyle Japanese hospitality.

I have learned that the best way not to be served the same thing every day is to say you love the dish in front of you, gush over the texture, presentation and ask how it is prepared and then move the conversation onto another dishes that you like and discuss them in detail - texture, presentation, ingredients, preparation. Talking about food is great as is it central to all of our lives and doesn't lead to difficult subjects like politics, religion or personal opinions or anything to make a regular Japanese person shy..

It is great when you can ask questions about different sorts of food and ask people to show you how to make them the next day.. but then I am a girl and it may be easier for me to beg a place in the kitchen for a cooking lesson.

Back to Crispy's original question.. ask your hosts what their fave food s and get them to describe in detail and show interest if you want to try.. it is important to show that you can be adventurous with trying new dishes - especially if they are famous for the region in which you are staying. You need to say you love everything that is put in front of you.. gush, gush, gush. If you say something like "chotto..." it means you are not fond of it and this is only allowable for things like natto and umeboshi. Definitely NOT allowed for anything with red beans in it...

it is really good to know how to prepare something that your Japanese family wouldn't have done for themselves.. be it a traditional food from your birthplace or whatever and make sure you make the effort to prepare it and teach them how to do it too.. they will probably not like it, but the fun is in the preparation... especially if there are kids involved.

I stayed on a farm over Golden Week and taught the kids how to make lamingtons.. they didn't like the idea of using their fingers but after a while it was a heap of fun and lots of chocolate and coconut covered fingers to lick later..

[Taro Toporific]

I stayed on a farm over Golden Week and taught the kids how to make lamingtons...

Lamb-in-tons????



From AussieSlang.com
http://www.aussieslang.com/features/australian-lamingtons-recipe.asp

[Crispy]

Yeah, I was tought to say "chotto" only when I really, really didn't want something, but I was tought that "maa maa" meant it was okay, like really okay, not "I'm only saying its okay to appease you, don't ever serve me it again" okay. I asked my host mom specifically if there was anything to say that was somewhere between that and "please serve this to me again and again and again" and after much thinking, she said not really. The language apparently lacks any quick way to express that something really is fucking okay and average, not great, not bad.

As an example, my host family loved tiramisu, or however the hell you spell it. I thought the texture was odd, but I liked the taste, therefore, I would eat it, and even probably ask for seconds if I was still hungry, but I wouldn't request it. When I asked for some after weeks ago saying that it was okay, they looked at me like I was crazy, that's what prompted that discussion.

[Taro Toporific]

This is a toughie.. ...You need to say you love everything that is put in front of you.. gush, gush, gush. If you say something like "chotto..." it means you are not fond of it and this is only allowable for things like natto and umeboshi. Definitely NOT allowed for anything with red beans in it... ..

There's no need to suffer red beans if you're a guy: just claim you don't eat sweets (normative/ideal for a J-male).

[kamome]

in his words it was a "stealth departure"...

Sounds like Ultra has been playing too many computer games again. :P

[groovewonder]

There's no need to suffer red beans if you're a guy: just claim you don't eat sweets (normative/ideal for a J-male).

Very good advice. Gotta love the red beans though!!! :P Especially the frozen, ice cream type! Maybe I've been here too long. Nothing is better than Okinawan Zenzai. We eat is with ice over here, not hot like in Osaka and other parts of Japan. Saiko!!!

[GomiGirl]

I am eating an azuki as I type for my afternoon snack - but given that I haven't had lunch yet this is probably all I will eat until dinner.

[Naniwan Kid]

About Signal (in Japanese "shingou")

I had never considered the possibility that it was an engrish word. I think it's just a coincidence

You are right, it is a coinki-dink. Like we say Typhoon, and Japanese say "taifuu"

But I liked the next subect about telling Japanese hosts what you like to eat. This is one of the biggest problems in the Japanese cultural communication with gaijin.

I remember an experience from about 10 years ago at a friend's house in Nagoya.

Mom asks "What Japanese food do you like?"

So to try to be cultural and in the know I say "Unagi".

That night the dad (an auto mechanic) bring home a shitload of unagi.

The next day we went to an unagi restaurant and ate unagi (and unagi stomachs....not bad, actually)

Then the next day we had a BBQ.

Main course: unagi.

My lifetime need to eat unagi was filled on that weekend, and I probably didn't eat it again for about 3 months...

[Taro Toporific]

Mom asks "What Japanese food do you like?"
So to try to be cultural and in the know I say "Unagi".
That night the dad (an auto mechanic) bring home a shitload of unagi.
The next day we went to an unagi restaurant and ate unagi (and unagi stomachs....not bad, actually)
Then the next day we had a BBQ.
Main course: unagi.
My lifetime need to eat unagi was filled on that weekend, and I probably didn't eat it again for about 3 months...

Ha, ha. That's NOTHING DUDE!

TRY EATING GRILLED UNAGI/eel HEADS, yakitori style for TWENTY FvCKING YEARS BECAUSE YOU TOLD YOUR SENSEI THEY WERE "GOOD."

[American Oyaji]

After 20 years, get your sensei drunk and tell them you dont really like fishheads.

[Taro Toporific]

After 20 years, get your sensei drunk and tell them you dont really like fishheads.

He knows I hate 'em.
I know I really hate 'em.
But I'll be damned to admit it.
And he's having too much fun to call it quits.:P

[maraboutslim]