I'M NOT RACIST!! SOME OF MY BEST FRIENDS ARE JAP.... oh wait.

[TennoChinko]

[Iraira]

Debito's post would seem to say a lot more about Debito and the Caucasian guys he hangs around with than it would about Japanese guys.

[Typhoon]

Debito's post would seem to say a lot more about Debito and the Caucasian guys he hangs around with than it would about Japanese guys.

Indeed.

[CrankyBastard]

I'd avoid anyone, no matter what nationality who would willingly get together with with a bunch of self proclaimed "all English-native Caucasian males"
who ask each other such "poignant" questions as, "How many of us have any Japanese friends with whom we can get together like this and talk as much in depth?"

[matsuki]

[cstaylor]

Just yesterday I had this long winded discussion

Man, I hate those. I've found some interesting methods for shutting down those terrible time wasters.

On WW2: "For every Japanese angry with America, there are 10 Chinese angrier with the Japanese"

On BSE: "Yeah, I think everything should be tested 100%. Of course, any testing on cows under 30 months of age is security theater since not enough time has passed for significant prion damage to have occurred"

On Kimigayo/showing the flag: "At least the anthem is short"

On ancient Yamato culture versus America's short history: "Yeah, must be wonderful standing on the shoulders of giants and doing... nothing"

On my chopsticks skills: "I practice three times a day"

On my Japanese skills: "Thanks. I only started studying last month"

Belly-gazing conversations just waste too much time.

[matsuki]

[waruta]

Man, I hate those. I've found some interesting methods for shutting down those terrible time wasters.

On WW2: "For every Japanese angry with America, there are 10 Chinese angrier with the Japanese"

On BSE: "Yeah, I think everything should be tested 100%. Of course, any testing on cows under 30 months of age is security theater since not enough time has passed for significant prion damage to have occurred"

On Kimigayo/showing the flag: "At least the anthem is short"

On ancient Yamato culture versus America's short history: "Yeah, must be wonderful standing on the shoulders of giants and doing... nothing"

On my chopsticks skills: "I practice three times a day"

On my Japanese skills: "Thanks. I only started studying last month"

Belly-gazing conversations just waste too much time.

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to cstaylor again. Funny as all hell. When someone asks about why my Japanese is unaccented, I usually switch immediately to a Ken Tanaka and ask if they prefer their gaijin speaking that way...

[cstaylor]

one of my friends compared Kamikaze pilots/bombers to modern day suicide bombers.

Yeah, apples and oranges there. I try to stay away from war conversations, especially with those under the age of 60. Anyone under that age, I can cut to the chase and save both of us a lot of time by picking up the closest sports weekly and see what everyone is parroting this week.

Big non-starters when talking with Japanese (unless you want to be bored silly with navel gazing):

- Rice
- Japanese history
- WW2
- Rice
- Japanese TV
- Zainichi Koreans and/or illegal visa overstayers (just grab Sankei shimbun, it's faster!)
- Politics ("huh? Who's that?")
- Did I already mention Rice?

[waruta]

Yeah, apples and oranges there. I try to stay away from war conversations, especially with those under the age of 60. Anyone under that age, I can cut to the chase and save both of us a lot of time by picking up the closest sports weekly and see what everyone is parroting this week.

Big non-starters when talking with Japanese (unless you want to be bored silly with navel gazing):

- Rice
- Japanese history
- WW2
- Rice
- Japanese TV
- Zainichi Koreans and/or illegal visa overstayers (just grab Sankei shimbun, it's faster!)
- Politics ("huh? Who's that?")
- Did I already mention Rice?

You forgot to mention "seasons, allergies, Japanese Beef (especially conversations between Koreans) and Yamato Damashii"

[cstaylor]

You forgot to mention "seasons, allergies, Japanese Beef (especially conversations between Koreans) and Yamato Damashii"

On Seasons and Allergies: "Yes, Japan has four distinct seasons of misery: freezing, sneezing, rainy, and windy. About three weeks worth of good weather, spread out over several months, almost entirely workdays. Come visit Northern California if you want spectacular weather"

On Japanese Beef: "Good stuff when its not frozen"

On Yamato Damashii: "Are they like Japan's version of the Unicorn? Everyone has heard of them, but no one has never met one before..." (this works especially well when talking to a still living-at-home 30+ single Sankei shimbun subscribing otaku)

[Samurai_Jerk]

[cstaylor]

[quote="Samurai_Jerk"]Even more than the topic of how stupid the Japs are provides to FGs ]
Stupid might be carrying it a bit far, but I would say that their culture prevents some of them from holding an interesting conversation that is entertaining for both parties.

That's the underlying reason for my quicklist of topic-killers: I'm not here to be interviewed on my otherness; I just want a beer and a good conversation.

[Samurai_Jerk]

I'm not here to be interviewed on my otherness

I think it's been said on here before, but it seems like the worst offenders in this area are the ones who are more wordly and should know better. After asking the basics (Where you from? How long you been here? Do you like Japanese food?) the Edokko in a shitamachi bar wants to talk about girls, music, sports or movies and your "otherness" only comes up in the context of a coversation that warrants it.

[Mike Oxlong]

Language is a bastard of a topic, too. The uniqueness of the Japanese language..."you see, since we can't directly translate shitsurei shimasu into English, we can conclude Japanese is a unique and special language in all the world."

[cstaylor]

I think it's been said on here before, but it seems like the worst offenders in this area are the ones who are more wordly and should know better.

I think Jack touched on this briefly with his "88 wife-to-be whirlwind tour" comments, but some of the people overly interested in foreign cultures are doing so because they've got something wrong in their base programming.