Last night I went to a local (ish) bar for an event my sister's gradschool department was having. It was the first time I've been in an American bar since coming home from Japan. It's your classic New England bar with pool tables, beer, and lots of white people.
Not long after arriving I realized I wanted to use the bathroom. So I went in search of it. When I got there I noticed two doors, one for women and one handicap bathroom. I figured the men's room must be somewhere close by but couldn't see it. So I stood there looking confused and waited for the bartendress to help me. It never happened, and I looked like an idiot, no doubt.
In Japan, it's not uncommon for bathrooms in a bar (Izakaya) to be in a confusing place. All you have to do is look like you're searching for something, and inevitably one of the very helpful staff will show you to the bathroom. It's a wonderful arrangement. Here, obviously that does not work.
Cue reverse culture shock.
Comments
I'm sure it wouldn't have hurt to ask her =]. Be glad that you didn't spend these years teaching in China. In that case you would no longer be used to playful teasing. When I left China after 7 years I was used to the idea of getting practically disowned by friends and family if I even considered irony in public. What a shock to enter the local "dissing culture".
Posted by: AK | August 22, 2007 5:56 PM
Dissing culture! Good way to put it.
Yeah sarcasm isn't well understood in Japan, but at least there's no disownership going on...
Posted by: Justin | August 23, 2007 1:56 AM