Are Japanese more hypocritical with foreigners ?

[PopCulturePooka]

Can't you understand and accept that the Japanese will always flatter you with your use of chopsticks, or the fact that you eat sushi, or sleep on a futon, or can speak Japanese and read kanji? They are genuinely impressed because most foreigners DON"T or CAN'T.

Oh bollocks!

I have met scads of westerners that use chopsticks. My 70 year old quite conservative grandmother can use chopsticks.
Almost every foreigner in Japan I've met eats Sushi and can sleep on a single matress on the floor.
Its plain ignorance to be shocked, amazed or even complimentry to assume we can't. In fact its downright insulting, its an assumption that we aren't as good as them in some respects.

And in terms of language, my father has been here two days and can say 'sumimasen'. Yet for some Japanese that would be enough for them to start laying on the over done compliments about how good his Japanese is.

Its patronising.

Anyway I have a tale I've told before.

Being a poor eigo sensei living alone I hit the local Lawsons konbini for my dinner bento about two or three times a week. During holidays I go more than that. Have done this for a year. Heck even had a friendly chat or two with one of the young guys there and tried to get the number of one of the girls.

So theres an older women who works there most nights.
She serves me a lot.
And EVERY time she serves me, she wont speak a word except to ask if I want it heated and EVERY time she uses gestures to ask if I want a fork, and EVERY time I ask that I instead want chopsticks (in Japanese).
This dance has been danced for a year. I'm a fairly obvious gaijin with big punk spiked hair and occasionally flashy clothes.

Yet she always asks if I want a fork.

Stupdity.

When I worked high volume retail I served scads more customers than she would and managed to remember regular customers and some small facts about them.

[Maciamo]

I have met scads of westerners that use chopsticks. My 70 year old quite conservative grandmother can use chopsticks.
Almost every foreigner in Japan I've met eats Sushi and can sleep on a single matress on the floor.
Its plain ignorance to be shocked, amazed or even complimentry to assume we can't. In fact its downright insulting, its an assumption that we aren't as good as them in some respects.

Same for me. I don't know anyone who has lived in Japan and still can't use chopsticks.

And in terms of language, my father has been here two days and can say 'sumimasen'. Yet for some Japanese that would be enough for them to start laying on the over done compliments about how good his Japanese is.

It's only natural. I learnt hiragana and katakana in a week.

So theres an older women who works there most nights.
She serves me a lot.
And EVERY time she serves me, she wont speak a word except to ask if I want it heated and EVERY time she uses gestures to ask if I want a fork, and EVERY time I ask that I instead want chopsticks (in Japanese).

I know. Same with me, and not only at combini. Even at the dry cleaning, local cafes, etc.

[Bramicus]

So theres an older women who works there most nights. And EVERY time she serves me, she wont speak a word except to ask if I want it heated and EVERY time she uses gestures to ask if I want a fork ... I'm a fairly obvious gaijin with big punk spiked hair and occasionally flashy clothes.

Yikes! If you look like that I don't think I'd want to talk to you either! And I'd also wonder if you were going to eat with a fork -- instead of with your hands!

Okay, so I'm just kidding. But seriously, if you look that different, is it that surprising that you are treated differently? You might be treated differently in many parts of western countries as well.

[PopCulturePooka]

Yikes! If you look like that I don't think I'd want to talk to you either! And I'd also wonder if you were going to eat with a fork -- instead of with your hands!

There was a sexy lil punk girl with flaming red hair (which then went to half black half red) who worked there. A few of the guys who worked there also had wild hair.
A good lot of the time I went there with undne hair. Basically just flat down or parted in the middle.
Occasionally in my work clothes (suit and tie).
No matter what the dumb old broad would offer a fork.

Okay, so I'm just kidding. But seriously, if you look that different, is it that surprising that you are treated differently? You might be treated differently in many parts of western countries as well.

Sounds like you advocate piss-poor customer service to those who look different.

[Bramicus]

Sounds like you advocate piss-poor customer service to those who look different.

C'mon, you know better. I'm not advocating bad service based on appearance; I'm just saying that the phenomenon you're complaining about may be about appearance, something that could happen to you in other countries of the world as well -- including Western countries -- and not be merely the consequence of your being a foreigner in Japan.

[PopCulturePooka]

C'mon, you know better. I'm not advocating bad service based on appearance; I'm just saying that the phenomenon you're complaining about may be about appearance, something that could happen to you in other countries of the world as well -- including Western countries -- and not be merely the consequence of your being a foreigner in Japan.

I never had any trouble about my hair in other shops anywhere else.
heck I took that hair style to work. To NOVA. Where I taught old housewives and salarymen.

She would also never understand her when I asked for cigarettes in Japanese. Always a dumb blank look. Yet I was a master at buying smokes. Every other shop assistant evrywhere else knew what I asked straight up. Just her. Even in that shop the other assitants knew exactly the first time I asked.
She was, by all natural semblance... a twit.

[Bramicus]

I never had any trouble about my hair in other shops anywhere else. She would also never understand her when I asked for cigarettes in Japanese. Always a dumb blank look. She was, by all natural semblance... a twit.

Oh, I think I understand now: you're not saying this is a typical Japanese attitude; it's just this one particular individual!