i learned to use chopsticks at a chinese resturaunt when i was 10-11.

my japanese girlfriend was suprised that A) i had chopsticks at my house, with the rest of my cutlery, B) that i knew how to use them.

she did though try and show me the "proper" way to use them * i can only assume chinese hold chopsticks only slightly differently from japanese because i could use them quite easily and comfortably the way i know, but she was showing me a slightly different way*.

what i think is a good thing to point out is that my g/f was ussually more suprised about the fact japanese culture was so well integrated into british and western culture, when it appears japan knows very little of britain.

ive known how to say konnichiwa since i was 8, and ive known of japan vaguely since i was 8, ive been more aware of japan and its culture since i was 13-14, and ive been pretty well educated on the subject of japan since i was 16.

i agree, japan, or britain, you will find people who know little outside of their own country, in britain these are the majority of the working class, and just extremely mentally idle at school.

in japan its simply the fact that japan provides an enviroment, and personality for japanese, that they dont feel any major need to know, they dont seem to appriciate the idea of learning about themselves and everything beyond purely for the persute of knowledge like education in the west, i agree with the idea that they simply appriciate the simple pleasures in life.


with me ive always been good at geography, biology, keen on history, and learning everything i could get my hands on and assimilate fast enough, now im no genius, far from it, but ive always been very aware that there's a world beyond the borders of my country, and i couldnt conceive being the knid of person who wouldnt by nature, want to learn about it. i like to feel i have a wisdom.

my japanese girlfriend though, is at university, something i would be hard pressed to acheive in my country let alone japans education system, it obviously instills a work ethic of really working hard for what you want, but it seems to completely fail in igniting that LOVE of learning, that desire which makes a student WANT to come to school/college/uni just to descover something new.

in japan i get the impression its simply a part of the routine of life, something that must be done.



saying that i hope my comments havnt been to harsh or anything, i know that theres alot of japanese who genuinly look beyond the simple routine of their lives, and their country, i know this because my girlfriend is one of them, and i have read about many examples of japanese men and women who are looking outward because looknig inward isnt satisfying them.

i also get the impression its getting to the stage where more and more japanese are starting to take a genuine interest in the world outside of japan, but i must admit, stories of cold attitudes of some japanese and the phenomena of japanese only signs at shops and bussiness' is quite worrying, and suffice to say i will have to really think hard before i considor living in japan.

so thats my 2 cents in a long boring rant =)