Assumptions that gaijin cannot speak Japanese (at all)

[GaijinPunch]

窶突�椎ｽﾂ、ﾂ静ｨ窶堋｢窶堙�10窶毒凪�ｰ~ﾋ�按湘｣窶卍� 窶堋ｬﾂ最ｾ窶堙ｱ窶堙��堋｢窶堙ｩﾂ人窶堙�窶堋｢窶堙ｩ窶� ﾃｦ窶堋､窶堙� 窶堋ｷ窶堙娯�堙�、窶堋ｱ窶堙固ｽY窶ｹﾃ��堙ｰ窶登窶禿� 窶堋ｵ窶堙ｦ窶堋､窶堙��堋ｵ窶堋ｽ窶堙ｧﾂ、窶佚･ﾅｽdﾅｽ窶 凪�堙俄�堙遺�堙ｩ 窶堙�ｽv窶堋｢窶堙懌�堋ｷﾂ。

窶堙遺�堋ｭ窶堙遺�堙ｧ窶堙遺�堋｢ﾅ�ﾃｩ窶ｹﾃ��堙��堋ｷ� �堙仰。窶ｰﾅ凪�堋ｳ窶堙ｱ窶堋ｪ窶堙ｭ窶堋ｴ窶堙ｭ窶堋ｴ窶� r窶佚懌�堙懌�堙��猫窶督ｼ窶堙按静ｨ窶堋｢ﾅｽt窶堙個焦 �窶堙懌�堙�行窶堙≫�堙��堙懌�堋ｵ窶堋ｽﾂ。窶ｰpﾅ津ｪ 窶堙最ｽﾃ｣窶堋｢窶｢ﾃｻ窶堙遺�堙娯�堙嫁�Cﾅ�O窶堙架�ｸ� �堙≫�ｰz窶堋ｵ窶堋ｽ窶堙ｧﾆ陳債ーﾆ谷ﾆ停�ｹ窶堙個人窶堙�ｽﾃｳ窶堋ｯ窶堙��堋｢窶堙ｩ窶堙� ﾅｽv窶堋｢窶堙懌�堋ｷﾂ。ﾅｽﾂｩ窶｢ﾂｪ窶堙��堙最�ﾂｮﾃ�ﾃｸ窶 堙俄�堋ｨ窶ｹﾃ�窶堙娯�督ｳ窶佚岩�堋ｾ窶堙�ｽv窶堙≫�堙 ��堋｢窶堙ｩ窶堋ｯ窶堙�「ﾂ人窶堙俄�堙坂�堋ｻ窶堙ｪ窶� ﾂｼ窶堙ｪﾂ」窶堙≫�堙��o窶堋ｦ窶堋ｽ窶堙ｧﾅｽﾂｩ窶｢ﾂｪ窶� ﾃ個青ｶﾅ�ﾋ��堋ｪﾅ�y窶堙俄�堙遺�堙ｩ窶堙�ｽv窶堋｢窶堙 懌�堋ｷﾂ。

My point is they should have known some of us eat horse and seen my eating horse as respectfully as I don't care if they are vegetarians/dog-eaters/cat-eaters or not.

Well, at least you didn't eat whale. There would definitely have been some nastier looks. I'm an ex-smoker vegetarian (although I do eat seafood) but can sit in a room with people eating Yakiniku, and smoking. Tolerance is a beautiful thing.

[monrepo]

...after trying to explain for a while, she finally said 窶ｰpﾅ津ｪ窶堙��堋ｫ窶堙遺�堋ｭ窶堙�団ﾆ停�ｰﾆ辰窶堙ｭﾂ ！...

Can someone translate the japanese into English, please?

[Elizabeth]

Japanese cheat "gaijin" by assuming they cannot speak Japanese without talking to them, it's "gomakashi!"
ﾂ（窶楼窶堙娯�倒窶禿ｳﾂ：ﾂ）窶愿ｺ窶怒ﾂ人窶堋ｪﾅ�Oﾂ人 窶堙嘉ｩx窶堋ｵ窶堙��ｰﾃｯﾋ彙窶堋ｵ窶堙遺�堋｢窶堙��愿 ｺ窶怒ﾅ津ｪ窶堋ｪ窶堙��堋ｫ窶堙遺�堋｢窶堙�塚��堋ｷ窶 堙ｩ窶堙遺�堙ｱ窶堙�津凪�独停�ｰﾃ卩ｽq窶堋ｾﾂ！
ﾋ彙窶佚ｨ窶堙可坂�｡窶堙≫�堙��堋｢窶堙�、窶堋ｳﾂ、ﾅ ｽg窶堙≫�堙��堙昶�堙ｦ窶堋､窶堙�ｽv窶堋｢窶堙懌�堋ｵ 窶堋ｽﾂ。

ﾅ�Oﾂ人窶堙嘉ｩx窶堋ｵ窶堙� would be ﾅ�Oﾂ人 wo ﾃｩx窶堋ｵ窶堙�, but the placement is also wrong. Think about it more in relation to your subject.

[meverieJp]

Yet I have the feeling that there are proportionally much more people believing in fortune-telling than science in Japan compared to Europe (note that I did not say "compared to the USA").

That would be true but I doubt all of them truly believe it. I'd say most of them rather consider it as an entertainment or a tool to break the ice like some forum members said (whether you like it or not it's just their way).
More serious case is that it would be a first consultant for some of them to ask so as to ease their mental anxiety instead of psychological counseling, which incites them to fortune-telling addiction.

But don't forget that not everyone like horses (it's not one of my favourite animal) and Westerners also eat horse meat (especially in French speaking countries like France, Belgium or Quebec). According to Wikipedia (see link above), 153,000 tonnes of horse meat was consumed in Europe in 2001.

Thank you for the link. that accounts for the contradiction of the people I came across.

They know that some people eat horse also in the West. But I am sure the people you met would have reacted the same way in their own country if someone had eaten horse in front of them.

That's even worse if they had known it.lol
Maybe those people are not cut out for going overseas..

And I'm not sure if this makes you feel better (I hope you will), but I asked a guy who used to work at an eikaiwa school how many teachers could speak Japanese at a reasonable level after several years stay in Japan. and the answer is:
"Are you joking?! Most of those teachers come to Japan just to party or hook up girls or because they couldn't get a decent job in their own country! People who were seriously trying to learn Japanese were less than 10%! I know a girl who has just started learning Japanese after 4 years stay and a guy who had been living with a Japanese girl friend for 4 years while going to Japanese school. They even frequently asked me about Japanese language!" (This guy's Japanese speaking ability is at around 4 years old level from my judgement)

I'm not saying it's all of them but somehow, I can easily imagine how many would-be teachers are alike.

[meverieJp]

窶堙遺�堋ｭ窶堙遺�堙ｧ窶堙遺�堋｢ﾅ�ﾃｩ窶ｹﾃ��堙��堋ｷ� �堙仰。窶ｰﾅ凪�堋ｳ窶堙ｱ窶堋ｪ窶堙ｭ窶堋ｴ窶堙ｭ窶堋ｴ窶� r窶佚懌�堙懌�堙��猫窶督ｼ窶堙按静ｨ窶堋｢ﾅｽt窶堙個焦 �窶堙懌�堙�行窶堙≫�堙��堙懌�堋ｵ窶堋ｽﾂ。窶ｰpﾅ津ｪ 窶堙最ｽﾃ｣窶堋｢窶｢ﾃｻ窶堙遺�堙娯�堙嫁�Cﾅ�O窶堙架�ｸ� �堙≫�ｰz窶堋ｵ窶堋ｽ窶堙ｧﾆ陳債ーﾆ谷ﾆ停�ｹ窶堙個人窶堙�ｽﾃｳ窶堋ｯ窶堙��堋｢窶堙ｩ窶堙� ﾅｽv窶堋｢窶堙懌�堋ｷﾂ。ﾅｽﾂｩ窶｢ﾂｪ窶堙��堙最�ﾂｮﾃ�ﾃｸ窶 堙俄�堋ｨ窶ｹﾃ�窶堙娯�督ｳ窶佚岩�堋ｾ窶堙�ｽv窶堙≫�堙 ��堋｢窶堙ｩ窶堋ｯ窶堙�「ﾂ人窶堙俄�堙坂�堋ｻ窶堙ｪ窶� ﾂｼ窶堙ｪﾂ」窶堙≫�堙��o窶堋ｦ窶堋ｽ窶堙ｧﾅｽﾂｩ窶｢ﾂｪ窶� ﾃ個青ｶﾅ�ﾋ��堋ｪﾅ�y窶堙俄�堙遺�堙ｩ窶堙�ｽv窶堋｢窶堙 懌�堋ｷﾂ。

窶堋ｻ窶堋､窶堙��堋ｷ窶堙仰。ﾅｽ窶披�堙��堙ｩ窶堙ｦ窶 堋､窶堙��｡窶堋､窶堙��堋ｱ窶堙ｫ窶堋ｪ窶禿岩�昶�吮� 堋｢ﾂ。窶堋ｻ窶堙ｪ窶堙嫁ｽﾂｩ窶｢ﾂｪ窶堙娯�ｰﾃｹ窶堋ｪ窶凖� 窶堙樞�堙ｭ窶堋ｯ窶堙��堙�窶堙遺�堋ｵﾂ。ﾂ湘篠）ﾂ　
I rather enjoyed it because I found it interesting to see. ;)
窶ｹt窶堙嫁ｽﾂｩ窶｢ﾂｪ窶堙俄�堋ｻ窶堙≫�堋ｭ窶堙ｨ窶堋ｷ窶 堋ｬ窶堙ｩﾂ人窶堙俄�堙債、窶ｹﾃ淒�ﾃｱ窶堙ｧ窶堙遺�堋｢窶 堋ｩ窶堙�窶堋ｵ窶堙ｪ窶堙懌�堋ｹ窶堙ｱﾂ。

[Gaijinian]

Can someone translate the japanese into English, please?

窶ｰpﾅ津ｪ窶堙��堋ｫ窶堙遺�堋ｭ窶堙�辛窶堋｢窶堙ｭﾂ！
"Me not being able to speak English makes it difficult!"
Note: The way she used "turai" was strange, I think. I usually refers to emotional pain:

窶堙や�堙ｧ窶堋｢ﾂ　ﾂ辛窶堋｢
hard; painful; trying; bitter; unbearable; heartbreaking; tough.

ﾂ（ﾅ蛋ﾂ）[窶｢ﾂｶ]ﾆ誰 窶堙や�堙ｧﾂ・窶堋ｵ
(1)ﾂ心ﾂ身窶堙俄�ｹﾃｪ窶凖俄�堙ｰﾅ�ﾂｴ窶堋ｸ窶堙ｩﾂ。窶ｹﾃ ｪ窶堋ｵ窶堋｢ﾂ。窶堋ｪ窶堙懌�堙ｱ窶堙��堋ｫ窶堙遺�堋｢ﾂ 。
ﾂ「ﾂ―ﾂ・窶堋｢ﾂ修ﾂ行ﾂ」ﾂ「窶｢ﾃ岩�堙ｪ窶堋ｪﾂ―ﾂ・窶� ﾂ｢ﾂ」
(2)ﾂ人窶堙俄�佚寂�堋ｷ窶堙ｩﾅｽd窶佚��堋ｿ窶堙嫁ｽv窶� ﾂ｢窶堙｢窶堙ｨ窶堋ｪ窶堙遺�堋｢ﾂ。窶堙や�堙溪�堋ｽ窶堋ｭ 窶堙樞�堋ｲ窶堋｢ﾂ。窶督ｳﾂ湘ｮﾂ・窶氾｢ﾂ坂�懌�堋ｾﾂ。
ﾂ「ﾂ―ﾂ・窶堋ｭ窶� 窶堋ｽ窶堙ｩﾂ」ﾂ「ﾂ―ﾂ・窶堋｢ﾅｽd� �佚��堋ｿﾂ」
(3)窶堙��堋､窶堋ｵ窶堙��堙ｦ窶堋｢窶堋ｩ窶堙ｭ窶堋ｩ窶 堙ｧ窶堋ｸ窶ｹﾃｪ窶堋ｵ窶堙楪。ﾂ債｢窶堙ｩﾂ。
ﾂ「窶堋ｻ窶堙ｪ窶堙ｰﾅ陳ｾ窶堙ｭ窶堙ｪ窶堙ｩ窶堙�―ﾂ・窶 堋｢ﾂ」
(4)ﾂ人窶堙個心窶堙ｰ窶ｹ窶�(窶堋ｭ)窶堙�窶堋､窶堙��� ﾂｵ窶堙遺�堋｢ﾂ。窶堙や�堙ｪ窶堙遺�堋｢ﾂ。
ﾂ「窶ｹg窶禿ｬﾂ静ｬ窶堙ｦ窶堋ｵ窶堙｢ﾂ人窶堋ｱ窶堋ｻﾂ―ﾂ・ 窶堋ｩ窶堙ｧ窶堙�/ﾅ津δ債｡ﾂ（窶氾ｶﾅ津慊）ﾂ」
ﾂ�ｨ窶堙��堙ｧ窶堋｢

I guess she had meant it as simply as "komaru" (or I HOPE, anyway...).

[Uncle Frank]

The police used to raid the bar in Fukuoka where I worked about once a month. They would line us up and question us all for an hour and then leave. Almost everytime the officer would question me in Japanese and I would answer in Japanese. The officer would then ask one of my co-workers what I said and he would repeat what I said ,word for word, my Japanese answer ; then the officer would nod and write it down. We all used to laugh like hell at him (after he left) and do skit type repeats of it , and laugh some more.

Frank

[Gaijinian]

Strange and funny...

[monrepo]

Thank you

[celtician]

All you have to do is read Alan Booth's books about his walks in Japan from the tip of Hokkaido to the tip of Kyushu. A man who spoke perfect Japanese but in his travels through this dark archipelago you begin to realize how deeply and truly ignorant the Japanese mixed race are. Always asking stupid questions "Do you like natto?" (to make conversation??? really??) and refusing the FACT that this gaijin could speak Japanese even in many local dialects. In Japaland ignorance rules.

[celtician]

Oh and don't walk through Japan the poor guy died shortly after of cancer. Hiking through this country could be bad for your health,

[Bucko]

celtician, similar stories can be found in Hokkaido Highway Blues. The author actually talks about Alan Booth a few times.

[toritaiyo]

When your japanese gets to a decent level (and you don't need to practice on random strangers anymore) why fight the Nihonjin urge to "try out" their English on you?
I find it more amusing and less stressful to let them try the conversation in Engrish. Less work and more fun.

Plus, for me, the better my Japanese has become and the more I understand the Japanese, the less confortable I feel speaking in Japanese; except for when it is a necessity. Can anyone else relate to that?

[Grammarsaurus]

But don't forget that not everyone like horses (it's not one of my favourite animal) and Westerners also eat horse meat (especially in French speaking countries like France, Belgium or Quebec). According to Wikipedia (see link above), 153,000 tonnes of horse meat was consumed in Europe in 2001.

Quebec is not a country, though they wish they were. I found this topic fascinating. The only Japanese person outside of tourists to Victoria BC (I worked in the Empress hotel) I regularly converse with is my friend, Minoru. Perhaps I'm lucky, because he is half-Korean, and spent his teen years in Boston, so he understood the difference between say.. a Canadian and an Australian. Or a Russian and a Swede.

I did get quite a few surprised looks at my time in Victoria, however. I often addressed the Japanese tourists in Japanese if they were having a hard time with English. I'm at a conversational level, largely thanks to my High School offering courses for it, and my frequent communication and visits with Mino-chan. I never once heard them use gaijin when they were the ones who were foreigners, though, and you'd be amazed at how many Japanese tourists hit Victoria in the Spring and Summer seasons.

I look forward to visiting Japan in the next couple of years, but this thread has certainly given me some food for thought. I wanted to one day live and work in Japan, my ultimate goal when I was younger was working for Squaresoft, but I'm not entirely sure anymore. I'm still young, and have many years ahead of me to figure it out in any case.