Quote Originally Posted by nhk9
Most of them don't speak English... so although they want to say that Japanese is difficult, they cannot be sure that it is harder than English. That's the impression that I have been getting
Right.

And what he intentionally forgot saying is...
No matter how stupid, ignorant, ultra-nationalistic or whatever his students or his friends were, they tried to communicate with him.
I think it is much better than indifference.