Japan's bad half : the puerile, the irresponsible, the perverted, and the handicapped

[Maciamo]

the lack of privacy.
...
Me: "Yes, it's English. I'm writing today's lesson plan."*
Principal: (Speaking to everyone in the vicinity.) "It's English! Ha Ha, I can't understand English at all."*

(Tries to read outloud what I'm writing, fails.)

Principal: "Ha ha, English is difficult."*

Yes. This has happened to many many times too. Not just at the computer but when I wa reading books or documents, sometime in public spaces.

Worst of all, my "step-father-in-law" once came behind me when I was writing a mail to my family in French. He reacted the same way "ah, what language is that"
Me : French"
Him : "ahh, I can't read French, aahhahah"
then he asked me "Oh can you write in French, sugoi desu ne !".
I was stunned and thought "What, it's one year I am married to your don't your step-daughter and you still don't know my my mother-tongue is French !"

[Elizabeth]

Yes. This has happened to many many times too. Not just at the computer but when I wa reading books or documents, sometime in public spaces.

Worst of all, my "step-father-in-law" once came behind me when I was writing a mail to my family in French. He reacted the same way "ah, what language is that"
Me : French"
Him : "ahh, I can't read French, aahhahah"
then he asked me "Oh can you write in French, sugoi desu ne !".
I was stunned and thought "What, it's one year I am married to your don't your step-daughter and you still don't know my my mother-tongue is French !"

Yeah, it happens a lot this way...they either don't hear very well or take a person's whole situation (only the surface behavior) into account. Like arriving last month into Narita, the first thing after calling the friends I'd be staying with I mentioned being tired (after a 12 hour flight, imagine such at thing ! ). A while after getting to their apartment I mentioned it again. This time he was surprised "Oh, really....you're tired ??" Naturally I was equally startled.

I could just a cultural difference in how privacy or personal space is respected and nothing to take personally But what would have been intuitive to most American families (You must be exhausted....can I do anything to help ? no need to stay up talking when you could be in bed....etc) seems for some reason not to be so much there.