the lack of privacy.
Example:
I'm sitting at my desk in the teacher's room at school, writing something on my computer. Students wander right up to my desk, stick their nose in front of me, point at the computer screen, and blurt stupid things like, "What this? Is it English? Ha ha, I don't know English!"
I used to think this was just because they're young students who don't know how to behave around foreigners yet. So I cut them alot of slack, even taking time to explain things and be polite when I'm very busy.
BUT,
I was wrong. Again, one day I'm writing as usual, the principal is looking over my shoulder. He then proceeds to stick his nose in front of me, without ever asking me if I was busy or if it's ok if he can read it. Then he acts surprised that I'm writing in English. "Eeeeeeeeeeh? Eigo da!"
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."*
*In Japanese.
All my principals do this. Whatever I'm doing at my desk, they love to come up to me, examine and play with whatever I'm doing without asking permission or even being polite about it. They seem to think that whatever I'm doing is incredibly funny, and that everyone in the room should know what I'm doing.
Cultural differences rears its ugly head again.
Bookmarks