He did it his way
When we talk about our family members, especially when we talk about our wives, Japanese ways are much different
from Americans.
I understand Japanese attitudes are getting closer to Americans, these days, but for my boss at that time who was
born in 1947, praising his wife and children to his clients was nothing but rude behavior.
I still remember when we first opened our California office. We had dinner with some of our clients and one of the
clients said to my boss
“So, your wife is finishing her job in Japan and moving to California next week. I guess you are very happy to be
reunited with her”
My boss laughed and replied
“Ha Ha Ha ! How can I be happy to live with such an ugly woman !?”
Being typical Japanese myself, I totally understand why he said so. He was actually very happy for her coming to
California giving up her job in Japan and longing for the day she would be arriving at Los Angeles Airport. He was just trying to be polite to his client in Japanese way which never works outside of Japan.
While we were waiting for our cars at the valet parking reception, the client whispered to me.
“I guess your boss has a serious family issue and you’d better watch out”
↑↑↑↑ こいつをクリックしてくれるとけっこう嬉しいです (b4)
The patriotic salvation
As everybody knows, American people like telling jokes, so do I. But we have to know some jokes can not necessarily be jokes. Especially when we joke about Japan, we have to know some Americans do not have any knowledge of our
country except for being beaten by them at WW2.
The manager of the electronics retail store in the small town in Virginia, where we helped his sales event, was a very
intelligent person and he always asked us about Japanese culture.
I am from Tokyo and my partner at that time was from Kobe. To make him understand easier, he said that he was
western Japanese and I was eastern Japanese and told him that our cultural backgrounds were slightly different. And I said “Yes, I came from Socialist Republic of Eastern Japan to fight against evil American capitalism”
He laughed and said “Now, I think I am supposed to report to CIA”.
It was 1985 and threats from Soviet Union still existed.
Then the next day, his mother who happened to hear our conversation, came to me and said
“Let me take you to our church tomorrow and I want you to know how wonderful America is” And I said
“Thank you for your invitation, Mrs. Cooper, but I have to leave Virginia this evening to help other store’s sales event in Maryland. But I promise you to learn more about America and tell Mao Tse Tung that I’ll quit red army”
I believe she was happy for me.
↑↑↑↑ こいつをクリックしてくれるとけっこう嬉しいです (b4)
Japanese strike
Soon after my ANA flight to Tokyo took off Los Angeles International Airport, when I saw Santa Catalina Island below, we had an announcement.
“Attention passengers, we had bird-strike when we took off, and as a result, the left engine of the aircraft absorbed
some birds. Therefore, we are now returning to Los Angeles for our own safety. Sorry for the inconvenience”
I knew this sometimes happens. All I had to do is to know the new departure time as soon as possible.
After the flight retuned to LA, we were all taken to the Hotel ball room where meals were served. And we were all
randomly allocated to the tables for eight.
People at my table were all Japanese and we were all strangers each other, except for the one couple who was
apparently on their way back from the honey moon. They whispered each other a few times, but over all, my table was very silent and I didn’t like it
Then, meals were served and the main dishes were roast chickens. And to break the unnecessary tense calm, I said….
“Oh! These must be the ones from the engine, ha ha ha ! “
Everybody took a quick glance at me, and that’s all. And there was silence again. Nobody laughed or even countering me saying like “Hey! You are not suppose to say that, we are eating” might have been little better. But all I had was
the cold glance from everybody to make me a very pathetic man.
I, then, remembered. This is the typical Japanese attitude and maybe I was too Americanized at that time. We don’t
attack strangers, but we don’t smile at strangers.
Since I was so embarrassed, I ate my chicken like a hungry wolf and left the table earlier than anybody else.
On my newly scheduled flight to Tokyo, I said to the Japanese flight attendant “The chickens we had at the hotel
weren’t from the engine, were they?”
She smiled and said “Well, you have to understand we are not supposed to waste deaths of any animals”
She made my day, finally.
↑↑↑↑ こいつをクリックしてくれるとけっこう嬉しいです (b4)
“Attention passengers, we had bird-strike when we took off, and as a result, the left engine of the aircraft absorbed
some birds. Therefore, we are now returning to Los Angeles for our own safety. Sorry for the inconvenience”
I knew this sometimes happens. All I had to do is to know the new departure time as soon as possible.
After the flight retuned to LA, we were all taken to the Hotel ball room where meals were served. And we were all
randomly allocated to the tables for eight.
People at my table were all Japanese and we were all strangers each other, except for the one couple who was
apparently on their way back from the honey moon. They whispered each other a few times, but over all, my table was very silent and I didn’t like it
Then, meals were served and the main dishes were roast chickens. And to break the unnecessary tense calm, I said….
“Oh! These must be the ones from the engine, ha ha ha ! “
Everybody took a quick glance at me, and that’s all. And there was silence again. Nobody laughed or even countering me saying like “Hey! You are not suppose to say that, we are eating” might have been little better. But all I had was
the cold glance from everybody to make me a very pathetic man.
I, then, remembered. This is the typical Japanese attitude and maybe I was too Americanized at that time. We don’t
attack strangers, but we don’t smile at strangers.
Since I was so embarrassed, I ate my chicken like a hungry wolf and left the table earlier than anybody else.
On my newly scheduled flight to Tokyo, I said to the Japanese flight attendant “The chickens we had at the hotel
weren’t from the engine, were they?”
She smiled and said “Well, you have to understand we are not supposed to waste deaths of any animals”
She made my day, finally.
↑↑↑↑ こいつをクリックしてくれるとけっこう嬉しいです (b4)