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kofoguz 765th Post
Red Carpet Regular Member+
| "Re(3):General xenophobia/cultural experience" , posted Wed 30 Sep 06:41
quote: Hmm, what if we just make it about our own experiences and less about the hate part to avoid offending anyone? Why spoil all the fun already!
I am currently dating a guy whose grandfather built the bombs that were dropped over London during WW2. My main grip about this is that the bomb didn't finish the job.
Ok, we have much diversity but no asians, no latins, or blacks well I knew one black family around the neighboorhood (I guess they're from Kenya) out of that we have Yoruk Turks(mom) Circassian (Turks), -When people see me they've always guessed, Kurt Turks, Arabs, Armanians and "Laz"'s.
Turkey is very complicated country. Generally racism not a concern or a big problem around here. Cause everyone here is a citizen of turkiye and naturally Turk. For example I'm Circassian Turk my great, great grandfathers are from mount kaf and my mom's family is from Anatolia.
My cousin's Mom is a Kurt Turk so he's Circassian Kurt Turk. This kind of marriages connected each other so tight.
We had greeks (turks) too, before they left from Ottoman (See; Sophitia, Cassandra).
There's too much to talk about.
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KTallguy 1159th Post
Red Carpet Premium Member+
| "Re(1):cultural experiences" , posted Wed 30 Sep 09:44:
As some people in this forum know, I lived in Tokyo for a year as a study abroad student. This was from 2004-2005, so about five years ago. At that time I joined an "international friendship club" at my university. I have lots of great memories of drinking with that crew, even today I still keep in contact with some the people I met there.
Anyway, every year this club has a Japanese language speech competition for international students. Each student works with a group of about 4 to 5 Japanese club members. The goal is to write and memorize a speech, then perform it in this huge auditorium in front of about 100 people.
I wrote a speech about the differences between Japanese and American corporations, such as the promotion by seniority system that is so prevalent in Japan versus the skill based system in the US, and how to break down those barriers to work together better internationally. It was an insufferably boring speech to be honest, but I memorized it to the letter and one of my group members even recorded his voice so I could copy his accent and sound like an NHK broadcaster.
Anyway the big day came and I performed my speech, I was nervous and I didn't win the competition, but I think I did pretty well for my first time. The real story begins from here; I was asked beforehand to participate in an "intermission" kind of comedy thing, where I go up on stage and be fed three different weird kinds of Japanese food: Shiokara, Ume, and Natto. The audience had to guess which one I hated the most.
At the time I didn't realize it, but once the two actors and I were on stage, we wouldn't have mics. We would be pantomiming the actions, and someone off stage would be doing our voices. What I was even less prepared for was the way my "gaijin" voice would be presented; the Japanese guy doing my voice did a really good job making me sound like I was a retarded American who had just stumbled off of the boat and could barely pronounce "konnichiwa", let alone make a coherent sentence in Japanese. What was even more interesting is that I had just finished my 8 minute speech from memory, so it was like I had regressed 3 years (haha).
Anyway, I will admit I was a bit shocked and mad at the very moment it happened, but I played along and everything went smoothly. I also didn't tell anyone afterwards that I was mad at them or show any contempt. These people didn't do it with the aim of hurting me at all, they just did it for a good laugh. I realized a few things after that day though:
1. As a white American from California, the amount of real racism that I've experienced is basically nil. I can't imagine how it must be to be of African descent and in Japan. I've definitely had an easy time.
2. Watching TV here reinforces it (look at any recent McDonalds commercial in Japan), but many Japanese people love to pick at differences between themselves and "others". Even if the difference isn't that big, they will enhance it for comedic effect.
3. My anger is a bit unnecessary, considering all of the reverse racism I get in Japan. As a white American, the majority of people will always give me the benefit of the doubt.
Anyway, I thought I would share :) I have a few more experiences but this one was the first that really stuck with me.
Play to win... or to have fun too! :)
[this message was edited by KTallguy on Wed 30 Sep 09:45] |
Iggy 8977th Post
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(4):cultural experiences" , posted Thu 1 Oct 00:21
quote: A statement that shocked me is that, apparently, in Belgium, red-haired people are perceived as smelly and are often avoided, mocked, etc.
Not only in Belgium, in France as well. It took me ages to understand that it wasn't because they were red-haired that they were smelly, but only because of the Irish and Scottish ancestor they surely had.
Also, red-haired people have sex with Satan every Sabbath, and that alone make them super awesome.
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Iggy 8988th Post
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(6):cultural experiences" , posted Sun 4 Oct 22:26
I suppose we all end up hating what we know the most. Provencal people are dull, , racist, ignorant peasants. When I moved to Paris, I discovered quite a lot of interesting people, and learned that they were all like me, not native Parisians, while most real Parisians were just superficial snobs I wanted to slap across the face. Same here in London, actually: I met a few great people that happened to live here, but none of them were British to begin with.
I'm not going to say anything about Japan (at least not until Nate gives me my License to Hate Publicly) but all in all, I don't like big cities only because they tend to have better public transportation systems: they are also more often than not aware the world as a whole exists, and yeah, thank you.
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Mokona 476th Post
Gold Customer
| "Re(5):cultural experiences" , posted Tue 6 Oct 01:07
quote: As an American, I have to say that the nationality that I find gets on my nerves most often are Americans.
Sure, there are idiots everywhere, but DAMN are Americans annoying at times.
And yes, I DO know there are cool, non-typical Americans. Many of them are on this board. But I'd probably go so far as to say most Americans are belligerent, close minded and selfish.
I understand you. I mean, like you said, there are idiots in every country, but then you tune in accidentaly on Fox News and it's a whole new dimension... It's so easy to hate America when you see what these people (I mean the Glen Becks and Rush Limbaughs, etc.) are capable of. I do know that the democrats also have their fair share of douches as well, it's just so "organized" on the republican side, it's almost funny (it's sad, really).
Blah!
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sfried 418th Post
Gold Customer
| "Re(7):cultural experiences" , posted Thu 8 Oct 10:34
quote: Sure, there are idiots everywhere, but DAMN are Americans annoying at times.
quote: I'm not going to say anything about Japan (at least not until Nate gives me my License to Hate Publicly) but all in all, I don't like big cities only because they tend to have better public transportation systems: they are also more often than not aware the world as a whole exists, and yeah, thank you.
If you dislike that, imagine how it feels to live in Tampa, a big city with virtually no public transportation at all. Everybody rides their big fucking annoying trucks and the people don't even know how to use the signal. The left lane moves slower than the right, assholes everywhere, etc. Every establishment is too spread apart that you'd be forced to drive to get there.
It doesn't help that they have that southern sense of being particularly nosey, and what's worse is that people at times can be extremely transparent (i.e very shallow minded) compared to their northern counterparts. The services particularly reflect their ineptitude at times (a bunch of highschoolers who can't get my order right at Subway).
I thought life in the country would be more relaxing. It turns out to be more taxing to my intelligence and patience.
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Tai-Pan 385th Post
Silver Customer
| "Re(8):cultural experiences" , posted Thu 8 Oct 11:57
quote: If you dislike that, imagine how it feels to live in Tampa, a big city with virtually no public transportation at all. Everybody rides their big fucking annoying trucks and the people don't even know how to use the signal. The left lane moves slower than the right, assholes everywhere, etc. Every establishment is too spread apart that you'd be forced to drive to get there.
Excuse me..but Tampa is not even a city, it was made to look like a city. I’ve been there a couple of times. Walking on it’s streets felt like like walking on a movie set. All these buildings, asphalt, windows, etc; however,I didn’t see people walking on the streets at all. I would peek over my hotel windows and stare at the main streets for hours without spotting a single person. It felt so weird and artificial. I would only see the typical truck or car once in a while, but living beings. After leaving Tampa I felt to gratefull of living in stupid south florida. On the other hand…I just can’t understand japanese people. The other day I had to drive my wife for 2 hours to some place far south in Miami. We picked up someone she knew from college and she happened to be japanese. I swear that I don’t know how to interact with japanese people even though I’ve been absorving their exported culture since I was born. It was like a 2 hour long drive and I really felt like talking to her and make some conversation. I just can’t explain it. I would make questions or try to talk about silly things, but she would only smile and laugh and reply either with yes or no. Her english wasn’t good at all which makes me believe she might have been scared. But the spoken dialoge doesn’t mean anything to me. I just can’t read japanese people, and it’s worse with women. Even if I spend hours talking to a person I won’t know what their feelings are. I feel like they are hiding something from me, that they are not being honest. I have korean friends and I can tell whenever they are bored or happy or mad…but I feel that japanese people only enjoy being among themselves.
"Those who follow the path of a warrior must be ready to die in order to stand for one's convictions live for one's convictions die for one's convictions"
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Oroch 1081th Post
Red Carpet Premium Member
| "Re(9):cultural experiences" , posted Thu 8 Oct 18:12
quote: If you dislike that, imagine how it feels to live in Tampa, a big city with virtually no public transportation at all. Everybody rides their big fucking annoying trucks and the people don't even know how to use the signal. The left lane moves slower than the right, assholes everywhere, etc. Every establishment is too spread apart that you'd be forced to drive to get there.
Excuse me..but Tampa is not even a city, it was made to look like a city. I’ve been there a couple of times. Walking on it’s streets felt like like walking on a movie set. All these buildings, asphalt, windows, etc; however,I didn’t see people walking on the streets at all. I would peek over my hotel windows and stare at the main streets for hours without spotting a single person. It felt so weird and artificial. I would only see the typical truck or car once in a while, but living beings. After leaving Tampa I felt to gratefull of living in stupid south florida. On the other hand…I just can’t understand japanese people. The other day I had to drive my wife for 2 hours to some place far south in Miami. We picked up someone she knew from college and she happened to be japanese. I swear that I don’t know how to interact with japanese people even though I’ve been absorving their exported culture since I was born. It was like a 2 hour long drive and I really felt like talking to her and make some conversation. I just can’t explain it. I would make questions or try to talk about silly things, but she would only smile and laugh and reply either with yes or no. Her english wasn’t good at all which makes me believe she might have been scared. But the spoken dialoge doesn’t mean anything to me. I just can’t read japanese people, and it’s worse with women. Even if I spend hours talking to a person I won’t know what their feelings are. I feel like they are hiding something from me, that they are not being honest. I have korean friends and I can tell whenever they are bored or happy or mad…but I feel that japanese people only enjoy being among themselves.
only the finnish are better at hiding their true intents(at least in business meetings)
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Iggy 9000th Post
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(1):General xenophobia/cultural experience" , posted Tue 20 Oct 07:03
So. As I said somewhere else, my company is US-owned, and our bosses are, all of them, incredible retards and megalomaniacs at the same time. Working with them is very, very tiring.
Recently, one of them was here. We were talking of all sorts of stuff, and I said that, when I was in Africa, I could recognize the ethnicity of the persons I was looking at with some attention (like, he has a face more like someone from central Africa, she has eyes like someone from Ivory Coast, this one looks more like he comes from the other side of the Congo, and so on). The bitch looked at me, and said "that's racist". I was amazed. It is not allowed to say that all black people don't look the same. Egyptians, Senegaleses, Ethiopians, Nigerians, Comorians: they are all "black"! No subdivisions! All Asians look the same! No Korean! No Japanese! No Vietnamese! All Asians! And all Europeans look the same as well! We are all Caucasians! Germans? Italians? Spanish? Hungarians? All the same! It's racist to say an Irish guy looks Irish! (also, why are Spanish people "Caucasians" and not "Hispanics"? Whatever). This is the exact person that forces us all to participate to a "diversity training" to "work positively with diversity", when she just doesn't get what diversity means. She's just afraid of it, and just needs to know what she's not allowed to SAY, while she thinks the most horrible and petty things without letting it show. I think I never despised a human being so strongly.
In the meantime, our 100% European team keeps shouting insults at each other, French calling Germans fags because of 1870, Spanish calling French whores because of the girls who slept with the occupants during Vichy, the Italians joking with the Spanish over the extermination of Jews during Isabella's reign, the Germans resenting the Italians and Marlène Dietrich because of WW2, and so on, and so on. And you know what? We actually LOVE each other. These are just jokes, that we can throw through each other's face because we know that nothing is serious, that any war is a horrible sin against mankind. We are cultured people, our long history has taught us respect, and that is something no American moron can apparently fathom.
The greatest French humorist once said "you can laugh of everything, but not with everybody". He couldn't be more right.
(also, I learned that day with the American retard that the word "nigger" comes from the country "Nigeria". How can I be expected to take such a person seriously?)
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Iron D 3317th Post
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(2):General xenophobia/cultural experience" , posted Tue 20 Oct 07:57
quote: So. As I said somewhere else, my company is US-owned, and our bosses are, all of them, incredible retards and megalomaniacs at the same time. Working with them is very, very tiring.
Recently, one of them was here. We were talking of all sorts of stuff, and I said that, when I was in Africa, I could recognize the ethnicity of the persons I was looking at with some attention (like, he has a face more like someone from central Africa, she has eyes like someone from Ivory Coast, this one looks more like he comes from the other side of the Congo, and so on). The bitch looked at me, and said "that's racist". I was amazed. It is not allowed to say that all black people don't look the same. Egyptians, Senegaleses, Ethiopians, Nigerians, Comorians: they are all "black"! No subdivisions! All Asians look the same! No Korean! No Japanese! No Vietnamese! All Asians! And all Europeans look the same as well! We are all Caucasians! Germans? Italians? Spanish? Hungarians? All the same! It's racist to say an Irish guy looks Irish! (also, why are Spanish people "Caucasians" and not "Hispanics"? Whatever). This is the exact person that forces us all to participate to a "diversity training" to "work positively with diversity", when she just doesn't get what diversity means. She's just afraid of it, and just needs to know what she's not allowed to SAY, while she thinks the most horrible and petty things without letting it show. I think I never despised a human being so strongly.
In the meantime, our 100% European team keeps shouting insults at each other, French calling Germans fags because of 1870, Spanish calling French whores because of the girls who slept with the occupants during Vichy, the Italians joking with the Spanish over the extermination of Jews during Isabella's reign, the Germans resenting the Italians and Marlène Dietrich because of WW2, and so on, and so on. And you know what? We actually LOVE each other. These are just jokes, that we can throw through each other's face because we know that nothing is serious, that any war is a horrible sin against mankind. We are cultured people, our long history has taught us respect, and that is something no American moron can apparently fathom.
The greatest French humorist once said "you can laugh of everything, but not with everybody". He couldn't be more right.
(also, I learned that day with the American retard that the word "nigger" comes from the country "Nigeria". How can I be expected to take such a person seriously?)
There are a lot companies and organizations that claim to teach diversity that do not know what true diversity actually is. I've been noticing this for years, and it bugs me.
However, while Latinos were considered "Caucasian" at one point, most places in the U.S. (or here in California at least) have differentiated the two. And it's about time too, since Latinos are set to become the racial majority in the U.S. within the next decade or so.
I'm also intrigued by how the group of people you're describing are making jokes based on HISTORY. As a geek and a nerd, I find that really fucking cool. If only more Americans had the sense of history required to make jokes like that. Some do (my friends and I do that kind of stuff because we ARE nerds), but most...just don't.
Er.....
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kofoguz 777th Post
Red Carpet Regular Member+
| "Re(2):General xenophobia/cultural experience" , posted Tue 20 Oct 08:12
quote: So. As I said somewhere else, my company is US-owned, and our bosses are, all of them, incredible retards and megalomaniacs at the same time. Working with them is very, very tiring.
Recently, one of them was here. We were talking of all sorts of stuff, and I said that, when I was in Africa, I could recognize the ethnicity of the persons I was looking at with some attention (like, he has a face more like someone from central Africa, she has eyes like someone from Ivory Coast, this one looks more like he comes from the other side of the Congo, and so on). The bitch looked at me, and said "that's racist". I was amazed. It is not allowed to say that all black people don't look the same. Egyptians, Senegaleses, Ethiopians, Nigerians, Comorians: they are all "black"! No subdivisions! All Asians look the same! No Korean! No Japanese! No Vietnamese! All Asians! And all Europeans look the same as well! We are all Caucasians! Germans? Italians? Spanish? Hungarians? All the same! It's racist to say an Irish guy looks Irish! (also, why are Spanish people "Caucasians" and not "Hispanics"? Whatever). This is the exact person that forces us all to participate to a "diversity training" to "work positively with diversity", when she just doesn't get what diversity means. She's just afraid of it, and just needs to know what she's not allowed to SAY, while she thinks the most horrible and petty things without letting it show. I think I never despised a human being so strongly.
In the meantime, our 100% European team keeps shouting insults at each other, French calling Germans fags because of 1870, Spanish calling French whores because of the girls who slept with the occupants during Vichy, the Italians joking with the Spanish over the extermination of Jews during Isabella's reign, the Germans resenting the Italians and Marlène Dietrich because of WW2, and so on, and so on. And you know what? We actually LOVE each other. These are just jokes, that we can throw through each other's face because we know that nothing is serious, that any war is a horrible sin against mankind. We are cultured people, our long history has taught us respect, and that is something no American moron can apparently fathom.
The greatest French humorist once said "you can laugh of everything, but not with everybody". He couldn't be more right.
(also, I learned that day with the American retard that the word "nigger" comes from the country "Nigeria". How can I be expected to take such a person seriously?)
LoL when I said my ex-boss that I can mostly understand where a foreign person comes from, he only said "I dont think you could differentiate a chinese guy from a Japanese one". Not "OMG, you're so racist cause you think there are other races other than whites and blacks".
As if London doesnt bother you enough.
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Mosquiton 1748th Post
Tailored Carpet V.I.P- Platinum Member
| "Re(3):General xenophobia/cultural experience" , posted Wed 21 Oct 17:00
quote: That post was insensitive to mentally handicapped people! You shouldn't use the "r" word!
(nice 9000th post, one more and you go over 9000! w)
When I was in high school I was actually really conscious of this, and it actually kind of irked me when I heard people saying such in such is such a retard or so and so is so retarded.
Maybe its the prevailing winds of the interwebs, or maybe it's just that I work in the kind-of-a-boys-club games industry, but these days I go around deeming situations and concepts to be "retarded" like some kind of retard like it was going out of style.
I tell myself that once you're out of high school you rarely if ever find yourself in the same social group as someone with a mental disability unless they're a family member.
More than that, though, I think the word has been almost completely disassociated from its medical meaning. It happened for idiots, imbeciles, and morons, (all formerly clinical terms) after all.
Sometimes I feel bad about it, I guess. I think back to primary school, of poor Cara (we cruelly hypothesized that she spent too much time in the Carebears' native land of Care-alot and lost her marbles, or that she came from "Planet Purple" and was thus a weird and different species). I recall poor Jeffrey who wasn't actually retarded but whom we gave so much shit about it for whatever reason, even though he was obviously a nice kid at heart. I'm at least trying to go with "ridiculous" more often, since it is my nature to ridicule things (although now I do so with a much greater sense of justice, or failing that at least a little bit of wit).
I'm drunk and somewhat slightly dazed (maybe a little lovelorn) actually, and I was about to go into a huge tangent about slurs and how different groups have subverted them, and how sadly that wouldn't work in this case, with some examples in hilariously poor taste, but I thought a little more about it and judged it to be completely ridiculous. I also need to go to sleep so I can get up and get on a plane.
...
But I will say that I like the cafe having some life lately. Rubbing elbows with the likes of Iggy, Pollyanna, and Ishmael is downright enriching. When do I get another menu item?
Everyone else is awesome too, of course. I also love that the front page hasn't been updated for so long but the Professor still hangs out here. I don't know what prompted me to check back here and keep my account from being erased, but it seems to have been a good call. You people give me faith in the internet. Kind of. Maybe I can contribute a little more often, quote some replies, start some trouble....
Shit. Am I OT?
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