yesterday i went back to munakata shrine to take more pictures of chrysanthemums. each year there are some people there selling plants (for your garden i suppose; trees and bushes as well as flowers in pots). one of the women there started talking to hiro. she was older, as in grandmother-age, and she thought he was cute. when he didn't answer her she started asking me if he could understand japanese. if i only spoke to him in english. what about his father? ok, whatever. i could handle those questions, she was just curious (and not in a rude way).
then the questions started for me. where are you from? lots of baseball discussion about seattle and matsunaka (is that his name?) although he's probably going to boston. then she asked me, is japan cold? i really really dislike this question. what was her meaning? i really couldn't gather it from the question. sometimes it's meant as, japan is #1!!!! in everything, including cold. *rolls eyes* sometimes it's meant as, 'is japan colder than the US?' well, yes and no. *sigh* and sometimes i think it's just meant as a conversation starter. hmmm. in this case, though, it wasn't clear what she meant.
but i don't know what to say. this time i just said, hummmmm. but really, what's the response i should give? sarcasm does not work in japan. a 'real' answer will just drag me into a conversation i don't want. i wish people wouldn't talk to me!! LOL
April 25, 2024
9 hours ago
7 comments:
Oh, I so hate questions like that. There isn't anything wrong with them exactly. It's just a vague question, but no matter what I say it almost always takes us somewhere stupid and irritating, kwim?
I think Matsunaka (sp?) is going to be going to Boston as well! What was it...like 35 million or something?
As far as the questions thing. I get that a lot and I never know quite how to respond either. The question about the language my kids speak/understand thing I find almost everyone is interested in. i find this a fair question because they are curious just like you said as well. But after answering the question about a bazillion times, it's almost automatic...meaning I know what I'm going to say in Japanese about it already.
The cold question, I've gotten too. That was always a stumper for me too. It could be taken 100 different ways, you know what I mean. So, I just answer...yes it's cold (I mean no duh...you know, lol) and follow with a, and a bit colder where I come from in Denver. Whether or not I answer their exact question who knows...Im usually too busy to care. ha ha ha! : ) Because it's usually times when I'm busiest is when someone will want to play 20 questions with me! Figures! Ha ha ha : )
I'm from Edmonton in Canada, so I NEVER have to answer that Japan is colder than home! It isn't outside, but inside the badly made houses here it's freezing!
The funny thing is that people seem to think that Canada is cold all year long...it isn't. We get a whole week of summer. (ba ha ha!)
LOL Helen. Usually we refer to that warm season as "construction" though!
Personally, I love that question. I get to pontificate on how even though it's freezing outside at home, we can go to the bathroom in t-shirts and shorts at Christmas. And don't have to chuck our olive oil in the winter because our food doesn't freeze. Also, fridges are for keeping food cold, not to keep it from freezing in the winter. I could go on and on, even though no one will ever think to change Japan for the better, aye.
PS. You probably don't have to say anything because you are going to have your nice insulated house this winter. Tease.
you chuck your olive oil?
well Matsui plays for the yankees and Ichiro plays for the Mariners and is this other guy new or something?????? and when they ask me if it`s cold *there* I say
yup. cold in the winter and hot in the summer. Some people thisk that the u.s. is on a different season thing... like on the other side of the equater and many people aren`t aware that there are 2 washingtons and that I am not from the land of bush....... so. well we can`t educate them all so I keep my answers short and sweet and move on to other topics of interest.
Hi Jan, yup this is a new guy. Boston paid the highest bid of like 35 million or so just to "start the negotiations" not even the price they will pay to sign him! They all want this guy pretty bad! Ha ha ha : )
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