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Dec 06 2005 13 Comments

Alien (n)ation

“Hey look, a foreigner!”

Two high school girls giggling and pointing on their way home yesterday.

Were I to receive a report card, my efforts at trying to blend in and go unnoticed whilst pottering about would at best receive a ‘could do better’.

But surely that begs the question: should I really have to?

Categorized: Observations

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Paul says

    12/6/2005 at 6:03 pm

    I think you should adopt an unconvincing wig and eye prosthetics, a’la Sean Connery in ‘You Only Live Twice’. Fooled an entire Japanese fishing village.

    Reply
  2. john says

    12/6/2005 at 6:18 pm

    if you were back home, would you expect immigrants to try and blend in?

    Reply
  3. Chris says

    12/6/2005 at 6:26 pm

    I usually look around and excitedly shout, “Doko? Doko?”

    Reply
  4. Lee says

    12/6/2005 at 7:41 pm

    Paul: A wig it is then. There’s an ‘Elvis’ one I’ve had my eye on for a while now. This is the ideal excuse to make a purchase.

    John. Nah, not at all. Although to be fair, it’s my choice entirely to try and blend in. That said, ‘blend in’ probably wasn’t the best choice of words. ‘Not stand out unnecessarily’ would perhaps have been a better (if slightly awkward) description. As this is now home – or at least a second home – it would be nice not to attract undue attention now and again.

    Chris: Yeah, I know what you mean. I remember a few years ago though, a middle-aged chap came up to me and very politely asked if I was a foreigner. My pasty complexion, ‘tall’ nose and blue eyes not entirely giving me away that time.

    I fear he may have been inebriated.

    Reply
  5. Surronded says

    12/6/2005 at 9:14 pm

    You’ll always be a gaijin… live with it…. but it’s not necessarily bad, right?

    Reply
  6. Lee says

    12/6/2005 at 10:11 pm

    Oh, definitely not Surronded. I’ll be the first to admit that it can work both ways.

    But as it’s not the kind of thing I usually post, I thought I’d put it up for a bit of a change.

    Reply
  7. Toni says

    12/7/2005 at 3:29 pm

    “I usually look around and excitedly shout, ‘Doko? Doko?'”

    Heh heh. My friend did that once to this kid who was staring at him on the train.

    Reply
  8. Willi says

    12/7/2005 at 5:19 pm

    I remember walking down the street in Takadanobaba and saying to myself “just try to fit in…” then I stepped back for a second and laughed. If your white, there is no way to fit in.

    Reply
  9. Bunny says

    12/8/2005 at 8:42 am

    When I was a resident in Japan (and soon to be again), I used to wear full Kamakura Period Samurai armour. Worked a treat when I was trying to purchase a packet of Malteasers in the local 7-11. No one took attention of either I or my horse, as we trotted through the aisles.

    To really finish off the look, I would scream “BUSHIDO!!!!” as I left. Unfortuantely, my horse always tended to leave a little authenticity of its own, right next to the till.

    Reply
  10. Wet Panties says

    12/9/2005 at 3:37 am

    Well you are aren’t you?

    Reply
  11. Harvey says

    12/10/2005 at 10:53 pm

    The Doko Doko thing is great 🙂

    My reaction depends on my mood. Sometimes I’ll stare back. If they’re cute I’ll smile. Sometimes I’ll start a conversation with them. Usually if I do that they become shy and hide behind their mother or something though.

    Kids! What to do with him.

    Reply
  12. Silent Scream says

    12/14/2005 at 9:34 am

    Be yourself. All you need to ensure is that you respect their culture.

    Reply
  13. Billy po-po says

    10/3/2007 at 3:20 pm

    I have often heard Japanese tourists in Honolulu say to each other, ” Wow, I can’t believe how many foreigners there are!” – referring to non-Japanese.

    Reply

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