Re: [tlug] (OT) The enigma of Japan (was: UNIX jobs on TLUG)

[Shawn Brown <big.coffee.lover@example.com>]

>  > Once the Japanese person realizes that I am right, they will start
>  > speaking about the problem at a higher level than I can comprehend and
>  > then they will try to claim that I don't speak Japanese and therefore
>  > must be wrong.
>
> Do they claim that you're *wrong*, or that you *don't/can't
> understand* because you're not Japanese?

They are not directly saying I am wrong.  They are just trying talk
about the situation in a way that is not possible for me to show I
understand their ideas and respond appropriately.

> Even word often used, 「違う」 reflects this distinction.  In my
> experience, Japanese rarely say *you* are wrong, rather they like to
> say "[you've misunderstood the situation,] it's different."

Yes, I agree.  They are trying to frame the situation as being
different that how I percieve it.

I don't think it's a matter of Japanese people asserting that I don't
understand because I am not Japanese and therefor don't understand --
as though I lack a proper Japanese appreciation of how things ought to
be.

In my case, I simply see Japanese people perhaps embarrassed or not
wanting to concede my point, but they are in a position where their
position is wrong and they have no recourse but to pretend that I've
misunderstood the situation as clearly evidenced by the fact that I
can't defend myself against their rephrasing arguement.

Here is a concrete example.

When running, a child was told to look at the head of the person in
front of them.  In fact, that child was looking at the feet of the
person in front of them so as not to crash.  I am sensitive to this as
that was my strategy and served me well enough to make the U.S Olympic
development team for the midwest.  I excelled in crowded space.

The person giving the instructions didn't want the child leaning
forward (which the child did when looking at someone's feet) and so
said look at the head of the person in front of them.  It was my child
and I can't have him crashing so I tried suggesting that the
instructions be changed.  Actually, the instructor was addressing the
parents about the children's performance in a room away from the
children so it's not like it was inappropriate timing or situation for
me to broach the topic.

The bottom line is that the instructor appealed to the other Japanese
parents that I didn't understand Japanese.  I calmly and politely
insisted the instructions be changed even though I couldn't
linguistically respond to the instructors sophisticated rephrasing of
the situation.

After the instructor left one mother commented I was clever (actually
about an unrelated matter where I did something that I was not
supposed to do but that the situation called for).  I sort of took it
as feedback that I handled the situation fine.