(I mentioned it, but unless seen, hard to believe the flavor of xenophobia older Japanese had)...
One of my best buddies since High School spent a year in Kyoto apprenticing for a master garden builder, this was back in the late '70's. He was really taken by how kind they were to him until his Japanese language skills finally allowed him to realize how xenophobic their comments to each other were....and that he was the butt of their double entendre.
J-Pop....the other night I saw something that was pure genius. It was a live band that was a modern combination of Kodo drums and electronica, and for the singer/dancer...they had an animated anime woman that was slightly larger than life and very lifelike, on a screen that was very difficult to see. She looked so realistic, it was quite amazing. They had her so perfectly choreographed that she played the audience perfectly.
Do you see any similar trends when you make your trips to Vietnam?
The Vietnamese are very grounded in reality, I love their society. They are very wholesome, honest and caring, for the most part. They really look out for each other. If you make friends in Vietnam, they are really good friends. Their government, not so much, it is parasitic...very strange dichotomy.
I get people wanting to practice English all the time, and it's fun. I meet a lot of really sharp motivated kids. There is an area in Hanoi next to one of the lakes that is famous for that activity, on the last trip I met great kid, and eighth grader that very politely came up and asked if I would help him with his English. He asked great questions as his proud parents looked on. Yen (my wife) chatted with them in Vietnamese all the while, giving them tips on getting their son into an American High School, where it makes it easier to get into an American college (they have an older some in HS in Illinois). They invited us join them for lunch at their home, which we would have normally loved to do.....but, it was our last day in country, and Yen had a major shopping list to fulfill! )
We have many friends that we have met that way, start chatting, get invited to a meal....and the next thing you know we are friends forever. |
