Funny remarks on gaijin during a meeting

A disclaimer: I don't understand Japanese fully...yet.

On our regular meeting last week (Aug. 5), while waiting for the AC to kick, they talked about random things to pass up the heat to. One of the things talked about was how some places like Asakusa had more tourists than ever before. And while they talk about it, they kept using the word "gaijin", which meant foreigner. Like how gaijin people would be walking around Asakusa where one of my seniors's (I think everybody's a senior, since I'm the only young one here. Not so young, but still in my 20s.) parents apparently lives. The next one I'm not really sure if I get it right, but it's either gaijin travelers sell things on a used shop before they go back, or gaijin residents bring big backpacks to buy things on a thrift shop. Then they proceed to talk about gaijin traits while on the trains, like being noisy and inconsiderate and stuff. Like how Joshikosei are as well. 

 The one thing that I find funny in all of this, is how we're just five people in the meeting, two of us are gaijin, and the grass is still green. I don't feel offended, they don't feel like being offensive, and somehow I agree with what they're talking about. It gives a different perspective on gaijin people from a native's point of view. 

To add to the curiosity, last Friday when we had a nomikai (drinking party), the shop's head lady mistook me for an Okinawan. I'm not sure if it's just refusing to believe a gaijin can be among a group of Japanese people, or if I'm starting to integrate with the society. The latter's hard to believe though, with my weak Japanese language skills and whatnot. Searching for "Okinawa people" on Google though, and she has a point.

I can't put a conclusion for all of this. It might take a while, but it's better to keep tabs at my observation.

Testing the waters...

About four years ago (at the time of this writing), my life had a turning point: Japan, the subject of my numerous fantasies, is finally at reach. I've been accepted in a small Japanese company. After years of watching anime, dreaming of buying CDs of my favorite JPop artists, playing JRPGs, and slurping cup noodles brought from Japan by my father, I'd be living with them. I'd be facing the trials and tribulations of being an expatriate.

How does that relate to this blog? It does, and doesn't.

It's been four years, so posting about whatever the heck happened during those four years would be dumb and pointless, and focusing on just everyday life would be even dumber (since a. I missed my chance already and b. I don't think a salaryman's life is interesting save for the private matters). So while I'll do posts about some of the more interesting aspects of my daily life in Japan, it wouldn't be the sole focus. But I thought I'd include it, since it's a way to show my perspective on things, being a gaijin and whatnot.

So what's the purpose of this blog then? To chronicle things that I've been up to, so that I can keep up with myself, I guess. You see, there's this thing called "ningas-kugon", a Filipino idiom that pertains to losing enthusiasm, sort of. I think the idiom points out to how the flame (ningas) from a cogon grass (kugon) is bright but short-lived signifying the early eagerness to do something and then it dies out just as fast. Anyways this trait is one of the things I just can't shake off my system. I admit that I'm a somewhat lazy, unfocused individual that loses sight on stuff currently being done in favor of another interesting albeit unrelated stuff. For example, you can find me studying programming and then a minute later making bread, and then while waiting for the dough to ferment I would do the dishes, watch TV, play video games, completely forgetting about the programming stuff. Even now, while working I suddenly go back to doing this first blog post that I'm actually drafting for the past two weeks now.

One of the things I've been doing a lot before was writing. So another purpose of blogging for me is to sharpen the thought process, at least in writing. I've never been good with communicating, but ever since I've been here in Japan my English have been worse. Not that I'm actually good at it, I can't even remember the grammatical rules. But my thought process in English became worse, like I can't respond as quickly as before. But to keep my writing in point is better than nothing.

TL;DR - I'm a lazy, out-of-focus expat writing about my random musings and daily life in Japan, along with some of the things I've been working on, so that I can keep a tab on myself and not lose my grip.

I just realized how all of that sounded narcissistic, at least for me. But no matter. I just hope that whatever I put out in this blog, it will resonate with someone somewhere out there.

Have a good day.