(I'm so sick of corporate media bad news that I can't relate to at all. I'm going to print some good news.)
Komono, Japan
At 08:14 on Thursday, October 28, a clerk at a convenience store (Ministop) in Komono, Japan, reached across the counter and asked the customer, Daniel T. Kirk, legal alien, if she could adjust his collar.
The clerk adjusted his collar, and Kirk thanked the clerk in flawless Japanese.
"I thought that was really nice," said Kirk. "I was on my way to make a presentation in Kuwana, and wanted to look nice. She was really helpful. I'll go back to... that store again, maybe with some cookies for the clerk."
"I thought that was really nice," said Kirk. "I was on my way to make a presentation in Kuwana, and wanted to look nice. She was really helpful. I'll go back to... that store again, maybe with some cookies for the clerk."
3 comments:
I find the convenience store people very friendly and helpful (e.g. for directions even). But here in Fukui we have had three 'burning incidents', including two burnt cars, to send the message to foreigners: get out. So it's not like I'm going to be enthusiastic about what it all means for internationalization here.
CEJ, I posted this comment as a response to what that specific incident in Fukui.
I had written some comments on Arudou Debito's web site about the article that covered those incidents in Fukui. You can read them on his site, but in light of the events occurring in China at that time, I think the burning of stuff in Fukui is more like the work of a copy-cat, drunk, fire bug youngster who wanted a reason to torch something just like the people he saw on TV. I don't find the act there to be significant of a sea change of sentiment around the country. To the contrary, my story here illustrates that people are friendly and open just as well as the story about Fukui proves the opposite.
The media can be trusted to publish the most sensational news available without regard to meaning or accuracy. The good news I published here or that you publish on your site is more likely to be significant and reliable than anything big media can muster.
OK, we had the three incidents: one the flag and note at an Indian restaurant, two the burnt car and note at the mosque near my university (University of Fukui), three the burnt car and note at the Brazilian family's house near Fukui University of Technology.
I'm not really sure what is going on here. However, we do have a neighborhood that has a considerable number of Brazlians and Chinese working in Fukui City.
So I find the third incident more troubling. I myself was attacked by someone trying to commit 'vehicular homicide'. It was a drunken construction worker type in the big white van with ladders. That was not a very pleasant experience. I do notice that when Fukui people think I'm Arab, or Iranian or Brazilian (because of my S. Italian appearance), they can be unpleasant--suspecting me of shoplifting, etc.
I don't visit Debito's website because he is just a publicity hound.
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