Shiira.Shiira

It’s Black History Month but I haven’t heard too much mention of that fact.  Perhaps we don’t need it anymore.  We have, after all, elected our first Black (African American) President.  Personally, I can live with or without it but on a basic level this year, my contemplation of a lack of celebration just reminds me on an incident that occurred during a visit to Japan.  Read on…

I met Minami November 2008. She bunked with me for just a short time during my stay at Khaosan Hostel Asakusa, Japan during my very first trip abroad. Minami-chan checked in late in the night so I didn’t discover her until bright and early the next A.M. She was a morning person, practically rising with the sun and chirping away like a little bird. She was an absolute delight; beautiful, vibrant, and full of wonder. Our 2^nd room partner, on the other hand, was the polar opposite of Minami-chan and she took an immediate dislike to me.

I don’t remember her name but her presence in the room was strong. Slight as she was, her dark hair hanging the length of her back, she seemed to be a study in disdain. Her side of the room was neat and tidy to the point I figured she suffered from obsessive compulsive disorder. Seriously, she wore gloves when dealing with her own belongings.

The morning after Minami’s arrival, the two of them began tittering away in Japanese. My language proficiency at the time was next to nothing but I didn’t mind the camaraderie their shared heritage brought them. As they spoke together, words flying from their lips in traditional Japanese cadence, I simply contemplated brochures garnered from the lobby in an attempt to determine my course for the day. I barely registered their conversation until a single word burst into the room, landing in my psyche with a thud! “Gaijin”. Roomie 2 had called me gaijin. Glancing my way, she lowered her eyes and delivered the word with a flick of her chin, as if to physically throw the word so that it landed next to me with intent and purpose. I was mortified.

I’ve heard of the “gaijin” phenomenon and I’m sure most of you who are avidly fascinated by the Japanese culture/language have heard of it as well. I won’t get into the in’s and out’s only to say that for the most part, Japan can be very protective of its homogeneity and on occasion attempts to keep “outsiders” and “foreigners” operating solely at the fringes of its society. That’s all well and good. I’m normally a proponent of the “to each his own” theory so I figured I shouldn’t let this perceived tongue lashing get my nose out of joint. I simply continued to peruse the colorful pamphlets that outlined the lay of the land and marked spots I thought I’d be interested in visiting.

Later that morning in the community room Minami joined me in plan making. We spoke together excitedly, she in her broken English, me in broken English as well, as Roomie #2 entered the room. She had cleaned up her bunk, assembled her things inside her suitcase and was checking out. As she sat in the community room awaiting her ride, she offered me bottled water she hadn’t consumed during her stay. Pointing to the refrigerator tucked in the corner of the communal kitchen, she mumbled a few words I took to mean “put this water I’m giving you into the refrigerator”. Somewhat taken aback by her offer I rose to receive the gift, bowing slightly in appreciation. As my upper body bent forward and the water was placed into my outstretched hands, I quietly whispered “arrigatou gozaimasu, demo, atatakai suki desu [thank you but I like it warm]”. The silence was palpable. She hadn’t assumed, I suppose, I had any knowledge at all of the language and probably wondered if her earlier use of “gaijin” had been completely understood by me. I neither confirmed nor denied the questioning she held in her eyes. Instead, Minami-chan and I tucked the bottle of water along with a few other items into our bag and made our way to the Asakusa Kannon area to take in a bus tour. We had great fun walking downtown together but before I knew it, I was dropped headlong into the opposite end of the “gaijin phenomenom” pool.  Myriad conversations were  tossed at me and my picture seemed to be taken endlessly by  tour participants as well as casual passersby.  It took some getting used to but the faces were friendly and smiles were very easy to come by.

It was a good day.  A very good day and gaijin or not, I thoroughly enjoyed myself.