Andrew,
Perhaps living in this country of bountiful rove and lespect has blunted
your sense of humour? And that of your wife? Since when is laughing at the
quirks of language racist? You said it--Many Asians, including Japanese, DO
have problems with 'l's and 'r's. That being the reality, why not have fun
with it? Nick is just as quick to use self-deprecating humor. There is no
double standard that I can see, and therefore no racism.
I consider your comment 'your kind hosts in Japan' a little bewildering: As
far as I am aware, Nick is not an exchange student, but a long-term
permanent resident, as am I. This is a free country, of which I am a
resident, not a guest. I will let Nick speak for himself, but I suspect that
he is in a similar position. He, I, you, or anyone else is free to express
their opinions.
And, just as an aside, your 'kind hosts' remark clearly marks you as someone
who has not been here long, if you live here at all. People in Japan can be
both kind and unkind, just as people anywhere can. The culture places a
premium on *appearing to be kind*, which people who visit or who have not
been here for very long often mistake as genuine kindness. Your shrill
comments, and resorting to your wife's ethnicity further mark you.
Regards,
Nik
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Received on Sat Oct 15 18:41:27 2005