Seeking Local Advice

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Seeking Local Advice

I have to say that the one that still pisses me off to this day is when you go into a restaurant like a Korean Barbecue and they give everyone chopsticks until whitey walks up and then they give you a plastic fork and spoon assuming that you can't use chopsticks.

That's because I cringe everytime I see someone who THINKS they know how to use a pair of chopsticks and embarrasses themselves when they can't even pick up a wet noodle.

Here's a test:

1) Pick up five grains of uncooked rice one at a time with laquered chopsticks
2) Debone chicken with one hand using chopsticks

When I was 4-years old I had to learn to use chopsticks or starve. Now chopsticks are a natural extension of my hands. When I was in the service and was an electronic tech, I used to hold the two probes of my Volt Ohm Meter like chopsticks and probe two points of a circuit board with one hand while using the other to make adjustments. My co-workers were amazed that I could do all that at the same time. Now I use chopsticks to pick up small washers and screws that fall into tight places when I do upgrading work on my computer.

But I understand racism because one day up in Idaho some jack ass started making these howling noises pretending to be Bruce Lee, saying, "I'm scared of that little guy who knows martial arts" He was looking at me while I was shopping for shorts at the "County Seat" store in Boise, Idaho. He came up to me and started harassing me, egging me to impress him. I told him I don't do impressions and turned away. When he wouldn't leave me alone I told him to hold his arm up so I could see his wristwatch. Hitting it with a kinetic punch he never felt a thing as I contacted it but when he dropped his arm, he could literally hear every little gear tinkle off their mounts.

I told him that was his watch...imagine if I hit him over his heart. Friggin asshole. In this case he assumed right that I knew something.

[haole_pupule]

Re: Seeking Local Advice

you got me on the multimeter. i used to use my teath.

one again...racism sucks no matter where you are or who you are.

[Erika Engle]

Re: Seeking Local Advice

Omigosh PZ -- from your quote:

And the thing about holding up traffic, against the norms of driving, just to be nice? I've only seen that here and am surprised you attribute it to Texas. Sometimes, like in Waimanalo, it's just the way things are done...

... to a personal anecdote.

I was heading out of Waimanalo (toward Kailua) one day when I had to stop behind a woman's car. She stopped (no traffic light) because a man was standing at the crosswalk. Just standing there.

She motioned for him to go ahead and cross ... he didn't.

He motioned for HER to keep driving. She didn't.

I, stopped behind her with all four kids in my mini-van, got REAR ENDED by another driver who wasn't paying attention.

The man never did cross the road. The lady who caused the problem by stopping on the highway for NO REASON -- drove off in a hurry. I was so shaken up/concerned about my children, that I didn't get her license number. The police officer who responded said it probably would not have mattered anyway.

Yeah, I gotcher "Drive with Aloha" right here!

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Seeking Local Advice

That's okay Erika...the guy who hit you from behind was at fault for inattentive driving.

Get this, I was at a stoplight behind two cars. The car behind me was also stopped but for some reason he thought the light turned green despite the three cars in front of him still waiting for the light to change.

He rammed my company truck's rear bumper. When I called my boss he took me directly to Straub for drug testing. Yeah even though it wasn't my fault, I had to take a drug test.

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Seeking Local Advice

When I called my boss he took me directly to Straub for drug testing. Yeah even though it wasn't my fault, I had to take a drug test.

Which one did you get to test? How was it?

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Seeking Local Advice

Which one did you get to test? How was it?

Urine test. How was it? Hmmmm not bad a bit on the salty side but not bad

Actually it was three hours away from work so I can't say it was an inconvenience.

[i-hungry]

Re: Seeking Local Advice

Hey Chris,

It takes some time to blend in. Don't worry about it. Its normal. Just be friendly and things should work out, to a certain extent at least.

I lived here all my life but there's always certain groups or places where its tough to fit in. Some folks can be very exclusive even in the "land of aloha".

In regards to your work background, do you have a military haircut? That could be a look that some local folks may not warm up to. Well maybe not so easily.

I used to hang out with a coworker who was in the military. He mentioned the some similar things but he was a dark skin hispanic guy.

Aloha
OK a little too much into it. I was wondering if there was anything we could do to help fit in. We have some local friends, one of whom is a teacher at Kamehameha. I ask them for pointers but they just say not to worry about them and that they are ignorant. Are they right? Working for the military apparently doesn't help either. There is definitely some bad blood there.

[dick]

Re: Seeking Local Advice

I have lived here for two years, and I travel a lot to Asia. I have seen a lot of similarities between certain things that you have mentioned and cultural characterisitics of asian countries.

First off, in the list of things you mentioned experiencing, I noticed you said something about someone bumping into you and not saying excuse me. This is very common especially amongst Japanese people. They never say excuse me. They will never hold the door for you. They will never say thank you if you were to hold a door for them. You will be lucky if they make any effort at all to look at you or acknowledge your existance. The smug judgemental stairs are also very common. They tend to do this to each other too, so don't take it too personally.


I have to say that the one that still pisses me off to this day is when you go into a restaurant like a Korean Barbecue and they give everyone chopsticks until whitey walks up and then they give you a plastic fork and spoon assuming that you can't use chopsticks.

Hmmm.. oddly enough I lived in Tokyo and its suburbia for three years and found the place and people nothing to be what you describe. While there I found some people to be rude, but in a huge metropolis that is to be expected.

Of course I have reason to be suspect of most of what you write when we are subjected to such gems as "smug judgemental stairs."

Stairs?

I hate when stairs judge me.

Stunning.

Sorry you feel this way, but crass racist swill such as what you're spewing makes me sick.

[MadAzza]

Re: Seeking Local Advice

Hmmm.. oddly enough I lived in Tokyo and its suburbia for three years and found the place and people nothing to be what you describe.

Well, of course. You tower over everyone there, as you do pretty much everywhere except Samoa. They were probably terrified of you.

I've been to Japan several times, though I don't have your depth of experience. I was generally treated quite well and enjoyed my visits. However, in Hawaii, middle-aged women of a couple of ethnicities are constantly (and quite deliberately) banging into me (in the mall, in the grocery store, in the street) in a way I've never experienced anywhere else. That's not "racist swill." It's my experience, and I'm not the only one.

I'm puzzled by this phenomenon, and find it a bit humorous. I find that an immediate reciprocal bump from my sizeable, cushy hip (followed by an "excuse me," of course) makes everything hunky-dory. It re-clears the path, and the ladies don't seem much bothered by finding themselves suddenly launched sideways a couple of feet into the Swatch display at Macy's. "I was going to go over here anyway. Hey, look at that, they've got Hello Kitty watches!"

I guess I don't understand what you see as "racist swill" in the post you responded to. Maybe you could clarify? I see someone relating experiences and trying to make sense of them, just as I do. Perhaps it would be less self-defeating not to do so out loud, though, in certain company.

[MadAzza]

Re: Seeking Local Advice

Many of us may express our essence on the bumpers of our cars, be it a Dominican Republic flag, a Hawaiian flag, a gay pride flag, an Apple sticker, a Calvin-peeing-on-a-Honda-logo sticker... And there's nothing wrong with that.

Yes, there is. It shows that whoever owns the car is a classless jerk, in the case of the "Calvin peeing" character. Yeah, let's take a smart, politically and socially adroit, clever character and drag it down to a gutter lever that some prosimian drunk asshole can understand. What is with these pathetic boy-men who think it's SO MANLY to show someone urinating? Sorry about your penis, dude. Same goes for any "(ethnic group) pride" stickers. These are for people who have not actually accomplished anything, so they fall back on their race/ethnicity in a sad attempt to hitch their wagon to someone else's ... what, I'm not sure. These also are the same people who throw cigarettes and other crap out their car windows. What do they care? Look how edgy they are! Calvin peeing on a Honda logo! How clever!

I should put this stuff in the "what pisses me off" thread. Vanity, racial pride and/or stereotyping, and foul language/behavior displayed publicly really piss me off. And makes me depressed about the human race.

Don't get me started on those idiots who fly the state flag upside down, then walk into the grocery store and buy cigarettes and shitty green beer with their cash while they pay for their Cheetos, Pampers and TV dinners with EBT cards.

Stop the hypocrisy!

[MadAzza]

Re: Seeking Local Advice

That's because I cringe everytime I see someone who THINKS they know how to use a pair of chopsticks and embarrasses themselves when they can't even pick up a wet noodle.

Really? Did you get equally cringey at the story in another thread about the Filipino schoolkid who had no idea how to use cutlery properly?

I don't think they're embarrassing themselves, Craig. They're probably just fine without your approval.

[dick]

Re: Seeking Local Advice

I guess I don't understand what you see as "racist swill" in the post you responded to. Maybe you could clarify? I see someone relating experiences and trying to make sense of them, just as I do. Perhaps it would be less self-defeating not to do so out loud, though, in certain company.

I dunno, wild, across-the-board generalizations that Japanese people never say "excuse me," push "whiteys" (not said, but definitely implied) out of the way, etc. Come on, that's just idiotic. "They bumped me... I'm white... that must mean they're after me..."

You mean to say you've never been bumped by some caucasian? Back in my Idaho days, I've been the bumpee many a time... And it don't get much whiter than south-eastern Idaho... Those sales at ZCMI can get pretty wild...

I have reason to believe there was only terror in mosh pits when I was there (in Tokyo)... still not sure why, though... I kept my demeanor in the streets (for the most part...)

I did, however, enjoy your urinating Calvin, blahblahblah post, however...

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Seeking Local Advice

...and I loved the image brought to mind by this:

and the ladies don't seem much bothered by finding themselves suddenly launched sideways a couple of feet into the Swatch display at Macy's. "I was going to go over here anyway. Hey, look at that, they've got Hello Kitty watches!"

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Seeking Local Advice

Hey Maddie...take your meddies before you go on a rampage again okay?

When I say "cringe" I mean when someone claims to "know" how to use chopsticks and really doesn't...kinda like someone who thinks they know how to play a musical instrument and cannot, I cringe at that too.

There may not be a right way or wrong way...but there is a proper way. Be it etiquette or not, it's being proper when using something tied to one's culture...like dancing the hula accurately and not turning it into a competition.

As for ethnic flags...I don't see a problem with displaying them. It does show a connection with their beliefs and we are entitled to them whether it be a radio station bumper sticker to a Live Aloha or a Manoa sticker. The only time I consider it a statement of civil disobedience is when (as you mentioned) the sticker is placed inappropriately...like not properly holding chopsticks and proclaiming that you are.

Now Calvin peeing on a Honda...that's a statement. I own a BMW so I take no offense to it . I also own a Honda and I can vouch by that sticker It's sick humor but hey...I laugh when I see it.

Now stupid jerk car window statements are like the ones I see here on the Big Island (and everybody's probably seen them as well elsewhere), such as "Shut your Face" or "You move when I move". There's absolutely nothing funny about those and could possible provoke someone with less patience to act upon the statement.

Maddie I understand...it's not easy being a journalist and staying objective for as long as you work during the day, but you do and you have to. But when you take off that editor's badge and you can write how you feel, I know it must feel really good like scratching that itch you couldn't all day.

It's like being a sales associate at a retail store and having to take all the bullshit from arrogant customers because you have to...then going to another retail establishment just waiting to berate another customer who pushes you aside to get to the sales person you were talking to.

But being a local Japanese...I always open/keep doors open for anyone behind me. I always politely say excuse me when I need to pass someone in a grocery aisle whether I'm encrouching in their personal space. That's common courtesy.

[MadAzza]

Re: Seeking Local Advice

Hey Maddie...take your meddies before you go on a rampage again okay?

What are you, psychic?

By the way ... no "objectivity" here. I work in the editorial section! I love telling people that when they call to complain about how "biased" our editorials are. Uh, yeah, this is the OPINION section!

To a reader, "biased" = "I disagree with it."
"Objective" = "I agree with it."

Haaaa!