Saturday, October 27, 2012

Preparing For It.....



By this time next yr I plan to have had my 1st experience with Japan. Folk close to me and those that have been there say I'll love it. There's no shortage of jokes as to the various people I'll be mistaken for and how to play up the "friendly stereotypical" encounters. I'm curious about this. I can imagine the fun to had when visiting for a short time. You know you will be home so there's a comfort.......but I do wonder about the folk that dont leave and how the "Black Imitation" subculture effects them. I came across this piece posted online and gives a view point that makes tons of sense to me and I could imagine being me. Just thinking out loud I guess check this small bit then visit the full post.


“Kokujin kakkoii!” is what I was often told whenever I asked what was behind the admiration of black people. Basically, I was cool, simply for being black. I admit it was a bit of an ego boost hearing it whispered behind me as I walked down the narrow yet crowded Takeshita –Dori in trendy Harajuku or while getting down on the dance floor till 5am in Shibuya. Sometimes people would come right up to me and say it. To which I would smile and say a simple thank you. 
But soon I started to feel like a celebrity without all the perks. People didn’t know me, yet they thought they knew what I was about. I got tired of conversations that started with ‘Where are you from? New York?’ ‘Are you a DJ? ‘ ‘What sports team do you play for?’ I’m from Canada, and I came here to teach English. Sorry to disappoint you.

Full Article Here

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