CABL Forum - Re: Japan

Lived and worked there for 8 years. I loved and still love the place. Yeah some of what you say is true but a lot has changed. The whole not pointing out poor work or not doing their job is still there. Try dealing with Japanese engineers to get them to change or even lesion to the reasons you require things to be done a certain way was always a uphill battle.
You also let out that when they did not like what you said or they did not understand they would suck their teeth. But even with all the headaches I still loved it. As for the food I eat it all the time my wife is Japanese. I also had some of the best Italian and Mexican food I ever ate while I was there. Matched or beat anything here in the states.
There are places Gaijin's (foreigners) are not welcome but for the most part I felt welcome where ever I went. Even in clubs that did not want Gaijin's for the most part once they knew you were not there to start trouble they were cool. But then they either called me Henna Gaijin (Crazy Foreigner) or Kuma-san (Mr. Bear).
You also have to remember it's their country. I saw so many Americans come to Japan and get mad and be down right ignorant to the Japanese people because they could not understand they were not in America.
We Americans like it or not do the same things to foreigners here. We expect them to know our customs and other things and get upset when they don't.
You can take this for what you think it's worth, between working in cable and being in the military I've traveled to a good many countries. I've never gone to any of them with the expectation that it would be like the U.S. I always tried to fit in with the local culture the best I could. Yeah there were times I made mistakes or stuck out in the crowd (Try being a 6' 250 lbs white man in Asia) but I always had a great time, made some life long friends, drank many beers, ate some great food, and did my best not to be The Ugly American.

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Re: Japan