Suited to the Climate

I've noticed that when some people want to rationalize being closed minded, one of the better explanations they use is that "such-and-such is best for me because it is suited to the climate." So western clothing is innapropriate because it isnt suited to the climate. Of course japanese clothing evolved because of the climate, but other things influence it too, such as religion, lord placing taxes on certain agricultural itesm, loss of dyes due to war, etc. Sorry not a good example but you see what I mean?

It might be a good reason but people tend to jump on it as an excuse that sounds more sophisticated than the more honest "I'm biased and frankly dont give a sh*t about the other options." EG "I like Japanese beer because it's is best suited to Japanese food and climate." There may be an element of truth to it but really most people I've met who say this have never taken more than a mouthful of foreign beer, much of which is not so different tan Japanese beer. Not to mention most of them can't tell the difference between beers, cheap and expensive beer and so on. It's all just BEER to them but somehow, when neccessary they invent this sensitive climate-controlled palate.

Ok, maybe I'm ranting. But I'm setting it up for what follows.

I've had the following kind of conversation with a few people with remarkable consistency.

"I don't buy foreign cars because they aren't suited to the climate here."
"Sure they are."
No, my mechanic friend told me they are bad."
"well, that's just his opinion."
"No no no, Japanese climate is diferent that Foreign Countries (!?). My friend had a Fiat and many times broken."
"But in Italy Fiats are often broken. They break a lot, anywhere. Look, there are many Japanese cars all over the world. Japanese cars work in Afghanistan, Brazil, Alaska..."
"They are different! The makers change before sending to Foreign Country."
"No they dont, but, ok... lets say they do... maybe foreign cars get changed before they come to Japan?"
A few blinks. That one almost worked, so he/she reverts to the "man in the White jacket" defense
"No, my friend is a mechanic said so."
"Some japanese cars here are actually made in the US. Not many, but some, and they work fine."
"No they are changed!"
"Look, inside the engine it's like 5000 degrees, It doesnt matter about climate, not much."
"No, japan climate is different" (see blogs about "Japan is Unique!")
Well what about Japanese cars sold in Hokkaido (like Alaska) and Okinawa (tropical.) Japanese cars work ok in both places."
"Because both places are in Japan!"

Well, duh, you can't argue with that.

Each country can do only one thing

I went into an office at a school where I teach and said hi to the guy at the desk. He was dripping with sweat and in a kind of uniform.
"Been playing soccer?" I asked.
"Yeah. Americans have just baseball, right?"
"No, we've got other sports."
"Like what?"
"Well, American football, of course, Basketball, hockey... and all the other ones like tennis, golf and so on."
"But no soccer, right."
"No, we play soccer."
"Yeah but you must have played baseball as a kid, right?"
"Yeah, but played soccer too. Actually I played soccer in elementary school and baseball in middle school.In high school I played Lacrosse, but that's kind of a minor sport."
"Ah, just as I suspected. You're a baseball player."
"Yeah but I played other sports too. Soccer and hockey are big in my hometown, probably more popular than basball."
"No way! Yeah but America isnt going to the world cup, right?" (It starts next month in Germany)
"No, we're going. I think we're in the top ten."

I wasn't trying to argue with the guy but if he asked me a question, I'd answer it. It kind of fits in the pattern here that countries or people froma country can do only one thing. So if my soccer friend met a Russian drinking a beer he'd short curcuit because we all know that Russians Drink Vodka. Period.

No One Would Ever Attack the Gov't

The other day the city of Dallas, texas came up for some reason. Whenever there is a class with anyone over the age of 40, you can't mention dallas, FOR ANY REASON, sports, oil, hurricane, whatever, but if you mention Dallas someone will say "I remember that's where kennedy got shot."
Then everyone will murmur in agreement. "Mmm, dallas, kennedy, mm, mm, kill, mmm"
Then someone will say he was handsome, what a waste, then someone will ask me why he was shot, was it the mafia, was it about oil, boy his wife was glamorous.
Often we'll conclude 1 of 2 ways.
Everyone will settle into an uneasy silence, shaking their heads, kinda zoned out, which is Japanese group body language for "We think it's messed up but we're too polite to say anything about it."
Or if someone is in the group who's a little more ballsey, they're conclude with something like "We japanese are very sad for you american people. we feel sorry that so many of your presidents are killed. we can't understand."

So the other day I said "yeah, I was surprised when the Dietmember (like a parliamentarian) was stabbed to death outside of his house in the middle of the afternoon last year."
To which everyone continued to murmur. "Mm, mm, terrible. Lincoln, mm, helped black people, mmm"
So I said "yeah, some man cam eright up to his house, rang the doorbell and stabbed him at the gate. he died on the street."
No one really heard me because they had turned off and were in group concur mode. But something registered. maybe like if you shouted your friend's name who was swimming underwater.
someone said "Mm? Where? recently?"
"About a year ago, i htink."
"In America?"
"No, in Japan."
"Oh, I heard about this. A muslim killed him in amsterdam"
"Yeah, similar story, but in tokyo."
"Tokyo? Eh? Why was the muslim man in tokyo?"
"No, a japanese politician was stabbed outside his home last summer but a right wing man"
"Eh? In japan? no! How could we know?"
(It was in the newspaper.)

my constant refrain: I dont think Japan is a terrible place, I think it's just like others but I wish everyone here and outside would realize that and pack away the dried out myths of yore. I cite this as an example of ordinary worldly educated people who dwell on the troubles of other places and turn a blind eye here.

Ever see a movie where a nice couple had thier son die in a car crash... he was a good student, handsome, star quarterback, gave his mom nice mother's day presents, was gonna go to princeton and marry his high school sweetheart and become a young president and invade cuba, no wait... well anyway, the bereaved mom keeps the boy's room exactly as it was, cleans it twice a day, and still talks about him in the present tense. her husband, nice guy, loves his wife but sometimes grows weary of the charade says "Honey, he's not coming to dinner, no he's not late Elisabeth, he's not gonna come late to dinner" all the while raising his voice gradually... "dont you understand!? he's -NEVER-coming-back!" until finally the woman gets it and breaks down.

well that's what it's like sometimes trying to get my students to nitice that bad things happen here, like shady business deals, health officials that shirk their duty, and so on.