This is my blog of my travels in Japan (starting in the spring of 2005)

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Anti-American

Today I experience anti-american sentiment directed at me for the first time. It was really odd. I was sitting in McDonalds. Which is an odd place to have anti-american views as the man who didnt like me was drinking his coffee from the American company. So, i had my iPod on and was listening to loud music when out of the corner of my eye, i see this guy about 3 feet a way pointing at me and shaking his fist. I couldnt hear him due to the iPod but the vein throbbing on the side of his neck showed me he was angry. I muted my iPod and i hear this guy screaming at me at the top of his longs. He spoke both Japanese and Chinese which got me confused. He was probably 50-60 years old. He yelled at me calling me an America, Australian and Canadian. Apparently everyone not Asian was on his shit-list. So i told him in Japanese that i dont feel like talking and to please go away. Then he spoke Chinese. So i told him in my limited Chinese that i was tired and wanted to eat and then said bye. He kept going. Everyone was looking at me to see what i would do.

A manager came up to him and told him to sit down. He sat down 20 feet away but for the duration of my stay, he just sat there and yelled at me across the restaurant. I was a bit annoyed that the passive Japanese culture and lack of balls from the McDonalds manager didnt ask him to leave. Not only was he threatening me, he annoyed the others there.

I just continued to eat my fries and listen to his rant. I wanted to act, either say something a bit more harsh, or punch him. But the Japanese system isnt kind to foreigners who lash out at Japanese.

4 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

you should have went over and sat next to him and just kept nodding your head. hi, hi hi, wakarimas

mt

12:34 PM

 
Blogger Sriracha said...

Stafford! You don't have to take that! Remember: the world is your friend when you speak Esperanto.

1:06 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

...and yet, it is so copacetic with Japanese harassing foreigners and annoying an entire restaurant full of people who just want to eat in peace. Maybe, you could have chomped on your food with your mouth wide open like our president, and see if that hit home with the guy. I like the other comments here, too.

8:11 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

When in doubt, just say "grrrrrrrr" with real intensity.

1:29 PM

 

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