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God put a smile upon your face

Second lesson : Never say what you think! (Especially at work)

This morning I had a Japanese class. When the class ended, my teacher asked me in Japanese how was my internship.
I answered straightforward “maamaa” which is in english “so so”.

As my classmates told me (they have lived several years in Japan) this was not appropriate.
They told me I had to answer “it was ok” even if I didn't think so. Because my teacher really don't care about my internship, this was just civility.

Maamaa or too bad for me^^
Never say your point of view, the opposite of “the french way”I should say. In France, when you are straightforward, it might mean that you are a strong personality or a mature person. In Japan it might be the source of gossip or anger and at least the evidence you are a selfish person.
So suffer but quietly please...

Lesson three: Never say what you think and smile (it helps)

I had lunch with all the staff. My boss was sitting in front of me. The all dinner was in Japanese, so I enjoyed. I enjoy my boss' smile. Her eyes were looking at me and these eyes were telling me “you don't know the tree quarters of what I'm saying” she was almost laughing.

Lesson four: You can lie if it's necessary should be more fun.

There was wine on the table but I don't know why, I prefer to share a glass of alcohol with my friends than people I just met (my boss is included). So I didn't take ( yes I didn't).
How funny it was when a french teacher asked me
- “So you don't take alcohol, but how old are you”
- “I' m twenty “
- “ Ah don't worry it will change with time”
- (Thank you I should say^^) “ You are right, it will change with time...”

I almost pass the exam now!

There was a surprise for me when I started to work.
They told me I was now working at the reception. Now I don't have to speak french all the time. So Glad...

“Now you should be able to answer on the phone”
“Na ...nani...”
“You know how to answer on the phone in french”
“ hai , demo ...(yes , but...)”

And then my favourite sentence appears:

“You can't refuse to do what the company asks you for”^^

So I'm suppose to understand and answer in Japanese which is crazy, and they know my level in Japanese. Should be fun.

But Today was There was little confessions and some complicity with few of my “workmate” I started to understand they were also my “suffering mates”.
“Don't worry, We all had to cope with what you have gone through”
My integration seems to improve.

ostukaresama deshita ...Ganbate

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# Posté le mercredi 28 janvier 2009 20:40

I 'm going to crack down

These days I realize important things.
First: I was really working in a Japanese firm.
Second : I was doing an internship in a Japanese firm.
Third : in three months I will still be doing an internship in a Japanese firm.

Then I start to crack down. And to be honest it's normal. There is a word for that in Japanese (If only I remembered it ), a word for the first two weeks as a trainee in a Japanese firm.

I'm sure you are going to understand very fast. Today I served about 20 coffees at my work ( Livanto, Capprichio...I'm pretty good at it). I did the washing up, I cleaned...I do every task everyone tell me as perfect as I can.
Perfection...that something in Japan you have to tend to do but as a “gaikokujin”, a foreigner, every one in my office is here to remind me that I will never tend to do a thing perfectly.
I fell indirectly denigrated, or nicely denigrated ( which is worst^^)

I start to crack down because it such a waste. I could do graph, statistics, communication, marketing (what I'm doing but so few). But it's not my role, my role is to be nothing, my role is to be gotten over.
Why did they take me here? To make coffees? .....Exactly.
To make coffees and to play the stupid french girl who has to ( I'm not jocking when I said I have to , they force me) speak ONLY in french with their students. That why they take me.
They really don't care about what I can do.

So imagine you are working on some project (statistics) then somebody comes and tells you « Pauline “il y aeuuuuu bientô la poooooz eu”, j'arrête l'accent Nippon, vous pouvez aller à la cuisine pour préparer le café et parler au élèves »

Ok you are going to say : So ? that's not to bad... It's just I feel stupid to be treated like that “Pauline now the class end you can do the dishes” “ That's far better to do this way...” 'Pauline you shouldn't wear jeans or tennis shoes” ...

For example, except one girl I'm the only french girl and at the beginning I was trying to speak in Japanese. Then they told me I have to speak to the students in french. I really didn't want but I forced myself and I spoke to them. Then they told me I shouldn't talk too long with them, I should only say “1.Hello 2.good morning/good afternoon, 3.my name is Pauline...” in brief salutations.
In japan politeness is very important there is a special expression for some of your behaviour
For example if you are leaving work before the other you should say “ o sakini shitsureishimasu”, which means “excuse me to leave work before you finish yours”. So Jennifer told me I shouldn't forget this kind of expressions and say it when it's appropriate.
Then When I left work I said the correct expression ...Too bad for me^^
In fact a french student was in the next room, so this was not good because as a french girl I'm not suppose to say that because this expression doesn't exist in french. So now I can only speak in french in my office that's official. Even if I want to learn Japanese and I'm taking twice a week classes to do it.

“Quand j'allais me pendre au plafond dans la toile que l'araignée tissait dans ma tête ...(Volo) »

As you can see today was a difficult day. Hope to succeed my “first two weeks” exam. I have to.

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# Posté le samedi 24 janvier 2009 11:16

Modifié le dimanche 25 janvier 2009 04:13

On prend les même et on recommence!

Avant de plonger dans un blog nippon ni mauvais

un profond dilemme philosophique me traverse au moment où je écris ces quelques lignes.
Oserais-je continuer ce blog en anglais ? Why not ? j'ai envie de dire.
Continuerez vous de lire ce blog si je parle dans la langue de Shakespeare ? Pas sûr...
On en a déjà parlé la crise, le chômage, la perte de valeurs humaines ... s'est déjà assez fatiguant pour nos neurones alors pourquoi lire le blog de pauliwen en anglais.

Désolé, en vérité mon choix était déjà fait, ce prologue servait avant tout pour vous prévenir et atténuer le choc.

Ikimashô

First I want to make sure certain point.
I'm a sane girl, I didn't chose Japan because I want to suicide myself neither because I 'm a masochist (perhaps).

So it has been four five days now, immersing in the land of the rising sun.
Can you believe? Me in this high consumption society, how paradoxical!
Especially in my district “Harajuku” (one of the “trendy” one) I meet every day this cosplays. Cosplays are Japanese dress up as their favourite manga character (or merely dress up in a weird way^^).

Questions?
-As I have already said to some of you the young Japanese girl in mini skirt isn't a myth.
-No I don't want to do the same.

Then move to one of my daily experience the Japanese's metro.
So crowded!! After India I didn't think I would meet again this kind of crowded place that makes you agoraphobic.
But In Japan all the time, you deal with discipline people. So you have to follow a certain side of the stairs if you or going up, the other side when you go down. You have to do the queue to get in the metro... And every one is very quiet.

In the metro I was standing up completely stucked! I started to realize that it remind me the concentration camp when people had been deported to Germany.
I started to imagine than the same thing was happening. Every one was so quiet, like they didn't know or they already accept their lot (leur sort en français). Akward desu ne?

See I start to think weirdly in Japan