差別 Discrimination 遊園地 Amusement Parks

As the two titles suggest today is a double whammy. However the two topics are not connected.今日のトピックは二つだね。 でも　そのふたつは関係がない。

Okay, Discrimination “lovely title”, but no seriously. How do you tell if you are discriminating or not? It is obviously not so simple as someone pointing out differences. Like Bob’s Hair is green but Joe’s hair is red. There really isn’t anything wrong with something like a difference. However, I think it would be a little different if there were thoughts and prejudices associated with that difference assessment. Something like: Bob’s hair is green, so he is a good gardener and can only communicate with plants. There is then an assumption based in what was said. If we look it up in my dictionary

Discrimination is “The practice of treating somebody or a particular group in society less fairly than others.”

はい、はい。　差別　楽しいトピックではないですね、でも僕はほんきですよ。　誰かは差別をするかどうかが分かり方は何ですか？　差別は違う点を対しているだけじゃないですね。　例えば田中の髪は緑なんですけど山田は赤毛です。　そんな事は違わないですね。　でも違うのは　田中の髪は緑だから野菜を植えるのは上手および野菜だけが理解できます。　

辞書で調べたら差別は　「ある基準に基づいて、差をつけて区別すること。扱いに違いをつけること。また、その違い」

Okay. Why even bring this up.

オケー。　どうしてこのトピック

Nearly a week ago now on Sunday, I played sports with a large group of people from two of the Colleges here. I was the only American in the group and everyone else was either Japanese or exchange students.

一週間前の日曜日僕は学校へ行って二つの学校から来た人達とバレーをしました。僕は一人のアメリカ人でした。　たにんは日本人か留学生でした。

In America, since I was little whenever we played sports, we split the teams by a choice system to avoid discriminating. Like we choose leaders and then have them choose players one by one based on whatever. Some people get picked last and is that because they are being discriminated against? I don’t know. However, with the group I played with Sunday we first split up by gender and then numbered off or used rock-paper-scissors to split into teams. Always first was gender. For some reason that bothered me. Mostly because if we did that in America the girls would have killed us(figuratively speaking.) Also, the conversational emphasis was on whether there was an even number of guys and not whether the same was for the women or not. It’s an obvious implication someone thinks “Women are weak,” whether they really do or not. I don’t know how to react to that because if it happens in America someone vocalizes their thoughts and shuts down the person who started it. Here, everyone went with it like it was perfectly normal.

チームを選ぶ前に皆は性で分かれました。　毎度　この事が起こりました。　アメリカでだったら皆はその事を始まった責任を持つ人にはチャンと叱りました。　性の区別をしたら　アメリカでは女性達は怒りますけど　日本では大丈夫だそうです。　　怖いと思いますけど　起こったら　僕はどうするかどうかが分からないので混乱してきました。　

Well enough on that. Amusement parks. Why Amusement parks? Because I went to one yesterday. A place called Fujikyuu Highland. I went with a group of 5 other people. We were only at the park about 5 hours and only got to ride 5 times. Just right, once per hour. The rides we rode were “fujikyuu (79meters tall, top speed 137km),” “do-don-pa(top speed 179km),” and “eejanaika.” The last one was the most fun. You strap into these highly restraining seats which were able to spin as though they were the wheels on a car. Then you go through the ride, backwards. It was awesome. While I could regale you with the details of the rides further, I actually have a cultural observation for this.

Okay, in America you go to a theme park and you either get a wrist band or entrance into the park itself acts as your all day ride pass. Here in Japan it’s a little different. We first paid and got a ticket, then when we got to the park we put that ticket in this little machine. The machine took our picture and put it on a personal ticket. It was cool. (Still have the ticket.) Now, everytime before you rode a ride you had to show this pass.

Which brings me to another thing. The ride staff is very Japanesized. They apologize everytime they invade your personal space and check the buckles. They clap once the ride starts and when you return. Some of them even do “Hi-fives” as the ride starts. Also, as is typical in a customer-staff relationship they use only polite forms.

While all the rest of that stuff is cool, this next thing is the one thing I would rather never have to endure again: subliminal brainwashing. Each of the rides we rode except the Fujikyuu had a themesong, or rather a recording. This recording consisted of just the rides name repeated on into eternity. For the first few minutes it’s kind of nice but when you have to hear “Do-don-pa” for about an hour straight, it’s annoying. I am not sure of the intended result but I won’t ever be able to forgot those rides names ever again in my life. Which is just wrong.

富士急ハイランドへ行きました！！！　それだけで十分かなー？　ほかの事は遊園地のことについて

Okay.. next I have some other news: I would like to thank Becca for sending me another hand drawn picture!! J It’s awesome!

Also I want to thank my aunt for all the correspondance that I have been sent. Thanks!

最後のはベッカはもう一つの絵を送ったので　ありがとうを伝えました。

Later, 언녕,またね, Adios, Arrivederci, Au revoir, Tschu:s, that all?