Culture note 2: Eating an apple in Japan is believed to cause Kaburitsuki which near as I can tell means that because of the way you are eating the apple, you will bash in your gums and bleed all over the place.
Never had that happen... ever. (Ka-boo-ree-tsoo-key)
Culture note 3: Eating an apple in Japan while walking is seen as similar to hocking a loogie onto the sidewalk. It's apparently really that bad in the manners department. Of course this is only generally speaking, I think.
Trivial note 1: One of Death Note's Shinigami (death gods/soul reapers) had a penchant for apples and often eats them marukajiri in the anime, manga, and live actions movie versions of Death Note.
Now that you are armed with that information, please proceed to the core material of this post.
I was walking out of the school while munching on my apple (like I do about every day) when I got stopped by the principal. She was gesturing strangely and saying something I could barely make out through the windows of the school office. I thought she was just teasing me about my marukajiri, like everyone else seems to want to do. This thought wasn't helped by her exaggerated tone, and weird apple-eating mimicry gyrations she made as she repeated over and over again "Dame," "Dame," occasionally even making an X with her arms for added effect.
(Dame, btw, means "No! No good! Don't do that!" when said in succession.) (Da-may)
At the time, I just smiled and kept walking. She was most certainly not going to make a good conversation partner. After all, when Japanese people revert to speaking in simple, single words, it is because they've assumed a mental posturing that is insulting to me. They assume that you are a small neanderthal monkey incapable of basic communication in their "very difficult" language. Of course, it's only made more difficult by these inane attempts at communication.
I was technically on the way home, so I had just slipped out of my slippers into my normal shoes and was about to leave school grounds before this all happened. However, upon exiting I saw another teacher on smoke break. Seeing a chance, I immediately sought out his thoughts on what just happened. This was a shot in the dark because I'd never actually held a conversation with this teacher before longer than a couple minutes, but he was more likely to prove to be a communicating adult.
So while he smoked, I ate my apple, and we chatted.
I asked him if the principal was serious and whether I should stop eating the apple I was already eating. (Wouldn't that be a waste!) He basically said something similar to "it would be better if you just joined me here until you finish that apple." Translated through the English cultural barrier that means something closer to "Don't even think about walking anywhere while eating that apple, idiot."
My stream of consciousness is running like mad as I continue chewing my apple to gain time. "Ouch! that was harsh.. but at least he's using full sentences... gotta focus on the positive.. the positive .. ugh, I'll have fun sorting this one out later... " >_<
While I recovered, he said in plain terms something about eating apples while walking is Dame. My response was quick and far too direct for Japanese communication, but it was basically "Eh? Really? I've been doing that since I came to Japan and no one has done me the favor of ever telling me that."
-insert dejected look here-
Then I asked a string of questions that would sound utterly simplistic and pandering in English but just happen to be the best way to sound curious in Japanese. I had a short five to ten minute conversation with him as I scarfed my apple down. About the time I finished my apple, the teacher was kind enough to tell me that I had ten minutes to get the train station... and then smile while saying "If you hurry you can make it right?"
Before taking off running, my response was "了解、焦ります." (Literally: Roger that, Hurrying.")
Yes, it sounds stupid, even in Japanese, I think.
The results of my conversation with that teacher are basically contained in culture point #3 at the top of this post, but apparently, it is extremely bad manners to walk and eat anything in Japan. I repeat, anything. Eating an apple is okay, just not while walking. The reasons given for this were basically two-fold. (1)Some teachers are afraid that the students might start imitating me, but (2)the principal is particularly nervous that people in the neighborhood will start spreading rumors about the local ALT eating apples while walking.
Sadly, I do not know the cultural reasons for Japan being up in arms against eating while walking.
However, the breakdown of the above reasons are as follows.
(1)Japan for whatever reason has, in general, a serious manners taboo about not sitting down or at least staying in one place to enjoy your food. Teachers, per their position, have not only a responsibility to educate their students but to set a good example as well. This seems contradictory to me because I see students in Japan often eating at their desks in the classrooms, mainly at lunchtime, but even between classes. However, they never eat in the halls, and near as I can tell, there is a punishment if they do.
Thankfully the teachers won't mind if I eat my apple in the office while sitting down even if it is marukajiri. So, I will continue to do it that way.
(2)Okay, so for this one you're probably thinking something similar to my initial knee-jerk thoughts. Right, so what if the neighbors spread rumors about me eating an apple while walking? I mean, I do eat apples while walking, so where is the harm in that. It's just the chatter of some busy bodies.
Well, let me work a little cultural translation magic for you. The phrase "spread rumors about you" (噂をする) doesn't mean just that they are simply talking about you. The phrase has the connotation of stating that they see you as 不良 (furyou)... which transliterated means "not-good," but is more like "delinquent" or like the "bad" in the phrase "bad company" (不良仲間). If you have this kind of image, it can reflect badly on the school because in Japan people are not thought of as individuals but are thought of as individuals of this organization, that group or whatever. So, I would be causing problems unwittingly and unnecessarily for my fellow teachers.
So, moral of today's story? It took som
e strange comical antics on the part of my principal for me to finally learn that something I was doing was considered bad manners by Japanese people. I'm still trying to fully convince myself that I should be grateful for that. But, I am grateful that I now know.
Even if it took almost eight months of me eating apples marukajiri for someone to tell me.
^- That is one 不良 looking guy, eh?
Ed, that was both hilarious and instructive. I learned a bit more about how I serve food to my Japanese home stay students as well. I think that you will probably eat your apples in private at your desk from now on, because...you do have good manners. Wow. What a cultural difference. Wonder what other land mines are out there waiting to trip you up?
ReplyDeleteInteresting post, but you say:
ReplyDelete{After all, when Japanese people revert to speaking in simple, single words, it is because they've assumed a mental posturing that is insulting to me. They assume that you are a small neanderthal monkey incapable of basic communication in their "very difficult" language.} But isn't that you assuming what their thinking, not the other way around? I agree that SOMETIMES when people talk that way it is for your imagined reason, but not always, and if you don't interface with them (especially your boss/principal), how will they ever know any better?
It's good that you're constantly conscious of your different cultural frame, but I would warn you not to forget that neither one is better than the other. Have you ever looked at someone walking and eating at the same time? They look ridiculous. I still do it, but only when i am in a rush, and that is probably pretty obvious to everyone who sees me, and reflects poorly on my ability to manage my time as well as my lack of manners. Something to think about.
btw, 焦る is hurry haphazardly or without care, so it is always used as a negative thing like speeding or freaking out. You should use 急ぐ.
Thanks for the food for thought.
ReplyDeleteI've come to understand things a lot differently since this post.
Also, I found out the person who I thought was the principal, wasn't the principal. So, looking back, I can tell just by that lack of basic knowledge that I had a lot to learn and most likely still do now.