Three days after the Massive Earthquakes in Japan.

Three days have passed. We still have many aftershocks here.



The Prime Minister of Japan announced that they are starting rolling blackouts in the northern half of Japan last night, but not when they start.


This morning, many commuters were surprised to learn many trains weren't running. The people made long lines around stations in the capital region.


I checked the internet and they said these rolling blackouts will continue until the end of April and possibly into summer.


I thought I needed a big bucket to flush the toilet because it doesn’t work when blackouts happen. So I went to a supermarket nearby.


There were so many people around the shop, something I hadn’t seen before. Too many people were in the supermarket, and many were walking.


I think they started buying up food because they had learned many factories had stopped and that food would be scarce.


My first priority was not food but a big bucket. I left there and went to a small local hardware store. Since the shop is small, I believed there would not be too many people and they would not have sold all their buckets.


Bingo!


There were only a few people buying small tanks. I was able to find a big bucket!


One hour from now, the blackout will be here.






Thank you!





http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_blackout





Koir, thank you as always!

Two days after the massive earthquakes in Japan.

Two days have passed since the earthquakes here.



There is only news about the accidents in the newspapers. All of the TV channels have been broadcasting solely about this disaster. They are showing videos from the time the biggest earthquake and tsunami occurred, giving explanations of how radioactivity leaked, reporting where and how many people have been isolated, and commenting on the many rescue teams from foreign countries that are arriving to help us. (We really, really appreciate it. Right now, the announcer is saying that teams from the US, China, Germany, Switzerland and some other countries have come. )


I live in Kawasaki city, Kanagawa prefecture which is located next to Tokyo. We have only had the usual sized earthquakes here, however, bottles of water are scarce in stores. I saw some men buy all the boxes of bottled water in a supermarket. I think they have two reasons to do so. The first reason may be that tap water has been smelling of Chlorine since the day before yesterday. We usually drink tap water and don’t store bottled water, so we need to buy bottled ones now. (I believe we will be able to drink tap water after boiling it.) The second might be that they think there will be some larger earthquakes near here and we might lose the lifelines that we have, because the seismic activity seems to be coming nearer.


Some of the shoppers’ eyes seemed to be panicked. There are no more butane gas cartridges in stores around here.






Thank you for reading this gloomy story!



coltostallion, thank you for helping!

Massive earthquakes occurred yesterday in Japan

Around 2:50 p.m. yesterday, an earthquake happened. I changed the TV channel to NHK as usual. I always watch NHK when an earthquake occurs.



The breaking news appeared on the top of the TV screen, and it said a massive earthquake had occurred.


Suddenly, the power went out and the TV turned off.


It was long-period oscillation, so I thought the epicenter was far from here.


I put my emergency belt bag on, took the radio and my cell phone, and left the house.


The ground kept shaking.


I’ve had many earthquakes here in Japan, but I’ve never this big.


I heard a car alarm from a vehicle left in a nearby parking lot.


The neighbors came out of their house.


We thought our house might collapse.


I looked up to the power poles and lines to check if they fell down. At the same time, I saw a passenger aircraft flying to the west. This was not the usual flight path, so I thought HANEDA airport must have been closed and the airplane had been diverted. My house is near the airport.


I learned that the main source was in the Pacific near the Tohoku area located in the east-north part of Japan.


I wanted to know if my family was safe, but the phone was not working.


I tried to email many times with my mobile, but I only succeeded twice before the battery power got too low.


I regretted that I hadn’t bought a small power-generating equipment to charge up my phone.


The blackout finished about 9:30 last night.


Luckily, all of my family members were safe.


My house doesn’t have any problems now.


However, I see the TV footage of the disastrous tsunami.


They say the number of missing is over 1300.


Now I don’t know what I can do.






Thank you.



Koir, thank you for correcting my English as always.

Comments from Alejandro in Chile

Alejandro : I find this to be a very interesting topic. I would like to simply add that one of my teachers at the center where I study Japanese here in Chile seems to dislike using the word 'gaijin' as well, and prefers 'gaikokujin'. Her rationale was, if I remember correctly, that, while 'gaijin' is not derogatory in itself, 'gaikokujin' suggests a respect for the other person (being more formal), whereas the former has no such connotation, and could therefore be interpreted as being impolite.







Yuri : Alejandro, thank you for reading and answering.


Most Japanese people say the word “gaijin” without knowing that.


It might be causing troubles between people from foreign countries and Japanese. What can we do for that???

My Answers to Columbine

(C=Columbine, Y=Yuri)




C : ユリさんの質問に関しては、ちょっと複雑と思います。






Y : I didn’t know the issue was controversial or complicated.


この問題が物議を醸しているとも複雑だとも知りません でした。


Thank you for answering.


答えてくださってありがとうございます。










C : 外国人は日本について学び始めると、必ず『日本人は外 国の事をよく分からない』や　『日本人に取って、外国 人が宇宙人みたいん』の意見を聞いています。それはや っぱり正しくないですが、何か普通になりました。






Y : Yes, the comments are right. Most Japanese people don’t know or understand foreign countries well. Let me say this, though, many people in foreign countries don’t understand Japan.


その通りです。ほとんどの日本人は外国のことを知らな いし、理解していません。でも言わせていただければ、 外国にいる外国人の方たちは、日本を理解していません 。










C : もちろん、その意見は大学で、日本人の友達で、直して いますが、日本の社会をよく分からないの人の中で、そ のような意見に信じている人はいっぱいんです。






Y : Those comments about Japanese people are correct, I’d say.


Most Japanese people have never met people from foreign countries. When those people first meet a person from a foreign country, the Japanese people would be so impressed and overreact.


私としては、そういうコメントは正しいと思います。


外国人の方に会ったことがない日本人はたくさんいます 。そういう人たち初めて外国の方にお会いしたら、もの すごく驚いて過剰反応するでしょう。


And I think you would say you don’t understand why those Japanese people are surprised meeting foreigners.


でも多分あなたは、どうして日本人が外国人と会ったか らといって驚くのか、わからないでしょうね。


Have you imagined that you have never met people who are not your race?


人種の違う人と会ったことがなかったらと、想像してみ たことはありますか？










C : それにも、日本の社会に着いて勉強し始めるの人でも、 他の外人から変な意見と聞いています。「日本人があな たの事を『外人』と呼ぶ、悪口だ。人種差別的な響きが ある.」だから、日本人は「外人」を付けると、外国人達、「実は、日本人さんは私の事がすきじゃないの？ばか


にするの？」と心配します。






Y : I see. I didn’t know the word was such infamous. I got it.


そうだったんですか。そんなに評判の悪い言葉だとは知 りませんでした。










C : 多分、この考え違いの理由は:


1)英語で、人を国籍で呼ぶのは人種差別的な響きがあります。たとえば『ジャップ』『パッキ (パキスタン人）』






Y : I know that “Jap” is a derogatory term, but how about “Japanese”?


If I call you English, is that a discrimination?










C : ２）ある子どもは外国人を見ると「あ、外人！外人だ！ 」道の中に呼ぶので、日本人の大人も「外人」を付ける 、何か子どもぽいです。みて、みて、僕のペット外人の 感じがあります。






Y : If there are many people from Western countries in Japan, those children wouldn’t say like that.


もし西洋の方が大勢日本にいたしたら、そういう子供た ちもそんなことは言わないと思いますよ。


However, when you are called gaijin loudly on the street, you would hate it. I understand it.


でも、道で大声で外人と呼ばれたら、嫌ですよね。わか ります。










C : ３）有名な人は「外人」は悪事と言います。たとえば、 デビト。






Y : Columbine, sorry; I don’t see what this sentence means.


Who is デビト?


(This man was ; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debito_Arudou)










C : 4)自分の国にいるでも、日本語に取ってまだ『外人』です。そして、それが好きじゃないんです。






Y : I know that! I have heard it many times.


I’d like to write a bit about this issue later.










C : and various other reasons.






For me, I don't mind being called 'gaijin' by someone I don't know, unless it's people openly pointing and bawling it, or kids making a fuss, then I might tell them (in japanese) that they're being rude.






Y : In the city in Japan, I think such things would not happen, while in rural places, it’s likely.










C : I don't mind if a friend uses it now and then as a joke, or ironically, but I don't like it when people use it all the time. Even if ~you~ don't think it's got a bad meaning, the foreign community generally does, so if I let everyone call me 'gaijin' all the time, I'll have to deal with my foreign friends asking me why I allow it, don't I find it demeaning, don't I realize it's a bad thing, and so on.






Y : I see. I will never say “gaijin” anymore.










C : Also it lumps us all together, like it doesn't matter who or where we come from, the thing is we're Not-Japanese.






Y : Yes, the Japanese people like to lumps people all together.


We often lump ourselves all together. It may be difficult to understand why you don’t like to be lumped together to most Japanese people.










C : I've also had conversations like "gaijin cause a lot of crime in Japan; these days loads of drug dealers and prostitutes are gaijin....






Y : I agree with you!


I’m sure that there are more Japanese criminals than foreign criminals, but the Japanese people like to say so.










C : Oh, Hi Columbine! Everyone, this is my friend Columbine, she's gaijin." I think you can see why sometimes it's really frustrating!






Y : I must say here there are differences.


In Japan, if one of my friends come to with someone, and said “this is my friend, and she is gaijin”, other friends and I would be really interested in the person, and try to be friends with the person.


And I would say “I have a foreign friend!” to many other friends.


I believe that many Japanese people want to be friends with foreign people, but they can’t because of the language.






If I was in England and my friend said “this is my friend, and she is gaijin”, I would feel nothing, and say “Hi, I’m Japanese.”






I’m sorry; I don’t understand what you feel.










C : Also if you're white, a lot of Japanese people seem to think 'gaijin' means 'american', so it can be annoying for Europeans to be introduced as 'gaijin' and then get asked about America.






Y : OK, this is understandable.


It must be frustrating.


I am really sorry to hear that.










C : So for me, if you have to refer to me by something other than my name, please use my actual nationality, イギリス人、or I'd rather be called 外国人 than がいじん、even if it's more formal. The formality actually means that both the japanese people using it and all the foreigners KNOW for sure there's no bad meaning.






Y : I will say外国人 or イギリス人.


Your comments are really instructive and helpful. (^_^)/~~


勉強になりました。どうもありがとう。

Columbine’s Comments

Hi Yuri (^_^)



This is a really interesting topic.






If you have any questions about the changes i've made, please ask me.






ユリさんの質問に関しては、ちょっと複雑と思います。 外国人は日本について学び始めると、必ず『日本人は外 国の事をよく分からない』や　『日本人に取って、外国 人が宇宙人みたいん』の意見を聞いています。それはや っぱり正しくないですが、何か普通になりました。もち ろん、その意見は大学で、日本人の友達で、直していま すが、日本の社会をよく分からないの人の中で、そのよ うな意見に信じている人はいっぱいんです。それにも、 日本の社会に着いて勉強し始めるの人でも、他の外人か ら変な意見と聞いています。「日本人があなたの事を『 外人』と呼ぶ、悪口だ。人種差別的な響きがある.」だから、日本人は「外人」を付けると、外国人達、「実は、日本人さんは私の事がすきじゃないの？ばかにするの？」と心配します。多分、この考え違いの理由は:






1)英語で、人を国籍で呼ぶのは人種差別的な響きがあります。たとえば『ジャップ』『パッキ (パキスタン人）』


２）ある子どもは外国人を見ると「あ、外人！外人だ！ 」道の中に呼ぶので、日本人の大人も「外人」を付ける 、何か子どもぽいです。みて、みて、僕のペット外人の 感じがあります。


３）有名な人は「外人」は悪事と言います。たとえば、 デビト。


4)自分の国にいるでも、日本語に取ってまだ『外人』です。そして、それが好きじゃないんです。






and various other reasons.






For me, I don't mind being called 'gaijin' by someone I don't know, unless it's people openly pointing and bawling it, or kids making a fuss, then I might tell them (in japanese) that they're being rude. I don't mind if a friend uses it now and then as a joke, or ironically, but I don't like it when people use it all the time. Even if ~you~ don't think it's got a bad meaning, the foreign community generally does, so if I let everyone call me 'gaijin' all the time, I'll have to deal with my foreign friends asking me why I allow it, don't I find it demeaning, don't I realize it's a bad thing, and so on.


Also it lumps us all together, like it doesn't matter who or where we come from, the thing is we're Not-Japanese. I've also had conversations like "gaijin cause a lot of crime in Japan; these days loads of drug dealers and prostitutes are gaijin.... Oh, Hi Columbine! Everyone, this is my friend Columbine, she's gaijin." I think you can see why sometimes it's really frustrating! Also if you're white, a lot of Japanese people seem to think 'gaijin' means 'american', so it can be annoying for Europeans to be introduced as 'gaijin' and then get asked about America.


So for me, if you have to refer to me by something other than my name, please use my actual nationality, イギリス人、or I'd rather be called 外国人 than がいじん、even if it's more formal. The formality actually means that both the japanese people using it and all the foreigners KNOW for sure there's no bad meaning.

Gaijin

Wikipedia says that Gaijin (外人) is a Japanese word meaning "non-Japanese", or "alien".



I have heard foreign people hate being called “gaijin”. Is that right?


I went on a trip in Japan with an American friend a few years ago. When we took a taxi, I was talking to the driver in Japanese and I said the word “gaijin” in the conversation.


My friend wasn’t able to understand Japanese. She had started studying Japanese, but she didn’t even know how to say “mother” or “father”.


However, she seemed to catch the word “gaijin”, and got upset.


Most Japanese people believe that “gaijin” means “people from foreign countries” without any further meaning. We can say “gaikokujin（外国人）” and “gaikoku kara irasshatta kata（外国からいらっしゃった方）”, but the first one sounds too formal and the second one is too long to say.


Since I didn’t know my friend didn’t like to be called “gaijin”, that I was shocked to know she was angry.


I believe the definitions in Wiki are a bit wrong. The Japanese people don’t mean anything negative by the word.


I’d like to know why and how the word has become associated with a bad meaning or impression.


If you know any reasons, let me know, please.


And, what should I say instead of gaijin???






Thank you.










Columbine, thanks for helping.