Im at Starbucks now (cup of coffee and WiFi) where I blend in perfectly with my military fatigues, T-shirt with holes and dusty hiking boots. Theres two Japanese men sitting two tables over (one young one old) in suits and ties with perfect hair and very serious expressions on their faces. Theyre talking in low voices and the older man has that ultra serious expression on his face so familiar with important men in Japan that makes me think he may be a high-ranking executive for a large Japanese corporation. The younger man is making haste to get their coffee while the older man sits with an expression halfway between exasperation and a scowl. These guys really stand out here and Im sure everyone in Starbucks has noticed them. Im thinking now of how for so many years I was the one who stood out at Starbucks in Japan. I was the loud talking foreigner wearing the wrong clothes at the right season and waving my arms around in big gestures like so many Americans do and laughing a little too loud for general comfort. I feel for the Japanese businessmen two tables down who really do stand out here with their pressed suits, polished shoes and tie clips. I greatly respect the Japanese and I know how well they execute on the cultural norms and expectations of their society, and that the more relaxed and at-ease way of my fellow Americans is nothing more than an instantiation of the same root human drive which allows us to form and maintain society and culture. Its good to be home. Its good to be just another face in the crowd again. Though its also good to know what its like to be different and to recognize the experience and have sympathy for those who find themselves the outsiders in whatever context. I hope my daughter will develop this sense from her childhood experience of two cultures and see the outsider as less someone different as one simply out-of-context.
Posted on: Sun, 04 Jan 2015 22:52:28 +0000
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