The Off Topic Topic

[Eddie Teach]

See, that's the Romney camp's problem, they should be focusing on tarring Obama with comments by CDM and Raz. 

[CountDeMoney]

See, that's the Romney camp's problem, they should be focusing on tarring Obama with comments by CDM and Raz. 

I wonder if she'd let garbon in her Land Rover.  Maybe if he did her nails.

[Eddie Teach]

She'd probably love having a gay, black bff. She is a New Yorker after all.

[CountDeMoney]

She'd probably love having a gay, black bff. She is a New Yorker after all.

Sure, for texting and hair tips and whatnot, but I doubt he's be invited to stay at the beach house by himself.  You know how those people are.

[Lettow77]

 I went out with three Japanese girls to some dining place at their request. There, in a mixture of Japanese and English we spoke at some length, and I berated the trio for their fatuous interest in American culture, (they are of a fairly unanimous mind that Justin Bieber is the world's finest singer) and compared their interests to the superficial obsession with Naomi from Tanizaki's novel of the name name, and bid them return their emphasis to Japanese culture and take strength in its continuity as did Tanizaki himself.

They really did not expect this, and incredulously asked me if I was really an american repeatedly. Still, things settled into more light conversation- they entered into a contest to see who could Ara Ara in a manner the most pleasing to me, and I promised to see them again at some point in time- provided they studied the occupation of karafuto and were prepared to hold a discussion on the matter.

I was a bit aghast at the idea of attending bible class exclusively to improve english with no concern for Christianity (something two of the three girls do), but when I went there myself, as I left I was stopped by a young Japanese man who communicated the idea that he was planning to kill himself, but first was studying Christianity to decide whether or not it was his right to do so. I felt a bit overwhelmed and underqualified to handle his problems, but told him that more important than whether or not he -could- was the issue of why he wished to do so, and that the best thing was not an edict proscribing his suicide, but a sense of well-being that averts his suicidal tendencies.

I was a little shaken by his open honesty, especially considering he is Japanese.

[Eddie Teach]

No reflections on the beauty and nobility of seppuku?

[Lettow77]

I didn't really feel it morally right to tell a troubled Japanese man that I thought seppuku and the Japanese readiness to embrace beauty in death were aspects of the culture I appreciated. If it was glorification of suicide he wanted, it is all around him in his society. That he was at a bible class and that he stopped a foreigner he didn't know with such blunt proclamation suggests he knows that Japan's morbid fascination with ending itself and its stressful context-culture that drives its members to self-destruction isn't normal.

He did not (as the girls most certainly did) need an exhortation to return to the proper path of the Japanese; he was a man who wanted help that he thought the western world and the Christian tradition could help him with.

My connection to Christianity is tenuous and I take a rosy view of suicide myself, so I was troubled by my inability to help him, but I will be going to the chapel again for his sake.

[Josquius]

I was a bit aghast at the idea of attending bible class exclusively to improve english with no concern for Christianity (something two of the three girls do), but when I went there myself, as I left I was stopped by a young Japanese man who communicated the idea that he was planning to kill himself, but first was studying Christianity to decide whether or not it was his right to do so. I felt a bit overwhelmed and underqualified to handle his problems, but told him that more important than whether or not he -could- was the issue of why he wished to do so, and that the best thing was not an edict proscribing his suicide, but a sense of well-being that averts his suicidal tendencies.

Oh god I hate christians in Japan. They're such parasites. Trying to draw people in with the free English classes then subverting their lovely native beliefs with Jewish fairy stories.
I recall a big fuss here a few weeks ago when one person currently based in America heard a relative/old friend (can't recall which) here was on death's door and they wanted a christian to go and spread their faith to him. That's just low.

[The Larch]

Hey Lettow, you've already posted several stories about Japan here, which is sort of a mixed bag thread, why don't you just open a thread for yourself to keep them all together?

[Eddie Teach]

subverting their lovely native beliefs

[Josephus]

Hey Lettow, you've already posted several stories about Japan here, which is sort of a mixed bag thread, why don't you just open a thread for yourself to keep them all together?

Excellent idea.

[Malthus]

I was a bit aghast at the idea of attending bible class exclusively to improve english with no concern for Christianity (something two of the three girls do), but when I went there myself, as I left I was stopped by a young Japanese man who communicated the idea that he was planning to kill himself, but first was studying Christianity to decide whether or not it was his right to do so. I felt a bit overwhelmed and underqualified to handle his problems, but told him that more important than whether or not he -could- was the issue of why he wished to do so, and that the best thing was not an edict proscribing his suicide, but a sense of well-being that averts his suicidal tendencies.

Oh god I hate christians in Japan. They're such parasites. Trying to draw people in with the free English classes then subverting their lovely native beliefs with Jewish fairy stories.
I recall a big fuss here a few weeks ago when one person currently based in America heard a relative/old friend (can't recall which) here was on death's door and they wanted a christian to go and spread their faith to him. That's just low.

What's wrong with Jewish fairy stories? 

[Neil]

I went out with three Japanese girls to some dining place at their request. There, in a mixture of Japanese and English we spoke at some length, and I berated the trio for their fatuous interest in American culture, (they are of a fairly unanimous mind that Justin Bieber is the world's finest singer) and compared their interests to the superficial obsession with Naomi from Tanizaki's novel of the name name, and bid them return their emphasis to Japanese culture and take strength in its continuity as did Tanizaki himself.

That's rather cruel of you.  I would think that a xenophile like yourself would understand their identification with another culture.  You might find their culture super exotic and romantic, but they're natives.  For them, it's just life.

[CountDeMoney]

Best store robbery ever.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkcdRLoxJuQ

[Razgovory]

I was a bit aghast at the idea of attending bible class exclusively to improve english with no concern for Christianity (something two of the three girls do), but when I went there myself, as I left I was stopped by a young Japanese man who communicated the idea that he was planning to kill himself, but first was studying Christianity to decide whether or not it was his right to do so. I felt a bit overwhelmed and underqualified to handle his problems, but told him that more important than whether or not he -could- was the issue of why he wished to do so, and that the best thing was not an edict proscribing his suicide, but a sense of well-being that averts his suicidal tendencies.

Oh god I hate christians in Japan. They're such parasites. Trying to draw people in with the free English classes then subverting their lovely native beliefs with Jewish fairy stories.
I recall a big fuss here a few weeks ago when one person currently based in America heard a relative/old friend (can't recall which) here was on death's door and they wanted a christian to go and spread their faith to him. That's just low.

Thanks Marty.  We've already been over this.  Buddhism isn't native to Japan.  Stop making a fool of yourself.