Filler-Week

Original Posting Date: Wednesday December 12th 2007


No, this week there isn't something new (or interesting) to report. I just signed up for the University-organised skiing-trip to Nagano in January. There are real mountains and anyone who can still remember, the 1998 Olympic Winter Games were held in Nagano, including Hermann Maier's "flight impromptu".
The whole thing is a little bit expensive in fact, but thanks to my stipend/grant from the state of Japan not too big of a problem (what do you mean, that's not what it's intended for? Then what else, if not for experiencing Japan).

The other day I became aware (actually through a German, who can't speak Japanese), what a weird impression it must make when I talk to the Chinese from my Business Administration classes.
How does an Austrian communicate with a female Chinese? Not in German, Chineses or English but in Japanese. It seems to really leave (according to my colleague) a peculiar impression on a Westerner, even if I can't (anymore) quite understand why.

Speaking of which: The majority of the Chinese (and some Koreans), of whom I met at the University up to now, regardless if during the summer or since september, can often speak Japanisch far better than English. This is insofar interesting, as that larger parts of the Chinese population still hate or despise Japan because of its actions during World War II (because Japan has some difficulties coming to terms with it, respectively). A fact, which is sometimes boosted by the propaganda of the communist government (Mental note: An outside common opponent covers internal problems). Despite that it's not a taboo at chinese schools or Universities to learn Japanese or complete a foreign semester (or years) in Japan, whereupon of course more emphasis is put on Japanese instead of English (also they might be more similar in terms of culture, the Chinese don't have as big problems with the accursed kanji respectively).



Interesting (and funny) facts/opinions about Japan:

Bureaucracy in Japan.
Since Japan puts a very large emphasis on accurateness, details and the so-called"inside-the-box" thinking, the bureaucracy and the officialdom is structured accordingly. Interestingly or maybe rather frighteningly it is very similar to the austrian, so that the learned Austrian has far fewer problems or fits of rage than his complements from other non-asian countries (although, to do it justice, it has to be mentioned at this point that our officialdom and bureaucracy has improved very much in recent years).
However, the resemblances are uncanny, concerning the bureaucratic fondness for details, the pushing forth-and-back of documents between sections and the adherence to hierarchy. Though here, like in Austria, you can often by a little cajoling, a little whining and the if any pleading ("look, I kno' that normal 'this not possible, but I need 't urgently ..." et cetera) make seemingly impossible things, possible, strongly abbreviate the process respectively. This manner is unfamiliar to a German colleague, and led to a outburst of rage. We both received a little weird mail, in which we were denied a definite thing at University (no details here), which would have caused both of us problems. As Austrian my way of thinking was: First call the office and ask what that's all about, talk to 'em and look if we can't wangle something". No sooner said than done and after 15 minutes of talk, pleading, explanations and a few calls on the part of the secretary, the problem was solved and I went home relieved. The German on the other hand called the central office and awfully complained (even very loudly), "what's the meaning of this" and "How could that be". Later he explained to me, that in the part of Germany where he is from, it is common that such letters are final, that you can't do a thing by discussing and the best way is to complain at the main office at once. These are arguable the differences between the german and the austrian bureaucracy, whereas the user of the latter, because of the similarities, has it easier in Japan (which shouldn't mean, that sometimes it isn't, like at home, just exasperating).

Still, there is one striking difference: The absence of the grouchy civil servant. For, whatever concern one has, whatever office is in the mix, or with whom you speak, the civil servant vis-à-vis, adherend to the picture of a Japanese, is always polite and friendly and always tries to help, or tries to give this impression as not to damage the public image of the civil servants (the famous, already several times mentioned , "Not-losing-the-face" game).
In short: There are no grouchy persons.

Even if it must often be very hard to show good behaviour, especially when you have to service a bawdy Gaijin (foreigner).