this one goes out to "Phil, ex Tsushima JET 2003-2004 Kamiagata ALT"
first of all, thank you for your comments. and also, for completely ruining my day.
so before i came to japan this time around for the JET Program, i swore to myself that i would NEVER become one of those JETs.. you know, the kind of JET who thinks s/he knows everything there is to know about Japan. the kind of JET that makes all other JETs ashamed to be fellow JETs.
i've always tried to take a step back at any given point in my life, take a look at where i am, what i'm thinking, what i believe in, how i act... and try to make sure that i'm not being too bias or too ignorant or too unfair. i'd like to hope that i'm constantly trying to take strides towards becoming a better human being.
so when something like a stranger halfway around the world whom i've never met, much less even heard of, decides to berate me on something i decide to write on MY personal blog detailing my own personal thoughts, i take offense.
in case you haven't seen it yet, mr. "phil", a former Tsushima JET, decided to "educate" me on how much i should "appreciate" where i live and how i should stop "bitching" about my placement.
Asshole -- you've got it alllll backwards.
i'd like to point your attention to the first thing you wrote to me: "Wow, you're probably the 10000th person on JET who has bitched about their placement in 20 years." I'm sorry, sir. where in my post did i SPECIFICALLY mention that i hate living in Izuhara? or that i hate living in Tsushima? or that i hate living in Japan? or did i once even use the word "hate"?
secondly, do you even KNOW me? have we ever met? last time i checked, i didn't even know you existed. how long have you been reading my blog? and how long did it even take you to find my blog? and does anyone find it uncanny that the one time i decide to poke fun at some aspects of japanese culture, that mr. japanophile here decides to get all up on my case about not "understanding the awe, the inspiration" that is tsushima? did you even know that i studied japanese for 4 years in university? or that i studied abroad in Japan for 5 months prior to the JET Program? kinda weird that someone with so much background in japanese would want to live in japan again, especially if they hate it so much and can't appreciate it, dont you think?
i dont know how long you've been reading about my experiences here, but if you bothered to read past the post you so rudely voiced your unwanted opinions on, you'd find that i LOVE it here. i love tsushima so much that i have the guts to do what you never did -- stay on the island a second year. that's right. i've only been here for 6 months, but after month 3 i already knew i wanted to stay a second year. you say it took you "a solid 8 months" to like tsushima? what the hell gives YOU the right to preach to ME about liking it here??
what i found most upseting about your comments is that they actually made me question myself. between you and me, one of us is being one of those JETs. the kind who thinks s/he knows everything about japan. one of us is being ignorant. i can't believe i for a second believed it could be me.
anyone who knows me, such as the people who i keep this blog up for, know that i wrote that entry half-jokingly. that as sarcastic as i may sound, deep down, i love being in japan. i like learning about how different my culture is from japan's. i never write with the intention of insisting that the US is somehow superior to Japan, or the other way around. i simply write with the intention of sharing my experiences and insights with people i care about. it is NOT for embittered ex-JETs who believe they're somehow better than everyone else to piss all over. take your ego and your pretentious bullshit and harass someone else. move on with your life. you're no longer in japan, and i'm sorry if you're jealous that i am. stop stalking people on the internet and trying to pick fights with people you dont even know. get up from your computer, go outside and enjoy the sunshine. sounds like you could use it.
5 comments:
WOW! What an asshole! That guy was completely random and hurtful. I wish he knew how much you care about Japan and how much you have studied the language and culture. People that pretend they are high and mighty and know everything / can do everything / appreciate everything about Japan are lying. That's my take. There's no way that everything about Japan is SO WONDERFUL!
If you are going to live and work in a foreign country (as an outsider), it is only natural that you appreciate and critically examine some things. This makes you a bigger and better person.
Rock ON!
Ben
Well hello and well met Evelyn. You are correct I am a complete stranger to you though I have been through the JET program and have bitched myself about it quite a lot. I am, however part of the JETAA in my local chapter (Montreal) and you are welcome to voice your disappointments to me at any given time via email. phil.thethrill(at)gmail.com
I think everyone here seems to be getting very emotional and it's difficult to look at matters from a detached perspective when you are actually living on Tsushima-shi. I didn't live in your placement true, I do not live in your shoes, correct. I can see that there are hardships and aches. But from what I read on this blog as in any other JET blog is exactly what you mention, namely (that JET).
I find it rather deplorable that you yourself mount a case against me publicly when I have only pointed out my view of your blog and how you describe your experiences. To this I refer the "queer" side of Japan and how you share your discontent.
We gain from sharing Evelyn. I'm open to talk, to any of you out there. The purpose of that comment was not to be hurtful but to simply reflect back to you what you are writing about your experiences.
I'm sorry if it ruined your day.
Phil,
Sorry, but you were talking out of your ass in your original comments. And now, when confronted, you're backpedaling in an attempt to appear conciliatory. It's a sad (yet oft-used) tactic of internet relations. Quite frankly, it's ridiculous. At least you're not hiding behind the anonymity of the internet, though. I'll give you that one.
Why do I say that you were talking out of your ass? Well, that's because you don't actually know Evelyn, yet you're ok with making snap character judgments based on a single post in a blog that she writes. I've known Ev personally for a number of years, and I can tell you that you're wrong on essentially every single "point" you give in your comment.
This is compounded by the fact that you seem to be unable to detect the subtle use of what we in the business like to refer to as "humor."
Before I forget, the tone of your post was also quite offensive. I won't go through pointing out where and why, but I think it's pretty obvious. Please don't bother denying it in any further attempts at backpedaling.
Please please please reserve your character judgments for people you actually know. And even then, try to voice it in a way that doesn't offend anyone and everyone who hears or reads it. Otherwise, you come off as an ignorant, hurtful asshole. I know that personally, you've given me no reason to think of you otherwise.
--Chieze Okoye
Wow, good enough for me. I reread the thing and I did a snap character judgment.
If you did know me, chances are you probably wouldn't come to that conclusion then again I get the sense that this is neither here nor there.
I'll stick to what I know and let you guys figure things out.
For the record though, Evelyn seems to know of what type of JET I was speaking about, namely the Big-Daikon kind. I think it's normal to vent on the internet but reading that last post quote:"Japanese people sometimes make me want to cry from their being so circumlocutory and backwards. Japanese society also makes my soul die a little more each time i find out something new. *sigh*. dont worry people; someday i shall return permanently to the States =)" begs the question of what humor you are talking about.
But like you say I don't know anything about the people currently there so, it is not my place to judge them.
十人十色
Thanks for your apology to Ev'.
If you are so concerned with people not understanding or appreciating Japan (while they are in the country or otherwise), I would suggest that you use your involvement in your local JETAA chapter to personally educate the hordes of people who know nothing about Japan and don't want to learn anything about the nation's people or culture aside from what can be found in manga and Nintendo games.
Perhaps you are already doing this. I hope so.
Let's all of us work to teach and educate others about a wonderful country that we mutually respect, and not disrespect people that obviously have their hearts in the right place.
Regards,
Ben Whaley
Japanese Major w/ Honors
Stanford University
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