以下：黒字が友達の質問、青がそれに対する私の答え
Thank
you for your help on this, very much appreciated! I hope these won’t be too
personal, but if they are just say you don’t want to disclose. Just copy and
paste this and write your reply under each question.
What
made you want to choose to study over in England?
I thought it will be a pity to miss this chance
because my father is British and my situation made it much more easy to study
abroad than other Japanese students. And also, if you want to study art in
Japan, you have to take really high quality and strict entrance exams to apply to
universities. For several reasons, I was not ready for that when I graduated from
secondary school.
When/if
you go back after you finish your education, do you think you would either stay
here or visit?
Apparently that is the biggest question I am facing
right now, too. I’m really not sure about that yet. But I would say I’m still going
to maintain contact with this country somehow over the rest of my life.
Are
you enjoying your experience?
Yes, I am.
Are
there many differences in the two cultures? What is new to you compared to
Japan?
Fundamentally, I think how they think are the same.
That’s because each of us is an island country. If I say insularity as a joke,
that explains quite a lot. They are determined and also have a cooperative
spirit. But their behaviour is different. British are more vocal compared to the
Japanese silent (thinking) culture.
What
do you personally think about our culture; such as certain days we celebrate,
how we live, etc?
What I’m most strongly feeling about British culture
is “satirical spirit” in daily life. Taking an example from people’s attitudes
to politics, they make really cynical and frank criticism. And I can imagine
that’s reshaping the nation constantly in a great way. I can always remember
the famous “Economist” covers every week (my father is a subscriber to that
magazine since I was small). Sometimes it makes me laugh and another time they
throw us serious questions hidden by irony through illustrations. We don’t have
as much strong satire for politics as yours in Japan. We are timid with it and
I admire your behaviour.
We
have our unusual sayings like “Saving face or losing face” as a term of saying.
Do you come across sayings like these and do you fully understand why we use
them, etc?
We also have the same kind of saying in Japan, too. I
think it must be something to do with social order.
I’m going to say a few of these sayings, I don’t expect you to know them
but I’m really interested in what you believe they might mean – no pressure!
“Saved
by the bell”?
The bell saved you because they warned you?
“Mind
your own beeswax”?
I have no idea.
“Eating
humble pie”?
Somebody has been humiliated?
“Dead
as a doornail”?
Somebody is pooped?
“An
apple a day keeps the doctor away”?
I have no idea.
“Throwing
the baby out with the bathwater”?
OMG. This sounds so serious!
Lastly,
could you tell me your first impressions and thoughts when you first came
here?
Thank you for your help, you’ve been very helpful to my project!
It was really confusing for me to decide if the
British have manners or not. I’m always impressed by people who say thank you
to bus drivers when they are getting off. Keeping the door open for the next
people coming. I mean, they are so friendly! On the other hand, I was quite
shocked when I saw people throw away their cigarettes when they finished smoking
them. I was glad I’m not a smoker when I came here. I can’t do that because I
feel so guilty. Almost everyone carries little ashtrays nowadays in Japan. There
must still be big differences between the UK and Japan from a cultural point of
view. Now I can understand that and also try to adapt.
julia
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