Hi everyone! This is H\u00f2a speaking, for some of you who is trying to read this \u201csymbol\u201d, it pronounces kinda like \u201cHwa\u201d in general I guess, and \u201c\u30db\u30a2\u201d in Japanese. I\u2019m a nap team captain, who is allergic to mornings, I have a lover, a close friend, and a soul mate, he has a rectangle face, which we often call \u201ccomputer\u201d or \u201claptop\u201d, and most of the time I sit immobile like a monk in samadhi in front of my computer, I mean my close friend.<\/p>\n
Well, I\u2019ve been in Japan for nearly 2 years, 1 year in Niigata and nearly-1-year in Tokyo, comparing to a child, I\u2019m a nearly-2-year-old Japan-toddler, with open eyes and full-of-curiosity mind, and welcome to this blog post, what I\u2019ve noticed in my scanty time living here. Some of them might bring up some uncomfortable thoughts, I guess, but I promise I mean no offence, if there is anything, it\u2019s just the collision of different cultures.<\/p>\n
First thing of all, back home, we express our respect to people who are older than us. We don\u2019t care if they are \u201c\u5916\u201d or \u201c\u5185\u201d, if they are older, we use keigo with them. My mother would not forgive me if I answer her in short form, so is my father if my brother says something impolite to me.<\/p>\n
Japanese people are very respectful too. But what have surprised me was that children here don\u2019t use Keigo with their family, instead, they use short-form. I couldn\u2019t get it at all. Why? Aren\u2019t your parents worth being respected than some other outsiders? Isn\u2019t it too insolent to behave like that with people who have brought you up and give you a roof above?
\nYeah I was a moron. Remember I was only a nearly-2-year-old Japanese citizen? I didn\u2019t realise that the way Keigo are being understood in the two countries. Vietnamese use keigo expressions to show our respect, but also our sentiments.
\nAnd here, not much of affection in Keigo, I suppose. That\u2019s why it sounds clich\u00e9, heavy and weird when being used with your family. Like \u201cwe are family\/ friends\/ \u2026 drop your heavy words!\u201d I kinda get it now.<\/p>\n
You get on a public mean of transport in Vietnam, and you\u2019ll get to know everything in this little world. Age, job, homeland, how much money earned a month, how many kids the person sitting next to you has. They start to talk even before their bottom touch the surface of the seat.<\/p>\n
Here, no one looks at another. Even when the train are full of people. People just communicate with their phones, their books, or somewhere outside the window, not the person in front of them, or next to them. And despite the packed train, only the announcer’s voice can be heard.
\nI\u2019m not saying which is good and which is bad. Who would ever want to be asked how much is their income per month? who would feel comfortable to be asked specifically where their home is? But in a space that is full of people ,and not any signs of reality communication, don\u2019t you feel a little… “human-less”?<\/p>\n
You graduated with a literature bachelor? You can work in Market researching too!
\nI mean\u2026 it\u2019s not so important what you studied, you can apply for whatever you\u2019re interested in, which is impossible in my country. For instance, to apply for an accounting position, and all you have is a foreign language bachelor? Well take a jar of sugar and go outside play with the ants. I\u2019m joking! I mean, unless you have the exact certificates or qualifications of the job, there is nothing for you to do here.
\nBut things are different in Japan. I never know I can code till Lightcafe took me in. They give the freshers the CHANCES, which is crucially important for an individual to challenge themselves, as long as they have the will to learn. And on behalf of those who has been given the chances, I\u2019m really grateful.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve heard of it quite a lot before coming here, but to see it in reality with my own eyes, somehow it makes more sense and explain quite many questions. Japanese people find their value of living, their existences in their jobs. That means, if not working, their lives are meaningless, especially with men. And it explains why my manager (in another company) didn\u2019t come home for his grandfather funeral, and why they are willing to work overtime without making excuses like \u201cmy son is sick!” or “my wife need me go shopping for food today\u2026\u201d 1st priority is Work, the 2nd may also be work, and the 3rd probably is work too, I guess.<\/p>\n
Vietnamese people, on the other hand, consider family is the most valuable. Family – for most of Vietnamese –\u00a0 are irreplaceable. You can get another job, but you can\u2019t trade anything to get back your mother, your wife, your children once they are gone, and time spending with them are priceless. What is earning lots of money really for, if your love ones aren\u2019t there to share it with you?
\nThis way of thinking certainly has some pros and cons. It can help balance your life between family and work. But also provides some lazy people a fairy good excuse to not devote to say no when the company need them.<\/p>\n
I got to be honest. Vietnamese are very flexible. They adapt quickly, mingle quite well, they are friendly, easy-going (well most of them), and clever\u2026 and that doesn\u2019t sound there are not anything bad. I mean, they can learn something quite well without going through every basic steps, and that\u2019s it. We are easy to satisfy, and we usually don\u2019t try to make it to the best. That is why, why you can see the charm in a Vietnamese product, but to get closer, to dig deeper, it has nothing else to claim. The product itself can\u2019t scream out loud: \u201cthis is our culture! this is years and years of labour and efforts!\u2026\u201d It\u2019s just can barely say: \u201clook at me, I\u2019m beautiful and dot dot dot (\u2026)”<\/p>\n
A \u201cmade in Japan\u201d product, well on the other hand, is \u201ca little bit\u201d high-end class. No one can deny, and don\u2019t you waste your time to deny. Why? Because the worker have taken it to the level of its utmost realm. The devotion to work I found out above, the never easily satisfy spirit makes them work, try, and keep making it better and better till it gets nearest to perfection. That spirit flows inside the product, and makes it shine.
\nVietnamese need that spirit, need that passion for what we devote ourself to. But with the expanding of Japanese culture to Vietnam lately, I\u2019m quite optimistic, to see the Vietnamese young generation\u2019s works, and watch their effort fruiting and spreading to the world more and more, I truly believe in the day when a Vietnamese product can mark their footsteps, like the Japanese\u2019 do.<\/p>\n
Well this is too much of me today! Thanks a bunch for being patient to read to this line. My deeply apology for this boring lengthy post!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Hi everyone! This is H\u00f2a speaking, for some of you who is trying to read this \u201csymbol\u201d, it pronounces kinda li… <\/p>\n