the BuBBle syndrome
So my interpretations and view of Hurricane Katrina are a bit skewed over here in Japan. My pal Lyndsey back in the States set me straight with this note:
"Anne, I just got done reading your blog about the hurricane and I feel terrible that the news there is only showing that side of the situation!! It really makes America look bad when from Japan you can only see that view point. Some of the refuges are actually turning away supplies becuase they are getting sooo many donations from fellow Americans. There are a lot of people helping out and just quitting their jobs and their lives to go down and help. The other thing that is sad is that there are a lot of "projects" down there. There is one specifically called the 9th ward which has some scary people and those are the people they keep showing on the news and the people that keep committing the rapes and the crimes. I guess leave it to the American media to only portray that aspect. One of my friends from st. cloud is down there volunteering for Red Cross and when i called him he said they basically just watch dead bodies floating through the water becuase there are so many people alive yet that they can't get to. Don't think that of the millions of people's lives that were ruined last week, the 25 people that they talk about on the news are portraying what America is all about. Explain that to your students too!! And thank them for all the help Japan has offered to pitch in. I think I read that they offered to send 200,000 in money and 300,000 in supplies!!! Every country is being so generous. It's just amazing how everybody wants to help. Anyway, I just thought I would let you know that there is still a little good left in America, and a little bit to still be proud of:)". ~Lyndsey Nelson, Minnesota-USA
Prior posting of my reaction to the few news sources I get here:
It just dawned on me that while I am gaining an importance glimpse into a new country and culture...I seem to have lost awareness of the comings and goings of my home country. oops. then again, i was never all that impressed with american politics, decisions and --ok, i'm not even going to tackle that one...I am strangely accustomed to being illiterate in Japan. I'm not proud to admit that, but until I gain a stronghold on the Katakana or Hiragana, I am clueless. Even something as basic as the weather: I have no idea what the temperature is, what tomorrow's forecast is or what to do when the next tsunami hits. The easiness of not having to worry, has lulled me into a state of blissful ignorance ..........until I got word today:
A mother of all hurricanes destroyed a huge part of our country. What is one of the more poverty stricken parts of US, the southeast was devastated by the storm and torrential floods that ensued. I began reading the reports today...I feel horrible. Horrible because I can not imagine the Japanese community reacting to an earthquake or tsunami in the way with which some Americans are. The stories of riots, attacks and looting are embarassing and barbaric. It is unfortunate that the stereotypical American attitudes of egocentricism and dissatifaction coupled with the behaviors mentioned above, are what people overseas are seeing and judging.
I think being a JET (or anyone working in a foreign country for that matter) carries tremendous responsibility. My goal is to promote internationalization and cultural understanding. How can I explain and justify the behavior of the hurricane victims? It is times like these that make being "the foreigner" in town very difficult. While I feel like I am making small strides to strengthen the cultural bond, the striking images of Americans' "every Man for himself"attitude are plastered to the papers and TV screens. I've got nothing on the powerful persuasion of the media, so it looks like 2 steps ahead and another 10 steps back for me.
I think one of the greatest lessons I will learn while in Japan is not "which culture is better?" but "which culture makes me feel most proud?" "Which culture shares my values and is representative of them?" There is so much more than an ocean that separates our countries.
"Anne, I just got done reading your blog about the hurricane and I feel terrible that the news there is only showing that side of the situation!! It really makes America look bad when from Japan you can only see that view point. Some of the refuges are actually turning away supplies becuase they are getting sooo many donations from fellow Americans. There are a lot of people helping out and just quitting their jobs and their lives to go down and help. The other thing that is sad is that there are a lot of "projects" down there. There is one specifically called the 9th ward which has some scary people and those are the people they keep showing on the news and the people that keep committing the rapes and the crimes. I guess leave it to the American media to only portray that aspect. One of my friends from st. cloud is down there volunteering for Red Cross and when i called him he said they basically just watch dead bodies floating through the water becuase there are so many people alive yet that they can't get to. Don't think that of the millions of people's lives that were ruined last week, the 25 people that they talk about on the news are portraying what America is all about. Explain that to your students too!! And thank them for all the help Japan has offered to pitch in. I think I read that they offered to send 200,000 in money and 300,000 in supplies!!! Every country is being so generous. It's just amazing how everybody wants to help. Anyway, I just thought I would let you know that there is still a little good left in America, and a little bit to still be proud of:)". ~Lyndsey Nelson, Minnesota-USA
Prior posting of my reaction to the few news sources I get here:
It just dawned on me that while I am gaining an importance glimpse into a new country and culture...I seem to have lost awareness of the comings and goings of my home country. oops. then again, i was never all that impressed with american politics, decisions and --ok, i'm not even going to tackle that one...I am strangely accustomed to being illiterate in Japan. I'm not proud to admit that, but until I gain a stronghold on the Katakana or Hiragana, I am clueless. Even something as basic as the weather: I have no idea what the temperature is, what tomorrow's forecast is or what to do when the next tsunami hits. The easiness of not having to worry, has lulled me into a state of blissful ignorance ..........until I got word today:
A mother of all hurricanes destroyed a huge part of our country. What is one of the more poverty stricken parts of US, the southeast was devastated by the storm and torrential floods that ensued. I began reading the reports today...I feel horrible. Horrible because I can not imagine the Japanese community reacting to an earthquake or tsunami in the way with which some Americans are. The stories of riots, attacks and looting are embarassing and barbaric. It is unfortunate that the stereotypical American attitudes of egocentricism and dissatifaction coupled with the behaviors mentioned above, are what people overseas are seeing and judging.
I think being a JET (or anyone working in a foreign country for that matter) carries tremendous responsibility. My goal is to promote internationalization and cultural understanding. How can I explain and justify the behavior of the hurricane victims? It is times like these that make being "the foreigner" in town very difficult. While I feel like I am making small strides to strengthen the cultural bond, the striking images of Americans' "every Man for himself"attitude are plastered to the papers and TV screens. I've got nothing on the powerful persuasion of the media, so it looks like 2 steps ahead and another 10 steps back for me.
I think one of the greatest lessons I will learn while in Japan is not "which culture is better?" but "which culture makes me feel most proud?" "Which culture shares my values and is representative of them?" There is so much more than an ocean that separates our countries.
posted by aNne at 4:08 AM
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