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Topic: The Gaijin Stare
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chriskk  1
03-17-2003 06:18 AM ET (US)
I don't get the stare cause I'm nikkei-jin, but I do catch myself watching other gaijin. Or even look twice when scanning through crowds. I'll try to remember the smile and maybe even a shaka.

chriskk
http://radio.weblogs.com/0118995/
cordle  2
03-17-2003 09:06 AM ET (US)
Don't try that trademark smile in Finland. People thought I was crazy!
yuki  3
03-17-2003 10:33 AM ET (US)
haha that photo is catchy. very crazy and nice.

don't forget that there are normal-looking Japanese people out there, who are in fact returnees or gaijins, too.
Bookie  4
03-17-2003 03:37 PM ET (US)
I hope I get one or two of those smiles when I end up in Japan someday. Maybe I should just wear sunglasses to prevent such animalistic behavior.
flojin  5
03-17-2003 04:59 PM ET (US)
Ah yes, the stare...more of a glare really. I've read many debates about it. Apparently the Gaijin smile tips you off as a newcomer. When I'm in Japan I'm very agressive with my smile to the glaring gaijin. Why not? I like to force them to be mean, let them be fully aware of their choice to be mean to a complete stranger.
UltraBob  6
03-18-2003 12:56 AM ET (US)
At times I am guilty of the stare, and at other times I remember to be friendly and try to give the smile. I'll try to do it more, thanks for the post.

What REALLY vexes me is when a foreigner walks right by me, and asks a Japanese person in English how to find something. If you are going to use English, why not try the most likely person to speak it first? That has always puzzled me

UltraBob
http://dd.t4ac.com
jmarcwild  7
03-18-2003 04:42 AM ET (US)
I have only been here for about two weeks touring, and I mentioned this same notion to my friend. Foreigners, probably from the same neck of the woods in their home country, will try to avoid eye contact altogether - like, I didn't even see you kind of sideways glance!

But I just remember that many of them are probably running away from something. So let them be - cranky and justified in their mind.

j
http://www.concepts.com.au/jw/mt/travel/
ziam / kid kamipaleh  8
03-23-2003 07:36 AM ET (US)
yupp.. gaijin-smile. always switched on. :)
but beware: doesn't really affect the gaijin-stare at all, just makes them staring even harder ("why the heck is that idiot grinning at me like that?!")

http://kamipaleh.blogspot.com
Mom  9
03-26-2003 12:14 AM ET (US)
Edited by author 03-26-2003 12:15 AM
I was viewing war pictures on the internet. In one picture, an Iraqi that had just been captured by a British soldier was grinning at the soldier. I was reminded of the Gaijin (sp) stare (hostility) and grin response (defense).
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