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Question about your country

Shadow Wolf

Certified People sTabber
We also tend to tell it like it is, which is sometimes seen as rude to those with stricter sensibilities.
It's not unusual for an American to think a German is rude, largely due to their bluntness, eschewing the fake niceties of American culture, and because how they can just "step up" to offer assistance or advice to be helpful.
 

Sunstone

De Diablo Del Fora
Premium Member
They have those in other countries. And they aren't always regarded as chivalrous and noble people.
It's more the mythical literary status of them here that is unique, sort of the American version of a knight or samurai.

I'm saying this mostly, Wolf, because there aren't any Japanese on RF who seem likely to chip in here. With that in mind, here are some things about Japan and Japanese culture that seem likely to interest you and a few other RFers....

It's possible to **** off certain Japanese people by calling their 'samurai' ancestors, 'samurai'. I've done it, possibly more than once. The correct term in those cases is 'bushi'. Basically, a more honorable name for 'warrior', and the root in the word, 'bushido' -- the way of the warrior. Came into usage more or less the same time as Zen entered the scene, and of course, both of those can be traced back to China.

The best warning sign is to avoid 'samurai' anytime you aren't sure of the status of someone's ancestors. It seems for families whose ancestors ranked high on the scale, 'samurai' is under certain circumstances an insulting word to begin with, let alone an outrageous demotion of their ancestors.

It's like telling Lee's descendants, Lee was no more consequential than any other private in the Army of Northern Virginia. If you told them than in a context that further hinted you thought he was also the lousiest private in the Army, then that's how bad calling the wrong person's ancestors 'samurai' can potentially come across to them as. But I think, if that were ever likely to happen, you'd best be America under National Guard protection anyway. I've only been told it can get that bad, I've never seen it.

To me, and I'm sure to some others, there are lot more fascinating things about Japan than that bit of trivia, but I'm guessing it's easier to come across those other things, than this one. I only know about it because I got in trouble for not knowing about it. Never once came across it in any university course, 'normal' personal conversation, or in any other way.

I think there's some chance this is like the 20 words for "I" in the Japanese language. Only about 5 of them are necessary for most Japanese to know in order to get through life, so most of the remaining 15 aren't known even in Japan by most Japanese people.

Please don't assume I'm an expert on Japan. I only know a little bit about a few aspects of the country.
 

Stevicus

Veteran Member
Staff member
Premium Member
True, but we had John Wayne. ;0]

John Wayne played Genghis Khan in one of his earlier films.

D2HmJ6LUgAAkLty.jpg
 

Shadow Wolf

Certified People sTabber
I'm saying this mostly, Wolf, because there aren't any Japanese on RF who seem likely to chip in here. With that in mind, here are some things about Japan and Japanese culture that seem likely to interest you and a few other RFers....

It's possible to **** off certain Japanese people by calling their 'samurai' ancestors, 'samurai'. I've done it, possibly more than once. The correct term in those cases is 'bushi'. Basically, a more honorable name for 'warrior', and the root in the word, 'bushido' -- the way of the warrior. Came into usage more or less the same time as Zen entered the scene, and of course, both of those can be traced back to China.

The best warning sign is to avoid 'samurai' anytime you aren't sure of the status of someone's ancestors. It seems for families whose ancestors ranked high on the scale, 'samurai' is under certain circumstances an insulting word to begin with, let alone an outrageous demotion of their ancestors.

It's like telling Lee's descendants, Lee was no more consequential than any other private in the Army of Northern Virginia. If you told them than in a context that further hinted you thought he was also the lousiest private in the Army, then that's how bad calling the wrong person's ancestors 'samurai' can potentially come across to them as. But I think, if that were ever likely to happen, you'd best be America under National Guard protection anyway. I've only been told it can get that bad, I've never seen it.

To me, and I'm sure to some others, there are lot more fascinating things about Japan than that bit of trivia, but I'm guessing it's easier to come across those other things, than this one. I only know about it because I got in trouble for not knowing about it. Never once came across it in any university course, 'normal' personal conversation, or in any other way.
True. But like Americans have a literary Cowboy and Europe has their literary Knights, the Japanese have their literary Samurai. And the similarities are striking between the three, especially as we can basically begin with the literary figures of myth and the real man being two completely different people. Knights were smelly and illiterate, cowboys were rowdy and known for stirring trouble, and samurai could be drunken wankers. But they were all cleaned up, polished up, redesigned, and made a new in legend and media. Or at least I find it fascinating, anyways. Especially when you consider the horse was vitally important to them and often a part of the lore; cowboys have their hat, samurais have their topknot; even their movies are often very alike and similar.
 

Shadow Wolf

Certified People sTabber
I'll never forget Yojimbo.

The Japanese "Spaghetti Western" . A masterpiece.


That's a great example of how similar the literary Cowboy and Samurai are. You can do shot-by-shot remakes of their movies and interchange the locations and characters and it still works wonderfully.
 

Estro Felino

Believer in free will
Premium Member
What is it normal?
To stop working at 1 pm. And to start working again at 4 pm until 8 pm.
:)
This depends...because if you work as secretary in certain schools, you can work from 8 am until 4 pm.
 
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Jedster

Well-Known Member
I do them at barbeques.


Speaking of chocolate, I am reminded of my first ever French lesson when the teacher told us that the French eat chocolate sandwiches, i.e. a bread roll with a slab of chocolate inside.
(I have been to France several times and never saw this.)

Is this true?
 

ChristineM

"Be strong", I whispered to my coffee.
Premium Member
Speaking of chocolate, I am reminded of my first ever French lesson when the teacher told us that the French eat chocolate sandwiches, i.e. a bread roll with a slab of chocolate inside.
(I have been to France several times and never saw this.)

Is this true?

Never seen it. But who knows, some French peeps are very strange.

But nutella seems to be ubiquitous on crepes.

There is also tbe pain au chocolate sometimes called chocolatine, it's a roll of croissant pastry with chocolate chips baked into it.

Pain-au-chocolat-ou-chocolatine-les-Francais-ont-enfin-tranche.jpg
 
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Estro Felino

Believer in free will
Premium Member
Never seen it. But who knows, some French peeps are very strange.

But nutella seems to be ubiquitous on crepes.

There is also tbe pain au chocolate sometimes called chocolatine, it's a roll of croissant pastry with chocolate chips baked into it.

View attachment 47816

Two things I remember about Brétagne: nutella crêpes and cider.
Ah...and oysters, of course.
 

Heyo

Veteran Member
Speaking of chocolate, I am reminded of my first ever French lesson when the teacher told us that the French eat chocolate sandwiches, i.e. a bread roll with a slab of chocolate inside.
(I have been to France several times and never saw this.)

Is this true?
Never seen it in France but the Dutch do it, either as thin wafers or as sprinkles. They also have coloured sugar sprinkles to eat on bread.
 
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