BORDER BREAKER - Latest Comments

Re: 5 Rules to Successful Sexual Escalation

TomSlick08 — Thu, 24 May 2012 23:01:59 -0000

Very well stated. Especially number 2 and 4. This site is high quality. Keep up the good work.

Re: 10 tips to Improve your Sexual Attractiveness

John Robie — Fri, 11 May 2012 06:52:20 -0000

Another tip you can add is to get enough sleep. Being all tired and out of energy is a turn off - that goes together with the diet and exercise one. All part of living a balanced, happy life. Be Amazing,
JR

Re: 5 Rules to Successful Sexual Escalation

John Robie — Sun, 06 May 2012 11:33:20 -0000

All good points. When the girl's really into you and doesn't have any bad attitude or baggage, then she'll be more than happy to "escalate" on you! Be Amazing,
JR

Re: What is a Communication Barrier?

Maxim — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:36:23 -0000

what?

Re: What is a Communication Barrier?

Glyda_645 — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:35:23 -0000

how to stop communication barriers

Re: How to Resolve Conflicts and Tense Situations

Conflict Resolution Training — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 06:02:57 -0000

Conflicts are usual when there is more than one opinion involved. What matters is the way to resolve these conflicts in a company. Because all wheels must go in the same direction in order to achieve the common goals that everyone that is a part of a company have. If they don't, then all the efforts can be wasted for nothing.

Re: How to Become Confident in 12 Days.

Max — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 08:21:59 -0000

Yes, please publish the rest!

Re: Are Japanese People the Most Superficial in the World?

Mark — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 09:29:27 -0000

yep to all

Re: Chinese Prejudices Online via QQ.

bob — Thu, 05 May 2011 01:30:22 -0000

It's rare to see non-Korean achieve fluent Korean with no accent so I think it's natural that they respond that way. Same with China, it's been only recently that many people have been learning Chinese. But I think Japanese people are used to seeing foreigners talk their language, no?

btw I frequent TalkOn a lot (there's a foreign language section with rooms for English, Chinese, and Japanese speakers) sometimes I've seen even French or Russian room open.

Re: How I Got Rejected From Keio’s Japanese Language Program

guest — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 17:15:44 -0000

quite whining. shit happens. i applied and im probably gonna get rejected, too

Re: How to Overcome Barriers to Intercultural Communication

Arnold Weisz — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 17:40:01 -0000

Great observations! Here are some of my thoughts on the same topics https://communicansvere.wordpr...

Re: Taipei Game Show 2011

Inezta Inneke — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 03:47:49 -0000

hei there..can i put up your pic from this to my website?
thanks before..

Re: How to Respond to Discrimination in Japanese

Padraig Pearse — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 00:21:19 -0000

For me, staring is a big problem. When I work out at a gym, it's not rare for people to just sit and watch me. What makes it even weirder for me, is that Japanese will try so hard to make eye contact with other Japanese people.

Re: How to Confront Stereotypes

Locohama — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 01:57:57 -0000

“If you setout every day on a cultural crusade, vowing to confront and destroy the stereotype of a foreigner (gaijin), then your life will soon stop being fun. Either for you or people around you.” Is the purpose of life to have fun or to entertain or bring joy to people stereotyping you? Geezus, I'm not on vacation here and I'm certainly not a penata for ignorant people to entertain themselves with albeit innocently (sometimes)..
“If you try to do it (crusading against stereotypes) all by yourself, the end result will be you standing alone reinforcing more stereotypes than you destroy.”
I don't follow this leap of logic unless the stereotype of a foreigner in Japan is someone who doesn't like being pigeonholed and is willing to speak up or demonstrate through positive action (I don't understand the usage of the word crusade) against any stereotype imposed upon him/her.
I can appreciate the "don't worry / be happy" philosophy but the speaker should refrain from making it sound like a common sense solution. it ain't.
And when you say "ignore" the culprits does he mention that in doing so you'll be ignoring a good portion of the populace? Which goes against his don't worry be happy premise. I mean, where's the fun in that?
I like your idea of "hoping the stereotyper" can pull his / her head out their ass and see what they've been doing and saying, but from my experience (having done this more times than one ought to have to over the course of the past 8 years here in yokohama) what u get is stumped individuals more likely to place you in a class outsiide the "rest" (he's not like the others of his kind) and avoid stereotyping because you7re "sensitive to that kind of thing for some reason" than seriously address their stereotypical thought process.
But, some do. Amen.
Anyway, interesting article...I like what you're cooking. Just be careful not to follow the "happy go lucky crusaders" who oversimplify the situation and say things like "if you don't like it then leave" or toss around platitudes like that McKenna did! I mean geezus, only a nut sets out on a crusade everyday to address this mess. He wasn't acknowledging regualr people like you and I. He was saying you are either like me or you're a psycho (or something like that) on a mission to reverse the backward thinking of that dominates the mindset here singlehandedly.

Re: Interview with a Random Korean Girl

ZaneX — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 12:21:14 -0000

Ask: What fruit would describe you best?

Re: Interview with a Random Korean Girl

Alex — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 00:54:43 -0000

Random Japanese girl; or, if you can get it, a host or hostess, or both.

Re: What Not To Do In Japan

Caroline Josephine — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 20:11:50 -0000

I agree with everything BUT not going to Tokyo Tower. I love Tokyo Tower A LOT (so much that I'm going to boycott Sky Tree~ ew). I think it's worth going to once... and it's not THAT expensive. You can get a beautiful view of the city, and going right before Twilight is perfect because you can watch the city transform.

Although recently I've really enjoyed going places that allow me to SEE the tower all lit up at night and that's almost BETTER.

But idk, Tokyo Tower is just a part of what makes Tokyo so... Tokyo. for me anyway.

Re: How to Confront Stereotypes

Cathy Sweeney — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 14:37:02 -0000

Well-said about an important subject. You've made some good points and have good suggestions. I like the quotes from Joseph DeVito, too.

Re: How to Confront Stereotypes

inka — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 12:28:25 -0000

We can only motivate people by setting an example with our own behaviour. There is some truth in steroetypes, otherwise they wouldn't have evolved n the first place, but neither are they set in stone. I forget about stereotypes completely when living in another country.

Re: How to Confront Stereotypes

Jenn — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 08:39:57 -0000

Interesting post:) Thanks for dropping by my blog!

Re: Chinese Prejudices Online via QQ.

admin — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 09:21:03 -0000

Thanks a lot for the great comment. :) I think it's not rude of you can ask "how can you read english?" i often respond similarly when someone i meet online asks me how i can speak chinese. I think the more honest, direct response is actually more rude than that. Which is to say, I learned in school, or something like that, and then ask how the heck they learned english ;) If someone asks you a rude question first isn't it ok to respond with an equally rude question? perhaps if it is asked in a playful attitude it should be fine. Anyway, good luck making great Korean friends offline and online :) and thanks for reading my blog.

Re: Chinese Prejudices Online via QQ.

nam — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 16:30:21 -0000

I've had a similar experience with TalkOn, a voice chatting service offered by Nate. Since you're chatting with strangers, the most frequent questions are for age and location. I usually respond that I'm in the U.S., and when asked about for family details I say that I'm not Korean.

The most annoying part, though, is how often people tell me to prove it. That, and the fact that people consistently feel the need to ask "How can you read Korean?" Lately, I've taken to responding, "How can you read English?", even though I'd prefer not to be rude.

Re: Chinese Prejudices Online via QQ.

Fri, 26 Nov 2010 22:15:12 -0000

If that was your conclusion, then you didn't show it at all through your writing. >.> Glad you clarified though.

There are other ways to find a person to practice English or Chinese or whatever other language, you don't need to randomly search for QQ numbers. And plus, it's unsolicited. And, not everyone is comfortable friending with complete strangers whom they've never seen, with no context whatsoever. Maybe you're comfortable with it, but I'm not, and it's not fair for you to call me "paranoid" and "unfriendly."

Why don't you try the same thing here? Go on Skype/Facebook and friend random strangers pretending you're learning English, and see how many people accept you and actually talk with you. Then make a comparison. You'll probably do better here than in China but there will still be a significant portion of people who just delete you.

------------------------------------------

Your last question was "Anyway, why is it so impossible for people in China to believe the obvious reality that people who are not from China can learn Chinese?"

My point is, they know there are people who are not from China who are learning Chinese, but they don't really meet or see them in their day to day life. Hence when they actually see/meet such a person (probably for the first time), they're surprised and act like "OMG so there ARE people learning Chinese?" Why is that so hard to understand?

It's like you're told elephants exist throughout your whole life but you've never seen one (not even a picture of it), and then you go to the zoo and someone says to you, "Look, that's an elephant." What would your reaction be? (Ok it's not a great example, but hopefully you get my drift this time)

Re: How to Respond to Discrimination in Japanese

admin — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 12:45:23 -0000

you are right, but if i ever did use any of these sarcastic phrases, or anything like them, it would be in a very lighthearted, humorous attitude and not a nasty negative one. And I am aware of those unfortunate souls who let their negativity doom them to that abyss. And i do indeed dig your blog :)

Re: How to Respond to Discrimination in Japanese

admin — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 12:39:41 -0000

Hi Loco! you are right, discrimination was not the most apporpriate word for the title. Thanks for pointing that out to me. I'll be more careful in the future.