I got a new job, training starts next Wednesday. But I have to take my nose piercing out for this job. I know this is really pathetic, but it makes me sad, because I feel like it's giving away my youth and my freedom. I've had this piercing for eleven years, and have somehow escaped taking it out. Argh it's forcing me realise that there are steps to take which make us move into these roles in life - these aged roles. And they're all signposted - take out your piercing, because you're an adult. But I don't want to!!! :( I know why people just retreat into dark holes and play Xbox all day and night - it's a lot of pressure being out there in the big bad world, trying to meet peoples expectations while trying to maintain some sort of individualism or some idea of who you are without selling yourself out. But if you want success and money you have to conform to these specific ideals and standards!!!
In lighter news, I met a Japanese friend today for a coffee - went to Starbucks - I feel bad for going there, but I wanted something big and that I knew I'd like. I'm such a westerner! I taught her "cool" and "dick" i.e she's cool, or she's a dick. She was surprised that you could call a girl a dick. There is a lot of gender specific language in Japan, I said you'd only say it around friends, but it's fine for a girl to say. I also taught her lame, nerd and geek. And some other more normal stuff like "how are you?" I'm great, good, fine, ok, not good - in that scale. The Japanese are taught that "fine" is the top 100% best word if you're feeling super fantastic. I told her it's not right - it's not what we say, eh? Fine is only ok for us. Well anyway, I'm corrupting the Japanese one person at a time...
When I start working, I won't have so much time to think about the complexities and inner workings of life. That'll be good!!
In lighter news, I met a Japanese friend today for a coffee - went to Starbucks - I feel bad for going there, but I wanted something big and that I knew I'd like. I'm such a westerner! I taught her "cool" and "dick" i.e she's cool, or she's a dick. She was surprised that you could call a girl a dick. There is a lot of gender specific language in Japan, I said you'd only say it around friends, but it's fine for a girl to say. I also taught her lame, nerd and geek. And some other more normal stuff like "how are you?" I'm great, good, fine, ok, not good - in that scale. The Japanese are taught that "fine" is the top 100% best word if you're feeling super fantastic. I told her it's not right - it's not what we say, eh? Fine is only ok for us. Well anyway, I'm corrupting the Japanese one person at a time...
When I start working, I won't have so much time to think about the complexities and inner workings of life. That'll be good!!
yeh fuck taking out piercings. i sometimes think i need to stop doing stupid things to my hair at 32 but then, fuck it. i just got a new earring i think youd approve of. its one of those rings with a silver ball on. looks quite gay actually, as in i look like a gay man but thats ok.
ReplyDeletethe thing about teaching english is it make you realise how much slang is part of our everyday language and that recontextualising words is what weve been doing for years. like gay. something that is gay is bad. 'thats so gay' because being gay is bad. eh? oh!
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Ring with a silver ball, that's a blast from the past!!! I hope you never stop dyeing your hair crazily, not for at least another 20 years. Just stop when you get to be John Lydons age though, I don't like how he looks. Although he's probably doing to annoy people.
ReplyDeleteThe other thing about teaching English is that I've realised we have a hell of a lot of swear words and insults. The worst word I've learned in Japanese is "baka" - very stupid, or fool. Sarah, my Irish friend, tells me that Irish swearing is literally putting curses on people.