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I'm ready for you, Gaijin Nemisis.
Sanae and I keeping one eye open for the Gaijin Nemisis It's a day for firsts for me today.
- I was in my first ever typhoon
- I received my first ever pay check in yen (If all those zeros had a dollar sign in front of them, I would be
loaded )
- I received my first ever phone bill from docomo (If all those zeros had a dollar sign in front of them, I would be bankrupt)
- My first definate case of frottage on a crowded tokyo train (You can't always be sure, as the trains are so crowded, but unless someone was holding their umbrella incredibly awkwardly it was a definate case of unmutual sexual gratification, or as I prefer to call it "intimate-public peversion")
Note: I was the object of love, NOT the giver of love - I saw Gaijin Nemisis for the first time time since I told him to Bite Me. Very Exciting.
I'll just quickly explain something to you about being a gaijin/foreigner/backpacker/tourist/caucasian in Tokyo.
Firstly, Japanese people stare at you. I can understand the stares though. Imagine a sea of tiny dark haired folk milling about quietly murmering to each other and suddenly a busty blonde woman explodes onto the scene, singing along to her I pod and perpetually tripping over things. It is usually worth a second glance. Especially when she accidentally knocks someone over with her oversized handbag and exclaims "Oh Fu*k! Fu*k! Ahh... Sorrymas... uh... Sumimasen! Sumimasen!" before whirling about and knocking over another tiny old lady.
The thing I don't really get so much are the stares from the other gaijin. It doesn't matter where I am, I could be walking along the street, sitting on the train reading a book or even at Roppongi (or another gaijin hotspot) and they just stare and stare and stare as though it's the middle of winter and I'm sitting there in a string bikini dripping coconut oil on myself and servicing the locals. I've never known staring like it. I put it down to shock at seeing another white face or even disappointment as their exotic holiday abroad suddenly seems slightly intruded on. Generally after they stare at you there's a shared "Well, here we are in Japan" smile, and everyone gets on with their business. Not the Gaijin Nemisis though. Oh no, It appears that I am on his turf, and he is very keen on letting me know it. Prick.
The first time I saw Gaijin Nemisis I admit that it was a bit of a mutual stare. It was a few weeks ago now, back when we were moving house, I hadn't seen any gaijins around the area and I was just so taken aback at seeing one strolling casually through the streets that when we passed each other on the backstreets of Nishi Kawaguchi with our mouths gaping open it didn't even occur to me to do the "Well, here we are in Japan" smile, I didn't feel bad though. He obviously was in as much shock as me,I thought to myself, because he didn't smile at me either.
Then two days later there he was! Again! the same gaijin! I didn't notice him at first because I was getting my I Pod out of my bag, but when I looked up he was walking on the other side of the road with the same agressively confused look on his face. It was a bit alarming, so I didn't stare back or do the "Well, here we are in Japan" smile, I just kept walking. He wouldn't have known definately if I saw him or not, as I, very cleverly wear sunglasses. The Gaijin Nemisis however, does not, and his dark little eyes burn right through me as he walks on by.
I saw him again a few days after that - once again he noticed me before I noticed him (maybe thats why he seems so angry? Wallflower syndrome?) and due to the sunglasses again I pretended not to see him, but as we passed each other at the crossing I sneakily checked out of my peripherals and saw him focusing his angry-what-are-you-doing-on-my-turf eyes directly at me once more. Creepy. this time I came home and told Sanae about it.
The final time I saw him (all of this took place over approximately one and a half weeks) was at the station - I was on my way home on a friday morning at 7:00 am-ish after a night out with Niske, and Gaijin Nemisis was clearly on his way somewhere important from the self serving way he was carrying himself. He threw me the same old look, the one that shouted 'I was here first and I should be the only white person in Japan, step wisely my friend, step wisely' I almost expected him to flap his arms and try to run me off the road shouting 'garn! garn! git out!".
Now, if he hadn't given me The Look so many times before I wouldn't have minded, it had been a long, fabulous night with Niske and truth be told, I looked like a rundown hussy on the run from a john and searching for a fix (not that I was searching for anything, I just desperately needed some sleep) but he
had given me The Look - three times previously! So when he sneered his way importantly passed me I made eye contact for the first time since the the initial passing on the street, rolled my eyes and muttered "Bite Me."
I didn't look back to see if he heard.
Anyway - as mentioned previously, I saw him for the first time today in a long time. I had thought, that perhaps he really is a wallflower and after my witty and scathing comments towards him the last time he had decided to take a holiday and think about his actions to other people, people just like him, trying to find their place in an oriental and foreign land. I had mused to myself on occasion that if he returned to Nishi Kawaguchi after such a holiday (where would he go? Somewhere thats FULL of caucasians... Brisbane? Thailand?) that he would achieve tourist self actualization and come back with "Well, here we are in Japan" smiles for everyone. So when I saw him today on my way to Sanaes parents house today I bravely lifted my sunglasses up and and gave him an expectant look from across the road. I saw him look up off the footpath and onto the road, his eyes casually wandered passed the Eki Izakaya and soon they were upon my face. His eyes widened in recognition. I held my breath in quiet anticipation. Had he really been on holidays? Was he going to let me feel as though I too belonged in Nishi kawaguchi of the Saitama prefucture, Japan?
No, he wasn't.
Upon sight of me, his eyes hardened over and the pained, angry look came back into his eyes. I lowered my sunglasses once more and tried to hide behind my umbrella. No gaijins in it together smiles for me then.
I wasn't all that surprised though, I mean the last time I'd seen him I had told him to bite me.
And, as they say... once a gaijin pain in the ass, always a gaijin pain in the ass.
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Gaby
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LOL! ^___^
bite me ha lol you told him to bite you! You go girl lol I never laughed so hard reading a blog before ^_____^ hope your enjoying Japan ^ ^ I hope to go there for my gap year!!!, I'll be 18!!! okay I'm kind of scared about being 18, female, and alone in Japan... anyway from a fellow Gaijin like moi hope your having a ball!! seeya from Gaby