At 07:31 PM 5/4/97 +0800, you wrote:

It wasn't Ranma's obligation to know these things. Point. However...
It IS considered the guest's duty to know what not to do. 

Case in point:
You are (insert gaijin name here) Hibiki, distant (gaijin) relative of
Ryouga. You have walked all the way to Tokyo from the northern tip of
Hokkaido. You pass through the local noh theater, thinking it was a way to
get to Nerima, somehow. Having nothing better to do, you take a seat and
watch. Finally, all that travel has gotten to you. In the middle of a
particularly intense scene you do what comes natural to you, due to your
fatigue.

You yawn. In public.


You may have not known that what you did was particularly rude, but the
Nihonjin around you, who happen to live in the country you walked into, have
taken offense anyway.

Can you blame them? True, you didn't know, but once again, ingorance is a
weak defense.

Actually, it's a politician's defense. :)

Ignorance IS a viable defense, whether one likes it or not.  That doesn't
make it any nicer, but you have to realize that before any experience, one
is exactly that: ignorant.  A young baby has this problem.  That's why when
it does something that's erred it our eyes, we teach it.  It can't possibly
know that what it's doing is wrong.  Ignorance is its viable defense.  


Now, I admit that an adult is vastly different from a babe, but if a person
has still not picked up the knowledge necessary, ignorance is the only way
they can explain themselves.  (if you're Ryouga's cousin, you don't exactly
have time to study these things...) They don't have the information
necessary.  *That's why it's important one vigorously studies a country's
customs before the ride over (preferably before boarding the plane)*.

It is so arrogantly Western 

Now THAT is being ingorant.  Our whole nationality should not be portrayed
or is not the way you seem to think of us as, whether you are western or not. 
We are not all so 'arrogantly western' as you seem to think.  I am slightly
insulted, but my natural humbleness will kick in, I'm sure. ;)

for you to think that your way of life is the

'normal' way. So you think it's indecent for women to walk around topless.
There are several nationalities who think otherwise. Nonetheless, to avoid
offending the hosts, the gracious Westerners who put up with the 'stupid
primitive tribespeople', they cover up, and generally try to act acceptably
within the context of their gracious, 'civilized' Western counterparts.

I don't believe it's so much that statement as it is what is commonly
referred to as 'culture shock'.  True, there are some arrogant bastards in
this country (we either name them 'rednecks' <no offense to Redneck Gaijin>
or 'multi-gazillionaires') who are ignorant of the ways of other cultures.
Many could call is racism.  In fact, it may well be this.  I've heard of
people referring to Japanese letters on my shirt and one asking why the
hell the Japanese write that way.  An other replied that it's because
they're "fucked up".  That is true bias-ism.

I often have heard of newcomers to the west act the same way.  How can you
assume that westerners are the only ones guilty of this crime?  In fact,
some Japanese are guilty of this (remember the corporate man in his book
referring to Americans as lazy, regardless of whether we are or not) as
well as other nationalities.  Many know of the word 'gaijin', right.  Well,
it's common knowledge that some stores or shops in Japan DO restrict gaijin
from entering.  Bias.  

In any case, the U.S. is home to multicultural background, with several
people originally coming to this country without the realization that their
acts or way of thinking is alien to others.  The majority of this country
is starting to become minority and vice-versa.  We are starting to become
more acceptable worldly, and trying to accept more cultures.

And then you say, 'Why should I learn the customs of just every little
village I come across and rob of their food'? How DARE you.

Well, robbing someone is a bit extreme.  I will admit that.

Pure arrogance.


TimeRunner

I'd ask you to think about this:  All westerns are not ingorant of other
countries' cultures, and some of us do try to learn them.  If you did not
mean to portray this, I'm sorry, but that's the way your sentences
represented themselves.


I'm sorry if I offended anyone.


     -_^ Joshua-kun ^_-
       *Joshua Seames*
        j_kun@lni.net
  ----------------------------
  Kneel before the Red-haired
       Hacker Goddess!!
         Go on, KNEEL!
  NeneNeneNeneNeneNeneNeneNene