So, it turns out that I actually have a lot to say. I was going to regulate my posts to one a week; that way I wouldn't run out of content. Silly me, thinking that I'd ever run out of stuff to say. Therefore, from this point on, I am going to post whenever I have something I want to share.
This post is titled thus, because I had a stark reminder of the various responses my being can elicit from people. I was covering for a teacher this week and my commute to the school took 2 1/2 hrs (one way). That's right folks, 5 hrs of commute a day! At least I don't have to pay for the commute, which was 2150 yen/day. Half way through the week, I decided that I deserved a treat. What with my diligence to education going relatively unnoticed and all. So, on my way home Thursday night I stopped at the Irish pub (the Blarney Stone) to have a burger. The cook there, Pete, is a really good cook and is actually Irish! Well, half Irish, half French. I'm not big on eating out by myself, but I really wanted the burger and I had a good book with me, so I went for it. I ordered my burger and found a table and began to relax. Pete came out to say hello. I think here I should digress just a little.
The Blarney Stone is a new Irish Pub in Shinsaibashi, a lot of the Osaka teachers have a few drinks at the Blarney Stone in Umeda, which is the older pub. When the new one opened, to show support, the teachers would sometimes stop for a drink at the Shinsaibashi pub. This is how I was introduced to the place. On Halloween, I took some friends there for dinner and when Pete came around offering sweets I noticed his accent right away. Me being me, and him being Irish, I struck up a conversation right away. He asked if we were teachers, and I said we all worked for the same company, and that I worked with one of his friends. The first time I went to the pub I ordered the "Classic" burger, which came to me covered in cheese. I had to explain to them that I am allergic to cheese and couldn't eat the burger. At first, they were a little reluctant to understand why I ordered something I couldn't eat. But I pointed out that they had on the menu both a "Classic" burger and a "Cheeseburger." I asked why they had both, if both came with cheese? I was told that the "Cheeseburger" had more cheese. I apologized for not being able to eat the burger, but I simply couldn't do it. They agreed to make me a burger without cheese. This is how Pete came to know me. Now, when I come in and order a "Classic" burger without cheese, Pete will come and see if it is me.
Anyway, I ordered my burger and sat at a table. The light was not good, so moved to the bar. I was almost finished my burger and nearing the end of the chapter when I noticed the bartender ( a French guy) walk over to talk to some Japanese girls that were leaving. I paid little mind, but I heard him say the word "Indian" and I looked up. Sure enough he was pointing at me and making the typical war whoop noise. Now, I don't know what he was saying as he was speaking Japanese and I like to give people the benefit of the doubt, but then he gestured some feathers coming out the top of his head with his hand and started laughing. I noticed that the girls seemed unimpressed by him and one girl looked a little uncomfortable. I surmised that he wasn't being altogether too kind in his comments about me. I was more taken aback by his brashness, how could he be sure that I didn't speak Japanese? And to be honest, I felt a little uncomfortable, because I am sure that all the other customers could hear him, and they all were Japanese. I just chalked it up to an undesirable response to one's own ignorance and decided that I would leave right after my burger.
Just as I was on my last french fry, Pete came out of the kitchen to chat a bit. We made polite small talk at first, but then he said "You must have some Indian background, right." At first, I thought he was commenting on what the bartender said to the girls, but he was in the kitchen and I don't think he heard. I told him that I was half Native. He smiled and said "I thought so, you look like Pocahontas, with your hair." I had it in two braids. He was not being rude, rather I think in his mind, complimentary. You see, Pete was just as ignorant as the bartender, but he had a different way of approaching his ignorance. Because, he then proceeded to ask a bunch of questions about fishing and hunting and shared a bunch of information about hunting in Ireland. I didn't even know that you could hunt in Ireland. He taught me about "tickling a salmon," which is an Irish way to catch salmon. And I ended up staying a lot longer than my last fry.
Ignorance isn't inherently bad. I think how we face our ignorance says a lot about who we are. Some people mock things they don't understand, others fear it, and others hate. And then there are those who are curious and ask questions and try to understand, thus reducing their ignorance. I'm ignorant about a lot of things; Irish hunting, a lot of Japanese culture still eludes me, and many others. But I am the curious, questioning type and I am sure am glad the cute Irish boy was too! I wish more people out there were as well.
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