An image for foreigners that I had until I see her was totally opposite with the real way she was. That was what I felt most because several not good images coming from TV drama, such as gossip girl or OC, were fixed into my head deeply and steadily and it was actually wrong in contrast. What I watched through those dramas was teens messing around and hurting each other selfishly and so badly. For me keeping the prejudice inside, she apparently looked like the one that I mentioned, I mean her appearance got me some syncing image I had from the dramas. I bet you have probably heard the proverb “you can’t tell a book by its cover. That can be the best that explains how I felt like after I know about her more than beginning.
As you can see these pictures, she always puts amazingly bright smile on her face, and her personality is also the kind of saving people around her from feeling of sick, I guess. There are tons of differences between girl in Japan and her I have noticed on the process of hanging out with her. One day, I saw her sitting in CIE lounge and doing some assignment with computer, I was just about to talk to her as I usually do, then She just started to shake her head as if she was in the middle of Rock concert. There was no doubt that every single guy, all of sudden, glanced at her. After that, I asked her about that, from her saying, it was the moment where she hit a nice music video on Youtube.
I guess that I myself also got infected by her more or less, being with her, I was getting numbed about the need of deed caring about people around. Some or all of my friends think of me as weirdo, but I’m proud of myself right now because that means I don’t hide myself without any shame.
These are nice portraits and I enjoyed reading your text. I am glad that real Americans you meet are different from the negative images in the media.
ReplyDeleteHowever your text is almost completely reflexive. Does your friend have a name? We don't get much information about her. Everything here is about your reactions and perceptions of her.
Perhaps the term gaikokujin would be more appropriate.