What the fuck you looking at?

Is it so strange to see a white guy walk into a Japanese food market and buy stuff? I get to shop at Hibaris(Small Hole in the Wall Shop bout 45 minutes from where I live). Every time I shop there, people always look at me funny, and even funnier when I actually say something. Most of the time I wills ay Sumimasen(as I said this place is a little hole in the wall and is crammed, so it's easy to get stuck in one fo the three isles), or Domo Arrigato Gozaimasu. They look at me as if I have corn growing out of my ears. Seriously is is that hard to believe that there are people out there that know a little Japanese, and like to shop in a Japanese store?

It could be that I always buy Pocky, Green Tea Candy, and Olong tea when I'm there. or it could be that I've bought a lucky Cat statue and a bento box. But it makes me feel uncomfrtable people staring at me with a what are you doing shopping here look on there faces.

i get that alot when i go to my local ... anywhere but i think theres an lil jap shop somewhere near me cos i have seen alot of people (mostly otaku's) with pocky boxes and jap sweets (trust me i know every shop in my home city and none sell pocky or jap sweets except this one)

Maybe you have a shit accent.
Although, if it is in a cultural section of town, they don't expect to see people outside of that culture around, I think. It was sortof similar when I went with my dad into the Mexican area of Detroit. My dad was actually half Mexican, but because his other half was Irish, he looked more Italian, really. So people looked at us like we were pretty much out of place, even though my dad spoke with a very natural-sounding accent. And my accent isn't entirely shit either. Some folks don't care though, especially since you are giving them money.
But really, who cares? If this is were you like to go to get the things you want, and you are paying for them and not being disrespectful or anything, it shouldn't bother you. They just aren't so used to large gaijin, I guess.

...
What
the
fuck

If that was me I would have committed Seppuku by now.



The shop is right next to a Habichi grill called Nagasaki Inn(http://www.thenagasakiinn.com/), bu other than that it's just p[art of town there is not any real cultural section of town, because it's close to the University, a lot of college kids live int he area. As for my accent, you can tell I'm not a native speaker, but what I do say is clear and precise.

Maybe you should try sticking to English whenever possible?

They might just think your some weaboo faggot.

For the most part I do speak in English, but it slips sometimes.

Probably a good idea, because he has a point. Saying just phrases you could learn watching anime or something would make you look like a jackass to them.
Although, you can learn a few simple phrases from watching Shogun, too, and that shit's respectable.

I know enough Japanese to get by wit out saying much, other than that I'm useless as a rotting fish at a fish market.

There are some exceptions to that where it is culturally acceptable and common to speak two languages meshed together. Like in the way that many Latino Americans do. Although I suppose English works it's way into other languages a lot more than the other way around, seeing as how a large number of countries these days teach basic English. And requirements for graduation in the United States are determined by the individual state, so it's not even required we take any foreign language in all states. So I guess that's part of why throwing in words from other languages in our speech just makes us seem like jackasses.
But when learning another language, if you are actually making effort, the urge does arise to do so, and also it just happens from time to time. I imagine if you were fluent in more than one language it would happen to, but I haven't got mastery of a second language, so I can't personally vouch for that.

aye i got that alot, on main street in my town their is a korean store, japanese store, chinese store. i go there to buy food every other teusday, when i first started every body and their mother was staring but ive been going for a year or two now and i dont really get it anymore. we talk, joke around, etc. but at first it was very akward.

That's what I do when I do go in there, the people that run it are real friendly, I'll joke with them and they laugh at my attempts to speak Japanese. I've picked up some from them,and all but it's just every time I go in there there is always that one customer that just gives me the stink eye.

yea there are always those few people, they give you the "your not japanese what're you doing here or why are you trying to speak our language look" very annoying. me ive picked up alot of japanese from them, i can hold a small simple conversation with them and the old japanese lady that lives across the street (shes like 70 and i do her yardwork.)

I went to china town once in philly, and my friends and I got stared at real bad. Especially if we walked in a store and didn't buy anything and left. I have a purse that's kinda big, they were really watching to make sure we weren't shoplifting.

Also - minorities are a minority. It's like a black sheep going to graze with the white ones.

I agree with them.

"You been in store 4 hour. You buy nothing. You go now. You scare wife."



So would I.

Dante Fricking Lol at that joke.

As for Japanese, as I said I know enough tho get by with simple things but then, I'm like a rotting fish at a fish market when it comes to holding a conversation.