Negative Cool

I travel to Japan, a lot. Well, I did until I started getting hardcore back in to classes, which leaves me without the free time anymore. Anyway, during that time, the primary flight out of Minnesota to China was a connecting flight that landed in Narita, Japan. Thus, inevitably, I would be sitting next to some businessman who had just come back from China, and they felt it their duty to correct my course of study.

I have, for the past 6 years or so, studied Japan, Japanese language, culture, history, etc. Why am I doing this? It's rather simple, I like Japan. More often than not, when stuck on a flight for 12 hours sitting less than 3 inches from another person, you start a few conversations. My conversations on these flights to and from Japan? "You're wasting your time, China is what you should be studying."

Thank you, random sir. What is it you did in China again? You speak of the thrilling and expanding economy of the world's largest political party. The Communist Party of China. You, sir, must obviously be some high level exec, in the top floor of a 200 story building, with a room made entirely out of windows and glass furniture. Your intuition has found that this was the opportunity of a lifetime, and now you're just sitting pretty.

Oh, you sell tires. For construction equipment. That's building a road, because the country isn't even connected by infrastructure yet. Oh well, at least just physically being in the country for a week every few months promises you to a huge bonus check, right? No? You never see your family? You never learned the language? You're immersed in a culture you know nothing and don't care to learn anything about? Thank you, sir, for your insight! This sounds amazing!!


Why must I justify myself on every flight that I take to Japan? Is it not enough that after 2 years, I know more about my country of choice than you have learned in over 35? Not only that, but you can't even write their numbers. You tried to show me, you tried to show me how the Chinese draw their numbers. I tried to politely correct you, saying "I actually think the character for 6 doesn't look like a series of dots, and it has lines." You refused to be corrected though, insisting that 'this is how it is.'

How I wish you were an isolated incident, sir. You are not. You are on every flight, in every seat on that flight. Do you think that you hold some sort of Holy Grail of corporate knowledge that will unlock the key to fortunes? How would you even know, you sell tires. You leave the central urban areas as soon as you land, and pitch your goods with binders that you didn't even create, showcasing how great your traction is on various terrain.

Finally, China is not Japan. Don't assume that since I've studied Japan for so long, I can just decide one day that I think I'm going to know everything about China. You, sir, are the reason there's the ignorant American stereotype. You travel overseas, spend so much time there, and learn absolutely nothing.

You, sir, are an idiot.

I don't love China.

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