Whats wrong with you foreigners

[Berkshire]

2 minutes ago, ChiangMaiLightning2143 said:

Let me put it to you another way. I lived many years in Hawaii. It used to be true that 99 percent
Of the tourists came from Japan. Now it is half overrun with Koreans. Some of the local staff who should be saying Aloha, or Hello are greeting the Koreans with “Konaychaiwa!” and “ogenkidesuka?”

I seen more than once the Korean got angry and yelled I AM NOT JAPANESE!

Is that just ignorance? Isn’t it racism to assume that any tourist with an Asian face speaks Japanese?

Similarly in Thailand I don’t assume people with a “white” face speak English. I think it is most appropriate to use the local language, Thai. People have some pride in their culture so I don’t go around pushing English on folks. Why don’t you go up to Quebec? Try speaking English to all all the white people there and see how politely you are accepted.

Your Hawaii example is not racism.  It would seem their tourist industry is doing their best to accommodate their guests.  Sometimes they make a mistake, but clearly it's not their intent.

 

Let me put it to you another way.  I myself assume every farang I meet in Thailand speaks English.  And strangely enough--nearly 100% of the time--they do.  So how can it be racism or ignorance if it's true practically 100% of the time? 

[The manic]

On 6/18/2018 at 8:17 PM, jimster said:

Yes I've noticed the same. Very occasionally a black guy acknowledges me and I acknowledge him simply because we're both foreigners. I appreciate the gesture. A black person acknowledging the presence of another black person in a country like Thailand could also be, other than perceived kinship due to the fact that they are a very small minority here, much smaller than westerners.

 

Although I have occasionally seen black people in unlikely places like Isarn and northern Thailand, on average I don't have to look very hard and can spot a westerner almost anywhere in Thailand - from petrol (gas) stations along the highway to rural areas and small border crossings with neighboring countries, westerners are everywhere it seems! Earlier this month I saw a westerner riding a motorcycle with sidecart, had his dog with him coming from a local Thai-Cambodian border crossing that is not yet open for foreigners. Was he also there, like me, to enquire about when the border will open to foreigners? Just 20km later, another westerner was walking along the highway about 20km south of Aranyaprathet. Normally one only sees farang in Aranyaprathet city, particularly around the border crossing and not in a rural area like I was in.

 

But yeah it is kind of funny to see black people here automatically seeking each other out and becoming friends, just because they have the same skin color. To most westerners, this is something that should be avoided because we've been taught it's "racist" to associate only with our own kind, LOL. Perhaps this helps to explain why many a westerner runs away from another westerner. Of course there are, as I have pointed out before many unsavory types but it's not fair to paint everyone with the same brush. I certainly don't judge people until I've actually had a conversation with them and know a little bit about them. Equally of course, there are many westerners I avoid like the bar stool types in Pattaya - they can be trouble. Then again I don't go to girly bars so I won't meet these types of people unless I see them in the local Tesco Lotus or something.

I doubt Jamaican seek out Africans or black Amercians seek out Nigerians. They have little in common just a Brits dont seek out Romanian just because of skin colour.  Do you think Arabs seek put Israelis just cos the have the same skin colour?  It is the commonality of language that draws people together. 

[Justfine]

24 minutes ago, The manic said:

I doubt Jamaican seek out Africans or black Amercians seek out Nigerians. They have little in common just a Brits dont seek out Romanian just because of skin colour.  Do you think Arabs seek put Israelis just cos the have the same skin colour?  It is the commonality of language that draws people together. 

It's culture not language. Otherwise no farangs would be with Thais who can't speak English.

[ChiangMaiLightning2143]

Your Hawaii example is not racism.  It would seem their tourist industry is doing their best to accommodate their guests.  Sometimes they make a mistake, but clearly it's not their intent.
 
Let me put it to you another way.  I myself assume every farang I meet in Thailand speaks English.  And strangely enough--nearly 100% of the time--they do.  So how can it be racism or ignorance if it's true practically 100% of the time? 

I had a lot of success with the Japanese, but I never pulled a Korean. A Korean lady I approached got upset because I assumed she was Japanese. So , I was burned by racism also I guess.

[Megasin1]

I always assumed it is polite to just greet people that you encounter in the morning with a 'good morning', if it is a good morning. This doesn't mean that I want to hear their life story, as it always concerns me how many American special forces snipers are not actually out there snipering, I feel that the world would be a much safer place if all those snipers were actually doing their job, rather than talking about it. Then there's all the highly successful businessmen who I am concerned about as how are their businesses coping without them whilst they are whiling away their time in a 3 star hotel, but personally I am a nutter magnet, I have to face it, I can guarantee that if I use any form of public transport the next nutter to get on that transport will gravitate towards me and leave me with the overall sense of being personally boring and normal, something which I have always strived to avoid. People just need to understand that a friendly hail, is just that, it's not an invite to dinner or to swap spit in the shower and the polite thing to do is to return that hail and move on, nothing more.

[jimster]

2 hours ago, Justfine said:

It's culture not language. Otherwise no farangs would be with Thais who can't speak English.

Exactly. And while I don't think Nigerians seek out Jamaicans (like the other guy said in a reply to me), a Nigerian who sees another black person sees kinship and the potential for a friendship based on a common culture. In Thailand, Malaysia and other east Asian countries, a Nigerian is far more likely to meet another Nigerian, or a Cameroonian than say a Jamaican.

[jimster]

3 hours ago, The manic said:

I doubt Jamaican seek out Africans or black Amercians seek out Nigerians. They have little in common just a Brits dont seek out Romanian just because of skin colour.  Do you think Arabs seek put Israelis just cos the have the same skin colour?  It is the commonality of language that draws people together. 

Israelis and Arabs don't have the same skin color at all. Most Israelis are immigrants or descendants of immigrants from Europe, usually eastern Europe they form about 92% of the Israeli Jewish population and are known as the "Ashkenazi Jews", the rest who have roots in southern Europe and northern Africa are called "Sephardic Jews". And given the current and historical tensions between Israelis and Arabs I highly doubt they would be seeking each other out. Many countries don't even have diplomatic relations with Israel, most of these countries are in the middle East, as well as Malaysia and Indonesia, further diminishing the opportunity for "Arabs to seek out Israelis" as you put it.

 

Culture, not language draws people together. That's why Thais will form friendships with Cambodians and Chinese when living in western countries like the USA if they can't find other Thais and they'll do that before they seek out friendships with white people and despite all these people not speaking a common language or English very well. Westerners in Thailand seek each other out due to a shared (or similar) culture. Swedes will hang out with Aussies, Dutch people and Americans before they hang out with Thais.

[sanemax]

6 minutes ago, jimster said:

Most Israelis are immigrants or descendants of immigrants from Europe, usually eastern Europe they form about 92% of the Israeli Jewish population and are known as the "Ashkenazi Jews"

That cannot be correct

20 % of Israels population are Palestinian Muslim Arabs .

Jews make up just 75 % of Israels population 

[Ulysses G.]

13 hours ago, ChiangMaiLightning2143 said:

Is that just ignorance? Isn’t it racism to assume that any tourist with an Asian face speaks Japanese?

 

To be fair Korean sounds a lot like Japanese. I speak enough Japanese to know that if I don't hear any words that I know, they are Korean.

[jimster]

On 6/20/2018 at 4:24 PM, sanemax said:

That cannot be correct

20 % of Israels population are Palestinian Muslim Arabs .

Jews make up just 75 % of Israels population 

Learn to read and interpret correctly. I said of the "Israeli Jewish population" not the Israeli population overall, big difference. I am well aware of the presence of Muslim and Christian Arabs in Israel.

[AYJAYDEE]

On 6/19/2018 at 10:59 PM, ChiangMaiLightning2143 said:

Let me put it to you another way. I lived many years in Hawaii. It used to be true that 99 percent

Of the tourists came from Japan. Now it is half overrun with Koreans. Some of the local staff who should be saying Aloha, or Hello are greeting the Koreans with “Konaychaiwa!” and “ogenkidesuka?”

 

I seen more than once the Korean got angry and yelled I AM NOT JAPANESE!

 

Is that just ignorance? Isn’t it racism to assume that any tourist with an Asian face speaks Japanese?

 

Similarly in Thailand I don’t assume people with a “white” face speak English. I think it is most appropriate to use the local language, Thai. People have some pride in their culture so I don’t go around pushing English on folks. Why don’t you go up to Quebec? Try speaking English to all all the white people there and see how politely you are accepted.

 

As for the need to greet every Farang in the street as my close comrade no need. I treat strangers in the the same why Thai people treat other random Thai people. Politely. Making small talk in elevators and immigration lines is not part of everybody’s culture.

 

Now if some want to talk to me in English, or Thai (basic) I’m happy to respond but it won’t be me initiating small talk in an elevator.

re Hawaii? no that's not racism. It's confusion.

[Justfine]

Koreans/Japanese look similar. Other asians don't look Japanese.

 

Ridiculous to play race based on a friendly greeting. Greeting a German with Hello is not racist!

 

Oh lord what has the world come to....

 

 

 

[ChiangMaiLightning2143]

Koreans/Japanese look similar. Other asians don't look Japanese.

 

Ridiculous to play race based on a friendly greeting. Greeting a German with Hello is not racist!

 

Oh lord what has the world come to....

 

 

 

Koreans and Japanese mostly look different and the languages sound COMPLETELY unique.

 

Can’t tell 100 percent of the time but if somebody is carrying a LOTTE shopping bag etc. etc. Also their fashions are different. 10 years ago every Japanese young woman visiting Hawaii died their hair brown and had certain hairstyle while the Koreans all have straight black hair. Korean women still give up on their appearance after 40 and have perms.

 

You never see a Japanese woman with a perm and ankle length stockings since 1960s.

 

But I am the guy who hit on a Korean girl in Japanese and got yelled at!

[Hummin]

Just got a huge smile from an old chap on the beach, smiled back and wished him a great day! Happy to make people feel good! 

Edited June 22, 2018 by Hummin

[transam]

The time of day l go to the gym it is usually empty, but yesterday there was a Thai guy there that was older than me......I could see he had done weights.

 

Anyhoooo, language was a barrier but we now know each others name and shook hands..

 

Ain't that nice....

[Odysseus123]

52 minutes ago, transam said:

The time of day l go to the gym it is usually empty, but yesterday there was a Thai guy there that was older than me......I could see he had done weights.

 

Anyhoooo, language was a barrier but we now know each others name and shook hands..

 

Ain't that nice....

"Ain't that nice.."Yes, indeed it is.