BootsnAll Travel Network



Gaijins, Gringos, Foreign Devils and—Germans

As part of my Japan preparations, I’m currently reading Hokkaiodo Highways Blues (this is a great book by the way), in which writer Will Ferguson repeatedly bemoans the fact that—after years of living in Japan—he is still an outsider and will never be regarded as an equal by the Japanese.

At first I nodded dutifully along. Then I went to the pub on Saturday evening while John was away.

This is my twentieth year of residence in the UK, and our third in this neighbourhood (which is far from my favourite). Yet as soon as I set foot in the pub, I found myself staring at the radiant face of a semi-oiled old codger who slurred something about didn’t I remember him, I was that German whom he talked to back in February?

I can’t say that I did and fled outside to have a smoke under the newly erected umbrella. There was another acquaintance with one of his mates. He introduced me and his mate said: “Oh, you’re German—there was a German shepherd in the yard not so long ago.”

Eh?

I hastily finished my pint and went home. I have no illusions ever to be accepted as part of the crowd here.

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