I’d like to teach the world to surf

“Nihon de no mokuteki wa nan desu ka?”
“What is your purpose for being in Japan?”
I confess to being lost for words recently when a Japanese colleague asked me this deceptively simple question. Did he mean professionally? Personally? Existentially? Was this an innocent inquiry (a benign translation of “So, what brings you to Japan?”) or was I being asked to justify my presence in Japan on the grounds of not being born here? Regardless, it is a question that internationally-minded FN readers – both non-Japanese and Japanese alike – would do well to ask themselves. For beyond matters of the wallet and the heart, what is it that brings us together at this time and place? Isn’t our common link that we are all striving to build bridges between nations rather than raise the drawbridge on our own? And if so, how do we most effectively promote meaningful dialogue between people of different backgrounds?
IMHO (In my humble opinion for non-webspeakers), few Japanese phrases can have generated so much ink and so little insight as kokusaika (internationalization) and its more recent incarnation tabunka kyousei (multicultural diversity). While I welcome any meaningful attempt to decipher these slippery ideological terms, all too often “cross-cultural communication” is reduced to glib observations on the outward trappings of so-called “national culture”. In this scenario, the global village becomes little more than a global flea market where by-products of culture – food, dress, linguistic differences, etc – are consumed.
Now, while I’m not entirely averse to sharing cultural pleasantries about Britain’s favorite food (long-time champion “Indian curry” this year lost out to…chow mein!), this is not exactly the “meat and potatoes”, as it were, of cross-cultural understanding. And while I’m being flippant, of course (a British national characteristic, apparently, but let’s not get started…), there is a more serious side to all this. Namely, that an obsession with cultural difference can serve as a defensive shield for those who don’t want their values or underlying assumptions challenged. Focusing exclusively on difference allows people to opt out of serious engagement with the world and to fall back on lazy stereotypes instead. Why try to understand each other if our cultures, our value-systems, our ways of being, are just so “different”?
Of course, the truth is that we are not, after all, so very different. And while we can all recognize some truths in our national stereotypes, isn’t the more valuable task in identifying our shared goals, anxieties and expectations? Seeking common ground and, yes, compromise with one another. While judging a book by its cover takes no time at all, attempting to read and understand that same book requires time and commitment. We have to sit down, listen and share our experiences. And we must also be prepared to have our old ideas challenged.
I know what you are thinking. “So, Mr. Peace, Love and Happiness, just where do we find this honest and intimate cross-cultural dialogue of which you speak?” Well, you could do worse than join the million-plus army of international CouchSurfers. CouchSurfing.org is “a worldwide network for making connections between travelers and the local communities they visit.” The idea is simple. Travel somewhere new, stay with someone local, share life experiences. That’s it. Of course, like most things in life, you get out of CS what you put in, and some will use it as nothing more than free accommodation. But the guiding principal of CS is that “We make the world a better place by opening our homes, our hearts, and our lives. We open our minds and welcome the knowledge that cultural exchange makes available.” ‘Nuff said.
I often meet Japanese people who bemoan the lack of opportunity to engage with foreigners. So here is your chance. Sign up today. “But isn’t it dangerous?” Well, there are many safety features like references and verifications. The rest is common sense. And the key is trust. “But won’t I need good English?” Well, you’ll usually need a bit, but that’s why you’ve been taking all those English classes, isn’t it? “But what if I live at home?” Great – get the whole family involved! “But isn’t it just for single travelers or young people?” Well, I had a Swiss mother with two daughters visiting this week. And my oldest guest was in her seventies (she did bring her son, though…).
CouchSurfing won’t bring world peace anytime soon but in facilitating genuine cross-cultural exchange and dialogue, it can help to break down stereotypes and bring us all a little closer to understanding each other. And isn’t that, after all, the real mokuteki? I have had great experiences as both a surfer and a host, and I’ve learned a lot about the world and about my own assumptions. So come on, CouchSurfers of the world unite! You have nothing to lose but a Lonely Planet…
Learn more about couchsurfing online: www.couchsurfing.org

 

 

 

 

 

「ニホンデノモクテキハナンデスカ？」この一見単純な 質問を受けたとき、正直答えに困った。仕事の都合です、という答えが欲しいのか、それとも個人的な理由を知りたいのか？はたまた自分自身の存在意義だと か、もっと深い話をしたいのか？いずれにせよ、これは国際的関心の高いナウの読者にも自問してほしいんだ。僕たちをこの時・この場所へ結びつけるものは一体何なんだろう？ そして、異なるバックグラウンドをもつ者同士、どうしたら効果的にコミュニケーションがとれるんだろう？
国際化や多文化共生などの単語は、世間で言われているわりには、まだその本質が見いだされていないし、『異文化間コミュニケーション』とかいう聞こえのよい言葉も結局はいわゆる「お国柄」という表面的な理解にとどまっているように感じるよ。でもだからといって、イギリス人が大好きな食べ物はここずっとイン ドカレーだったけど今年は中華ヤキソバに負けちゃった…なんていう世間話をすることが嫌だという訳ではないけれど、それが異文化を理解することの核心では ないんだ。何よりも怖いのは、文化的な違いに固執することで、自分の価値観や先入観に踏み込まれないように壁を築いていることもあるということ。文化の異なる部分のみに目を向けるということは、他の国々と真剣に関わらなくて済む訳だし、安易なステレオタイプを持ち出せばよいのだから。「僕たちの文化や価値 観はあまりにも“違う”んだから、なんで最初から理解し合おうなんて思うのさ？」ってわけだよ。
実際には大した「違い」はないんだ。もちろんこういったお国特有のステレオタイプにもある程度本当の部分はあるけど、僕たちにとっての共通の目標や懸念、そして希望を見つけることの方がもっと大切じゃないかな？共通点を捜して、そう、妥協点を探る！相手の話に耳を傾け、自分の経験をシェアし、そして、自分自身の固執した考え方に新風を吹き込む準備をしなくっちゃ！
「それじゃあ、ミスター平和・愛・幸福さん、あなたの言うその正直で心の通った多文化交流はどこで見つかるの？」それには、世界中で大勢が参加している「カウチサーフィン」が僕のオススメ。『旅行者とその旅行先の地元人とをつなげる世界中のネットワーク』という考えに基づき、知り合いもいないような所に旅行して、地元の人の家で生活体験をシェアする－ただそれだけだよ。もちろん、人生なんでもそうであるように、思い入れが強いほどカウチサーフィンから得るものは多い。単に無料の宿泊先として使うだけの人もいるかもしれないけど「自分の家と心と生活をオープンにすることで世界をよりよい場所にする。心を開くことで文化交流につながる知識を迎えよう」が主題なんだ。
外国人に知り合う機会がないと言っている君もこれこそチャンス！「危ないんじゃない？」なんて感じる人のためにも口コミや評価など安全確認できる指標もあるし、それ以外は常識でわかるよね？何よりも信頼が鍵さ。「英語が話せないとダメなんじゃない？」もちろん少しは話せないといけないと思うけれど、大丈夫、今まで充分英語授業は受けたはず！ちなみに我が家には今週はスイスから母娘ふたりが来たし、今までの最高齢者は息子さんと一緒だった70代の大先輩さ！
もちろん カウチサーフィンは世界平和をもたらすわけではないけど、本当の意味での異文化交流の助けにはなると思うし、ステレオタイプの向こうにある僕たち同士を知ろうとするきっかけは間違いなく作ってくれるよ。それこそが最終的な「モクテキ」なんだと思う。僕はカウチサーフィンを通してホストとしても泊まる人としても素晴らしい経験をし、そして自らの思い込みや世界についてたくさん学んだよ。さぁ、みんなでカウチサーフィンを楽しむってドォデショ？

 

 

 

 

 

“Nihon de no mokuteki wa nan desu ka?”
“What is your purpose for being in Japan?”
I confess to being lost for words recently when a Japanese colleague asked me this deceptively simple question. Did he mean professionally? Personally? Existentially? Was this an innocent inquiry (a benign translation of “So, what brings you to Japan?”) or was I being asked to justify my presence in Japan on the grounds of not being born here? Regardless, it is a question that internationally-minded FN readers – both non-Japanese and Japanese alike – would do well to ask themselves. For beyond matters of the wallet and the heart, what is it that brings us together at this time and place? Isn’t our common link that we are all striving to build bridges between nations rather than raise the drawbridge on our own? And if so, how do we most effectively promote meaningful dialogue between people of different backgrounds?
IMHO (In my humble opinion for non-webspeakers), few Japanese phrases can have generated so much ink and so little insight as kokusaika (internationalization) and its more recent incarnation tabunka kyousei (multicultural diversity). While I welcome any meaningful attempt to decipher these slippery ideological terms, all too often “cross-cultural communication” is reduced to glib observations on the outward trappings of so-called “national culture”. In this scenario, the global village becomes little more than a global flea market where by-products of culture – food, dress, linguistic differences, etc – are consumed.
Now, while I’m not entirely averse to sharing cultural pleasantries about Britain’s favorite food (long-time champion “Indian curry” this year lost out to…chow mein!), this is not exactly the “meat and potatoes”, as it were, of cross-cultural understanding. And while I’m being flippant, of course (a British national characteristic, apparently, but let’s not get started…), there is a more serious side to all this. Namely, that an obsession with cultural difference can serve as a defensive shield for those who don’t want their values or underlying assumptions challenged. Focusing exclusively on difference allows people to opt out of serious engagement with the world and to fall back on lazy stereotypes instead. Why try to understand each other if our cultures, our value-systems, our ways of being, are just so “different”?
Of course, the truth is that we are not, after all, so very different. And while we can all recognize some truths in our national stereotypes, isn’t the more valuable task in identifying our shared goals, anxieties and expectations? Seeking common ground and, yes, compromise with one another. While judging a book by its cover takes no time at all, attempting to read and understand that same book requires time and commitment. We have to sit down, listen and share our experiences. And we must also be prepared to have our old ideas challenged.
I know what you are thinking. “So, Mr. Peace, Love and Happiness, just where do we find this honest and intimate cross-cultural dialogue of which you speak?” Well, you could do worse than join the million-plus army of international CouchSurfers. CouchSurfing.org is “a worldwide network for making connections between travelers and the local communities they visit.” The idea is simple. Travel somewhere new, stay with someone local, share life experiences. That’s it. Of course, like most things in life, you get out of CS what you put in, and some will use it as nothing more than free accommodation. But the guiding principal of CS is that “We make the world a better place by opening our homes, our hearts, and our lives. We open our minds and welcome the knowledge that cultural exchange makes available.” ‘Nuff said.
I often meet Japanese people who bemoan the lack of opportunity to engage with foreigners. So here is your chance. Sign up today. “But isn’t it dangerous?” Well, there are many safety features like references and verifications. The rest is common sense. And the key is trust. “But won’t I need good English?” Well, you’ll usually need a bit, but that’s why you’ve been taking all those English classes, isn’t it? “But what if I live at home?” Great – get the whole family involved! “But isn’t it just for single travelers or young people?” Well, I had a Swiss mother with two daughters visiting this week. And my oldest guest was in her seventies (she did bring her son, though…).
CouchSurfing won’t bring world peace anytime soon but in facilitating genuine cross-cultural exchange and dialogue, it can help to break down stereotypes and bring us all a little closer to understanding each other. And isn’t that, after all, the real mokuteki? I have had great experiences as both a surfer and a host, and I’ve learned a lot about the world and about my own assumptions. So come on, CouchSurfers of the world unite! You have nothing to lose but a Lonely Planet…
Learn more about couchsurfing online: www.couchsurfing.org

 

 

 

 

 

“Nihon de no mokuteki wa nan desu ka?”
“What is your purpose for being in Japan?”
I confess to being lost for words recently when a Japanese colleague asked me this deceptively simple question. Did he mean professionally? Personally? Existentially? Was this an innocent inquiry (a benign translation of “So, what brings you to Japan?”) or was I being asked to justify my presence in Japan on the grounds of not being born here? Regardless, it is a question that internationally-minded FN readers – both non-Japanese and Japanese alike – would do well to ask themselves. For beyond matters of the wallet and the heart, what is it that brings us together at this time and place? Isn’t our common link that we are all striving to build bridges between nations rather than raise the drawbridge on our own? And if so, how do we most effectively promote meaningful dialogue between people of different backgrounds?
IMHO (In my humble opinion for non-webspeakers), few Japanese phrases can have generated so much ink and so little insight as kokusaika (internationalization) and its more recent incarnation tabunka kyousei (multicultural diversity). While I welcome any meaningful attempt to decipher these slippery ideological terms, all too often “cross-cultural communication” is reduced to glib observations on the outward trappings of so-called “national culture”. In this scenario, the global village becomes little more than a global flea market where by-products of culture – food, dress, linguistic differences, etc – are consumed.
Now, while I’m not entirely averse to sharing cultural pleasantries about Britain’s favorite food (long-time champion “Indian curry” this year lost out to…chow mein!), this is not exactly the “meat and potatoes”, as it were, of cross-cultural understanding. And while I’m being flippant, of course (a British national characteristic, apparently, but let’s not get started…), there is a more serious side to all this. Namely, that an obsession with cultural difference can serve as a defensive shield for those who don’t want their values or underlying assumptions challenged. Focusing exclusively on difference allows people to opt out of serious engagement with the world and to fall back on lazy stereotypes instead. Why try to understand each other if our cultures, our value-systems, our ways of being, are just so “different”?
Of course, the truth is that we are not, after all, so very different. And while we can all recognize some truths in our national stereotypes, isn’t the more valuable task in identifying our shared goals, anxieties and expectations? Seeking common ground and, yes, compromise with one another. While judging a book by its cover takes no time at all, attempting to read and understand that same book requires time and commitment. We have to sit down, listen and share our experiences. And we must also be prepared to have our old ideas challenged.
I know what you are thinking. “So, Mr. Peace, Love and Happiness, just where do we find this honest and intimate cross-cultural dialogue of which you speak?” Well, you could do worse than join the million-plus army of international CouchSurfers. CouchSurfing.org is “a worldwide network for making connections between travelers and the local communities they visit.” The idea is simple. Travel somewhere new, stay with someone local, share life experiences. That’s it. Of course, like most things in life, you get out of CS what you put in, and some will use it as nothing more than free accommodation. But the guiding principal of CS is that “We make the world a better place by opening our homes, our hearts, and our lives. We open our minds and welcome the knowledge that cultural exchange makes available.” ‘Nuff said.
I often meet Japanese people who bemoan the lack of opportunity to engage with foreigners. So here is your chance. Sign up today. “But isn’t it dangerous?” Well, there are many safety features like references and verifications. The rest is common sense. And the key is trust. “But won’t I need good English?” Well, you’ll usually need a bit, but that’s why you’ve been taking all those English classes, isn’t it? “But what if I live at home?” Great – get the whole family involved! “But isn’t it just for single travelers or young people?” Well, I had a Swiss mother with two daughters visiting this week. And my oldest guest was in her seventies (she did bring her son, though…).
CouchSurfing won’t bring world peace anytime soon but in facilitating genuine cross-cultural exchange and dialogue, it can help to break down stereotypes and bring us all a little closer to understanding each other. And isn’t that, after all, the real mokuteki? I have had great experiences as both a surfer and a host, and I’ve learned a lot about the world and about my own assumptions. So come on, CouchSurfers of the world unite! You have nothing to lose but a Lonely Planet…
Learn more about couchsurfing online: www.couchsurfing.org