Kid Ethnic: Mixed-Race Adventures in Japan: Our Students Have Respect . For Nelly.

Freshly texted to me by fellow Kumamoto teacher Anika :

I’m now correcting a test in which my students had to write a 5 sentence self-introduction. Miho wrote:

I like reggae. I hope to (go) to Jamaica. I’m sixteen years old. I’m gail. I’m respect to Nelly.

Damnit, that’s what I’m talking about. That’s the kind of cross-cultural confusion I was built on.

And there’s millions more of us on the way.

*Note 1: The girl’s actually being authentic with the spelling here. See Bob Marley’s “Let Him Go (Rude Boy Get Gail)” for precedent. Awesome.

*Note 2: I swear this site’s not going to turn into Japanese-Kids-Say-the-Darndest-Things.com. It’s just that, well, sometimes they do.

* * *

Have y’all ever seen that crazy show on Spike TV? The one where they dub crazy commentary over some adult version of DoubleDare-esque physical challenges? You know the one where the super-hyped-up Japanese contestants always land in the mud head first and are then made to say in English “I hope I didn’t get dirt in my pooty tang.” Why? I watched this show on comedy central last night, and I liked it. But it made me feel so crazy. Why do Japanese people say the darndest things?

Could someone currently living in Japan please explain this show and/or the general phenomenon to me? Please?
— Japanophile7 1254 days ago #
That’s right. My other favorite was “I live to reggae.”
— Anika 1252 days ago #
about mixed-cultures, i’m hearing you mate. though wouldn’t it be nice or interesting at least, with a million of us on the way…
— ching 1252 days ago #
Boogie on reggae women.
— Urban Shaman 1252 days ago #