Kid Ethnic: 103 Days At Sea: Japanese Television Loves You

Japanese Television Loves You · 29 March 05

And me. And her. And him. And anyone else who looks a little funny.

Japanese television loves me
(click to enlarge)

The above photo of me being video-taped for Japanese television has nothing to do with today’s story about me being video-taped for Japanese television. That’s how often (and how easily) foreigners get put on television here.

A few weeks ago, I ran a 2k leg of a distance medley relay for my high school teacher’s team.

During pre-race preperations, I was accosted by an EXTREMELY energergetic Japanese TV hostess and her video crew.

Here, to the best of my memory and translation ability, is how our on-camera conversation went (italics mean “in Japanese”):

HER: Hello, how do you do, my name is, etc.
ME: Hello, my name is Saleem.
HER: It’s nice to meet you.
ME: It’s nice to meet you, too.
HER: So, you’re running with Yushinkan high school today?
ME: Yes.
HER: (Lots of really fast Japanese stuff.)
ME: Hmmm… Sorry, I don’t I understand.
HER: (More really fast Japanese stuff.)
ME: [pretending to understand, I nod and make “Ahhhhh, sooooooooo” * noises]
HER: Do you think you’ll win?
ME: Don’t know yet… we’ll do our best.**
[She fumbles a bit in English, I fumble a bit in Japanese. We pause and look at each other.]
HER: I love you.
ME: I love you, too.

Yes, that is how my first real Japanese TV appearance ended. I told a hyper television hostess that I loved her, too.

* Yes, we actually make that sound all the time here.
** We totally won.

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yea…but did you get her digits?
— andy 1808 days ago #
Thank God for your website! Work in England is boring as hell and checking your website through the day is keeping me alive. I have gone back through all the old stories, making various comments as and when appropriate. I know i shouldn’t, but I have nothing else to do. My system has broken down today!
— glen 1804 days ago #
Andy: I feel like actually seeing her again would spoil our one beautiful moment.

Glen: Thanks. I hope you’re system isn’t anything important to, um, anything. If it is, you should probably stop checking and get back to work immediately, yo.
— saleem 1803 days ago #
On the bright side Glen, at least you’re being paid to be bored in, what I can only image as, cubicle hell rather than paying for the privilege of being bored and writing ten page papers on why the Battle of Midway and Stalingrad were the turning points in blah, blah, blah.
— Melissa 1802 days ago #
I rather enjoy Midway and Stalingrad but haven’t figured out a way to incorporate them into cubicle hell…yet.

Plus, 10 pages isn’t that long really.
— andy 1801 days ago #
10 pages seems like a lot when it’s due in four hours.
— Mel 1801 days ago #
I think i should stop telling everyone in my company about this website before people take things too seriously and start to wonder as to the activity of my job. Does Glen ever do any work? Is Glen thinking about finding another job? I dunno!
— Glen 1800 days ago #
Woah, did Mel and Glen just form some kind of support group?

Rad.

Your friend,
— saleem 1796 days ago #
saleem, it says you responded a few seconds ago. are you still responding now or is that a few seconds ago in japan?
— andy 1796 days ago #
Indubitably, Saleem, indubitably…
— Mel 1795 days ago #
Hmmm…. support for each other in our miserable workloads or support for u out in Japan? I think i’ll have to set up a UK fan base with the many (amusing) problems u’ve encountered!
— Glen 1794 days ago #
Glen scares me in his/her ethusansm.
— Melissa 1793 days ago #

Kid Bronchitis and the Bad Medicine | Ornery White Guy and the Tokyo Capsule Hotel