POURING GREEN TEA OR HOW I PAID OFF MY STUDENT LOANS

BY ALANA DAVIS

till in Japan after a prolonged hiatus, my student loans are paid off and I have resolved to begin writing "Pouring Green Tea" articles again. The past eight months have not been without topics to write about, but I haven't had the heart. The reason why I haven't had the heart is what I'd like to share.

Two years in a foreign country is long enough for the honeymoon glow on newly discovered culture to wear off. I had no illusions about the fact that eventually I would start seeing the darker side of Japanese culture, but I did have illusions as to how I would handle it. I'm still torn; is two years long enough to criticize Japan?

I don't understand everything there is to know about life here; I don't even think I truly understand what it means to be Canadian. Yet with all my aspirations of cultural sensitivity, of focusing on the positive, of being accepting and tolerant, something inside of me rebels.

There is a critical, judgmental, culturally-biased side of myself that doesn't always want to hide behind a veil of tolerance. It wants to express its opinions, its outrage, in a society that views such expressions as shameful and childish. I've learned to think carefully before I speak, but I remain torn as to whether or not I am entitled to these critical opinions at all. In order to restore my wa (Japanese concept of inner peace or inner harmony), we (Indignant Western side and Tolerant Accepting side) have agreed to three concessions on the subject of criticizing Japan.

The first concession recognizes that criticism is not necessarily intolerance. I can persist in a false sense of righteous indignation by keeping all critical opinions to myself. By exposing my opinions however, the flaws and weaknesses of my arguments can be corrected. Unquestioning tolerance stigmatizes true cultural awareness.

For example, in an average day in Japan 54, 931, 507 pairs of disposable chopsticks are used once and thrown away. The wood for these chopsticks comes from rainforests, an appalling and unnecessary waste of the world's natural resources. This criticism begs the question, Why? Why use waribashi (disposable wooden chopsticks) when it is perfectly conceivable (from my western point of view) to serve food in restaurants with reusable chopsticks, cleaned along with all the other dishes?

Expressing this criticism (with humility and respect of course) opened a dialogue offering insight into Japanese culture. Cleanliness is valued highly in this society, so is the treatment of one's "honoured guest". I learned that since chopsticks actually enter the mouth, serving a guest with chopsticks that had merely been cleaned would be considered impolite.

Going back in history, disposable chopsticks were a way to thwart assassination attempts by poisoning. This dialogue also led to a counter-criticism. How many trees do we waste in the West for the purpose of toilet paper? Couldn't we just as easily follow the example of some Asian countries and use the left hand, cleaning it thoroughly after? I believe that critical thinking accompanied by a humble attitude and an open mind nurtures insight into one's host culture and into one's own society as well.

Which leads me to my second concession. I should strive to see every issue from all angles, and to balance all criticisms with positive observations. I may see glaring environmental infractions in Japan, but to see them as merely environmental problems is a gross oversimplification of the issue.

Being culturally sensitive is not a matter of reserving criticism, but of trying to understand why things are done a certain way, why they seem so different from my way, and why I think it is wrong. I can't analyze the former if I don't acknowledge the latter. By trying to balance my opinion of Japan's treatment of the environment with positive observations, I noticed many useful practices lacking in Canada.

For example, there are no paper towels in public restrooms; everyone dries their hands using their own handkerchief. Restaurants don't have serviettes; patrons receive steaming white towels upon arrival to refresh themselves with, and to use throughout the meal.

My final concession isn't really a compromise at all, it is perhaps the most essential trait to cultivate in a cross-cultural experience: humility. And in all humility, I don't always live up to my own expectations of how I should deal with the whole "Canadian living in Japan" experience.

Sometimes, instead of being open minded or critically analyzing perceived problems in this society, I simply complain. We all fall into the trap of thinking that our own way is better, especially from a distance when it is more difficult to see the flaws in our own way. There is also sometimes a feeling of helplessness that leads to anger. Perhaps it's possible to live abroad without ever experiencing the desire to change things; I certainly haven't been able to.

When I see suffering because "that's just the way it is in Japan, shigata ga nai (nothing can be done)" I want to scream, "THIS IS WRONG! THIS HAS TO CHANGE!" I suspect those living abroad could fill in what I will leave blank with their own examples. This is why humility is so important- we are not here to change things. We are here to make a difference. For me, this is not only true of my life in Japan, but of my life in general; I am here to make a difference.

Without critical thinking, there is a danger of ignorance. Without a dedication to seeing both the positive as well as the negative, there is a danger of becoming bitter. Without humility, there is a danger of being overwhelmed to the point of impotence.

However, through individual examples, in handling situations, in one's approach to a job, in showing respect to a host culture, one can and will make a difference. All this to explain why I haven't had the heart to write about my experiences in Japan for the past eight months, because I didn't want to write about all of the problems I saw, yet these problems were taking up the majority of my thoughts.

So, maybe next time I'll write about some of the things that outrage me, like women's place in this society, or kids with gray hairs from stress at the age of thirteen. Or maybe I'll write more upbeat articles, about my overnight stay at the Canadian embassy or my pilgrimage to the true burial place of Jesus in Aomori prefecture.

In Japan they say that one cannot know the truth about the mountain one is climbing. Only from a distance can we truly understand what the mountain is. Sometimes an outsider's observations can be beneficial; as we strive for cultural understanding and universal tolerance, perhaps we all need to become a little more tolerant of outside criticism.