Ahhh I finally get to use that as a title for a blog post! I felt that it would happen sooner or later, but today was a classic example of something being completely misunderstood.
I was at the gym, and it was pretty packed. Old dudes, couple of grandmas, some housewives, and myself. The music they usually play at the gym is kinda what you'd find a mix CD of the top 25 or so pop songs. In fact, it is pretty damn similar to Feria's basement play list. So there I am, the only tall skinny white in the whole place, and this song comes on:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xt9JtaHk2NY&feature=related
I cracked up. Here is a gym, full of people, and this song is just going and going. The young guy who works the counter is bobbing his head to the music. I considered telling him just exactly what was playing to the entire gym, but in the end I decided to keep it to myself.
Now I am not the only English speaking member at this gym, and the song could possibly offend someone less musically open minded. But in the end, this only shows that words and the meanings we transpose upon them are just products of our culture. The only reason this song shocked me is because I have grown up in a culture and society where those 5 words (well, for if you say it like Snoop) put to together hold a specific meaning that has been deemed unwholesome. Even if I had explained to the young worker at the gym exactly what the words meant, he would not truly be able to understand the impact that they hold. There is nothing like that in Japanese language Sure, I could say "君とやりたい", and the the basic implication of the sentence would remain intact. But the true feelings, thus true meaning of those words, will forever be lost in translation.
At least until my entire gym decides to live in an English speaking country for a couple years.
On another note: in roughly 7 weeks I will be back home in America. Ohhhh boy. I knew I was getting close, but it didn't really sink in until last night.
Three utterly random unrelated things led to this realization. An episode of glee, a short video online, and Mark Mahony (in case you live under a rock, Glee is that musical tv show that fox has been enjoying the success of recently. And in case you don't live in Tokyo, Mark Mahony is my friend in the CIEE study abroad program)>
But I digress. I was watching Glee, and episode which showcased a the villain of the show reading little red riding hood to her mentally challenged older sister. Halfway through the story, I got a skype message from mark, saying "we only have 7 weeks left". I paused glee to talk with him (yeah that's crazy man), and while waiting for him to say something else I put on a short video that popped up on break.com the other day. The video, was of US soldiers coming home from the war and surprising their kids, loved ones, etc. WELL let me tell you, that video, toppled with little red riding hood and the impending end of my time here in Japan just did it. With the first shocked face of an elementary student, I wept like a baby.
Just so you know, Mark never did say anything more besides "we only have 7 weeks left".
The heartwarming/breaking video of soldiers can be found here (just in case you need a good cry):
http://www.break.com/index/soldiers-coming-home.html
