Comments on: “News of the Weird” Phenomenon http://www.talktotheclouds.com/2010/06/18/news-of-the-weird-phenomenon/ Teaching, speaking, reading, pondering English Sun, 30 Oct 2011 08:11:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: jay@newzjapan http://www.talktotheclouds.com/2010/06/18/news-of-the-weird-phenomenon/comment-page-1/#comment-44682 jay@newzjapan Sun, 07 Nov 2010 02:39:27 +0000 http://www.talktotheclouds.com/?p=797#comment-44682 Yeah, I think it's about time I went to a country where I didn't speak the language and started eating first and asking questions later. I'm a big fan of the red beans (if they are the same as the Japanese Azuki) beans. The biggest challenge of a Cultural wiki would be that people would rather believe what's wacky and interesting than the humdrum facts... of course we could throw in some of the wacky facts that happen to be true. I had a nice initiation to that when I had lived in Japan for less than 6 months and a friend took me out and fed me raw horse (basashi), whale, and suzume-yaki (yes, sparrow - cooked, served, and eaten whole... bones, beak, and all). Sorry for the gastric digression. Yeah, I think it’s about time I went to a country where I didn’t speak the language and started eating first and asking questions later.

I’m a big fan of the red beans (if they are the same as the Japanese Azuki) beans.

The biggest challenge of a Cultural wiki would be that people would rather believe what’s wacky and interesting than the humdrum facts… of course we could throw in some of the wacky facts that happen to be true.

I had a nice initiation to that when I had lived in Japan for less than 6 months and a friend took me out and fed me raw horse (basashi), whale, and suzume-yaki (yes, sparrow – cooked, served, and eaten whole… bones, beak, and all).

Sorry for the gastric digression.

]]> By: Clarissa http://www.talktotheclouds.com/2010/06/18/news-of-the-weird-phenomenon/comment-page-1/#comment-44681 Clarissa Sun, 07 Nov 2010 02:27:24 +0000 http://www.talktotheclouds.com/?p=797#comment-44681 Thanks, Jay! Yes, something similar happened to me in Taiwan--I bought what I thought was a delicious loaf of cinnamon-raisin bread, but the swirls of "cinnamon" were actually swirls of red bean paste, and the "raisins" were red beans. Later I encountered a bun stuffed with "porksong," the dried shaved pork that's something like bonito. Ha! I'm over it now; bring on the savory pastries! Cultural-Snopes would be a good idea, though many of the most refutable things are passing nonsense that no one will look up in a couple of years, and some of the other things are pretty debatable even by natives of a culture. But it might make a good wiki-type project with a handful of good editors for each country... Thanks, Jay! Yes, something similar happened to me in Taiwan–I bought what I thought was a delicious loaf of cinnamon-raisin bread, but the swirls of “cinnamon” were actually swirls of red bean paste, and the “raisins” were red beans. Later I encountered a bun stuffed with “porksong,” the dried shaved pork that’s something like bonito. Ha! I’m over it now; bring on the savory pastries!

Cultural-Snopes would be a good idea, though many of the most refutable things are passing nonsense that no one will look up in a couple of years, and some of the other things are pretty debatable even by natives of a culture. But it might make a good wiki-type project with a handful of good editors for each country…

]]> By: jay@newzjapan http://www.talktotheclouds.com/2010/06/18/news-of-the-weird-phenomenon/comment-page-1/#comment-44676 jay@newzjapan Sun, 07 Nov 2010 01:37:50 +0000 http://www.talktotheclouds.com/?p=797#comment-44676 Thanks for this article. You are spot on with this. Before living in Japan for 15 years, I remember believing a lot of the weird stories and watching news about all of the "crazes" in Japan. The biggest shock I got back in those days was when I accidentally bought Yakisoba bread and bit into it expecting it to be filled with custard or something sweet! Maybe we need a Snopes type site for world cultures and international understanding! Thanks for this article. You are spot on with this. Before living in Japan for 15 years, I remember believing a lot of the weird stories and watching news about all of the “crazes” in Japan.

The biggest shock I got back in those days was when I accidentally bought Yakisoba bread and bit into it expecting it to be filled with custard or something sweet!

Maybe we need a Snopes type site for world cultures and international understanding!

]]> By: Moral Panic and Love Plus | AR.m-ato.me http://www.talktotheclouds.com/2010/06/18/news-of-the-weird-phenomenon/comment-page-1/#comment-38773 Moral Panic and Love Plus | AR.m-ato.me Fri, 03 Sep 2010 21:00:27 +0000 http://www.talktotheclouds.com/?p=797#comment-38773 [...] and moral panic in Western audiences fueled by poor wording, cumulative error, and the “news of the weird” phenomenon. (I have an excuse to write this… really… there’s augmented [...] [...] and moral panic in Western audiences fueled by poor wording, cumulative error, and the “news of the weird” phenomenon. (I have an excuse to write this… really… there’s augmented [...]

]]> By: Clarissa http://www.talktotheclouds.com/2010/06/18/news-of-the-weird-phenomenon/comment-page-1/#comment-35672 Clarissa Wed, 14 Jul 2010 03:05:44 +0000 http://www.talktotheclouds.com/?p=797#comment-35672 Yes, that made me facepalm repeatedly! Yes, that made me facepalm repeatedly!

]]> By: Clarissa http://www.talktotheclouds.com/2010/06/18/news-of-the-weird-phenomenon/comment-page-1/#comment-35671 Clarissa Wed, 14 Jul 2010 03:05:24 +0000 http://www.talktotheclouds.com/?p=797#comment-35671 Naming things is useful. :) That's an interesting aspect of the situation! If you ever feel like addressing it again (if you have more to add or another angle), I'm intrigued! Naming things is useful. :)

That’s an interesting aspect of the situation! If you ever feel like addressing it again (if you have more to add or another angle), I’m intrigued!

]]> By: Alex Case http://www.talktotheclouds.com/2010/06/18/news-of-the-weird-phenomenon/comment-page-1/#comment-35670 Alex Case Wed, 14 Jul 2010 03:02:42 +0000 http://www.talktotheclouds.com/?p=797#comment-35670 PS, a particular favourite was every single Western newspaper taking the vending machine dress chindogu seriously http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1273919/The-Japanese-ninja-dress-turns-Coca-Cola-machine-ward-attackers.html PS, a particular favourite was every single Western newspaper taking the vending machine dress chindogu seriously

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1273919/The-Japanese-ninja-dress-turns-Coca-Cola-machine-ward-attackers.html

]]> By: Alex Case http://www.talktotheclouds.com/2010/06/18/news-of-the-weird-phenomenon/comment-page-1/#comment-35669 Alex Case Wed, 14 Jul 2010 03:00:11 +0000 http://www.talktotheclouds.com/?p=797#comment-35669 Great term, as it makes the effect clearer than not having that term to talk about it. I tried explaining why Japan gets more stories than most, which I'd probably write differently now but I still think has some truth in it: http://japanexplained.wordpress.com/weird-japanese-stuff-explained/ Great term, as it makes the effect clearer than not having that term to talk about it. I tried explaining why Japan gets more stories than most, which I’d probably write differently now but I still think has some truth in it:

http://japanexplained.wordpress.com/weird-japanese-stuff-explained/

]]> By: Clarissa http://www.talktotheclouds.com/2010/06/18/news-of-the-weird-phenomenon/comment-page-1/#comment-34120 Clarissa Thu, 24 Jun 2010 00:36:49 +0000 http://www.talktotheclouds.com/?p=797#comment-34120 The "Divorce Ceremonies" story that's going around now is a great example of this. :/ In the article, it actually mentions (for once) that only about 25 couples have actually paid for the service. Meanwhile, if you go to Google and search for "divorce ceremony" -japan you get 34,100 results from the US, Australia, and more, including services (costing hundreds of dollars) for couples as well as rituals for individuals. The “Divorce Ceremonies” story that’s going around now is a great example of this. :/ In the article, it actually mentions (for once) that only about 25 couples have actually paid for the service. Meanwhile, if you go to Google and search for “divorce ceremony” -japan you get 34,100 results from the US, Australia, and more, including services (costing hundreds of dollars) for couples as well as rituals for individuals.

]]> By: Clarissa http://www.talktotheclouds.com/2010/06/18/news-of-the-weird-phenomenon/comment-page-1/#comment-34047 Clarissa Tue, 22 Jun 2010 01:54:17 +0000 http://www.talktotheclouds.com/?p=797#comment-34047 Japan is definitely quirky, but every place has its quirks--we just are a lot better at filtering out "home quirkiness." And very true: you'd definitely have to navigate that kind of thing with caution, and it would have to be at a high enough level that students could offer criticism and think about context. Very good points! Japan is definitely quirky, but every place has its quirks–we just are a lot better at filtering out “home quirkiness.”

And very true: you’d definitely have to navigate that kind of thing with caution, and it would have to be at a high enough level that students could offer criticism and think about context. Very good points!

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