My Japan Experience (Part 2 of 5)

We arrived at Tokyu Inn at Okaido, Matsuyama City about past dinner after many hours of passing by farms, forests, and coastal towns. The city is different from Kobe where we came from. Kobe City is a very new city which was actually rebuilt from the rubbles of disaster, while Matsuyama is an older one which had survived the rage of typhoons for many years because it was sheltered by mountains. Still, it has the cleanliness and order of Singapore, and the feel of a Baguio city night because of the autumn season.

We met a towering Japanese man in his 30s who introduced himself as Masuda (san). We later found out that he was the coordinator from JOCA (Japanese Overseas Coordinating  Agency) who will coordinate all our activities for the program. He guided us until we checked-in in our comfortable rooms. There was the bath tub, the bed, the TV….and of course, the wifi. Great! Not bad for a two week stay at the hotel.  

Surely, the day went fast to another dinner, and because we were in a foreign country, we decided to have it somewhere with a foreign touch – no convenient store, no mcdonalds…it must be a Japanese restaurant. We finally settled in a place with “300” on it because we assumed that the meals must be about 300 yen. After spending an average of about 800 yen for every meal, we figured that we can save our allowance with this 300 restaurant. Without any picture on their menu, and servers who can’t speak much English, we were doomed to just order ramen (haha).  Well, some were brave enough to just order anything to their delight/ surprise/ disappointment depending on who you ask. What surprised us most actually is when one of us attempted to offer a ‘tip’ to the server. The young server’s color drained as he immediately said: “no stealing!” We were quickly reminded that we are not in the Philippines anymore, and that the Japanese find giving ‘tips’ offensive or insulting.

The famous/'infamous' 300 resto/bar haha

It finally hit us that we were really in a ‘sake bar’ (surprise, surprise). My thoughts drifted to what I am doing with my life, while my batch mates are taking the Bar exams, I’m here in a bar..drinking my beer. It makes a funny story, but what’s funnier is the realization that there is so much in our Filipino culture/attitude that we have to change:

First is our culture of “entitlement”.  A friend said you would distinguish a filipino from a foreigner, not by how he looks but for how he acts. A Filipino will leave his plates on the table after he dines, he doesn’t have the initiative to help the servers by returning his tray to the wash area. In his mind, such is the waiters’ job and that he is entitled to that full service. In Japan, and in many developed countries, what they get they put it back. This applies to a lot of issues – we do not segregate our garbage because we think that it the basurero’s job, we do not clean our surroundings because we think that we are paying taxes, and that it is the government’s job: trabaho nila yan eh, ba’t pa natin gagawin? We felt entitled to a lot of things. This tendency can even explain the view that the Philippines has a ‘beggar culture’ (I’ll explain this in another blog article), or even our 'pa-sosyal culture'. Or even the reason why we don't promote bicycles as a common mode for transportation when many of our neighboring countries have already done so.

Second, is our money-centered attitude. The server’s reaction towards the ‘tip’ sprouted from their very old culture that those who hold the most money are the dirtiest. In fact in ancient Japan, the merchants (business people) are said to be the lowest in the social ranks (lower than the farmers). This is also evident in their economic practice of “stakeholder capitalism”. Such system doesn’t put the biggest regard on money-gaining, but on ‘efficiency’ in their work. Mostly, their dream is becoming the best of what they do, and not about getting the most money. In the Philippines, many people are worshiping money in a sad state of corrupt “garapalan” system. A friend told me that a japanese who visits the Philippines every year notices that the road is always re-blocked every time he visits our country. He whispered, “If this happens in my country, the engineer or contractor would have committed suicide…” In the Philippines? Nahhh…

Third, is our culture of mediocrity. “Tama na yan…Okay na yan..” Such is our mantra towards a sad state of backwardness. We do not have the initiative to do the best and become the best because we tend to easily box ourselves in a helpless case of excuse. I’m just being honest:  I also find this in my character.

Fourth, is ‘blaming’. We have the tendency to blame everyone and everything for something that we could’ve changed and we can change our selves. As of writing this, a so-called intellectual accused me of praising a colonial power which had abused our country in the war, (while he is working for a Spanish company). We must understand that we are living in different times in which we all have learned the scourge of war. But to blame them for our economic status, or for our personal problems? Besides, one cannot blame a whole race because of some political policies of a few people. But then, we are one of the most racist people in the world.

Perhaps we were raised that way. When we were kids we were conditioned to believe that Filipinos are the best people in the world, even though in many times, we are not. How does the story go again? There was the Filipino, American, Japanese, and 'Negro' (yup we were raised not to be politically correct from the start) having a contest in which the Filipino always wins somehow. So its no wonder that we regard ourselves so special to entitle us with many things, or to just 'blame others'. (Another blog article about Filipino monkey pride is coming).

Sorry for going on heavy again. But, I don't want to be that guy who was given the rare opportunity to travel and learn, but haven't learned anything, or haven't shared anything. So sorry again but, the truth will hurt most of the time. There is still hope though. There is still hope for change...:)

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The next day, we attended the briefing for the activities in Ehime. We met with the JOCA heads and JICA representatives. Well, lectures can be boring sometimes, so I’ll just post our picture with our coordinators (below). (Maro-san (yup, just like the km.4 restaurant hehe), the one with the fan on the right, would guide us in our Omishima Islands adventure in the coming days).

Briefing at Matsuyama Community Center

Click link for Part 1 ---------> Japan experience (Part 1)

Click  link for Part 3--------->Japan Experience (part 3 of 5)