mercedo's Journal: Word

I don't read Japanese any more, let alone write it. Why? In spite of my being Japanese?

I don't use Japanese any more because I am Japanese. The statement at a glance which seems contradictory includes some sort of truth in my life.

I was forced to hear tens of thousands of Japanese language since I was a kid, so I'm just fed up with using it any more. Of course as long as I live in Japan, I've got to use this language in some way or other. But I must say it is not the country that determines which language we use but rather it is ourselves. We are entirely free whatever the language we use, for example, even in the United States, I speak Japanese to Japanese if he can't speak English. But here in Japan, if both speakers prefer to use English as a way to communicate one another, we are glad to do so.

So when I use English in my daily life, someone often claims that 'Here's Japan.' So what? Whether here's Japan or the USA, nothing prevents us from using any language in our daily life, what language we use entirely depends on our side.

as it happens

[Mantorp]

I was an exchange student in the US a long long time ago, and on the same flight back to Sweden I ended up next to a childhood friend who had done the same thing. We spoke English nearly the whole way home. Nowadays however my brain has gotten better at switching back between the two so I prefer to speak English here and Swedish to Swedes.

Re:as it happens

[mercedo]

I noticed your name first in johndiii's journal, 'The Origin of Your Nick'. Since then I have thought you are from a country from Europe.

Whatever the language we use, it is important for us not to feel alienated, in our case, we are not supposed to limit our free hand to use any language we'd prefer. I myself feel alienated strongly in using my native tongue.