I had a fabulous experience during Mass at Life Center on November 13th. Everything I saw there was so attracting. I have been to several services while I stay in Spokane but I have never seen such a casual style of Mass, so I was a little bit surprised. During the service, I found three cultural observation about veterans, ASL and 311.
Firstly, in the beginning of the Mass, I had one thoughtful cultural observation about Veterans’ Day. November 11th was a Veterans’ Day, so during the service, we thanked veterans who fought for us and we also thanked their families who supported them. When I saw the scene, I was so impressed because I have never thanked any Japanese who fought for us. I don’t even know who they were. Nevertheless, in the US, they have Veterans’ Day that they should thank them for their fighting in other countries. I think this is a great opportunity for people who didn’t go to the war to know about it and not forget about the people who sacrificed themselves for us. On Saturday, I went to brunch with Emily by using a STA bus. The bus also said “THANK YOU VETERANS.” I was so surprised to see the words because in Japan, we don’t show our gratitude on public transportation but I think America has a good style of appealing people in order not to forget about the past. I think Japan should follow American style. During the Mass, I wondered why Japanese have never thanked to people who worked for us and then, I came up with one idea that we didn’t think we worked for Japan from our hearts during WWII. When Japanese men had to go war at that time, they had to say we wanted to save our mother country; however, they didn’t really want to go because they knew they had to be away from their family such a long time and they might had never met their family again. On August, we prayed for victims who lost their lives because of the atomic bombs of Hiroshima and Nagasaki but we have never prayed for military that fought for us. I thought this is a big cultural difference between Japan and the US.
Secondly, I was so impressed by the people who did ASL, American Sign Language, for deaf people at the church, and then I had two main cultural observations. One is about the world sign language. Since, I studied ASL from SFCC students, I have got interested in sign language and I keep studying it by myself. As I study it on You Tube, I find out that each countries have own sign language and then I wonder it is better for us to have world an universal sign language, so I asked one lady that whether she agreed my idea or not. Unfortunately, she disagreed with my idea because she thought the language is not only the language but it has also related to our culture and customs very deeply, so if we had common sign language, we lose our language and culture. I was so surprised to hear the idea because I didn’t expect to get such an idea, and then I thought we don’t have world language that people in all over the world use, so the same thing happens in deaf community. We respect other countries’ language and culture, so that is why we try to learn other language and we travel other countries. I learned the importance of the language though communicating with people who can speak ASL. Another thing I wondered was what kind of feeling that if we cannot listen. During the Mass, I realized we don’t have to have interpreters during songs because we had lyrics on the screen, and then I closed my ears and imagined if I was a deaf. The only thing I ccould see was the interpreter because she was the only person who communicated to me. I was able to understand the bands were playing music but I couldn’t feel the atmosphere or sounds that I usally feel. I imagined if there were no interpreters and only lyrics were there, I might have had hard time to feel the atmosphere or emotions that the people tried to deliver. Because there is an interpreter, for the first time, I can feel the atmosphere and feelings that the bands tried to tell us. In my opinion, language is the tool that connects people and it works much better if we use face to face. I learned a lot from the ASL.
Finally, I was glad that people still cared about 311 after the Mass. I talked with a lady who sat next to me after the service and we had a conversation about 311. Since the earthquake and tsunami hit Japan, many people talked and asked me whether my family is safe or not; however, after a month, people seemed begin to forget about it. I was a kind of shock to the fact that people begin to forget about that. However, the lady I talked was asked me about 311 and she was so surprised how much Japanese worked together and helped each other. For Japanese, if we have such a big disaster, it is natural for us to respect each other and help each other but for Americans, it is very rare, so I was so interested in the people’s reaction after the disaster. She was so friendly and she was worried about the Japan and I was so glad to hear that because I was kind of afraid that people forget what happen in March. It is always sad that people begin to forget what we had in the past like 911 in the US; however, if we make people recall something, we can still remember what had happened and what we should tell to our children. I learned the importance of telling through the conversation.
It was only an hour service but I learned so much. I was able to see the way American people show their gratitude and how language and history are important for our lives. I have only one month left to go back to Japan but I want to learn as much as I can during my staying in Spokane. Those are good souvenirs that I can bring back to Japan and they will be good treasures for my life.
Firstly, in the beginning of the Mass, I had one thoughtful cultural observation about Veterans’ Day. November 11th was a Veterans’ Day, so during the service, we thanked veterans who fought for us and we also thanked their families who supported them. When I saw the scene, I was so impressed because I have never thanked any Japanese who fought for us. I don’t even know who they were. Nevertheless, in the US, they have Veterans’ Day that they should thank them for their fighting in other countries. I think this is a great opportunity for people who didn’t go to the war to know about it and not forget about the people who sacrificed themselves for us. On Saturday, I went to brunch with Emily by using a STA bus. The bus also said “THANK YOU VETERANS.” I was so surprised to see the words because in Japan, we don’t show our gratitude on public transportation but I think America has a good style of appealing people in order not to forget about the past. I think Japan should follow American style. During the Mass, I wondered why Japanese have never thanked to people who worked for us and then, I came up with one idea that we didn’t think we worked for Japan from our hearts during WWII. When Japanese men had to go war at that time, they had to say we wanted to save our mother country; however, they didn’t really want to go because they knew they had to be away from their family such a long time and they might had never met their family again. On August, we prayed for victims who lost their lives because of the atomic bombs of Hiroshima and Nagasaki but we have never prayed for military that fought for us. I thought this is a big cultural difference between Japan and the US.
Secondly, I was so impressed by the people who did ASL, American Sign Language, for deaf people at the church, and then I had two main cultural observations. One is about the world sign language. Since, I studied ASL from SFCC students, I have got interested in sign language and I keep studying it by myself. As I study it on You Tube, I find out that each countries have own sign language and then I wonder it is better for us to have world an universal sign language, so I asked one lady that whether she agreed my idea or not. Unfortunately, she disagreed with my idea because she thought the language is not only the language but it has also related to our culture and customs very deeply, so if we had common sign language, we lose our language and culture. I was so surprised to hear the idea because I didn’t expect to get such an idea, and then I thought we don’t have world language that people in all over the world use, so the same thing happens in deaf community. We respect other countries’ language and culture, so that is why we try to learn other language and we travel other countries. I learned the importance of the language though communicating with people who can speak ASL. Another thing I wondered was what kind of feeling that if we cannot listen. During the Mass, I realized we don’t have to have interpreters during songs because we had lyrics on the screen, and then I closed my ears and imagined if I was a deaf. The only thing I ccould see was the interpreter because she was the only person who communicated to me. I was able to understand the bands were playing music but I couldn’t feel the atmosphere or sounds that I usally feel. I imagined if there were no interpreters and only lyrics were there, I might have had hard time to feel the atmosphere or emotions that the people tried to deliver. Because there is an interpreter, for the first time, I can feel the atmosphere and feelings that the bands tried to tell us. In my opinion, language is the tool that connects people and it works much better if we use face to face. I learned a lot from the ASL.
Finally, I was glad that people still cared about 311 after the Mass. I talked with a lady who sat next to me after the service and we had a conversation about 311. Since the earthquake and tsunami hit Japan, many people talked and asked me whether my family is safe or not; however, after a month, people seemed begin to forget about it. I was a kind of shock to the fact that people begin to forget about that. However, the lady I talked was asked me about 311 and she was so surprised how much Japanese worked together and helped each other. For Japanese, if we have such a big disaster, it is natural for us to respect each other and help each other but for Americans, it is very rare, so I was so interested in the people’s reaction after the disaster. She was so friendly and she was worried about the Japan and I was so glad to hear that because I was kind of afraid that people forget what happen in March. It is always sad that people begin to forget what we had in the past like 911 in the US; however, if we make people recall something, we can still remember what had happened and what we should tell to our children. I learned the importance of telling through the conversation.
It was only an hour service but I learned so much. I was able to see the way American people show their gratitude and how language and history are important for our lives. I have only one month left to go back to Japan but I want to learn as much as I can during my staying in Spokane. Those are good souvenirs that I can bring back to Japan and they will be good treasures for my life.