The lighting is terrible in here. Probably because I don't have a window.
Hey everybody this is Anming. Yes, my Chinese name is Anming.
Have you ever had the chance to meet like your hero?
I mean someone you either heard on a podcast, on the radio, saw on television or on youtube.
And then one day you finally go the chance to meet them or talk to them.
Well, I did recently and it's like the weirdest feeling ever.
I've been listening to a podcast for Japanese for about 2 and a half years now.
This woman lives in California. I believe she's in Orange County.
She's from Japan and she's lived in America for 30 years.
So that puts my little 8 years in China and Japan in perspective.
Because that's not very long at all compared to a lot of people
So, I love her podcast so much. It's called Ichibantalk. And it's about Japanese people living in America mostly.
Or other Western countries. And it's all in Japanese 100%. She did like 250 episodes and I listened to every
single one. And I was just thinking wouldn't it be so cool if they had an American living in Japan instead of a
Japanese living in America. And I really wanted to be interviewed by her for the longest time.
It was my dream, but then one day after I wrote a letter and wanted to send it to her send it to her email.
A guy from the Netherlands came on that show and his Japanese was so freaking good
I felt so intimidated. I just deleted the letter and I never sent it in because I was so nervous that guy
That guy from the Netherlands was BOSS! His Japanese blew mine away.
I waited like another 2 years before I actually sent that letter in and it was just recently too.
My Japanese isn't perfect you guys and my Chinese isn't either.
And I'm never going to stand in front of you or write that my Chinese and Japanese are perfect. Because I was an
adult when I started learning. I didn't know any foreign languages for most of my life.
So to say that, that would be a little silly. And Tatsumi san will also tell you that her English isn't perfect.
Even though she's lived in America for 30 years. She's married to an American. She has half American kids.
She's very real about it and it's ok that she doesn't speak perfect English. And it's ok that I don't speak
perfect Chinese or Japanese, but it doesn't stop me from doing what I need to do.
And going to school here and it doesn't stop Tatsumi san at all. So I really really like her so much.
And she has a small channel, but just to be interviewed by her was so cool, so I'm gonna show you guys
some clips from that interview. Just check it out, it's in Japanese. I translated it. And there's a little bit of Chinese in there too.
So, please enjoy it. I was thrilled. Alright, here's the video.
Trying her best in Tokyo, Japan we have Anming from Michigan, USA here.
Hello. Hello Tatsumi san. Nice to meet you.
I want to see how much Chinese you know.
It's close to a native language.
Close to a native language?
I don't have a lot of confidence when I speak Japanese, but I do know Chinese.
How much Chinese do you know? Of course I saw your YouTube videos. But I want you to try on live broadcast.
Tell global Japanese people that are thinking they want to do things overseas, tell them some advice first in Chinese please
In Chinese?
Yes, first in Chinese and then translate it yourself back into Japanese.
(Chinese) If you want to study the local language then you need to need to be working hard all the time. From morning to night studying always studying.
Studying 6 hours isn't even enough, you need to go to a language school. And not just every once in a while, like once a week
you need to go every day from Monday to Friday and then when you get home you still need tp review and study.
That's how you master it. In addition, you need to keep it going for a long time not just a month or two you need to fight for at least half a year.
Amazing, I didn't understand a single thing. It sounded like a good pace though. That was cool. It totally sounds like a Chinese person is talking.
So, culture shock, you probably had it everday I imagine. You came to Japan and what was interesting is that you wrote on your application here that
some guy tried to pick you up. A pick up guy.
When I came to Japan for the first time in 2015, it was for travel. It was Chinese New Year, a holiday called Spring Festival, I came during breaktime.
I came alone. I went to a Japanese language school in West Shinjuku to do short-term study abroad for a month.
I started from nothing, Japanese level 0 and at that time I didn't understand Japan very well.
Japanese language, Japanese culture, Japanese customs, I didn't understand any of it.
So then I went to Shibuya crossing one time to take pictures and while there a Japanese person who I thought was nice talked to me.
Hey girl, which country are you from? Where did you come from? Are you Italian? Are you Russian?
At that time I was a little lonely, so having someone, even a stranger talk to me made me feel happy.
Happy? Well it was a Japanese person that might make you feel happy.
Yeah, but Japanese don't really have the custom of talking to complete strangers. In America we do that a lot though. Small talk
For sure! That's probably American style. Then what?
Then? Then it was a big failure.
Of course, it was a guy right? And a guy older than you.
Yes, an older guy.
Quite a lot older right?
Yes, and then we walked around Shibuya, talking and laughing then at the very end... it's crazy though. It's embarrassing to say...
At the very end he tried to take me to a love hotel. And I said that's not what I was planning! Then I ran away.
You went all the way into the love hotel then?
Yeah, I went into the entryway. I thought what is this? What is this place? In the beginning he said he wanted to drink coffee.
But in the end we went to that place.
You definitely didn't think you would be taken to the entry of a love hotel. But from there you still you ran away with all your might.
There are dirty old men out there. Coming to Japan, are there some kind of benefits for foreigners?
Some can go to Waseda University for free, I think that's better than anything else.
Yeah, that's better than anything else. What else?
There's lots! You can get a job early, you can make a lot of friends easily, Japanese local friends.
Japanese say sorry they apologize. Also, what does it mean when Japanese compliment you? How about this conversation?
Because I listen to your station a lot, so I keep hearing the same thing come up a lot. That is that American's don't apologize!
We apologize! We apologize! When we are really regretful and when we failed, we will do the right thing and apologize.
Good people will apologize. You will get an apology.
Isn't that just Michigan? My husband (from Michigan) apologizes too!
If it's my mom, she will never apologize, but I think that's not normal.
For example, excuse me is excuse me not sumimasen. We don't really use sorry.
When we do something and we really think we are in the wrong, we say I am so sorry.
But when it's a small thing, we don't really say much.
Japanese use a light apology. Like Canadians. Then I think the apology might lose a little bit of it's meaning.
Canadians are famous for that. Their sorry, sorry, sorry. Yep, famous for it.
No wonder. It was nice to see you for this time. For the very end, it's at the bottom of this caption. Oriental Pearl is your youtube channel.
Let's watch the video as we say goodbye. Wait a second. I think I can get it out. Here it is.
Many people saw this about 10,000 or 8,500 people.
Yeah, that was shocking to me, because my channel is small and nobody ever really watched my videos. So, I was shocked.
Is this Tokyo? Yes, it's Tokyo.
You're doing pranks. I think after this you will slowly make it to 10,000 views. Thanks so much for today.
Thanks so much. It was fun!
Ok, keep on listening please. Thanks so much. Goodbye.