Ed wrote:
> "Raj Feridun" <rferid@NOSPAMyahoo.co.jp> wrote in message
> news:sb0dsvscg0hnb91s5ra4ln3h870g2a2ih2@4ax.com...
>
>>I've started conducting an experiment here. Thanks to all this talk of
>>unkindness every single time I confront anyone Japanese anymore I'm
>>always thinking about whether they're kind or not. So now I look
>>people square in the eyes that I pass and although it's still very
>>early in the trials something VERY strange is occurring. I take my 13
>>month old daughter for a nice 30 minute stroll in her baby carriage
>>every day and so far in the past 2 days I've passed 7 people of
>>varying ages, all adults. Every single person that I made eye contact
>>with so far has smiled and issued a greeting.
>
>
> Of course they smile at you. You're not only smiling at them, but you're a
> gaigin with a gaigin baby in a stroller. That isn't kindness. It is
> friendliness or curiosity (but only if you are lucky). Kindness is what
> happens if you happen to start choking on a piece  of corn in your pizza and
> a stranger performs a Heimlich manuver

Might as well point out that smiling (and laughing) are often
culture-specific, and that Japanese people often smile when they're
embarassed.

Dan