"Marc" <box526TR@spamtrap.net> wrote in message
news:Ddcnb.42849$e01.99930@attbi_s02...
>
> "Michael Cash" <mikecash@sunfield.ne.jp> wrote in message
> news:i75qpvkir9edan859dquufbnj5uj2gf05s@4ax.com...
> >
> > I don't mind when people automatically give me the English version of
> > the brochure, even though they almost never contain all the
> > information in the Japanese one. I don't mind when staff want to
> > address me in English. But Jesu-fuggin-Christo can't they at least
> > wait until a gaigin looks befuddled before offering some kinds of
> > help?
>
> yeah, this is annoying. Maybe you just naturally look befuddled? I used to
> tell people who did this that I was actually Russian or Greek and didn't
> understand English that well. Worst example I ran into; I had a series of
> appointments at the local hospital that required using an ATM-type machine
> to check in each time you entered, using a hospital card. One day I was
> there entering my information on the machine and I am just about finished
> when I notice there is a lady standing next to me watching. I sort of
> stopped and smiled, and the next thing I know she is announcing in a loud
> voice "Hey, this foreign guy needs help! He doesn't understand how to use
> the machine!!" And she starts looking around the room for someone to come
> help. So I say "no, its fine, I've used it before". But by then someone
> comes up and asks me in English "What do you want to do?" So I have to
> explain that its OK, I've used the machine before and I don't really need
> help, but thank you. But she insists on helping me anyway. So I just
showed
> her what I had had done, and she goes on to explain the next few steps so
I
> can finish and get on to my appointment. At that point I just gave up, and
> let her "help" me. I figger it was a favor from me, because I was probably
> making her feel useful or something.
>
>

This all sounds lik the Japanese gainjin "monkey in a cage" thing.