It's been funny. I worked for Japanese Restaurant in my neighborhood for about five month. I still remember the first day I knocked on their door. I was so scared and nurvous dealing with first time job serch situation. I asked...are you hiring? Answer, yes, welcome! Then my second job on weekends were started.No, for me, it seemed to be my first job, especially these two month. I worked as a nanny on Monday thru Wednesday, as a waitress Thursday thru Sunday. I rest my body when I was with at my home with kids...it was just like my off day. Anyway, I worked really hard there and saved up to 5000. Yey.
Well, what I actually want to write is my experience there was little funny. I really like the restaurant now but first couple month working there was my nightmare. That was exactry culture shock. I need to mention two points before starting to talk about the restaurant. First, I was the only one Japanese worker there. Everyone else was Korean. Japanese people know that most Korean don't like Japanese. This is the second point. This caused my hard days facing my lil war.
First day working there, I was 'the first Japanese worked there'. My coworkers were curious about Japan, they asked me a lot about Japan, it was good thing, I thought.
Next day, I was shocked at my owner's chenge. He started asking just like the first day. But it was a political probrem between Japan and Korea. Then started telling his thoughts how Japan is bad....every single day. The most popular thing for him was Dokuto. Dokuto is the islands located between Japan and Korea, both country says those are their own territory. He ask me how do I think about thr islands tons of times. I've been said 'I don't care about such a small islands', 'How about we go there together and explore those?' 'Oh if you care so much, you should save money and buy them'. He kept telling me those are Korean. So why he needed to ask? It made me sad everyday. I thought that if he hates Japan so much, he should sell this restaurant and start a Korean restaurant, or why he can drive a Japanese car hating my country, why Korean people are so jerk and stupid...these bad thinking.
Then I realized that they saw me as 'a Japanese' but Miyuki' and I saw them as 'a group of Koreans', this thinking makes war. It was a really really the war. Small small war between Japan and Korea in US. Okay, so I tried to ignore them when they started that kind of talk, I joined only their fun talk. Also I started to learn Korean a little. Tried to smile, say thank you and please. To be good as 'a person'. I chenged my name tag 'Miyuki' which used to say 'jessica'.
I am Miyuki, yes, I am a Japanese, but not the Japanese!
Then my hard life there changed little by little. They still talk about bad things about Japan which I hate. But I Think I am Miyuki for them now. And they are not Korean any more. They are my friends....
Today I'm going there to say good bye and thank them. They said They will make sushi for me. That is not a Japanese sushi, they are Japanese, Korean, and American.
