No Bringing in a Japanese Lunch with a Pickled Plu

  The1992BostonMarathonwasheldonApril22nd,"PatriotsDay"(aholidayinMaineandMassachusetts.)Ijoihismarathonlastyearaswellasthisyear.TheBostonMarathoninspringandtheNewYorkCityMarathoninfall,thesetworacesarethegreatestpleasuresinmylifeintheU.S.Someofyoumighthavewatchedtheseraces,oftenbroadcastonTVinJapan,too.SimilartotheNewYorkCityMarathoonMarathohavea"goaurn"coursewithaturningpoint,butithasjusta"oneway"coursefromoneplacetoahestartingpointisasmalltowninthesuburbsofBoston,Hopkinton,andthefinishisierofBoston.Whenyoufeelthatthegoalisapproagafterabouta30-kilometerrun,youhavetotacklewiththefamous"HeartBreakHill"inBostonwhichisingintosight.Thisnamingofthehillmightsoundabitexaggerated,butyoullnoticewhatatoughhillitisafteractuallyrunningityourself.Runningupthehillisnotsohard,butafterreagthetop,itllgetarduousitself.Youclimbupthehillwithallyourenergy,encingandsayingtoyourselfthattheresnomoresteephillsafterthisandthatnowisthetimetoeerashortbreakwhenyouvegottothetopandyouthiistheflatcourseleadingtothedowntownofBoston,thesuddenfatiguethudsintoyouasifitwerewaitingforyoutoe.

  Thisfatigueresemblesthemiddleagecrisisaround40.Theinstantyoureachtheage,whenyouhavesomerestafterclearingthedifficultiesinthe20sandthe30s,thecrisisfallsuponyouwithathud.(Somepeoplemightneveruandhowitiswithoutactuallyexperiengitthough.)Severalgentleslopesiown,whicharefarlessequaltothe"HeartBreakHill"insteepnessah,starttyou.Ifeltsothisyearaswellaslastyear.Especiallythisyear,therapidriseoftemperatureexhaustedme.Myrecordofthisyearwas3hoursand38minutes,whichwas7minutesslowerthanthatoflastyear.Butthestartingpointissocrowdedeveryyearduetothenarrownessofthestreet,andittakesusover5miuallytostartrunningafterthe"Go"signal.Takingallthesethingsintoat,Iguessmyrecordthisyearisnotsobad.

  AnywayallofusefromBostontothissmall,startingtownonboardthecoachescharteredforusrunners,aherefosignalatnoon.Thislittle,suburbantown,populatedbysome2,500people,estobeoverflowedforacoupleofhourswiththe"enthusiastiers"reagtheapproximatenumberof8,000,whojointheraeveryerofthistryandtheworld.Literallyitisabigfestivalheldonceayeariown.HopkintonisatypicalresidentialsuburbthatonefindanywhereinAmeridithasnothingoutstandingfromastrangersviewpoint:onechurehighschool,onefirestation,andoneshortmai.Afterpassingalongthemaiwithagasstation,apub,arealestateagendaflorist,youllfindnothingbutanendlessseriesofcozyhouseswithfrontyards.Everyhouselookswellattendedandthelawnintheyardisdetlytrimmed,butthereexistsnothingtostimulateyinatioherextraordinarygeousmansioremelyshabbyhouseattractsyourattention.Thisrowofhouseslooksasiftoinsistthatthemostvaluablevirtueinlifeisnottoattractpeoplesattention.Thisunityhappeobechosenasastartingpointsimplybecauseitislocatedexactly26milesor42kilometersfromBoston,otherwiseitwouldremainasifitweredozingwithnerscare,whichthistowohopeforafterall.

  ButparticipatingionMarathonforthelasttwoyearsbroughtmetothissmallstartingtownandgavemethecetoobservethispeacefultowncarefully.

  AmericawasinthemidstoftheGulfWarwhenIranionMarathonlastyear.EverywhereIwentinAmerica,Isawyellowribbons,theStar-SpangledBanner,andpatrioticslogans.ItwasnotexceptionalhereinHopkinton,whichwasseeminglypeacefulitself.Intheyardofahousehechurch,Ifoundan

  oldjalopy,aChryslerDodge,withSADDAMpaihehood.othecar,ahammerlaced.ThinkthejalopyisSaddamHusseinandhammerituntilyoufeelsatisfied.Onehammeringwasonedollar.Withthecollectedmoney,Iheardtheyweregoingtoraisethefundsofthescholarshipfortheyoungstersiown.

  Idontknowwhohituponthisidea,butitwasratherpopularandevenwhileIwaswatg,severaltownpeoplepaidoeranotheronedollar,tookthehammer,andbahecarwithalltheirmight.IdoubtedwhetheritmightbeasuitablespectacleforthestartingtownofthedignifiedBostonMarathon,butitwasiable,Ithought,judgingfromthefactthatthistrywasatwar.

  ThisyearIvisitedHopkinton,thinkingthattherewouldntbesuchathinganymore.Buttomysurprise,asimilarcarlathesameplace.Icouldnothelpsuspegitwasthesamecar,fortheshapeanddamagedegreewasquitesimilartothatofthecarlastyear.Probablyitwasasimilarbutdifferechedfromsomewhere.Acarthathadbeenhammeredsoterriblylastyearcouldnotserveastheirbangingtargetagain.AnywayIfoundnomessagepaihehoodthisyear.Ahammeroitandasignboardsaying"OnePounding,OneDollar"onlyremindedmeoflastyear.Italsotold,justasIguessed,thatthecollectedmoneywastobeusedforthescholarship.Arunneraskedamiddleagedmanstandingaside"IsthisaJapaomobile?"Mumblingforaninstant,themanrepliedthat"Um...Idontthinkso."AsfarasInotioonehammeredthecarforonedollarthisyear.Smashinganautomobilewithahammeris,Ithink,onlyanoutletforstressanditneedsnospecificreason,butnowIverealizedthatweneedsomemorepracticalmotivationforhammeringafterall.

  Iftheyhadfoundthewords"JapaneseCar"writtenonthehoodofthecar,someofthemmighthavepaidonedollarandpouwithahammer.Ortheymightnothave.Itsayanythingdefiniteaboutit,foritisonlythematterbasedonanassumption.Butanywaytheoldcar,waitingforsomeoobatterit,wastihsomeominousatmosphereofvioleheatmospherewasinvolvedsomethinggravewhiransmittedbywordsorexpressedinmessages.Thatiswhythemiddleagedmanbesidethecarhadtomurmur,"No...Um.."afterashortintervaltothequestiongivenbyapassing-byrunner,insteadofgivingbackadefinite,quickreplythat"No,thisisnotaJapaomobile."Behindhissilentinterval,Iguess,thereliessomevaguescioushat"ItisnowonderevenifthisisaJapanesecar."His"um..."mustbethewordsunspokenandthemessagenotexpressed.

  Generallyspeaking,AmerissenseofantipathyshiftedfromSaddamHusseintotheJapaneseeythisyear.Thisshiftingisveryobviousinanyfieldofthenewsmedia.TheneersarefullyloadedwiththelettersfromreadersaorialsdenoungJapanandtheJapaaverageAmeris,exceptforthelocalautomobileworkers,willpoundonaJapanesecarwithahammer.Theyarejustlisteningcarefullyfortheuntoldwordshiddenintheairandinterceptingtheunwrittenmessages.

  heless,justoimeIactuallyexperienethingnastybecause"IamJapanese."IthappenedwhenIaskedthemtoswitchthecarIreanAvisinHonolulubecauseofitsbrakemalfun.Aclerksaidtome,"HowynJapanesehavesuimpudentfaingintoourtry?"ButthereisioweenthemalfunofthebrakeathatImJapanese,andthewordsjustleftmeataloss.Sihisi,IvebeenavoidingAvisasmuchaspossible,butitisastorythathappenedfiveyearsagoandhasnothingimmediatewithtodaysrisingantipathyagainstJapan.

  MyPrionisacalmresidentialtownhavingtheuyforitsterandinhabitedbywealthypeople.Thepeoplehereareeitherrichorintelligent,orboth,andtheyshoarenthostilitytowardtheJapaTrenton,alittlewayfromhere,hasaGMfactoryinthesuburbsandtherehappeheJapaomobile-hammeringcausedbythelayoffofanumberofemployeesduetescaleoperatioion.A"BuyAmeri"rallywasheldbythefactoryworkersinfrontofaToyotadealeronRouteOhereforesomethinglikethisisactuallydevelopinginsomeareaofthistry,butitdoesntspreadasfarasthisquiet,snobbishtownofPrion.YouseealotofMercedes,Porsche,Lexus,Saub,Jaguar,andBMWcarshere.Noothertownhassomanyfncars.Prionisindifferenttothe"BuyAmeri"movement.

  Theonlyanti-JapanmessageIhavefoundintownsofaristhe"Japan-bashing"stickershowninFigureA.Itutonthebackshock-absorberofaratheroldbig-sizedAmericar.ThecarwasaheadofmewhileIwaswaitingforthetraffialtreenatanintersenearhome.Atfirstsight,Icouldnotfigureoutwhatitwas,fortheterredcirclewastoosmall.SoitlookedmoresimilartoaJapaneseboxlunchickledplumoerofricethantheJapaionalflag.ItmustbeliketheFigureB,ifitisproperlydrawn.Itgivesusthemessage"StopJapan."FigureAshowsnothingbut"ninginaJapaneselunchickledplumonrice."IdoubtifthepanysellingthisstickerknowstheJapaionalflagcorrectly,andtheymighthavemadeittooeasily,"drawingaredcirawhitebackgroundanyway."Thiskindofeasinessimpliessomethingical,though.NodoubtthestickerlookedmorehumoroustomethanFigureB.Buteitherway,itisnreeable

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  ThiswaywithiheAmeripeoplesfeelingtowardJapanhasbeeworseallofasuddesgettingalittlebetterintheretowomonthsthough),andImoftenaskedbyJapanese,"IsntittoughtoliveinAmerica?"WhelyIwastalkingtoaJapanesefemalestudentstudyingatauyinPennsylvania,shesaidtome"InmychildhoodIspentafewyearsiesandaftergoingbacktoJapan,Iwasstillinfavorofthistry,butthistimeingbackhereagainandafterlivingforawhile,IveetofeelthatIloveJapanafterall.Howaboutyou,Mr.Murakami?"

  Askedbyherlikethis,Ifeelquitepuzzledhowtoanswerherquestion.ThatisbecauseIthinkthereisbasicdifferenourdailylives,whetheryouliveinJapanories.Ofcourse,itmightdependontheageorthesocialstatusofthepersoniion.Ifonelivesinafntryintheearlystageoflife,heorshemightbemorelikelytobeinflueheexternalditionsanddisturbedemotionally.Itisquitenatural.Thatistheusualwaywithyoungerpeople.Butasforme,thereisnoremarkablediffereheattitudeofeverydaylife.HereinAmeriightmeetunpleasantscumbagswhomakeyousoresometimes.Youmightsuffertheinvisibleracialdiscrimination.Thebarrierofadifferentlanguage,irritatinglyenough,mightleadyoutobemisuoodbysomeoneelse.Youmightentersomeantorsomeooostubborntohavesomeflexibility.Someonemightbealwaysfindingfaultwithyou.Allthesekindsofhumaionshipsmightfrustrateyoutosomeextent.ButyouhavetorememberthesamekindofthingswillhappentoyouinJapannearlyasoftenashereies.NowIrecollectseveraloccasionsinJapanwhen,frustratingly,IcouldntevenmakemyselfuoodinJapanese.YouwillfindquiteafewscumbagsinJapan,too,asyouknow.Iimagithepertagethatthesenasty,arrogant,speaking-ill-of-otherspeopleoccupyamongtheonehundredivewillbealmostthesameinbothtries,ifexaminedcarefully.Thatisalsothecasewiththepertageofthekindortheiingpeople.

  IfaskedwhetherIhavesomedifficultiesinlivinghereiesasaJapanese,Iwilladmitthatitistrue.ButIsufferedvarioussortsofdiscriminationevenwhileIwaslivinginJapan.Beforebeingawriter,IwasrunningabarandcoffeeshopinTokyo,andIexperienceddisagreeablethingsonawhile.WhenIwastryingtofindanapartment,therealestateagentsofteedmebysayingthat"Oh,youareinthebarbusiness.No,no,wehavenoapartmenttorentforthepeopleofthatkind."Evenafterbeinga,Icameacrossthesimilarrejeswhenfindingaplacetolivein."WeoforthepeoplewhobelongtothebigpanieslistedinthePrimaryTokyoStockMarket.."paredwiththeunfivinglyseverehistoryofracismagainstfnersornon-JapaneseinJapan,thediscriminationthatIexperiencedmightnotbeevenworthtelling,butitisnothingbutdiscriminationafterall.Youwillnotfigureouthowthediscriminationisuntilyoustandonthesideofthediscriminated.

  Undergoingthiskindofhardshipsinthecourseoflifeweakensthevalueofalternativethinkiher"IprefertoliveinJapan"or"Iprefertoliveies."IfIwereyoung,Iwouldchooseonefromthesealternativepreferences.Butasamatteroffact,ImnotsoyounganymoreandIvebeentraihinkinamorepractidskepticalmanner.Myonlypossiblereplytothequestionthat"Isntittoughtoliveies?"is"ItwasalsotoughformetoliveinTokyo."Iknowquitewellthatnobodyexpectssuchareplyasmyahough.松语文学www.16sy.coM免费小说阅读

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