JapanForum.com  


Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools
(#1 (permalink))
Old
ginam (Offline)
New to JF
 
Posts: 7
Join Date: Apr 2011
Is there a way to apologize for this? - 04-04-2011, 02:55 AM

Apologies for sounding like a snob, but I seriously need your help.

We dearly love a particular cozy bar in our small town. Excellent jazz, even better owner/bartender, and not like anything else in our area. We are selective as to who we'll even tell this place about, because noisy and rude Americans will just wreck this place (and there are many Americans here). Well, my DH invited a friend there the other night who is reasonably well-mannered, but this friend invited another person who is N-O-T !!! I couldn't believe he was there in the first place (my boss' husband, on top of everything else), but as the night progressed...well, I won't get into even more details, but he was rude, said inappropriate things loudly, and even BLEW HIS NOSE into his cloth napkin . DH was horrified, as am I. This is our favorite place in town. Yes, the owner made a ton of money that night, but now I'm embarrassed to go back there and feel badly that he was subjected to that. The guy didn't say anything rude to the owner, just was one of those noisy jerks you see around.

The owner doesn't really speak English and I don't speak Japanese well at all, so I have no idea how to apologize. He definitely recognizes us as he even knows what we like to drink.

Please tell me how we can apologize for having brought that guy in there, or if at this point we even can. I don't even know if an apology would be appropriate. I know it sounds over the top, but this place is like a sanctuary in this town for us. A friend who speaks Japanese told us what DH could have said that night with the guy standing there (that 'guest' wouldn't have known the difference anyway), but after the fact I have no idea what to say. It's not like we can drag his ass back in there and say "sorry we brought this rube in here; we don't agree with one jackass comment he made and will never subject you to anyone like him again." No worries: this guy will never show up there on his own because there was no Toby Keith playing, but I still want to apologize.

Sorry so long. Please do advise.

G
Reply With Quote
(#2 (permalink))
Old
MMM's Avatar
MMM (Offline)
JF Ossan
 
Posts: 12,200
Join Date: Jun 2007
04-04-2011, 03:11 AM

DH?

Designated Hitter?

Department of Health?

Dirty Harry?

Demon Hunter?

Overall, I wouldn't think twice about it. If you are a good customer, then you will be welcomed with open arms. An owner of a bar is not a thin-skinned. You could simply say the next time you go "Kono mae, sumimasen," meaning "Sorry about the last time [we were here]." I think you are overthinking it. There is no reason for you to lose your sanctuary because of the actions of someone else, your guest or not.

I used to work at a bar in Japan, and some of our "best" customers were awful.

Last edited by MMM : 04-04-2011 at 03:41 AM.
Reply With Quote
(#3 (permalink))
Old
Koir's Avatar
Koir (Offline)
Meow.
 
Posts: 971
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Canada
04-04-2011, 03:44 AM

I'm guessing DH means "dear husband" here.


Fortunately, there is one woman in this world who can control me.

Unfortunately for you, she is not here.

"Ride for ruin, and the world ended!"
Reply With Quote
(#4 (permalink))
Old
ginam (Offline)
New to JF
 
Posts: 7
Join Date: Apr 2011
DH = Dear husband - 04-04-2011, 06:22 AM

sorry about that..i'm talking about my husband when i said "DH."
Reply With Quote
(#5 (permalink))
Old
ginam (Offline)
New to JF
 
Posts: 7
Join Date: Apr 2011
04-04-2011, 06:35 AM

Thanks, MMM, and good point. Maybe i'm just embarrassed at what this guy was doing & saying and don't want to be associated with that crap, so maybe my apology would be selfish. Anyway, thanks for the tip!
Reply With Quote
(#6 (permalink))
Old
tokusatsufan (Offline)
JF Old Timer
 
Posts: 643
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Cornwall
04-04-2011, 09:58 AM

Quote:
Originally Posted by ginam View Post
because noisy and rude Americans will just wreck this place (and there are many Americans here).
Oh where are you from then(just being nosy)? I have a bad habit of having to know everyone's exact ethnic mix! It seems to come across as racist but my dad isn't really interested in other people and mum's brought me up not to be like him!

I don't think it's selfish to apologise.

Last edited by tokusatsufan : 04-04-2011 at 10:02 AM.
Reply With Quote
(#7 (permalink))
Old
RickOShay (Offline)
JF Old Timer
 
Posts: 604
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: USA, formerly Shizuoka for 7 years.
04-04-2011, 10:30 AM

Quote:
Originally Posted by ginam View Post
We are selective as to who we'll even tell this place about, because noisy and rude Americans will just wreck this place (and there are many Americans here).
G
This is rude generalization, and I think you should avoid making them, unless you want to continue to sound like an ignorant asshole.. then by all means.
Reply With Quote
(#8 (permalink))
Old
ginam (Offline)
New to JF
 
Posts: 7
Join Date: Apr 2011
Rick and tokusatsufan: i'm American - 04-06-2011, 02:27 AM

I am an American, but I live near a US military base, which changes everything. I know what I'm talking about. This is not a generalization about all Americans; it IS a generalization about the loud and obnoxious Americans who go into bars and other businesses around here and act like jerks. I can understand why you didn't like my comment, but understand where it's coming from. There are a lot of us try hard to be good guests here, respecting the culture, enjoying the company, food, drinks, people....but many others who spoil it. You would cringe too if you were having dinner at a small family-owned local restaurant and a pile of people who looked just like you walked in talking louder than everyone around them, letting their kids walk on tatami with dirty shoes, treating the owners rudely rudely, etc. Or if you were at a fish market, standing right in front of the owner, and another citizen of your country came up and said "EW Gross! I would never eat that!" It happens ALL OF THE TIME. You can imagine why I don't want it to happen at this place.

So sorry for sounding like an ignorant asshole. I should have made my stupid initial request even longer than it was, I guess.
Reply With Quote
(#9 (permalink))
Old
Ryzorian (Offline)
Busier Than Shinjuku Station
 
Posts: 1,126
Join Date: Jun 2009
04-06-2011, 03:29 AM

You live near an American Military base? I dare say that would explain most the idiot behavior from the Americans. Soldiers, particularly young ones, can be very stupid when they inhabit bars. I'm ex army, so am very familer with idiot troops, doing idiot things. I include my self in that, since I'm as guilty as any of em. Marines can be worse, cause they loose a collective IQ point for each addtional marine added, throwing beer into the mix only compounds that effect.
Reply With Quote
(#10 (permalink))
Old
tenmins's Avatar
tenmins (Offline)
JF Regular
 
Posts: 65
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Adelaide, Australia
04-06-2011, 04:09 AM

Quote:
Originally Posted by ginam View Post
Well, my DH invited a friend there the other night who is reasonably well-mannered, but this friend invited another person who is N-O-T !!! I couldn't believe he was there in the first place
If I were you I would make a family pact set in stone that results in divorce made effective immediately if broken, never to invite anyone, absolutely anyone to your special bar.
That would be a great way to repay the owner for any disrespect you fell you may have inadvertently caused.


Less is more...

http://www.tenmins.com
Reply With Quote
Reply


Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On




Copyright 2003-2006 Virtual Japan.
Search Engine Friendly URLs by vBSEO 3.0.0 RC6