Adjusting to a new life here bega bega

Adjusting to a new life here bega bega
The Times of India

Bangalore: Think Japanese and what comes to mind? Asha Parekh trippping along in a ‘kimono’ and trilling Sayonara to a faithful Joy Mukherjee?

But, if you think about it, we are surrounded by lots of things to do with Japan — be it bonsai, or Japanese-style restaurants serving ‘sushi’ and ‘sashimi’ (the common ingredient in both is raw fish), or ikebana the art of flower arrangement. Ironically, it is the Japanese themselves who are almost invisible.

Take Michiko Tendulkar, she’s been here for three years. But apart from the students who learn Japanese at her Centre of Japanese Studies in Koramangala, she may well not exist for she hardly ever goes out.

Tendulkar, who is married to a Maharashtrian and has a son, keeps to herself. “I came here because I knew there is a demand for Japanese teachers.’’

The software boom that made the city famous has also led to a glut of all things foreign. Right now, Japanese ranks up there, beside German and French. At the moment, there are 12 Japanese language schools in Bangalore, mostly run by Indians, but all with a handful or more of native Japanese teachers.

Yuhei Nakaya, a second student of B.A. Journalism at Garden City College, wants to teach too but his English is not so good yet. He came to Bangalore a year ago to study. And he admits that the demand for Japanese-speakers has led him to consider doing translation work as well.

Japanese on the Net: Japanese, in fact, is popular in every way. There is, even an online meeting group at ‘http://japanese.meetup.com’ where the city’s Japanese-speaking enthusiasts (mostly software engineer Indians) hang out at. The one-year-old group has 125 members.

There is also an India-Japan Initiative (IJI) that organises workshops on ‘sari-demonstration,’ ‘Indian jewellery and food,’ and lectures on Japanese art and culture, in the city.

Problem areas: While Japan and learning Japanese is ‘in,’ for the Japanese, the city’s overflowing garbage and poor infrastructure are sore points. Michiko is scared of stray dogs. And the roads and garbage “do not give a good impression to foreigners,’’ she says frankly.

Atsushi Toyoshima, Managing Director of Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM), concurs. “The climate is excellent but roads, public facilities, airport etc, need to improve,’’ he stresses.

Food: Things are not so bad where the local cuisine is concerned. Toyoshima and his colleague Masato Toda, Managing Director of Toyota Techno Park-India, like Indian food. Toda loves Tandoori food and chicken biriyani. But Yuhei finds the local food too spicy and Michiko Tendulkar is firm on not liking bahar ka khana (she lived in Pune so knows Hindi).

Acclimatisation:
So, how do the Japanese cope with life here? Marrying an Indian is something many have done. For instance, there’s Masako Chakravarthy, who teaches at the Japanese Language School in Vasanthnagar. Then there is Junko Ravindran, who runs ‘Harima’ the Japanese restaurant on Residency Road, and then there’s Michiko herself. Marrying into an Indian family and living in this cosmopolitan city has meant accepting new traditions and yes, new languages. And little things like learning to wear, say, a sari, is a whole new experience.

Not all of them know Kannada though. Toyoshima and Toda know colleagues who can say namaskara, danyavada and bega bega. There are others who can speak Hindi and Bengali.

Michiko does not know Kannada but one of the first sentences she teaches her students is Watashiwa Indojin desu (I am an Indian). Like all Japanese, she greets them with youkoso (welcome) and ogenkidesuka (Are you fine?). And in farewell, she adds, warmly, “Tanoshii des,” (I am fine with life here).

Youkoso...

There are 264 to 300 Japanese in Bangalore.
Most work for companies such as Toyota, Denso, Kumatsu, Nissin Foods and Yokogawa.
Some work as translators and teachers.
And, there is also a small student population.

Meeting ground

The Japanese get together at a Japanese association.
There is also a Dinner and Cultural Meet.
They attend IJI workshops.
And, Japanese women have an organisation called Sakura Kai which meets twice a week.