Comments on: Eastern Promises

By: Aimee

Aimee — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 06:17:56 +0000

I can’t believe the owner’s daughter asked you to ‘make up an excuse’ for your other job or ‘to say you were sick’. Glad you didn’t listen to her. Never mess up a good job (that you’ve had for 4 years) for a crappy side job.

By: lilbell

lilbell — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 02:05:39 +0000

HAHA..when I read the third sentence I laughed hysterically because I knew where this was going. Hate to break it to you, but almost all Japanese restaurants have Korean or Chinese owners, because Japanese food sells for a higher price, and Korean food isn’t as popular with Americans. (One way to tell the ethnicity of the owner is to look at the Miso soup – if there is oil in it, it was made by someone Chinese. Also, if the main ambiance color is red…also likely to be Chinese.)
The way tips are split in this story is typical of any restaurant that is owned/managed by first generation Asian. Sometimes there is a hierarchy system involved – those who have been there longer get a larger share of the tips, it’s a simple way to ensure a slower waitstaff turnover among other things.
Also, it’s always Mexicans in the back. ALWAYS.

By: Layla

Layla — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 06:33:04 +0000

You guys, I don’t think the OP was trying to be racist. The point of all the racial stuff is that the OP spoke English and Japanese, but the staff of the restaurant spoke neither. So all of this weird stuff was happening, and she couldn’t communicate with anyone to clear it up.

By: mmairead

mmairead — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 19:50:04 +0000

Yeah, some of this stuff sounds annoying (especially the tip pooling) but i agree with Irate. OP went in expecting some fantasy Japanese job where they were going to be immersed in the culture and conversing with native speakers. If you wanted that experience, you should’ve work-studied in Japan. You seem annoyed that they dared to be Koreans operating a JAPANESE restaurant. I would think you’d have been able to tell when you met the daughter of the owners. Korean names are obviously Korean, and not Japanese.

By: Irate

Irate — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:49:45 +0000

Sounds like another white person fetishizing the Japanese and getting their feathers ruffled when they find out that their employers are “lesser Asians” (because they can’t be bothered to actually tell the difference between Asian races). IMPOSTERS! THE SCANDAL!

Go choke on your pocky.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 03:05:22 +0000

Meshell, my bad… I always give people a hard time for not picking up my sarcasm online or in a text, but here I fail.

By: Garter Snake

Garter Snake — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 01:00:00 +0000

I don’t think Serbiz was being serious. Like Meshell said.

By: ...

... — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 23:18:56 +0000

There’s nothing wrong with a person not doing their job, Serbiz? What a ridiculous statement.

By: youSuck

youSuck — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 22:18:15 +0000

Uhm, they just “liked” sushi? Sushi is commonplace in Korea, this is like saying Canadians who eat hamburgers are pretending to be Americans.

You’re judging them for misappropriating someone else culture, when it’s THEIR culture. It’s you who are pretending to be Japanese, not them! Amazing.

By: Meshell

Meshell — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 20:06:34 +0000

Andrew, Serbiz was applying for the First Post Sarcasm Award.