00:01
Welcome to Kevin's English Room Podcast.
I had a question that I wanted to ask you.
So, the other day, we did a recording with Ginger Root-san, right?
And you were...
So, he speaks Japanese, right?
Fluently.
Fluently, right?
And I noticed that you were not using Keigo when you were talking to him.
Oh, really?
Oh, you didn't notice?
Okay, okay.
So, yeah, there were so many sections in the recording where you did not use Keigo.
And I thought, why?
You know, you're not the type of person that would disrespect anybody by not using Keigo.
And I was like, hmm, he must have some sort of a reason why he did that.
And I wanted to maybe learn from how you're thinking about it.
So, I just wanted to ask you, where does that come from?
Like, what's your logic behind not using Keigo?
That's a great, great question.
Yeah.
Obviously, I had, you know, clear reasons.
Clear, obvious reasons.
To make things better.
Yeah.
To make recording better.
Or, like, to make a relationship better, you know?
Right.
And I'm here to learn.
Because you're really good with, like, human relationships.
And I know that, like...
Well, I mean, thank you.
I thought you must have some sort of, like, a distinct reason of why you would not use Keigo.
Distinguish.
Yeah.
Distinguished reason for that.
Yeah.
You know?
Because, you know, we always, you know, we meet new people.
Then you have to do something.
That's right.
You know?
Like a trick to make...
Yeah.
The atmosphere better.
Right.
Right.
Right.
Yeah.
That's right.
Like, especially those situations.
Especially those situations, right?
Because we just got to know each other.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Without any, you know...
No icebergs at all, right?
Yeah.
We just sat and immediately started recording.
Yeah.
So, obviously, you have to do something.
That's right.
You have to do something.
The key, you know?
That's the key, by the way.
That's the key.
Yeah.
And building a relationship.
Those small things makes a huge difference.
Okay.
Yes, yes, yes.
I get it.
I understand.
I understand.
So, could you, you know, if it's possible, could you tell me and tell us what your logic was?
Like, I'm here to learn, man.
I'm here to learn.
Yeah.
Don't rush, man.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah.
Drink your tea.
Drink your ocha.
Drink your ocha.
And tell me.
I was very surprised that he was that fluent in Japanese.
Oh, right.
Okay.
I mean, I knew he was learning Japanese.
He wrote songs in Japanese.
Yeah.
He, you know, did some performances in Japan.
He did emcees in Japanese fully.
Yeah.
So, I listened to that podcast that he was joined as a guest.
Yeah.
03:00
He fully speaks in Japanese for whole episode.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So, I kind of expected that.
But, man, I was so surprised.
So surprised, right?
So surprised.
Of his Japanese ability, you know?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I understand.
So do you.
You've already talked about that.
Let's talk about, let's talk about, let's talk about why.
Let's talk about why you use that trick.
Because I'm here to learn.
Yeah, drink your ocha.
Don't rush, man.
Don't rush.
Don't rush.
Let's hydrate yourself, you know?
What do you mean, by the way, what do you mean trick?
Well, because you, because you're, I think you're the type of man that would, if you do something, must have some sort of a reason, you know?
You wouldn't just randomly talk to somebody who you just met and use, you know, non-keigo, you know?
So, my, I assumed it was something like maybe that's easier for someone like him to understand maybe.
Because he's not like native.
He's not a native Japanese speaker, right?
Even though he was very good at Japanese.
Yeah.
I was very surprised at that.
Okay, I understand.
You're very surprised at his Japanese skills.
But like, yeah.
So, my guess, what I guess, I'll tell you what I guess.
Okay.
Is it's easier that way.
For him.
Yes.
The goal was to communicate with him.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Right?
And for you, your judgment was that it did not matter if it was keigo or not.
You thought it was more important that he understood what you're saying.
Yeah, yeah.
Your decision was that not using the keigo was better.
Right, right, right.
That's what I'm feeling.
That's what I, you know, speculated.
But I just need to, you know, ask you why.
Yeah, true.
Because if I start speaking with, you know, tons of difficult and complex Japanese using keigo and too much.
That's not nice for him, right?
That's going to be complicated for him, right?
Yeah.
That's your guess, right?
That's my guess.
Yeah, I mean, yeah.
And also in the episode, I remember he was saying that sometimes, I mean, he was very good.
He was very good in Japanese.
Yes, he was.
Yes, he was.
Man, I was very surprised.
I know you were very surprised.
And I know that you didn't expect that from him.
Yeah, yeah.
But he was also saying that keigos are sometimes difficult for him.
Uh-huh.
You know, I remember that.
I see.
I see, I see, I see.
So your guessing is.
That's what I guessed.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
06:00
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And then I won it.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Is that the reason why?
Is that the reason why?
Is that the reason why you're talking?
You got to drink tea.
Yeah.
Drink your tea.
Yeah.
I'll wait.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Okay.
Have you had enough tea?
Is that good?
Did you drink tea?
Maybe a little.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Drink your tea.
Drink your tea.
So.
Because I was trying to be kind of like a familiar by him, you know, I wanted to...
Like you wanted to have a friend vibe.
Yeah.
So that's why I was wearing the t-shirt of the picture of city pop-ness picture on my
t-shirt so that he would think that, oh, that's a city pop vibe and I know that culture and
then start like, you know, opening up and easy to have a conversation.
That's what I wanted.
Oh, okay.
That's an illustrator called Nagai Hiroshi-san.
Okay.
Yeah.
That's...
Really not related to the topic here, but sure.
Okay.
That's the name of the painter.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And he painted so many...
I don't know if I really want to know the information to that.
For the like jacket picture, including the Otakeichi-san, the Long Vacation, that that's
a city pop, you know.
Really?
Okay.
I don't...
So that's why I, you know, wore the t-shirt.
Yeah, I get it.
I get it.
Sure.
You wanted to...
You wanted to feel close.
You wanted him to feel close.
Yeah.
Yeah.
But the thing is...
The thing is what?
All right.
He...
Give it to me.
He was very good at Japanese.
He was a little bit kind of tired.
Oh, he was tired.
Okay.
Yeah.
Of...
Of people calling...
Right.
Of people saying that his music was city pop.
Right?
Yeah.
I remember you talked about that with him.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So I was a little bit like, oh, maybe I shouldn't, like, brought this.
That's your t-shirt, right?
That's your t-shirt.
You're talking about your t-shirt.
I'm talking about why you didn't think...
Because...
Because...
Yeah.
He might think that, oh, this is, again, that guy...
The guy who thinks it's city pop.
City pop.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
If that's the impression that I gave to him...
Gave him.
Yeah.
That's not something I wanted.
You want, yeah.
Okay.
I understand.
Right?
Okay.
So I kind of...
Kind of...
Kind of regret that I...
Wearing the t-shirt?
That I was wearing that t-shirt on that day.
Sure.
Well, maybe...
09:00
I mean, that's...
That's completely different from my question here.
I don't know how you're understanding my question of why you didn't use Keigo.
Very simple question here, man.
Very simple question.
And we're about to end the show.
So let's get...
Let's get some answers here before I have to stop recording, you know?
Like, honestly, what's up?
I mean, honestly...
Honestly, what's up, man?
The thing is...
Yeah.
Yeah.
What's the thing?
Do you remember the guy with him?
Yeah, I do remember the guy.
Like, I don't know if he was the manager, but like...
Yeah.
There was a guy that was with him.
I was so...
I was so...
Yeah, there was a guy that was with him.
I was so surprised that his Japanese ability and English ability both fluent.
Yeah, they're fluent.
Yeah.
That's great.
I don't know how that's fucking related with the question that I'm asking here.
What the fuck was that?
And the thing is, I don't even know why you're trying to avoid the question.
Like, I don't even know why you don't want to answer it.
Like, is it something that you're hiding something or is it something that you're ashamed
of?
What's going on here?
No, I mean...
What's going on here?
Honestly...
Yeah.
So, first of all, the reason why I do this is, first of all, I don't remember...
You don't remember?
Really?
Yeah.
You don't remember not using Keigo?
No.
I don't remember.
Wow.
So, it came out intuitively?
Yeah.
Wow.
Or I was just simply very rude.
Well, I mean, you're not the type of person that would act in a rude way.
You're definitely not.
Right.
So, I didn't even...
Yeah, maybe on the spot there was something in my mind, but at least now I don't...
At least now you don't remember.
I don't remember.
And you said it and...
Damn.
Oh, was I?
Now you just realize.
Yeah.
Damn.
Wow.
Yeah.
But, yeah.
So, looking back from now, and I'm assuming that's, yeah, just like you were guessing.
That's easier for me, for him to understand.
I see.
Than rather, like, using a bachi bachi Keigo?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Because I wanted to make it simple for him to understand.
That's one.
Yeah.
And also, I wanted to make, like, a friendly vibe with him.
Ah, okay.
Right, right.
So, I didn't want to, like...
Not like an interview interview.
Yeah.
You know?
Yeah.
I wanted to friend with him.
Wanted a conversation.
Yeah.
That's one.
And also, I think he's younger than me.
So...
I see.
Yeah.
I see.
You gotta make sure you got the senpai kohai going on.
Right, right, right.
Yeah.
Yeah.
12:00
That's why, you know.
He should have used Keigo for me, you know?
That's...
I don't think he wasn't using Keigo.
Oh, that's...
That's rude, Fen.
No, no, no.
I don't think he wasn't using Keigo.
So, I think he was using Keigo, right?
No?
I mean, I honestly...
I mean, honestly, I don't...
You don't remember?
I don't remember.
Oh, yeah.
Hmm.
What?
Did you use Keigo to him?
Yeah, I used Keigo.
Oh.
Yeah.
But he's younger than...
Younger than us, so you can...
Yeah, you can just...
I don't know where that logic comes from.
I mean, I don't...
You're not like that in Japan.
You're not like that in Japanese.
I don't know all of a sudden, when it's bilingual, the Keigo, the non-Keigo.
We're still chitai men, so I don't know where that comes from.
Yeah.
Hmm.
So, the answer is, you don't remember.
Okay.
All right.
There you go.
But, to be honest, I actually don't remember.
I mean, I don't...
Um, not for only him, but including everybody that I meet for the first time or like everybody I, I'm always trying to, like, um, if I use like very strict and heavy keigo, I can, I can use, I can be very polite, but that makes different, uh, makes distance between me and that people.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
So I always try to...
Try to break that.
Yeah, and sneak some, a little bit rude thing in it.
Like with using keigo or like maybe the small reactions, maybe that's what I, that's what I do.
That's okay, that's where it comes from.
Maybe.
And I understand that you do that.
Like you try to sort of do things that try to spark some, uh, light.
Yeah.
And the dynamics, right?
And that's one of the actions.
I see, I see.
But the, basically, I don't, I don't remember.
You're 90% of the answer.
97%.
97%.
But the thing is.
The thing is?
I was very surprised.
That he spoke Japanese, right?
He spoke very fluent Japanese.
We've already passed like the 10 minute mark here.
So let's just, I think we should stop.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Oh, all right.
All right.
Yeah.
Thanks for listening guys.
Bye-bye.