Blooming Violet

OLYMPUS E-410 "Is this a violet...?"

日本人のステレオタイプっていうと、「シャイ」とか「内向的」っていうのが典型的だけど、
英語ではそういう恥ずかしがり屋さんのことを"shrinking violets"（閉じかけのスミレ）って言うんだって。
なんか美しいですね。

I read an article titled "The Geography of Personality" in today's class.

In this article, Japanese people (and Estonians) are described as "shrinking violets" meaning shy or introverted. It is hard to avoid this sort of (negative) words whenever we face a situation of talking about the personality of Japanese people. This is a kind of world standard common knowledge and it's partially true.

But actually, most Japanese people are basically outgoing and talkative in their personal relationships.However, meeting foreign people and describing their own opinion in English are big difficulties for the Japanese,because they don't have the opportunities to do those two actions in their country.They can't do them, also they don't want to. ...Of course not everyone.

I thought I was a people person and liked to discuss things with friends, but it was still really hard to get used to seeing foreigners and give my own thought in English.Not just because of my ability in English.I'd known English vocabulary and grammars for ages and even could get good scores on some English exams, but I hadn't used them at all in Japan.

I cannot say if it is good or bad...
For me personally, I feel I'm changing little by little....to be a "blooming violet"?

Anyway, I was happy to know the word of shrinking violets.It sounds beautiful, doesn't it?
Shyness has been regarded as one of the important virtues (beauties) for Japanese women through the centuries and influenced our cultural aspects a lot.

Oh, I am absolutely like a wise student!


P.S.
I'm gonna watch Family Guy for two hours now.
I love this cartoon!
I'm dying to watch Family Guy!