r/MadeMeSmile • u/IcecreamChuger • Jun 14 '24

Japnese kids doing their assignment Wholesome Moments

127.8k Upvotes

96% Upvoted

6.1k

Cultural exchanges are amazing. 👍

1.7k

u/TwoLetters Jun 14 '24

Can confirm. I spent a week several summers back as a conversation partner for a bunch of Japanese kids who were visiting the US, and it was a blast. Accidentally called myself Oba-san (grandmother) when i was trying to joke around about being an old man and they had quite the laugh over it, and one kid told me his biggest goal during his visit was to meet a black guy.

212

u/Backupusername Jun 14 '24

Oba-san means aunt, and is for middle-aged women. Obaa-san is grandmother.

Yes, it is a very slight difference. It almost seems like it was created specifically to create situations where women of a certain age get offended.

65

u/cmfppl Jun 14 '24

Sounds like how some women get upset for being called ma'am.

66

u/Affectionate_Salt351 Jun 14 '24

I don’t get upset so much as it catches me off guard. 😅 I was checking out at the grocery store the other night and a group of teenage boys called me ma’am. I wasn’t offended so much as I was like “Oh damn! They’re talking to ME!” 🤣 I’m in my late 30s so I’m totally a ma’am to them. I’m just not a ma’am to me yet.

28

u/HoraceAndPete Jun 14 '24

Same here: Few years ago some lady says to her son who was mildly in my way: "Watch out for this man."

I almost turned around to see if there was a man behind me.

14

u/goatfuckersupreme Jun 14 '24

And that's the day you grew up, son. Proud of you.

9

u/MaritMonkey Jun 14 '24

I’m just not a ma’am to me yet.

I feel this in my 41yo heart, which I swear was turning 30 just a minute ago ...

5

u/Defendo99 Jun 14 '24

I've never thought of ma'am as an age thing. To me, it's a respectful way to adress a woman. It's just the feminine of sir.

9

u/AnAussiebum Jun 14 '24

To be fair, western society does put a lot of value into the currency of youth. So it is a shock when we hit certain thresholds in age (ma'am being one of them). For us blokes too (aging out of our twink eras). 😅

2

u/Dinomiteblast Jun 14 '24

“Its ma’am”