Insert HTML hereLet me tell you a story…
Once upon a time, Tigg’s ancestors and Fann’s ancestors—who barely, if ever, knew each other—shared the Million Acre Forr. Each ate their own meal, lived their own space, and walked their own path. In a million ways, they were different. And yet, no one gave it a thought—until humans stepped into the Forr.
Humans made ‘different’ into something different.
Come!
Join Fann and Tigg
into the altered forest of the Forr!
Members of the Assembly of Parakeets—from the branches that thankfully were still left for them to assemble by—watched this live drama closely.
Fann brought Tigg to what the birth certificate says: Ficus auriculata. Fann chuckled. “See this?” Gently, he flipped the broad green fan hanging over the path with his trunk. “These, are like us. Abandoned but priced, by humans.”
“But how about you? I don’t think you can run in the water. I know you love playing in the water just like I do. But if you stay too long in the water, you might catch a cold. That’s not good, Stocky.”
“Well, since we have the gift to know when to move, and where not to step—by the time your miracle flood happens, my kind and I will already be long gone. Far away. I’ll miss you though, Tigg.”
“You will, Stocky?”
along the corridor of the Million Acre Forr
whose canopy once told history
Tigg strutted along the river
tail hoisted like ceremony
for a king he was never
into the pool of the Million Acre Warr
whose depth once held history
Fann unfurled his trunk to sliver
and grinned in quiet revelry
as each day it sank an inch lower
along the corridor of the Million Acre Forr
…
“Well… maybe on my way here this morning, some mud stuck on my fur. Or maybe the sun—too glaring for your eyes to catch my stripes.” He gave a sniff, as if the world owed him better lighting. All his life, he has never felt this humiliated.
And Skink’s little jaw dropped again—this time, for a different reason. Didn’t he see it??
“You need to sniff with your knees slightly bent. Whiskers like mine don’t lie—tuned to prey.” It was as if Tigg couldn’t wait to resume his lecture on precision hunting and fine-tuning. The skink who had heard it all from under the grass, slinked away. The horsefly, drawn earlier by the scent of fresh blood, buzzed away. But the smile on Fann’s face did not fade away.
“Great job, Tigg!”
Fann’s trunk curled softly in the air. “But it wasn’t only her feet that warned her. She dipped her trunk low—listened through it, too. When I was just one year old, she taught me our trunk is a tunnel, a hose, a scale, and a scope—all in one. And in a critical moment… a weapon.”
At that word, the skink—whose cousin had once been flung into the air by Fann’s trunk (though purely by accident)—couldn’t agree more.
In this episode, I share a cultural experience that many foreigners encounter while living and working in Indonesia. Besides the American and Japanese examples mentioned in the episode, I have heard similar stories from people of other nationalities. Their reactions made me realize how easily everyday customs can be taken for granted until we see them through the eyes of someone from a different culture.
Through this episode, I hope listeners can enjoy a story told in Japanese while also gaining a glimpse into Indonesian culture and the different ways people communicate across cultures.
同じ出来事なのに、文化が違うと受け取り方も大きく変わることがあります。
このエピソードでは、インドネシアで働く外国人がよく経験する、ある興味深い出来事についてお話しします。エピソードの中ではアメリカ人と日本人の例を紹介していますが、実は私自身、ほかの国の人たちからも似たような話を聞いたことがあります。
今回の物語を楽しみながら、インドネシアの文化や異文化コミュニケーションにも触れていただければと思います。
When in Rome, Do We Absolutely Have to Do As the Romans Do?
In this episode, I share a funny experience I had while shopping at a Papaya Fresh Gallery, a Japanese supermarket, in Indonesia. What I first thought was simply a group of customers carefully choosing their dinner turned out to be something completely different.
Here it is, about cultural differences: “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” Is following local customs always the best choice? Indonesians have been taught since an early age, “Di mana bumi dipijak, di situ langit dijunjung.” But are there times when we should keep the good habits we already have? Aren’t there times when we should share our best?
A young sales attendant has an unusual talent: she can persuade customers to see value where others see flaws—even in a long-sleeved shirt with two missing buttons.
The Wrong Choice is a work of fiction I wrote. May you enjoy my storytelling in Indonesian.
二つのボタンがなくなった長袖シャツでさえ、お客様にその価値を信じてもらえる――そんな不思議な才能を持つ販売員の女性。『誤った選択』は、私が執筆したオリジナルのフィクションです。インドネシア語での語りを楽しんでいただければと思います。
Convinced that his new shirt has transformed the way others see him, the manager proudly wears it to work. But as the day unfolds, confidence gives way to misunderstanding, frustration, and an unexpected confrontation.
This concluding episode of The Wrong Choice is an original work of fiction written by me. Beneath the story of a shirt lies a timeless question: when our choices lead to unwanted consequences, do we accept responsibility—or do we look for someone else to blame?
The Wrong Choice is a work of fiction I wrote. May you enjoy my storytelling in Indonesian.
新しいシャツを着たことで、自分を見る周囲の目が変わったと信じる部長。自信に満ちた一日は、やがて思い違いと苛立ち、そして思いがけない出来事へとつながっていきます。
『誤った選択』後編は、私が執筆したオリジナルのフィクションです。一枚のシャツをめぐる物語の奥には、「自分の選択が思いどおりの結果にならなかったとき、人はその責任を受け止めるのか、それとも誰かのせいにするのか」という普遍的な問いが込められています。
インドネシア語での語りを楽しんでいただければ幸いです。
