Re: The inscrutable Orientals
Well, as I said, I know little of the cultures, but don't confuse chinese and japanese countries, language, skaters or food.
I do have to say if you look at the 4-5 best skaters in the world in terms of longevity, talent, medals won, in the last 10 years, you come up with Japanese, and Japanese/American skaters: Yuka Sato and Kristi Yamaguchi and Chinese and Chinese /American skaters Lu Chen and Michelle Kwan.
If you look at 1994 skater Sato winning at worlds you see the goods, but also the reserve, demureness the shyness. She is a very different skater now after living in the west, marrying an American, etc. She's a better skater. It's not just maturity, she skates with more joy and less tension. She just beat Hughes and Irina. She is still very understated, but some consider her the best in the world. She has grown so much as a pro. Whenever I see her father with his students, I always feel bad for them, as if the marks aren't good enough, he never comforts or smiles and the ladies look ashamed. Which is unfair as the judges can be atrocious, as we all know, and it isn't brain surgery, as Kwan used to say.
These ladies need to skate with a sense of joy, not fear of failure. How can you say, have fun, lighten up when they carry a nation on their backs? After Rgals comments about this aspect, I wonder if the Japanese ladies will ever do better than Bronze? If it's a jumpfest in 2006, perhaps Miki Ando will be on top. The presentation however is a real shortcoming compared to the USA ladies, IMO
Lu Chen, two time Olympic medalist, exquisite World champion - If China were not so new to skating and not communist, Lu Chen might havehad gold. I think the Chinese top pair , S&Z, were well overdue for the world medal. They had to wait, but they had the best technical content for a few years, and the presentation/costumes ---everything to be placed over the Russians and Canadians.
Nagano had 3 perfect skates for the ladies. I think Lu Chen deserved the gold. Tara's jumps not withstanding, I wonder how politics played into that decision? Number 2 was a first generation Chinese American, whose Program was so beautiful. Michelle before her Nagano loss was phenomenal every time out. Number 3 the best lady in China, an Olympic medalist, a world champion, from communist China, Lu Chen.
She came west and did not keep up her technical content, so besotted was she with being "free" in America, but her presentation as an eligible was as good as any lady she was against, and as any Gold Medalist I've seen.
I really wonder now, if there simply was no way a chinese or chinese american skater would be given gold in "Japan's" Olympics? Tara's speed and Tara's jumps? Maybe, but I'll never know as the judging has always been inscrutable, that is for sure.
I think stereotypes about work ethics and incredible family love and support of most Asian families is true. Lucky Kwan, Lucky Kristi. It is a cultural advantage. It is the best advantage in life, IMO.
When I asked the question, I asked for a Japanese or Japanese/american poster to elucidate what Japan is like now, because I know less, of couse.
I wish the poster who is apparently Japanese would post more on the topic.
FA, you made some very good points; sarcasm is a form of humor. I think if we had totally serious threads without any edge we'd all go to sleep.
Partial kudos as deserved.
of Midori Ito apologizing.
