Well, I am a girl. But I don’t think I’m dead. 
Yeah, I’d just chalk it up to poor communication skills and take it as a compliment that you’re a modern, well-dressed guy.
And Michael Pitt
Years ago, I temped in a tiny office with another secretary, who was much older than me. She kept calling me Dave, and apologizing for it. Then she told me that I reminded her of Dave, her high-school boyfriend. Then she told me that Dave had committed suicide when she broke up with him. She kept calling me Dave.
I was so goddam glad to be done with that job.
Daniel
The really scary part is that she lied to you. She killed him when he broke up with her.
Well, you are kinda pretty. But I think of that as a good thing. 
I was once told by a pleasantly demented old woman in Target not to worry, soon I’d be able to grow “whiskers” and it would make me look much more manly.
(Yes I am female. Granted, I was wearing baggy clothes and have very short hair, but…I think I look more ‘feminine’ than ‘prepubescent boy’.)
I know, right?! Now I just gotta find out if he is gay and moving to Ohio soon. ::crosses fingers::
I have a coworker, a guy who’s actually younger than I am, who bears a resemblance to my late father. (My dad died young, when I was a kid, although he was still older than my coworker is now.) The moment I recognized this I decided it was the sort of thing I should never, ever say to this coworker.
This sort of thing used to happen to my youngest sister all the time. As an adult people think she looks like a runway model – she’s nearly 6’, skinny, and has slim hips and small breasts. But as a short-haired teen girl going through the adolescent big t-shirt phase, people thought she was a boy all the time.
I read somewhere that in Japan it’s actually considered a compliment to tell someone they look like they’ve gained weight. It implies that the person is successfull and can afford to eat more than they need to.
Yes and no respectively.
I would guess this is something pretty dated. After all, during the depression it was the same thing in America (see Taft). The women I know here would be pretty upset to be told that they’ve put on a couple kilos.
Sorry, Stinky, you missed me. I was born in Ohio and I lived there for my entire life. But then I spent a year in Japan in uni and decided I liked it enough to stay. I’ll definitely be back to Ohio from time to time, but my family lives a little west of Columbus, not in the Northeast.
Before long I worry that Illumi will be able to write posts for me.
What BellRung said. That’s about as current as the oft-reported ‘fact’ that, “In Japan, women walk behind their men and only speak when spoken to.” :rolleyes:
I’m pretty much doing it now, aren’t I?
I grew up in Powell, then family moved to Mt Gilead. As an adult I moved back to columbus and spent several years living in Dublin before moving out to LA.
You’re adorable and all…but I’m NOT moving to Japan.
You can make it as far as London though, right? 
I used to live nearish to Bellefontaine. I can find Powell and Mt Gilead on a map, though.
Damn.
Maybe he can, but it’ll be no use. By then you’ll be pulling futon warmer duty in Japan.
Well, as Japan is the mid point between London and LA, can’t we all just meet up at yours? 
Oh, goodness. I’ll need to get a bigger futon! :eek:
If this was ever true, it isn’t anymore. All the Japanese women I know would be horrified to hear they’ve gained weight, and it was a subject of some concern to Japanese exchange students I’ve known in the US. (An Americanized diet almost inevitably caused them to gain weight.)
As in the US, the vast majority of modern Japanese people have more than enough money to feed themselves adequately, so pointing this out would be about as flattering as saying “My, you’re wearing SHOES! Somebody’s doing well!”
Not so much in Thailand these days either. Fat used to equal prosperous and was thus desirable – I think this came from the Chinese – but with the advent of Western entertainment and models, that’s falling by the wayside.