LBH

The lunch room was filled with raging gossip about Big B and our trainer. Boy we're we scared of how long this training thing could pan out for, with Big B squeezing every ounce of patience out of all of us! She just didn't get it! Most of the other people in the training group seemed within the normal range of people, but Big B was in another category, she was as my friend coined it, an "LBH." An LBH is a "special" type of person that just doesn't quite fit in. A LBH stands for "Loser Back Home." In Japan, a world of it's own, the concept of a loser gaijin, just doesn't exist, unless the Japanese person has had experiences with foreigners abroad. Like an alien entering into our atmosphere, we would be captivated by it's differences and oddities, but far from our minds would be the label of a loser no matter how different they seemed. Same goes for Japan, toss in an unusual foreigner and the same sparks of curiosity fly!

LBH's do very well in Japan for this very reason. Back home, they may have been teased out-casted and shunned and either didn't know how or want to change their behaviour, to be able to socialize on a day-to-day basis with others. This is why so many LBH's flock to Japan because they are accepted for who they are and not judged and shunned as they would be back in our culture. Japan of course would have it's fair share of people they would consider losers and wouldn't just accept anyone, but it's on this basis of being different, that all social rules you would expect, get thrown out the window. Even a person like Big B, would be more successful in Japan to be able to settle down and find herself a few friends and maybe even a boyfriend, than she would in Canada. I would say that even though her obesity (which is generally pretty looked down upon in Japan and not approached with any sensitivity), and impoliteness, loud mannerisms, overstated opinions and know-it-all attitude, would make it still a difficult process to attain, but like any alien one person will eventually step forward to learn more. It's when you are another Westerner meeting this type of weirdo guy or girl, in Japan, that you can recognize the social awkwardness and gag reflex behaviours they provoke, and safely look into there eyes (if you can manage this) and think that's an LBH in the flesh!

So next time you see a situation similar to this (Russel Simmons And Kimora Lee)in Japan you can think to yourself LBH.