making a mark

Everyone was staring at me. Marble tiles lined up the floors of the hallway and large window panes showcased the school's baseball field. I stood underneath the doorway to our homeroom and I looked up to see a wooden sign holding foreign characters. Inside the room, students wore white shirts and black pants as their school uniforms. The males all wore dark red ties that clung tightly to their neck collars. A perfectly evenly spread of uniformed students neatly added to the clean wood desks and blackboards. In my Abercrombie shirt and jeans, I was a smudge in the sea of perfectly dressed students. 

My exchange trip to Japan unveiled a contrasting set of beliefs. Each individual in Japan conforms to the values held by society, and generally follow a predetermined path towards a respectable job. In Japan, stability is valued, and a diversion from cultural values is uncommon. Clothing in Japan generally falls under the categories of traditional clothing, uniforms, or business attire. Even the uniforms are quite similar to the suits worn by businessmen. Japanese titles have no regard to marital status, but are added to show respect. Japan doesn't reveal much in its appearances. 

The term for I in Japanese can be either watashi or boku. Boku is only used for males while watashi refers to a male or a female. Contrary to English, the language in japan reveals more about males than females. In fact, it is customary for women to remain courteous and modest in both appearance and language. 

Perhaps to be marked an unmarked is all a matter of relativity. In specific cultures, women may be more marked while the opposite is true in others. Japan is a culture of homogeneity where secrecy and conformity are valued, while America believes strongly in diversity and the constant challenging of societal standards. Extending further beyond humans, genders are marked differently from one species of animals to another. Male peacock feather bold colorful tails in order to impress females, and male lions also carry manes for the same purpose. On the other hand, female black widows strike up bold red patterns while males are less colorful and much smaller.

Even in terms of the Japanese student, who to each other are completely unmarked,  are marked to the eyes of a foreigner. Markings are merely a matter of relativity, to distinguish an individual from another. Where women are marked in one culture, they remain unmarked in other. The "freedom to be unmarked"(Tannen) comes with the changing of culture. To be marked is to step out of the norm and reveal some quality about the individual; anyone who is not in the norm, becomes marked. Yet the norm is a ground of constant change and motion. When I went to Japan, everyone recognized me as a transfer student in my strange and messy clothing. Those same students in that classroom came to be exchange students a few months later. This time, I was no longer the one who was marked.