Meeting a woman from my country

A few days ago
I was meeting a Japanese girl

―From Tokyo
―3rd year uni student
―Arrived in Kraków 3 weeks ago
for an exchange programme

---

In the midnight,
we parted at the cross road

And I noticed
I was feeling a certain tiredness

This was the tiredness
I didn't feel when I talked with
a Polish woman, or a European woman, around her age

This emotional tiredness came from the fact;

"She is Japanese & We are both Japanese"

---

During any interaction with others,
we always
.......subconsciously and/or consciously.......
assume;

"What he/she is thinking/feeling?"

We constantly evaluate other's inner world

And we adjust our wording & behaviours

This is called "Communication"

---

Obviously
I do the same "assumption work"
while interacting with anyone

But
because she is Japanese
because we are both Japanese
.......in other words
because we share the boundless number of things in life,

this "delusional" sense occurred;

I can assume her inner world
more clearly
more precisely
more personally

Because
"She is Japanese & We are both Japanese"

---

Another "assumption work" came from the age

She was younger than me

At some point of our chat,
I noticed this subconscious thought in me;

".......when I was her age, 21 years old,
how I was thinking about life.......?
how I was seeing the world.......?"

Probably I do the same when I talk with a younger, non-Japanese person

But probably, not that much

Because I can think;

"They are not Japanese
They were growing up with different systems, different norms, different values"

In front of that Japanese girl
I did "assumption work" more,

to the point where I was very aware

to the point where I was tired afterward

---

Interaction with a Japanese person
makes me nervous

Because "I know"
Because "I know too much"
or
Because I think "I know"

Interaction with a non-Japanese person,
.......or, a complete stranger.......
makes me nonchalant

Because "I don't know"