Marvvy Mailman
...written on 2000-11-04, @ 17:37:10
Tales of Kim's Life in Japan
Sat November 4, 2000
I really like the way John is giving us training. I'm keeping good notes on his method.
Well, the big rendezvous with "Mr. D." is off for this weekend. He said he's in South Korea and will make it up to me with an invite to Kyoto sometime. Shucks, have to put off our first face to face for a while longer. We have been emailing for over a year and a half. We went to the same university, and did the same teaching practicum in Japan (he went a year later), but have never personally crossed paths. He writes the most entertaining emails and I am looking forward to meeting him. Now since the big event is off, I guess I'll just have to study Japanese! Poo!
After training today Chad, Ivan, John and I went to eat. We went to "Tomato & Onion". The decor was U.S. folksy and they had country music playing. If grits had been on the menu, I would have thought we were in the states.
I parted company with the boys and took a SLOW walk home. Stopped by a local office supply shop and bought some pens and some scotch tape.(I like supporting the neighborhood shops, rather than the big corporate giants around town). I pointed to the large tape dispenser and asked "Sumimasen (excuse me), tape-u o arimaska? (Do you have tape?)" She showed me a big roll, but then I spied a familiar green and blue plaid box (Scotch brand tape) and picked it up and said "OK", but the lady said that it wasn't tape, or at least not the kind of tape she thought I was looking for. She showed me a smaller tape dispenser and I took that.
As I neared my block, I was looking for the beauty supply store I always pass on my way to work, but have never had the time to go in. I spied it and entered. The Japanese always make a point of greeting their customers, so two or three women said "Ittarasshai!" I was looking for hair gel, and happened to see hair color and roll-on deodorant and I asked about the facial powder etc. The facial powder at $30 was out of my league. I don't wear make-up that much and I was about to splurge on some L'Oreal Excellence hair color. It was $18 big ones. Yep, that's right ladies, double the price.
As I was paying for my purchases, two things happened. One, the three ladies started asking me questions about where I was from and where I lived and where I worked. Two, the mailman came in and delivered the shopkeeper's mail. I answered all the questions in my pidgin Japanese and they were telling me how "jozu" (well) I was speaking, and being called upon to be modest I lifted up my hand to do a "Oh no I'm not" gesture, somehow hooking my thumb around my sunglass holder which flipped my sunglasses up and knocked me in the teeth, but the polite Japanese women made no notice of it.
While I was worrying about finding a piece of one of my front teeth on the floor (I'm not getting enough calcium here), the mailman came back in and handed me a small package. It had my name on it! It was from my dad! I looked at the mailman quizzically. He said "Kim-san", smiled and got on his motor scooter and left. Was that nice or what? He had the cutest little impish grin on his face.
Ah foo, I have tarried long enough I fear. I must go and study my hiragana and katakana. The materials my Japanese teacher uses are all in the h&k syllabaries, so I have to learn those first.
ja mata ne,
kimu