For instance - I accidentally went on a date with a Japanese man yesterday. How does this happen? Well, here's how I fell into it:
Some English teachers and one of our Japanese friends were hanging out around the house yesterday night, and I was hungry. I wanted garlic ramen from a ramen shop near our house. I asked around, and everyone except my Japanese friend (Kousuke) had already eaten. I asked Kousuke if he wanted ramen, and he was game. So we walked to the ramen shop and got some noodles.
While we were eating, we chatted. With my limited Japanese and his ever-improving broken English, we had a pleasant conversation. We taught each other some new words and talked about the differences between English and Japanese. Then Kousuke said something about how this was the first time he and I had eaten ramen together. He asked if there was an English word for going out together to eat ramen for the first time. I thought, "It's cute that Japanese language and culture treat 'first events' so specially, (I can't tell you the number of times I've been eagerly asked 'Hajimete?' or 'is this the first time?' - even while doing the most common things, like eating rice) but who knew there was even a special Japanese word for the first time people at ramen together?" I kindly answered that no, there was not an English word for the first time people go out to eat ramen together. However, he did not seem satisfied with my response. He proceeded, in typical Kousuke fashion, with, "For example (maybe his favorite English phrase, commonly misused), you and me go out, just us, for the first time. Is this going out? What do you call this first time going out?"
While we were eating, we chatted. With my limited Japanese and his ever-improving broken English, we had a pleasant conversation. We taught each other some new words and talked about the differences between English and Japanese. Then Kousuke said something about how this was the first time he and I had eaten ramen together. He asked if there was an English word for going out together to eat ramen for the first time. I thought, "It's cute that Japanese language and culture treat 'first events' so specially, (I can't tell you the number of times I've been eagerly asked 'Hajimete?' or 'is this the first time?' - even while doing the most common things, like eating rice) but who knew there was even a special Japanese word for the first time people at ramen together?" I kindly answered that no, there was not an English word for the first time people go out to eat ramen together. However, he did not seem satisfied with my response. He proceeded, in typical Kousuke fashion, with, "For example (maybe his favorite English phrase, commonly misused), you and me go out, just us, for the first time. Is this going out? What do you call this first time going out?"
OOOooooh! The lights went on in my head. I believe you call this "a date." That's right folks, I'm now on a date. Who knew?
So I confirmed that, yes, there is a word for the first time a man and a woman go out together. This is called a date. Then my dear Kousuke smiled and in his best English said, "This is our first date. It's memorial." He cocked his head to the side and added, "But it's at a ramen shop..." By his tone, I knew that he meant, "not very classy for a first date..."
We continued chatting and slurping our noodles, and then walked home.
And that, ladies and gentleman, is the story of my inadvertent first date in Japan.
The comedy that is my life - To be continued...
2 comments:
:) but he was no bar tender ...
Thanks for sharing the interesting story.
Hope you enjoy your life in Japan.
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