July 22
You know people are getting more comfortable with you when they ask you how to say “poop” in your language.
This came up, as you might have guessed, over lunch today. Minori-san, Metal Mouth, and I were eating tuna sashimi served over rice with an over-easy egg. MM was telling us, in Japanese, that her Chihuahua had a spot of tummy trouble this week. Minori-san was translating and got stuck on the p-word. I figured out pretty easily what she was asking me and I considered it for a moment. We have so many colorful ways to express it. Based on my audience, I decided to go with the fail-safe “number 2.”
Anyway.
The Head of Planning, the Management Supervisor, and I went to McCann HQ this afternoon to see a presentation on McCann’s branding company, FutureBrand. There were two women providing simultaneous translation throughout the presentation, which was given in both English and Japanese. I was so fascinated by the ability of these two breathless wisps; both could effortlessly switch back and forth between languages using idioms that make native speakers stumble.
Walking into HQ was like visiting an oxygen bar. Here were the kooky, creative types, the fabulous, nattily dressed ex-pats, and the supercool technophiles. I felt dumpy and old in my uninspired pinstripe suit and longed for one of my rude t-shirts. At least I have a cool haircut.
After the presentation, over drinks served in the McCann “bar,” I stalked every English-speaking person in the room, handing out meishi (business cards) like lotto tickets. I collected six in return (2 Brits, 2 Japanese, and 2 Canadians). All seemed to be candidates for further stalking with potential to introduce me to a social life.
I have to be in Osaka (about 3 hours from Tokyo) on Monday afternoon for a meeting. I decided to take the opportunity to visit Kyoto while I’m in the area. For any of you ever planning on coming to Japan, I cannot give a high enough recommendation to the Tourist Information Center in Tokyo. I went there again this morning and the woman there made my hotel reservations for me in both Kyoto and Osaka. They also gave me a brochure on a walking tour of Kyoto, offered in English, my a little old Japanese man who calls himself “Johnnie Hillwalker.” I smell a great story there.
I’m not taking my computer with me this weekend, so no updates for a few days…
Gambatte Kudasai! (Keep your chin up!)
2 comments:
If anyone would like to hear a cute silly song about learning hiragana, in English, sung by a Country Western singer in Texas, produced by a Bostonian, send an email request with HIRAGANA in the subject line, and a mp3 files will be coming your way, in nihongp, 5 minute song. Helps people learn the hiragana abc sounds. Sort of
Email to: songsterhiragana AT gmail DOT com
A new global novelty song, dance tune, called "the Hiragana Song", written in English and a some Japanese, recorded in Texas, ready to rock and roll, and it is especially useful for people who are just beginning to learn hiragana/katakana, and for anyone else it is entirely useless, but goofy and silly and worth a listen, since it's free.
To hear the song, go here :
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/33361
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