The Hazards of Walking Out Your Door!
Well, not hazards really, but the strangest things can happen at anytime! For example, the other day I decided to go walk around my town. I've been doing that alot, just to get out and moving. Teaching has me on my feet all day, but it's not really a workout... unless you count running around with crazy elementary school students... but that's another story! ANYWAY, moving on!
I decided to go walk around by the port because I like looking at the boats and admiring the coast, I really hope that I never get used to how beautiful the ocean is! While I was wandering around I saw the cutest puppy walking by the boats. Being who I am, I naturally went "Oh! Puppy!" and went over to pet him. (He really was the cutest little dog!) While I swooning over the cute puppy, his owner came up and started talking to me. He was an older fisherman guy, I think he said he was 54 or something, and spoke absolutely no English. Our conversation consisted mostly of hand gestures, confused looks, and slow slow talking in an effort to be understood. It was especially difficult because my jisho (dictionary) was back in my aparto; I'd been taking a walk, remember, I hadn't really planned on talking to anyone! He kept making gestures for me to follow him, so we walked over to his boat and I met his brother. Again more talking that I couldn't understand, but it became clear eventually that his brother was married to a teacher at one of my shougakko.
They also took me down to the boat and showed me a bunch of lobster that they had brought in. After a lot more gesturing, both at the lobster and at me, I finally understood that they were inviting me to dinner! I was hesitant but they were very insistent, and so I found myself loaded into the fisherman's brother's car and heading off to a lobster dinner! (dressed in my work out clothes, of course. I was stylin'!) It actually turned out to be a fun, if confusing, night as it turned out that I hadn't actually met the woman who worked at my school yet. They were all really nice though, and Kimiko-san (my teacher) ended up calling Onaka-sensei (another teacher who speaks a bit of eigo) to come over for dinner too and be my translator. She didn't get there for an hour and a half or so, and in the meantime they gave me with beers out the wah-zoo! Now, I like a beer now and then, but I'll always be a wine drinker. Beer is just too filling! Dinner was absolutely DELICIOUS! The lobster were kinda small, so I had 3, (they insisted) plus there was fish, shashimi, pickles, and other things that I didn't recognize but tasted like heaven! I didn't get back until after 9, I'd gone out for my walk at 4:30. It was definitely unexpected, but also a really fun night. (How much would a meal like that have cost back home? $60? More?!)
Can you imagine anything like that happening back in States? Maybe in some small towns, I guess, but it'd be really weird! I'm excited to see what happens next time I step out my door! :o)
Well, not hazards really, but the strangest things can happen at anytime! For example, the other day I decided to go walk around my town. I've been doing that alot, just to get out and moving. Teaching has me on my feet all day, but it's not really a workout... unless you count running around with crazy elementary school students... but that's another story! ANYWAY, moving on!
I decided to go walk around by the port because I like looking at the boats and admiring the coast, I really hope that I never get used to how beautiful the ocean is! While I was wandering around I saw the cutest puppy walking by the boats. Being who I am, I naturally went "Oh! Puppy!" and went over to pet him. (He really was the cutest little dog!) While I swooning over the cute puppy, his owner came up and started talking to me. He was an older fisherman guy, I think he said he was 54 or something, and spoke absolutely no English. Our conversation consisted mostly of hand gestures, confused looks, and slow slow talking in an effort to be understood. It was especially difficult because my jisho (dictionary) was back in my aparto; I'd been taking a walk, remember, I hadn't really planned on talking to anyone! He kept making gestures for me to follow him, so we walked over to his boat and I met his brother. Again more talking that I couldn't understand, but it became clear eventually that his brother was married to a teacher at one of my shougakko.
They also took me down to the boat and showed me a bunch of lobster that they had brought in. After a lot more gesturing, both at the lobster and at me, I finally understood that they were inviting me to dinner! I was hesitant but they were very insistent, and so I found myself loaded into the fisherman's brother's car and heading off to a lobster dinner! (dressed in my work out clothes, of course. I was stylin'!) It actually turned out to be a fun, if confusing, night as it turned out that I hadn't actually met the woman who worked at my school yet. They were all really nice though, and Kimiko-san (my teacher) ended up calling Onaka-sensei (another teacher who speaks a bit of eigo) to come over for dinner too and be my translator. She didn't get there for an hour and a half or so, and in the meantime they gave me with beers out the wah-zoo! Now, I like a beer now and then, but I'll always be a wine drinker. Beer is just too filling! Dinner was absolutely DELICIOUS! The lobster were kinda small, so I had 3, (they insisted) plus there was fish, shashimi, pickles, and other things that I didn't recognize but tasted like heaven! I didn't get back until after 9, I'd gone out for my walk at 4:30. It was definitely unexpected, but also a really fun night. (How much would a meal like that have cost back home? $60? More?!)
Can you imagine anything like that happening back in States? Maybe in some small towns, I guess, but it'd be really weird! I'm excited to see what happens next time I step out my door! :o)
posted by VW | 6:04 AM
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