More than words...

Tokyo is a large place, a busy place, and so bumping into a familiar face is a rarity. Especially so when you're not from around these parts... So, last Saturday night I was a little surprised when I bumped into an aquaintance I haven't seen since August, and before that since May. Both times were in busy nightclubs downtown. Lot of nightclubs in Tokyo. Lot of people. Chances are slim. I was even more surprised when I bumped into him in the street yesterday; uptown. So he and his friend joined me and my friends for a beer.

He's Japanese. I'm English. He speaks a little English. I speak no Japanese. So we chat. 5 minutes into the conversation, 'So, you still don't speak Japanese?'. 'Still', 'still?'. Cruel word. OK, so I've lived here almost two years, but Japanese is no easy language to learn. I work, I socialise in English-speaking circles, my job is to speak English, and a lot of people speak English in Tokyo. Hence I'm really struggling to learn this language! I study - a little. I listen - a lot. I've picked up a fair few useful phrases and can communicate when necessary, but conversation? Forget it!

So, feeling a little miffed, I turned to his friend (who spoke no English) and said, 'Ano, chotto Nihongo wo shabetai, e toh, oshigoto wa nan desu ka?' (roughly, OK, I wanna speak a little Japanese, er, what's your job?). Good start. Then comes the reply, 'haiisha desu'. At which point I turn to my acquaintance and say, 'What?'. Oh well, I tried... ('haiisha', by the way, means 'dentist').

So this week I've been studying different jobs....