After stuffing myself on onigiri and milk tea for the past week,
I hit my limit. I needed something different. Preferably something not wrapped
in seaweed or covered in rice. As soon as the thought crossed my mind I found
myself passing the closest thing to American I could find, McDonalds.
It's funny how in America I don't touch the stuff. Yet, when I'm
over seas it becomes a thing of nostalgia for the homeland. It’s a Comfort in a
foreign place: a small slice of paradise for homesick Americans everywhere.
This time I wasn’t homesick but I was craving something other then a ball of
rice.
I walked right up to the counter and sighed with relief at
seeing a menu lying there. This is a foreigners dream when abroad. It's simple
; point and order. There's no way to mess that up. I quickly choose what I
wanted and pointed at the corresponding picture. I added San (3), the number of
the menu item in there just to feel like I wasn't the typical gaijing
(foreigner) that doesn't know up from down. I know my numbers, "look at me
go" I thought to myself.
He repeated the number back to me and I nodded in agreement.
Finally a well needed victory in Japanese. Not that I spoke much in that moment
but hey that won't stop me from giving myself a congratulatory pat on the back.
I'll take any victory I can get.
Recently I have found myself nodding along in agreement to
things only to realize I had no idea what I was agreeing to. I guess that's
what happens when you are just learning a language. Not today though. Today I
ordered and got my point across. If only every place had a picture menu.
Just before my victory lap, the employee pointed at the amount I
owed. I looked at it shocked and confused. Either I had just ordered the most
expensive hamburger on earth or something was wrong. I looked puzzled and
pointed back at the menu price. That’s when he held up 3 fingers and I finally
understood what happened.
In my enthusiasm of proving I knew even the tiniest bit of
Japanese I apparently ordered three of the same thing. I laughed because what
else can you do. This is my life at the moment. One miscommunication after the
other but I'm learning. When I mess up I laugh and move forward. Sometimes I
sound silly, or say the wrong thing. It may take me 20 minutes to read the back
of a tissue box but I'm doing it and I'm going to keep doing it until I get it
right.
The day is coming where I will order without multiplying it
times three. When I can tell the store clerk that I do in fact NOT want my
purchases gift wrapped every time I buy something. Which has happened to me
almost every time I go shopping. I think I am saying no, but out comes the
gift-wrapping anyways.
Until then I'm going to keep trying, messing up and learning. If
that means sometimes I have to have all my purchases gift-wrapped then so be
it. Each time I shop getting home will be like an unexpected Christmas morning.
No comments:
Post a Comment