Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Lost in Translation

     No sooner did the digital clock blink 11 AM than four elegant English speakers arrived for ongoing coffee and conversation with baked treats from the local Paul in Roppongi-ichome station. (The fifth member had to look after her granddaughter as professional babysitters are not in plentiful supply in Tokyo.) "Are we early?" asked chef-san, to the secret amusement of musume (my daughter) eavesdropping from her room. Despite best efforts to prepare coffee, photocopy word games and produce a new word list there always appears to be one more thing to do as they tiptoe in. "Water for everyone?" The sudden rise in humidity requires hydration. Two preferred carbonated water, two preferred natural and which type is healthier? Impossible to determine based on this sample.

    Last week ended with a question: Why do Americans say "you know" so often? You know, that's a good question. Fellow Americans, any ideas? What do you know, it is a colloquialism that we fall back on when gathering our thoughts. This week I selected a quiz from the BBC British Council on the subject of food shopping. Bananas and grapes come in bunches (fusa), but how strange that Westerners buy meat by weight.   In Tokyo meat is sold in single portions to avoid waste. White and dark meat of a chicken was a new concept. Milk comes in a carton, but only in litres and half litres. Who needs a gallon? Chef-san, who once lived in Westchester, reminisced about jumbo packages of foods including the "buy one get one free" specials at the Gourmet Garage. After 6 PM Daimaru Peacock supa (market) discounts perishables but the choice is unpredictable.

     Lively conversation led to a new word, anecdote, "an amusing or interesting story about yourself." Two came up about milk: Obaasan (grandmother of 5) recounted a friend who was served milk (mi-ri-ku)on an airplane after asking for beer (bi-ru), while Chef-san's husband was served six glasses of milk after ordering a milk shake! Shake sounded like six? Traveler-san once asked for a map in New York and was presented with a mop! Giggles all around. Looking at the paper napkins on the table provoked the final question of the coffee: What do you call the character on the napkin? That's a smiley face. In Japan he  has a name (Niko Niko chan). Gomen nasai no time for Pooh-san , but the new Feng Shui books were distributed with great hopes for the future. Sayonara! Raishu ( next week)! 

      

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