I have been busy at work, which makes me super happy. The other day I was on the Marine base and a Navy Chaplain came in to ask me questions about his education benefits. He was a very friendly guy and super nice. He walked in and was asking me questions about myself, he started off asking me if my family was here or back in the states and after I told him I was not married he was like oooooooooooo. About 20 or so minutes later he was getting ready to leave and I said goodbye and he was saying thank you and very sincerely said “I will pray for you to find a husband. “My response was, “Thanks I need all the prayers I can get.” Please keep in mind that same day I had an hour long conversation with a retiree about his rating for his prostate cancer and for his erectile dysfunction………that was my Wednesday!
This week I made chocolate chip cookies for my co-workers and I also made some for my housekeepers, I live in Bachelors Officers Quarters (BOQ) but through the hotel on base so I just get the basic cleaning like you would in a normal hotel. I wanted them to know the cookies were for them so I left them on my bed with a note that said thank you in (very bad kanji) and written out with letters and in English. They understood because they took the cookies!! However, they also left me a note in Japanese! I need to get that translated this week at work!
On Saturday, I did a presentation for Japanese spouses so they can know about the various benefits they can be entitled to through their service member spouse. I made a quick slideshow presentation and the person in charge translated it into to Japanese. I am not sure how many of you have seen Lost in Translation but there is a scene where Bill Murray is filming a commercial in Japan and the director is going off in Japanese and then the translator translates about 3 words and Bill Murray is completely confused. Well that was exactly my training. I would speak in English and they would kind of get me so then the head of the program would translate it into Japanese. Sometimes I would start speaking to her husband in English over this. It was very interesting.
Also on Saturday, I took the train down to Sasebo and I passed out on the train. I woke up when I heard a little kid yelling. He was this super cute Japanese kid, probably about 5, who was eating a hot dog; the hot dogs here are different they are baked into the middle of the flat bread. Well he caught me looking at him so he started playing hide and seek and would try to sneak looks, he was beyond cute! I would wave at him and he would sneak away. Well after a little bit his little brother, about 3 years old, saw me and kept doing the same thing. He climbed into his brothers’ chair so he could see me . I asked their mom if I could take their picture and she said sure. They loved it and then the little one would keep coming up to my cell phone to look at the pictures. I think this went on for about 30 minutes. The interesting thing that I have observed is that older Japanese will usually bow to me and acknowledge me and around my age just ignore me but the little kids will look at me in fascination. I usually wave at them and they will wave back (sometimes at the prodding of their parents) and sometimes they will just smile. The kids here are beyond cute and I love trying to interact with them!
According to my receptionist in Sasebo the note says "thank you for the cookies." She also said that I wrote thank you well, she could actually read it! Yeah for google!
ReplyDelete