Year-End Summary

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Saturday was my work's bounenkai (year-end party). It was held at a nice restaurant, and there was an option to continue the party and stay at a hotel for the night, but I and my pocketbook opted out, as I already had to spend 10,000 yen on dinner alone.

This year, instead of drawing numbers to decide the seating arrangement, we drew hiragana names of professional sumo wrestlers and had to match them up to their correct kanji nameplates. Lucky for me, I am famililar the names and readings of many sumo wrestlers and had little problem finding my seat, unlike many of the teachers, which was a first.

The teacher next to me asked if I could read the kanji names. I told her I could read some, and demonstrated by reading the two nearest sumo labels--"Iwakiyama" and "Takekaze". She corrected me, saying that "Takekaze" was actually read "Goufu". I knew there isn't a sumo wrestler that goes by such a name, but didn't correct her. When the man sitting at that nameplate found his seat and his paper read "Takekaze", I didn't say a word, but felt quite smug.

All of the people I ended up sitting next to were among those who refuse to utter a word of English under any conditions. This was actually good for me, as my Japanese skills vastly improve in such situations. Still, I decided this would call for new measure--in the form of alcohol--so that I could become less inhibited. As I've never drunk alcohol at any of my previous work parties, this made everyone truly excited and I became instantaneously popular.

I managed to stay involved in the conversation around me and say things that I felt (or at least hoped) sounded interesting/intelligent/funny. In fact, I didn't speak a word of English the entire evening, except when the soccer coach, who is fluent in English, but only under the influence of alcohol, came around to talk to me.

First the soccer coach confessed to me that he is an alcoholic and gets drunk on Japanese sake at least six days a week. He also confided in me that he wants us to have English conversations together at school, but it's too embarrassing to be seen speaking with me. (I gave him the benefit of the doubt and took this statement as a compliment.) He made me promise that from then on I would come up to him every day and talk to him in English. (However, so far this week I have said, "Hello" to him twice so far in passing, and both times he has ducked his head and mumbled "Konnichiwa" back.) He's a former member of the Japan national soccer team, has previously been in a serious relationship with a foreign girlfriend, is young, funny, and rather cute, so during our conversation I began pondering what available female JET I could pair him up with. (So what if he doesn't speak English when sober--he's an alcoholic for goodness' sake! That would leave plenty of time for communication.) It was then that he began to ask me advice on whether he should marry his girlfriend... Girlfriend!? So much for my matchmaking plans. (Sorry, ladies.)

At the end of the night I left the party with a 3,000 yen 7-Eleven gift card I won in bingo, newfound confidence in my Japanese skills (albeit temporary), and a stomach full of culinary delights that most people only get to have nightmares about. So it was a good night.

Today on www.thebugbrothers.blogspot.com: Ookumoherikamemushi