International Travel Log
JAPAN – JANUARY 2009
I am doing my best to learn a bit of Japanese prior to my departure. I’ve been spending sporadic moments with my recommended Ten Minutes A Day language tutor, and have put word stickers on most of the objects in my house, with the exception of the cat, who would not suffer the indignity.
But the very best bit of exposure to the lexicon I’ve encountered so far is courtesy of my novelist-buddy Steve. This morning I nearly broke myself in two laughing at the content of the e-mail he sent me, which read thus:
“I think [this] is an idiomatic expression of happiness. At least that’s the story I’m sticking to. ~ Steve”
What he sent – Watashi no hobākurafuto wa unagi de ippai desu – translates specifically as “My hovercraft is full of eels.”
I’ll do just fine communicating in Japan.
