Okinawa-rama

Today was Super Bowl Sunday - well, Monday here. Joe's work hosted a little 8am Super Bowl party. I got there late and had to pass through a waiting area of nervous crime suspects before being whisked into the inner sanctum of NCIS, the conference room, where almost the whole staff was secretly watching the game. It was kind of a strange experience. Watching the game behind closed doors. Everyone decked out in suits and ties, and the most interesting assortment of Super Bowl food you'd ever see. A jar of Aunt Jemima syrup, a pot of chili, a tin foil container of potato salad, crepes, a pancake griddle, Dunkin' Donuts, ketchup...and no beer. I myself partook in a chocolate chip scone (and a half), followed by fritos and a hotdog. Yum.

After watching the Seahawks defeat, I went home to meet the curtain guys. One of Joe's colleagues recommended them. They come to your house, measure your windows and whip you up a batch of curtains which they then install in about a week. Since I don't know the first thing about curtains, or window treatments or whatever you call them, I was looking forward to getting the curtain guys' input on the overwhelming array of options available to me.

When I got home, they were already there waiting for me. I invited them in. (No, I wasn't late.) I never know exactly how to invite a Japanese person into the house (not that I've had the chance to invite so many in, but anyway) because of the whole shoe taking off thing. In the Japanese homes I've been in, there's usually this little ledge between the shoe taking off area and the rest of the house and there's always a bunch of slippers set out. Joe and I only have a pair of slippers for each of us though. Is it okay to even suggest that a visitor take off their shoes if you aren't able to provide alternate footwear? Hmmm... Plus, do movers need to take off their shoes? Or electricians? Or curtain guys? I guess I need to buy more slippers.

Anyway, so the curtain guys come in, take off there shoes, and just walk around in their socks. (Nobody wanted Joe's slippers, which I had set out just in case.) Their names were Toyo and Toshi and I soon realized that I wasn't gonna be getting a lot of input on the ins and outs of window dressing 'cause they spoke about ten words of English between the two of them. Key vocabulary in the 2.5 hours we worked together included:"Drape-o", "centimeter", "expensive-o", and "maybe". Believe it or not, I was even able to contribute to our conversation. "Daijoubo" (okay) continues to be a favorite of mine. I also learned how to say "oiye", which means "good". I even learned the word for horoscope (which I've forgotten) when I tried, unsuccessfully, to explain that my poor decision making skills were due to me being a Libra.

In any event, I've had more Japanese practice in the last three days than in the whole time I've been here. Joe and I learned how to say "bell pepper" on Saturday at the neighborhood Chinese restaurant. (An great little place, by the way! Very friendly. The waitress carefully went over each item on the menu with us even though we don't speak Japanese, she had little English. For example, she brought these beautiful green and red peppers out to the table to aid in her explaination. So nice!) We learned "onion" at the produce market and "cream puff" at the bakery. And now I have "good" under my belt (I think). That's four new words! Hoorah!

Well, I guess I'll let ya go. Hope all is well and you have a good week.

xxoo - Kelly