Disproportionate Pride in Minor Achievements

Well shucks but I've been getting a swolled-up head over some extremely basic things since I got here about a day and a half ago. It is a thing about travelling that, since in many ways you are reduced to the status of a toddler, you can feel a toddler's triumph in minor tasks such as being able to read a street sign or knowing what the next train station stop is going to be.

For example, I caught a taxi cab down to the ward office to apply for my Alien Registration Card, since I am effectively a non-person until I get one. At first dude didn't understand me, and terrified me by grinning and waving three fingers at my face as if to say "Had I but a trident, assuredly would I stab thee". My instinct was to release a jet of ink and flee. Unfortunately, in a Japanese cab the passenger door is controlled by a lever next to the driver. In a Japanese cab, you are always at the mercy of the driver - I'm pretty sure they carry blades to deal with deadbeats. I mean why else would they have so much anti-macassars on all the upholstery.

Anyway, I used the courage in my heart to try again - and again! Ultimately it turned out I was mangling my "O" sounds I think. I was able to correct this using a system where I imagine Mako's face looking at me and then I imagine that I am wearing Mako's face over my face, and then I say the Japanese words again. IT MAKES MY PRONUNCIATION GO REAL GOOD.


Smiling is another of the many uses for Mako's face.