Another bone-headed moment September 25, 2007
Posted by adelle387 in minor adventures, moments.add a comment
I did an amazingly stupid thing yesterday. Something that usually only happens in movies – or so I thought.
I was eating dinner at one of my favorite places last night – Ootoya – and after I had finished I started rummaging around in my bag looking for my wallet. Although it’s kind of big it often gets concealed underneath a fold or behind a notebook I always carry around. This time it wasn’t there. My heart sank. I started having visions of washing dishes in the kitchen, or better yet creating a diversion then making a fast break – maybe to surreptitiously return with the money.
Instead I calmly walked up to the cashier and asked him if he spoke English. He didn’t but another staff person did. I tried my best to explain the situation… uh, I need to pay but I left my wallet at home. I live nearby… can I give you something to make sure I’ll come back? Then I’ll go home and get it. I’ll give you my Suica, my phone, my camera, my iPod… She took the Suica (my train pass, with my commuter information printed on it) then asked if I had any i.d. I told her that it was also at home – in my wallet. She looked at my Suica, which has my name on it, then at the other guy, and they both kind of nodded. She said ok, and I was like THANK YOU – I’ll be right back. I probably should have thrown in a couple of ’suimasen’ but my head was in English mode. Thankfully I was using my bicycle that evening so I rode home, grabbed my wallet and came right back. I gave them money, got my Suica back, and was on my way.
Chocolate + Espresso = luv June 5, 2007
Posted by adelle387 in moments.add a comment
I had a really awesome moment today. It started this morning when I woke up to the sounds of children playing (screaming) and birds chirping (hardcore cawing and crowing) coming through my open window. At 6:30am. Given my work schedule, 6:30 is way too early to be awake. Most unfortunately, I couldn’t go back to sleep.
Fast forward to 6pm, I’m on my dinner break at work and I really need a pick-me-up to make it to 9pm. I don’t like to drink straight-up coffee, so I go to Starbucks for a mocha. (At this point ordering at Starbucks is a non-issue for me. Whether I speak in English or broken Japanese I’m always understood.) So I walk in, find the picture of the ‘premium hot chocolate’ on the menu and point to it – accompanied with words of course. Every time I order that I marvel at how much more expensive hot chocolate is at Starbucks compared to other places. So I’m letting my eyes wander over the menu, and it’s just then that I notice Starbucks actually has plain old hot cocoa on the menu. Having finally figured out how to save money on Starbucks hot chocolate I switched my order and felt a small pang of triumph.
A minute later I’m walking down the street sipping my cocoa and feeling good when I’m like wait a minute – I wanted a MOCHA!
*
Yeah, I was tired.
Great Moments in Japan March 3, 2007
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About 10 minutes ago I had just come downstairs to silence the whistling tea kettle and enjoy a nice cup of sweetened green tea. I put the water over the tea leaves, let it sit for a few minutes, poured it into the cup and added sugar. I took the first sip, ready to enjoy the tea. But intstead of being nice and sweet it was gross and salty! I immediatly spit it out, it was digusting. Instead of putting in sugar I had put in salt. It’s not even that I reached for the wrong white granulated substance – I bought the wrong white granulated substance! The funny thing is, I’ve successfully purchased sugar before, but I’ve never bought salt. Well, now I guess I have.
A Shining Moment February 2, 2007
Posted by adelle387 in moments.1 comment so far
I had one of my shining moments in life today…
My roommates and I are just chilling today when Amber brings out some whisky-filled chocolates (apparently one of her students gave them to her). She offers one to Stephanie, who promptly eats it and starts gushing and exclaiming about the smooth shot of whisky that erupted when she bit the chocolate.
So then it’s my turn. Amber gives me one of the chocolates. I look at it and think – this is kind of big, I’m supposed to eat the whole thing at once? Being the bright child that I am, I bite into the edge. I feel a slight crunch, then a second later I have syrupy whisky dripping down my face and onto my clothes.
I just sat there, stunned. First at the situation – why was there liquid on my face?? Then – a split second later – I was like, HOW DID I NOT SEE THIS COMING???
Definitely one of my greater moments in life 
