This One's Juicy

Over the past few weeks at work, there has been one particular part that has come under intense scrutiny during development. A plastic piece, or plate, that's part of the larger assembly.

Now, my Japanese is a work in process...I have trouble getting by using it in daily life, let alone during meetings or in the lab at work. Depending on who's accompanying me, who's talking, or how much I'm willing to try to focus the level of my understanding varies. If I'm grumpy and mad at the world at that moment because for example, no one's speaking English, that level gets worse. If it happens to be the day after Thursty Thursday, that level gets even worse. If it happens to be the day after Thursty Thursday and I'm in a foul mood...well you get the picture.

Anyway, a few days ago, I was in a good mood. So, when I kept hearing what sounded like, "Juicy plate...blah blah blah...Juicy plate...blah...blah...blah...Juicy plate...blah...blah...blah...Ne!?!?!" in reference to the afore-mentioned plastic plate, I decided to whip out my handy electronic dictionary and piece together what they were actually saying about a juicy plate. (The Japanese language typically borrows words from 'outside' languages, but they are pronounced slightly different based on the phonetics. For example, iPod sounds like 'iPoad-o', or jeans sounds more like, 'Jean-zu.' They aren't native words, but are adopted into the language as Katakana. So, it would be entirely possible that they were indeed referring to a juicy plate in this instance.)

Well, it turns out juicy, or Jyushi (樹脂), means resin or mold. It's still fun to hear about the juicy plate, but not nearly as fun when it's just referring to that little ol' resin plate!

Happy Teeth

Learning the Japanese Kanji characters is fun. Usually, once you learn one, you end up seeing it everywhere in signs, billboards, menus, etc. Last week I learned tooth (歯) and by extension, dentistry (歯科), cavities (虫歯), etc. So, walking around lately I have started noticing all the signs for dentist offices.

At least I thought I knew dentistry...

I thought this was an advertisement for Kubota Dentistry (窪田歯科), but the fun cartoon might suggest otherwise...

Is that a happy tooth...?

Jenglish

One of my favorite things about working with the Japanese is the language. Indeed, it has kept me entertained for six years working with the same company, and has yet to get old. I love the interaction with a Japanese person willing to try speaking English. I give them credit for trying despite how hard some of our pronunciations may be, let alone remembering the words and proper grammar.

By far, my favorite of these interactions here in Japan has been with my first team leader. His English is not great, but it has been getting better with some encouragement. What is interesting is that he has developed a fondness for learning and practicing American slang, or common English one-liners.

Every day he tries using a new phrase he has found or heard. It's the delivery, more than anything that gets me. You hear the words you're used to hearing from back in America, but inflections and timing are out of sync. I love it. "Today I will leave at 5 sharp!" "After you." "That's disgusting!" "Once a slob, always a slob."

You have to understand. It's one thing to learn a language. Quite another to learn how it is 'actually' spoken. So, I give him a lot of credit. He has made it somewhat of a hobby now, and I love encouraging it. I suggested he watch the movie, A Few Good Men, because it has two of the best one-liner scenes I know. Both occur when Tom Cruise picks up his newspaper at the local newspaper stand. They are short scenes, but the dialogue between Cruise and the newspaper man in each case is a series of one-liners.

Not only did my friend buy and watch the movie last weekend, but he came to me the following Monday with each dialogue written in his notebook with the Japanese translations (see below). He of course, watched with Japanese sub-titles, but I was impressed that he picked up on the scenes I was telling him to look out for, and now he has a fresh set of one-liners for me.

Definitely, Lost In Translation

The global economy has been brutal, and I think I've touched on it a few times, but only to try to bring some light and brighten up an otherwise miserable time, especially because it certainly adds to the experience of living and working abroad. This week saw yet another shaking reality of the economy, and unfortunately, it hit a little closer to home. Our company has begun, like a lot of the other Japanese corporations in this recession, to lay off the temporary employees. Today was the last day for many of them. In our group, there was one person. I didn't know her that well, and her English was limited, but she was quick to offer help if she saw that I needed it. She was very friendly to everyone, and I'm sure her smile and upbeat personality will be missed.

Saying good-bye to a fellow employee on their last day because they have been laid off was a first for me. Certainly not an easy thing to do when you share the same language let alone trying to do it in terribly butchered Japanese.

Today, as I was packing up, I was reminded to say goodbye. Before I could think twice I was quickly, almost ceremoniously ushered over to her by the person reminding me. The following is what I believed transpired - an uncomfortable good-bye that was definitely lost in translation.

Okay, don't panic. What is it people say in these situations. 'Nice knowing you??'...no too rude. Be sensitive. Ugghhh slow down, you're walking too fast. Give yourself some time to think. Ummm...Okay. How 'bout, 'Thank you for your help. Good luck with your future endeavors, and I'm sure something is bound to come up.' Yeah, yeah that's good. Not too gloomy. Offers some encouragement. Now, what of that can you say in Japanese???? Shoot. Slow down dammit. Oh no, now she sees you're coming. Okay, quick. Think. Shoot...quick...ahhhh.

"Konichiwa," I say.
"Oh Mike-san. Hallo."
"Ummmm...Sappoto o arigato gozaimasu. (Thank you for your support). Ohh...and omedeto gozaimasu! (Congratulations!)"
"Eh," she says, "Omedeto gozaimasu?? Naze. (Why congratulations?)"

Oh great. You just said congratulations. What happened to the good luck schpiel? Shoot you idiot. Quick think of something else. But what? How do you say, endeavors??? Crap...okay try this...

"Shiawase desu. (Good luck and happiness)."

Good luck? Good luck?...okay see how that plays. Should probably say something else, but considering the circumstances...

"Huh, naze? (Why again)?" She says as she crosses her fingers as if to say, why do I need luck?

Ummmm...good question. Of course she doesn't need luck. That's not what you meant. She'll be fine, but how to say it? Quick! Come up with something. Wrap it up you idiot.

"No....ahhhh...that's not...ummm...what I meant was...Gomen (Sorry)," I manage to blurt.

Yeah, sorry works better. Okay don't make her feel worse. Tell her how nice she was to have in the office and you're sure she'll land on her feet. Wait, in English or Japanese?? Oh jeez...just say something and leave it be...

"Jyaa...Arigato (Thank you)," I manage to blurt and follow up with, "Yoshhhhhhh."

So apparently my Japanese needs some work. And things like the 'Good luck' sentiment, just don't translate directly. This economy can be brutal for a lot of good people, but I hope we can all keep smiling and hold our heads high like my fellow co-worker did in an otherwise uncomfortable situation.

"よいしょ" ... Splained

I first noticed the phrase, よいしょ, pronounced YOISHO, while working with one of my Japanese co-workers in the US. This, of course, was before my wife and I started our 18-month journey working abroad in Japan. So, naturally, I had no idea what he was saying, or how prominent the phrase actually is in Japan. What he said, actually sounded more like, "yooissshhhhhhh," pronounced in a strained tone as we lifted a crate. When I questioned what the heck he just said (or grunted), he shrugged it off and said that it was a typical phrase more for older people and is used for any sort of strenuous activity - like lifting a crate. 'Ok...’ I thought, and decided I didn't understand. Besides, I thought, he's 32...that's not old...?!

Not until I reached the land of the rising sun would I fully begin to realize how popular that phrase is, and all the different ways it can be pronounced, groaned, etc. Moreover, in the process of training my ears for listening for such nuanced pronunciations, I have since adopted the phrase in the same manner. It is quite addicting. What started as a mock joke with my wife and amongst friends has quickly become, I fear, a habit.

Translating Japanese words is never easy. Often times words don't directly translate. Type in "よいしょ (yoisho)" on my translator, however, and you get "Heave-HO." No other random explanations that usually accommodate a translation to put it into context. Just...heave ho. I love it. That was the first piece of the puzzle. Then I started hearing various mutilations of the pronunciations. When I began to realize I was hearing this phrase, or noise, during situations you might consider strenuous, I began to understand these people were actually saying...yoisho.

After almost seven months in Japan, here are my top 5 "yoisho" grunts:
5) My boss grunting as he gets up from his seat. Usually it is a distinct, "yoisho" but said really quickly with an extra emphasis on the 'yo'.
4) The lady who works the cafeteria snack shop. I usually call my wife after lunch near the shop. This is also when the lady, probably in her 50's, is restocking shelves. Every time she lifts a box, there is a high-pitched, "yoooisho," where the first part is drawn out. I talk to my wife for maybe 5 minutes. I swear I hear the lady lift a box 5 times!
3) The well-established version from the guys who have been saying it for a long time. They've said it so long, and so often, that their version has become, "yosssssssssshhhhhhh." A long drawn out shhhhhh sound accommodates the strain of say, opening a door.
2) The, "this is way heavier than I thought and requires a lot of energy," grunt. The 'Yo' part is way over-pronounced, most likely because it's timed with the initial lift. "YyyyOisho."
1) My favorite. Awkward conversation? Meeting finished? Awkward goodbye? Give it the ol', "sssshhhhhhhhhh." No, not a hush. Sounds like one, but it really means, "See ya."
And on that note..."sssshhhhhhhhh."