the language grows

I'm so ridiculously proud of myself. sure, one of my 9 year old students could have figured out how to read the train schedlues that I get in Japanese (kanji) on my cell phone. but most English teachers can't. so I'm proud of myself. and it meant that when a missed connection between some new teacher and myself happened Sat night, I could still find my way home. better than sleeping at the sation, any night.



so, empowered by my phone success last night, I braved the tiny Okonomiyaki shop near my apartment. I walk by it everyday and curse that I haven't had one of the best Japanese foods since I came back because I'm too chicken to go into the little mom and pop shop and strike up a conversation. but today I did!

Okonomiyaki literally translates to your favorite cooked food but is really a pancake with squid and cabbage. and loads of some special sauce and fish flakes. but it's really good.

so after eating and minor chatting when I left this woman, who exemplifies my image of a good Japanese mother, after showing me pictures of her neices and nephews in SanFrancisco, told me that if I have any problems, I can ask her for help.

and I left, full of yummy weird food, and a warm feeling of being part of this funny Japanese community.