Alan wrote:There are three Japanese bookshops in London,
Wonder if you know one I don't. Always looking for new places.
Japan Centre, Mitsukoshi basement, and a 2nd hand store on Gerrard Street. ? There's also one up in Colindale but it's been a long time since I went there.
Japanese Restaurants
Often Chinese restaurants in disguise. I went to one recently where the menu was written in Japanese and I got irrashiamase when I went in so I spoke Japanese. no response maybe my pronunciation isn't right. When I asked for the bill again in Japanese, the waitress gave me an indignant, I'm Chinese. None of the staff was Japanese. Fooled again.
Other embarrassing time was when I tried Japanese on a pretty girl who asked me directions, it turned out she was Korean though.
Using Japanese.
There aren't that many opportunities sometimes. It feels odd to speak Japanese in London somehow. When I do it in a store, it's very much because I want to practice.
I carry on a couple of email correspondences.
I try to speak to the couple of Japanese students in Japanese. I often can't follow what they say to me.
I survived as a tourist in Japan. Was quite proud that I could get train tickets and food. Only major hiccup was when I got my first limited express and didn't understand the ticketing system. (also got off at the wrong stop, but I think the previous station called ahead because I was hustled along and had my ticket changed by an eki-in that was waiting for me.) But the station attendent who was trying to help me, eventually resorted to a little English Japanese booklet that had situations like this explained!
Proudest moment was in a little bar I went into for lunch in Kyoto. There was one other patron at the counter. He recommended the teisyoku to me. Surprised when I spoke japanese to him he asked how long I was in Japan. When I said about 7 days his reaction was priceless he thought I was living there.
For some reason they were also impressed that I could use chopsticks. and it was never said to me but to someone else so I don't think it was polite praise. (mind you I found myself showing a Chinese student (not from PRC) how to use chopsticks a while ago. I probably shouldn't make cultural assumptions)