highways | (no subject)

Today I was ambushed by the Japanese language, of all the surprising, supposedly non-threatening things, because we were watching a yakuza movie in film class, with Chinese subtitles—giving me the fun task of listening to the Japanese and reading the Chinese at the same time and trying to put together a coherent narrative at the speed of dialogue. Then the girl sitting next to me started inexplicably actually speaking to me in Japanese—I have no idea why anyone in Taiwan would start randomly talking to a white girl in Japanese, I happened to understand her but those were some real long odds, there. She asked me if I spoke Japanese and if I could understand the movie and I was like, "........... 少し." That is how long it took for me to drudge up any Japanese at all in response, because I hear the language all the damn time here, but I never have to actually speak it. Those are completely different skills!

WHAT WILL I DO IN AMERICA WHEN EVERY DAY IS NO LONGER A LANGUAGE ADVENTURE.

Speaking of adventure, I have to go dump a bucket of cold water over my head now. The shower's broke. The handle's now completely nonfunctional like some part inside was snapped off and apparently nobody saw this happen and I don't know man, I'm suspicious. Just a little bit. Because how does that just happen.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

you hear Japanese in Taiwan all the time? if so maybe that's why the person thought you could speak Japanese?

my roommate and several good friends of mine are Japanese! if the girl talking to me knew that, though, that is sort of creepy, 'cause I don't know her at all.

oh. that would be exceedingly creepy then. MAYBE YOU HAVE A STALKER.

slash i don't have an answer.