Nihongo Tabemasen

Classes went well. I'm also making progress in developing my imaginary language, insomuch as I've established more grammar structure and made a pronunciation guide, so that's going swimmingly. After class I stopped in the library to see if I could get some Chinese textbooks to practice before going home. Turns out that they have "Introduction to ____" language books for everything BUT Chinese. Everything. Latin, Irish, Greek, Russian, Arabic, Swahili, etc. The Chinese textbooks they had were awful and had no actualy characters in them and was in a movie script pitch font. Irritating.

I did pick up the Irish one and try it out, and their writing system is absurd! Things aren't spelled in any way, shape, or form that is close to how they are pronounced. The language is beautiful, but I fear I may never know more than a word or two in it.

I had a nice afternoon of making hash browns (which I had to explain were in fact potato and not pot) and then watched some episodes of The Office. Then we went downtown intent on going to an all you can eat and drink place, but it was booked. So we just went to a bar and hung out there and ate and such.

I learned that the world only has 5 continents. North and South America are one continent, as are Europe and Asia. I tried to argue that the Panama Canal made North and South America separate at anything, which was rebuttled with "but you guys built that" to which I retorted "Because America is never wrong." I'm glad people understand that the whole "America is number one best country ever" schtick is a joke, otherwise I'd have the hurt put on me.

Back at the dorms we hung out in a friend's room for a good time more with everyone from the bar, playing games and doing magic tricks and making fun of JM for being old. So old....

Anyways, was good times overall.

In reference to the blog title: One of the guys in our party shared the story that if you get in trouble with the cops/security guard/teacher/whatever, just speak such offensively terrible Japanese that they let you go. If you want to say "I don't speak Japanese" then that would be "Nihongo hanasemasen." If you want to tell them in offensively possibly half retarded speech, say the above "Nihongo tabemasen." Why is this so stupid sounding?

Because it means "I don't eat Japanese."

Have fun with that.