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Apr. 30th, 2014 01:40 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dolariSilly Jenn Fact: Jenn actually speaks a fair smattering of Japanese. But (1) I learned it all from 30 years of anime and (2) understand that because of how I learned it, it's INCREDIBLY informal (aka downright rude).
It's moreof a novelty, than a skill. But it has impressed when I have used it. When I worked at DNP (where D and N stood for "Dai Nippon"), we had a lot of Japanese folks who worked with us. I worked late nights, and occasionally one or two would stay late to contact Japan during Japanese morning.
It was about 10 at night one night when I went on break and walked out to the loading dock to get some air. Just as I walked into the warehouse area, one of he Japanese employees walked in from the dock scaring me. He asked me in broken English if I was okay, and I replied in Japanese "Hai...hai...genki des. (I'm good)" He looked at me a little funny and I corrected myself "I'm fine. Daijobu des. (I'm feeling okay)."
"You speak Japanese?"
"Gomen ne. Watakshi wa Nihongo wakarimasen. (I'm sorry, I don't understand Japanese (and said very badly))"
He looked at me funny again and said in English - "But you have a good start!" He encouraged me to learn more.
The only other time it could have worked out for me was Nintendo. An Email went around telling us to clear up our desks and dress pretty nicely, because we were having a bigwig visit. I assumed it was probably going to be CEO Satoru Iwata (or some other Japanese bigwig) so I decided to show off a little. I cleared the desk off, put up some eye catching sketches, and brushed up on my Japanese. I'd hoped, if they stopped by, to introduce myself in Japanese (Hajimemashte. Dozo yoroshko! "Hello, Glad to meet you!"). They never got to my area, though. Wonder what would have happened if they had?
It's moreof a novelty, than a skill. But it has impressed when I have used it. When I worked at DNP (where D and N stood for "Dai Nippon"), we had a lot of Japanese folks who worked with us. I worked late nights, and occasionally one or two would stay late to contact Japan during Japanese morning.
It was about 10 at night one night when I went on break and walked out to the loading dock to get some air. Just as I walked into the warehouse area, one of he Japanese employees walked in from the dock scaring me. He asked me in broken English if I was okay, and I replied in Japanese "Hai...hai...genki des. (I'm good)" He looked at me a little funny and I corrected myself "I'm fine. Daijobu des. (I'm feeling okay)."
"You speak Japanese?"
"Gomen ne. Watakshi wa Nihongo wakarimasen. (I'm sorry, I don't understand Japanese (and said very badly))"
He looked at me funny again and said in English - "But you have a good start!" He encouraged me to learn more.
The only other time it could have worked out for me was Nintendo. An Email went around telling us to clear up our desks and dress pretty nicely, because we were having a bigwig visit. I assumed it was probably going to be CEO Satoru Iwata (or some other Japanese bigwig) so I decided to show off a little. I cleared the desk off, put up some eye catching sketches, and brushed up on my Japanese. I'd hoped, if they stopped by, to introduce myself in Japanese (Hajimemashte. Dozo yoroshko! "Hello, Glad to meet you!"). They never got to my area, though. Wonder what would have happened if they had?
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Date: 2014-04-30 02:24 pm (UTC)When I was in game development we had a visit from a Nintendo rep. Since I know anime Nihongo like you, but my boss thought I really knew proper Japanese, I was nervous. I squeezed out a "hajimemashite" and ran away to hide.