Phone Calls with Japan

A few weeks ago, a Rotarian in Japan of Sri Lankan descent named Lal contacted me through e-mail. And tonight I decided to make my debut to the Japanese-American phone system. Using a phone card, I called Lal's cell phone. The phone rang 285 shrill times until a answering machine picked up. An automated female proceeded to scold me in Japanese. I panicked and hung up.

I tried calling again. This time, Lal picked up. He told me, in English more beautiful than my own, that he was in a meeting and would call me back in an hour. So next I called my host family. I was, quite understandably, terrified because they do not speak English. A woman immediately picked up. I said, in my painfully bad Japanese, that I was Jonathan, a Rotary exchange student. My host mother let out a squeal of delight and said "KONICHIWAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!"

After I warned her multiple times that I spoke no Japanese, she decided it would be a wonderful idea to babble incoherently in that language. She finally gave the phone to her daughter/my host sister, Shiori. Shiori and I talked for about fifteen minutes. She used her broken English and I used my broken Japanese. Apparently, she used to "pray" the French horn for "orchestra crub." She is turning 18 on September 1. She likes to listen to music. I told her I loved karaoke, because that's about one of the only things I can say in Japanese. She seemed quite pleased by my fondness for karaoke. I foresee much karaoke in the next few months.

Then Lal called me back. I absolutely adore his accent. It's British/Sri Lankan/Japanese. He said, no, I can't receive a Japanese high school diploma. Yes, I should bring traveler's checks. No, I shouldn't open a bank account. Yes, cell phones cost 5,000 Y a month. No, there will be no other exchange students in my high school. Yes, there will be 8-10 exchange students from around the world in my district in Japan. Yes, I can choose my own classes. Yes, I can do kendo (Japanese fencing). YES, I WILL BE RIDING A BULLET TRAIN ON MY FIRST DAY!

And, yes, these are photos of my host city, Hamamatsu.