So tonight the Japanese taught me their matchmaking game…
The city hall put on a small gathering at one of the official’s homes, so we could all enjoy the beauty of the cherry blossoms….but really it was just an excuse to drink together. My new boss invited me to join and we met up at Kameoka station to take a taxi to the guy’s house.
I knew most of the people there by sight and quite a few personally so it was pretty easy for me to relax and start enjoying myself. I was enjoying sitting around drinking Japanese wine, eating wild boar, and talking to my colleagues and deflecting the crazy compliments on my Japanese skills when all of a sudden Higuchi-san comes and sits down by me. Higuchi-san used to work at the Board of Education with the ALTs and I have met him several times, but haven’t really spoken with him much, at least not about anything of consequence. But he and I started chatting about the ALTs and how he misses working with them and then about how he used to work with the CIR about 10 years ago.
Suddenly he starts waving wildly at someone standing about 10 feet away from us. The guy quickly looks away, embarrassed, and ignores Higuchi-san. My boss, Koshio-san, inquires about the identity of said embarrassed stranger. Higuchi-san tells her that he is a new member of his division and that apparently this stranger had expressed an interest in getting to know the strange American in the group. He is 26 years old and a graduate from Kyoto University. Koshio-san, upon hearing his age, exclaims that he and I would make such a cute couple. Because all young people within 3 years of each others age should date, naturally. (･_･?)
So, Koshio-san and Higuchi-san made it their goal to force the two of us together throughout the evening. Higuchi-san ran off and literally dragged the poor guy over to talk to us (ie. Me). Koshio-san was sitting on my right…poor nervous boy was on my left, and Higuchi-san was on his left. The two older colleagues were guiding the conversation while I tried not to die of embarrassment as my boss kept saying what a cute couple we would be. My intended seemed to be a bit standoff-ish, I thought so I just talked with the other 2. He kind of avoided talking to me at all really. He even tried to escape once but they forced him back, maneuvering him to where he was sitting next to me. Seriously….the person next to me GOT UP AND MOVED for him.
＼（－－）／
Eventually our two colleagues began talking to other people and it was just me and him, and apparently that’s when the alcohol kicked in for him and he gathered up his courage and started talking to me. Once we started talking we actually had a pretty good time…after the embarrassment of being forced at each other wore off.
Turns out Miyamoto-san really likes America and is one of those Japanese youths who wants to get rid of keigo (the über polite form of speech Japanese people use to their superiors) and make society less group oriented and more individualistic. He also really loves music and surprisingly knew quite a few bands on my playlist (yeah I pulled out the IPod).
While we were talking however, I noticed Koshio-san watching us and then whispering to the people she was with…then she’d giggle and smile and watch us some more…as if she were thrilled with her matchmaking skills because I was having a conversation.
After a while Higuchi-san came to talk to us and somehow he and Miyamoto-san started arguing about identity…Higuchi-san feels that Japan depends too much on America and is angry about the military bases still on the island and while he loves America, he thinks Japan should not trust us too much. He took offense at Miyamoto-san’s assertion that Japanese people should be more individualistic.
Of course Higuchi-san was many many drinks in by this point so every once and a while, to placate me I believe, he would say he loves America because he loves Elvis Presley…at which point Miyamoto-san would start singing Fools Rush In…..
I was being the antagonist throughout the whole thing, playing devil’s advocate. Higuchi said Japan can’t trust America because we did not support them when Japan fought Russia in the Russo-Japanese War.
Me: Wasn’t that in 1904-1905?
Higuchi: Yeah so?
Me: Well that fairly soon after the end of the Edo Period so Japan was just coming out of a long period where they were closed off to the world so we knew nothing about you. Now, however, Japan and America have had a very close relationship since the end of the Pacific War so we are less likely to be unsupportive.
Higuchi: But they are not here for our protection.
Me: Technically since you have no standing army, they are here for your protection…But I don’t like that they are here either.
Higuchi: But there are too many people in Japan, like Miyamoto-san here, who don’t want to be Japanese or want to change Japan. He was born in Japan so he IS Japanese.
Miyamoto-san: But I think freedom is better. Yes I am Japanese but if I want to change something why can’t I? What’s wrong with America?
Higuchi: I love America. I love Elvis.
Miyamoto: “Wise men say, only fools rush in…but I can’t help falling in love with you.”
Best argument ever. (￣▽￣)ノ
After a while the argument ends and we start talking to one of Miyamoto-san’s colleagues about how much we all hate the morning meeting and should boycott…maybe if the three of us stand up against the establishment we will prevail….except we were all too scared…
Eventually it was just me and my intended again with the rest of the world “slyly” stealing glances at us (They must be bored if my life is so interesting to them). So the evening was winding down and it was that awkward time when you have to say goodbye to someone you have just met, with an entire group of people pretending not to be paying attention to you and hoping against hope that you will end up living happily ever after…..ok, a bit of a hyperbole but still…it’s awkward enough without having people watching you.
So, being the shy Japanese guy he is…this is about how the conversation went…
Miyamoto: So you like Japanese food?
Me: Sure. Everything but octopus, squid, and natto really…
Miyamoto: Hmm yeah I guess Americans don’t really eat octopus huh?
Me: Not raw.
Miyamoto: You think it’s gross…?
Me: A bit yeah.
Miyamoto: Ever been to ○○ restaurant in Gion?
Me: No, never heard of it.
Miyamoto: You should go, it’s very famous with Japanese people but foreigners probably don’t really know about it….it’s always really busy.
Me: I’ll have to find it sometime.
Miyamoto: (long pause) Maybe I can take you sometime. I don’t really know any Americans and would like an American friend.
Me: Definitely, let’s go.
(The Mayor left at this point so we had to stop talking, listen to his speech, bow, listen to someone else’s speech, bow, and clap)
Me: If you want to meet Americans I can introduce you to my friends.
Miyamoto: That’d be cool, but I’ll probably be really nervous. I don’t speak English at all really. I probably won’t be very talkative unless we’re drinking, I’ll be too nervous.
Me: It’s ok I can translate…sort of.
(Time to start cleaning up. We walk around picking up trash and since we are under the cherry tree we all end up with flowers in our hair, ah the evanescence of life. He pulled one out of my hair and said I should take it home. Everyone was standing around and my boss was watching and gossiping as he and I walked toward the exit.)
He pulled out his phone and was playing with it….so shy.
Me: So, if we’re going to go to dinner sometime you wanna exchange numbers?
My boss came over around then and chatted with us with a HUGE smile on her face while we exchange cell phone information.
As we walk out the entrance he says: “So it’s really ok if I invite you to dinner sometime?” (*’_’*)
How adorable is that. It was so cute. I dunno if we’ll actually hang out ever, but I just thought it was the cutest thing ever that he asked if he could ask me to hang out.
Now there were people from all different divisions of city hall there and Koshio-san was bouncing around talking to a bunch of people, so my conversation with a boy will probably be talked about all over city hall next week.
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