We are becoming fluent

We are entering one of our many onsens last night, and Trevor says, NO FOOD BRING IN! I look up and see only signs in Kanji. Has he become fluent already?!?! Where does it say that? I ask. "Right there." (A term of precision also used by my mother. They must be hanging out together too much.)

In the end, it turned out there really was a sign in English that said NO FOOD BRING IN, and I had simply missed it....but as the days go by, I do wonder if David Sedaris and I should have a talk. Or a commiseration session. (Allow me to take this opportunity to trumpet "Me talk pretty one day", which was a lovely collection of essays by Mr. Sedaris, one of which consisted of approximations of what Americans must sound like when speaking French.)

And so, here we are in ultra polite and seemingly fast talking Japan, and I am more and more convinced that all we are saying is "WE talk pretty one day."

For example--

We were looking for the lovely pottery town Imari, but could only think of Asahi. So instead of pottery, we end up with beer.

We ask for sake (which is really just alcohol, not necessarily rice wine) and end up with Asahi again!

Then we see an Asahi sign, push the button on the vending machine and end up with lemonade.
(Also made by the Asahi company.)

It's time to catch another bus. We are going to the onsens of onsen, Kurokawa. Kampai!