NEITHER! a teaching moment.

Have you ever reached that point when you are learning a new task and you reach that hurdle where things actually start clicking? Totally happened today. I feel like learning a new language is way harder than any of my chemistry classes. It just has so much more depth to it. Language has a history, a culture, knowledge that surpasses my lifetime. Its so intense learning a language that isn’t just a language; it’s an art form. But today ladies and gentleman, I graduated from ,“Hello I’m foreign and haven’t a clue whats going on” to “still foreign, but I can tell when you are talking about me”.

I have had huge struggles my first couple months of reading, writing emails and just following simple conversation or instruction. I tend to perspire in these uncomfortable situations which leaves my hands clammy and most likely leaves whoever I’m talking to bemused as well. (I’m sorry I glisten, it’s the stress!)

But today, I got to the end of the day and was like “damn, I did work today!”. I successfully not only read my emails but responded to about 5 of them. Successfully coordinated a meeting with my bosses and our Compliance team, answered the phone to do so, and created the event and invited everyone. (no small task my friends, especially when the office system is archaic and all in Japanese. Accomplishing this totally deserves a gold star.) I realized in my Business Unit Meeting (yes, BUM’s) for Deposits products that I recognized all the products and labels on the graphs so I didn’t have to write them out to the side like I usually do.

Last of all we are having an end of year party, or I guess what would be a New Year’s party since it is upon us. This guy  Honda-san (not the heir to the Honda vehicle throne, I already asked him) on our team volunteered to take on the task of planning it but my boss Phil decided he needed someone to work with so we wouldn’t end up at Hooters (team joke, I’m not a part of it). So…he picked me. Makes sense because we are both the same age.

Flashback to a month ago: I found out Honda was 24 and jumped for joy that I could have a friend in the office. I ran into him as we were both leaving one night and tried to make conversation with him but it was super awkward…I get the drift that he is shy, but that was a *painful* elevator ride. Epic fail. Friends for Swapp: 0.

So anyways part of me was super excited to work with him so I could force friendship upon him, and the other half of me was terrified that he just wanted nothing to do with me. Anyhooter we had a brief conversation about what we should do regarding the party. It needs to happen quick so we decided to send out an email asking what day worked for everyone and recommendations for restaurants.

He got uneasy about having to write an email in English (he’s been trying to work on speaking English but again the whole shy thing just isn’t working out) for our boss and I told him if he could write it in Japanese I would translate it. Very appreciative, he did just that. Again I was amazed what used to take me like an hour to decipher the hieroglyphics that are Kanji only took me like 15 minutes (Olympic record right here). He was overjoyed when I sent it to him. In the email we had listed two potential dates but he pointed out the issue if someone could not make either of those times. He suggested putting a third option if that was the case. He kept saying ‘none’ which I didn’t understand perhaps because that isn’t what we would use in English so I asked if I could borrow his keyboard and typed in “neither”.

Honda: “Neither?” (he looks at the screen)

Honda still: “Neither?” (looks at me)

Me: “Neither.” (I stare at him)

Honda: “Neither!” (over joyed he gives me a hugest smile ever)

It was one of those moments when I feel like I truly wouldn’t mind being a teacher just to be there for that moment when someone is so happy that they’ve just learned something new and the fact that you were a part of that. I hope he still likes me when I try to be his BFF…