Learning From my Work

I learn British English in my daily life. Sometimes it’s different from what I learned at school.

My colleague sent me text mail and it said “please bring five pound notes.” Five pound notes? I imagined a notebook which costs five pounds (1,200 yen). What an expensive notebook it is! However I noticed it meant five pound bill.

The shop sells カルピスウォーター (CALPIS Water) and カルピスソーダ (CALPIS Soda). Sometimes customer asks me the difference. My explanation didn’t work well because I used the word “soda”. I should use “fizz”.

A customer asked me which one is dry sake? “Dry sake?” I only know “dry” as “Asahi super dry”. I thought it’s the word to describe taste of beer not for sake.

When my supermarket isn’t busy, I have to pick up the reservation call for the restaurant. I ask “would you tell me your cell phone number?” The customer lets me know her home phone number. She may hear my “cell phone” as “telephone”. Here, they call cell phone “mobile”. I should ask for her “mobile” number.

One day a gray haired Japanese gentleman comes to the shop. It’s not his first visit. I know he would speak to me when he needs help. However, my boss speaks to him, “If you need any explanation about items......” Suddenly my boss notices that the customer is Japanese. He turns to me and moves his mouth without sound and asks me “IS HE JAPANESE?” I answer him “YES HE IS JAPANESE” without voice. Then my boss says to the customer, “Sorry sir I didn’t notice you were Japanese. Actually you don’t look Japanese”.

It’s hard for me to stop laughing to hear his excuses. After this customer goes, my boss blames himself “How stupid I am. I asked a Japanese, do you need any translation.” This is the first time he could make me laugh:)