learning Japanese

It`s the last day of `no classes, students do random things` this week. So I`ve decided that today, I`m going to study some Japanese. I realized that I need to keep studying if I ever want to have a meaningful conversation with my coworkers. Here is a typical lunch time conversation:

Me: Is that meat?

Coworkers: This? Yes, this is meat.

Me: Is it delicious?

Coworkers: Yes, it is delicious. What is that?

Me: Tofu.

Coworkers: Emily, do you love tofu?

Me: Yes. Yes I do love tofu.

Old Man Groundskeeper: Emily, (something something something) America (something something)?

Me: Sorry. I don`t understand.


That is all said in Japanese. After our exciting conversation, my coworkers all turn back to their animated talks about really funny things. I just sit there and eat. I always finish first. Then I have to sit there until someone decides that enough people are finished for us to leave the table and say `Gochisousama deshita,` which means something really polite in Japanese but doesn`t really translate to English. I think it means something like, thanks for the food, I am honored or something. My life is full of mysteries right now. This is why I need to study Japanese.