No Words for This

We had our first private Japanese language lesson and I feel like a cockatiel.  While I can repeat phrases, I have no idea what they mean.  However, that may be an unfair comparison with our beloved cockatiel "Pavi" because he could at least associate sounds with ideas.  For example, he recognized each family member's car engine and appeared to correctly associate the car with the driver.  From the volume of chirping and the degree of wing flapping, we could tell if  Mom, Dad, or one of the kids was approaching home.  Sometimes I feel like flapping about too when I don't have the words to say.   It can be so frustrating!!  I will provide a story as an example of how things can go here...

I went to the Japanese Post Office to mail an important U.S. government document. I enclosed it in the envelope provided, the kind with little holes punched through the front, presumably to speed machine processing.  But the holes proved entirely unacceptable to the persnickety postal clerks.  During much head-shaking, hand-wringing, and Chotto matte kudasai-ing (Wait just a moment, please),  the envelope was passed around the entire office.  Three postal workers shook their heads over the envelope error. As they prepared to return it to me, a fourth clerk noticed the return address.  Oh, no, no, no.    A business return address--Tokyo University?   Unacceptable!  The others agreed, "So, so, so."  Only an apartment address would do.  Oh, how desperately I needed Japanese words!!  I pointed and repeated "U.S. government envelope" over and over with increasing volume, hoping that the U.S.A. would bring some authority to the situation.  But they were not dissuaded.  So I took the envelope home to place Scotch tape over the vexing holes.  Upon returning to the post office, I exclaimed,  "Todaimae"!  Faces fell.  The American lady had plugged the holes but she had changed the return address to include Todaimae, Tokyo University's subway station??!  Faces were horrified.  Having carefully rehearsed my return greeting, I was dismayed.  Next time I visit my friends at the Japanese Post Office, I will get it right... Todaima! (I'm back!!)  They will be delighted. 

My frustration diminished as I began to contrast this experience with that of the U.S. Postal Service in its failure to carry out a simple mail-forwarding request.  Before moving to Tokyo I filled out the postcard with our forwarding address.  Then I waited in line for service at the local post office.  I asked the clerk if all the information was clearly written and properly completed.  She pronounced it " good" and assured me the mail would be forwarded.  But the mail was NOT forwarded, inconveniencing our friends and requiring numerous international calls to clear up the error.  Incompetence and careless work is not the Japanese way.  I much prefer the persnickety clerk over the lax worker any day.