I have a cold :-(

I never really understand how you get a cold in summer, especially when it's still about 35C everyday here, but I guess it's probably something to do with the crazy cold air-con every building in the country has on every day (not that you'd want to be without it on the other hand...)

So yea, I have a cold. It's not really that serious, and wouldn't be a massive problem except it's screwing around with my voice... which is a problem when you try and speak to people in a foreign language where they won't understand you if you get a single syllable wrong*, when you already have a funky weird accent. (Think the Japanese sound weird when they speak English? Guess what...).

Example: I walked into a konbini today and asked for a ピザまん (Pizza-man; Kinda steamed bun thing with pizza sauce filling.), and got given a packet of cigarettes instead...

*I think it has something to do with having comparatively few non-native speakers. They've just never had much experience hearing anything other than perfect Japanese. I think English speakers (French/Spanish/German whatever) are much better at figuring what someone meant to say, even if it wasn't perfect.

I have just re-read that last paragraph. My god I sound like a 5 year old... I'm just gonna leave that there as a monument to... something. I forget what I'm supposed to say... Yea, maybe not such a bad thing I'll be back in an English-speaking country in 3 weeks (sob sob).

Anyway, what I meant was that since there are a massive number of non-native English speakers of competencies ranging from native-level to "can say 'Herro-'. Badly", we tend to be better at working out the general meaning.

Oh, and by the way: Special note, aimed specifically at Louise and Yume. This blog will not end randomly with "I'm just going out for some ramen tonight" or such like. I promise it a proper, dignified conclusion and maybe even a reflective entry in 2 months or so. :-P