Been awhile since I posted any C&C... but here we go...
�You have quite a wealth of words for a foreigner,� Ryuu remarked as she
finally got the shoe back on. �Study the language much?�
�Ryouga taught me most of what I know,� Cas explained. �I pick up
languages
pretty quick.�
�He taught you how to swear too?� Ryuu asked with a devilish grin.
Cas shook her head. �No, I come up with my own from the words I do know,�
Cas said, walking past him. Ryuu followed, realizing the break was over.
�Ryouga never said anything vulgar so I haven�t picked up any real curses
yet.�
Swearing in Japanese isn't always so much a matter of vulgarity, rather the
use of words that are below the politness level that you should be using.
Refering to your supervisor as "aitsu" instead of something like "kare."
The average ones you'll hear in fights and in anime usually follow "temei"
or "omae" instead of "anata" (you), and "ranma-like" shortened coloquial
phrases... All this meaning that Ryouga likely uses them, or she would
have heard someone else using them and asked about the meaning of the word.
NOw if you talk about words such as those in English... vulgar references to
parts of the body and family relations... well that follows what you've
said. But like I said... swearing in Japanese doesn't involve that.
Ryouga looked at a loss for words. Ryuu just shrugged. �I�m not here to
impress anyone,� he stated. �I�m here because of our agreement.�
Ryouga was emboldened by Ryuu�s nonchalance. �Yea, it�s not like there
are
any girls here that I�m trying to impress either.�
Ouch! You'd like to think that his "self-preservation" danger senses would
go off...
Ryuu looked aside, contemplative. �You could try Hakata Eki,� Ryuu said
locking eyes with hers. �Get a price quote or something. If we find
something that gets a lot of money, we could be in Nerima before the week
is
over.�
Use of "eki" here and "station" later... gratuitous japanese??
��Scuse me miss, would you like to try karashi mentai?� cried out a
hawker.
More gratuitous japanese. *I* may know what "karashi mentai" is... but
there are plenty of people out there that have no idea...and would actually
try eating it. OH it's edible...but I'd rather pass thank you.
Cas made a face but no other reply. Ryouga followed after her as they
made
their way to a crowded area. Several people were waiting in lines.
Ryouga
could tell from the signs that this was where they needed to be to
purchase
tickets.
�Hey Ryouga,� Cas said over the din. �What do those signs say?�
Ryouga looked at her bewildered. �Um, that one says ticket and those
monitors over there display the status of the trains that are coming and
going from here,� Ryouga explained.
There are no monitors at any train station anywhere in Japan... not even
Tokyo station. There are usually signs (a poster mounted in a frame on the
wall) that give the train schedule, an electronic board near the "kaisatsu"
(electronic ticket gates) that gives the current train times, and signs on
the platform as well. When you described it as you have... I think of how
it looks in an airport...which is totally inaccurate.
�Ah sort of like an airport,� Cas said, having just picked up that word
earlier from him when asking about the planes overhead. She tilted her
head
aside at him. �What? It�s not like you taught me how to read that
scribble
during the trip.�
No...not really like an airport. No armed guards.
�Will you be purchasing a ticket, miss?� the worker said pleasantly.
�I hope to,� Cas disclosed. �Walking around the countryside is killing
me.�
The worker smiled politely. �You will need a passport and, of course,
money
for the trip.�
You don't need a passport to ride the train...especially for cheaper "local"
and "express trains." Not even for the shinkansen (bullet train). The only
time it is required is if you've bought a JR railpass, which is only
available to foreigners visiting japan... no japanese or resident
foreigners.
�How much would it cost to get to Tokyo station?�
�26,000 yen.�
>From Fukuoka? One-way, one-person it may be possible... Osaka to Tokyo is
11,000 and Yonezawa to Tokyo is 9,700 yen.
�Kumon Ryuu,� Ryuu returned. �How old are you?�
�I�m fourteen, Kumon-san,� Karen answered with a smile.
�Oh,� Ryuu said with a little laugh. �I thought you worked here.�
�I do, Kumon-san,� she replied.
Unless it's a family-owned business where she can work "under the table" no
she doesn't. That would be illegal... as she is only a junior high school
student (school is 6-3-3 in Japan). And there are many schools that ban
working during the school year.
�Cas, this is Aratteko Karen,� Ryuu offered, hoping to preserve some
dignity. �Karen, this is Keating Cas.�
�Pleased to meet you,� Karen said with a polite bow.
Cas threw him a questioning glare. �You said my name backwards.�
�It�s tradition,� Ryuu explained.
Not usually for foreigners. This is 2002... Japanese are aware that
foreigners write their name backwards (compared to asian languages).
Both girls shared a laugh, Ryuu noting that Karen�s was more polite. He
figured it was time to get a word in himself. �Yes, you may also call me
Ryuu,� he added.
I doubt the average Japanese person would ever do that for anyone....anyone
that isn't a foreigner. They are raised...constantly taught the boundaries
of "in-group" and "out-group" from birth... just dropping formalities with
someone they just met wouldn't happen, not unless it was a foreigner they
had met. Of course on the other hand... the Ranma crew hardly qualifies as
'typical' japanese.
Ryouga stood on the balcony of the hotel room they had acquired for the
evening. Cas had already been to the station to purchase their tickets
for
tomorrow. They had enough to get them to Osaka with some left over to buy
food and hopefully another hotel stay in Osaka.
50,000 yen wouldn't be enough. Normal hotels and japanese inns cost on
average 10,000 per person per night. If they stayed at a love hotel or a
capsule hotel it would be a bit cheaper... like 8,000 yen for a night....
Hmm... story -wise... as you said it's slow going, and not much has
developed here, but I am curious as to where it's heading.
J
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