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Ok we all have to do it one day. When we find that girl we really like and we’re young and in love we have to face the meeting with the parents. Nowadays this is usually not a huge deal, parents are mostly welcoming and laid back in England unless you’re some kind of drug trafficker or convicted killer. Maybe they will shake your hand and you will have to watch Tv for an hour with them. But in Japan its a little more formal.
Well, time had come for me to meet Yuuri’s father so I wanted to make a good impression. I dressed smart casual and got my haircut that same day. I had already got him a present (a bottle of single malt whiskey) so I brought that with me and Yuuri and I got a taxi. We drove along the main road for about 20mins before heading into the snowbound side streets for another 10mins we curved around strange little cubed houses.
The shoe thing has always got me and I messed up again this time. There is a tiled surface that shoes stay on and a wooden floor which is for slippers. I took my shoes off on the tiled surface but to take off my other shoe I put my sock onto the tiles giving me a wet sock. Everyone laughed but it wasn’t a good start for me.
Now I’m not the most graceful of people but usually I can handle myself without being too clumsy but the next thing I did was nearly knock over a mirror. This gives you an idea how tense I was. Quickly I told the family about how breaking mirrors in England gives seven years bad luck. I saved the situation and we began our meal. I was offered beer and gave her father the whiskey.
I made small talk about the whiskey and we talked together about it. He told me he liked motor bikes and cars, which I too am fairly fond of so we talked a little about this. Finally at the end of the meal he gave me some whiskey and by coincidence he had bought the same whiskey as I had for him. He put them side by side and sure enough they were identical. So I drank whiskey with him.
None of Yuuri’s family speak English and I speak very little Japanese but I wanted to speak to her father. He excused his family and I spoke to him with Yuuri’s help. I told him ‘Yuuri san to kekkon o zenteini tsukaiatteimasu’ which translates roughly as ‘I want to date Yuuri with the intention of marrying’. He paused for a long time. Sipped his whiskey and held his glass looking at the floor. I watched him and waited eagerly. He turned and asked about my future. I told him Yuuri wanted to be a flight attendant and I would support her in that and would move with her to Tokyo so she could work for one of the big companies. He asked about my education and what I would do in the future. I assured him I would stay committed as an English teacher. Again he sipped his whiskey, I did also.
A few minutes later he called his family back and stated that he wanted Yuuri to stay in Japan but he would support our marriage. He welcomed me into his family and we all drank together.
I am happy to stay in Japan, I would like to move out of Aomori someday. It’s a nice place to visit, the people are wonderful here and life is easy going but it’s cold and not much happens here. The pace is a bit slow especially in winter. I am very comfortable here in Japan though, I have no worries really. I have music to listen to, films to watch a guitar to play. I’ve got friends, people to support and someone to love. My family are only a phone call away.
Sine it’s Christmas here are some pictures of our Christmas party at Aeon and I took Yuuri to a French restaurant for Christmas so enjoy some pictures from then. (at the top)
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
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