Muggle, Part 2

[unforth]

Today has been a nice day. I wandered Akihabara with Minh, didn`t spend any money cause I didn`t have any, and ultimately I found a bank and got money, which enabled me to buy groceries. All around, a nice way for things to go. It was great to get to talk to someone, and equally great to hang out with an old friend. On the way home, I stopped in a store, and held an entire - admittedly generic - conversation in Japanese with someone, and left feeling rather proud of myself. And when I got home, there was another e-mail from the muggle, and we`ve set up a meeting, and I`m nervous. Tomorrow, 7 PM, at the most generic meeting place in Tokyo, that`s right, the statue of Hachiko in Shibuya. :) What the heck am I doing meeting someone for drinks? I don't drink!! It's me acknowledging something I knew: EVERYONE in Tokyo drinks, and I'm gonna have to drink a little if I want to be able to spend time with folks. Sigh. Ah well, I'll cope.

Wish me luck! :)

Edit: Well, the muggle has e-mailed me saying he's not feeling well and can we do Wednesday instead. This makes me distinctly more nervous, but I agreed...I guess we'll see!

Comments

[skygawker.livejournal.com]

I've met someone at the Hachiko statue before! Hee.

I also don't drink...in that situation, I just get something like a virgin strawberry daquiri or something. Though perhaps you feel doing the お酒飲まない thing is a bad first impression? I always feel like it's better if people know that sooner rather than later in these situations. ;) I guess it depends on some other factors too.

[unforth.livejournal.com]

I figure I'll make up something when the time comes. I've been known to drink occasionally, if I'm in the mood - it's not like I'm allergic to alcohol, or some such. But I like your virgin daquiri idea - maybe I'll get something virgin and explain that I don't normally drink. At least I won't have to attempt to explain in Japanese - beyond osakenomanai I don't think I could get much farther in attempting to explain why I don't drink...mmm....lemme think...(I consider it a mental exercise to try to figure out a way to explain difficult concepts with my limited vocabulary...)
子供の時に父はたくさんビールを飲みました。私は飲まないからあのようになりたくない。
I guess that's a REALLY basic and only some what inaccurate explanation. (for my non-familiar readers, it says, "When I was a child my father drank a lot of beer. I don't drink because I don't want to be like he was." It's not the whole truth, but it's not untrue. Hmm...お酒飲むときにこの変な気持ちを知りますか。私はその気持ちを本当に大きらいよ！ That's another part of it...yeah, trying to explain wouldn't be any fun at all. I can hardly explain it in English! ("You know that feeling you get when you drink alcohol? I hate that feeling!")

Anyway, even in the states I've heard first hand accounts of how declining a drink can be seen as a bad introduction. Sigh. Damn you alcohol!!

[skygawker.livejournal.com]

Yeah, well, I think those people who think it's a bad introductio need to be smacked. :-p (But yeah, I say that easily now, but of course I also have worried about it.)

I have a history of alcoholism on both sides of my family...I really do not think it was passed on to me, and quite frankly I was a non-drinker before I even knew about that, but I find it's a good excuse now. Or, if I don't feel like mentioning that kind of personal thing, people in Japan seem to buy the "alcohol allergy" thing. (Can people even be allergic to it? I didn't know they could...I figured Japanese people just believe it's a white person thing, but maybe it's real.) I also don't like the feeling of being tipsy. The few times I have had drinks, it just makes me even more fuzzy-headed than usual, and therefore quieter than usual. Social lubricant, whatever. :p

I do that mental exercise too! I think for your one example, you might trade the -kara clause around, like this: 子供の時に父はたくさんビールを飲みました。あのようになりたくないから私は飲まない。

Good luck, whatever you decide!

[kendokamel.livejournal.com]

That seems perfectly reasonable. (: I know I don't know quite enough about Japanese culture, so I hope I don't say something silly here... but is it just the alcohol, or the action of going out with people to share? (Whenever I'd go to kendo tournaments, where there were a LOT of Japanese guys, there was always the trip to the "second dojo" afterward. (; I went along, and explained why I couldn't have the sake, and they were all, "OK, here, have some soda! Now, raise your glass!")