Anything you can do, I can do in Japanese

I got this idea from a friend at the seminar last week. Any milestone in a foreign country is still a milestone, however big or small. I may be surprised by all that I -can- do on my own and now think that it is no big deal.

In no specific order or ranking...

1) I can order a pizza over the phone.

2) I can update my bankbook in Japanese (please see previous post about the lack of bank statements in Japan).

3) I can call the delivery man and make an appointment for him/her to pick up/deliver a package.

4) I can use the poster-making machine , copier , and fax machine at work.

5) I can fill out my own business trip form. (If you haven't seen one, they are ridiculously meticulous and complicated)

6) I can call a taxi and give him/her specific directions to my location, where I want to go, and how many people will be riding. Often times, I can even hold a casual conversation with the driver.

7) I can find almost anything at the grocery store. Corn starch still eludes me.

8) I can operate Microsoft Word and Excel in Japanese. Yes, I got skills.

9) I can read and comprehend a bus and train map and correspondingly, how to get around the stations. I have taken the wrong bus/train only ONCE in 2 and a half years.

10) I can make photo prints without assistance from a store clerk.

11) I can use the touch panels at sushi and yakiniku restaurants (pictures are very helpful).

12) I can recharge my commuter's card.

13) I can request out-of-state train tickets for regular trains, bullet trains, other luxury lines , and whether the ticket should be round trip or one-way.

14) I can have 3 drinks and not make a fool of myself. (While this is not a skill, after-work drinking is a bonding custom. To not participate in drinking may be interpreted as an indirect signal that the person does not wish to socialize. Before coming to Japan, I never drank alcohol.)

15) I can order sports tickets (specifically sumo tickets) from the ATM-esque machines at convenient stores.

16) I can tell the doctor my symptoms.

17) I can order contacts and update my prescription.

18) I can wire money home or to another account, but I have to brave the severe post office lady who raises her voice at me when I ask her to speak more clearly. I didn't say speak louder.

19) I can tell off my students for bad behavior. They seem stunned that I am capable of raising my voice since I am usually so bubbly.

20) I can write a New Years greeting card.

21) I can write a few kanji characters with a calligraphy brush. Of course, this is after practicing 12-20 times.

22) I can write my address in Japanese by hand. It takes 100-105 strokes of the pen depending on how clearly I write.

23) I can ask people to hand me items that are out of reach and to help me make change from a 500 yen coin or 1,000 yen bill.

24) I can order anything at Starbucks (and I guess any other coffee shop).

25) I can request permission to try on clothes or shoes.

26) I can use, read, and comprehend my TV's internal TV-guide.

27) I can hook up most electronics. Laptop to projector can still be a hassle.

28) I can operate a karaoke machine , find the song I want to sing , and input it into the machine.

Wow! I can do a lot! Before I came to Japan, I could not do ANY of these things. So maybe I won't pass the Japanese Language Proficiency Test in December, but at least I know that what I couldn't do before, I can now do. HA!