200th Post

The person I call my best friend has the same job as I. Since he's arrive, we've fallen back into old habits of calling each other every night and telling the other of our day. However, in Japan, the charges for cellular phone usage is much higher than us spoiled Americans are used to. You see, the companies here give you less than a hundred free minutes which has trained the Japanese people to communicate only through texts. The rates for calls become even higher when you frequently call other carriers. But that's his bad. I told him to get Softbank.

I've always liked texts. I prefer indirect, noncommittal communication. And when I was once questioned on why I waste my time settling weekend plans via 6 texts when I can just make a 2 minute call, I answered
"I dunno".

But I did know.

I know that I have very awkward phone ettiquette. And I also know that i can't keep anything under 2 minutes. It's good to know yourself, I reckon.

Tonight, this friend of mine told me about a student in his class. The assignment was to explain an illness to the doctor, and get a diagnosis.

Doctor: What is your problem?
Boy: I want a hamburger and coke.
Doctor: Are you okay?
Boy: I want a hamburger and coke.
Doctor: Oh, you have the autism.

I laughed. You see, the clincher is that Autism was not on the list of ailments to choose from. Later in the conversation, I begged him to tell me again, with all the same accents, and he did. He's good like that.

I told him that from now on, I was going to tell people that story as if it were my student who wrote that. There's no way it could maintain halarity if I were to start that story with "my friend said". Know what I mean?

So if you and I are alone under beers or whiskey, in the throws of banter, talking about work, and I happen to mention this story, I'd prefer if you'd ignore its true origin. Just assume I'm a liar.

And that i enjoy subtle cheekiness.