Mmm...BIMI!

There was a barbeque hosted by the KIXS group on the Kamogama delta at Imadegawa, right before it splits into two.

I went there on foot in this town its not a question of what train you take, but what color is your bike. I decided to go on foot, and although it was a bit of a long walk it was a good thing a I didn't bring my bike, even though it was a Sunday. I totally forgot that it was "Park At Free Will Day."

I reach the delta and I see a sea of Japanese kids in the center. I have two options: go around like any sane person and use the street to go into the delta, or take the stepping stones which are in the river to walk over.

You would think, given my history of falling on my arse without even being intoxicated, coupled with the fact that I am wearing my duckprint ballet flats that are a half size too big (they fit me better in the summer when everyones feet swell anyways) that I would go around and use the street.

No. I figured that the stepping stones were close enough and I can do it.

Well they weren't close enough to qualify as stepping stones. More like "hopping stones." Before the family flips out, may I remind you that the water where I was was only knee high, and toddlers go swimming in the river, though the current it quite switft in some places. If you think the Kamogawa is THE place to hang out (again think Union Square, but with water), imagine what its like when its boiling hot and 100% humidity.

So I hop to the first stone. Hop to the second. Have a bad feeling about the third, so I take my shoes off. (The weather is still 71 degrees - hehe, though I hear I am in for it at winter time.) Slowly make my way over, passing a bunch of kids who ask me, "Daijobu?" (You ok?). It was probably funny for them to see me fearfully trying to not slip, bust my shins and fall into the river.

I made it though!

The barbeque was good. All you can eat and all the chu-hi, beer and cocktail soda you can drink (with soda, cold green tea and water too) for 800yen. Lot of kids - the delta isn't that large, but it was swarmed with college kids.

Great deal considering all the beef I ate off the barbeque. I spoke again with the guy that I talked baseball at the initial party, but this time about the New Zealand haka that the sports teams do before matches (traditionally it's a war chant I think, Mel needs to correct me on that) in order to literally scare the pants off the other team. There are a bunch of haka videos on YouTube if you're interested.

Met up with one of the Japanese girls I met and a bunch of other kids. There was this one guy who asked me if I was from JERSEY (no offense, Deena and Devon). Let's just say my response cracked people up.

In order to get Japanese people to understand the concept of "I don't live in Manhattan, I live in Queens" I have to tell them that the word "borough" is like "ku" ("ward") in terms of how NYC is divided, then go through the list of all the 5 boroughs in order for them to get that there is a "ward" called Queens and that is where I live. I need to carry around a pocket subway map with me. One kid knew Brooklyn (go figure) but drew a blank at Queens. I told him it's above Brooklyn, and in fact the "neighborhood" (each ward is broken down into neighborgood so I figured that I would just keep with the analogy) that I live in has alot of Japanese people (which is true).

So Japanese kids learn that there is more to New York City than Manhattan.

Me? I learned the concept of "bimi."

There was this one Japanese kid that looked like he belonged in the LES or in W'burg. His English was pretty decent but we spoke more in Japanese and then he takes a piece of chicken, puts it on his plate, dips it in the sauce, puts it in his mouth and pronounces, "Bimi!" with the enthusiam that Japanese have when they talk.

Don't get me started on how girls here talk in the stereotypical sense. I listen to it on my CDs for my textbooks and I burst out laughing - they are extremely emphatic.

Nonetheless, I have this guy saying "Bimi! Bimi!" and I have no clue what to do. For all I knew, he could be teaching me a dirty word and trying to make me sound like an idiot. He gestures to me that I should take a piece of chicken, eat it and then say "Bimi!"

"Bimi" is a very funny-sounding word, at least when spoken with such enthusiasm. I kept on cracking up when I began to say it. But I did it - twice and he applauded me. THEN he explained what the word meant.

"Bimi" is like the word "oishii" - tasty, or delicious. But the context or the nuance (bah to Japanese and the nuances and degrees of separation) of "bimi" as opposed to "oishii" is you use "bimi" when you see something that you aren't so sure of what the taste will be like, or you really don't like that particular thing to begin with but you eat it anyway. If it's good:

"BIMI!"

Pretty much, it's an unexpected version of "oishii."

This goes on to say that I will never say "bimi" if I try natto in one of its other forms. I know that it's downright nasty.