Pumpkin

Yesterday late afternoon as the light was beginning to wane, we dropped by a quaint, a charming little coffee shop called Pumpkin. It is nestled amongst sprawling courthouses and massive city halls. The shop is closed on Saturdays and Sundays because the area becomes a ghost town. We met the owner a few weeks ago, and were invited to come for a visit. We took the opportunity to share a coffee and some conversation.

A while ago when we were in Tokyo visiting with many an old friend (of Aukje's) many were worried about my language study in Osaka. They wanted to be sure that I was learning proper Japanese and not Osaka-ben (the local dialect of Japanese). I assured them that at the YMCA where I am learning Japanese, the lessons are very pure Japanese. I always seemed to be able to sense a sigh of relief when they learned this fact.

Yesterday, Masumi, the owner of Pumpkin gave me a little book, A Guide to the Osaka Dialect. I have already picked up a word or two from the locals, but thus starts my Osaka-ben education for real, now I have something tangible in my hands to taint my pure Japanese language. I better keep this dirty little secret under wraps, at least from our acquaintances in Tokyo.