Ever Been Embarassed?

[UtakataChan]

Have you ever gone to a Japanese restaurant and been embarassed?

A few days ago, we went to a hibachi house (I think they might be called something else in Japan but I am not sure). I ordered chicken and calamari, and unagi sushi and the food was absolutely delicious.

However, I am a novice in the art of using chopsticks. I hadn't used them in a while so it was taking me a bit to get back into them. The waiter actually brought over some rigged chopsticks with a piece of paper tied between the sticks with a rubber band. I was so embarassed!

I know he was just trying to help, but I felt unworthy. Lol.

Does anyone else have any Japanese restaurant embarassment stories?

[KitsuneFr]

Hi!
First, rigged chopsticks in paper are consommable ones, so you have to separate them carefully. Then, as they're not lacked or having no varnishes on them, they may have some little bits of sharp wood on it, so you have to rub them together to make this little things go away, eventually.

Then, as they're shortest than the japanese lacked ones (as I use to have at home), it is not the same way to use. But that depends of the person (my wife is more handy with the rigged ones).

Second, to answer the real question: yes I was once embarrassed. Here in Paris we have since two years about full of japanese and sushi bars, it is new, and they are everywhere. Once, I went into one of them and asked for an Asahi and yakitori, in japanese as I did two years of learning this tongue, and the waiter answered me in french, with a kind of chinese accent: here it is a restaurant...

I believe he was chinese or vietnamiese, and so he didn't understand nothing at all and believed that I was asking for anything but food and drink.

Now, I never speak japanese in restaurants which are serving japanese meals

[UtakataChan]

Originally Posted by KitsuneFr

Hi!
First, rigged chopsticks in paper are consommable ones, so you have to separate them carefully. Then, as they're not lacked or having no varnishes on them, they may have some little bits of sharp wood on it, so you have to rub them together to make this little things go away, eventually.

Then, as they're shortest than the japanese lacked ones (as I use to have at home), it is not the same way to use. But that depends of the person (my wife is more handy with the rigged ones).

Second, to answer the real question: yes I was once embarrassed. Here in Paris we have since two years about full of japanese and sushi bars, it is new, and they are everywhere. Once, I went into one of them and asked for an Asahi and yakitori, in japanese as I did two years of learning this tongue, and the waiter answered me in french, with a kind of chinese accent: here it is a restaurant...

I believe he was chinese or vietnamiese, and so he didn't understand nothing at all and believed that I was asking for anything but food and drink.

Now, I never speak japanese in restaurants which are serving japanese meals

Oh my! I would be so embarassed! Lol.

Thankfully, the restaurant I go to is Japanese owned. They speak Japanese. Though I have not spoken any of it to them, I have heard them conversating to each other in Japanese.

[reihiino]

Usually i'm the one embarrasing people...this incident was so long ago though that the details are blurry. I'm pretty sure it involved some sake & Journeys' "Don't stop believing"...xD

[KitsuneFr]

Well, it was weird for me... but it wasn't bad.

Other thing, I must have read your first post too quicky (sorry I was on phone!). The chopsticks you used were attached by rubber? I don't know this kind. But I know another kind, used for cooking, they are very very long and tied by a string.

Concerning the use of chopstick, I will try to explain it (but it would be hard by words!)

- The lower chopstick is held sitting on the last phalange of your major finger, in front, and sitting on the rear between the claw made by the junction of your inch and index. This chopstick shouldn't move.

- The upper chopstick is held by the tip of your index and tip of inch, as about third or 40% of the lenght of the stick (from tip). It moves and acts like a claw. The tip of upper and lower would be at the same level (in lenght).

With practice you should catch a rice grain.

Sorry if the explanations are not clear, as I'm french maybe my english has not too much accuracy.

[KikiBunny23]

the chopsticks with the rubber band are training chopsticks is all. No need to be embarrassed. A lot of people have to use them

[hennaz]

Yesterday, I ate out at a Japanese restaurant in London, and attempted to ask a table for 6 in Japanese. I was so nervous and just simply said, "Konbanwa...roku-nin...roku-nin o kudasai..". I was far too hesitant and sounded too much like a gaijin (although I personally don't like the word "gaijin"). How embarrassing

[KitsuneFr]

Yes, I know that. When first time I went to a true japanese restaurant I felt the same... Nervous, thinking "if my pronounciation won't be good, possibly lack of vocabulary, etc..."
But after an Asahi and a Ki-rin, I felt a bit quieter, and at the end of the meal, just before leaving, I made a good thanking so even the kitchen's guys went out to wish a nice evening.

But each time at beginning in a new restaurant the nervosity is coming first.

I believe it is normal. My english level is far from perfect, but I know I don't have to translate in my mind, all that I can write or say in english is coming directly by thinking in english.

In japanese I have a 500 words vocabulary and the basic grammary and conjuguation. So sometimes I arrive to think in japanese, but it is hard and it is simple short sentences.

So it is normal to doubt and being nervous, but we shouldn't give up anyway, if we want to learn and speak - がんばれ!

[yuujirou]

hmm...most embarrassing moment at a japanese restaurant........
>.>'''
for some reason..i can say
"arigatou gozaimashita"....
but my tongue gets tied when i try too say
"doumo arigatou gozaimashita" =.=''''

like...
japanese businessmen who just spent 400$ on their meal...
and i can't even thank them "properly" ._.'''
w/o sounding..'non' japanese xDDDD

[NightChilde25]

My first time in a Japanese resturant I think I skipped embarrassment and went straight for mortification. I was with a large group of friends and I had never used chopsticks before. My friends told me that I HAD to use them. Well, I did ok for a beginner at first. I wish they had offered me a set of trainers. LOL. It didn't end well. I was trying to get a piece of sushi to my mouth when I lost control of my chopsticks, the sushi went flying through the air, across the table where it landed on a woman sitting at the next table. I tried to sink down under the table but my friends were pointing at me and laughing. I appologised but the woman looked like she could kill me. Then the waiter came over and laughed at me. He asked my why I didn't tell him I couldn't use chopsticks.