Old habits…
It occurred to me today that I can’t recall the last time I heard a new joke. Strangely enough, when I was in Japan I would hear and tell jokes with some frequency. Between classes, on the way to and from the izakayas, waiting for the trains; it sometimes seemed like jokes were a currency that kept our reserves of native language topped up against the drains of living and working in a foreign culture. In a place where an employer could, with a straight face, say they’d like to encourage “skinship” between staff and customers when they meant they’d like you to put up with and even encourage seemingly personal relationships to improve business, an intentional double entendre was a welcome relief.
But I don’t hear jokes so much these days, and it’s kind of a disappointment. I mean, if a man walked into a bar, I don’t think I’d expect him to say much apart from his drinks order. Which is kind of sad for a former class clown.
Tags: signifying nothing, vocabulary
December 23rd, 2009 at 7:09 am
I had a rabbit when I was in middle school, I liked to bring it in the house. Mom didn’t like the rabbit, especially around food. On day I had the rabbit in the kitchen, under the table while eating breakfast, and it took a dump. Trying to keep from getting busted, I scooped up the pellets and put them in my pocket. Forgot about them.
Later at school I was taking stuff out of my pocket to put in the locker when the pellets slipped to the floor.
“What’s that?” my buddy asked me. “Oh, those are smart pills.”
“Dude, I’ve got a test next period. Can I have one?”
“Sure” handing him one.
He pops it into his mouth, and says, “This tastes like rabbit shit!”
“You’re getting smarter already,” I replied and walked away.