#Arikaatto sinullekin

[huomenhaamu]

"Heeeee nihongo jouzu" I appreciate the sentiment but you say that to literally anyone who can string two words together

If I don't know words I just try "tekusutairu enjinia" or something in the middle of the sentence and really really hope they use loan words there

I had much too much anime at a crucial period in my teenage years and then studied linguistics, please don't let the pronunciation or filler words fool you cos deep down it's all pronunciation and filler words (arguably that's precisely what makes a speaker seem fluent)

"Watashi wa, anou, anou watashi no oukii kaban wo... need? Doko da... Shoppingu to peipaa to meishi no tame ni. Chotto matte kudasai."

The on-site translator/teacher noticing I'm genuinely trying to remember and learn whatever I can, and reminded me that my "arigatou" isn't technically enough because the other side are my seniors

Deer in headlights, face red, bow, "sumimasen, arigatou gozaimashita"

It's fine they had translators and a Finnish/English/Japanese combo worked for everything it's the Talking To People that's the issue

Mortifying weekend of networking and speaking shitty Japanese