Date sugoi jori jori nandemo

I've done it! I've learned a pivotal word in Japanese, and have finally unlocked the cause~effect relationship. Before, I could only say simple little phrases which even a kid in kindergarten would consider pedestrian, but now I've hooked the word for because, at least one of the words for because because there are probably more than one. Sure, I could have just asked how to say because but I prefer a more organic learning process. Baby steps, people. Just like a first language, only I took some pretty big baby steps with English. Instead of receiving a blank stare from Ali after telling her 'My foot hurts', the next time it happens I will be able to say without fail 'My foot hurts because the taxi has just mashed it into the street' all in one instead of two separate sentences. Baby steps.

I learned the word date, or at least what it meant Monday morning. I was sleeping late, enjoying my long weekend when I felt Ali tugging at my facial hair. Not like a few bits at the same time - she would single out one follicle and tug hard on it. She might as well have been shoving needles in my face. I asked her why she was doing that, and she said Date sugoi jori jori nandemo which meant something along the lines of 'because (your beard) is getting really stubbly'. The jori jori part is meant to be an onomatopoeic referring to the sound the beard makes when stroked. Ali has got a million phrases like that, that's just one of the cool things about her. To hammer the point home, she began polishing her nails against my chin like an Emory board and then used another one of those cool phrases to show how they sparkled kira kira kira.

Another really cool thing about her is this - I arrived home after a tasking day of stocking orders and calling couriers - only to confront a very pleasant aroma wafting through the flat. Ali's gone, but she has left a large plate of chijimi (Korean okonomiaki) and some onigiri on the counter. People say that threesomes are every man's fantasy, but not this everyman. A nice supper waiting for me is my fantasy. Threesomes are overrated - take it from me. This food thing is making it really difficult to diet, but when Ali cooks it means something important.

I've been kept on for another month at Looch's. She reckons the weather is really good and sales have never been better so she can make more profit by staying open until October. Well, me and my big mouth have gotten me in trouble as usual. Looch, Ali and I went for lunch, not Greek afterall, but whatever. As I thought, Looch loved my idea about adjusting the product delivery cycle, and appointed me in charge of making it happen. In my mind, that meant making a few calls to couriers to get information and hiring someone to set up proper documentation at the warehouse. But what Looch heard was that I was applying for a job at the warehouse to get things in order. She tried to make that steak sizzle by telling me that it would help with the inventory audit and all that. I guess I could have told Looch to fuck off, but my sense of agency caught me again and I accepted the change.

Also at the lunch meeting, Ali accepted an offer to begin selling tees. I figured she would say no, but money is money and let's be frank, it's not like we're really working. I was a little pissed though when Looch offered Ali a cool $100 more per week than she offered me for the same position. I laughed to myself because I knew that Ali would never sell as many tees as I did because she didn't like tanning and would avoid the beach like she avoids Walmart. She started hanging out at the public library and made more orders in one week than I made in three, mostly from guys. I never had that idea, and I'm not sure it would work for a dude, but it worked for her.

A small victory for me I guess, I've cut the delivery cycle down to 1 day for some areas, and 2 days for others. It's going to cost Looch up to 50 cents more per order, and I've had to contract with a company that specializes in overnighting but I'm all about the streamlining, and the increased revenue from repeat orders will generate a net increase in profits.