Path: ccsf.homeunix.org!ccsf.homeunix.org!news1.wakwak.com!nf1.xephion.ne.jp!onion.ish.org!gcd.org!vda-gw!news.moat.net!border2.nntp.dca.giganews.com!border1.nntp.dca.giganews.com!nntp.giganews.com!local01.nntp.dca.giganews.com!news.giganews.com.POSTED!not-for-mail NNTP-Posting-Date: Tue, 19 Apr 2005 09:48:55 -0500 From: Michael Cash Newsgroups: fj.life.in-japan Subject: Put 'er there, pard! Date: Tue, 19 Apr 2005 23:48:52 +0900 Message-ID: X-Newsreader: Forte Agent 2.0/32.652 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Lines: 50 X-Trace: sv3-QdVuKG5dze1xPchmtpGapEGFzcnUyRL7o/1BQT7KCx0/Aq34zJ6oTGFu89jMeO/bBQYZNUhUys7SQj1!TcJ2u5z4XOvdA1vJBW9f14fVDhjkkjBQdnb4j+97mrQLlA3QodA5/JFG12lw24HaWx4+ErQ= X-Complaints-To: abuse@giganews.com X-DMCA-Notifications: http://www.giganews.com/info/dmca.html X-Abuse-and-DMCA-Info: Please be sure to forward a copy of ALL headers X-Abuse-and-DMCA-Info: Otherwise we will be unable to process your complaint properly X-Postfilter: 1.3.31 Xref: ccsf.homeunix.org fj.life.in-japan:26710 One day last week I had to pick up a container of rubberwood (don't ask me, cuz I don't know) and take it to the Customs X-ray facility, so they could X-ray the whole damned container. They schedule the X-ray sessions, so it is necessary for us to be able to cut line in front of all the other folks picking up containers and get to the facility in a timely fashion. To facilitate this, and perhaps to indicate that not all the Customs red tape has been cleared away yet, they give us a flag to attach to our trucks. The flag is very similar to the ones we've all seen tour bus guides using to lead a flock of tourists around. The flag serves as our symbol of being able cut line in front of everybody else, and thus helps prevent having a beating laid upon us. Anyway, I had to go to a place I very seldom go in order to pick up the Customs inspection paperwork and to receive the flag, which is the property of Tokyo Customs and which they collect after the X-ray. I went into the place and a guy in his mid 20s or thereabouts came to the counter. I told him why I was there, and he picked up the paperwork and the flag and brought them to the counter. We compared the container numbers on the paperwork he had and which I already had to make sure he was giving me the right stuff. After this, he handed me the paperwork and still had the flag in his left hand. I stuck out my right hand to get the flag from him and he nonchalantly reached out and gave me a good firm handshake. Affable fellow that I am, I returned it. After about three pumps I told him I needed the flag. Poor guy. I guess he thought that we had reached the point in our business dealings where gaigins always shake hands or something. I could hear the entire office starting to tease him as I left, the young ladies tittering away to beat the band. I, on the other hand, had to wait until I was in the parking lot before I could bust out laughing at him. -- Michael Cash "Clowns to the left of me and jokers to the right, Mr. Cash. Clowns and jokers." Prof. Ernest T. Bass Mount Pilot College