At the junior high school the ninensei (2nd years) were learning the expression “You look __________” to make compliments. After teaching them the basic format, the English teacher put a few sample adjectives on the board, “cute, young, beautiful, pretty, wonderful.” She had the students practice by going down the row and asking them to compliment me. I would then smile a charming American smile and say “Thank you.” Most of them just used the words on the board. I got a lot of “you look pretty,” “you look beautiful.” A few adventurous ones turned to a list of adjectives in the back of their textbook, mining it for pleasant seeming words that could plug into the target sentence.

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Thats all?! But I’m still hungry!
You have Japanese class tonight. You don’t have time to cook anything.
Oh wait. Look! There’s Pocky! You don’t have to cook Pocky!
You CANNOT eat Pocky for dinner!
I can and I will! I’m an adult! I can eat whatever I want!

CRUNCH CRUNCH CRUNCH CRUNCH