Friday, February 02, 2007

toruisms


Tonight as I was driving home from Manhattan, I got a call from Japan. I haven't talked to Toru in a long time, and it cheered me to hear his voice. Toru has a way of expressing himself in English that is both charming and bewildering. I was laughing in no time. I continued the conversation after I got home and wrote down a few inimitable lines:
"The problem in my life right now is that I don't know what I want to eat."

"The reason I said, 'I think I'm a natural born thinker' is that I don't think I'm a natural born scholar. Maybe I say something interesting; but first, I forget what I was saying, and second, I get bored. Therefore I am no scholar."

On the topic of my blog title "I am hope":
"You are hope? I thought Jesus Christ our Lord was the only hope. But perhaps you can compete with him in terms of human nature. For example, Jesus Christ the human did not know English. However, you are not able to compete with him in terms of God's nature, because you are not God."

"Being alone is not bad if you have a bathtub, a hookah, and carbonated water."

On being in Japan:
"I am not trying to stay here, but I am staying because I have no choice. This is like the food situation."

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

some lines should be understood within the context. Simply looking at these lines, it may look too silly especially the first line. I sound stupid. But if you know why I said these lines, there might be worth thinking about. The fool sometimes speaks truth.

:The author of these lines

A M B E R said...

you do not sound stupid. I think it is more on the level of, let's say, yoda.

Anonymous said...

This revised virsion sounds better. Thank you. LUCY, for elaborating.

It is interesting to see how one hears and interprets dont necessary convey an author's intention. In the same time I value one's hermeneutical process that may reveal something which the author may not able to imagine.

The author of the lines

A M B E R said...

you are just confirming my point

Julia said...

But in this case, Toru is the context...not stupid, just hiRaLious, and endearing. We hope you can get back to the states and its restaurants some day soon, author of the lines.