Moshi, Moshi?

One of my greatest friends hails from the Land of the Rising Sun. The Japanese are humble, proper, crazy human beings. I have enjoyed sharing some of my friend's Japanese traditions with my daughter. She owns two kimono and her name hangs above her crib, written in professional Japanese calligraphy. She has showered us with heartfelt gifts and friendship over the years, and has shared her culture with our family. Our lives are better for having Fumiko.

We Canadians say, "Hello?" when we answer a call, but the Japanese have a special hello reserved just for these occasions. One day Fumiko said, "I can't wait until Eve can say, 'Moshi, Moshi?' when I call". Ok, we're on it. Like a cheap lounge singer in a smokey bar, we are now taking requests.

The telephone answering greeting has evolved from, "Ahhhh?" to "Hahhhh!" to "Hiiiiiii", to "Mo' Mo'". No, Eve, "momo" in Japanese means peaches. That's not the nickname I wish for you to have.

I think that the "-shi" part of "moshi, moshi?" is going to be a tough one, linguistically speaking. We're just going to have to be patient until then.

We were at a friend's baptism and my cell phone vibrated. It was in my purse, on the pew, and it buzzed just enough so that Eve could hear it. She put her hand to her ear and looked at me and said, "Mo! Mo!".

If you call me, and I answer, "Moshi, Moshi?", I haven't landed in the loony bin yet. I am simply trying to encourage a special multi-lingual treat for a special friend.