I am awoken this sunshiny day by a nice Japanese woman insisting on speaking with her friend, Yamamoto. After explaining that she had the wrong phone number, she politely waited and said, 'oh, is this Yamamoto, what are you doing?' I told her,'I'm sorry, YOU HAVE THE WRONG PHONE NUMBER!' To which she said, ' just a minute.' (I feel rude hanging up on an old lady)

After a newer set of ears got on the phone and again asked to speak to Yamamoto, I said, 'I'm sorry, you have the wrong phone number.' And she said, 'can I speak to your mom?' I almost busted up right then, but then said louder, 'YOU HAVE THE WRONG PHONE NUMBER!' Finally I got a different response as she said, 'oh, this isn't Yamamoto?' I said, 'Yamamoto doesn't live here!' And after confirming a few more times that this wasn't Yamamoto's house, she apologized and said she got the wrong phone number.

This happens often at my house as apparently Yamamoto really doesn't want to speak to anyone or can't remember his phone number. However, why is it that most Japanese who call don't listen to the other person on the phone? On my answering machine, I speak English and Japanese at the very end. I don't even think it's correct Japanese. However, I still get messages left for Yamamoto-san. Did Yamamoto take an eikaiwa and become pera pera, thus disguising his true voice? Do I sound like Yamamoto? I'd always thought I had a mannish voice, but is it true? Are all Japanese who call Yamamoto slightly deaf? The possibilities are endless.

It is my wish for all of you out today to have a wrong number so you can share the joy.