finally getting to this:

I see the list is too quiet recently, so I'm thinking I ought to dump
my fic here, to liven things up a little. It was actually posted to
FF.net some time ago, and the SI had those people running for cover...

Oh, an SI. But it is Azu, so...

BIGGER THAN LIFE

-=-

I like visiting Japan. I like it so much that I do not mind the long and
tiresome flight, sitting anonymously in the belly of a gigantic
airliner. If you think that it's because I am an Anime fan, then it's
correct, there's that. Anime, or more specifically my favorite series
Azumanga Daioh, was the sole reason why I learned Japanese years ago.
But perhaps the bigger reason is how my hosts treat me as royalty.

So-so for an opening paragraph. Dull at the start, but the 'royalty' line
might make for something.

Back in the States, I am a computer programmer in a company making small
Internet appliances, called "Neko". Neko is a cute little thing, not
terribly powerful, but extremely useful. It is silent, takes little
space, and just works - every time. My job is to write software for the
Neko which never breaks, hangs, or crashes. On that job, I have a
manager, teammates, schedules, all sorts of usual things. In Japan, my
life is anything but usual.

I'm assuming that has a bearing in the tale.

So, whenever I visit our partners, they pamper me like a rock star on a
tour. The have a volunteer from the Tokyo Neko User Group carry a pile
of my welcome presents to my hotel room, because I do not have hands to
carry them all. It is a guilty pleasure, but it cannot be denied.

This evening, my minder is Miss Chieko Watanabe (1).

Ugh! I hate footnotes. Just say something at the end of the chapter or fic
explaining things.

She is very young

and very pretty and makes everything to make me uncomfortable,

overuse of 'make'

"Please do not listen," says Chieko, whips out her cellphone and dials,
covering secretively. It is not really needed, because I only understand
Japanese spoken slowly and and clearly,

and in English. :)

After that, the only thing left is to cast around desperately for a new
topic of conversation,

"So, I understand you used to slaughter Chinese in human experiments back in
World War II." Shoot. I quickly remember that topic's a real conversation
killer over here.


^_^

 and I fumble furiously with it. Minutes pass

torturously as we munch on strange Japanese appetizers and talk to the
waitress, but then Chieko jumps in her seat and semaphores to someone
behind me.

Where did she get the funny colored flags? (probably a better word than
semaphore to use there)

"Pete, these persons are my high school friends. They are Tomo and Yomi,
but they are real, because Mr. Azuma wrote them into the manga".

Wow! Azumanga really is like Seinfeld. :)

My feeling about this is 'eh.' Nothing much to really catch my interest, but
then I don't like SI's as a general rule. It flowed well enough, and was
short.

DB Sommer



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