> When I was in Japan, I used a word learned right here at Rinkworks to make myself understood to a taxi driver in Izu-kogen. If flyingcats and some other people in Rinkchat hadn't been using the word "neko" (cat) all the time, and if the place where I was staying wasn't within walking distance of a bizarre building advertising itself to be a Cat Museum, I would most likely now be some kind of flying-Dutchman ghostly figure of The Lost Foreigner, still hanging around outside Mt Omura sleeping under the entrance to the chairlift and living off vending-machine fried squid candy and Bikkle. You never can tell when even the most random knowledge will become vital.

Did you use my idea? You remember. I told you that if any of them try speaking their crazy moon language at you, you should look intersted for a minute, and then act terrified, point over his shoulder, and yell "OH NO! GODZIRRA DESTLOY TOKYO!"