Monday, August 23, 2010

Michael Jackson's Favorite Color

Per request of the birthday boy (by "birthday boy" I mean Alex's 30 year old brother...birthday man?) yesterday Alex and I were asked to pick up 3 traveling Japanese business men at their hotel. From there we were supposed to take the men to Shaun's 30th birthday party. For the record, Shaun did not have some strange birthday request "I'll take 3 Japanese Business men please." Shaun happens to be some sort of international man of mystery (by that I mean he is a business man who regularly travels to Japan... international man of mystery compared to my Vancouver, WA stint). For those you who may or may not know, I had the opportunity to take Japanese for 3 years in middle school. That said, my Japanese is comparable to a 2 year old child, or a well trained parrot. Fortunately I managed to remember the 3 years worth of Japanese I learned, and then some. A particular joke about Michael Jackson.

In the car right before we got the 3 business men, Alex turned to me and asked me if I was going to tell the joke "you're telling the joke, right?" His tone rather assuming, as if I tell the joke to every Japanese business man I see. Please Alex (pronounced "puh- leeze"). At this point the men are in the back of are car. After about 3 minutes of the "get to know yous" Alex and I were chauffeuring 3 whispering men, who possibly felt uncomfortable from being smashed into the back seat of a car... and yes they were whispering to each other in Japanese. Alex uncomfortable from the lull of silence/ secrets, turned to me and told me "he thought I should tell my joke." Gladly! I turn to the Japanese business men, give them the schtick from above (2 year old level of Japanese blah blah blah) and I begin:

Michael Jackson san wa nani ee ro ga ski des ka? (Clearly if it were written in Japanese letters it would look a little less baby talk, and more like Japanese letters). That part of the joke translates to "what is michael jackson's favorite color?" The punchline follows:

Aw Oh (of course the later is said like the king of pop himself, as if a high pitch "hee hee," a moonwalk, or crotch grab were to follow ). The answer translates to blue.

Guess what folks, they got it! Even better, they laughed. Thank you very much...I'm here all week.

1 comment:

  1. That's a crack up!!! I like the part about Shaun's bday request of 3 Japanese businessman!! Funny lady!

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