May 21, 2014: Conversations with my Japanese girlfriend!

This morning as I was prepping her for our medical phone consult:

Me: The nurse will just ask you general questions like – Do you exercise?  Do you get enough sleep?

Akemi: Do you see ghosts?  Do you see aliens?

Me: Those questions are more likely to come up during your Mental Health assessment.

Akemi: And if you see ghosts at night, you have brain issues.

Me: Only at night?

Akemi: Yes.  People may see ghosts or aliens or God.

She considers.

Akemi: Do you know who sees God a lot?

Me: Who?

Akemi: Pirates.

Me: Pirates?  Why pirates?

Akemi: Pi-rets.  (enunciating)  Pi-ROTS.

Me: Pilots?

Akemi: They go up into space.

Me:  Oh.  Astronauts.

Akemi: Yes.  A lot of them see God because the air pressure – how do you say? – is too high or too low, so they see things.

Me: Like God.

Akemi:  Yes.  And they say God is very nice guy.

Beat.

Akemi: So nice to know.