Kochira DOES NOT = Cochina, Audrey

After my lesson today, I was talking to my sister, Audrey, on the phone, about many things. She called me right as my lesson started, but I had to call her back. Funny thing, my teacher asked if it was my friend and I said it was my sister. She then asked if Audrey would be visiting and I said probably not b/c of my nephew and I showed her pictures of Little Gabe from the calendar Audrey made for us. My Japanese teacher is great. She looked through the pictures and said "oh he is healthy baby," "that your sister, she look older and you look young (haha), and "he (pointing to my b-i-l Gabe) look like a nice man." I had to stop myself from laughing at that last point because yeah, I could beg to differ on that one.

Anywho, so we are talking and I start to tell Audrey about what I am learning and how the counting system here is dumb. Numbers change based on what your are counting. I begin to read her a dialogue that I practiced today about being at a coffee shop. After the first 3 lines, I said

"Hai. Kochira de omeshiagaridesuka?"

My sister heard "cochina," right after I said "kochira," which is something totally different and a spanish word. I couldn't even finish my sentence because she bursts out with "COCHINA (caps = loud and laughing)." For those of you who don't know, "cochina" means like "dirty girl." I said in Japanese "Ok for here," which translates to my sister hearing "Ok, dirty girl." Needless to say, I had to explain that one and say it again. Now, I don't feel so bad for mistaking clerk for crack, but at least I am not yelling out dirty girl, dirty girl, in spanish!