José Cruz: So uh, Haruka why don’t you tell Ayaka and IJosé should have said “Ayaka and me” (0:03) about about Philadelphia and Washington. What did you think?

Yamashita Haruka: Oh it was really nice. I was so impressed by likeHaruka uses the filler word “like” often to help her maintain her speaking rate (0:14) everything, literally. It was really nice (A: Yeah) And um, you knowprovides a pause and think about the next idea to say, or as in this case “you know” helps a speaker start a sentence (0:18) since my major is American History (J: Ah yeah) I strongly felt that I had to go there. I mean I had to go there um Washington DC and PhiladelphiaWhile in America, Haruka has picked up a pronunciation habit called “upspeak” where ends of sentences are inflected upward making them sound like questions (0:26) and it was really nice. It was- I mean the city were like full of- it was like full of history. Like everything was like something I mean related to like history. It was really nice. (Mm mm) The thing I really liked was that um, what was the name of it? National Archives Museum.

José: Ahh uh-huh. I’ve never been to that one.

Haruka: Oh you should go there.

José: Oh there are so many museums in Washington that I would have loved to have gone to, (Mm) but um, we didn’t have a chance. We only went to the um, to the NASA MuseumJosé means the “National Air and Space Museum” (1:06) (Mm-hmm) and to the the main Smithsonian Museum. But that was about it.

Haruka: You’ve been there , right? (Yeah. I’ve been there) For the- in National Archives you can see like um, how can I sayfor the next 15 seconds Haruka kept talking and asking for help in recalling “the Declaration of Independence”. This shows excellent communication technique. (1:20)? Like the- like the first paper of like um um United States Constitution so like…

José: Oh sure yeah. That’s right. Sure.

Haruka: Like In- In- What’s the name of it in English?

José: The Declaration of Independence.

Haruka: Yes, the declala- Declaration of Independence and it was- so interesting.

José: Yeah that that’s an amazing thing to see.

Haruka: Yeah you know it was like a special moment for me. (Mm-hmm mm-hmm) Sometimes… (A: Confusion) I love the city. I really want towant to: pronounced “WANNA” (1:51) live in that kind of city like that in the future.

José: Really? You- because I- I think I told you before you went, that when I- when I- when I went to Washington, maybe (Uh-huh) it was just my impression, but when I went to Washington, I found the city, except for the museums, I found the city really boring. (A: Mm-mm)

Haruka: Really? I don’t really think so. (J: Really? OK OK) I kind of felt that um, you know, at least there- there are a lot of like um ethnic um restaurant in Washington, DC (J: Mm-hmm) such as like Pilipino restaurant, (J: Mm-hmm) Japanese restaurant, Chinese restaurant blah blah blahin recent slang this means “and things like that” One should be careful using it though as it is usually perceived as having a dismissive tone. (2:26). And it was really nice, And um, I stayed in the uh what the- what’s that, like A- do you know ArlingtonJosé DOES know Arlington because it is a very famous place, but misunderstood what Haruka said as “Orrington” (2:34)? (J: No) (A: Arlington) Arlington? It’s like in uh- What’s the- What’s the name of the state, V-A? So I stayed in VA (A: Uh, it’s Virginia) (J: Virginia Virginia) Virginia yeah. It was in Virginia.

José: OK, I don’t know anything about Virginia.

Haruka: I stayed in- I stayed in Virginia and it was- it was really nice. Like so quiet. (OK) So.

José: OK. well remember, when I went there that was what? That was 30 years ago. So (H: Wow) things could have really changed. I mean I don’t remember there being any Japanese restaurants or being (A: Yes) any Pilipino restaurants (H: How about in Washington at all. (Mm-hmm. Wow)

Tanaka Ayaka: Yeah because actually seven years ago I went to there (Mm-hmm) and at that time as long as remember there is no any Japanese or Korean restaurant there. (J: Oh) (H: Are you sure?) Yeah it’s real it’s real because um, people living there d- d- couldn’t like have- didn’t know how to use the chopstick or…

Haruka: What’s that? Really? Oh OK.

Ayaka: Even even nobody knows the name of sushi. (J: Seriously?) Yeah seriously. (H: What?) As long as remember. Yes it’s true. (J: Seven years ago?) (H: Wow. Amazing) Yeah seven years ago. But actually last year, so about two months ago (H/J: Yeah) I went there for the first time in seven years, But at that time everyone can use chopstick or like how to say “itadakimasuA Japanese word said before a meal to give thanks” or “gochisosamaA Japanese word said after a meal to show appreciation to the person that prepared it”. Yes it’s true. (J: Really?) I was really surprised at the sprendy- spready- spren- spurledy- uh spreadingAyaka also shows good communication skills when she doesn’t stop even though she has trouble (4:03)?

José: The the the spread. The spread.

Ayaka: Yes the spread of the Japanese culture there. (H: Wow) Within about the ten years. Yeah.

Haruka: I didn’t know that. (A: Yeah) (J: Wow) Really? Huh. (J: Well technically speaking) I can’t believe that.

Jose: Chopsticks aren’t Japanese culture, they’re Chinese culture.