Oubeika!

The word is pronounced “Oh-bay-ka.” One of the girls in class 2-4, Yamamoto, taught it to me late last week. I have practiced it, but last night I began to understand the context of when to use it. When someone does something stupid, you slap him or her ‘lightly’ on the forehead and say “Oubeika!”

‘Oubeika’ is just one of the things that the kids have taught me. A month ago, some kids taught me a similar expression, ‘Domdeka.’ For this phrase you shake your extended index finger back and forth as though the person you are speaking with has done something wrong. There is a third phrase 'Nandiane' It means: ‘why.’ With this phrase you motion your hand to the side as if you are backhanding someone on the shoulder. You use this phrase when someone says something stupid or silly.

They taught me another move, too. This move is accompanied by a long phrase, which I have yet to learn. The action is stomping up and down with your left foot while you pump your left fist up and down. I haven’t yet translated exactly what it means or the context of when to use it. I did see it on TV during the long silent spell with Christina gone. The show was a young comedian in makeup to disguise his real identity. He was interviewing people on the street. When the people he was interviewing said something specific, again I don’t know what it was, he ripped all of his clothes off and did his little dance. He has no body fat and he wears just a little Speedo. The people on TV love it. Crowds gather around him in the street to see him do his dance. It is Japanese comedy and I do not pretend to understand.

I did catch Yasuda Sensei do the little arm pumping dance and I appropriately used the phrase ‘Domdeka.’ The teachers there laughed and Ota Sensei said, “Score one, Mr. T!” as she walked by. I have no solid idea of what I said, but I used it appropriately.

Last night, I was anxiously awaiting Katsumoto. I was standing on the street corner when our cross-the-hall neighbor rode up on her bike with her two kids. Her youngest daughter is named Saki. The name means blossom and should not be mistaken with Sake, Japanese rice wine. Her son is Ko. He is five and has very sticky feet. He repeatedly climbed the signpost while I spoke to him and his sister.

Saki is three and evidently she watches a bit of TV. She can say ‘hello’ and when I ask ‘how are you’ she repeats me beautifully. The mom speaks very little English. While we stood on the street corner, Saki pumped her fist and stomped her foot. That was how I know she watches TV. I began to laugh, but her mother was mortified. Then, Saki said “Oubeika.” I laughed even more and her mother was even more mortified, but she couldn’t leave me because her son was up the pole and her daughter was dancing on the street corner entertaining me.

After a couple of minutes we walked the 30 feet to our apartment stoop and Katsumoto pulled up in his car. I coaxed the little girl into doing the little dance on the top of the steps, Katsumoto laughed. That little girl is too cute! As Katsumoto and I pulled away, I told him that she said ‘Oubeika’ to me. He laughed even harder and asked me if I knew what it meant. Of course not, I only know the context of when to use it. Evidently, ‘Oubeika’ means Westerner. Like I said before, you say ‘Oubeika’ and slap them lightly on the forehead when someone does something stupid.

I can’t wait to use my new word at work this week.