I will pay you to make a restaurant reservation for me

[prolly]

I will paypal you U.S. $20 to (phone) make a reservation for me and a friend at a restaurant. I am willing to take a chance and pay up front. It should take anyone who speaks Japanese less than ten minutes.

My Japanese is better in person - the idea of trying to make myself understood, and to understand someone, on the telephone is unpleasant. The place is a somewhat provincial izakaya so I don't want to test their patience. Yes I know izakayas don't usually make reservations but I need to make an effort to, first. The restaurant is in Utsunomiya City, Tochi Prefecture.

I will be in the area on Dec. 29th (Monday) and am interested to:

1. Know if this place is open for lunch. If so, then a reservation for 12noon for two people on Dec. 30th (Tuesday)

2. If open for dinner only, then a reservation for 7pm for two people on Dec. 29th (Monday.)

3. The name for the reservation is Jason (I'm an American if that helps with them noting my identity when I get there.)

Please PM me if you can do it, with the pertinent payment info and I will send you the restaurant name, address, phone #, etc.

Thanks!
Jason

[omae mona]

prolly, I think you're right that an izakaya's unlikely to take a reservation for regular seats. I've never tried. But if it's a place with private rooms (koshitsu) then I think they're likely to take reservations for them. Are you looking for a private room?

I think somebody here will gladly take up your cause (and your $20). But you shouldn't be shy! You won't get comfortable at making these calls until you try on your own. The person on the other end will realize very quickly you're not a native speaker and they'll probably stick to simple Japanese for you. Do lots of repeating and confirming before you hang up. I bet you can get through it on your own and save $20

[kusai Jijii]

Also, I think you might have your sundays and mondays around the wrong way. (Monday comes after Sunday, but with the international dateline and all, who is to say;) Hint: the 30th is a Tuesday!)

[Iraira]

I'd love to take your money....hell...anyone's money, but think of the feeling of pride you will have if you can pull this off. You know that you can do it, so just organize what you need to say and request before the call.

A few hints.
1) Tell them at the begining that your "telephone Japanese" sucks. They will respond that they understand you and that your J is fine, but will secretly know to tone it down for you and to put neurotoxins in your food.
2) Lead them in the conversation..."I would like to make a reservation for (date & time)? Daijoubu desuka?"
Then they will provide simple answers.

It's really not that hard and you'll be all pumped afterwards. It's also a cute story to tell your "date" on that day..."This is the first place that I ever called to make reservations, I was very nervous, but Iraira coached me, gave me the confidence to overcome my fears and PTSD from when I was 5 years old, trapped in an abandoned fridge and had to eat my own foot. Have you met Iraira? They say his penis can satisfy a blue whale."

If the date is not female, stop the above story after getting to the part about eating your own foot.

Good luck.

[prolly]

okay so i called - i think i woke the guy up.
they don't take reservations, so we're just showing up for dinner on monday!

thanks for the support! (sorry about the now-lost chance for $20)

[james]

[quote="prolly"]i have an innate fear of rural japanese]

i have an innate fear of rural japanese drivers, beyond that they're nice enough out here if not a little rustic.

[kurohinge1]

. . . Have you met Iraira? They say his penis can satisfy a blue whale." . . .

Maybe if it had about 40 million of them . . .

Blue Whales feed almost exclusively on krill . . . An adult blue whale can eat up to 40 million krill in a day . . . more

Krill are a type of shrimp-like marine invertebrate animal . . . Most krill are about 1 to 2 cm (3/8–]more[/URL]

Quite the lady krill-er?

[Iraira]

[quote="kurohinge1"]Quite the lady krill-er?
]

You must be punished for such dajare.....

[Mulboyne]

I know you just want this done and to be certain there are no mistakes but I do agree with what others have advised. If you feel you could handle this face-to-face then just give it a go on the phone yourself. There really is no downside. If you don't get a result then you can always go back to the plan to have someone else contact them for you. If you aren't sure what kind of phrases to use, I'm sure we could throw some your way.

Of course, someone may well have offered to do it for you already but, if they haven't, just do it.

[Greji]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Iraira

. . . Have you met Iraira? They say his penis can satisfy a blue whale." . . .

Now there you've gone and done it again Kuro. Just when we were getting him quieted down with his favorite toy and a quilt in the corner. And besides that, he's not really a whale man, maybe more on the anchovy side....

[Iraira]

Now there you've gone and done it again Kuro. Just when we were getting him quieted down with his favorite toy and a quilt in the corner. And besides that, he's not really a whale man, maybe more on the anchovy side....

I was thinking more along the lines of a moray eel, as once it bites, it doesn't let do until it has devoured...anyway...how's Mr. Ebi-chan?:cool:

[Greji]

I was thinking more along the lines of a moray eel, as once it bites, it doesn't let do until it has devoured...

Wow! I didn't know you'd met Noriko....

[Iraira]

Wow! I didn't know you'd met Noriko....

Someone had to break in that catcher's mitt.

[prolly]

okay a followup:
so i called the guy and was polite and explained my japanese was heta desu and he told me the place didn't take reservations.

SO THEN a japanese friend who'd hearde my situation a few days before decided to call them up and ask to make a reservation and of course was told No problem what day would you like?

I'm not surprised (I predicted something like this might happen in my op) but pissed off nonetheless...

[Mulboyne]

okay a followup:
so i called the guy and was polite and explained my japanese was heta desu and he told me the place didn't take reservations.

SO THEN a japanese friend who'd hearde my situation a few days before decided to call them up and ask to make a reservation and of course was told No problem what day would you like?

I'm not surprised (I predicted something like this might happen in my op) but pissed off nonetheless...

Full credit for giving it a go. Of course, the result is irritating but don't let it put you off trying again.

[kusai Jijii]

Kinda makes me wonder why you still want to eat there.

[Tengu Kid]

Kinda makes me wonder why you still want to eat there.

I certainly wouldn`t...