posted on June 15, 2001 06:07:28 PM new
I sell Internationally, and have had some funny emails from non-English speaking buyers, but my lastest from Japan has me beaten. This is her third attempt to ask me if something is o.k. She bought egg cups by the way, where luggage comes in I have no idea! "Please, write as this, to be similar because it reaches from the luggage
from the foreign country by this form.
Also, y173-0013z is my postal code.
Is it OK?" I'm tempted to just say, "yes, it't o.k.", I just wish I knew what I was saying o.k. to!
posted on June 15, 2001 07:53:24 PM new
It sounds as though she is asking you to be sure you put the postal code on the package, which is the 7 digit number in between the "oy" and the "oz". (I'm pretty sure about that as all my Japanese customers have had 7-digit postal codes) Where she says "similar" she might mean "sure", the luggage is puzzling, but luggage does travel (joke), maybe she means shipment or post office??? Just guessing, but her English is definately better than my Japanese!!!
posted on June 15, 2001 07:58:51 PM new
If it is any help -- I sold something to Japan and when it arrived the buyer sent me an email saying that my Baggage had arrived and that they were very pleased -- I think the "luggage" means parcel -- so maybe it is to put the code the way it is typed on the parcel address .
posted on June 15, 2001 08:32:03 PM new
The amusing thing is that these are people who have had an English course of study in school and think that by transliterating a few words they can use the language. I would never make the reverse mistake with Japanese.
This is the education system that so many people are scared is going to roll over us in the global market and we had better spend more and more hours making our students memorize answers to standardized tests so we can have good test scores also!
posted on June 16, 2001 05:29:12 AM new
Did she write to you in English or in Japanese? Either way, you're dealing with the limitations of machine translation. MT is notorious for producing results which can be unclear (and sometimes hilarious) to the native speaker at the receiving end, largely because MT doesn't think, interpret, or handle idiomatic expressions or variations of usage.
If you substitutute "package" or "parcel" for "luggage," and "same" for "similar," it may make a little more sense. I think she's asking you to put the address on the package in the same way as she has written it, and please to use her postal code, because that's the way to be sure the package will get to her from a foreign country.
Why not e-mail her back with what you believe to be the complete and correct address, and ask if it's right.
Gravid, you might be amazed at how many people in other countries don't study English at all. Or maybe you wouldn't. After all, it's been a good twenty years, if not longer, since US schools required even that paltry two years' worth of a foreign language in high school.
posted on June 16, 2001 08:07:01 AM new
Something else you may want to do. Put the large customs form inside the package and indicate if undeliverable please return.
posted on June 16, 2001 08:36:35 AM new
the japanese thinks in japanese and translate into english word by word,it seems to me that she is giving you instruction of what to say on the customs form-that this item came from foreign country and is part of the luggage which she travelled in and returned to japan.
in other words,she went away and bot stuff overseas and cant fit this item in her luggage so she is mailing this item from abroad.
in other words,she is hoping this will merit different treatment at the japanese customs .
it is up to you how you want to describe where and how and why she is importing this eggcup!!!!!!!
