This is gonna be one of those weird lessons where I change topics every six seconds.

話変わるけど…
はなし　かわる　けど...
Literally, that's: "talk + change + but..."

...and that's how you can preface a sentence or question that is 100% out of the blue.

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Like this:

話変わるけど、なんのパソコン使ってる？
はなし　かわる　けど、 なん　の　パソコン　つかってる？
This is off-topic, but what kind of PC do you have? // This is a random question, but what kind of PC do you use?
Literally: "talk + change + but, + what + の + PC + are using?"

This is such an awesome phrase, because it gives us the license to ask questions that we have memorized word-for-word.

Conversing? That's for pros.

Instead, let's just drop random questions on people.

話変わるけど、アップルパイ好き？
はなし　かわる　けど、　アップルパイ　すき？
This is a random question, but do you like apple pie?
Literally: "talk + change + but, + apple pie + liked?"

And then they'll be like, "Yeah/No, why?"

That's when I smile and shrug my shoulders. You could even say...

別に。
べつに。
No reason.
Literally: "(not) especially"

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This one time I was in Kyoto with some friends.

Friends from college.

They were visiting me in Japan, and I was their tour guide... for some reason.

This is after spending a few years in Japan, so I was 100% uncomfortable doing, uh, "American stuff."

Also, if you don't know this about me, I'm kind of shy. Though I hide it well, I have to work up a lot of courage to talk to new people. Especially if I feel like I'm going to be bothering them.

So there we are, at a restaurant in Kyoto, and they have these old-school beer posters on the wall.

Like these:

Seeing such awesomeness, my very American friend points at a poster and says, "Hey, ask the manager if I can buy that poster."

"Dude, seriously? This is Japan. You don't just go around trying to buy posters off the walls of restaurants. They're gonna think I'm crazy."

Fast-forward a few minutes of arguing, and there I am, waving down the manager...

あのポスター売ってもらえせんか？
あの　ポスター　うって　もらえません　か？
Could I possibly purchase that poster from you?
Literally: "that + poster + would you possibly sell me + か？"

Grammar stuff:
"VERB in te-form + もらえませんか？" is a very polite to say, "Would you possibly VERB for me?"

Fast-forward another few minutes, and we're standing at an empty table in the restaurant, while this 90-year old Japanese lady lays out an assortment of these posters.

We got 2 of them. For free.

Sometimes Japanese hospitality blows my mind.

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If you want to yell at someone in the absolute rudest way possible ordering them to bring you something, you could say:

持って来い！
もってこい！
Bring it here!
Literally: "bring (and) + come (=command form)."

But you will likely never need to say that. Unless you're a jerk.

But you might need to say the もってこい meaning "perfectly suitable; just right."

Like this:

この公園はピクニックにもってこいだね。
この　こうえん　は　ピクニック　に　もってこい　だ　ね。
This park is the perfect place for a picnic.
Literally: "this + park + は + picnic + に + perfectly suitable // just right + だね."

大家族にもってこいの家。
だいかぞく　に　もってこい　の　いえ。
The perfect house for a big family.
Literally: "big family + に + perfectly suitable // just right + の + house."

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Yesterday I learned that the Japanese title of the movie 101 Dalmatians is "101 Doggies:"

...I don't know why, but I burst out laughing when I heard that. It's just such an awesome movie title.

101匹わんちゃん
ひゃくいっぴき　わんちゃん
101 Doggies

ねえねえ、「101匹わんちゃん」やってるよ。
ねえねえ、「ひゃくいっぴき　わんちゃん」 やってる　よ。
Hey, 101 Dalmatians is on!
Literally: "hey hey, + 101 doggies + are doing + よ."

Ahh... that was a marathon of random topics.

Sorry about that. Maybe I'll get my thoughts together better next time. ^_^