moshiwake gozaimasen...

That means, "I am terribly sorry to have caused you trouble." The other day I went to Joyo Bank (read a few posts down) to give the lady who helped me a small token of my appreciation.

She was busy with another customer so I asked her co-worker to pass it on to her. Later she called my cellular phone to thank me for my small gift. You may think I was overdoing it, however, I think such a gesture, though by no means necessary, will help insure that Joyo bank staff will not think that all foreigners are illiterate, ungrateful, and havoc-creating idiots. Also it will make future trips to the bank a little less embarrassing, hee hee. She was pleasant and insisted that I call her for assistance the next time I wanted to make a more complicated transaction at the ATM.

Thanks to all the Japanese folks out there who don't gimme a dirty look when I commit some gaffe...and for those who do scowl and stare me down with a stern look, great...bring on the staredown. GRRrrr, I bet I can scare you away with my scare-off-the-train-gropers snarl!