Ichiji? Gozen?

A couple of days ago, I came home to find a note stuck in my front door: "We have attempted to deliver/pick up a shipment today. Please call and let us have your preferred delivery schedule". Everyday they've attempted to deliver the package, but I was always away at work. So I figured that I should probably just tell them when I'm available. I've done this before, rescheduling a delivery date, so I figured it's "no biggie". But the previous attempt had been online through the courier company's site, this time, I'd have to call them myself.

Huwaat?! Call the courier company? Tell them to reschedule? I don't even know what 'reschedule' or 'delivery' is in Japanese! Let alone explaining to them that they should stop going to my house when I'm at work, and just deliver it during the weekends.

Nothing I can do but to do it, I told myself. And so, before I could pause and even consider to hesitate, I picked up the hand set and dialed their number. A couple of rings did the job, and I was greeted by a string of fluent Nihongo.

"Uhh... I would like to schedule a devilery... uhh, redeliver. Delivery."

"Wait. Wait a moment."

DARN IT! First sentence in and I've already messed it up! In English no less! Ugh, this will be very taxing indeed. A little while later he came back and said a couple of English words, then gave up and asked if it's okay to speak in Japanese.

"Oh! Okay, hai hai. Sukoshi dake hanasemasu ga... Hai."

And off he went stating what may be about protocols, procedures, and stuff I might not have any idea about even if I did understand a word he said. Soon, he finished talking and I had an inkling that he ended it in a question. So I took a gamble and told them my preferred schedule: 11 AM, Saturday.

"Anou~ Doyoubi wa?"

"Aa! Doyoubi wa ii desu."

"Ja, doyoubi no ichiji, gozen."

"............ Ichiji? Gozen? AM? PM?" Judging from his voice, he seemed quite bewildered, if not shocked to what I said.

"Hai, ichiji. AM" I assured him.

He seemed to pause here and then resumed talking in Japanese. Of course I didn't understand, so I just repeated what I said:

"Gozen ichiji. 11 o'clock AM"

"Oh! 11 AM! Juuichiji!"

What. The. Frap. No wonder he sounded skeptical. Here I am telling him that I wanted my package to be delivered at "Ichiji, gozen" . He must've had a panic attack; 「Ichi」 means 1 and 「juuichi」 means 11. I've just told the poor, disbelieving guy to deliver a package at 1 o'clock in the morning.

Wah, I'm so embarrassed I could just fart myself out of existence. Huhu.

Be that as it may (and may it never be again for all eternity), the conversation was concluded and I got the sched that I want. But thanks to him and my questionable Japanese, I've just had my first Japan Experience Anecdote!

Wootwoo!