Language Learners

When I went to an Okonomiyaki (Japanese pan cake) restaurant with my co-workers of a language school, an American teacher, Seth, and an English teacher, Scott, talked about how difficult Japanese Keigo (honorifics.)

I agreed with them, "You know, I just started to my wedding emcee job again...then I realized, in a formal occasion like wedding, we should put many "O" or "Go" on nouns to be polite! For example, "O-photo,"（お写真） "Go-entering,"（ご入場）etc..."
Seth was surprised and asked me,
"So, you say, "O-dress（おドレス）" or "O-cake（おケーキ）??""
I laughed, "No! We don't put O or Go on loan words from western."
Then Scott grinned, "That's insulting for western words!!"
I laughed again, "You know it doesn't mean so! Let's see, another example... Here it is!
We say, "O-burns（おこげ）!!""

I pointed out burns on the plate for Okonomiyaki.
Seth looked pleasant, "Actually, burns are my favorite! Can I eat them?"
Then, the owner of the Okonomiyaki restaurant appeared.
Seth presented the new Japanese word what he just learned.
"私はおこげが好きです。" (I love burns to eat.)
The owner, who was middle-aged, speaking very fast like a typical Eddoko（江戸っ子）,looked very surprised and warned Seth.
"You shouldn't say that in front of people! O-koge has another meaning!!"
"What is the meaning?" Seth asked.
The owner said, "O-kama(iron pot) is a guy who dresses like a girl. O-nabe(pan) is a girl who dresses like a guy. You know, burns stick on a pan... So, O-koge is a girlfriend of O-nabe!!"

I translated what the owner said to Seth and Scott, then they burst into laughing, saying, "Japanese is so interesting!!"
Seth presented again to the owner in Japanese.
”私はおこげがすきでしたけど、今はあまり好きではありません。”
(I liked burns to eat, but now I don't...because now I know the other meaning of it.)
...They weren't supposed to know the other meaning of O-koge!
Even I, and other Japanese staff there didn't know the meaning!!

I used to know things in common between me and foreign teachers in my school are speaking English and teaching English...but I discovered another thing in common that day.
WE ARE LANGUAGE LEARNERS.
I've been learning English(and French, even I rarely study it recently..,) and they've been learning Japanese!
They've been struggling to improve in their Japanese, making errors sometimes, like us, when we study English.

After we ate and drank, it was almost midnight.
Scott got on the train with me even though his home is on the opposite way.
I asked why and he said, "Oh, I'm meeting with my friends at a night club in Shinjuku. I think we'll stay up all night tonight!"

Here, I realized "things not in common" between us...
They(foreign teachers in my school) are in their early twenties!!
I can't stay up all night at a night club now!!!