Japanese Advice for Getting Out of Church

I love visiting the Japanese Sage Market in Salt Lake City Utah.  There's quite a few oriental markets in Utah Valley and the Salt Lake Valley, but the Sage market is the only store that has products exclusively from Japan.  It's small, but quaint.  And in the used book shelf I found this Study Abroad book for Japanese students from Tuttle publishing for only a dollar!  

I still can't read Japanese, but there's an English example dialogue in each chapter.  Each chapter poses the problem, explains, asks how you would handle it, and then offers there's suggestions.  And some chapters has advice from past Study Abroad students.  Some of the advice is pretty good, but I found these gems in the bunch.

How to get out of Church Service.

A: Mrs. Black, may I be excused from going to Church on Wednesday evening?

B: Do you have any special reasons?

A: Yes, I really have lots of school work to do.

B: Oh, I see.  All right.

. . . I can see that working, but Mrs. Black will catch on at some point.

When someone makes fun of the way you brush your teeth.

 A: Why are you looking at me like that?

B: I was trying to figure out how you make so much noise just brushing your teeth.

A: Don't you brush like that?

B: Nope. I'd be afraid my teeth would wear down.

The problem here isn't the teeth brushing, but the overall rudeness of Girl B.

Politics

A: Mrs. Lee, I know you are Democrats, but would you be angry if I went to a Republican convention?

B: No, I don't think we would be angry.

A: I am not a Democrat or Republican.  I'm just interested in American politics.

B: Who would you be going with?

. . . I doubt this conversation would go this smoothly.

Chores

 A: Ichiro, would you wash the dishes tonight, please?

B: Oh, Mom, may I do them tomorrow instead? I have an English exam in the morning.

A: Ichiro, it seems you have an excuse everyday.

B: I'm sorry but this is my exam week.  I'll work extra hard next week.

. . . yup.  Though, I've used this excuse myself on several occasions . . .

And finally, inviting a girl to your room.

 A: What do you think you're doing? Please go downstairs right now.

B: I'm sorry but what did I do wrong?

A: Don't you think there's anything wrong with bringing a girl into your bedroom.

B: I'm sorry. I didn't think about it that way.

Another conversation I see going differently.