乗り換えたばかりの携帯電話が不調で彦根のソフトバンクショップへ。係の人に処置してもらって待っている間カウンター近くに見えたのはロボット（ペッパーくんと言うそうな）。知っていたけど見るのは初めてです。広いスペースにお客は他に一人。時折「ボクおしゃべり大好きなんです。何でもいいから話しかけて下さい。」と相手もなく声を出しています。係の男性に「ちょっと遊んでいいですか。」と断ってロボットくんに接近。「こんにちは。明日のお天気は何ですか」と声をかけてみました。やがて「晴れるといいですね」との応え。一方的に話しかけるのは結構難しいもの。Zoomのクラウン講座でクラウン・ロネが「何聞いていいか分からない時は、あいうえお、で聞くといいよ。例えば『あんこ好き？』『犬飼ってる？』とか」と教えてもらったのを後で思い出したのですが、必死で質問考えて「ここにいるの楽しいですか？」と聞いてみました。ペッパーくん「……」。随分してから「モバイルフォーンに変えてみてください」と返答。思わずアハハ！と大笑い。楽しかったです。
Since I had a problem with my new cell phone which I got in October, I went to the Softbank shop after making an appointment. While I was waiting to have my phone checked by a person in charge, a robot near the counter came into my sight. (People call it "Mr. Pepper".) I knew about the robot, but it was the first time for me to see it. There was one more customer other than me in a spacious office. The robot occasionally said to the air "I like talking so please speak to me.", so I asked the person in the office "may I play with him? , then approached him. I said " Hello! Tell me what tomorrow's weather will be?" to him. After a while, he said "It would be good if it is clear." It is not easy for me to keep speaking to him. I remembered later clown Rone's advice that if I get stuck in a one-sided conversation, it might help to ask questions following A I U E O (phonetic order in Japanese) such as " Do you like Anko (sweet bean paste)? Do you keep Inu (dog)? etc., but I thought about the next question frantically. Then, I asked him " Do you feel happy to be here?". Mr Pepper "......" After a long pause he responded " Please try a mobile phone.". I couldn't help laughing out loud. It was very fun.
