Today proved itself to be one of the most random and amusing days I have had (at least in the context of work days). It started as usual- I woke up at 6:30-something AM for no good reason and rolled back over to have some more bizzare dreams about meeting strange Japanese people and going on mini adventures that could possibly happen someday....my alarm went off with an exciting intro song, I scrolled through my phone for updates as I brushed sleep from my eyes, and slowly sat up to begin my day.
Today, I had a tight schedule- finish lesson plans for the week's kids classes, then head out to get my long-awaited gaijin card. Yes, a card to tell everyone that I am a foreigner...not just that, but to identify where I live and why I am here. A passport is not nearly good enough for anyone here. You must have THE gaijin card to prove you are YOU and the government agrees. So now, with my card, I may be able to get my mail and do other unbelievable things...Well, I have to say that as time goes on, I notice more and more of a correlating pattern. I send out my information in all carefully written correct English, and it comes back to me processed in one form or another (water, electricity, gas bill, etc), but with fantastic modifications. For example, the gas company thinks I am Lauren Dotsom. And according to my new gaijin card, I am from South Carolira. Amazing how one could mistake these things.
After my musing over this, I decided to grab a small lunch - a fruit sandwich (yes, fruit!) and walk to Hana no Michi outside of where I work. The weather was very nice- not too hot with a constant breeze, perfect for soaking up what little sunlight I would see. As I sat and ate and watched, I began to relax more and drift in and out of reality...People passing...dogs being walked...children chatting....
An old man took an extra long time to look me over, more than the usual curious stare or double-take. He slowed his pace and halted a few feet from me. "Ganbatte" (good luck/do your best!) He said and shot me a thumbs-up. "H-hai. Arigatou," I nodded in appreciation, thinking that was it of the random encounter. He inched closer to me at increasing speed, until he was right in front of me. "Ganbatteru ne! Aa...eigo sensei deshou ka?" (you're working hard, right? Oh, you must be an English teacher) "Hai, sou desu."(Yes, that's right.) "Doko kara kimashita? Chicago ni ita koto ga aru...." He began to spill a flood of words into my ears, which had been previously occupied only by rock music. " Aa, Amerika no Georgia-shu kara kimashita.."(I came from Georgia)..I tried hard to be polite and keep up with his babbling conversation. He then proceeded to grab my hand and shake it vigorously. I was thrown off completely at this point. His conversation drifted more, telling me places nearby where I should eat, things I should do, and suddenly, he was rubbing the back of my hand with his thumbs as if to smoothe out future wrinkles. I started to feel increasingly alarmed as his face would near mine to exclaim other non-sensical suggestions in the ear that had an earphone playing music, despite my one-removed earpiece. I watched his face contort in laughter and elation bounce from his eyes to his lips as he spoke faster and faster, rubbing my hand harder. "Ganbatteru," he would repeat every now and then. With another change of motion, he siezed my headphones and asked what I has listening to. I quickly responded "rock," and he replied that he liked jazz piano..for some reason, he still insisted on listening to what my ipod had to offer at that time, so I sat baffled, my hand still encapsulated in one of his, and my headphones held captive in his ears. I could feel embarrassment stain my face, and my ears burned from the growing awkwardness of the situation. I didn't know what to do at all, really. He handed back my headphones and gave my hand one last shake and repeated his stupidifying words of encouragement. We both looked up to see 5 or 6 people staring, as blatantly confused and uncomfortable as I was. I felt really, really strange. At that point, I didn't know whether to take the happening as a brave new sign of encouragement and to be inspired by it, or instead, to indulge in being really creeped out. I know I will be that crazy someday. I am sure he meant well, but was overzealous in his excitement. I cannot, however, figure out how to really digest all of what happened.
From there, I stumbled off to work in a daze, luckily early enough to give myself time to regain composure before working away at lesson plans and activities. I am sure more of these things may occure, and I welcome the strange to invite itself...the challenge is, however, deciphering what to do afterwards...~
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