Living abroad has enabled me to experience some of the most unique moments in my life. Although some of them have been “special” in a bad way, most have just been special.
Take the spontaneous pseudo-friendship formed this past Saturday on a bus ride to D2, Japan’s answer to Home Depot. I asked this old lady for directions, momentarily forgetting that I speak no intelligible Japanese. She shook her head several times in confusion and we just sort of sat awkwardly in silence, side by side, for a good ten minutes. All of a sudden, she started to root through her shopping bags and pulled out this prepared meal from the grocery store. She turned to me and handed me a plastic-wrapped, Styrofoam tray filled with rice, salmon, and some other little goodies. I smiled and politely said “no” a couple times, but she kept pushing it towards me with these kind eyes. So, I took it.
Then, I sat there for a few minutes with a plate of fish on my lap. It dawned on me that I should give her something in return, but I had nothing on my person worthy of her generosity. As I fished through my planner, I came across my motley collection of unused passport photos. I knew it was a weird thing to offer, but I couldn’t just take the dinner and run. So I shyly handed her this picture of my face, hoping that she wouldn’t be offended or think I was some narcissistic freak. To my relief, she smiled, nodded, and murmured something before clutching it with both hands and examining it for the remainder of the ride. I got off at her stop, spotted the furniture store, bowed, and said domo arigato several times. I was oddly sad when we parted ways. It felt like the right time for a hug, but again, we didn’t know each other. She might, however, take my picture out of her wallet and show it to you sometime if you ask her nicely!
