Post Aikido, Post Indian Food, Post Coffee Shop

Phil and have been spending almost all our free time together. Our 'dayoff' schedules have been super synched since we got to Japan. Recently though, we've been spending a lot more 'not attached at the hip' time apart. For example, on Sunday night we have our regular Aikido practice together. Afterwards, instead of padding back to the train station together, heading home and watching a movie afterwards we've been going our own ways. Phil has been meeting up with his friend Masato to play Shogi and other such games of exotic endeavor, while I have been cramming some Japanese vocab in a coffee shop.

Last night, after Phil took off to meet with Masato, I decided to eat some Indian food at our usual restuarant before I hit the coffee shop. Business was slow that night, so I was one of three lone diners. The restaurant is run by a big Indian family: the uncle makes the naan, the father makes the curries, the niece is the waitress, the nephew is the cashier - you get the picture. The restaurant is called 'Gandhi' after you-know-who. There was a map of India, so I was inspired to strike up a conversation with the young girl who was gathering up my dishes after an yummyforthetummy bowl of saag paneer. Her English was very low level, her Japanese was a bit higher so we ended up having a short conversation about India in a combo of English/Japanese/Hindi - mostly her speaking the Hindi of course and me guessing and asking follow up questions in Japanese or English. She was a really nice girl but pretty shy. As I was paying up, the nephew asked me if I had ever been to India. We started talking and before I knew it, people started to come out of the woodwork of the little establishment. Phil and I had been there quiet a few times in the past to eat a delicious but eneventful meal. I had never seen any of these people. There were kids and mothers and well...the whole family came out to talk to me. We talked for about 30 minutes just standing around the tables, still using our potluck of languages. I asked them about India and what life in Japan is like for them. They are having a very hard time adjusting to the culture here since it is such a huge contrast with life in India. Japanese people are very friendly, wonderful people but are notoriously shy - even to the point of running away from foreigners(I've heard). So they miss their talkative neighbors and neighborhood gossip and feeling like a part of something they belong to. I guess you can say I could at least relate to them a little. I was most impressed by their kids who where being raised trilingual. Hindi, Japanese and English is a brainful for a five year old kid.

I think I'll be heading back there next week since they said they would be happy to teach me a little Hindi - which I have the distinct impression will be useful to me...plus the food is oh sooooo good.

I jaunted off to the coffee shop feeling quiet high spirited as it were. (that sentence makes me feel like I'm writing a British romance novel or something.) My usual squishy couch seat was taken, so I sat at one of the long bars to hunker down and soak in some hirigana. There were five seats and I sat in the one second from the end. A family of four came in looking for a spot. I obliged them by scooting over to the end seat which I was avoiding because it had a burntout overhead light and made for some difficult reading. Right away, they started chatting to me - the grandmother and mother cooing at me because I was apparently so darn 'kawai' (cute). Once I overcame my fear that they would tie me to their cellphones and force me into dangly servitude, I had a fabulous conversation with them. (people here are crazzzzy about little cellphone decorations) Mostly with the daughter 'Kina' but with many interjections from Grandpa, Grandma and Mother. I had so much fun chatting it up with them and practicing my Japanese. I was pretty surprised that I didn't really need to resort to English...I can't say my grammar was GREAT but...I had a great time.

So, maybe this is a really boring post? I'm not sure but I had a really exciting night so here it is. After so much struggle communicating for so long, feeling like I was getting nowhere - last night is really what I needed. If there is any moral to this tale then it might be that if you think you are lonely in a sea of people it's only because it's the way you want to be.

Ja matta,
sarah.