Yesterday I went to Himeji city to go buy my niece's birthday gift. The weather was absolutely gorgeous so I took my time walking to my destination. On the way, I stopped to browse at the shoes on display outside ABC Mart shoe store. So there I was minding my own business and all of a sudden I feel BRAPS on my left shoulder. I turned around to see an old Japanese man staring me in the face. He was probably just a little shorter than me and had no regard for personal space. He had a lit cigar dangling from his bottom lip as he looked in my face and nudged my arm. I backed away hoping he would leave me be, but boy was I wrong! The man proceeded to put his arms around me in an attempt at what seemed like an embrace. I was totally gobsmacked! Japanese people do little to no physical contact with each other, let alone hugging up a foreigner! At the time all of this was happening, I was holding my cell phone in my right hand talking to Khaleelah. I used my left forearm to try and fend him off and remove myself from his attempted embrace. I ran into the shoe store and in a desperate attempt to ask for help I looked at the store employee and said "tell him to stop". Yea right, like that did anything! I don't know why I refuse to believe that Japanese people can't understand me when I speak English. The old man came in the store all smiles, I walked around the shoe display and made a dash for it out the door. All this time I'm smiling and laughing in disbelief as Khaleelah laughs in my ear because she can't believe what is going on. So I'm walking very briskly down the shopping arcade, turned around to find the blasted man RUNNING after me! In all seriousness I really couldn't comprehend what was going on! I'm running away and the man is saying "no no, yes yes" and gesturing for me to come toward him. No sir! His eyes were red-rimmed, probably with drunkenness AND he had a lit cigarette in his mouth. Awww helll naw! I ran into the glasses shop and when I turned around he was gone. I wasn't scared, but I was shook...shocked really. What really just happened? Did an old grandpa-looking Japanese man REALLY just chase me down the shopping strip? Wow, only in Japan I swear.
On the train back home, an old lady that came to sit down beside me reached into her purse and handed me a candy from a pack, smiled and took one out to eat herself. Today as I rode my bike back toward my apartment from the harbour, the old man waiting for the light beside me reached into his bike basket and handed me a bag of rice which I kindly refused.
Either something is in the air or old Japanese people just really like me?
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