September 18th, 2004
109548321456372497
I am a well trained, narrow-minded idiot!
I just went in search of the Honmachi choukai (town council/head) to ask about helping in our autumn festival this Thursday. My barber, who works about five hundred feet from my door, pointed out the town councilman’s house to me the other day. See the one with the red ladder? At the time I was too awestruck to realize that the house he was pointing to is within spitting distance from one of my windows (we’re close-knit here), so I really didn’t think about it much.
Today I noticed my 96-year old neighbor (bless her heart) looking out the window and we chatted a bit. She told me to take care and I proudly started walking to the barber to get a frame of reference. Then I turn around and look back and realize that yes the house he was pointing to was the one right in front of mine, just behind where my elderly neighbor lives. Geez I’m thick. The icing on the cake though was when a lady came to the door.
Konnichiwa. Deibido Benchura to moshimasu. (Hello, I’m David Ventura.) :Me
Hirose-san irashaimasu ka? (Is Hirose-san home?) :Me
Hai. (Yes.) :Lady
Chokai no Hirose-san irashaimasu ka? (Is the town councilman Hirose-san home?) :Me
Hai. Watashi wa chokai desu. (Yes, I’m the town councilman.) :Lady
Moron! I stammered over an explanation about the festival and how I wanted to help. I got details, bowed, dazed, and shuffled my way up stairs the full fifty feet to my room. I don’t think I’m sexist, but obviously I’ve seen enough movies and books that talked about mayors being balding, portly men with a pocket watch and a wink in their eye. (Sir Topham Hat came to mind.)
Anyway, I guess Japan is a place where you may be slightly less likely to offend someone with a misunderstanding like this, but I still felt like fifteen times the fool despite all the mental prepping I gave myself before I went out to search (I even shaved so I didn’t look like a crook.) Well, anyway, starting at nine am on Thursday I’m going to be greasing down yaki soba grills and and putting up tents or something. I’m going to have to ganbaru (do my best) double time now, because I want so badly to make a good impression and be liked by all my fellow townspeople. I guess I really should start closing the windows during “intimate” times. ::blush:: Stupid compressed video’s unnormalized volume levels.
