Aw. New Friends. :]

So last night I went to Kawashoku, the grocery store that is right next to me. (Literally. I’m technically at the corner of my block and the corner right next to me is the store)

Sometime during my first couple of weeks here, I had asked one of the workers there for soy milk (I didn’t know the kanji for soy milk at the time). He took me to their selection and then in a very surprised manner asked if I like it. After explaining that I can’t drink regular milk and that I studied Japanese in college, I continued grocery shopping and he continued working.

The next time I came after that, he remembered me and asked me if I needed more soy milk. I was rather touched he remembered but then again being one of the few gaijin (foreigners) in the area, I’m not that hard to forget in their eyes. But from then on we always greeted each other and eventually we swapped names; Onitsuka-san

Last night I went again because as usual, I needed some food. The other workers have also started to get to know me. I don’t know their names yet but they were really happy when I brought them cookies (I made a bunch for Halloween). So I walked in, said my good evening to them but as soon as I said good evening to Koga-san (one of the younger workers whom Onitsuka-san tried to explain to me what an “ikeimei” was (apparently a really cool looking guy…but Koga-san became quite embarrassed after that incident…) he hurried to the back. I wasn’t too sure what was going on but right after that Onitsuka-san came out and was for some random reason apologizing for not seeing each other for about a week or so. It was too nice. Apparently the other workers became a little worried that they hadn’t seen me either and wondered if I had gotten sick. (So sweet, ne?)

I was a little sick last week but not horribly so where I was bed-ridden or anything. Just some sniffles. The usual that I can deal with. But I had also gotten really really busy. Come to think of it…I’ll be really busy this week too…and I’ll be getting back home later 2 nights this week…blah…

(Ah! Digression)

But it’s really nice how it is that because I’m just about always in their store and I usually talk to them here and there, they worry about me when I’m not there for a long time. I just found it to be really sweet that they’re, in a sense, looking after me and worry about me if I get sick.

My co-workers too have become rather worried in the past when they thought I was sick/was sick. I’m pretty sure it’s more because I’m a foreigner and not completely used to things here. For some of them it may be my age because as they say, I’m really young.
(Which I’ve been thinking about…and yes, it is true, I am pretty young to have come all the way over here, miles and miles away from home and the country I’m used to, living alone and working. But if I don’t do it now, living on my own will just become more awkward the older I get, ne? Better to make all the weird and stupid mistakes now and learn from them quickly so that when I move back home and get my own place there, I won’t burn down the house. :P)

…so many digression in this article…guess it’s the result of not writing in a while…

In short: I have new friends. Friends that either know very little English or no English at all. How fun, ne? ^^

...hmm...I'll try to take some pics later and then post them up. :D