This is a slow weekend - no plans, nothing I really have to do. Yesterday morning I went out to the grocery store, which is about a 20 minute walk from my apartment. When I got to the main road, people were lined up and the police were turning cars away. I thought maybe it was a parade, but I kept walking. When I heard clapping, I turned and saw it was a road race and the first runners were coming by. They were all wearing sashes, so I wondered if it was an Ekeden. I watched a few runners, then continued to the grocery.
In the vegetable department, an elderly Japanese woman cornered my cart so I couldn't move. She had a big smile and seemed happy to see me, but I didn't think I had ever met her before. She was very friendly and asked me some questions in Japanese slowly so I could understand - the usual: what country are you from, how long have you been here, how do you like Japan, what do you do here, etc. Then she looked in my cart and noticed I had chosen some discounted bananas and red peppers. She told me not to buy them, but I couldn't understand the reason. She was making some circular motions around her midsection and saying some onomotopoeia word that I'm not familiar with. I said I thought it was okay to eat. She continued on about vegetables being expensive, then suddenly moved on to the bread section, leaving me free to go to the dairy section buy milk and eggs. I love when people talk to me. Shopping baskets are small here. This was what I bought.
The autumn weather is quite nice this year. Hot summer, warm fall, not much snow on Mt. Fuji yet.
I spent the rest of the day in my apartment, with the back door open, stitching and doing a few household chores. This is the good life.
Your view of Mt Fuji isn't exactly like Hokusai's -- he didn't have utility wires and TV antennas. But I love yours anyway. Grocery shopping is a perfect cultural experience: you are lucky to have that fun. I wonder what the lady was trying to tell you.
I wonder if maybe she was trying to tell you that she thinks bananas are unhealthy/will make you fat (thus the circular motions, intending an expanding stomach?) I don't think I'd handy being cornered while shopping well, I can get really anxious when strange people try to talk to me!
Love seeing racers! And I always talk to people in the grocery store. Not sure why, but I do.
ReplyDeletePeople in supermarkets always seem friendly and chatty. I had a lovely conversation today with a lady at the checkout.
ReplyDeleteHave a lovely weekend.
Hi Pamela it seems to be such a lovely country to live in ,I really love where you live seeing Mt Fuji would be very exciting.
ReplyDeleteYour view of Mt Fuji isn't exactly like Hokusai's -- he didn't have utility wires and TV antennas. But I love yours anyway. Grocery shopping is a perfect cultural experience: you are lucky to have that fun. I wonder what the lady was trying to tell you.
ReplyDeletebest... mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Sounds like you had a good day.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a very healthy basket of food to me. I hope you don't suffer any ill effects from ignoring the mysterious warning!
ReplyDeleteA good life indeed. And those bananas look fine to me. Wonder what she was aiming for.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if maybe she was trying to tell you that she thinks bananas are unhealthy/will make you fat (thus the circular motions, intending an expanding stomach?) I don't think I'd handy being cornered while shopping well, I can get really anxious when strange people try to talk to me!
ReplyDelete