uh-oh...

In September 2003, not long after I arrived in Japan, I met the office lady at one of my elementary schools. She's lovely, with children about the same age as my bros and me, and into eikaiwa. So that month we went out for lunch in Ube, with a friend of her's. The friend was much younger, I think in her 20's, and friendly, chirpy thing. After lunch we all exchanged details as you do in Japan! I have continued to see the OL obviously at school, and we have met a few times also.

So...skip forward to January 2005, I get a phone call one night when Louise was here. It is this quiet woman, and turns out to be the OL's friend from 2003!? Very strange, as she says that she just wanted to say 'hi', etc. While giving weird, "what the f*&k?" looks to Louise, I asked her the typical, "how have you been?" She went on to say that she wasn't so good, as she had not been well, and not worked for months now, etc. She definitely didn't sound like the woman I first met. So after a bit of very awkward chat, I excused myself.

Now, skip forward to Thursday night, last week, 11.15pm...the phone rings, and it is her!? Now I grew up learning that you shouldn't call someone after 9-10pm, and if my friends tried to call me after that time, Mum wouldn't happy! I wasn't in bed (though I did tell the woman that I had been in bed watching TV!), but still 11.15pm!!? I asked how she was, and she said, "I am a little depressed." What do you say to that!!? So, I said, "oh, that's not good, why is that?" But she couldn't explain it in English (her English is not great). She went to say that she just wanted to hear my voice. I thanked her for that, and we continued a stilted conversation. It is really difficult (for me at least), to make conversation with a Japanese person I barely know, who isn'r happy, and hasn't been doing anything lately, nor do they have plans in the future.... That sounds rather harsh, but I am fully mystified by the whole situation!

Anyway, just wanted to share my story. I think I will hear from her again, as she wants to chat. Maybe it will even make her happier...