this is the type of occasion I will miss..!

Tonight I went out for dinner with an elementary school teacher I used to work with (Kyoko - for Abra who knows her). So we went to this restaurant in Otsuki that she had told me about ages ago. It's a regular Japanese house, and the woman has converted all the downstairs rooms to accommodate guests for meals. So on the way there, Kyoko tells me that when she called to book she said she was coming with a gaijin (I'm guessing she said it to sort out the menu..?). On the phone, the woman must've been pretty excited, asking my name, age, nationality, etc! So I was a bit nervous about what to expect..! Also on the way there, Kyoko was talking about Abra's visit, and said that the principal at her school thinks Abra and I look the same! I cracked up of course!

Anyway, we arrive, and the woman is happy to see us. We were the only guests, and our food was already layed out, so she ushers us in, we sit down, she leaves, and we begin to eat. Then Kyoko notices that there is a fork. as well as chopsticks, in her setting, obviously the woman meant that to be my place! Then she comes in and asks if I know this guy who worked at NZ Village 6 years ago. She had his address - he is from Christchurch! I didn't, but she continued to chat away, and she said something about the Shuho-cho ALT. I thought she meant also 6 years ago, but then she said she'd met more recently, and I looked like her!!? So I asked what her name was, but she couldn't remember, so I said "was it Meagan?" It was!! Kyoko and I cracked up again, cos now I look like both Abra and Meagan!!

After a bit she goes out again, and Kyoko and I got up to look at the old Japanese things in the room, and as we do, the woman came back! She is chatting away about this and the next thing, got a photo with us, raved about wanting to go to NZ...and saying how lovely I am and what a beautiful face I have!? She takes us out to the other wee rooms to have a look, and somehow talk gets back to me, and my face. She goes "can I have your nose!?" and we laugh! Then she says, "Can I have your chest too!?" We laugh hysterically! Then she says how Kyoko is beautiful, and we look a little alike!!? I mean Kyoko is quite tall for a Japanese person, and I have to admit that her nose isn't as flat and round as other Japanese women, but she really doesn't look much like me!!

The woman then says she'll get us coffee. We go back to the room and wait, then the woman comes in without the coffee, but sits down and starts chatting away!! She told us about a friend, who is going to go to Aussie with her kid to study English, because she won 3 million yen in lotto, and then 1 million yen after that, then inherited a lot of money... She talked about Hokkaido - she'd just been there cos her daughter lives there. I said how I wanted to go, and then woman was like, "Oh, if only we'd met sooner..!" Anyhow, she went on for ages, and I used the brilliant strategy of saying "sou desu ne" whenever she said "...ne"!! Priceless "I don't know what your saying, but I can pretend" technique!

When she realised she'd forgot the coffee, she headed back out. While she was out I told Kyoko that I just pretended to understand. Right then, the woman came back with our coffee, so Kyoko said, "Selene is enjoying talking to you!", and the woman replied, "I'm just enjoying looking at her face!" So funny, Kyoko and I were hysterical!!

Before we left, the woman came back with omiyage for us both! She gave me a shoyu glass decanter from Otaru in Hokkaido! Supposedly its from a famous glass makers - even Kyoko had heard about it!? I was so surprised! Then to cut the mustard on a truly bizzare night, as we were putting our shoes on, Kyoko says, "Oh that's cute" about something. And I say the same about two porcelain hinamatsuri dolls... She says, "I'll give them to you! And her husband is like, "yes please, they are a gift from me!" By then I was really embarrassed, and with my presents, and promises to go back we left!

Such a unexpectedly funny night, and I've told Kyoko that next time we go, let me know what things she wants, cos I'm sure I could get them for her! We are also sure, the couple will have booked their NZ holiday by the time we go back!!