Saturday in Tokyo

Yesterday we were out exploring Fuchu City. What started as a simple trip to the 100 Yen Store (think - "Dollar and Thirty Cent Store") ended up being a whirlwind tour of low-end to not-so-high end capitalism.

But first, takoyaki -


Takoyaki is GREAT! I can only describe it as shaped like a Captain D's hushpuppy, but made of flour, not cornmeal, and with a piece of octopus inside! (Yes, octopus. The tako in takoyaki. Most of Asia and Latin America likes octopus. Live with it!)

The finished product
Next stop a "One Day Store" (?) with some suspiciously good deals. Here are some shoes (my daughter would love) for only $6.50 -


As we walked back past the takoyaki shop (a popular place), we noticed a family all dressed up. I asked, in the corniest American accent I could muster, if I could take a picture. They seemed more than flattered -


After several arigato-gozaimases, I started to walk away, but I was beckoned back by the excited parents - I'd missed the best part, the back of his kimono!

click for a close-up

Not to be outdone, the younger brother said something to me, then gave me his best smile!

I'm sure I've seen manga characters make this face

Our sister Atsuko explained to us that the parents were taking their son to the shrine to be dedicated.

One day we're going to have a thriving church in Japan. One day parents are going to bring their children to church to dedicate their sons and daughters to the One, Most High God, the King of kings and Lord of lords, AND WHEN THEY DO... 

...they can dress them up in their best kimonos (and let foreign missionaries take pictures of them)!

Emboldened by my recent success, I then asked a man in the Cellphone Shop if I could take a picture of his son -

Say "cheez-u"
Now, while I am able to mutter a few polite phrases in the ol' Nihongo, I've found people to be quite excited about responding to my English (they pretend they're not, but you really can tell they are). Checkout clerks giggle a LOT (well, the girls do), and the men, well some of them will even over-explain.

Think about it, though. You suffer through 12 (?) years of English classes, with nary an opportunity to use it (think - "I don't see why I have to take algebra, I'm never going to use it...") and then one day this smiley man is asking you how to get to the takoyak... er, train station. Suddenly you're the evil French archaeologist who took the gold idol from Indiana Jones because he DID bother to learn the dialect!

Note to self: Talk to people. Talk to everybody. Wear a camera. Be strange and foreign and interesting. 

God is going to open some doors. Please pray for us.

Comments

Chris Banducci said…
This is a good plan Gary. People really want to go home and tell their families about the "weird" foreigner they talked to today. I've had my picture taken with people so many times you'd think I was Brad Pitt. He's actually my less good looking younger brother, if the truth be known.
November 26, 2012 at 7:07 PM
Gary C said…
He's certainly the less courageous of the two! You're definitely on the heroes list waaaaaay before BP...
November 27, 2012 at 7:53 PM
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