Arrival

8/9
Today was my second day in my apartment. I live in an apartment called Fragrance in a district in the northern part of the city. Isn’t the name lovely?
However, it’s very much like a sauna in here. The main windows face the west side and the heat is unrelenting throughout the day.
It is 8:35pm right now and I just came back from a trip to what will now be my favorite place 7-11. I bought myself a quick dinner of omurice (an omelet filled with rice on the inside and two flavors of sauce poured on top). It’s pretty good. They even heat it up in its original plastic packaging for you at 7-11. Hahaha…
On my way back to Fragrance, I met my neighbor to the right. As I walked by her house, I nodded and said, “Konbanwa.” She replied and slowly followed me to the steps. She asked me something I didn’t understand, so I gave her the I-have-no-idea-what -you’re-saying look. She didn’t seem to mind or understand, because she kept asking me another question…or maybe it was the same question.
Then, I said, “Gomenasai, I don’t speak Japanese.” I think she thought that was a signal for her to keep talking. For the next 5 minutes (literally), she jabbered away in Japanese, occasionally pointing at my apartment (at which I nodded and said yes). She spoke a million words per minute and I could not help but laugh hysterically. Maybe she thought I was crazy, but she laughed with me nonetheless.
Andrew, a fourth year ALT in the city once told me he had visited Katie’s (my predecessor) apartment and he spoke of a strange neighbor…maybe it was her? =)