5 yrs ago I met a bubbling elementary school lad. He's from the govt housing where I lived. Very lively and used to greet me whenever he saw me. Then he went on to the nearest junior high school and I saw him very rarely. Once I saw him with a group of boys his age and most probably from the same govt housing or maybe his school mates climbing the low metal fence of the train station nearest our apartment. And another time holding the bag of someone who looked menacing but maybe only several yrs older than him while he was being reprimanded of sort with a language with so much slurs on them. All the while I pretended to be looking the other way. He definitely didn't finished senior high school. This morning on my way home, I saw him again leaving the very same train I was riding. He was in fact ahead of everybody but did stop and a bit dillydally. I had a hunch that he won't be paying his fare so he was waiting till nobody was around. That train station is always unmanned. Just one of the nice things I love in Japan. And there's alot of unmanned stations everywhere here. With so many people like this lad, unmanned station are no longer viable. People like him are being subsidized by the paying public. That lad who looks South American, either a Bolivian or Peruvian is definitely from an immigrant parents. Scums starting it young and a prospective welfare applicant when he reaches his 50's if ever he'd be lucky enough to reach that age. Japan has so many nice facets being rebuked by people who insisted to stay, only to trample upon its peace and order. Seems unmanned stations are already outmoded.
Yesterday, two sad events happened. The second was on my home. Saw a group of people in front of a house of an old lone man with a policeman interviewing the neighbors. I always pass by that house which was some 400 meters away from my apartment. I always see the ole man riding a bike with a bag of lunch pack from a convenience store. Maybe he's past 70. He'd be another one I'd be missing on my way to work this afternoon. The first event happened at work. There was a new Vietnamese girl on my line. I feel for her since she doesn't speak Japanese nor English. There was this box which was half full and she put it on the table. I put it back on the trolley and instead put a shallower box. Then proceed to my work which was some 1 meter away from her. She removed the shallower box and put back the big box. I tried to explain why I did that in slower English mixed with a little Japanese. And put back the smaller box. The I was surprised hearing her arrogant voice calling on her compatriot who was some 10 meters away from us. I just couldn't understand their language but it seemed she didn't trusted me at all and thought all the while I was messing up with her and her work. Just sad how this 18 yr- old girl could ever thought of that about me when in fact she and her likes who are on student visas working two jobs and not paying up to some govt dues and who are more than messing up the govt and regular workers like us who indirectly subsidizing for them. Just sad how some people whose very presence here in Japan are taking advantage of some loopholes in laws could ever suspect an innocent person like me of the very dirt they are guilty of. Just so sad. I understand she isn't the sole Vietnamese with that kind of arrogance. That arrogance could be an aftermath of winning over the Americans during the Vietnam War. If so, they shld be reminded that their winning means slaving themselves to two big powers of the the past Cold War. I hope Iam wrong with my observation. Otherwise its a pity for Japan having so much of them around. Iam not in any way instigating racial hatred. Just opinion and first hand observation.
Me and my son offered a prayer and a box of one of Nagoya's famous rice crackers. The altar has a large rectangular scroll with a kanji writing which I failed to ask my son about. At both sides were a vase of mint like leaves. No flowers as this particular Buddhist sect refrain from flowers and I wonder why yet I never ask why. (Those were one of the things that I just accept unquestioningly.) On the lower tier were the goodies and drinks left as offerings for the dearly departed. Then a notice caught my eyes as it was written in English. It says"Security camera in operation." I was really dumbfounded. First, the room was not more than 3 meters by 4 meters. There was a slim table and 2 chairs at one side where people can write the name for whom the offering was to be given. secondly, other than the scroll , 2 vases and goodies which I don't think would cost much, there was nothing of so great a value. There was no monetary offering hence the place seemed to have nothing of value. Not unless if the scroll i s worth a fortune. But that I don't know. So even churches have lost trust in humanity? To think that the people who came there looked moneyed and we were the only ones who were not! Really puzzling! Nevertheless, we enjoyed the day as we spent the rest of the day in the nearby city of Kyoto.
Every weekday morn the politician I mentioned before stood at the entrance of the train station. He's welcoming the newly arrived and bidding goodbye to the departing ones. Very unique since I haven't been aware of similar acts in all of my more than 20 yrs of life here in Japan. More so because he has nobody around him in terms of personal assistants or bodyguards. In my home country any politician even one in the lowest rung has to have some sort of bodyguards. Just one of the amazing things I find here in Japan. And I shld not forget to mention that he's a looker too though quite chubby. At times I saw him exchanging opinions with the locals in different age brackets and gender. Simply amazing Japan!
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