(I am an exchange student in Japan, and I also work part time at an English school. Currently I am handing out leaflets for my school in front of a subway station. A lot of people glance at me, but very few take the leaflets, so I feel a little embarrassed. I am reading out a spiel in Japanese about our school when a little old lady comes up to me.)
Little Old Lady: “[Something in Japanese that I can’t hear because of a train passing by]… very beautiful!”
Me: *in Japanese* “I’m sorry?”
Little Old Lady: *after a little thinking, in English* “Your hair!”
Me: *in Japanese* “Oh, thank you!”
Little Old Lady: *in Japanese* “Yeah, you have a really beautiful hairstyle! How do you braid it like that?”
Me: *in Japanese* “Oh, it’s really simple…” *explains how to braid the hair*
(We end up chatting about hairstyles a little more, when I remember why I’m there in the first place.)
Me: “Oh, would you perhaps be interested in taking English classes?”
Little Old Lady: “Oh, no! I’m too old to remember all that stuff!”
Me: “Oh, I’m sure that’s not so!”
Little Old Lady: “I’m sorry for not being interested in what you’re promoting.”
Me: “No, that’s okay! Thank you!”
(She didn’t take a leaflet, but she was the best customer I had! Thank you, lady, for brightening the day of a silly, lost, foreign girl! I really wish I knew an equivalent of, “Thanks for brightening my day!” in Japanese!)
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