unwanted attention (aka "just leave us alone")

warning - this is a long vent.

Yesterday I came home from a long day out with K(morning play date followed by trip to city hall), threw all our bags on the kitchen table, left the pram in the door way, emptied out all her used cups etc to wash (so the kitchen sink and basically the whole kitchen was a mess) and started playing with R who had been home alone all day. We had only been home about 20minutes, when the doorbell rang. R goes ballistic whenever the doorbell rings (or the vacuum is on, but that is a different matter at the moment) so I usually get stressed and instead of using the intercom phone, just answer the door. So, when I looked through the peep hole, it was an old lady who had stopped me a block from my house earlier in the week when I was walking with R to the shops, and asked me where my dog was...I said,"at home!", a bit perplexed as to how she knew I had a dog, but I figure that yes, we DO stand out, so didn't think much of it. Turns out she lives in the apartment block across the road.

So yesterday, she came knocking on my door when I was out, she told me she could hear R barking, then she must have seen us come home, so she came over again, to give me a present for R (a toy that her gradchild had used) and some jelly. She first pushes her way into the genkan, where the pram is, and is standing there, then she says she has this present, so can she come in....I was so taken aback, that I said yes!!! I swear Japanese people NEVER invite themselves in like that. So in my kitchen she is, telling me how she thinks I am so "erai" (brave/strong) to be raising a dog and a child here. (rolls eyes). She also went on to tell me how she loves animals, and used to feed the stray cats for 20 years until the police told her to stop because it was a public nuisance(warning bells are a-ringing), and how her daughter has sooo many foreign friends (homesick English teachers, etc etc) who she likes to help out when they are in trouble etc, and that she told her daughter about me, and now her daughter can't wait to meet me. aaarrrrggghh. Looks like I am in for it now. I mean, sure it was nice of her to give us a present for K and whatever, but I can just see her on my doorstep every 5 minutes now - and how the hell am I supposed to keep her at bay? And I know she is going to be one of those people who are KY(totally oblivious to everything going on around them) and wont get the hint when I try to brush her off.

I got into deep do-do when I told J the story- he said I should never open the door to strangers. I feel like a kid being told about stranger danger. But then when I said she invited herself in, he was like, you better watch out for her. so then I was freakin it all night, worried that she was going to try to come and abduct K or R or me or something. Then I spent most of the day trying to lay low, and sneak out of the house when I needed to go to the shops or playgroup, in case she saw me. And if she comes knocking on my door again, I am just to ignore her...... so now I feel like a prisoner in my own home. I don't NEED a 70 year old friend!!! I have the in-laws!!(lol)

I actually had a similar situation when I was a JET. A 70 year old lady used to come to my office, and stand outside the door waving for me to come out to the corridor to talk to her, where she would usually present me with a bottle of 300wine. I had a big collection of nasty wine in the end. Once I even saw her outside my apartment. I *think* she was asking me something about having men stay at my apartment. (Often other JETS or friends visiting from home, sometimes a little more..... lol).
She shouted me out for lunch once at an unagi (eel) restaurant. And I think I even went to her house - I just could never say NO. So I am already dreading this baba...

This was the event that just topped off our day. We were out from 10am to 5pm running errands, and K's playdate. Everywhere we went, we got the unwanted attention. People on the train that make googly eyes at K (yes, I know that means that she is entertained on the train, but it wears me out having to play along with everyone too.). Some woman in the elevator was all into K, ignorning our playdate's child - that's a difficult situation). Some freak guy at the checkout to the 100yen store who was waving a box of something in K's face. I thought he was almost going to hit her with it. I took her pram and ran away, hid down one of the ailes. The stupid woman at the city hall who was "in training", or so her badge said, and thought I looked stupid enough to not know what I was doing so she comes screaming over and offers to help in the loudest voice....which woke up sleeping K, only an hour into her afternoon nap. ARGH!!!

Just everywhere we go, everyone is all "oh she is so cute" - I know that(lol), but they are really JUST SAYING IT. because she is mixed race. she *must* be cute. I just want to be able to walk down the street and be invisible. Or normal.

Add to this, the apartment block next to us, which the landlords of our apartment block live in, is having *something* done to it, and there is scaffolding all around the outside of the building, and on (literally, on the rail of)our balcony and in front of our lounge room window. You know how close Japanese apartments and houses are. I have no idea what the are doing - the landlord never sent around a notice or anything, so for all I know they could be spraypainting or something. So what do I do about my laundry?? What do I do about opening windows?? - they place is now a major target for burglers (not that we have anything to burgle). And how long will this go on for?? So rude not to even tell us what is going on. And, while I am on a rant, I may as well go about the rubbish bin for the 2 apartment blocks which is located at the bottom of our entranceway. It is one of those industrial type bins, and the lid on it has been broken since about the 2nd week we moved in here. AND although we pay the monthly body corporate fees, they have never once done anything like sweep down the stairs or that. It is so DISGUSTING in that staircase, that I even swept it down once. I am thinking of getting a power hose to it next time.

*sigh* I just don't want to be here at the moment. here = japan, I think.