and the prize goes to Asshole B

We had to go out today to get new photos for K's passport, as the photos we submitted were too small (since they changed the size requirements in the time between we took them and applied for the passport *sigh*) so we headed out about 10am, managed to keep K entertained and in the stroller for the first leg of the trip (only 6mins by train) until we changed trains. We walked through the ticket gate, found what platform we had to go to and headed over to the elevator, where I pushed the button and took a step back to wait. I accidentally stepped back into a lady walking past me, so I turned around and apologized ("ah, sumimasen") then all of a sudden some old fart (Asshole B) pushes into me with crossed arms and yells at me to "doite-yo!", which I am going to translate as "get outta my way". Now, it may be a bit hard to explain in words what the situation was, but I was about 1m away from the elevator, which has a huge walkway about 20m wide one side , and a small pathway down the other side of it (probably about 3m wide) where people walk to get to the escalator to go to the platform. Asshole B was trying to get past me down the 3m side walkway. There was no one else around. I am sure he had enough room. And it wasn't like he was running to catch a train and I got in his way, he was sauntering over to the escalator. I felt wronged. My instinct made me yell out "Excuuuuuse me" then I changed to Japanese and said(loudly haha) "そこまで言わなくていいでしょ！" ("there is no need to go that far"). He was at the escalator when he turned around and the woman that I bumped into and apologized to was there with him (musta been his wife) and she was like asking him "what is all that about". I turned back and there was a young lady with a baby in a stroller waiting at the lift too. She asked me what happened and I explained. She was like "some people are really rude, I am sorry. I often get people give me dirty looks when I get on the train with my child".

Isn't it disgusting! Now, I know that not everyone is a child-lover. I FULLY understand it. I even admit that in the days BK, I would have gotten a bit antsy if I went into a restaurant etc and there were screaming kids running around etc. I never really knew how to treat other people's kids - you know when they stare at you on the train, like K does to people all the time, hah! But I would NEVER give them a filthy look or say something. C'mon, they are just kids. And HELLO we are on the train you know (or AT THE STATION in this case).....surely I am allowed to be there? I am not even sure if he was anti-kids now I think about it, he might have just been anti-me?!

So I really think that Asshole B "takes the cake".

But why is he Asshole B?? Well, this little incident follows hot on the heels of Monday morning's incident, where the main player was Asshole A. We were on our way to meet some friends, we had a long train ride, about 30mins or so. It wasn't peak time, and in fact the carriage I was in had about 1/4 empty seats. We sat down in the regular seat area, and K wanted to get out of the stroller, so I let her out and she sat on the seat beside me. There was plenty of room. Ok, my fault here, I should have moved over more to the right when K started stretching out (head on my lap, legs out to the left). A couple of times her feet (which only had socks on) kicked (softly, just when she was wriggling around)into the guy at the end of the seat on the left, a.k.a Asshole A. He must have got the shits with it, because all of a sudden, he grabbed his backpack, and slammed it down in between him and K, which happened to be exactly where her feet were. I was livid (again) and turned and said to him "C'mon man, she is just a kid" (ちょっと、やりすぎじゃないの？子供ですよ！）He has headphones on and didn't hear me, or pretended not to.

Again, I admit that I should have been more careful with watching K's feet, but I really think that was OTT. Or maybe I am too caught up in my own (and K's) world now so that I am seeing things skew-whiffed? Are they assholes or do I need to be more vigilant? I wasn't even gonna write about Asshole A, because his crap was totally wiped away by the lovely lady who offered to carry the stroller up the stairs, over the overpass and down the stairs to the other side at the train station we got off at where there is no lift or escalators because she saw me holding K's hand in one hand, and the stroller thrown over my back as we tried to get up the stairs.

Everyone seems to be just so oblivious to what is going on around them. Young guys "sleeping" in the priority section of the trains, baba-tariaons pushing past to get the broccoli that is on special ("hello, there are still about 100 bunches left, no need to rush, baba"), the idiots who insist on parking their bikes in front of the elevator entrance at our station, so that people with strollers, let alone people in wheelchairs can't get to the lift, etc etc. I know that I am oblivious to it all sometimes too, but I try to be socially conscious...hold doors open for people rather than slamming it in their face, let older ladies through first, etc because that is the way I was brought up. Ba-hum-bug for Japan, the country that is supposed to be so respectful. What happened? Is it only in Tokyo? I somehow doubt it......Can't wait to get outta this country for a bit. Only a month and 2 days to go!

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.