Why You All Up in Mah Grill?

Seriously!

SERIOUSLY!

(ok, I have been watching too much Grey's Anatomy).

But why, oh why do strange people come up to talk to me in English for no reason other than thinking "OoOoO...gaijin - American! Let me practice my English with someone." For those that don't remember, I was once practically acosted by a Japanese Jehovah's Witness outside the post office. I never mentioned this before, but when I was on my way to visit the War Museum in Seoul, a woman in the subway almost grabbed my arm for no apparent reason and that freaked me out. They just don't DO this sort of thing back home - talking to strangers for no apparent reason. You ALWAYS have to have a pretty legitimate reason to strike up a conversation with someone.

I was at the Sanjo Starbucks today because it was nice out and unlike the Kyoto cafe's I can get alot of regular coffee and sit there for ours without having to worry about the waiters and waitresses wanting to kick me out. Plus, the one cafe that I like - Ogawa - is a wee bit pricey and better to go with another person. Starbucks is for when you are by yourself.

So I was sitting on the little green couches in the front overlooking the Kamo-river, reading some stuff for my research, when I hear an accented voice in my direction. Lo and behold, an old Japanese man is talking to me with the strangest grin on his face that looked like "Eureka! I got her attention!" Stupid me, I didn't have my iPod in my ears because I wanted to listen to the river and the general hum of Starbucks instead of The Reindeer Section being blasted into my ears to cover that hum.

So this man is trying to talk to me, and I answer in mumbled sentences so he deduces what he thinks I said, and lying about the school that I go to (I am not a very good liar, but I lie when I can). It was a bit rude of me but I just kept going back to my reading after I answered his question and again after answering again, until I decided that I was going to text a friend with "Call me, save me!" and pray that they got the text so that they can call me and cut the conversation short. Just as I picked up my phone and started to fiddle with it, the old man just said, "Nice to meet you" and then we shook hands.

After that, I stuck my iPod headphones promptly in my ears, but I didn't turn it on. The hum and the sound of the river was still nice.