Knock, Knock. "Sumimasen!" Knock, Knock.

It is now 10:15pm, Japan time, and I am typing this blog while trying to not make as much noise as possible. Why?

There is this man walking around my building, knocking on doors and saying, "Sumimasen! :::knock knock::: Sumimasen!" (It means "Excuse me").

I have have people come and knock on my doors. Except for the apartment buildings that are right proper "manshons" and have some sort of security, most studio apartment buildings like mine in quite, safe residential neighborhoods have their front doors open (or not even front doors at all, most just have the apartment open to the outside directly. I am lucky in that respect). Only really new ones have high-tech security, but even remodeled one's (like Chen's - beautiful!) don't have security. The only security that I have is the lock to my door and the chain lock thing.

The previous two times that people knocked on my door, it was in the middle of the day and it was just for newspapers. Quite harmless, but now I know better to not respond because frankly I don't want to deal with solicitors. People solicit here. And it's totally legal. And I don't know if the person is the occasional freak, either.

So I am getting ready for bed and I hear the knocking. I thought maybe it was at the apartment building next door, since I have been hearing it for quite awhile and just brushed it off thinking, "I wonder what the hell this guy is thinking or wanting, knocking on doors at 10 o'clock at night." I glanced at my door, making sure that it was locked and the chain was on. It was. No problem, just a cursory glance and minor check before I go to bed.

Knock, knock.

"Sumimasen!"

I literally froze and all the alarm bells began to ring in my head - "WTF does he want? I am NOT going to answer that door no matter what, go away, what are you thinking knocking on doors in the middle of the night!" You just never really know these days, even though Japan is quite harmless. I still get suspicious at times (New Yorkers usually tend to be wary or so the stereotype goes, I just always try to watch my back and my surroundings like everyone else does, New Yorker or no).

During my first month in London I was practically terrified, but that was due to many other things as well, chiefly relating to the fact that I was alone, in a country and a city unfamiliar to me, and I was living away for the first time. By now, Kyoto is pretty familiar to me, and I am totally fine with living away, but the former fact is still very present. Like I mentioned to a male classmate of mine who stayed in a train station overnight because there were no hotels in Tokyo during Golden week, "It's harder for the girls" and he agreed. I was a little nervous during my first month or so in Japan, but like London I adapted and got accustomed to the surroundings. But still, I am alone and you do not know what will be on the other side of the door.

Knock, knock.

"Sumimasen!"

Knock, knock.

Silence. Then footsteps. My pounding heart slowed down. I may have overreacted but it was a reflex. I putter about quietly, then change the garbage bag in my bathroom since tomorrow (Thursday) is garbage day. As the bag rustles while I place it in the trash can -

Knock, knock.

"Sumimasen!"

Knock, Knock.

HELL NO I am not going to answer that door, even if the man on the other side thinks that someone is definitely in here. Not even if you paid me.

Why the heck would someone go knocking on doors of apartment buildings at 10 o'clock at night? I'll never know, but I never want to know either.