Free Samples

When youʻre in Japan youʻll notice that people are a little bit extra enthusiastic when it comes to samples.  However, my experience tends to be that they typically have a distance to them.  They often repeat the same mantra in Japanese and hope someone bites.  Perhaps its only like that in the big "city" shops that I go to, but that tends to be my typical observation.  Maybe theyʻre scared of me? I donʻt know.  Today however, I had a first.

I went to a place called Fuji Grand where I usually go for everything...essentially because I only know how to get there.  They usually have little fairs and promotions going on, and today it was a Hokkaido fair so Soran Bushi was playing on repeat.  (If you donʻt know what Soran Bushi is, look it up itʻs cool).  Today, for the first time, a woman started going off in a nice way trying to get me to sample half of a donut.  Maybe I just felt particularly drawn to her for no reason, but I bought in to it and tried the caramel filled mini-donut.  I think she was trying to speak English, but it was really bad then I asked in Japanese what was in the donut because the caramel tasted different than usual, and her eyes blew up and she exclaimed, "Oh wow fluent Japanese!?!?!"  With literally that much enthusiasm.

I donʻt know why 4 words causes instant bewilderment in some peoples minds, but I went with it and tried to hang in there.

I ended up being so touched by what a nice demeanor she had.  I bought the donuts, and she slipped me 6-7 extra.  Once again, I was touched.

Thatʻs just me I guess, I love nothing more than to have those kind of interactions.  I recognize that not everyone can get an extra (unless of course you go to Mr. Egg Roll at Ward Center), but I wish more people in the world were like her.

Needless to say I told her I was from Hawaiʻi after all this and she almost died.

(^_^)