lauren in japan

The people of my neighborhood have a staring problem.

Yes, I'm a foreigner (egads!) Yes, I'm tall (oh my!) Yes, I'm a female without a child in tow or on my way to the market (heaven help us!)

Some days it's fine. I'll be striding along (because the staring only happens when I'm running -- when I'm in a suit and clearly making a contribution to society I might as well be invisible as evidenced by my never never being able to get where I'm going without being blocked/cut off from/walked in front of at a sloth pace) and the jumpsuited construction workers will go about their business, the men and women walking to work won't bat an eye (but they will look kind of dead inside), the really elderly people just keep moving along (but they will look kind of dead outside).

Then there are times like this morning, though, where everyone -- bicyclers, pedestrians -- even the children and dogs -- will not only look alarmed at my presence, but will turn their heads after I've passed their line of sight to watch where I'm going. I wore sunglasses but was stared at in the eye so many times I'm surprised I didn't turn to stone and then carved into with the words "Beware, Gaijin!" (Gaijin means foreigner which apparently means devil person.)

I want to say something to them like "knock it off!" or "WHAT!?!?" or "a hex on you and yours, J-hag!" but I'm afraid it might kill them to hear me speak.

It makes me feel like I'm either doing something terribly wrong or have got a third leg growing out of my forehead, which, if the latter enabled me to run away faster, I suppose wouldn't be so bad. Wait, what I'm a saying!? See, this is what happens when the Japanese people forget their manners. Let it be a lesson.