Westerns only number about 1 % here, so a curly haired blonde white lady tends to stand out a bit on the city. Of course, I look like a tourist except I seem to know where I am going now and I have an iPhone. You must have a phone from Japan to have one that works.
The funny thing is when one westerner sees another and is a resident there is the tendency to ignore each other. There is the quick sly glance and then the downward look. When I first moved here I would do a quick nod or hello, but not welcomed at all. I have now taken on the same code and decided that I will not do this anymore and just try to make us part of a club.
I don't work outside the home and volunteer in a place where Japanese is spoken, so I can go for quite a while before I have a conversation with another English speaking person. Especially hard when my husband is traveling. I am taking language lessons, but it is slow going.
I don't really expect people to just talk to me because I am american, but now laugh when I see other westerners and " the glance"
Reminds me of the reported 'coldness' of Seattle! I'd totally be one of those people, but I know it's not you at all. Funny how we tend to close into ourselves. Crazy.
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