It all began with a leaky air conditioner.
My supervisor asked me if everything worked okay in the apartment, and I mentioned that my AC was dripping copiously onto my deck. He called the landlord, who called the man who repairs AC units in the apartment complex. Somewhere along the line, it turned into an AC emergency and both the repair man and the landlord fussed over the AC, looking for something more severe than a missing pipe to channel the water to a proper drain. The repair man said he could come the next morning to add pipes.
During this inspection, my apartment was in all manner of disarray. I was just finished with assembling an epic piece of kitchen furniture, and the boxes, plastic, and styrofoam were sorted on the floor. That combined with several bags of linens and cups made the apartment look horrendous. The landlord hinted that I should sort my trash (which I took to really mean "please clean your hellhole") and the AC man asked if I was a sensei. Because teachers are given so much esteem in Japanese communities, I wondered if he was genuinely curious or also remarking on the state of my apartment.
It turns out I read way too deeply into it. The landlord double checks my bicycle baskets and watches me unlock my bike before I go out--he just wants to make sure that I understand tricky things like trash days and how to work a Japanese bicycle. As for the AC man...
Nakada-san added pipes the next day. I was home, so I offered some iced tea and we chatted for a while in English while he worked. I learned about his family and also why he asked if I was a teacher. He and both of his children went to the school that I work at, and he said, beeming, "Komatsu High is my school." Both of his kids are doing very well--his daughter has a one-year-old daughter of her own and his son is in the Japanese Air Force. Both of his kids studied abroad in Anglophone countries, and know English. Before he left, Nakada-san invited me to dinner with him and his wife.
I just got back from said dinner. They treated me to sushi, broiled mackerel, yaki-udon, beer, and Japanese spaghetti at a nice izakaya by the station. (I offered to pay; they would have none of it. They got special omiyage from Oregon.) We spoke in English for almost the whole time, and they looked like they were really enjoying practicing. They asked how I was adjusting to life in Japan, and if my family was worried because I was so far away. Both of their children live far away, so I think I've been adopted by empty nesters. Mrs Nakada climbs mountains in her spare time (she did Hakusan today) and promised to show me the sites of the nearby Minami Alps. They both told me numerous times to be careful on my bicycle, especially at night and especially in the snow. They also promised to introduce me to both of their children, and I hope I can also meet Mrs Nakada's dog Leon.
It's nice to know a family so rooted in the community and in my school. Komatsu is technically a city, but it wakes and breathes like a small town. I feel accepted, and I'm so happy that I have the opportunity to be able to get to know kind and outgoing people like the Nakadas.
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