I’m starting to think that my purpose in Japan, like Allan’s purpose is tattooing, is to help old Japanese men to practice their English.
It happens a lot, anyway, but i don’t mind.

On Sunday i went to the Hanazono Jinja flea market, and bought nothing.
I don’t think i’ve ever bought anything at that market, but i still love going there just to look.

I went shopping, just a little bit, in Lumine afterwards, and when i got back to Kōenji i got some 7-11 lunch and set out for that park i found the other day while getting lost.
I did find it, but it was a bit farther than expected. Things seem closer when you don’t know where you’re going.

I sat down on a bench next to a little old lady, and on the bench next to us was a guy enjoying a beer and some chips, while his two shiba dogs looked on.
Perfect.
I don’t think i’d been eating for more than a minute when an old man came over to talk. Boy, was he chatty. But his English was pretty good and i got to practice my Japanese a bit too. Old people love it when we tell them how much we love Japan.
While we sat there, talking and eating, a little boy fell in the lake while playing too close to the edge. We all gasped and exchanged concerned looks, and for a moment, i felt like i was part of the gang.
Poor kid, though. He was so embarrassed that he didn’t wanna go back to his parents who were hanami-ing close by, but he was completely soaked, and it’s not that warm out yet. I hope he didn’t catch a cold.

I’m actually excited about making prints of some of these.

I wish my grandfather was still alive and could have seen these.
Since he was never online, he was pretty much the only one ever interested in seeing my vacation photos when i came back home!