I had the strangest experience today...
On the train from Shimo-kita to Kichijoji— the slow train— a very normal-looking Japanese child of maybe 8 years old at some point came and sat next to me. I didn’t think much of it at first, but he was staring and me without give; at some point, he went and sat across from me to only come back and sit next to me, scooting closely toward me.
Who on earth does he think I am?
I thought to myself
in Tokyo, a white person isn’t an anomaly
— but having no clue— I went back to emailing my agent—and pretending to look at my email
All the time, the tiny person peering over my shoulder
If it had been an adult, I would have certainly been uncomfortable...
but it was a child— looking at me, eyes as big as pure-silver
When we finally disembarked, he stayed behind me for a spell
And then broke into a run
Like the child he was
I couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
