1. Kamarol told me that when their Farhan was still a baby, Ija and he received 1000 yen from an unknown obaachan they met on a train. They used the money for an ice-cream treat. Then, last year, Mak told me that Huzaifah received 500 yen from an unknown obaachan when Mak, hubby and Huzaifah went for an outing in Mother's Farm (while I was still in the hospital after giving birth to Humaidi).
Well, to add another story to 'encounters with Nihonjin grandparents who miss their own grandchildren and give money to unknown children instead', yesterday while waiting for hubby snapping some 'hanami' photos in Sumida Koen, an elderly gentleman played with Humaidi (Huzaifah was asleep at that time) for some time, had a brief chit-chat with me, before telling me that he would like to give my kids some small token, as according to him, it is customary to give small gifts for small kids around here. To my surprise, instead of a 1000 yen note as I thought, Kitanaka-san handed over a 10,000 yen note. That never, ever happened before - to be given 10,000 yen by a total stranger who we met briefly in the park... Rezeki anak, alhamdulillah...
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2. Scribbled on Marroad International Hotel Narita, a note from a couple I helped guided while they were in Tokyo read:
"Assalamualaikum
Dear Azra,
We were touched with your hospitality & kindness. Here is some small token from us. Call us at 56****11 once you're back in Malaysia
(signed)
Mohd Hatta K.Zuraidah"
Enclosed in the envelope was two 1000 yen notes. Some would consider it tipping, but I'd rather think of them as hadiah for my two kids.
I was touched by getting an old-fashioned thank you note. I don't know about others, but snail-mail notes and cards are getting more difficult to come by for me nowadays...
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3. Helped Kak Ita for a short while with another Malaysian group of tourists for a short while. This group comprised mostly pakcik and makcik who are not very confident of ascending or descending the stairs without holding onto the rail. One makcik could not see properly even after going through eye operations for 4 times, her husband is having heart problems, numerous others are diagnosed with age-related problems such as hypertension and diabetes, and a few have to rely on walking canes. There are only 2 young persons in this group, both of them assisting their respective mom. One of them happened to be my ex-schoolmate too (MIO hasn't change that much too Zarin. Perhaps just like Ida,Basya and Firouz haven't change that much...)
I was surprised to find out Pallette Town to be their first stop in Tokyo. While yes, Toyota Meg@Web and Venus Fort could be unique in that you won't find anything like them in KL, at 10.00 a.m. the place was still closed. Yet, some makcik and pakcik were already busy looking for places to buy some drinks to take their medicine with. The well-to-do had no qualms entering Starbucks, but there were some who had their doubts, so I showed them the hot drinks section in ampm, next to the Starbucks.
Within the few hours I was with them, I found myself assisting one pakcik who wanted to buy stamp and send a letter to his former student in Chiba, answering some questions regarding Tokyo and Odaiba, requesting the management at Tokyo Camii to let the elderly makcik-makcik to use the men toilet on the ground floor so that they could be spared from going down to the basement floor to use the ladies, assisting the makcik in ascending and descending the stairs, in particular the makcik who could not see well. Alhamdulillah this group is not expected to board any normal train during the rush hours - they would be touring Tokyo-Hakone on bus, take a shinkansen from Hamamatsu to Kyoto, back on bus in Kyoto-Osaka area before boarding the plane back to KL from Osaka. Personally I don't think many of them could handle being in a super-crowded train during peak hours.
Anyway, even at 30-something with two kids, it is still flattering to overhear some pakciks referring to you as someone they would like to "buat menantu". It is even more meaningful when these pakciks later found out that they actually know your parents, and even attended your wedding a few years back. I guess when one says "boleh buat menantu", it is a compliment for both the person and his/her parents...
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